MATCH REPORT: British Individual Finals Day 3

The British Individual championships climaxed with the Under 16 Boys, Women’s and Open titles raced at Hull’s Hessle Raceway, that looked pristine.

After the deluge of day 2, it was great to get back to clear skies and dry weather.

Under 16 Boys Final

Michael Preston (Stockport) raced to an unbeaten 20 point maximum score to win the Under 16 Boys championship, putting on his second winners jersey (he was Under 13 champ in 2015). Lewis Brinkoff (Kesgrave), picked up his second silver in successive days (the Junior at Sheffield yesterday). Third place and bronze went to Max Evans (A and T), who finished with 16 points.

There was no fairytale double for Ben Clarke (Junior) or Nathan Goulden (Under 14) who won titles on Saturday/Sunday.

Daniel Mason and Louis Wright (Stockport) were on a cluster of riders to finish with 13 points. Lewis Foxley (Edinburgh) and Devon Campbell (Stockport) were again in a cluster of riders to finish with 12 points. Jack Lister (Hull) missing out on a double figure score after an exclusion in his fourth race.

1. Michael Preston (Stockport) 20.
2. Lewis Brinkoff (Kesgrave) 19,
3. Max Evans (A and T) 16

Also – Adam Cooper (Great Blakenham) 14, Ben Clarke (Ipswich) 13, Daniel Mason (Stockport) 13, Louis Wright (Stockport) 13, Tyler Bould (Wednesfield) 12, Devon Campbell (Stockport) 12, Lewis Foxley (Edinburgh) 12, James Porter (Kesgrave) 12, Nathan Goulden (Poole) 10, Jack Lister (Hull) 9, Ryan Winwood (Birmingham) 8, Paul Delaiche (Hethersett) 6, Billy Winwood (Birmingham) 6.

Picture of the podium by Alan Taylor.

Womens Final

Emily Burgess (A and T) was so close to scoring an unprecedented treble winning weekend. With the under 14 and under 16 titles already in the bag, she won her opening three races then was unfortunate to slide off while challenging for the lead in her fourth race on the exit of turn two (in a spot later to claim Andy Angell and Myke Grimes).

Emily then won her last race, defeating Macie Schmidt (Poole) for whom 2nd place was enough to successfully defend her title. Third place went to Liz Rigley (Leicester) who had made some determined passes.

Laura Watson and Niamh Morton (Sheffield) both finished in the top 10. The Hull pair of Katie Greaves and Reagan Stubbs gave it their all, but found the quality of the riders just too much. Former champions Charlie Jane Herbert and Lauren Hookway just missed the podium places.

1. Macie Schmidt (Poole) 19
2. Emily Burgess (A and T) 18
3. Liz Rigley (Leicester) 17

Also – Charlie Jane Herbert (Ipswich) 16, Lauren Hookway (Exeter) 15, Gemma Hill (Ipswich) 14, Maddie Saunders (Poole) 14, Laura Watson (Sheffield) 14, Niamh Morton (Sheffield) 12, Georgia Burt (Wednesfield)11, Krissy Mines (Poole) 11, Chloe Whitehead (Leicester) 11, Chloe Pearce (Ipswich) 10, Honey Whitehead (Leicester) 7, Katie Greaves (Hull) 6, Reagan Stubbs (Hull) 5.

Open Final

After the wet and miserable conditions for the semi-finals at Bury and Sheffield, the finalists must have been pleased to arrive at a dry Hull.

With four former champions in the line up, and at least six others with outstanding prospects the final was sure to be of high drama. And it didn’t disappoint. Defending champion Myke Grimes fell in heat 2, the beginning of a dreadful day of misfortune for the Coventry rider.

Home favourite Andy Angell comfortably won his first race, but then came down while leading his second outing (in the same spot where Grimes fell). As with Grimes, the same run of misfortune befell the Hull rider as he finished the meeting in last place with 7 points.

While all this was happening Josh Brooke (Great Blakenham) was quietly accruing points, with three second places in his first three rides (over coming strong pressure from Ricki Johnson in heat 7 and Michael Baldock in heat 10), with the knowledge he would end the meeting with two grid ones.

Brooke won both his grid ones to put him on 17 points, surviving a scare when out gated by Grimes, before falling with Jake Read which resulted in a re-run. Grimes then moved at the start and was excluded. Brooke now had to wait and see if either Chris Jewkes (Wednesfield) or Ben Mould (Poole) could match his total.

Jewkes trailed in third in heat 18, to finish on 15, after being drifted wide on turn one by Lewis Osborne. The 20th and final heat saw Mould just fail to catch Chris Timms (Birmingham) on the finish line, leaving him on 16 points and in a silver run off with Paul Heard (Wednesfield).

Mould (the 2016 champion), won the run off for silver from grid two, leaving Heard with bronze once again. So Brooke put on the champions jersey for the first time, and with the 2019 championships to be staged in his home region (South East and East) he will carry the weight of being favourite.

The North’s highest placed rider was Jake Read (Stockport) with 11 points. Reece Pollitt (A and T) and Adam Watson (Sheffield) both finished outside the top ten on their debuts, scoring 9 and 8 points respectively.

1. Josh Brooke (Great Blakenham) 17
2. Ben Mould (Poole) 16, after run off
3. Paul Heard (Wednesfield) 16

Also – Chris Jewkes (Wednesfield) 15, Ricki Johnson (Birmingham) 15, Chris Timms (Birmingham) 15, Ashley Hill (Ipswich) 14, Richard Fellgett (Ipswich) 13, Lewis Osborne (Great Blakenham) 12, Zac Payne (Horspath) 12, Jake Read (Stockport) 11, Michael Baldock (Coventry) 9, Reece Pollitt (A and T) 9, Myke Grimes (Coventry) 8, Adam Watson (Sheffield) 8, Andy Angell (Hull) 7.

A successful championships (barring the soggy weather for Bury and Sheffield on Sunday) ends with Astley top of the medal table, five golds, three silver and two bronze, for a haul of 10 medals. Kesgrave and Poole amassed eight medals each, with nine different teams providing a champion.

The baton now passes to the South East and Eastern region, who will host the 2019 championships.