McKinna Wins Heathersfield Gold Helmet
(Posted 27/10/08)

Despite a week of almost continual heavy rain, the Ashfield track looked in good condition as the youngsters lined up for this seasons Heathersfield Golden Helmet Junior Championship.

It was to be a short afternoon for Johnny Grey however after hurtling into the first bend fence at the start of the opening race. His bike was badly damaged causing him to withdraw from the proceedings.

When the re-run got underway, a superb gate from Adam McKinna was enough to see him secure victory. Unfortunately Richard Lawson in comparison made a poor gate but did make inroads into McKinna's lead and was only a couple of bike lengths down by the time Adam took the chequered flag.

Heat 2 also required a couple of running's. Stuart Parnaby made a good gate and Craig Cook came through inside Gary Beaton into second place. Beecroft then came inside Beaton on bend three but lost control, sliding off and into the fence. The re run saw a hard opening bend between the three remaining riders, Parnaby again coming out ahead of Cook. Cook made an excellent inside pass on Parnaby at the start of the second lap and held him off for the remainder of what was a decent race to claim the win.

Heat 3 was the first of a few well spread out races won from the gate, Robert McNeil winning comfortably, Pickering falling and remounting at the end of lap two when 3rd.

With McBain facing to races in a row, young Dale Lamb came out for the first of his afternoon's demonstration laps. There was a scary start when referee Peter Clarke for some reason raised the tapes for Dale to start with the rakers still on track but thankfully they reacted quickly and returned to the safety of the centre green, albeit in one case after Dale had gone by.

Steven Morris was to prove the busiest rider of the afternoon, the reserve taking the first of his seven rides in heat 4 after McBain was failed to make the race due to bike troubles. Craig Cook got a lucky break after spinning on his own on the opening bend when the referee allowed all 4 back for the re run. It was to be another well spread out heat however with Richard Lawson in a class of his own and not far off lapping the rider at the back.

Heat 5 was seen by many as crucial and a close contest was anticipated but it was not to be. McKinna made another good gate whilst Robert McNeil accidentally baulked both Beaton and Parnaby on the opening bends. McKinna took full advantage to open up an unassailable lead. Beaton had been forced to the back but came through into second place on the third bend with Parnaby following through into third. The two had a good battle between themselves for a couple of laps before Beaton opened up a comfortable gap to secure second place.

It looked as if heat 6 was again going to be well spread but in the second half of the heat John MacPhail found a line that suited him and caught up and challenged Mike Pickering towards the end of the race. Pickering however held on.

It was however well spread out in heat 7, Lawson winning in style.

Stuart Parnaby seemed rather unlucky to be excluded in heat 8 when it seemed from our vantage point that James McBain slid off on his own. Our vantage point obviously was deceptive and Parnaby was excluded but the re run also brought a rather strange decision. The heat was well spread from the gate, McKinna well in front, McBain in second place when McBain had an engine failure on the final lap. He freewheeled into the pits but was encouraged to go back out and push for home. He did so, a pretty strenuous effort, a was awarded the point despite having left the track previously.

It is hard in this type of event to programme well balanced races throughout and at this stage of the meeting things were a little uncompetitive with well spread out heats, Beaton winning heats 9 and 10 at a canter, McKinna doing similarly in heat 11.

Lawson was pulled up for rolling in an unsatisfactory start in heat 12 but it did not put him off his stride, winning the re run easily with Beaton getting the better of Parnaby on the opening bends for second.

With Beecroft, McBain and Grey already out of the meeting, reserve Steve Morris came in to face Robert McNeil in a rather unbalanced two man heat 13, McNeil winning by over half a lap.

Adam McKinna went into heat 14 unbeaten, knowing that a win would guarantee him the Golden Helmet. After an electric gate he won the heat easily to claim the title that he got so close to winning last year. The final race was once again well spread, Richard Lawson again looking classy out front.

Colin Mackie listened to complaints about the format last year and introduced a different format this season. It definitely worked better but the absence of a final was perhaps a mistake, something Colin has already commented on and looks likely to rectify next season. Lawson had one slightly poorer race all day and unfortunately for him it came in his opening ride against McKinna. A final consisting of McKinna, Lawson, Beaton and McNeil would potentially have been an excellent end to the meeting.

Well done to Adam McKinna on his flawless performance to win this years event. As well as the obvious Lawson, Craig Cook was excellent value especially for a late replacement and Stuart Parnaby certainly made an impression even though he did not manage to win a race. Robert McNeil rode well enough and scored accordingly but although he finished third, Gary Beaton looked disappointed with his afternoon.

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