It was another busy weekend of racing for the Phoenix Even Strokes Kawasaki team as three of the teams four riders travelled to Cadders Hill, Lyng for round three of the ACU British Motocross Championship. In The MX2 class Carlton Husband, still recovering from the aftereffects of a virus which hit just before last weeks Michelin MX Nationals round at Landrake, showed tenacity and heart to battle through the weekend aboard his KX250. On a track which rewards a good gate pick Carlton secured a strong fifth place in the morning qualification session. In race one Husband would start just outside the top ten before making some smart racing decisions and battling into eighth place at the end of the stint. Race two would prove to be challenging for Husband however, as damage to his bike prevented him from charging hard, and he finally brought it home in 26th place, for 14th overall.
In the MX1 class Petar Petrov was looking to build upon his 12th and 13th place finishes in previous rounds of the championship and started positively in the qualification session with the eighth quickest lap time. In race one a technical issue would place Petar back in last place on lap one but his determination and speed saw him rise up back into 12th at the chequered flag. Later in the day there was a pile up just a couple of turns into moto two, unfortunately, but he found a way to refocus and claw his way back up through the field to a season-best eighth place. Despite the setbacks in both races, Petrov would finish eighth overall, making Lyng his best performance of the season so far and a clear indication that he is moving in the right direction. For Jason Meara, Lyng was a positive experience and a solid step forward after a difficult few weeks of racing. Whilst the race results don’t tell the whole story, Meara showed top 15 speed throughout the day, despite getting caught up in crashes on the first lap of both races. It was race one in particular where Meara displayed his determination by charging back from 33rd to finish 16th. Whilst in race two he would battle for a top ten spot before a small crash on lap 5 dropped him back to 14th. He quickly regrouped to 11th for 11th overall, his best overall result of the year so far. The fourth round of the 2022 ACU British Motocross Championship is next on Phoenix Even Strokes Kawasaki itinerary, as the team head to Canada Heights on the 22nd of May.
MX2 Rider – Carlton Husband #6: “It was an eventful day, but I’m coming away healthy which is the main thing to take from the day. I was pleased with qualifying, setting my fastest time on the last lap. In race one I got a reasonable start but got hit on the first lap and found myself down in 20th. After that I managed to find my focus quickly and ride back up to eighth which, on a track which was quite one-lined and really quick, I was happy with especially given the fact I’ve not been able to ride much over the past two weeks. In race two was I was riding much of the race without a rear brake so really just had to try and bring it home, but I came together with another rider on lap two and that ended my day outside the points.”
MX1 Rider – Petar Petrov #152: “Today was very frustrating after what started out with a promising eighth in the timed practice session. In race one my holeshot device didn’t open so I had to pull into the pits and then charge back through the pack from dead last, it wasn’t easy, but I managed to get back to 12th. Race two my start was much better and I was riding just outside the top five heading into the first corner when I got hit from behind and went down. The crash caused some damage to the bike but I focused quickly on catching back up to the pack and managed to pass up to 10th. A day when things just didn’t go my way, but we’re moving forward and focused on Canada Heights now.“
MX1 Rider – Jason Meara #10: “Today felt like a huge step forward after a tough couple of weeks! Qualifying set me up nicely and was probably my best qualification performance for a few years. Race one I got caught up in a crash and had to race back from last to 16th, and race two I got caught up in the first turn crash along with a few other guys, but on the whole this is a really positive step in the right direction.”
Team owner – Barry Moore: “On the whole a bit of a frustrating end to the day, after a good qualifying session in the morning for everyone. Carlton rode well in race one after a mediocre start to finish eighth which was promising but unfortunately lost his rear brake in race two to finish 14th overall. Petar and Jason had very similar days with bad luck throughout, but despite this it was a positive step in the right direction for Jason. I know Petar was disappointed with his day but he got a really good start in race two and there was nothing he could do about the pile up in the first turn. He rode well to charge back up through the pack and salvage some points.” Photo Credit: ConwayMX