MOTORCYCLE SPORTS

 

 

Grand National NG Castle Combe 29 – 30 July 2023

Castle Combe NGRR Grand National 29th – 30th July 2023
Max Symonds is crowned 2023 “King of Combe” Josh Day back to winning ways, Charlie Nesbitt local BSB rider from Swindon smashes the outright lap record 1:06.918 on his Honda CBR 1000.

 

 

BSB Brands Hatch July 2023

Bennetts British Superbike Championship Brands Hatch  21st – 23rd of July.

BRIDEWELL BARNSTORMS BRANDS

The Bennetts British Superbike Championship rolled into Brands Hatch over the weekend of the 21st – 23rd of July. The championship standings arriving in Kent were headed by Beer Monster PBM Ducati rider Tommy Bridewell, who held a lead of 25 points over team-mate Glenn Irwin. The spots of water that began to fall in the first part of qualifying had turned to steady rainfall as the pole-setting Q2 session was due to go green. A see-sawing contest for the top spot between Bridewell and OMG Yamaha’s Ryan Vickers saw each bettering the others time as they crossed the line. As the clock ticked down, Bridewell improved once more with twenty seconds to go before going quicker again on his last lap to cement pole by 0.643 seconds from Vickers, who needed a late improvement to bump Josh Brookes back to third. A sodden circuit greeted the field for the twelve-lap Sprint Race later on Saturday afternoon. Bridewell headed the pack into Paddock Hill Bend for the first time from Vickers but the Yamaha was jumped by Danny Kent on the climb to Druids. Vickers was back in second before the first lap was completed and then took the lead when Bridewell had a slide at Hawthorn on lap two. Kent also got ahead of the PBM Ducati at Clearways, with Bridewell falling into clutches of the following four riders as he dealt with a misting visor. As the front pair moved away, the rider on the move was Christian Iddon and the Ducati man took both Leon Haslam and Bridewell to climb to third on lap four. Bridewell’s visibility issues saw him slip behind Haslam, qualifying star Jack Kennedy and Jason O’Halloran by lap seven. At the end of the lap, the black and orange mechanical warning flag was displayed to Haslam as smoke was emanating from his BMW. The red flag quickly followed to clean the circuit of the dropped fluid and the race was called, giving a jubilant Vickers his first British Superbike victory from Kent and Iddon. Sunday dawned dry and bright and the Oxford Products Ducati of Iddon sat on pole position having set the fastest lap in the wet Sprint Race, with Kent and Vickers making up the front row. Iddon and Kent both got away well and it was the 2015 Moto 3 world champion who took the initiative into Paddock Hill Bend for the first time. Kent’s tenure of the lead lasted a single lap as Iddon charged back to the front starting lap two. Iddon couldn’t shake off the Honda though and Kent briefly retakes the lead on the third lap before Iddon immediately bellows back through on the following straight. The top five are still within a second of each other when the Safety Car is deployed on lap eight after Dean Harrison fell at Paddock Hill Bend. Kent headed the queue for the restart from Iddon, Vickers, O’Halloran and Bridewell up from seventh, the Honda having hit the front at Hawthorn just prior to the interruption. Both PBM Ducatis were on the rise when racing resumed, an aggressive lap from Bridewell saw him up to second behind Iddon, who had removed Kent from the lead at Hawthorn. Hawthorn was the scene of Bridewell’s pass for the lead two laps later and the Wiltshireman sped clear to a 2.406-second victory after twenty laps. A blanket covered Iddon, Kent, Glenn Irwin, Vickers, Jason O’Halloran and Kyle Ryde in the battle for the podium places as they took the flag. Bridewell’s late-race pace came with the bout’s fastest lap so would start the final encounter from pole ahead of Kent and Iddon. The front row got away evenly but it was that man Kent again who led the way into Paddock Hill Bend from the poleman. A fired-up Iddon took second from Bridewell starting lap two before usurping Kent for the lead on the GP loop. In the line behind, Ryde lunged ahead of Bridewell at Stirlings for the second time and the steady-away Ducati also momentarily slipped to fifth behind Leon Haslam’s BMW on the third tour. Ryde’s time in third would be short-lived as a broken gear linkage forces the Yamaha out on the fourth lap, which moves the PBM Ducatis of Bridewell and Irwin into a menacing third and fourth. Bridewell takes second from Kent out the back for the seventh time before taking the lead from Iddon into Hawthorn on lap twelve but, unlike earlier, the Ducati couldn’t escape the pack. Bridewell’s PBM partner Irwin forced his way into second at Surtees on lap fifteen and Vickers took advantage to further demote Iddon to fourth. The Ducati moved back up to third at Westfield on the following tour before the Yamaha rider made the place his own at Stirlings on lap seventeen. The squabble had cost Vickers ground to the PBM pair ahead but a fastest lap brought the Yamaha onto their tail heading onto the final lap but Bridewell doesn’t let the win slip and takes his second win of the day from Irwin and Vickers as 0.237 seconds covered the trio. Bridewell leaves Kent with an extended margin of 34.5 points at the top of the championship tree from team-mate Irwin in second. The championship now moves on to the fastest circuit of the year at Thruxton on the 11th -13th of August, the scene of three of the best races of the 2022 championship season. Words and Pics Stephen Carpenter.

 

 

Grand National Castle Combe Circuit NGRR Rounds 4,5,& 6. 22nd – 23rd April 2023

Grand National Motorcycle Race Meeting Castle Combe 22nd – 23rd April 2023..View Selection

SYMONDS SETS OUT HIS STALL

North Glos Road Racing Club paid their first of two visits to Castle Combe in 2023 over the weekend of the 22nd and 23rd of April.
The King of Combe would run to a new format for this year, the points scored in the six races across the two meetings determining who would take the crown. Reigning King of Combe Max Symonds got his defence of the title off to the perfect start, qualifying on pole position and racing to all three King of Combe/Phoenix Open race wins. Symonds was also unstoppable in the Bluebell Lakes Powerbikes, scoring three wins there too. One of the few riders able to keep the flying Yamaha R1 in sight was road racer Jamie Coward with four close second-placed finishes on his big Honda, he also tore to three wins on his Super Twin Kawasaki ER6. Fellow roads man and former 250 GP National champion Jim Hind was another to impress on his 1000cc Suzuki, taking two fourths and holding off a pack of riders for second in Sunday afternoon’s King of Combe encounter. Another King of Combe hopeful riding well was Bob Collins, who took four thirds in his first four races aboard his Fireblade and two Formula Prostock wins on a Suzuki, but an unfortunate Powerbike high-side ended his meeting on Sunday afternoon. George Edwards flew to all three IMS 600 victories from Ricky Elder, he was regularly lapping with some of the quicker 1000s in his King of Combe outings as well. Thomas Lawlor triumphed in the opening 250 GP National bout but Bobby Varey was dominant on Sunday, Lawlor and Chris Moore both had spells in front before being forced to settle for the podium placings by the vivid Varey Yamaha. Ant Hart and Phil Atkinson fought hard for the GP Originals race victories, Sunday’s battles were a highlight as Atkinson twice defeated Hart with a last-lap pass to avenge Hart’s win on Saturday. Dave MacKay narrowly took the first two Sound of Thunder spoils from Jamie Coward’s Kawasaki twin before taking a much more comfortable win on Sunday afternoon aboard the True Heroes Ducati, top Formula Prostock runner Nick Williamson chased him home ahead of Darren Rumley’s naked KTM. Local man Tyson Lewis proved good value with two Streetstock 1300 wins on his BMW, John Dudman’s R1 taking the other. The all-action Suzuki Bandits had little to separate Chris Edwards and Lee Marks all weekend, the score reading 2-1 to Marks. After Steve Moody prevailed in the concurrent F400 category on Saturday, the closely matched Tony Griffiths, Pete Gibson and Martin Thrower fought out Sunday’s races with Griffiths twice getting the verdict. The combined finishing distance between Elijah Everton and Chace Collymore across the three Junior Supersport thrashes was a mere 0.408 seconds, just 0.049 split them on Saturday as Everton somehow took all three victories. Top Ducati Desmo rider Dominic Cann was with them on Sunday. The evenly matched Mini Twins had a win for Mark Hughes and two for William Holland but Joe Woodward, Jonathan Smith and Nathaniel Manning-Morton were all in with a shout. Nick Sansome’s 250 Honda sealed the first Open 500 win before Steve Moody inflicted another slim defeat to Chace Collymore in the second race, True Heroes team rider James Cleary only just headed Collymore yet again to win in the meeting’s final race as the looming dark cloud finally emptied its contents with the race nearing its conclusion.
North Glos returns to Castle Combe on the 29th and 30th of July for more competitive racing action and to crown the King of Combe.words Stephen Carpenter EDP Photo News.

Grand National Castle Combe Circuit 2022 – NG Champs 2022

Max Symonds crowned “King of Combe” at the Grand National NGRR meeting Castle Combe Circuit 20th – 21st August 2022

Grand National Motorcycle Race Meeting Castle Combe Saturday 20th August 2022….View Galleries
Grand National Motorcycle Race Meeting Castle Combe Sunday 21st August 2022……View Galleries
SYMONDS TAKES IT TO THE MAX
Symonds Racing BMW rider Max Symonds was unstoppable at the Castle Combe Grand National meeting held over the weekend of the 20th/21st August. After qualifying on pole for the King of Combe and second behind Aaron Ridewood in the Powerbikes, Symonds saw off each of his rivals to emerge victorious in all six races and bag the King of Combe trophy for the first time. One of Symonds closest challengers was Dale Thomas aboard a 600cc Suzuki. Returning after a lengthy break, Thomas showed he had lost little of his speed with pole and two wins in the 600s as well as chasing Symonds home in each of the King of Combe encounters to take home the silver medal. One of the rides of the day on Sunday came from National 250GP rider Bobby Varey. After fluffing the start and falling to the rear of the field, the brightly hued Yamaha set off on a charge. Varey caught leader ‘Tommy 2-Stroke’ Lawlor with less than two laps to go and battled past on the run to Quarry to seal a great win. words Stephen Carpenter EDP Photo News.

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Honda Test Castle Combe Circuit April 2022

Honda had a successful pre test for Isle of Man TT at Castle Combe Circuit 26 – 27 April 2022 with John McGuinness and Glenn Irwin

“King of Combe” 2021

NG Road Racing 2021

“Grand National’ Castle Combe Circuit 5th – 6th June

DAZZLING DAY RETAKES COMBE CROWN
Over the weekend of June 5th and 6th motorcycle racing returned to the high-speed Castle Combe circuit as the third meeting of NG Road Racing Club’s 2021 season took place. The limited number of spectators allowed to attend under current guidelines saw three-time ‘King of Combe’ winner Josh Day come back to the Wiltshire circuit to attempt to take his fourth title. Borrowing the Yamaha R1 with which he enjoyed so much success in the recent past, Day romped to pole position and wouldn’t be headed across the three Phoenix Open races to recapture the Rodney Gooch Trophy in style, points scored across the three races deciding the ’King of Combe’ winner. His form carried over into the Bluebell Lakes Powerbikes with Day taking all three wins there too as Max Symonds wrung the neck of his BMW in valiant pursuit. 2020 ‘King of Combe’ champion Daniel Cooper’s pace was too hot for the rest of his IMS 600 competitors as he flew to victory in each encounter, youngster Bradley Richman and Triumph mounted Owen Hunt running him closest. The little 600cc Honda also carried Cooper to the runner-up spot in the ‘King of Combe’ title race from Max Symonds. British GP2 rider Charlie Nesbitt wheeled out his KTM Moto 3 bike and was rewarded with three National 250 GP race wins as Gavin Mills and Steven Neate’s RS250 Hondas plus Phil Atkinson’s elderly TZ350 Yamaha kept him honest. In the concurrent 125 GP class, team-mates Ant Hodson and Tom Hayward fought hard all weekend with Hodson prevailing twice and Hayward taking the other. Phil Atkinson was also out in the GP Originals series and became embroiled in a fierce scrap for second position on Saturday involving Glen English, Atkinson, Daniel Walling, Nigel Palmer and Daniel Jackson, their squabbling allowed race winner Ant Hart to escape but the tables were turned on Sunday as Atkinson scorched to glory twice with his front wheel regularly pawing at the air. Other highlights among the NG classes included some feisty scraps in the Metzeler/DTR Streetstock 700/1300 and Pre-Injection 1300 bouts as the 600cc mounted Daniel Nelmes and Kurtis Butler took on the bigger 1000cc bikes of Jason Hill, Chris Oliver and Jon Wright with the top Pre-Injection Honda RC30 of Sam Neate getting involved too, Nelmes’ R6 Yamaha somehow emerging on top twice whilst Neate tasted victory on Sunday morning. Ben Harrison fizzed to six wins on his 400cc Kawasaki but was kept on his toes by Dan Harris aboard his SV650 Suzuki in the combined F400/Mini Twin races as regular F400 table-topper Tim Bradley was bested by youngster Finn Smart-Weeden’s Junior Supersport bike through Camp last time around on Sunday afternoon. Reigning Suzuki Bandit champion Harley Prebble took his Team Classic Suzuki supplied bike to three wins but was made to work hard for each by Ian Agnew, Gary Cutts, Lee Marks and Dave Crampton, local man Agnew receiving one of the ‘rider of the meeting’ awards for his efforts along with Finn Smart-Weeden and Daniel Nelmes.Words Stephen Carpenter EDP Photo News.

Please click view galleries, a selection of images from the weekend.

NG Castle Combe Circuit Grand National 5th June…View Galleries

NG Castle Combe Circuit Grand National 6th June…View Galleries

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NG Road Racing 2020

“Grand National” Castle Combe Circuit 26th – 27th September

Daniel Cooper Crowned King of Combe

Grand National “King of Combe” Castle Combe Circuit 26th – 27th September 2020

NGRR Castle Combe Circuit Saturday 26th September View Galleries

NGRR Castle Combe Circuit Sunday 27th September…View Galleries

COOPER CROWNED KING OF COMBE
NG’s second and final meeting of a short 2020 season took place at the fast Castle Combe circuit in Wiltshire over the weekend of the 26th and 27th September in sunny weather but with a chilly breeze and the subsequent cold track temperatures caught out a number of riders at the Esses in particular. Wheeling out his 600cc Honda and taking a firm grip on the Phoenix Open races, for which the three races counted towards the ‘King of Combe’ title, and the IMS 600s saw Daniel Cooper setting pole position and sealing the win in all six races he contested. On Sunday morning he was made to work for the win with Preston’s Sean Montgomery on his 1000cc Kawasaki taking the fight to Cooper and leading the early stages before Cooper found a way past. It was a fruitful weekend for Montgomery in the Powerbikes bagging a second and a win before crossing the line first on the road after getting into a race three scrap with BMW mounted Max Symonds, who was crowned Phoenix Open champion over the weekend and Suzuki riding James Cox up from the rear of the grid but was slapped with a 10 seconds penalty for jumping the start dropping Monty to fifth but more importantly grabbing the 2020 Bluebell Lakes Powerbikes championship. The Dunlop ACU 250GP championship races saw pole sitter Charlie Nesbitt fall on the opening lap of Saturday’s race allowing the versatile Phil Atkinson to take the win on his elderly Yamaha TZ350 before doubling up on Sunday morning as Nesbitt charged up to second from the back on his KTM Moto3 bike before the duo duked it out in the afternoon with Nesbitt triumphant. In the Sound of Thunder races senior rider Paul Willis took Saturday’s encounter on the big RC8 KTM before a high speed accident at Folly on Sunday morning involving Mark Compton’s Ducati Panigale ended his weekend so True Heroes Racing’s Ben Falla took the restarted bout with Owen Hunt aboard a 675 Triumph taking the afternoon race. In the burgeoning Formula Prostocks competition Ducati 916 mounted Ant Hart won as he pleased on Saturday but an overnight trip down from Oulton Park for Nick Williamson proved worthwhile as he stormed though the field to win on Sunday morning from the back of the grid then had a great dice with Hart en route to the victory in the afternoon on his Honda VTR1000 SP1. Born from the Formula Prostocks the all action Motul FPR Suzuki Bandit Challenge had four riders in a tangle for the race wins with Peter Bardell managing to bag all three with Harley Prebble, James McHardy and James Newbould scrapping for the podium placings whilst Gary Cutts also took a third on Sunday afternoon. Among the smaller capacity classes Richie Welsh took three wins on his 400 Yamaha, two in the Open 500s and the final Formula 400 victory after long time leader Ben Harrison engaged a false neutral dropping him to second after taking out the first two wins from Welsh whilst in the Mini Twins Antony Lewis and William Holland took the top two placings in the first two combative races with Holland taking the third as Jordan Boyle split the pair. After a weekend of full grids and great racing the NG fraternity now faces an extended winter as the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic restrictions put paid to the planned final 2020 meeting at Pembrey on the 10th and 11th October. Report Stephen Carpenter EDP Photo News.

 

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