As well as the Pro Stars of the Arenacross UK Tour, the Pro-Am and Youth classes also enjoyed their time under the lights of Manchester’s AO Arena. Here is the full rundown of their results from the evening.
Words: Ben Rumbold. Images: Arenacross UK & Speedhive
Pro-Am
Two-stroke-riding Raife Broadley took the fastest time in Qualification behind closed doors in the morning, and won his Heat Race against defending Champion Sion Talbot. Yamaha-mounted Josh Greedy took the second heat race win, with a near identical best lap to Broadley’s.
In the Main Event during the evening show, however, Talbot did his number 1 Champion’s plate justice with a start-to-finish win ahead of fellow Welsh dragon Greedy, and Broadley was just unable to get past the two 450 men. This three-way scrap could go any way for the rest of the series!
Pro-Am Main Event:
AX Futures:
Exciting Devon star Isaac Ash moved up from his unbeaten season in the Superminis last year to make his presence felt in the Futures class against defending Champion Joel Fisher. With the fastest time in Qualifying and the opening race win behind closed doors, the #100 was certainly looking to fulfil his promise, and Tobias Sammut stuck himself into 2nd as Fisher had fight up to 3rd ahead of another debutant, the #21 of Lewis Spratt.
Sammut fell from 2nd in the second Heat, held during the main evening show, as Fisher this time got the holeshot he was after. Ash moved forward to lead by lap four, but in the process of builfing an eventual 6.7 second winning margin, he jumped whilst a yellow flag was out and was docked two positions as a result. This granted the win to Fisher, ahead of Jake Farrelly who claimed 2nd ahead of Ash with Spratt in 4th again. The result gave Joel Fisher the overall verdict on the second race tiebreak, with Farrelly’s 5-2 results enough to put him on the third step of the overall podium. The whole field will have a challenge to keep back the rapid Ash, who is bound for the USA at the end of the Arenacross series.
AX Futures Overall Results:
AX Supermini
West Sussex rider Harry Lee won a brilliant scrap with Zane Stephens in the opening heat of the Supermini class during the morning sessions, taking the win by just a quarter of a second after a thrilling last lap move! Harrison Davies took 3rd ahead of National 85cc contenders Oakley Kettle and Jack Leese. 11-year-old Jamie Currie was the best of the Small-Wheel class in his first year up from the 65cc bikes.
In the second race Lee got a better start and held off a late charge from Stephens to make it a double win, over 20 seconds ahead of third-placed George Cherry, who had crashed out of race one. Davies claimed 4th to finish 3rd overall. Once more Currie was the class of the Small-Wheel brigade, with Ricco Hardy and Zac Badger again finishing 2nd & 3rd in class.
Overall Results:
AX65cc
Surry charger John Slade, 2nd in last year’s series on the smallest petrol bikes of the Tour, took two wins by over 20 seconds to stamp his authority on the Championship. In both races, Cameron Berry took 2nd after a close battle with Mason Staddon, whilst Jimmy Ball, Zach White, and last year’s AXE5 Champion Austin Edwards took positions 4 to 6.
AXE5:
The AXE5 class has regional qualifiers through the season to get to the Main Event at Wembley on February the 24th. In Manchester the overall win went to Alfie Ledwood after a 1st and a 2nd, as Roy Townley took a loudly-cheered start-to-finish win in the evening show to give him 2nd overall. Alfie had to pass the fast-starting Cohen Llewellyn on the last lap in the morning race, which made the difference for the overall result!
Max Korszewski took 4th in each race to land the overall podium after a late mistake from Llewellyn which left him 4th overall. Alfie Workman was a solid 5th overall, and George Hutchings took 3rd in the night show to give him 6th overall.
