Cruel luck robs rookie Heyman of first pro win at Oxford Moto Parc
There was heartbreak for Tru7 Honda Racing Academy rookie Charlie Heyman as he came so close to his first ever pro win in the opening MX Nationals race at Oxford Moto Parc on Sunday. The 17-year-old had a clear 10-second lead and looked almost certain for victory. But on the ninth lap, he had the disappointment of having to stop due to a technical problem with the bike.
Then in the second moto he was determined to show he had race-winning speed again but slammed his chest into the handlebars. He fought through the pain to bring it home for 12 points in ninth place. But his small consolation is that he moved up a spot in the championship to seventh – and of course he now knows he has the speed to win.
It was a great start in the first moto that helped Heyman’s bid for victory. The MX Nationals run a combined MX1 and MX2 race, but the points are marked separately. The track’s very long, power-sapping start puts the 250 riders at a big disadvantage, but Heyman still managed to come round in 15th overall place, third in his class. By lap two, he had made his way through to the lead and began to pull away – setting his fastest lap of the race.
Mixing it up with many of the 450 riders, he used the power of the Honda CRF250R and its nimble handling to ride a fast yet sensible race on a jump-filled track that suited him well. On the ninth lap of 12, holding more than a ten second lead over ex-GP rider Joel Rizzi, cruel luck struck and the bike stopped.
He was focused on taking the win in the second moto, but didn’t get such a good start yet was still fourth of the MX2 riders and was surrounded by more powerful 450s. He moved past Carlton Husband into third in MX2 on the second lap but then slammed his chest into the bars and dropped right back. From then it was just a race to survive on the rough circuit and he came home ninth.
Heyman said: “I liked the track and was riding it well. To get such a good lead in the first race was an incredible feeling and gives me so much confidence that I can race at that level, which is a huge positive. I’m obviously gutted to have a DNF while leading but that’s one of those things.
“I was determined to get into the lead in the second race but made a mistake and really took a hit to my chest. It was all I could do to carry on and take as many points as I could. It was a disappointing end to what could have been my best result.”
Also in the combined race, but in the MX1 class on the Honda CRF450R, was Callum Green who is in his comeback season after several years away to recover from injuries. In the opening race he didn’t get a great start but once again put on an impressive ride though the pack, mixing it with much more experienced riders. Green looked increasingly comfortable on the tricky circuit and went from 27th rider around the first lap to 20th place at the finish. But that was 15th on the MX1 class for six championship points.
In the second moto the tough circuit and heat took its toll but Green rode with tenacity. Helped by a good start despite an outside gate pick, he brought the Tru7 Honda Racing Academy bike home in 13th place, giving him 14th overall. But his consistency has paid off and he moves into tenth in the MX1 pro championship which has been a goal all season.
Green said: “The first race was OK but I wasn’t pushing as hard as I know I can. It’s a new track I’ve never raced on and felt I was just riding the track, not really racing the other riders too much.
“But I had a good last race. I got a good start, going right round the outside of the first corner. I wasn’t sure if it would work, but it did. It was difficult racing with the 250 boys as you lose your rhythm.
“The track was very American style and flowed nicely, with big jumps. It got more technical, with deep ruts and bumps. I prefer it bumpier so it slows it down a bit, which is why I was more comfortable in the second race.”
MX Nationals championship round three, MX2 overall:
1 Joel Rizzi 41
2 Carlton Husband 40
3 Charlie Cole 38
4 Joe Brooks 36
5 Jamie Wainwright 36
6 Calum Mitchell 33
7 Dylan Woodcock 31
8 Sam Nunn 28
9 Bailey Johnson 25
10 Shaun Mahoney 12
11 Charlie Heyman Tru7 Honda Racing Academy 12
Championship points:
1 Jamie Wainwright 111
2 Carlton Husband 109
3 Charlie Cole 108
4 Calum Mitchell 106
5 Bailey Johnson 99
6 Joe Brooks 88
7 Charlie Heyman Tru7 Honda Racing Academy 62
8 Ben Franklin 53
9 Sam Nunn 53
10 Glen McCormick 42
MX1 overall:
1 Josh Gilbert Crendon Fastrack Honda 50
2 Evgeny Bobryshev 42
3 Conrad Mewse Crendon Fastrack Honda 42
4 Harri Kullas 36
5 Tommy Searle 31
6 Ivo Monticelli 31
7 Triston Purdon 28
8 Miro Sihvonen 26
9 Tom Grimshaw 24
10 Jamie Carpenter 22
14 Callum Green Tru7 Honda Racing Academy 14
Championship points:
1 Conrad Mewse Crendon Fastrack Honda 139
2 Josh Gilbert Crendon Fastrack Honda 137
3 Harri Kullas 120
4 Tom Grimshaw 86
5 Ivo Monticelli 67
6 Dan Thornhill 64
7 Jamie Carpenter 62
8 John Adamson 61
9 Jason Meara 53
10 Callum Green Tru7 Honda Racing Academy 50
