Exposure Night of the Knobbly Tread 2013 - Report

The racing as always round this venue was full on, the club had been working hard on the circuit to find a few new surprises and certainly the last bomb hole caught a few out in the dark.

The racing started with the fun event and as always there was a sea of Black and Yellow jerseys from the promoting Beyond/RRP/Specialized sponsored West Drayton club on the start line, a number who had an advantage having been training on the race circuit for the last few weeks, as the hooter went it was home rider Reg Pay who blasted into the lead down the long start straight and into the single track as the field stretched out, just over 13 minutes later he was round the first 3 mile lap closely followed by Henry Barnes and another West Drayton rider Nicholas Try with Rich Cooper Willesden CC in 4th  Into the second lap and Barnes briefly took the lead but Pay was able to answer this attack surging back past and started to stretch the elastic to take the win by over a minute from Barnes. Further behind Rich Cooper kept up a consistent pace to overhaul Try who was taking part in his first night event to take 3rd 

Onto the open event and the veterans with a veritable host of top names on the start sheet with both past and present national champions in the field which included last years overall winner local rider Matt Craner.

The field faced 5 laps of the 3 miles circuit and it was expected the increase in technical sections was going to split the field but after the two leaders came through the first lap it was Isaac Puuci WDMBC/Beyond/RRP/Specialized closely followed by Lewis KingBeeline Cycles then after a short gap it was like a road race peloton on the rivet as riders came through in close formation with Dave Wadswoth leading the pack. Into the second lap and the lead had changed with King leading Pucci through and this was the order of the day as both riders tried to take advantage of leading through the tight single track only for them to rejoin on the fire road sections and reverse positions constantly however Pucci was now complaining of a softening front tyre, which was starting to slow him on the tight corners as the rain had started to fall making the circuit more technical, into the 5th and final lap and the duo were still neck and neck but as they appeared out of the woods for the last time  it looked like the overall win was Puccis as he had a small gap but with a combination of having to slow down for the last corner due to the softening tyre and a Herculean effort by King forcing his way through elbows out it was King who took the overall win and the vets award with Pucci  taking the open award just behind in second. Coming in second in the vets slipping down one place from last year was Craner with Wadsworth 3rd. In the open event it was Geoff Beetham who just managed to keep Chris Pedder at bay the two having been neck and neck throughout the race.

In the ladies event it was win no 2 for Maddie Horton Fully Sussed/Certini but she was pushed on the first lap by Alice Barnes but as the race wore on the consistent lap times by Horton saw her pull away with a slowing Alice being put under pressure by her sister Hannah who has closed a minute gap after the first lap to finish right behind her. In the veterans ladies it Jackie Roberts who was another rider whop produced consistent lap times to take the win.

Picture above: Reg Pay Fun Winner on the podium 



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