Woodman waltzes off with inaugral title! AMCA Nationals Championships Finale – Race Report, Results and Standings

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Following four highly competitive rounds, the inaugural AMCA Nationals Series sponsored by DirtShifter Bike Cleaner finally reached its conclusion on Sunday. Hosted by the Uley MXC on the Associations own circuit at Nympsfield in Gloucestershire, conditions remained dry thus enabling the series to be comfortably completed. And, with the final round scores added up, it’s Luke Bull, Ben Bird, Joshua Senter, Nigel Woodman, Michael Windsor and James Merrett who bagged the eventual titles.

Report and Images by Mike Wood

Opening up proceedings at Nympsfield was the MX1 Juniors class with Michael Windsor leading the series and boasting a perfect maximum score after winning all nine previously completed moto’s. Windsor, celebrating his latest birthday was obviously also the favourite for the title and to help him on his way, some of that last round pressure was removed with the non-entry of his closest rival David Donnelly. In moto one though on Sunday, something rather unusual occurred as Windsor suffered his first defeat of the series! Taking the win was Neil Hopes from Tommy Arden, Kelvin Anderton and Martyn Clinton as Windsor got home in 5^th.

MX1 Juniors series winner Michael Windsor

In a great MX1 Juniors moto two, Clinton, Windsor and finally eventual winner Hopes led the way. Having gated in 6^th, Arden produced a strong ride to eventually move up the leaderboard and grab 2^nd at the flag as Windsor was pushed back to 3^rd with Anderton, Luke Jenkins and Paul Holden next up. Moto three and Windsor eventually got his elusive win after passing Hopes and Arden. So on the podium it was Hopes, Arden and Windsor but more importantly Windsor on his KTM Enduro machine was the 2021 AMCA Nationals MX1 Junior Champion with the consistent Anderton in 2^nd and Jenkins 3^rd.

Tension was certainly at boiling point in the MX2 Juniors class as going into the final round, just a single point separated leader James Merrett and Bobby Dickinson-Smith. In moto one though that gap immediately increased to six in Merrett’s favour. Pulling out a super holeshot, the series leader controlled proceedings from gate to flag whilst Dickinson-Smith had to settle for 3^rd. Early on, Bobby had moved up from 4^th to chase rival James only to make a vital mistake two laps from home. Dropping back to 3^rd, he was then unable to find a way past Callum Radford. At the flag in this one, Ben Weston took 4^th with Callum Hurst 5^th and Oliver Hurst 6^th.

MX2 Juniors winner James Merrett leading moto two

In MX2 Juniors moto two, Merrett then further increased his series lead by scorching to another victory from wildcard rider Owen Coates, Dickinson-Smith and Oliver Hurst with Radford racing on his home club circuit surprisingly down in 7^th. The super Merrett on his flying red Honda then confirmed his title in style with a moto three gate to flag win from Weston and Hurst. So not only was Merrett the Champion but he had also wrapped up the series with maximum points and an overall win. His final Series-winning margin going from 1 at the start of play up to 22 points as Dickinson-Smith retained the runners-up spot ahead of young Radford.

Having already won 6 out of 9 MX1 Seniors moto’s in the series, Joshua Senter finished the job in style at Nympsfield with a brilliant maximum. Making it a great day for the Senter family, Joshua’s Dad Scott took 2^nd overall on the day with eventual series runner-up Jay Rumbold in 3^rd. In the opening moto on Sunday though it was Apex track builder Lee Mitchell in control before Joshua Senter came through on lap three to take the win. After gating 5^th, Scott Senter got up to bag 3^rd from Elliot Woodward, Jack Tompkins and Richard May.

Josh Senter leading Lee Mitchell in Seniors MX1

Rumbold then led moto two for three laps before dropping down to 4^th as Josh Senter took another victory with Wayne Tabbott in 2^nd and Scott Senter 3^rd. Rumbold was again the fastest away from the gate in the last clash but could not stop the Champ Joshua Senter from taking the win. In this one, Chris May finished the series with a 3^rd spot with Tabbott 4^th and the older of the Senter boy’s, Scott in 5^th. So that all meant that the final series top three read Joshua Senter 587 points, Jay Rumbold 537 and Wayne Tabbott 500.

Going into Sunday’s final round already holding a 33 point advantage, MX2 Seniors leader Nigel Woodman then finished the job in style with a classy maximum score. It was Ryan Waterhouse who grabbed the opening moto holeshot at Nympsfield but quickly that man Woodman was in control and there he remained as Elliot Clegg took 2^nd from Cameron Doleman, Benito Sidoli, Ben Mauler and early leader Waterhouse. Moto two and it was Woodman all the way from Clegg and Mauler. In the last one, Daniel Griffiths was the man who led the charge through the first few turns and for the opening three laps of the contest before that man Woodman came through to take the chequered flag and complete his unbeaten performance. Mitchell Cooper in 3^rd and Joshua Main 4^th both had their best rides of the day. On the podium, it was Woodman, Clegg and Cooper whilst the series top three was Woodman the Champion, 52 points clear of Clegg with Doleman 3^rd.

Going into Sunday’s event, just 10 points separated the MX1 Experts top three of Sam Jones, Luke Bull and Richard Lloyd. The big news though that then emerged before the action was underway at Nympsfield was that the unfortunate series leader Jones was a non-starter after contracting Covid, so who would now be Champion? Well, it was to be Bull who went 2/3/2 in the three moto’s completed as Wild-card rider Karl Haycock blasted to a maximum unbeaten score. Typical of how the day was to unfold, Haycock led moto one from gate to flag ahead of Bull, Tony Griffiths, Richard Lloyd, Lee Clarkson and Thomas Herbert.

In the second clash, Clarkson go home as runner-up from Bull who more importantly ensured that his now main title rival Lloyd finished behind him. In the last MX1 Experts battle, Haycock galloped to another comfortable win as Bull sealed the title with an equally comfortable and composed 2^nd place. In the Series table with the absent Jones slipping down to 5^th, Lloyd took the runners-up slot and Samuel Bradley in 3^rd.

With MX2 Experts series leader Jordan Saunders also a surprise non-starter at Nympsfield, that opened the door for 2^nd placed Ben Bird to take advantage. And, that’s just what the KTM rider did, starting the day 18 points in arrears, Bird remained focussed and controlled to eventually go onto take the title 33 points clear of Josh Herbert with Jacob Gwynne in 3^rd. However, that race for the title could have looked rather different had a certain Michael Parsons been present at round 2!

The very fast 2T Yamaha rider finished the series with a big maximum score at Nympsfield and that meant in the 9 moto’s he had completed, he was victorious on 8 occasions! However going back to eventual Champion Bird, well he finished as runner-up in all three moto’s on Sunday as in a trio of repeat results, Josh Herbert got home in 3^rd with Jacob Gwynne in 4^th.

So that’s the 2021 AMCA Nationals Series done and dusted, well done to all of the organising clubs, riders, mechanics and supporters on your super efforts throughout the four-round maiden title race.

Results

MX1 Experts

Pos	Competitor	Points	R1	R2	R3
1	Luke Bull	150	50	50	50
2	Thomas Herbert	139	45	47	47
3	Richard Lloyd	137	47	45	45
4	Samuel Bradley	127	41	43	43
5	Harry Greetham	115	33	41	41
6	Robert Fox	113	39	35	39
7	Mitch Nicholls	113	37	39	37
8	Craig Perks	107	35	37	35
9	Nathan Holtby	43	43	–	–

Final Series Standings 1 Bull 565 points 2 Lloyd 545 3 Bradley 505 4 Fox 448 5 Sam Jones 418 6 Nathan Holtby 392 7 Craig Perks 381 8 Mitch Nicholls 363 9 Herbert 336 10 Greetham 311.

MX2 Experts

Pos	Competitor	Points	R1	R2	R3
1	Michael Parsons	150	50	50	50
2	Ben Bird	141	47	47	47
3	Josh Herbert	135	45	45	45
4	Jacob Gwynne	129	43	43	43
5	Jack Jordan	121	39	41	41
6	Colin Conduit	80	41	39	–

Final Series Standings 1 Bird 555 points 2 Herbert 522 3 Gwynne 486 4 Parsons 447 5 Jordan Saunders 432 6 Jordan 430 7 Conduit 378 8 Ben Seaburg 302 9 Scott Barrow 272 10 Ryan Carey 267.

MX1 Seniors

Pos	Competitor	Points	R1	R2	R3
1	Joshua Senter	150	50	50	50
2	Scott Senter	131	45	45	41
3	Jay Rumbold	129	39	43	47
4	Wayne Tabbott	123	33	47	43
5	Chris May	121	37	39	45
6	Richard May	121	41	41	39
7	Nathan Lewis-Reilly	102	35	30	37
8	Ross Doubtfire	102	30	37	35
9	Luke Lester Powell	95	31	33	31
10	Ashley Cartwright	92	27	35	30
11	Andrew Hayes	87	25	29	33
12	Stephen Guest	85	28	28	29
13	Toby Duke	84	29	27	28
14	Jamie Glover	79	26	26	27
15	Jack Tompkins	74	43	31	–
16	Lee Mitchell	47	47	–	–

MX2 Seniors Final Series standings 1 J Senter 587 points 2 Rumbold 537 3 Tabbott 500 4 Nathan Lewis-Reilly 462 5 Jack Tompkins 451 6 R May 378 7 S Senter 369 8 Lee Mitchell 336 9 Andrew Hayes 311 10 Ashley Cartwright 308.

Pos	Competitor	Points	R1	R2	R3
1	Nigel Woodman	150	50	50	50
2	Elliot Clegg	135	47	47	41
3	Mitchell Cooper	127	41	41	45
4	Daniel Griffiths	122	30	45	47
5	Joshua Main	119	33	43	43
6	Cameron Doleman	119	45	37	37
7	Aiden Woodman	113	39	39	35
8	Owen Pitts	103	37	27	39
9	David Delve	96	28	35	33
10	Jamie Johnson	95	31	33	31
11	Tom Hatton	94	35	29	30
12	Luke Cumber	87	27	31	29
13	Lewis Thompson	85	29	28	28
14	Tom Strange	83	26	30	27
15	Benito Sidoli	43	43	–	–
16	Harrison Pitt	26	–	–	26

Final Series standings 1 Woodman 573 points 2 Clegg 521 3 Doleman 509 4 Main 476 5 Owen Pitts 441 6 Benito Sidoli 370 7 Aiden Woodman 369 8 Lewis Thompson 356 9 Tom Hatton 351 10 Daniel Morris 335.

MX1 Juniors

Pos	Competitor	Points	R1	R2	R3
1	Neil Hopes	147	50	50	47
2	Tommy Arden	139	47	47	45
3	Michael Windsor	136	41	45	50
4	Kelvin Anderton	129	45	43	41
5	Martyn Clinton	123	43	37	43
6	Luke Jenkins	111	31	41	39
7	Joshua Williams	106	30	39	37
8	Thomas Meagher	103	33	35	35
9	Harry Knowles	103	39	33	31
10	Kimberley Holden-James	97	37	31	29
11	Paul Hughes	93	35	28	30
12	Simon Moore	92	29	30	33
13	Stephen Brannen (WC)	84	27	29	28
14	Samuel Trinder	79	28	24	27
15	Brandon Carradine	77	26	26	25
16	Brent Carradine	74	25	25	24
17	John Rumbold	53	–	27	26

Final Series standings 1 Windsor 586 points 2 Anderton 500 3 Jenkins 478 4 Joshua Williams 436 5 Harry Knowles 417 6 Paul Hughes 414 7 David Donnely 407 8 Simon Moore 386 9 Clinton 358 10 Samuel Trinder 340.

MX2 Juniors

Pos	Competitor	Points	R1	R2	R3
1	James Merrett	150	50	50	50
2	Ben Weston	133	43	43	47
3	Oliver Hurst	129	39	45	45
4	Bobby Dickinson-Smith	129	45	47	37
5	Callum Radford	127	47	39	41
6	Callum Hurst	125	41	41	43
7	Dale Screen	113	37	37	39
8	Scott Brown	103	35	35	33
9	Kyran Holden	97	33	33	31
10	Chris Conduit	95	29	31	35
11	Oliver Davis	90	30	30	30
12	Christopher Leddington	89	31	29	29
13	Thomas Eastland	80	27	26	27
14	Haider Zaidi	78	25	27	26
15	Ellis Tighe	78	26	28	24
16	James Wise	73	23	25	25
17	Cheyenne Woodman (WC)	71	24	24	23
18	Charlie Rush	56	28	–	28

Final Series standings 1 Merrett 586 points 2 Dickinson-Smith 564 3 Radford 516 4 Weston 492 5 Chris Conduit 484 6 Callum Hurst 430 7 Oliver Hurst 400 8 Kyran Holden 383 9 Oliver Davis 372 10 Scott Brown 358.

Championship support

Pos	Competitor	Points	R1	R2	R3
1	James Smith	134	43	41	50
2	Gary Hurst	123	39	37	47
3	Damon Strydom	100	50	50	–
4	Paul Neale	94	47	47	–
5	Martin Jones	90	45	45	–
6	Jack Griffiths	84	41	43	–
7	Matthew Chaplin	76	37	39	–