For the fifth and final race of the 2006 KRC Motorcycle Endurance Championship, many teams adopted a win or bust strategy. With different winners from the rounds so far; GB Moto (Mark ‘Macca’ Smith Halvorsen/Richard Wren/Pete Jennings), Harvey Mushman Racing (Hugh Brasher/Richard Wright/Phil Bevan), Moores Racing (James Hurrell/Jim Agombar/Warren Watson) and Team Serendipity (David Wood/David Higgins), all Class C front-runners were chasing a win to top the championship table. Coming into the final round Serendipity had a single point advantage over C & K Racing (Kev + Chris Jones/Ian Wooltorton) who, despite not having won a race, their preparation and professional approach had amassed a shed load of points. GB Moto’s Mark Halvorsen Smith was next down just ahead of Alf’s Motorcycles and Moores Racing.

It would also be ‘winner takes all’ in Class D between JSE (Jonathan Snooks/Randy Kitzmiller/Kevin Forrest) and Team Uprite (Jason Gunning/Alan Stevens/George McCombie) who were often seen running well in the top six on their 750 machines, Uprite coming into the final round with a mere five points over JSE.

Shelley Pike - steady season on the R6

Team Hypa (Grant Horton/Dave Summerson/Stuart Tucker) enjoyed the knowledge that they had won all the rounds they had entered during the year in Class E whilst other class runners had enjoyed a mixed bag of fortune over the season so far. Only eight points adrift was Phoenix Endurance R6 (Shaun Finch/Peter Gibson/Shelley Pike) who had been consistently racking up the points throughout the season to build a five point cushion over the 750 Suzuki of Black Cat Racing (George Bicket/Mark Westcott/Jim Gow).

The Black Cat Racing Teams

Doug Cannon, on his M2 Construction Honda 600 (Doug Cannon/Matthew Checkley/Neil Richardson) had kept it tidy over the first 26 hours of racing to have secured a clean sheet in Class B – 75 points from 75 maximum. Doug was 35 points ahead of nearest rivals, Welsh wizards Turning Japanese (John Vance/Andrew Veal/Tony Meech) and the R6 Moores Moto line up of Tony Jimenez/Mike Eglington/Nick Davey.

Class B was dominated by Doug Cannon

Missing from race day was the Twinwoods Racing entry (Marcus Buckle/Grant Wagstaff/Neil Cray) who attended the previous test day but obviously decided not to race.

Twinwoods Racing failed to start

Following early morning practice GB Moto planted their R1 on pole position with a time a shade over one minute less than half a second quicker than Loddon Racing who failed to make the grid after engine gremlins – repeating their achievement at the earlier Pembrey round. At the noon drop of the cloth GB Moto and Team Serendipity shot off into the lead. Race pace soon came to an abrupt halt after nine minutes, Randy Kitzmiller became victim to a violent tank slapper on the start/finish straight resulting in a very sorry looking JSE Suzuki, the rider faired a little better with finger damage and the team retired gracefully to the shade to watch Moto GP on TV.

Randy Kitzmiller : JSE Suzuki lasted ten minutes

The positioning of the pace car meant the two leading machines gained a lap over Team Alf’s in a distant third. Not directly involved in the Kitz incident were Team Viking (Paul Clarke/Crispin d’Albertanson/Barry Salmon) who insisted on testing their latest sponsor’s products – R & G Racing Products, manufactures of robust crash mushrooms! It has not been an easy season for the Vikings who have been frequent visitors into the gravel!

Crispin d'Albertanson & Team Viking crash again - doh!

In the second hour, Team Alf’s (Christopher Frost/Russell Baker/Mick Godfrey) made a dive for the pits to re emerge having lost 21 laps due to a flat battery. Richard Wren on the yellow GB Moto R1 was running fastest in front of the Serendipity Suzuki and the Harvey Mushman Racing R1. Macca crashed out, rejoining in 8th spot and HMR lost 16 laps in the pits following a spill. At half way point Serendipity held a four-lap lead on C & K Racing and in a podium place were Class D leaders, Uprite Racing. Local rider Warren Watson was on a flyer on the Moores R1, reducing the distance with C & K from a lap to 11 seconds, WW was later to hustle the R1 along in the final hour to regain runner up spot in the overall standings.

In the fourth hour Macca stepped off the GB Moto R1, lost 9 laps in the pits and it was up to Pete Jennings to lift the machine from 8th to 3rd! 60 minutes later the bright yellow machine was in second, five laps behind Serendipity and only a lap ahead of Moores Racing, the same distance separated them from the reliable and well prepared, ex Phase One Endurance R1 of C & K Racing.

GB Moto

Class D aspirants, Uprite Racing were six laps ahead of championship newcomers, Fresh Orange Racing 600 Kawasaki (Ben Pearce/Andy Buik/Darren Eyre).

Uprite Racing & Fresh Orange Racing

The teams more or less maintained the status quo until the end of the six hours, which saw Team Serendipity take the race and Class C win ahead of GB Moto, Moores Racing, C & K Racing, Class D titlists Upright Racing, Fresh Orange in sixth ahead of Class E winners Hypa Racing R6 and then the M2 Construction 600 Honda to take a full house in Class B.

Class B Winners : M2 Construction in testing

Second in Class B were a distant Ducks Cross Racing Yamaha R6 (John Landmann/Russell Horton/Michael Thompson).

Finishing ninth were Snetterton winners, Harvey Mushman Racing, ahead of newcomers Team Epona 636 Kawasaki (Chris Carter/Angus Peace/Stuart Bedford).

Phoenix Endurance bought their R6 home in 12th place, having been as high as 9th – they were delighted to finish only 12 laps down on class leaders to end a successful and satisfying season. The similar machine of Moores Moto finished some way back in eighteenth, despite appearing in the top ten earlier on before Mike Eglington low sided the bike and was stranded out on the circuit until the appearance of the pace car luckily allowed them back into pit lane for running repairs.

Newcomers: Team Epona (left) & Harvey Mushman Racing - 9th

Another newcomer to KRC was Team Spidey (Andy Pelk/Ricky Ross) who ran their glorious sounding Aprilia 1000 into 15th place, finishing on the same laps as other new kids on the block; Battenberg Racing (Darren Fryer/Andy Green/Nick Andrews), campaigning an R1.

Newcomers : Battenberg Racing (left) & Team Spidey

Kawasaki Newcastle (Phil Knowles/Andy Jones/Ian Patterson) made a welcome return with their 750 and finished in seventeenth.

In the five round KRC Motorcycle Racing Endurance Championship, we have seen four different teams sample the top step, 600s running in the top ten and 750s challenging for podium places. Weather has varied from that normally associated with the Sahara across the spectrum to Manchester in mid March. The racing has been close and exciting in all classes and we have enjoyed a variety of well-prepared machinery being raced. Competitors have ranged from devoted and seasoned clubmen and women to experienced international endurance specialists and short circuit professional riders.

It has been more than a good championship year; it has been a great one!

Alfonso Lygo

Photography copyright © Alfonso Lygo, all rights reserved.

To see Timing Sheets, click here

Postscript

A big ‘thank you’ for assistance in completing the above report from:

Julia Dodd + Russ Gardner (KRC), Kailah Eglington (Moores Racing), Kev Jones (C & K Racing), Crispin d’Albertanson (Team Viking) and Shelley Pike (Phoenix Endurance).

I was away at Buckingham Palace where youngest son, Nik, was the Ensign for his regiment who are currently guarding the palace, Windsor Castle and the Tower of London. When not on duty, Nik can be seen peddling his Kawasaki 636 in and around Central London, a former ACU Licence holder he would love to start endurance racing with a team comprising of Army personnel – however a trip to Iraq in early 2007 might delay his decision.