In stark contrast to the first visit to Norfolk where most teams experienced an excursion into the mud, conditions for the fourth round eight-hour race were good following overnight rain which cleared up before track action began. After Saturday practice, local Honda 1000 outfit, Loddon Racing (Guy Hubbard/Scott Ingram/Phil Jeans) topped a strong field with a time that would have put them on row 6 of recent British Superstocks.

Loddon Racing grabbed pole

Pembrey winners, SDE Racing could not encourage their Yamaha R1 to behave so were scratched from the entry list. Alf’s Motorcycles only had Chris Frost in attendance on the Saturday necessitating Russell Baker and Mick Godfrey to do the biz in the few minutes on Sunday morning allocated to track familiarization and warm up. By the time the teams lined up against the pit wall the track was dry although it was declared a wet race in accordance with the regulations.

This encounter started at 1000, allowing enough time for an eight-hour race. It was Loddon who secured the hole shot ahead of second fastest outfit Team Serendipity (David Wood/David Higgins). Loddon had also taken pole back in May at the first visit to Snetterton and had clearly been on pace before a spill caused a lot of time to be spent in the garage. Richard Wren was a tad slow off the line, having qualified the GB Moto in 3rd spot but was soon making ground up as the pack began their second circuit. Serendipity very soon dropped off the leader board and lost valuable time touring back to the pits after a spill, dropping them down to 19th place at the end of the first hour and loosing 12 laps whilst rear sets + clip ons were replaced and duct tape surreptitiously applied.

John Barton from the IOM on M2 class winning 600 Honda

At the same time, Class B leaders Team M2 (Doug Cannon/John Barton/Neil Richardson) pushed in when their 600 Honda threw a chain It’s worth pointing out that the silver M2 Honda 600 has been peddled to four straight class wins to date, often at speed and challenging some of the larger capacity machines. Manx based John Barton was a new recruit to this team, a capable rider who enjoys a rich racing career that has included top line endurance racing and road racing home and abroad. Doug Cannon has been the lead rider on all four times, with a slightly different line up resulting him on being in the top slot for riders overall, a sound strategy.

Only GB Moto (Mark Smith-Halvorsen/Richard Wren/David Johnson) was on the same lap as Loddon after the first hour – Johnson being the latest addition to the team, an Aussie based in Hinckley and currently doing a decent job in the Dutch and the German championships. Why Hinckley? There seems to be a small community of Antipodeans in this part of the East Midlands, which includes the likes of Paul Young, Glen Richards and others – continuing a tradition which goes back to the seventies when erstwhile sponsors including George Beale, Team Randle et al encouraged the talented riders from the other side of the world to race in the UK and use the Mallory Park area of Leicestershire as a base.

David Johnson suffers from exhaustion

Previous Snetterton winner, Moores Racing (Tony Hurrell/Jim Agombar/Ben Wylie) retired the R1 after 18 laps with gear selection problems, whilst their R6 (Tony Jimenez/Mike Eglington/Nick Davey) had picked up a rear puncture necessitating a return to pits via the infield for Tony J.

By the end of the second hour GB Moto had two laps over Loddon and Harvey Mushman Racing (Richard Wright/Hugh Brasher/Simon Watson), Richard Wren was lapping around 1’ 10s in the chase. The team take their name from the pseudonym adopted by Steve McQueen whilst pursuing his race career – check out the iconoclastic stickers adhourning the R1, quoting the famous SMcQ quotation ‘Life is racing, everything else is just waiting’.

GB Moto was to spend time in the pits with a broken Micron exhaust before the three hour mark – Moores Racing offered the use of the Devil system from their stricken R1 and this was fitted before returning to the track, loosing none of it’s speed but some laps down on the leading bike of Loddon who were ahead of the Yamaha R1s of Harvey Mushman and C & K Racing (Kevin + Chris Jones/Ian Wooltorton). Uprite (Alan Stevens/Jason Gunning/George McCombie) and JSE Racing (Jonathan Snooks/Randy Kitzmiller/Kevin Forrest) were just outside the top three and circulating quickly before the exhaust system of the JSE Suzuki cried ‘enough’ and was replaced costing the team some valuable track time.

Just after half way point the pace car made a second appearance when the formally immaculate Team Viking 750 Suzuki of Paul Clarke/Crispin d’Albertson/Barry Salmon disintegrated dropping some oil out on the track. (Weren’t they the team who nearly destroyed their #1 bike in open testing at Snett back in May?) Uprite Racing were now running in third and Serendipity and GB Moto were 5th + 6th following early dramas, before the young Aussie returned GB Moto back to the garage for a new clutch and front pads, loosing 20 minutes and five places. Serendipity was on a charge in the fifth hour and snatched second, behind Harvey Mushman after Loddon overshot the chicane. GB Moto had moved back into 8th place after some quick lappery and Team M2 were now leading Class B in sixth place.

Jason Gunning Uprite Racing - Class D winners

At the drop of the cloth it was Harvey Mushman Racing who enjoyed a mere 1 lap lead from Team Serendipity and Loddon Racing who were separated by two laps. The consistent outfit of C & K Racing finished a solid fourth further 2 laps adrift of third spot. Uprite Racing took Class D honours ahead of a distant JSE Racing. Class B’s Team M2 finished in 6th ahead or the Moores R6 (Tony Jimenez/Mike Eglington/Nick Davey) and the 600 Suzuki of Welsh team Turning Japanese (Vance John/Andrew Veal/Tony Meech).

Hypa Racing (Grant Horton/David Summerson/Stuart Tucker) took another class E win on their immaculate R6 ahead of the 900 Kawasaki of series newcomer TLT Racing (Jamie Grant/Brendan Roberts/Clive Smith) and the 750 Suzuki of Black Cat Racing (George Bicket/Mark Westcott/Jim Gow).

Apart from JSE making a racket with their 10-piece race exhaust, one of the best sounds of the day was the 1000 Aprilia of series newcomers – Team DSR (Darren Jones/Dave Mabbutt/Andy McKnight). This crew finished in 16th after a few frustrating visits to the garage and a push back from The Esses for Andy Mac.

TLT Racing campaigned a far from new Kawasaki 900, many people were impressed by the pace and reliability of this elderly Jap 4. They ran an honest race and finished in 12th and second in Class E to Hypa Racing. Ducks Cross Racing (Martin Landmann/Russell Horton/Mike Thompson kept out of trouble on their well prepared Yamaha R6 to finish 15th and fourth in Class B.

Ducks Cross Racing (left)  -    A good result for the elderly TLT Kawasaki 900

With one round to go, Class C and overall is currently the territory of the Team Serendipity and C & K Racing who have scored highly in all four rounds, however they are only a couple of points ahead of GB Moto. Team M2 have a full house in Class B and couldn’t do more whilst Uprite are ahead of JSE in Class D. Hypa Racing hold a three point advantage over Black Cat Racing who a shade in front of Phoenix Endurance in the Class E title chase.

David Wood and Randy Kitzmiller

On the rider front - Doug Cannon holding a century of points to lead Class B and overall, whilst the C & K riders, brothers Chris and Kevin Jones, along with Ian Wooltorton head Class C, all on 64 points. The Uprite trio of riders of Alan Stevens/Jason Gunning/George McCombie have pulled away from their Class D JSE protagonists and in Class E only 8 points separate the Hypa racing crew of Grant Horton/David Summerson/Stuart Tucker from the trailing Phoenix Endurance line up.

If you think you need the budget the size of a small country’s GDP to race at this level without too much embarrassment, you are wrong - one of the above machines appeared the following day on ebay (careful owner, used only on Sundays yeh yeh) and sold for a very affordable price – bargain!

Harvey Mushman Racing - a winning lineup

Alfonso Lygo

Photography copyright © Alfonso Lygo, all rights reserved.

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