The new-look Dirt Store British Motocross Championship was held at Lyng last weekend to kickstart the 2024 season. The 2-day format of the event allowed the team time to socialise and have a meal Saturday evening before getting an early night for Sunday’s racing. There were no surprises with the weather, which continued to test the riders throughout Sunday’s racing.
Martin Barr: With the rain starting at the beginning of practice, the experienced Ulsterman knew he had to get a quick lap in early, which was good enough for 4th gate pick. “I was only 1.2 seconds off pole, and 0.3 off Jeffery Herlings, that will probably be the closest I’ll ever be to him”!
Martin chose the unusual left side of the track which paid dividends down the start straight, taking the unused track side meant that Martin got a good jump and was into 4th position off the start. By the third corner, Martin was caught up behind Brad Todd where they lost a couple of places to the ensuing pack, and then Martin was unable to pass after losing his goggles and settled for 7th at the flag. “It was tough to pass Toddy, especially without goggles, I did have a small crash and lost a couple of places though managed to continue for 7th in race 1”.
In race 2, Martin made another good start inside the top 5, before encountering Brad Todd again on the second lap and having a tough race. “Unfortunately, due to the weather conditions and mud load on the roll-offs, the string on them broke, so I rode without goggles and was unable to pass Toddy for a second race due to the nature of the track and how the lines were. All considered, I’m happy with 6th overall in the MX1 class. Thanks to the team for keeping the Honda CRF450r on song all weekend, it wasn’t easy with the conditions. Thanks to all my sponsors for their continued support”.
Tom Grimshaw: Qualifying was tough, the conditions were testing, and Tom’s quickest lap was his first in the session for 10th pick of the gate. “We had lots of rain, which made it difficult, though I was a little disappointed with myself as I usually do well in those conditions. It was one of those days where it didn’t come together”.
In race 1 Tom did not get the best of starts due to a clutch issue, he managed to get through to 9th after the opening lap and then hold the position before the clutch gave out 2 laps from the flag. “The Honda CRF450r helped me through the first lap after a poor start where I was pretty much last to 9th place. The power of the Honda and riding smart kept me in that position, and I had to ride out the end of the race without a clutch to finish 9th”.
Race 2 was not ideal for Tom, again he didn’t get the jump out of the gate he would have liked. “I didn’t get the start, going into the first turn last, with the conditions the way they were, I couldn’t afford to let the rest of the field get away from me”. Tom persevered, making up a couple of places before a clear mechanical issue with the bike meant he had to cut the racing short by the 8th lap. Even with the DNF, Tom secured 15th position in the race and finished 11th overall at the Dirt Store British Championship, Lyng round 1. “I’ve had better weekends; we know the problems and they are fixable. I had 2 terrible starts that led to 2 not-so-great races. We look forward to Preston Docks and will be looking for better results”.
Dylan Brown: “Another awful weekend of weather, I felt for the club and organisers, though they managed to get the season off the mark and deserve praise for doing so. Considering the weather conditions and goggles issues Martin had, I thought he had a strong weekend with 6th overall and is looking much stronger on the bike than he did last season.
“Tom struggled with some mechanical issues, and we know what the problems are, so it’s a case of rectifying these and moving on to the next race. 11th overall in the class was not a bad finish but there is room for improvement. The Honda CRF450r is a strong and competitive machine, but we have to change some things to get it 100% for Tom and his racing style.
“All things considered, I feel we had a good start to the Dirt Store British Motocross Championship, and I would like to thank all our sponsors and team members for their help. We look to the next team event, the Motul Fastest 40 British Championship at our home track, Preston Docks in a couple of weeks”.
Words by Apico Honda – Images courtsy of Apico Honda – Adam Duckworth
