Just like that, Rounds 3 and 4 of the Arenacross World Tour have come and gone!
Last weekend saw the Dirt Store Triumph Racing team and Tommy Searle make the trip to Belfast, Northern Ireland for a double header event. Fans in the SSE Arena were treated to thrilling nights of action on both Friday and Saturday. For the team it was generally a strong and consistent weekend, however, the final score sheets from each evening tell a different story.
On Friday, Tommy continued his good form with a P3 in qualifying behind 450 riders Dean Wilson and Conrad Mewse. This strong speed carried forward into the night show. Searle pulled a good start in Heat 1, and made quick work of Eddie Wade to pass for the lead. A smooth ride helped secure a first heat win for Tommy this season and a first victory at Arenacross for Triumph UK&I.
READ MORE: ARENACROSS NEWS
Searle repeated his good start in the second heat and was once again in the front running. This time, Wilson was able to break away at the front and Tommy was unable to keep pace and battle for another win. However, brilliant 1-2 scores in the heat races gave the team a clear run into the main event.
The final race looked promising for Searle following his great speed in the heats. Unfortunately, the promise of a good points haul was cut short in turn 1. After locking bars with Mewse, Tommy collided with Wade over the first jump and was knocked to the ground. Luckily, the riders behind managed to avoid Tommy but there was contact with the bike and Tommy was unable to finish the race.
Despite a DNF, there were many positives from Tommy’s performance on the night and the team were keen to rectify the points loss the following evening.
It was very much a case of deja vu in Saturday’s qualifying session, with Tommy’s Triumph TF 250-X coming home in P3 behind Wilson and Mewse. Again, this was a great building block for good starts in the evening Heat races.
True to form, Searle grabbed a holeshot in Heat 1 and put himself in the best position on the opening lap. Wilson managed to find an inside line and make a pass for the lead, but Searle held off Adam Chatfield strong for P2. In the second Heat, the Triumph rider got another great start and was fighting for podium positions. By lap 3, Searle had passed Greedy on the inside, jumping through the on-off tabletop section, before finding a way past Brunell to steal second place in the closing laps. Once again Tommy had made it straight through to the main event.
Following the previous night’s shock exit, the team were eager to get the race underway. It was another close battle through turn 1. Tommy came out in P2, but with several riders alongside him down the first rhythm section. Searle chose an outside line in turn 2 which allowed Mewse, Chatfield, Bayliss and Meara to gain a brief advantage through the whoops. However, Tommy was then on the inside through the following turn and immediately regained P3. For the remainder of the race, Tommy rode well to pull out a 6 second advantage over Brunell in P4. He eventually crossed the line in 3rd place overall.
This was an excellent turnaround from Friday night and has kept Tommy in the hunt for a podium in the British AX points standings. He is currently P4, just 2 points behind Conrad Mewse. The final points scores from the weekend may not be fully representative of Tommy’s strong rides, but the team are very much still in the competition and are pleased with the Triumph’s performance.
This weekend will be a very exciting and busy time for the Dirt Store Triumph Racing crew. Tommy Searle will continue the Arenacross campaign in Aberdeen, Scotland, while teammates Joel Rizzi and Billy Askew head to Hawkstone Park.
The Hawkstone International event will be the maiden ride for Rizzi and Askew onboard the Triumph machines – a perfect chance to show off their skills against the biggest names in motocross. Both Joel and Billy will be riding in the MX2 class for the event. This will be the norm for Billy Askew this season, however, Joel has chosen to race the 250cc for this weekend only and will continue developing his skills on the bigger TF 450-RC machine before debut.
We’re very excited to see how each of the riders perform and look forward to bringing you all of the latest updates following next weekend’s action.
Words by Dirt Store Triumph Racing – Images courtesy of Cult Moto
