Race Report 28 February 2016 Motorplex

Racing returned to the Kwinana Motorplex for the final time this season. The racing was conducted on the tight technical long course which included single lane service roads. With a couple of tight corners with only a single line, cornering correctly was all important. If the rider in front of you made a mistake, you had to work hard to regain your position in the race.

The junior race saw a Madison Mcauliffe take the win narrowly from Rachel Bevis.

With only one rider in E grade, Anita Watters The grade was combined with D grade. Which saw Matthew Colum and Baden Gray attack on the second lap and get away. Watters worked with remaining D grade riders to chase. After almost 20 minutes Watters faded and finished her race, less than 20 seconds behind D grade bunch.

Kurt Harmer on the front of B grade
Kurt Harmer on the front of B grade

As the race went on in D grade, the breakaway slowly extended its’ lead. In the end Colum took the sprint win from Gray, with Sophie Clarke third from the bunch.

C grade saw a couple of riders attack regularly, without success. Then with about 4 laps to go, Ron McArthur slipped off the front and slowly built a lead, as the riders behind were unwilling or unable to chase. With two laps to go, riders made an effort to close the gap, but no rider was willing to commit fully to the chase it looked like McArthur would stay away. As the bunch crested the short climb with about a kilometre to go, Rob Collins attacked out of the bunch. Collins chased and caught the tiring McArthur in the sight of the line to take the win, McArthur was second and Millen Sjerp third.

An aggressive start saw some B grade riders struggling. Within a couple of laps, only half the riders that started the race, were in the front group, with the other spread round the course. The frantic pace continued, not allowing chasing riders to catch up and losing more riders from the bunch. With a little over a lap to go, Pete Clark and Cade Zulsdorf made a bold move and put some distance between themselves and the bunch. This was he signal for Jordan Dawson to attack, he caught the pair and rode away to an impressive victory. The remaining chasers caught Clark and Zulsdorf before the finish. With Andrew Brown and Michael Polmear sprinting to the line to secure second and third respectively.

Jordan Dawson wins B grade
Jordan Dawson wins B grade

Within two laps A grade had split into two groups. It looked like the first bunch was going to stay away. Then three riders got off the front and the first bunch slowed. The three, became the front two after Rob Rameriez punctured and was unable to rejoin. As Nicholas Graham-Dawson and Matthew Peterson built up a racing winning lead. The two bunches became one, and a few riders started working together in an attempt to bring the leading pair back. Their efforts were in vain, the two had a substantial lead, and on the final lap, Graham-Dawson rode away from a tiring Peterson to secure victory with Peterson second and Conor Leahy charging out of the bunch was third.