Hampshire triumphs in MDLRC
MILDENHALL’S Taylor Hampshire was a deserving winner of the Midland Development League Riders’ Championship at Scunthorpe’s Eddie Wright Raceway on Bank Holiday Monday afternoon.
There was some good racing throughout, before the meeting came to a thrilling conclusion in the two semis and the final.
The first semi-final was arguably the strongest. Layne Cupitt tumbled in the first attempt to stage the race – after an afternoon which had seen him win three races, but also suffer three falls. In the three-man re-run, George Rothery & Taylor Hampshire tangled entering the first bend, and also collected Scunthorpe’s Chris Hay, as all three bit the dust.
All three were thankfully OK, but some of their machinery had been damaged, so the second re-run was delayed until after the second semi-final. Henry Atkins won that race, while Andy Mellish came from behind to pip Bradley Andrews for second place on the line.
The second re-run of the first semi produced an enthralling opening lap as Hay & Rothery battled for second place, but Hay’s bike died, leaving Hampshire & Rothery to complete the race alone.
In the final, Hampshire was first to show, while Rothery passed Mellish for second after a lap. Rothery closed in on Hampshire and got alongside at the start of the final lap, but Hampshire held him off, to win both the race and the meeting. Meanwhile, Atkins went around Mellish on the final bend to snatch third place.
Lewis Whitmore suffered broken ribs in a Heat 8 crash.
Qualifying Scores:
George Rothery 2 3 3 2 3 (13)
Henry Atkins 3 3 3 2 2 (13)
Taylor Hampshire 3 2 3 3 1 (12)
Bradley Andrews 3 1 2 2 3 (11)
Chris Hay F 3 1 3 3 (10)
Andy Mellish 1 2 2 3 2 (10)
Layne Cupitt F 3 FX 3 3 (9)
Kyle Basford 2 1 2 1 1 (7)
Niall Strudwick 3 2 FX 1 FX (6)
Sam Chapman 0 0 3 2 FX (5)
Josh Embleton 1 0 2 R 2 (5)
William O’Keefe 1 2 1 0 1 (5)
Sam Wright 2 1 0 0 0 (3)
Lewis Austen 0 0 0 1 2 (3)
Kyle Roberts 1 1 1 0 0 (3)
Lewis Whitmore 2 FX (2)
James Chattin (res) 1 1 FN (2)
Heat details:
1: Atkins, Whitmore, Embleton, Cupitt (fell), 63.93.
2: Strudwick, Rothery, Mellish, Chapman, 65.63.
3: Andrews, Basford, Roberts, Austen (fell, remounted), 65.06.
4: Hampshire, Wright, O’Keefe, Hay (fell), 63.56
5: Atkins, Hampshire, Andrews, Chapman, 61.69.
6: (Re-run) Hay, Mellish, Basford, Embleton, 62.60.
7: Cupitt, Strudwick, Wright, Austen, 62.50.
8: Rothery, O’Keefe, Roberts, Whitmore (fell, excluded), awarded – no time.
9: Atkins, Mellish, O’Keefe, Austen, 62.69.
10: Chapman, Embleton, Roberts, Wright, 64.25.
11: (Re-run twice) Rothery, Andrews, Hay, Cupitt (fell, excluded), 62.44.
12: (Re-run) Hampshire, Basford, Chattin, Strudwick (fell, excluded), 62.62.
13: Hay, Atkins, Strudwick, Roberts, 63.00.
14: Hampshire, Rothery, Austen, Embleton (ret), 62.44.
15: Cupitt, Chapman, Basford, O’Keefe, 63.87.
16: Mellish, Andrews, Chattin, Wright, 63.62.
17: Rothery, Atkins, Basford, Wright, 63.88.
18: Andrews, Embleton, O’Keefe, Strudwick (fell, excluded), awarded – no time.
19: Cupitt, Mellish, Hampshire, Roberts, 64.00.
20: (Re-run) Hay, Austen, Chattin (fell, unable to contest re-run), Chapman (fell, excluded), 63.13.
SF1: (Re-run twice) Hampshire, Rothery, Hay (ret), Cupitt (fell, excluded), 63.19.
SF2: Atkins, Mellish, Andrews, Basford, 63.00.
Final: Hampshire, Rothery, Atkins, Mellish, 62.01.
