Yep, never thought i would say that, but i am missing Wales, i had the summer planned out mostly doing the WDMBA series, all looked good they had dates out it looked good.

This is a show of support, i have an understanding of what it takes to put on a race, i have helped out at locals. Suffice to say trying to pull off a series is an unbeliveable nightmare of red tape and meetings and more meetings about the meetings you did 6 weeks ago. Things move slow, it dosent take much to bring them to a halt, after all the income generated by a bicycle race is very small when compared to logging or hosting a rally stage, more money involved, more clout you have. Things are moving though, a Welsh champs will happen this year, Wentwood has seen a cracking push up race, Taff buggy has done a 3 race winter series. Why do i miss Wales ? well i am down near the Devon boarder with Somerset, south Wales was/is the closest for me, the Dragons where awsome and would draw from the whole south of England, from Cornwall over to London, for most of us a 2 1/2 to 4 hour drive to race, North Wales and the Midlands is just to far for me, a large portion of the country is missing south Wales.

Give them time, they are working through the red tape, it is a true nightmare of bureacracy. And anyone who disagrees will of course go and put on a 5 race series with uplift.

So got that off my chest, i have in fact been racing again down at the Bikepark, dont take the above the wrong way, maybe i have been spoilt and got used to 2 mile long race tracks, i like longer tracks, i do better, the longer and more technical the better, i like Gethin and Mynydd Du, Fort William is alright too, short tight tracks with little margin for error dont suit me, which is why i am hi-jacking one for the Unofficial hard tail champs, i mean if it’s going to be tight times i wont look so bad when i end up near the back of the champs, but thats another story.

You want some photos and some race stuff so here goes.

UK Bike Park Round 2 May 2/3

So keeping it local only an 80 mile drive to Blanford forum the location of the Bike park, and what a day, dry, sunny, dusty track, corners full or jagged flint marbles, steep off camber turns, roots, you get the idea. Today favoured anyone who has ever fancied themselves as a Speedway racer, oh yes foot out flat and drift the corners, and try not to drift off the track, as the climb back up was a bit steep in places. Cue some photos of Lee Huskingson making things look easy in the corner of doom and someone who got it wrong and ended up about 30foot down the hill, he ran it out and was ok.

It was steeper than it looks, have a closer look at the tape in those corners, yeah you see that ? all retied a few times or broken, it was fun and after i watched loads of others spoon up that corner i was feeling a bit better about my ability, this was a track where the obvious fast line over the drop could/would in fact spoon up the following catch berm, some of the off camber stuff was good too.

Have some podiums and times, first off the fast blokes and again Ashley Mullane picks up the £100 overall fastest time prize, so 2 races £200 for Ashley, hes the happy one in the middle, 2nd place is Axo Astrix man Liam Mason and 3rd is Ash Maller.

Next up is the ladies with Haby-blu Cann 1st on her left is Lianne Bartleman 2nd and on the right, well big shout to the nice lady on the right thats Claire Lloyd and she rocked up on a shiny black dmr trailstar and bagged 3rd and binned it and nailed herself on the flint ( and showed me her scar !)

Some times.

Men senior………………………run 1…………………….run 2.

1st Ashley Mullane……………1.28………………1.29

2nd Liam Mason………………1.31.66……………1.30

3rd Ash Maller………………..1.33………………1.31.09

4th Lee Huskinson……………1.32………………1.31.20

5th Will Soffe………………..1.32.15…………..1.32.67

Next the ladies times……..run 1……………run 2

1st Haby-blu Cann…………1.47…………1.48

2nd Lianne Bartleman…….2.04………..2.07

3rd Claire Lloyd (HT)………..2.38……….3.08

4th Helen Machin……………2.51……….DNF

And the animals from Hard Tail……………..run 1……………run 2

1st Andy Payne…………………………1.41.74……………1.41.21

2nd Ash Brown………………………….1.43………………2.02

3rd Dom McCrae………………………1.49………………..2.10

4th Me ! Ace……………………………2.05………………..2.10

I enjoyed the day, i am sure the internet will be loaded with race photos by now, next race in a few weeks at the bike park, but i think i might be Welsh side?

Big up to the www.ukbikepark.com for the racing and cake, and check www.hardtailnation.co.uk for HT love-in and weirdness !