Race Report - 21st September 2008 - Culham

Reid Fantastic 4th Overall At British Series Finale

Justin Reid and the dedicated Team Can Am crew travelled to the banks of the River Thames for British Championship quad racing action on Sunday the 21st of September, Culham Motocross circuit eight miles south of Oxford the venue for the Nora MX promoted eighth and final round of the 2008 ACU British MMX Quad Championship. Returning to the natural terrain circuit for the first time since winning the British 500cc Championship in 2003, Justin embarked on the nine hundred mile round trip confident of delivering a good result to bring a hectic British season to a close, and after a hot and frantic days racing Justin once again delivered a result that had team boss Martyn Heard smiling from ear to ear, Justin taking the Team Can Am DS450 to a fantastic 4th overall on the day and narrowly missing out on a podium finish, his outstanding 6 – 4 scorecard taking him to 13th in the final standings and the top rider in the series from the Emerald Isle.

Race One

Clear blue skies and glorious sunshine were the order of the day as Justin took to the circuit for timed practice, Justin having several of his attempts compromised while negotiating around riders in the tighter sections of the circuit but still able to secure a front row start. As the gates dropped the Rotax power plant rocketed the DS450 along the steep uphill start straight and around the first corner, Justin heading out on the first of fifteen laps of the demanding circuit in a fantastic 5th. The previous days ACU British Youth Quad Championship action and two support races prior to the first moto had taken it’s toll on the circuit, but using the excellent handling of the Lonestar / PEP suspension Justin quickly found his rhythm and set off in pursuit of 4th. Setting a blistering pace in the initial stages of the moto, Justin gradually closed the gap while fending off numerous challenges, but clipping a braking bump on the approach to a corner unsettled his machine slightly, Justin running wide and dropping to 6th at the ten minute mark. Now embroiled in a five rider tussle and determined not to yield position, Justin used the excellent handling of the Team Can Am DS450 to maintain his tempo as the race progressed, individual challenges by Wayne Tyson, William Waggott, Simon Hammersley, Joe Maessen and Richard Tordoff all dealt with comfortably over the remaining twenty minutes of the moto, Justin taking the chequered flag after thirty furious minutes for a superb 6th.

Race Two

A slightly poorer start to the second moto saw Justin heading out on the opening lap in 9th before dropping back to 11th as the field broke the timing beam for the first time. With the circuit now roughened up and one-lined in many corners, making up positions was proving to be difficult, but once again using the excellent handling of his machine Justin quickly settled in to a blistering pace and began his charge up the leader board, passing David Hammersley and Paul Holmes on lap two before moving past William Waggott for 8th a lap later. Experimenting with different lines to smooth out the surface, Justin passed Wayne Tyson and James Behan with ten minutes gone for 6th, Ricky Tordoff relegated one lap later and Justin quickly closing the gap to Carl Bunce. With half the race run Justin passed Bunce for 4th and began to edge away from the chasing pack before moving up to 3rd after passing early race leader Leon Beda on lap twelve. With less than ten minutes to go Paul Holmes had joined Justin in a tussle for 3rd, and for the next two laps a fierce battle raged with Justin holding of the many challenges from Holmes, but a slight mistake on the penultimate lap allowed Holmes to slip through, Justin trying valiantly for the remaining two laps to regain the position but unable to do so, Justin taking the chequered flag after fifteen gruelling laps for an outstanding 4th and his highest overall finish for the year.

This has been a truly fantastic result for Justin and Team Can Am and is a fitting finale to what has been a remarkable year for the team. In only it’s first year of racing the Can Am DS450 has proved itself to be a machine capable of delivering results at the highest level of racing, and in Justin’s capable hands the machine has progressed as the year wore on, Justin and the Team Can Am DS450 a winning package that will continue to grow from strength to strength.

Reid

‘It was nice to end the British Championship on a high note today. I’m a little annoyed that I just missed out on my first podium of the year but we have achieved a lot this season and I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone that has helped make it happen. The track here was very dry and fast which shows that the Can-Am can work no matter what the conditions. The Ulster Championship is still up for grabs and we will now be turning our attention towards securing it.’

Results

Race One
Winner – Mark Watson; 2nd – Leon Beda; 3rd – John Mitchell; 4th – Paul Holmes; 5th – Carl Bunce; 6th – Justin Reid

Race Two
Winner – John Mitchell; 2nd – Joe Maessen; 3rd – Paul Holmes; 4th – Justin Reid; 5th – Carl Bunce

Championship Standings (Final)
1st – Paul Winrow 333; 2nd – John Mitchell 263; 3rd – Paul Holmes - 229; 4th – Ricky Tordoff 227; 5th – Stefan Murphy 172…13th – Justin Reid 141

Next Race: Saturday 4th October – 2008 Highland Bakery Ulster Premier Quadcross Championship (Round 5), Donemana Motocross Park, Donemana

Click here to download as a PDF file