Muddiman motors at 2024 Minicross Nationals opener – Race Report & Results

Despite a delayed start due to weather, Minicross Nationals kicked off its inaugural season with a scorcher at hosting venue Nympsfield on May 12.

Race Report by Minicross Nationals – Feature Image by Paul Wright

The riders set out as they meant to go on, putting minibikes on the map in what was their first event with AMCA. They impressed spectators with their relentless battles and no-nonsense attitude to big hills and jumps.

This saw new riders Jamie Illing, Bernard Chugg, and Dan Grundy take to the track with some great riding. The round was also Neil ‘Nelly’ Holford’s first-ever race, where he finished in 14th place overall, and local man Jeff Pike delivered a consistent ride.

Andy Jones gave the riders in the top five a run for their money in what was his first race in 26 years, but a bike issue saw him DNF in race 2.

Dan Muddiman took the first win of the series in the open class, closely followed by Joao Dias, and Will Ansell secured the lead in the farm bike class.

Round 2 followed on May 26 at Lower Drayton, proving to be more difficult for the riders due to wet conditions and its reputation as a challenging track for both pit bikes and mx bikes.

Blaine Blackwell claimed victory in the second round after a DNF saw him drop to 6th place at Nympsfield, while ‘Mr. Consistent’, Joao Dias, claimed second, placing him at the top of the championship standings.

Jack Saunders who suffered an injury in round 1 came back fighting in round 2, picking up 4th overall, while Dan Fisher proved to be a top five runner. However, his day finished early due to bike issues.

Scott Pohlman claimed victory in the farm bike class, taking home the red plate. Will Ansell – round 1’s winner – missed this round, so he will be keen to close the gap in round 3.

Wildcard entry, Jake Darley proved himself as a rider to watch, securing top five all day, but missed race 2 and Craig Griffiths narrowly missed a trophy in both rounds.

Meanwhile, the battle between Michael Kershaw and Scott Lees unfolded—something to expect throughout the championship. Who will come out on top? Lees has recently bought some serious 7-One Racing upgrades in his quest to win the battle.

Finally, the Biggest B**** award was awarded to Neil ‘Nelly’ Holford, due to only completing one lap over the course of the day. The trophy presented was courtesy Scottie Lees.

It’s all to play for in the rounds to come, with the next round scheduled for June 23 at Brookthorpe. Ben Moran and Jake Pearce are proving to be riders to watch, and the battle between Joao and Dan can only intensify.

For more information and updates, head to 7oneracing.co.uk/minicrossnationals or follow Minicross Nationals on social media.

Results

Round 1

Pos	Competitor	Total Points	r 1	r 2
1	Daniel Muddiman	141	47	47
2	Joao Dias	140	45	45
3	Jake Pearce	131	43	43
4	Ben Moran	119	39	41
5	Jack Guntrip	100	18	39
6	Blaine Blackwell	100	50	50
7	Jeff Pike	99	31	31
8	Will Ansell	99	35	33
9	Craig Griffiths	98	30	35
10	Scott Polham	92	28	29
11	Jason Hawkes	86	26	30
12	Jamie Illing	84	29	27
13	Ben Gotsell	82	25	28
14	Andy Jones	78	37	–
15	James Crow	78	41	37
16	John Polham	77	24	26
17	Neil Holford	75	27	25
18	Michael Kershaw	70	22	23
19	Scott Lees	66	20	24
20	Bernard Chugg	65	21	20
21	Ethan Lochrie	47	–	21
22		45	23	22
23	Jack Saunders	33	33	–
24	Craig Swales	19	19	–

Round 2

Pos	Competitor	Total Points	r 1	r 2	r 3
1	Blaine Blackwell	147	47	50	50
2	Joao Dias	140	50	47	43
3	Daniel Muddiman	137	45	45	47
4	Jack Saunders	121	37	43	41
5	Ben Moran	115	41	39	35
6	Jack Guntrip	113	39	35	39
7	Craig Griffiths	109	35	37	37
8	Scott Pohlman	97	31	33	33
9	Andy Jones	90	29	30	31
10	Jamie Illing	89	30	29	30
11	Jeff Pike	85	28	28	29
12	Scott Lees	82	27	27	28
13	Michael Kershaw	78	25	26	27
14	Jake Pearce	74	33	41	–
15	Ben Gotsell	57	26	31	–
16	Jake Darley	45	–	–	45
17	Daniel Fisher	43	43	–	–
18	Ethan Lochrie	24	24	–	–