Exposure Night of the Knobbly Tread 4

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BY: chris denman

Published: 19th October, 2014

Well what a night of racing, the promoting club the West Drayton MBC had been working hard down at the Black Park circuit over the last few days due to the recent heavy rain, emptying the bomb holes that had filled up, prepping the single track and making some last minute changes to the circuit and the result for their efforts was a superb, fast, circuit with a level of technicality that was just right for Night time racing.

The Night started off with the fun classes and a brave duo decided to enter on a tandem, certainly not a weapon of choice for the bomb holes and tight single track, but with some great sounds blasting from the sound box they carried round they certainly added to the fun element. At the sharp end it was the promoting clubs Chris Try who lead through on the first lap already having built up a good lead, clearly benefiting from a number of training sessions down at the venue, in second place it was Garry Hurst, but he also had pulled out a small gap on 3^rd and 4^th placed riders Darren Smith and Rich Cooper who were having a bit of a battle for supremacy, Try kept up his pace and took the win by a good margin at the end of the 9 mile race,with Smith a comfortable second, whilst Smith got the better of Cooper to take the final podium spot with a little further back John Cookson from sponsors Exposure making a rare race appearance finishing 5^th.In the Ladies fun race Wesst Drayton MBC's Kasia Ambrose in only her second MTB race put many men to shame as she took a comfortable win in a time that many of the men would have been happy with. After the fun races had finished and they were sipping the free beer generously provided by sponsors Exposure and were tucking in to the free burgers, it was time to get serious with the open race and the hot favourite was Isaac Picci the 2013 winner returning to defend his crown. It was no surprise at the end of the first lap that he was leading but it at this stage was certainly not a one horse race with Scott Chappell right on his wheel, they stuck together like glue for the first 4 laps but as Pucci took the bell it was time for him to light the after burners and storm around the circuit in the fastest lap time of the night to gap Chappell who came in 2^nd, further back another rider who had benefited from training on the race course Paul Miller moved past long time 3^rd placed rider Jack Noy with Sam Edwards taking 5^th.In the ladies race Cat Ross the Southern Champion who had helped plan the circuit took an untroubled win to take top honours and another win for the WDMBC a feat later replicated by former National Vets champion Jackie Roberts in the combined vets and grd vets class. The men's vets and grd vet men all started together and at the end of the 1^st lap Sean Scott was heading a small band of riders including leading Grand Vets rider Steve Jones and Matt Craner, the racing was highly competitive with the race lead swapping a number of times until the younger rider Matt Craner took command to take the vets win with Steve Jones finishing next to take the Grand vets title just in front of Scott the 2^nd placed vets rider with a fast finishing Stefano De Tomaso closing up on the last lap. All in all an excellent nights racing.

The club would like to thank Bucks County Council for the permission to use the Park and the sponsors Exposure Lights, Beyond Mountain Bikes for their generosity which saw all those on the podium going home with some superb prizes as well some home made trophies as well as Party Lights for their assistance with the lighting.

Results

http://www.westdraytonmbc.co.uk/forums/topic/exposure-night-race-18th-oct-results/

Those looking for another night time fix there is more Night time racing this Saturday at Checkendon  

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