MX Nationals - Round 3 - Hawkstone Park 2017

The sand track was very soft and loose.  It got rough pretty quickly with the 32 strong Pro Class out first in Timed Qualification.

MX2:

Jake took his time at first, finding it difficult to get a good clear run between the MX1 and MX2 riders.  Then in lap 4 he got an excellent time and moved into 3^rd place MX2.  Jake bettered his time in lap 5, so secured his 3^rd MX2 gate pick for the day.

RACE 1:

MX2:

The gate Jake picked would be advantageous if he got a good jump out the gate.  However, it back fired and he got chopped up coming up the start straight and ended up right at the back of the pack.  But Jake had got his head in gear and pulled through to the top 10 within the first lap and was sitting in 3^rd place MX2.  He chased hard against 2^nd place Liam Knight and half way through the race Jake made a cracking pass over a big jump moving Jake up into 2^nd place.  Liam then got a mechanical DNF.  Gilbert and Eccles were too far behind to come any way near catching.  Pocock had got away up front and although Jakes pace was there he had lost too much ground with his bad start.  So Jake had an excellent ride and came home 2^nd MX2 behind Mel Pocock and 7^th overall with the MX1’s.

RACE 2:

MX2:

Jake got another terrible start and once again got cut up going up the start straight.  He managed to pull through to 6^th pretty quickly but couldn’t managed to find a way past Josh Gilbert, try as he might.  He was sitting in 5^th place MX2 when his back end kicked out going up the Hawkstone hill and Jake came off.  The bike caught the top of his leg knocking his hip and requiring medics.  So a DNF after 12 laps for Jake in race 2.  No points scored.

OVERALL:

MX2

Jake’s first race showed the ability that we all knew Jake had and with a better start he would have given Mel Pocock a run for his money.  However, with a DNF Jake ended up with a 2 –DNF, giving him only a 9^th overall.  Jake now sits in 5^th place in the Championship, just 3 places behind Brad Todd and 10 points behind now third place Lewis Tombs.

QUOTE FROM JAKE MILLWARD:

Felt on it in race one and had a cracking ride.  Shame about the start.  Race 2 didn’t go to plan and then I came off and hurt my hip pretty bad so had to pull off.