Black Park Races

BY: chris denman

Published: 9th June, 2014

West Drayton MBC Black Park Races 2014
Youth Races
Well what a great idea to move the races to later in the year, sunshine and lots of smiling faces all weekend. Even better was the new format with the under16's having two races on Saturday on a shortened course.
Saturday morning the team were out preparing for the youngsters, course marking and HQ building. The first race up was the under 8′s boys and girls. With a few technical features to ground out the low bottoms brackets there were plenty of marshals on the course to lend the odd helping hand.
More races for the under 10′s and under 12′s before the course was reversed and modified for the kids to do it all again in the second of their races. All credit to them 20 minutes does not sound very long but when your not even 8 and riding on 20″ wheels it’s like a marathon. A big well done to all the racers, one to watch out for in the future was Max Lawson who was being slowed down by the lead out marshal.
Next up were the under 14′s, under 16′s and a novice race on a lengthened course with a few more technical features to spice it up. Two race format as well, one lad said on the start line that he was going to ride slow. Funnily as soon as he rolled off the start line he was flat out, a born racer. Great riding and lots of smiling faces on the podium with a few nice medals to show their mates.
Adult and juvenile races
Another early start for the team getting the course set up and ready for racing on a lovely sunny Sunday morning. A few patches of mud in the woods but after some of the rain we have had recently and a forest circuit most was pretty dry. Without any hills it’s a challenge to make an interesting course, several bomb holes have been designed in, a bridge crossing and plenty of twisty corners with roots to catch people out.
The racing started in earnest with the veteran and Grand Veteran males first up, with a long start straight before the single-track all the riders were gunning it from the blocks. At the end of the close run events there were home victories for both Jon Pierce and Rob Jackson. The day also featured the Central youth championships with Maddie Wadsworth and Conail Brown being crowned champions, another champion to be crowned on the day was Graeme Taylor who took the coveted London Single Speed Championship .
In the Emergency Services championship the mens race was a neck and neck no holds barred affair with some furious racing but at the end of the 18 mile race won by Graham Taylor and The Emergency Services Championship.
Next race was the Women’s Emergency services, with an in form Cat Ross the defending championnon the start line it was no surprise that at the end of the 15 mile race she had a smile on her face and was a clear winner.
The last riders to finish the day were the Elite Men and Women, Louise Robinson, took advantage of Ross not being in her event and took a win in the ladies race. In the Elite mens race West Drayton's finest Sean Downey and Neil Ellison did their best to stay with eventual winner Simon Ernest but had to succumb to the relentless pace with Downey taking 3rd and Ellison 2nd.
Plenty of great racing over the weekend, it’s amazing how much better it was with the sun out. The new format worked really well and hopefully next year there won’t be a clash with another race. Thanks go to all that came, the scouts who were great marshals, also all the club members that turned out to help. Cheers to Go Ape, Beyond Mountain Bikes who sponsor WDMBC and Buckinghamshire Council for their continuing support letting us stage the race at Black Park. Loo out for the next planned race at the venue the Night of the Knobbly tread, a short cross country race in the dark!

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