Flint Wins Junior Championship
Posted 17/10/05
Gary Flint went one better this season and clinched the Heathersfield
Golden Helmet from last years winner Sean Stoddart.
Gary only dropped one point all meeting, being soundly beaten
in his first ride by Gary Beaton. You have to feel for Sean Stoddart
though who was robbed of a maximum courtesy of a very cruel engine
failure on the final lap of heat 12.
The meeting itself was a mixed affair with some heats being
well spread out and often the competition was at the back for the
minor placings. Sadly it took place in front of a very sparse crowd.
Sean Stoddart comfortably won the opening heat from the gate,
Gary beaton doing the same in heat 2. Cal McDade made a very determined
effort for all four laps at the back to catch up with Kieran Morris
but Kieran managed to hold him off.
Maurice Crang acted very quickly to lay his bike down in
heat 3 after Rusty Hodgson fell on the third bend of the second lap.
In the re-run however a wobble on the final bend cost him second place
as he was passed by a determined John McPhail who had started off
15m due to a tapes infringement.
Gary Flint won heat 4 comfortably, Gary Beaton once again
doing the same in a strung out heat 5 which also saw Peter Gemmill
start off 15m after touching the tapes. Andrew Tully and Adam McKinna
won heats 6 and 7 respectively from the gate.
After an unsatisfactory start, heat 8 looked as if it was
going to be a closely fought contest between Stoddart and Langley.
Karl held the advantage for the first lap but Sean was able to get
through the inside of the second bend of lap 2 as Karl lost his goggles.
All credit to Langley for continuing the rest of the heat without
any eye protection whatsoever and comfortably holding on to second
place.
Adam Scott came in for Peter Gemmill, who was having bike
problems, in heat 9. Rusty Hodgson slid off on the final bends of
the opening lap trying to go round leader David Haigh. He remounted
and gave chase, finally passing reserve Adam Scott on the opening
bends of the final lap.
Heat 10 saw the second comfortable win of the afternoon for
Andrew Tully with Alan Ferrow being excluded after falling unchallenged
on the opening bend of lap 2 and John McPhail being the third tapes
offender of the afternoon. It was followed by a win for Karl Langley
in heat 11 despite the close attentions of Adam McKinna for the entire
four laps.
As previously commented, heat 12 was to be disastrous for
Sean Stoddart. He led the race by an impressive margin but his engine
failed coming out of the back straight on the final lap. Such was
the extent of his lead that he coasted round to the finish only being
caught by Gary Flint coming out of the final bend and then by Cal
McDade just before the line.
John McPhail claimed his only win of the afternoon in heat
13 by a good distance.
Heat 14 provided an entertaining tussle between Karl Langley
and Gary Flint. Karl went by Gary the end of the first lap and looked
to hold the upper hand but Gary never gave up and managed finally
to claim back first place on the penultimate bend. Adam McKinna won
heat 15 with Maurice Crang being the next rider off 15m for a tapes
exclusion. A comfortable win for Sean Stoddart in heat 16 followed
with the action being for third place before Alan Ferrow seemed to
have a few problems with his bike allowing Kieran Morris to pull clear.
Second reserve Glyn Picken got an outing in heat 17 and was able to
claim a point after Maurice Crang fell on the final bend of lap three
whilst lying in second. Karl Langley recorded his second win of the
afternoon.
Andrew Tully won heat 18 from the gate , John Morrison almost
coming to grief as he scraped the kick boards on the second bend before
retiring a lap later.
Gary Flint came out in heat 19 knowing that a victory would
give him the title and despite a good attempt by Adam McKinna, Gary
won from the gate to claim the prize.
It left heat 20 as a bit of an anti climax but the disappointed
Sean Stoddart came out and won comfortably from the gate to claim
his second place.
Overall it was a varied meeting, some of the riders being
of vastly different standard to others but the important thing about
this sort of meeting is that the youngsters are given a chance to
compete. It is just a shame that more people did not feel inclined
to turn out to offer their support.
Commiserations must go to the unlucky Sean Stoddart as well
as congratulations to Gary Flint on a fine victory.
A copy of the meeting scorecard can be found here.
Pictures from the meeting, courtesy of Lioness, can be found
here.
