Roma runs riot at Drayton! British Women’s Motocross Championship Round 6 – Race Report & Results
Sunday 21st August saw the AMCA Cannock Club host round 6 of the BWMA/AMCA LA Motor Company British Womens MX Championships on a perfectly prepared Lower Drayton track. Weather was perfect setting the scene for a fantastic championship round.
Report and Images by Howard Marriott
With only one round to go there was all to race for, in the Adult class New Zealands Roma Edwards was looking to consolidate her domination of the championship with three times and current champion Chelsea Gowland her nearest rival. Gowland again put in a stunning qualifying lap to just get the better of Edwards by less than one tenth of a second, Rheanna Morgan-Rogers showed her rivals she meant business with 3rd With only half a second splitting the next three, Jaysi Austin, Izzy Neale and Amber McGregor the racing was going to be close. Caitlin Newman was next a few seconds down, but the racing would show she had more in reserve, Tailor Searle was next but a great qualifier from Autumn Jenkinson leader of the National Championship rounding out the top 10.
Race 1 and it was a close first corner with Roma Edwards taking the Muscle Doctor Holeshot from Chelsea Gowland, Edwards would take her first gate to flag victories from Gowland, Caitlin Newman was next followed by Rheanna Morgan-Rogers, Jaysi Austin and Izzy Neale, at the end of the back straight Neale and Austin came together on the double jump putting both down to the back of the pack, This left Newman chasing Morgan-Rogers with Amber McGregor on her back wheel throughout the race but couldn’t make the pass. Jaysi Austin was next making a heroic recovery to take 6th place with a bloodied arm which she would have to go to hospital for stitches and discovering it fractured in four places eliminating her from the rest of the racing. Izzy Neale again had an amazing recovery to follow Austin in 7th place, Grace Bates was next, keeping a steady distance ahead of Beanie Reece for 9th and Tailor Searle coming home in 10th place.
In the National Championship Autumn Jenkinson had a fantastic race taking 10th overall in the race ahead of Tailor Searle and giving her first place in the National Championship, India Hodgkinson just did enough to stay ahead of Naomi Dolby while Beth Emms took a heavy fall hurting her shoulder and failing to finish.
Race 2 was a repeat of Race 1 with Edwards again storming to the Muscle Doctor Holeshot followed by Gowland where again both would pull away and comfortably take the win and second. Rheanna Morgan-Rogers would survive the pressure from a battered and bruised Izzy Neale, who pushed hard but was happy to take 4th, again Caitlin Newman was ahead of Amber McGregor, but this race McGregor was determined to go one better, she kept the pressure on until finding a way past two laps from the end to take Newman for fifth place, Grace Bates fended off the early pressure from Beanie Reece to take 7th with Reece comfortably ahead of Tailor Searle in 9th rounding out the Pro-class scoring with the absence of Jaysi Austin.
Again in the National Championship Autumn Jenkinson had another brilliant ride getting inside the top Pro-Class places taking 9th overall and the National win, India Hodgkinson again got the better of Naomi Dalby while Beth Emms tried to ride with her injured shoulder, managing 4th place and valuable points.
Race 3 and the track by now was rough and gnarly but another Roma Edwards Muscle Doctor Holeshot gate to flag victory for the overall, followed again by Gowland looking like another comfortable 2nd place, but on lap one Gowland stalled losing 5 place before she got going, Izzy Neale now in 3rd place pushed, chased hard by Morgan-Rogers both seizing the chance to beat Gowland, but once she was going Gowland got past only to have the bike stall again, dropping her back another 4 places, once going again Gowland pulled back up to second but Neale’s efforts were rewarded with solid 3rd place ahead of Morgan-Rogers, Caitlin Newman was again ahead of Amber McGregor and the battle was on to see who could take the flag first and this time it was McGregor that got through for fifth place. Grace Bates was again watching all the action in her safe 7th place while Tailor Searle capitalised on a mistake by Beanie Reece to take 8th with Reece settling for 9th.
In the National Championship again Autumn Jenkinson had a brilliant race, finishing behind Searle but ahead of Reece, the track taking its toll on the girls, India Hodkinson made a small mistake allowing Naomi Dolby to take the second place from Hodgkinson with Beth Emms out with her shoulder.
Overall Results
Elite Ladies Pro-Class
1st Roma Edwards 150pts
2nd Chelsea Gowland 141pts
3rd Rheanna Morgan-Rogers 133pts
4th Izzy Neale 125pts
5th Amber McGregor 123pts
6th Caitlin Newman 121pts
7th Grace Bates 109pts
8th Beanie Reece 101pt
9th Tailor Searle 99pts
10th Jaysi Austin 39pts
National Championship
1st Autumn Jenkinson 150pts
2nd India Hodgkinson 139pts
3rd Naomi Dolby 137pts
4th Beth Emms 43pts
In the 85cc Youth Girls Championship Hollie Roberts was on a charge to the championship title but niggling away at her dominance has been Leah Rees-Evans always threatening but not quite getting the better. Round 6 at Lower Drayton finally saw Rees-Evans pull it all together. A fantastic qualifying for pole ahead of Roberts, Northern Irelands Checoby Rainey was next just 3 seconds off on a tough track as she pulled closer to the top 2, Holly Williams less than a second ahead of Erin Howes with the continually improving Sophie Jones close behind. Cameron Mansbridge in a brilliant 7th ahead of Poppy Banning and Molly Neale.
Race 1 and Leah Rees-Evans stormed out the gate for the Muscle Doctor Holeshot, with Holly Roberts further down having some work to do, but Rees-Evans was faultless, putting in a mature display of incredible skill and craftsmanship as she took the flag 44 seconds ahead of Holly Williams, her best result of the series, with Hollie Roberts making an uncharacteristic mistake colliding with Rainey, both having to pull their way through the pack with Roberts making her way to third, Williams rode out of her skin to keep hard the hard-charging Roberts and Checoby Rainey at bay as Roberts picked her way through the field and take third place from Rainey but couldn’t catch Williams settling for 3rd. Erin Howes kept them in sight but couldn’t quite close the gap but finished in a brilliant 5th place. Sophie Jones continued her improvement hanging on to Howes but faded later in the race securing a strong 6th at the flag. Young Poppy Banning took 7th from Molly Neale and Cameron Mansbridge who took fall early on.
Race 2, and this time Hollie Roberts was fired up to try and stem Leah Rees-Evans dominance and took the Muscle Doctor Holeshot, Rees-Evans soon found her way to the front and slowly pulled away, mastering the rough conditions like a pro but on lap 4 she dropped it in a tight corner trapping her leg under the bike, Roberts took the lead, Rees-Evans got going now in 5th place but pushed so hard she made her way all the way up to 4 seconds behind Roberts at the flag.with Roberts taking the win, one a piece. Holly Williams and Checoby Rainey fought hard for 3rd but again, it was Williams just getting the better of Rainey with Erin Howes close behind in 5th place again after just getting the better of Sophie Jones in 6th, further down Molly Neale got the better of Poppy Banning and Cameron Mansbridge.
With all to race for Race 3 was going to be explosive, and again it was Leah Rees-Evans taking the Muscle Doctor Holeshot like race one rode a faultless race to take an impressive victory. Hollie Williams did her best to keep her in check, but this time had the battling duo of Williams and Rainey, Williams took a tumble and winded herself but remounted to finish 4th, leaving Rainey to chase and keep with Williams but couldn’t do enough to catch her. Erin Howes again kept off the early pressure from Sophie Jones to take 5th while further down Poppy Banning finally got the better of Cameron Mansbridge and Molly Neale.
85cc Youth Girls Championship Overall
1st Leah Rees-Evans 147pts
2nd Hollie Roberts 142pts
3rd Holly Williams 135pts
4th Checoby Rainey 131pts
5th Erin Howes 123pts
6th Sophie Jones 117pts
7th Poppy Banning 109pts
8th Molly Neale 105pts
9th Cameron Mansbridge 101pts
