After a somewhat extended break, the Michelin MX Nationals motocross season finally got underway at the stunning Hawkstone Park circuit in Shropshire over the weekend.
This was the first chance for the new look, Bridgestone supported Buildbase Honda team to show what they could do in the MX1 & MX2 Pro classes, with all three riders at the sharp end of the action.
Using the Battlecross X10 sand rear tyre, Jake topped qualifying in the MX1 Pro class, while Tommy brought the CRF450R home in third on his competitive debut for the team.
Jake grabbed the holeshot in the opening moto, and led all the way to the flag, taking the win by more than 5 seconds. A late pass saw Tommy finish in third, after battling with arm pump in the latter stages of the race.
In the second race, Tommy got the better start off the line and held the lead until around the half way point. After dropping back, he fought his way back to the front to claim the race win, although a late charge from Jake saw him clinch the overall win by a single point.
In the MX2 Pro class, Steven Clarke also made a fantastic debut for the Buildbase Honda squad as he qualified in second place.
The ‘Fastest 40’ format saw Steve at a disadvantage to the more powerful 450cc machines on some sections of the course, but his experience showed as he went 4 – 2 in his motos to come away with second overall.
Team boss Dave Thorpe was clearly very pleased with his riders’ performances.
“It’s been a really good day,” he said. “The boys rode well in really difficult conditions and the second race in particular was very tough.
“Jake rode a textbook opening race. He got the holeshot, pushed hard to make a gap and won it quite comfortably. Tommy was in a bit of a dogfight with Dylan Walsh and Brent Van Doninck – I think he pushed really hard to get them and then tightened up a little bit.
“In the second race it was very close. Van Doninck made a move four laps from the end but Tommy, Jake, Harri Kullas and Evgeny Bobryshev were all fighting hard which made it a really good race to watch.
“I’m delighted for Steven – second overall is a great result for him. In the first race he thought the roll-off pulley on his goggles had snapped so he came in for a fresh pair and lost several places but battled back to fourth and in the second race he closed right in on Josh Gilbert and there was nothing between them when they went over the line.
“Ryan, Will and Rob have all worked really hard, as have all three riders and it’s nice to get a great result on our first race back. The MX Nationals team deserve a massive pat on the back for taking the risk to put the meeting on in very difficult circumstances.”
The next round is set to take place at Landrake Park later this month, with Buildbase Honda likely to be at the sharp end once again!
