MATCH REPORT: Jim Peck Memorial Trophy 2022
The 9th running of the Jim Peck Memorial Trophy took place at Great Blakenham on Saturday 24th September. The line-up was one of the strongest in the history of the event featuring 4 of the 6 previous winners, Adam Peck, Paul Heard, 3 time winner Josh Brooke and the defending champion Lewis Brinkhoff. The reigning World & European Champion Ben Mould was also among the line-up as was the reigning European Over 40’s Champion Lukas Nowacki and the reigning British Junior and double Under 16 Boys champion Noah Woodhouse.
Racing was fast and furious under the floodlit Mill Lane circuit where the early leaders were Brinkhoff, Brooke, Mould, Heard, Peck and Matt Hill. Heat 12 saw Brooke’s chance of a win take a blow after being headed home by heard, Woodhouse and Mould. Going in to the last set of races there were still 5 riders able to take the win. Peck, Heard, Mould, Brinkhoff and Matt Hill. Peck powered round Payne, Brooke and Chittock from gate 4 in heat 17 to keep himself in the running with 17 points. Heard’s last ride in heat 18 saw him drop points to Jeffrey and Matt Hill which left him on 17 points, the same as Hill and Peck. Heat 19 was make or break for Mould as a win would see him take the match outright with 18 points but with Brinkhoff on his outside the stage was set for a great race. Brinkhoff made the pass on Mould down the back straight after a struggle but both ended up in a heap with Mould excluded for forcing Brinkhoff onto the centre green. Brinkhoff won the re run to also end the match on 17 which meant that a four man run off was needed to decide the overall result. The draw for gate positions saw Peck on 1, Heard on 2, Brinkhoff on 3 and Matt Hill on 4. Peck put in a strong start to lead from start to finish to regain the title having won the inaugural staging in 2014, also after a run-off. Heard and Brinkhoff battled over 2nd and 3rd which went the way of the reigning British Champion with Hill 4th. The top 3 won a very sought-after Ashford Wright hoodie and hat
After the final count a total sum of £720 was raised for the East Anglian Air Ambulance. The Peck family would like to thank all the Great Blakenham members, the spectators and the riders for a wonderful evening of racing
2022 Jim Peck Memorial Trophy result
Adam Peck (Great Blakenham) 17, Paul Heard (Birmingham) 17, Lewis Brinkhoff (Ipswich) 17, Matt Hill (Ipswich) 17, Ashley Hill (Ipswich) 15, Ben Mould (Horspath) 14, Ben Clarke (Ipswich) 13, Lukas Nowacki (Horspath) 13, Josh Brooke (Great Blakenham) 12, Will Jeffrey (Horspath) 12, Noah Woodhouse (Kesgrave) 12, Zac Payne (Horspath) 11, Jamie Chittock (Great Blakenham) 8, Luke Harrison (Great Blakenham) 7, Alec Briggs (unattached) 5, Leon Mower (Great Blakenham) 4, Charlie Parr (Kesgrave) 3
Referee: Terry Ashford