Local riders ready for Desertmartin!
MX1
This weekend the fifth round of the Maxxis British Championship heads to a former GP circuit, Desertmartin and there are plenty of locals that will be competing on against the best in the UK on Sunday.
In the MX1 class, the regulars will be glad to race in front of their home crowd as they’re usually the ones to do all the travelling! Graeme Irwin won the fourth round of the series and has the red plate in front of his home crowd. He will be hoping to win and put on a good show for his home fans. He comes into Desertmartin with great form as he won round four of the series and there’s every chance he can do the same on Sunday.
Stuart Edmonds has quietly went under the radar this season but he’s riding really well. Unfortunately, he had to miss the first round at Culham but he has put in some good rides and currently sits twelfth in the championship standings. He will be hoping to break into the top ten of the series by the end of the season. His best race result this year was the second moto at Canada Heights where he ended up a very impressive eighth. If he can get good starts at Desertmartin there’s no reason why he can’t be knocking on the door for top five finishes.
Jim O’Neill has been competing in the British Two Stroke class but will be in action in the MX1 class this weekend on his 350cc KTM. At a track he knows very well he will be hoping to pick up plenty of points and if it goes well he might even compete in the MX1 class for the rest of the season.
Pic: Nigel McKinstry
Two wildcards in the MX1 class this weekend are Craig Browne and Ryan Adair. This will be Browne’s first adult British Championship event but he will know sort of level to expect as he has competed at Hawkstone International in the past. He will be hoping to pick up his first points in the series on his Smokevent KTM.
Pic: Nigel McKinstry
Adair took part in the event last year and ended up twentieth and nineteenth in the moto’s. The aim will be to improve from his 2016 performance and pick up even more points on Sunday.
Graeme Irwin: “I am really excited to bring the red plate to Desertmartin, that is massive for me and I am really looking forward to that. But I’m just going to treat it like a normal race and put myself in the best position to win and prepare as if it’s any other race, because there is a red plate in front of your bike it doesn’t mean anything at this stage of the year. It’s not the last round, we are four rounds in, just halfway, but it’s a perfect time to take the lead I think!”
Stuart Edmonds: “I am looking forward to racing in front of my home crowd. Everyone comes to support us and its great to have them all cheering over the fence it gives you an extra buzz to go even faster. I have been working hard over the past few weeks testing with the crew and each week feeling more comfortable and I know its going to pay of on the 18th. The past couple rounds I feel I haven’t shown my full potential in results but its getting there. Id like to say a big thanks to the Metcon CCM racing team and crew for keeping me going this year and also to all my sponsors Laurence Spence, Tom McKiverigan, my Ma, Da, Craig and Sophia, Electraction, Corcoran chemicals, Shift, Mx, Pod knee braces, Jim Jone Plant Hire, Pro green mx, Vrooam lubricants, Blackbird graphics, Risk-racing Europe, West park fitness, EP Mooney, Energise therapy clinic, Magilligan Moto Park, TMC moto X, Balbriggan service centre, Caffrey transport, Flow family clothing, Olfi Camera as it wouldn’t be possible without all their help this year. I hope we get the good weather and everyone comes up to support the event.”
Jim O’Neill: “I decided to give MX1 a go at the British in Desertmartin. I done the first two rounds of the 2 stroke series and after some small bike issues at the first round and a 2nd turn crash at Hawkstone during the second round I decided on the way home I’ll give MX1 a go at Desertmartin to see how I get on and maybe ride the rest of the championship in MX1.
It was going to cost too much to get my 11 year old Suzuki up to scratch to be competitive with the new 2 strokes so I’m going to park it up and just go out and have some fun on my 350 in Desertmartin and see where that leaves me results wise.”
Craig Browne: “I’m looking forward to racing the British championship at Desertmartin, hopefully the weather stay dry this year, I’m just going out to have some fun and enjoy the event”
Ryan Adair: “I thought I might as well do the British this weekend. I couldn’t really miss it since it’s so close to home. Hopefully I can get into points in both races and after it I can get some decent results in races at home.”
MX2
In the MX2 class two of the British Championship regulars, Jason Meara and Luke Smith have unfortunately picked up injuries which results in them missing their home race. Jason Meara has been ruled out for the rest of the season while Luke Smith has a wrist injury which rules him out of the event.
Buildbase Honda’s, Martin Barr hasn’t managed to grab a win in this years series just yet but he sits third in the standings just thirteen points behind Kullas for second. Kullas has a shoulder injury which means he won’t be fully fit this weekend. Hopefully Barr can ride smart and gain some momentum in the championship. With good starts there’s no reason why he can’t stand on top of the box in front of his home crowd.
Believe it or not this will be Glenn McCormick’s first MX2 British Championship race at Desertmartin! He has only ever competed in the MXY2 class at Desertmartin before but he was able to win and take the overall that day. Glenn has been competing in the British Championship so far this year and has six points to his name, hopefully he can add plenty more this weekend.
Jake Sheridan has also been competing in the series so far this year but unfortunately hasn’t picked up any championship points just yet. However, he comes into this weekend with very good form as he finished second in the Expert class at the latest round of the MX National event at Hawkstone. Championship points should be on the cards this weekend.
Putting in a wildcard entry is James Mackrel who will be hoping to step up to the plate and give his home crowd something to shout about. Mackrel took part in the event last year and secured one championship point. Fast forward a year and Mackrel is a much stronger rider, if everything clicks there’s no reason why he can’t get into the top fifteen.
Pic: Nigel McKinstry
Martin Barr: I am really looking forward to the desert and hopefully I can put on a good show and get the result I know I’m capable of. It’s not going to be easy as there’s a lot of fast guys but I’ll be giving my all for all the home crowd.
Glenn McCormick: “I can’t wait! It’ll be my first MX2 race at Desertmartin, undoubtedly the best track on the calendar with all the hard work that Billy and Marlene put in! My last British race at Desertmartin was in MXY2 where I got a win and my first overall so I’m hoping for a good day and hopefully all the other home boys has a good one too!”
Jake Sheridan: “I’m really looking forward to Desertmartin it’s always good fun to be racing at a top class track I hope I can bring the weather with me for a good days racing”.
James Mackrel: “Happy to be racing at Desertmartin again last year I broke my hand but felt like I had the speed, this year hopefully get better results and I’m feeling confident that I can do. I guess I’ll have to wait and see how we get on…”
MXY2
Plenty of young talent will be competing in the MXY2 class this weekend and I strongly advise you to keep an eye on the talent of tomorrow in that class, they are the best kids in the UK!
Cailum Meara, David Robson and Dylan Stynes go head-to-head against England’s best youngsters this weekend but there’s no reason why they can’t be competitive on a track they know so well.
Robson and Stynes both competed in the British Youth National just a few weeks ago and put in respectable results so they will be hoping to do the same in the MXY2 class.
Meara decided against that event but has recently switched from a Kawasaki to a KTM machine and already looks more comfortable on the bike.
Cailum Meara: “I’m really looking forward to finally getting my MXY2 season underway this weekend at Desertmartin, the plan was to do all them but from picking up an injury at the start of the year it wasn’t possible. Recently I have changed bike from Kawasaki to KTM and I am feeling a lot more comfortable on the bike so I’m excited for this weekend. I am going into the weekend just to have fun, I know I have the speed and the ability to run at the front or near the front so it’s just putting everything together and getting some good results. I would just like to give a huge thanks to Davy Dickson for giving me this opportunity to ride his bike, it’s much appreciated. Also, a big thanks to Phillip McCullogh, Five5Motosport Stevie Mills, Risk Racing, Timmy Douglas at Moto Graphix and Ricky at Normat Watt Motorcycles for getting everything sorted on such short notice – it means a lot. (I know I’m getting annoying now but that’s me, I’m always annoying). I would just like to thanks my Mum and Dad especially as no one understands the work they do every week to get me to the track all year round so I can never thank them enough. Also, a huge thanks to everyone else that made this possible none of this could be done without you all. I’ll stop talking I’m even annoying at myself now – See you all at Desertmartin!”
David Robson: “Really excited to race another Maxxis British at Desertmartin. It will be great to race in such a competitive class as the 125/250 run together so it will make for closer racing, I hope I will be able to carry on my form from the British Youth a few weeks ago and grab some more top 5 finishes before we go to Duns in Scotland for the BYN.”
Dylan Stynes: “I’m really looking forward to going racing again in Desertmartin. I’ve had a really good couple weeks on the bike. We’re after making a couple big changes since the British Youth at Desertmartin and I’m feeling so much more comfortable on my TM. Can’t thank everyone enough who’s behind me this year, CCM Racing, CCR, Corcoran Chemicals, Metcon, TM UK, TMC MotoX, Fox Head Europe, Macho Martial Arts, Electraction, Jimmy Jones Plant Hire, Swords Motor Factors, Vrooam, ReTink Graphics, Spence Racing, Renthal, Ryno Power. The racing’s definitely gonna be good and not a day to be missed.”
