Race
Report - March 25th 2008 - Donemana
Reid
Takes Team Can Am DS450 To First UK Race Win
A
cold and damp Donemana race circuit provided the venue for the
opening round of the 2008 Ulster Premier Quad Championships, the
Ballymoney and District MCC hosting the event on Easter Tuesday
25th of March. Overnight rain and scattered showers early in the
day made for miserable conditions for both riders and spectators
alike, but even the difficult conditions could not dampen the
spirits of Justin Reid as he returned to his base near Comber,
the Team Can Am rider taking a fantastic 4th overall after an
epic closing race that would see the Team Can Am DS450 claim a
maiden UK race win on it’s Ulster debut.
Race
One
Securing
a front row start after qualifying 10th in timed practice despite
having to abandon two of his flying laps while negotiating stranded
riders in the sticky conditions, Justin got a fantastic start
to the opening moto and was challenging for 2nd after three laps
of the circuit when the race was red flagged due to a fault with
the timing system. A mid pack restart left Justin with a lot of
work to do to catch the breakaway leading group, but comfortably
adjusting to the ever changing circuit, Justin had moved in to
8th at the end of the opening lap, before passing the KIK Honda
of Johnny Kelly and the JMK Suzuki of Val Bell for 6th on the
following lap. Catching and passing Johnny Cullen just half a
lap later, Justin was now closing on the leading quartet but unfortunately
his progress was halted and Justin was forced to retire at the
end of lap 4 as his machine started to overheat.
Race
Two
Quickly
putting the disappointment from the opening moto behind him, Justin
got another fantastic start in moto two, rounding the sweeping
first corner in 5th position and passing reigning champion Sean
Goss on the ATV World Yamaha on the opening lap to slot in to
4th. With the JMK Honda of Jonathan McKnight and Yamaha mounted
David Cowan now applying pressure, Justin put the excellent power
and handling of the Can Am DS450 to good use around the increasingly
challenging Donemana circuit, comfortably fending of the challenges
of both riders and pulling away to take the chequered flag after
ten laps of the gruelling circuit for a well deserved 4th.
Race
Three
A
poor jump on the gate in the closing moto saw Justin head out
on the opening lap in an unfamiliar 17th place. With the sandy
circuit having dried out significantly during the day but remaining
one lined and extremely rough throughout, passing opportunities
were severely limited, but quickly settling in to a fast race
pace and with the excellent handling of the Team Can Am DS450,
Justin kept the large crowd well entertained as he charged through
the field, making up 11 positions in the opening two laps and
moving in to 6th! Using his vast experience and choosing different
lines to pick of his opponents, Justin moved past Ricky Toye for
5th as they approached half distance in the fifteen minute plus
one lap moto, before moving in to 2nd after demoting David Cowan
on the YFZ 450 and David Wray on the JMK Honda on lap five and
passing Cathal McGilligan on the F&F Racing Suzuki a lap later.
With less than half the race remaining it looked like an impossible
task to close the ten second gap to race leader Brian Kerr, but
spurred on by the crowd and his pit crew, Justin scythed his way
through the back markers to catch and pass Kerr within two laps,
Justin taking the chequered flag after nine laps of the demanding
Donemana circuit for a fantastic maiden UK race win for the Team
Can Am DS450.
This
has been a truly outstanding result for Justin and the hard working
crew at Team Can Am, Justin’s achievement made all the more
significant given that his bike has only had some minor front
suspension modifications and an exhaust fitted, and that Justin
himself has been suffering from flu like symptoms since early
Monday. Obviously disappointed at the result of the opening race,
Justin showed true character to bounce back with a sterling ride
in race two, but the way that Justin moved through the field and
past all his fellow British Championship competitors on full race
specification machines in the closing race, gives a good indication
just how potent the Justin Reid / Team Can Am DS450 combination
is and will bode well for the remainder of the year.
Reid
‘I
couldn’t believe it when I started to develop flu like symptoms
yesterday while getting ready for today, after training so hard
for the last three months. I hardly slept at all last night between
sweating and shivering! A race track was last place in the world
I wanted to be today…
The
first race result is especially annoying as it was totally avoidable
and totally our fault. After the race was red flagged we should’ve
taken more time to ensure that the radiator was clear as the conditions
were so bad. The positive is that the quad’s engine management
system prevented serious engine damage being done. The second
race was fairly uneventful and I just dug in to maintain my position.
My start in the third race was absolutely horrendous and I knew
that I had some serious work to do. The rougher that the track
got the better it seemed to suit me and the Can-Am. I just pushed
as hard as possible and picked off each rider as I met them. I
couldn’t believe how well the stock rear suspension was
performing compared to the full race spec set-ups of my competition.
Some of the other guys seemed to tire badly towards the end of
the moto so it seems that my winter training has really paid off
today.
It’s
great to get a race win at the first meeting of the season and
I look forward to a few more!’
Results
Race
One
Winner
– David Cowan; 2nd – Michael McAneney; 3rd –
Brian Kerr; 4th – Cathal McGilligan; 5th – Sean Goss;
6th – Jonathan McKnight
Race
Two
Winner
– Michael McAneney; 2nd – David Wray; 3rd –
Brian Kerr; 4th – Justin Reid; 5th –
David Cowan; 6th – Johnny Kelly
Race
Three
Winner
– Justin Reid; 2nd – Michael McAneney; 3rd
– Brian Kerr; 4th – David Wray; 5th – Johnny
Kelly; 6th – David Cowan
Championship
Standings (after 1 of 6 rounds)
1st
– Michael McAneney 84, 2nd Brian Kerr 75, 3rd David Cowan
70, 4th Justin Reid 53, 5th David Wray 50, 6th
Jonathan McKnight 47
Next
Race: Sunday 6th April – ACU British MMX Quad Championship
(Round 1), Whiteway Barton, Devon
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