Round 2 of the ACU British Championship headed to Canada Heights in Kent. This was the last race on UK soil for a while for the SC Sporthomes Husqvarna team as they are packed and ready to head to the USA. Canada Heights, with its sharp takeoffs and tight corners, has been a cornerstone of off-road motorcycle sports since 1952. With qualifying complete, the rain came down, and the team started preparing for a mudder. Surprisingly, the track soaked up the water well, making for a good day.
Tristan Purdon put in a great performance in the first race, despite struggling with the flu in the week leading up to the event. He secured a strong 3rd place finish. In the second race, his fitness was affected by his illness, and after a bad start, he had to fight through the pack, eventually finishing 5th. This effort earned him 3rd overall for the day, marking his first podium at the ACU British Championship.
Charlie Putnam, who secured his first top 10 finish at the previous round, aimed to replicate that success. However, the highly competitive field had Charlie just outside the top 10, finishing race 1 in 13th and race 2 in 14th, resulting in a 13th overall for the day.
Tristan Purdon | 3 – 5 for 3rd O/A
Charlie Putnam | 13 – 14 for 13th O/AA tricky day in MX2 due to a stacked field, a good start was crucial to staying in the fighting pack. Elliott Banks-Browne started Race 1 just outside the top 5, where he got passed by a few riders, pushing him down to 8th. However, a strong comeback got him to the finish line in 5th. Similarly, in Race 2, he got out of the gates in 7th and was in the mix close to the top again, but he got passed for 6th with 2 laps to go and finished in 7th.
Syd Putnam, competing in the MX2 pro class for only the second time at the ACU British Championship, aimed to improve on his previous performance. Starting race 1 with a few quick passes and settling into 25th, eager to climb higher in the next race. A great start in race 2 had Syd inside the top 20, where he found himself in the mix, with a back and forth battle, narrowly missing his first pro points by just one position.
Elliott Banks-Browne | 5 – 7 for 7th O/A
Syd Putnam | 25 – 21 for 24th O/A
Overall, it was a much-improved performance for the team from the first round of the British Championship. Exciting times are ahead as the team jets off to the USA to compete in some Pro AMA Motocross events and Loretta Qualifiers.
Words and Images by SC Sporthomes Husqvarna
