Billy wins the Original! Fast Eddy Racing Hawkstone Park Cross Country – Race Report and Results

Fast Eddy Racing returned to the famous Hawkstone Park for another year last weekend, even though all the odds were against them. It meant that spectators couldn’t attend, and there was a long list of Covid rules and regulations, but everyone that was lucky enough to attend had a great weekend and spoke highly of the event organisation. On top of this, the weather was beautiful all weekend and everything went smoothly- practice quickly turned into the sprint, and just like that it was Sunday and everyone was ready to race.

Report and Images by Tilde Tighe – Foto-X

The Sprint enduro was made up of two tests- an enduro test and a motocross test which provided two very different challenges for the wide range of riders that attended.

Following a practice session on Saturday morning, the Pros came out eager to win and get to grips with the tough track that Hawkstone is, which would give them an advantage on Sunday. Rockstar Husqvarna Factory Racing Team rider Billy Bolt made it clear from the very first test that he was a force to be reckoned with on the Enduro test as he placed first every time, and he stayed at the top of the ranks on the MX track until the very last test when he had a freak mechanical issue which made him place last overall and cause him to lose the overall win. Close behind all day was Tom Ellwood who’s consistent second and third place test times meant he was bumped up to first place! Luke Parker also put immense pressure on the other Pro riders all weekend and gained himself a well-earned second place. In third was the incredible Suff Sella, who at only 17 years old was keeping up with his competitors and gained himself third place.

As for the Expert class, one of the most competitive of all, it was Ryan Crowder who gave an extremely impressive ride all day. Jack Rowland challenged Crowder though on a few tests, eventually finishing second overall. Charlie Chater also gave it his all and rounded off the Expert podium in third.

The Clubman 2T class was interesting to watch, fought over by Jacob James and Rosie Rowett. However, it was Jacob who went out fighting and won the class over Rosie. Aaron Bloomfield challenged the top two throughout to finish in third. Jack Staines gave an impressive ride to take the win in the Clubman 4T class, followed closely by Archie Collier in second and Jake Roper in third.

The Elite Vets, Vets B and Over 50 classes made up a large chunk of the competitors and it was Ryan Voase who came out on top in the Elite Vets, with Rick Du Feu behind in second and Gas Gas UK’s John Shirt taking third place. In Vets B Adrian Latham fought for the win in this tough class, while Phil Roper took a well-earned second place and Nathan B placed third. In the Over 50’s class it was Aron Crowder who placed first, followed by Karl Greenall and Anthony Crowe on the last two podium spots.

Sam Hughes was on form all day but faced new challenges from Sion Evans who rode very well to keep up with Hughes and place second with Roan Delaney in third. In one of the largest classes of all, the Sportsman class, it was Henry Harman who claimed success over second place Tim Thornton, followed by William Snailum. Morgan Williams claimed success in the Novice class, with Harvey Harman in second and Joe Haigh behind in third.

The kids race saw a huge turnout with plenty of enthusiastic young riders lining up on the iconic Hawkstone start at 9am prompt on Sunday morning. With everyone out to watch, scoping out the weather and spotting lines for their own races, the pressure was on for the kids to give a good show- which they did and more!

In the BW85cc class was Billy Askew who was clearly determined to take the win! He showcased incredible style and precision in the woods which kept him in first place until the flag dropped. Very close behind him was Reece Jones who also fared well given the tough track, and in third was Layton Sulley.

In the competitive SW85cc class, Jayden Jones pushed hard all race to take the win and achieved overall. Alfie Davies and Rees Jones were on form and took second and third place respectively. As for the 65ccs, they were equally as impressive as their older peers as they tackled the intense course set out by the Fast Eddy Team for them. In first place was James Gittins-Jones, followed by Gruff Morgan in second and Harry Jordan taking third. A special mention should be made to the Autos who rode extremely well given the size of the track in comparison to their little bikes! Oliver Crookes, Dexter Hind and Harry Croft placed first, second and third respectively.

Then came the biggest race of the day in terms of riders, with nearly 200 riders setting off in 5 classes which made for a great race to watch.

The next generation of riders from the Youth class really took over, showcasing their undeniable talent and skill even in the face of such a difficult and tough track. Sam Hughes had clearly set his sights on the top of the podium from the second the flag dropped, leading the youth class and the race overall until the end, an incredible feat.  Sion Evans was pushing to catch up with Sam, but finished with a well-earned second place, followed by Cory Cookland in third.

As for the Vets classes, there was some very determined riding in the Vets B class, but it was Phil Roper who dominated and took the win in front of Keith Staines and Richard Wozencroft. In the Over 50’s class Aron Crowder rode well to place first, followed closeley by Chris Wagstaff in second place and Gary McCoy in third.

As the largest class with nearly 70 riders, the Sportsman class was highly competetive, so for Ryan Hughes to take the win was an impressive feat. However, Henry Harman and Ben Mcluskey were very close behind in second and third. In the Novice class it was Morgan Williams who took the top podium spot, followed by Kieran Watkins in second and Simon Hancock in third.

Then came the Original Fast Eddy race, with 140 riders lined up ready to take on Hawkstone Park, some for the very first time. There was an incredible atmosphere as everyone was so grateful for the event to be going ahead and being able to ride at such a coveted venue!

The Pros provided much of the entertainment for riders’ families and teams that were lucky enough to be watching the race. Off the start line it was Charlie Frost and Suff Sella who fought for the holeshot, with Billy Bolt near the back. However, he quickly fought his way to the front and was leading by the time they reached the woods. He rode through with ease, making the hills that stumped the majority of riders seem easy! He stayed comfortably in first place for the remainder of the 2.5-hour race and took the well-deserved win. Suff Sella also had an impressive ride and was only an average of a minute behind Billy for most of the race, finishing in second. Baur Gruppe Sherco’s Tim Apolle put in the work and made his way to third, keeping his position for the whole race. There was a battle for fourth and fifth that lasted for most of the race between Fraser Flockhart and Charlie Frost, as thy changed places a few times, but they finished fourth and fifth respectively.

A significant group of Expert riders followed the Championship class home, with Ryan Crowder putting on a terrific show to take top spot in the Expert class. He was up against some fierce competition but still managed to get well inside the top ten with Jack Rowland finishing second in class. Luke Meredith wasn’t far behind and took third place.

Mitchell Brightmore was top Clubman 2T rider on the day as Jacob James made second spot, with Charlie Goddard third in class. The Clubman 4T class was equally as competitive, but it was Jake Roper that worked hard to take the win. Jack Staines followed close behind in second and Matthew Hockenhull was third.

Tim Foreman in the Elite Vets easily claimed first in class, but he had plenty of competition along the way.  John Shirt was behind in second spot while Rick Du Feu completed the Elite Vets podium.

A huge thank you to everyone who turned up and supported the event, and to the incredible Fast Eddy team for making Hawkstone the best it has been yet, even in the face of adversity.

Original Fast Eddy Results:

Pro

1. Billy Bolt
2. Suff Sella
3. Tim Apolle

Expert

1. Ryan Crowder
2. Jack Rowland
3. Luke Meredith

Clubman 2T

1. Mitchell Brightmore
2. Jacob James
3. Charlie Goddard

Clubman 4T

1. Jake Roper
2. Jack Staines
3. Matthew Hockenhull

Elite Vets

1. Tim Foreman
2. John Shirt
3. Rick Du Feu

Sprint Results:

Pro

1. Tom Ellwood
2. Luke Parker
3. Suff Sella

Expert

1. Ryan Crowder
2. Jack Rowland
3. Charlie Chater

Clubman 2T

1. Jacob James
2. Rosie Rowett
3. Aaron Bloomfield

Clubman 4T

1. Jack Staines
2. Archie Collier
3. Jake Roper

Elite Vets

1. Ryan Voase
2. Rick Du Feu
3. John Shirt

Youth

1. Sam Hughes
2. Sion Evans
3. Roan Delaney

Vets B

1. Adrian Latham
2. Phil Roper
3. Nathan B

Over 50’s

1. Aron Crowder
2. Karl Greenall
3. Anthony Crowe

Sportsman

1. Henry Harman
2. Tim Thornton
3. William Snailum

Novice

1. Morgan Williams
2. Harvey Harman
3. Joe Haigh

Kids’ Race Results:

BW 85cc

1. Billy Askew
2. Reece Jones
3. Layton Sulley

SW 85cc

1. Jayden Jones
2. Alfie Davies
3. Rees Jones

65cc

1. James Gittins-Jones
2. Gruff Morgan
3. Harry Jordan

Auto

1. Oliver Crookes
2. Dexter Hind
3. Harry Croft

Steady Eddy Results:

Youth

1. Sam Hughes
2. Sion Evans
3. Cory Cookland

Vets B

1. Phil Roper
2. Keith Staines
3. Richard Wozencroft

Over 50s

1. Aron Crowder
2. Chris Wagstaff
3. Gary Mccoy

Sportsman

1. Ryan Hughes
2. Henry Harman
3. Ben Mcluskey

Novice

1. Morgan Williams
2. Kieran Watkins
3. Simon Hancock

For the Full Sprint Results >>CLICK HERE<<

For the Full Steady Eddy Results >>CLICK HERE<<