Sunday saw the final round of the 8 round BWMA/AMCA Westermans International British Womens Motocross Championships held in North Wales at the AMCA Mold clubs Babell motocross track. The weather had been wet all week and even Saturday was raining so we were in for a mud fest but Sunday was clear and the track held up incredibly well to produce some great racing in all classes again.
Report and Pictures by Howard Marriott
All eyes were on the Elite Ladies Pro-Class championship leader Chelsea Gowland and could she make it 3 British Championship titles in a row, qualifying would prove that the odds were in her favour with another pole position in the very tricky conditions, second was Tanisha Thomas just 2 seconds down, Georgia Potter and Caitlin Newman followed with Chloe Richards and Grace Bates next ahead of 85cc Youth Championship leader Beanie Reece looking to do the last race on her 125 ready for next season, Gemma Holtham followed with Vicky Marriott on her only race of the year taking 9th ahead of 16 year old India Hodgkinson rounding out the top 10.
Race 1 and drama from the beginning, Chelsea Gowland got the holeshot ahead of Tanisha Thomas and Caitlin Newman, Thomas went screaming around the outside of Gowland in the second corner but lost her front wheel in the mud hitting the ground hard, she remounted in dead last with all to race for, Gowland steadily pulled a lead but it was Newman now in the highest position of the season trying to maintain her second place with rivals Georgie Potter, Chloe Richards and Gemma Holtham in pursuit. Thomas had to pick her way through the National class riders and slowly made her way past the field with Newman now in her sights but it was too much and she finished a creditable third, Caitlin Newman enjoying second place her highest position of the season, Georgie Potter got the better of Chloe Richards to take fourth, with Gemma Holtham holding Grace Bates at bay to secure 6th place, in the National Class young India Hodgkinson rode out of her skin in the muddy conditions, while others were falling around her she took the win, Aaliyah Hulbert taking second ahead of Championship leader Kimberley Holden James in 3rd.
Race 2 and clearly Caitlin Newman was buzzing, blasting out the gate taking the Muscle Doctor Holeshot, another first for her this season, Gowland was close behind and soon took control of the lead, Tanisha Thomas was again quick to take the third place off Newman but she fought bravely to hold on to her third place under increasing pressure from Georgie Potter, Potter taking the place after lap three, the battle was now on between Chloe Richards and Newman as she tried hard to get Newman, Newman resisted the pressure until just over a lap from the end when Richards made the move, a brave ride from Newman securing fifth ahead of Gemma Holtham and Grace Bates. Again in the National Class young India Hodgkinson was mastering the muddy conditions with another win over championship leader Kimberley Holden James with Vicky Marriott taking third place.
Race 3 and normal service resumed as Gowland just pipped a fast gating Georgie Potter to the Muscle Doctor Holeshot, with a drying but very rutty and bumpy track, Gowland again stretched an impressive lead to take the win and her third British Womens Motocross Championship, Thomas soon took second leaving Georgie Potter in a comfortable third, but again the big battle was between Caitlin Newman and Chloe Richards, Newman had the edge but again second half of the race Richards just did enough to take over fourth place, Grace Bates had a better race taking sixth from Gemma Holtham. In the National Class 85cc Youth Champion Beanie Reece competed on her 125 and worked her way up to take the win Kimberley Holden James who secured her National Ladies Championship Title just pipping Vicky Marriott in third place.
Elite Ladies Pro-Class results
1st Chelsea Gowland 150pts
2nd Tanisha Thomas 139pts
3rd Georgie Potter 133pts
4th Caitlin Newman 129pts
5th Chloe Richards 127pts
6th Gemma Holtham 115pts
7th Grace Bates 113pts
National Ladies Championship results
1st Kimberley Holden James 139pts
2nd India Hodgkinson 139pts
3rd Vicky Marriott 131pts
4th Aaliyah Hulbert 131pts
5th Molly Medcalf 127pts
Final Championship positions
Elite Ladies Pro-Class
1st Chelsea Gowland
2nd Tanisha Thomas
3rd Georgie Potter
4th Caitlin Newman
5th Catherine King
6th Gemma Holtham
7th Chloe Richards
9th Grace Bates
9th Georgia Bottreill
10th Jaysi Austin
National Ladies Championship
1st Kimberley Holden James
2nd Aaliyah Hulbert
3rd Terri Wallace
4th India Hodgkinson
5th Paige Gould
6th Laura Ciotte
7th Jaymee Garrood
8th Hannah Jones
9th Autumn Jenkinson
10th Amber McGregor
In the Youth Girls 85cc class the championship still wasn’t totally sealed and with Rheanna Morgan Rogers on the gate for the last round it was going to be an exciting round. Rheanna had already finished 7th overall in the super quick AMCA Youth championship and had already proven how quick she is. The conditions were very muddy but this didn’t stop Rheanna getting pole with a 2 second gap to Amber McGregor, Leah Rees Evans third, Northern Irelands Checoby Rainey fourth Ellie Davidson, Beanie Reece the championship leader down in 9th place but riding a cautious round just needing to secure points and avoiding a dnf.
Race 1 and disaster in the first corner as Morgan-Rogers tangled with Leah Rees-Evans leaving Erin Howes to grab her first Muscle Doctor Holeshot of the season, Morgan-Rogers and Rees-Evans now both having to fight from the back of the pack, it was Morgan-Rogers that made it look easy as she picked her way through the whole pack to eventually take the win, Rees-Evans not so lucky taking another fall on her charge, finishing in 9th, Amber McGregor had a great race taking the lead from Howes early and almost took the win were it not for Morgan-Rogers hard charge to the front, Checoby Rainey was smooth taking third, Holly Williams having strong race in the mud taking fourth ahead of Ellie Davidson who was charging through the mud, Millie Sweeney got the better of Beanie Reece who fell in the mud slipping down the field to finish in ahead of Sophie Jones having a great race finishing 8th, Lowri Rees rounded out the top 10
Race 2 and Rheanna Morgan-Rogers took the Muscle Doctor Holeshot just pipping Erin howes who by now liked the idea of holeshotting. Now we were in for a treat and see what Leah Rees-Evans can do as she quickly got past Howes to chase Morgan-Rogers, with a best lap just 3 seconds off she was a clear 11 seconds quicker than third place Ellie Davidson eventually finishing just 4 seconds off the win, Amber McGregor came together on the second corner with Holly Williams who dnf’d with a dead leg McGregor dnf’d with broken bike jeopardising her 2nd place in the championship, Checoby Rainey followed Davidson home in fourth place, Beanie Reece in fifth and securing her British 85cc Youth Girls Championship title, Millie Sweeney came home 6th after her fall ahead of Sophie Jones with her best result of the season in 7th place, Erin Howes after her great start fell and finished down in 9th place behind Lowri Rees.
Race 3 and Rheanna Morgan-Rogers took the final Muscle Doctor holeshot and an untroubled gate to flag victory for maximum points, second place Amber McGregor was back in control keeping Checoby Rainey in check who took a secure third place from Leah Rees-Evans who again made a mistake, once this young rocket can keep on the bike she has to be a favourite for next season, Holly Williams rode through the pain of her leg to take a well earned fifth place from Ellie Davidson beating Millie Sweeney and Beanie Reece who had another crash early on, Erin Howes was 9th ahead of Lowri Rees rounding out the top 10
85cc Youth Girls results
1st Rheanna Morgan-Rogers 150pts
2nd Checoby Rainey 133pts
3rd Ellie Davidson 125pts
4th Leah Rees-Evans 122pts
5th Millie Sweeney 115pts
6th Beanie Reece 113pts
7th Sophie Jones 102pts
8th Lowri Rees 97pts
9th Erin Howes 96pts
10th Amber McGregor 94pts
85cc Youth Girls Final Standings
1st Beanie Reece
2nd Amber McGregor
3rd Millie Sweeney
4th Checoby Rainey
5th Ellie Davidson
6th Holly Williams
7th Erin Howes
8th Leah Rees-Evans
9th Sophie Jones
10th Lowri Rees
Finally the future of British Womens motocross and the 65cc Rising Stars, this class is gaining momentum and has been well supported throughout the championship, young Poppy Banning has been riding hard and consistently all year to retain her Championship title. The conditions proved very challenging and despite several falls she managed to take 2nd overall to secure her 2nd Championship title leaving it vacant next year as she moves up to 85cc, the likely rider to take her crown is Grace Adshead who rode a hard and consistent round taking all three wins and the overall with Cameron Mansbridge bringing it home in third overall giving her 2nd in the championship.
65cc Rising Stars results
1st Grace Adshead 150pts
2nd Poppy Banning 141pts
3rd Cameron Mansbridge 135pts
65cc Rising Stars Final Standings
1st Poppy Banning
2nd Cameron Mansbridge
3rd Angelica Bennett
4th Grace Adshead
5th Olivia Reynolds
6th Meghan Williams
BWMA/AMCA Westermans International British Womens Motocross Champions
Elite Ladies Pro-Class, 1 Chelsea Gowland
National Ladies Champion, 282 Kimberley Holden James
85cc Youth Girls Champion, 1 Beanie Reece
65cc Rising Stars, 44 Poppy Banning
