3rd EXPOSURE LIGHTS Night Of The Knobbly Tread Race Report

The West Draytons Exposure Lights Night of the Knobbly tread at Black Park Country Park again produced some quality racing, going against the usual format of long endurance racing night time racing this was short, eyeballs out ,top speed racing with the fun riders facing 3 laps of the 3 mile course and the open and vets facing 5 laps. As a new idea to start the nights proceedings there also featured an eliminator race round the start/finish area with Matt Craner Beyond Mountain Bikes/WDMBC taking the first victory of the night as he beat team mate Reg Pay into 2nd.

Next up it was the fun event with Party Lights supporting the event the first 100 metres of the start straight was a sea of illumination as a big field got under way, West Drayton riders made up a proportion of this field and having benefited from some training on the course they took full advantage of their inside knowledge with Sam Jacobs leading the charge from the line. The pressure of leading got to him though and he was the first of a number of riders who slipped on the roots in the dark, his misfortune lead to race organiser Chris Denman taking over at the front, using his vast knowledge of the course to good effect,  sticking like glue to Denman's wheel was another WDMBC rider Marcin Kunecki and just when it looked like it might be a sprint finish between the two with half a lap to go Denman took a heavy tumble. Kunecki took full advantage to take the win with Graeme Taylor and Nicholas Try competing a West Drayton/Beyond 1,2,3 on the podium and the recipients of the Exposure goodies handed out the winners. 

Also in this event was the winner of a special prize a free nights accommodation at the King William Guest House in Settle for the best fancy dressed competitor this prize going to Darren Hickman.

In the Ladies event it was another close call but in the end it was Shari Pay taking the honours from Karen Sawkins.

In the open and vets events there was some real quality riders facing the 5 laps, including leading under 23 rider, Isaac Pucci, Vets champion Lewis King and former vets Ladies champion Jackie Roberts. Pucci  had shown his intentions by joining in a training session round the course the previous week as having finished behind King last year he was desperate to reverse the position this time around. 

The field blasted away down the start line and it was not long before the crowd saw the eventual winner come through, despite the dark Pucci was flying and had already pulled a minutes lead out on the second placed rider , Lewis King who was another 30 seconds up on the 3rd place rider Stefano DeTomaso. Although King and Pucci were flying solo at the front of their respective categories, further down the field it was all bumping and barging as riders fought to get to the single track first .As the race wore on Pucci and King continued to extended their leads with the younger rider Pucci opening the gap every lap on King. Further back all the podium positions were still in dispute until the final metres of the race with local rider Paul Miller coming strong at the end taking second in the open class and Gabor Doroghazi 3rd just 4 seconds adrift of Miller. In the vets competing the podium were Steve Jones and Matt Craner 3rd with Grand vet Rob Jackson was an excellent 4th.

In the ladies open event Leona Kadir took the win from Agata Downey whilst in the veterans ladies a close tussle saw Cat Ross take the honours from Jackie Roberts the leading ladies being rewarded with prizes from Artistry by Amrita as well as Exposure.

To round the evening off the crowd were treated to a rendition of the national anthem and Nessum Dorma by local opera singer Armen Boldy.  A great nights racing bought to you by kind permission of Buckinghamshire county council and sponsors, Exposure Lights, Party Lights, Artistry by Amriatand the King William guest house, Settle.

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