It was a bank holiday bonanza for the 2022 BWMA/AMCA LA Motor Company British Women’s Motocross Championships the Warmingham Lane motocross circuit hosted by the AMCA motocross club.
Report and Images by Howard Marriott
With heavy rain overnight, Saturday the track was left in prime condition for Day 1 of the two day round in perfect condition. Round 1 showed where the winter preparation had positioned the riders but it was the unknown New Zealander Roma Edwards that took 3 comfortable wins in the adult girls class as defending champion Chelsea Gowland struggled on a bike that she was riding for the first time and clearly not set up for her. Wales Tanisha Thomas was again a top runner on her 250cc two stroke KTM, and the young guns Jaysi Austin, Rheanna Morgan-Rogers and Izzy Neale showed that the youth are a force for the future. With 6 races ahead for the girls qualifying was going to be very important.
Qualifying Adult girls
On a damp track, New Zealand’s Roma Edwards pick up where she left off taking the pole position but defending champion Chelsea Gowland now on a bike close to being how she likes it was just 0.8 secs adrift clearly looking more comfortable on her Four7Raciing 250f, surprise of the day in third place was Rheanna Morgan-Rogers just over a second behind 2 seconds ahead of Jaysi Austin, the experienced Tanisha Thomas finishing 5th ahead of Izzy Neale in 6th. Grace Bates put in her best performance taking 6th place ahead of Caitlin Newman, Amber McGregor and Team Green Kawasakis Beanie Reece rounding out the top 10.
Race 1 Adult Girls
After qualifying the track was tacky and prime for some great racing. Grabbing the Muscle Doctor Holeshot was again Roma Edwards intent on a comfortable win but Chelsea Gowland was pushing by lap two she was holding Edwards honest but a mistake dropped her down to fifth place behind Jaysi Austin. Now she was on a charge to gain the places back first past Austin, then Morgan-Rogers, Izzy Neale and finally after a few more laps Tanisha Thomas but by then Edwards was long gone. The next battle was for 7th place headed by Hannah Jones getting the better of Grace Bates and Caitlin Newman in tenth place.
Race 2 Adult Girls
Edwards again was Muscle Doctor Holeshot winner, Gowland this time got a poor start down in fifth place but by lap two she was in second and chasing Edwards but again Edwards pulled a comfortable 13 seconds gap to the flag, Tanisha Thomas got the better of the young guns again but it was Jaysi Austin this time getting the better Rheanna Morgan-Rogers with Hannah Jones finishing in great 6th place after Izzy Neale fought back from a fall to 7th place ahead of Beanie Reece with her best result so far in 8th place just ahead of Caitlin Newman and Tailor Searle with her best result in 10th place.
Race 3 Adult Girls
Finally, Edwards streak of holeshots was broken as Gowland got the drop and grabbed the Muscle Doctor Holeshot, behind her carnage as Izzy Neale, Thomas and two others all went down, as they remounted Gowland was pulling away and it was Edwards turn to make a mistake hitting the ground hard. Thomas bravely got off the track carrying a broken shoulder and collar bone ending her challenge, but on the other side of the track another fall brought out the red flag and the race was brought to a restart. This time Edwards again got the Muscle Doctor holeshot making it three for the day, Gowland though had the taste for winning again and took the lead off Edwards in the second corner, leading Edwards for the first two laps, but Edwards NZ Honda got her past Gowland by lap 3 and steadily pulled away to take the win by 14 seconds, with no Thomas it was Rheanna Morgan-Rogers taking her best finish of the season in 3rd, Hannah Jones again with her best of the season in 4th ahead of a recovering Izzy Neale, Jaysi Austin pulling back from a poor start finishing a solid day with 6th. Amber McGregor headed the next battle taking 7th place from Grace Bates, Beanie Reece and Caitlin Newman rounding out the top 10.
Day 2 Sunday Race 4
Chelsea Gowland woke up full of confidence reflecting on yesterdays strong performance and blasted out the gate taking the Muscle Doctor Holeshot, this time Roma Edwards stumbled a bit off the start giving her a bit of work to do to get past the the hot teens of Morgan-Rogers, Austin and Neale, this gave Gowland the chance to pull a gap riding right back on form and leading Edwards all the way to the finish to take her first race win of the Series. Behind them the young teenage trio were matching each others lap times all three within 0.5 seconds but non could make a pass leaving Rheanna Morgan-Rogers, Jaysi Austin and Izzy Neale in fifth place, behind them another intense battle was raging throughout the race with Caitlin Newman Heading it in 6th place with Grace Bates close behind ahead of Hannah Jones and Beanie Reece in 10th only 9 seconds covering the four riders at the flag.
Race 5
A determined Roma Edwards shot out the start gate to stamp her authority back on the championship but Gowland had other ideas, by the second corner she dived on the inside and took the lead, pushing hard both girls were now matching each others lap times but as the race progressed Gowland’s lack of bike time showed on what is a long weekend of top-flight racing, Edwards retook the lead, Gowland wasn’t done though and two laps from the end took an inside line but Edwards stood her ground and Gowland settled for second but happy she had the speed to challenge. Again the battle behind was hotting up, Izzy Neale had a bad start and had to push her way through the super-competitive pack to eventually finish in 5th place, Jaysi Austin and Rheanna Morgan-Rogers fought for 3rd place, throughout the race there was nothing separating them and their lap times were just 0.1 seconds apart as they crossed the line only 0.5 seconds separating them. Showing the strength of the field it was Hannah Jones who led the chasing bunch after a titanic battle Grace Bates eventually made the pass on a super determined Caitlin Newman while the young South African Amber McGregor could only watch the battle in front. Beanie Reece rounded out the top 10.
Race 6
Gowland again was full of confidence and blasted out the gate to take the last Muscle Doctor Holeshot of the day, leading Edwards for the first lap she left the door open and that’s all Edwards needed to take the lead back, with the first round of the eSkootr World Championship in two weeks, Gowland settled for a safe second place, the real action was again the battle for 3rd place, this time it was Morgan-Rogers to head the battle which she held onto the finish, it was Izzy Neale with a better start that fought her way past Hannah Jones to take fourth but again there was only 1 second separating these three riders at the flag, Jaysi Austin feeling the effects of 6 tough days of racing settled for a comfortable 6th. As Grace Bates finished in a lonely 7th place, young Amber McGregor took 8th from Caitlin Newman by just 1 second at the flag with Beanie Reece again Rounding out the top 10.
Round 2 Adult Ladies Results
1st Roma Edwards 297pts
2nd Chelsea Gowland 285pts
3rd Rheanna Morgan-Rogers 260pts
4th Izzy Neale 247pts
5th Jaysi Austn 246pts
6th Hannah Jones 234pts
7th Grace Bates 211pts
8th Caitlin Newman 202pts
9th Amber McGregor 194pts
10th Beanie Reece 193pts
Youth Girls Qualifying
Leah Rees-Evans lived up to her potential taking her first pole position on a drying track, Championship leader Hollie Roberts was second fastest ahead of Ellie Davidson living up to her potential taking 3rd in front of Northern Irelands Checoby Rainey, Millie Sweeney got the better of Hollie Williams in 6th Erin Howes in 7th and 65cc Rising Star Champion Poppy Banning in 8th. New to the Championship Mersadez Holloway grabbed 9th from Sophie Jones.
In the 65’s it was Macey Scott taking the pole position from Championship Leader Meghan Williams, Grace Adshead and Olivia Salt.
Race 1
Championship Leader Hollie Roberts got her first Muscle Doctor Holeshot of the Championship and in the process took a start to flag win, behind her the battle was heating up with only 5 seconds between the battling trio of Leah Rees-Evans, Millie Sweeney with her best finish of the series and Holly Williams, leading the next bunch was Northern Irelands Checoby Rainey, fifth, keeping a hard-charging Ellie Davidson and Erin Howes at bay. Young Mersadez Holloway was having a great ride finishing 8th just ahead of Poppy Banning and Sophie Jones in 10th place.
Race 2
Erin Howes took her second Muscle Doctor Holeshot of the championship briefly leading until Hollie Roberts got through to take the lead, again Leah Rees-Evans gave chase hanging on to Roberts briefly but finished in a comfortable second, Holly Williams, Checoby Rainey and Ellie Davidson were only separated by 5 seconds at the flag a further 5 seconds adrift was Millie Sweeney just pipping the holeshot winner Erin howes finishing in a creditable 7th place. Sophie Jones took 8th place from Mersadez Holloway and with her first top 10 finish was Mollie Neale taking the 10th place spot.
Race 3
The third winner of the Muscle Doctor Holeshot was Leah Rees-Evans but Hollie Roberts was right behind her, despite posting the fastest lap, Roberts still managed to find a way past Rees-Evans to take her third win of the day. The battle for fourth was eventually won by Holly Williams getting the better of an on form Ellie Davidson. Millie Sweeney was unlucky to drop back after a mistake to fifth place just ahead of Erin Howes. Checoby Rainey was another faller fighting her way back to 7th ahead of Sophie Jones and Mollie Neale improving on her best result while Mersadez Holloway rounded out the top 10.
Day 2 Sunday Race 4
Hollie Roberts continued day two how she left day one by taking another Muscle Doctor Holeshot and a win from gate to flag, behind her though the competition again was intense with Millie Sweeney taking a strong second, but for an off track excursion having put her back two places, leaving Leah Rees-Evans to take second ahead of the rapidly improving Erin Howes with a mighty impressive 3rd, Holly Roberts wasn’t far behind for 5th and the unfortunate Checoby Rainey behind the pack in 6th place, heading the chasing bunch was Mollie Neale with her best performance so far in 7th place just beating the ever-improving Sophie Jones, Mersadez Holloway struggled in 9th but Poppy Banning staying on to round out the top 10.
Race 5
Hollie Roberts was now on a roll with another Holeshot and gate to flag win, Leah Rees-Evans now finding consistency was comfortable to again follow Robert home in second while behind her Sweeney led the pack, Holly Williams gave chase but it was Checoby Rainey that picked her way through to take an impressive 3rd place, Sweeney 4th and Williams 5th. Ellie Davidson had a better race to come home in 6th as Sophie Jones gave chase finishing an impressive 7th, Poppy Banning again showed when she keeps it upright she can push with the best taking 8th place ahead of Holloway and Neale. Erin Howes was unlucky to crash and DNF.
Race 6
Again Hollie Roberts got out the gate first but this time chased closely all the way by a determined hard-charging Millie Sweeney who was almost matching Roberts lap times and finished just 7 seconds behind, pushing Sweeney all the way was Checoby Rainey who got to within a second of Sweeney at the line. Holly Williams was out of this one following a crash and Leah Rees-Evans was struggling taking fourth from a better race by Ellie Davidson in 5th, Mersadez Holloway had her best finish of the season so far in 6th place, Sophie Jones had another great race finishing in 7th ahead of Poppy Banning and Erin Howes in 9th place all four matching each others lap times showing how close the racing is, Molly Neale rounded out the top 10
Round 2 85cc Youth Girls Results
1st Hollie Roberts 300pts
2nd Leah Rees-Evans 278pts
3rd Millie Sweeney 258pts
4th Checoby Rainey 250pts
5th Holly Williams 244pts
6th Ellie Davidson 233pts
7th Sophie Jones 210pts
8th Mersadez Holloway 204pts
9th Molly Neale 192pts
10th Erin Howes 191pts
65cc Wulfsport Rising Stars
With four very determined young riders all fighting for championship positions over two days of racing it was Meghan Williams that showed she had the speed and consistency over the weekend, battling with some of the bigger girls in the 85cc class and taking all three wins. On day one Grace Adshead was the consistent runner up but day two she made mistakes in two races that let Macey Scott through to take the runner up spot overall, in fourth place was consistently improving Olivia Salt.
Round 2 65cc Rising Stars Results
1st Meghan Williams 300pts
2nd Macey Scott 276pts
3rd Grace Adshead 272pts
4th Olivia Salt 262pts
