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Cusses glory for Walsh & Gilbert! 2022 MX Nationals Round 4 – Race Report & Results

Strong winds and rain showers hampered the team set up at round four of the Michelin MX Nationals. Still, in high spirits and with hard work from the dedicated team, the Cusses Gorse track did them proud come race weekend and looked colourful and professional.

Report by Dick Law – Images courtesy of Dave Rich

A large crowd of excited spectators flocked to line the course fences to watch the two Lyfelinez Fastest 40 motos that combine the Leatt MX1 and Apico MX2 Elite classes. They were treated to an epic three-rider battle between Josh Gilbert (SC Sporthomes Husqvarna), Tommy Searle (Crendon Fastrack Honda) and series leader Harri Kullas (Cab Screens Crescent Yamaha) for the Leatt Pro MX1 overall win, all three of which could have been up for the win with all three having the skills to get the job done. And in the end, it was so close that only a single point separated the three after two intense motos.

Tommy Searle

If that wasn’t exciting enough, the smaller Apico MX2 races were just as exciting as Dylan Walsh (Revo Seven Kawasaki) finished in fourth on the track and well ahead of most of the 450s, which gave him the MX2 overall win. He was chased over the finish line on each occasion by Conrad Mewse (Stebbings KTM), who closed on Walsh at the end of each moto but ran out of time to catch and pass the Kiwi.

Gilbert got the holeshot at the start of the first Lyfelinez Fastest 40 moto followed by Searle, Jake Shipton (FUS Husqvarna) and Jake Millward (Verde Shiloh KTM) as Glen McCormick (Chambers Husqvarna) crashed out halfway around the opening lap. Kullas had gated sixth but by the end of the second lap was in third behind the new leaders Searle and Gilbert.

Josh Gilbert

As for the MX2 riders, Walsh had gated in eighth and was chassed by birthday boy Jamie Law (Apico Husqvarna) in tenth, who had Conrad Mewse (Stebbings KTM) a place behind him. But Mewse was on a mission and passed both Law and Walsh before the end of the second lap. With two laps under their belt and with the all the riders in their rhythm, it was flat out for the rest of the race with some brilliant battles to keep the crowd entertained.

Mewse made a little mistake and allowed Law and Walsh to repass him, but Walsh was not happy to be back to sixth as he seemed to engage another gear and started passing riders almost every lap on his way to the front of the pack. By the time the race was half over, he had passed Brad Todd (Gabriel KTM), Shipton, who was slipping down the field on his way to pulling out of the race with four laps to go with an undisclosed problem. He then passed Martin Barr (Apico Husqvarna) before having a coming together with Millward on turn two, with Millward coming off worse and crashing out of the race. Mewse meanwhile followed him all the time and passed him for fourth in the race and pick up the lead of the Apico MX2 class with four laps to go, only to have Walsh fight back and repass him for the MX2 win with one and half laps to go.

Jamie Carpenter

While all this was happening, Kullas had closed in on Gilbert with his usual smooth style and made a pass just before the halfway point. From there, inch by inch, lap by lap, he closed down the leader Searle and crossed the finish line in his wheel track as the pair were separated by less than a second. With an ill-handling bike, Gilbert came home in a lonely third place with Walsh just five seconds behind him fourth, as the first MX2 rider. John Adamson (ASA United Gas Gas) may well be in with a shout for the ‘Dirti hard charger’ award once all the lap charts have been analysed. He gated well but was knocked off before even half a lap was completed. He re-mounted, charged through the pack, and came from seventeenth on lap one to finish sixth on the track but fourth in his class.

John Adamson

Searle got the holeshot at the start of race two from Gilbert and Kullas with McCormick, again making a good start but slipping down the running order as the laps were ticked off. Barr had gated fifth but had Walsh on his tail as Adamson, with a better start, was in seventh place, but that was about to change. On lap two, Adamson had both Todd and Mewse come by, but that must of fired him up as within the next three laps, he repassed them and slipped into fifth passed Barr.

The three front runners had spent all of the race in very close company, constantly pushing each other as the gap opened up and then closed again between the three of them. As the two lap to go board came out, they were all on the gas through the rollers along the finish straight and it looked like it was going to take a mistake from Searle for him not to win. It turned out he didn’t make a mistake but lost the lead on the last lap through nothing but bad luck as a stone jammed his back brake, causing him to over jump the finish jump and exit the course the wrong way down the start straight allowing Gilbert and Kullas through. Knowing the overall win was then there for the taking for either of them Gilbert and Kullas then threw everything they had at the last lap with Gilbert holding on by just over half a second, with Searle twenty-eight seconds further back after un-jamming his rear brake. Adamson was fourth MX2, with Barr and Todd next.

Walsh and Mewse were fourth and fifth on the track but first and second in the Apico MX2 class as Jamie Carpenter (GRT KTM) added third in class to his fourth in the first race.

Overall, in the Leatt MX1 class, it was Gilbert from Searle and Kullas on the podium with Adamson just missing out. Kullas now has a thirty-five-point lead in the championship over Gilbert and Searle. With his two wins in the Apico MX2 class, Walsh took the overall result from Mewse and Carpenter, while in that championship, Grimshaw, with fourth overall on the day still has the red plate from Carpenter and Mitchell.

Nathan Dixon

RFX Expert Class

With two race wins, a second and a third, Jayden Ashwell (AJP Racing Gas Gas) won the RFX Expert MX1 overall and closed the gap on series leader Shaun Southgate (Herts MX Honda). But Southgate limited the damage; with a couple of wins to secure second overall, with a hard charging Josh Waterman (Honda) third. It was a close finish for the RFX Experts MX2’s as Nathan Dixon (RFX Whites KTM), and Sam Atkinson (Phoenix Evenstrokes Kawasaki) both finished on equal points, with the win going to Dixon because of his higher place finish in the last moto. Wildcard and last race winner Gareth Padgett (Kawasaki) was third overall, with Jack Lindsay (Apico Husqvarna) just missing out on the podium despite finishing on the same points as Lindsay.

Ollie Beamish & No 741 Jamie Padgett battling it out n the combined expert class

Motoverde Amateur Class

Harry Bradley (Kawasaki) backed up his second place in the weekend’s first race with three more race wins for the overall in the Motoverde amateur MX1 class. Second overall was Josh Greedy (Kawasaki), with race one winner Billy Wynn (KTM) third, just one point behind Greedy after a spectacular crash when his hand came off the handlebars on landing. Wildcard rider Shaun Springer (KTM) didn’t finish out of the top two all weekend and, with two wins and two-second places, won the MX2 class from race two winner Dan Brough (Rutzz.co.uk Husqvarna) and with the other race winner Niall Cregan (Husqvarna) taking third.

Clubman MX1 & MX2 Classes

With three race wins and a second-place, Mitch Best (Blackphone Honda) won the Worx Financial clubman MX1’s by thirteen points from Grant Martin (Yamaha) and race one winner Connor Baldry (KTM). It was close at the top of the Moto Connection clubman MX2 class, with the first three riders separated by just three points. Without winning a race, Toby Lightbown (RFX Whites KTM) won the overall, from race four winner Max Fletcher (KTM) and with race one and three winner George Boyce (Design Scaffolding Gas Gas) third.

Ollie Colmer

Seven Youth 125 & 250 Classes

In the youth side of things, Tyler Westcott (HJA Motorcycles KTM) won all four of his races for a clean sweep of the youth 250cc class. Mackenzie Marshall (DK Offroad Yamaha) was always in the top four and was second, with Team Green Kawasaki’s Jak Taylor again making the podium in third and Bayliss Utting (Husqvarna) just missing out on a top-three by a single point. Like Westcott in the 250cc classs, Charlie Hayman (SJP Moto KTM) won all of his Seven MXY125 races to go unbeaten in the class yet again and after four rounds has a perfect score in the championship. Ben Mustoe (Matt Gardiner MX KTM) chased him over the finish line in two out of the four races for second overall, with wildcard rider Wal Beaney (KTM) third.

Ollie Bubb & No 479 Josh Vail having a real tussle in the BW85 class

Syntol Lubricants 85cc Classes

Billy Askew (GRT KTM) was again dominant in the Big Wheeled class winning all four motos from Josh Vail (SJP Moto Husqvarna), with Charlie Richmond (Matt Gardener MX KTM) third. With three wins and a second-place, Hayden Statt (Manchester MC Gas Gas) won the small wheel class in style from Blake Ward-Clarke (JMR KTM) and race three winner Alfie Geddes-Green (Matt Pope Gas Gas) third despite a DNF in race two after throwing a chain.

Saturday evening’s Straight Rhythm presented by Phoenix Tools, Carbon Comps and in memory of Melvyn Brunell once again brought some great entertainment. Joe Clayton (Gas Gas), took the win in the MX1 class with Matt Bayliss (Honda) second and Jack Brunell (ASA United Gas Gas) third, while in the MX2 class, it was a win for Dylan Walsh (Revo Seven Kawasaki) from Florien Miot (SC Sporthomes Husqvarna) and Adam Chatfield (Honda).

Results

Pro MX1

Pos	Competitor	Points	R1	R2
1	Josh Gilbert	45	20	25
2	Tommy Searle	45	25	20
3	Harri Kullas	44	22	22
4	John Adamson	36	18	18
5	Martin Barr	32	16	16
6	Brad Todd	30	15	15
7	Jack Brunel	27	13	14
8	Glen McCormick	25	12	13
9	Dan Thornhill	25	14	11
10	Petar Petrov	23	11	12
11	Gavin Stevenson	18	8	10
12	Ben Edwards	17	9	8
13	Joe Clayton	17	10	7
14	Joshua Taylor	16	7	9

Pro MX2

Pos	Competitor	Points	R1	R2
1	Dylan Walsh	50	25	25
2	Conrad Mewse	44	22	22
3	Jamie Carpenter	38	18	20
4	Tom Grimshaw	38	20	18
5	Jay Hague	30	14	16
6	Calum Mitchell	26	11	15
7	Michael Ellis	25	13	12
8	Sam Nunn	24	15	9
9	Charlie Cole W	21	8	13
10	Alfie Jones	20	9	11
11	Adam Collings	20	10	10
12	Lewis Hall	19	5	14
13	Jamie Law	19	12	7
14	Florien Miot	16	16	–
15	Ben Franklin W	15	7	8
16	Tom Murphy	6	6	–

Expert MX1

Pos	Competitor	Points	R1	R2	R3	R4
1	Jayden Ashwell	92	25	20	22	25
2	Shaun Southgate	88	18	25	25	20
3	Josh Waterman	82	20	22	18	22
4	Brad Cavill W	69	15	16	20	18
5	Max Broadbelt W	64	16	18	16	14
6	Ben Clayton W	60	14	15	15	16
7	Luke Mellows	50	13	11	13	13
8	Jamie Dixon	45	11	10	12	12
9	Frazer Norrie	45	12	12	10	11
10	Stephen Mullally	44	10	13	11	10
11	Nathan Green	43	–	14	14	15
12	Ben Margetson W	26	8	9	9	–
13	Ashley Greedy W	22	22	–	–	–
14	Philipp Klakow W	13	5	8	–	–
15	Glen Phillips	9	9	–	–	–

Expert MX2

Pos	Competitor	Points	R1	R2	R3	R4
1	Nathan Dixon	78	18	25	13	22
2	Sam Atkinson	78	25	22	15	16
3	Gareth Padgett W	74	13	18	18	25
4	Jack Lindsay	74	20	20	14	20
5	Louie Kessell	69	14	15	25	15
6	Jimmy Margetson	66	16	14	22	14
7	Josh Coleman	66	22	11	20	13
8	Ollie Beamish	56	12	16	16	12
9	Bailey Johnston	46	11	12	12	11
10	Kieren Yorke	44	10	13	11	10
11	Aaron Ongley	43	15	10	–	18
12	Daniel Preston W	37	9	9	10	9

Amateur MX1

Pos	Competitor	Points	R1	R2	R3	R4
1	Harry Bradley	95	20	25	25	25
2	Josh Greedy W	82	18	20	22	22
3	Billy Wynn	81	25	22	14	20
4	Callum Gordon	72	22	15	20	15
5	Aaron Gardiner	68	16	18	18	16
6	Ryan Adair W	58	11	16	13	18
7	David Rushton	56	15	13	15	13
8	Ryan Osborn	51	12	11	16	12
9	Joshua McCorkell	48	13	12	12	11
10	Ross Millard	47	14	14	11	8
11	John Kirk	42	10	9	9	14
12	Alex Christopher	37	9	10	8	10
13	Paul Atkinson	35	8	8	10	9

Amateur MX2

Pos	Competitor	Points	R1	R2	R3	R4
1	Shaun Springer W	94	22	25	22	25
2	Dan Brough	83	25	22	20	16
3	Niall Cregan	81	16	18	25	22
4	Luca Pegg	76	18	20	18	20
5	Archie Hicks	55	14	16	11	14
6	Ryan Tanner W	54	20	–	16	18
7	Logan Wilcox	49	10	14	10	15
8	Jack Seabourne	49	12	13	13	11
9	Josh Bassett W	45	15	15	15	–
10	Lewis King-London	40	13	–	14	13
11	Lewis Glynn	39	8	11	8	12
12	Harry Fletcher	36	5	12	12	7
13	Harry Foster	35	11	7	9	8
14	Ricky Carter W	32	6	10	6	10
15	Keelan Southwood W	32	7	9	7	9
16	Calum Watson	20	9	6	5	–
17	Harry Barker	8	–	8	–	–

Clubman MX1

Pos	Competitor	Points	R1	R2	R3	R4
1	Mitch Best	97	22	25	25	25
2	Grant Martin	84	20	22	20	22
3	Connor Baldry	79	25	16	22	16
4	Keaton Stewart	64	14	14	18	18
5	Rodney Jones W	61	18	13	15	15
6	James Thompson	60	15	12	13	20
7	Tallon Aspden	60	12	18	16	14
8	Billy Saunders	59	16	20	12	11
9	Josh Bailey W	48	9	15	14	10
10	Jordan Andrews	35	11	11	–	13
11	Elliot Reeves W	35	8	10	9	8
12	Michael Graham	31	–	8	11	12
13	Jordan Ambler	30	13	–	10	7
14	Ryan Davis	24	10	4	8	2
15	Ollie Kingston W	21	–	7	5	9
16	Ash Senior	19	5	6	3	5
17	Ben Lightbown	14	4	9	–	1
18	Connor Tingle W	12	6	2	4	–
19	Harry Whitlock	8	3	–	2	3
20	Charlie Roper	8	2	–	6	–
21	Jack Waterman	7	–	–	1	6
22	Ryan Bowring	3	–	3	–	–
23	Joshua Kirby	1	–	1	–	–
24	Lewis Wigger	1	1	–	–	–

Clubman MX2

Pos	Competitor	Points	R1	R2	R3	R4
1	Toby Lightbown	77	20	15	20	22
2	Max Fletcher	76	16	20	15	25
3	George Boyce	74	25	11	25	13
4	Jasper Gibson	63	18	18	18	9
5	Charlie West	57	13	10	14	20
6	Drew Lane	54	22	14	6	12
7	Luke Coker W	51	4	25	22	–
8	Ben Wainwright	44	7	22	1	14
9	Jack Loveridge	37	12	8	7	10
10	Jake Taylor	34	–	12	11	11
11	Mitchil Collins	34	1	13	16	4
12	Matthew Fuller	30	–	2	10	18
13	Tom Hughes W	30	–	1	13	16
14	Jamie Collins W	26	5	6	9	6
15	Steve Turvey W	26	14	7	5	–
16	Josh Jones	23	15	–	–	8
17	Ben Thomson W	22	11	4	–	7
18	Joe Cooper	21	9	–	12	–
19	Liam Deegan	20	–	5	–	15
20	Elliot Cook	17	6	9	2	–
21	Max Flint	16	–	16	–	–
22	Jack Ratcliffe	11	2	3	4	2
23	Richy Roberts	10	10	–	–	–
24	Aaron Framingham	8	8	–	–	–
25	Tom Haddock	8	–	–	8	–
26	Ryan Turner W	5	–	–	–	5
27	Charlie Parker	4	–	–	3	1
28	Jack Colley	3	–	–	–	3
29	Will Morris	3	3	–	–	–

MXY1

Pos	Competitor	Points	R1	R2	R3	R4
1	Charlie Heyman	100	25	25	25	25
2	Ben Mustoe	84	22	20	22	20
3	Wal Beaney W	71	18	18	20	15
4	Ollie Colmer	66	14	16	18	18
5	Tyla Hooley	58	20	–	16	22
6	Louis Vincent W	54	15	8	15	16
7	George Hopkins	47	6	15	12	14
8	Charlie Griffiths	46	11	10	14	11
9	Kayde Rayns	45	10	12	10	13
10	Liam Bennett	44	12	9	11	12
11	Erez Melman W	42	9	11	13	9
12	Joe Brooks	38	16	22	–	–
13	Jude Turton W	36	5	13	8	10
14	Harrison Greenough	32	8	14	2	8
15	Raife Broadley	29	13	–	9	7
16	Sid Putnam	20	4	6	6	4
17	Kyron Carron	17	7	7	3	–
18	Bradley Johnstone	15	2	2	5	6
19	Carl Harris	14	–	5	4	5
20	Cody Spacagna	14	3	4	7	–
21	Billy Moriarty W	4	1	3	–	–

MXY2

Pos	Competitor	Points	R1	R2	R3	R4
1	Tyler Westcott W	100	25	25	25	25
2	Mckenzie Marshall	84	18	22	22	22
3	Jak Taylor	75	22	18	15	20
4	Bayliss Utting	74	20	20	16	18
5	Arai Elcock	63	16	12	20	15
6	Hudson Roper	57	13	14	14	16
7	Charlie Palmer	57	15	16	13	13
8	Jake Barker	47	12	13	12	10
9	Harvey Cashmore	46	14	–	18	14
10	Seth Manners	44	11	11	11	11
11	Corey Collins	41	9	10	10	12
12	Leon Williams	34	10	15	9	–
13	Matt Cooper W	17	8	9	–	–

Big Wheel 85

Pos	Competitor	Points	R1	R2	R3	R4
1	Billy Askew	100	25	25	25	25
2	Josh Vail	80	20	22	18	20
3	Charlie Richmond	76	18	18	22	18
4	Jake Walker	72	22	20	8	22
5	Chester Hyde	65	15	15	20	15
6	Freddie Gardiner	58	14	16	12	16
7	Drew Stock	52	12	12	14	14
8	Connor McGrath W	50	16	14	7	13
9	Jamie Keith	40	13	–	16	11
10	Ollie Bubb	40	8	11	13	8
11	Jack Bearey	37	9	13	9	6
12	Will Haddock	37	11	3	11	12
13	Ryan Waggott	35	10	–	15	10
14	Gus Mustoe	35	7	9	10	9
15	Isaac Ash	29	6	10	6	7
16	Riley Small W	23	5	8	5	5
17	Tyler Jones	17	3	7	4	3
18	Cailen Griffiths	15	2	6	3	4
19	Fabian-Junior Morrison W	6	1	5	–	–
20	Alfie Payne W	4	4	–	–	–
21	Malachi Stratton W	4	–	4	–	–
22	Max Walsham	3	–	2	1	–
23	Braidy Tucker W	1	–	–	–	1
24	Ripley Carter W	1	–	1	–	–

Small Wheel 85

Pos	Competitor	Points	R1	R2	R3	R4
1	Hayden Statt	97	25	25	22	25
2	Blake Ward-Clarke	80	18	22	20	20
3	Alfie Geddes-Green	69	22	–	25	22
4	Lucus Moncrieff	67	15	18	18	16
5	Danny Flude	65	20	12	15	18
6	Maison Jones	63	16	20	12	15
7	Finlay Pickering	60	14	16	16	14
8	Ryan Clift	53	11	15	14	13
9	Lewis Jenks	52	13	14	13	12
10	George Clark	47	12	13	11	11
11	Trent Walkley W	21	10	11	–	–

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