May 20 2015.


Quads will tackle the legendary climbs of Foxhill for the first time in years on Sunday when the Willcock British Quad Championship reaches the halfway point with round three at the Wiltshire track.

Although British championship action has been held at the former GP venue as recently as last year, the iconic steep chalk climbs were not used.

With the track running along the bottom and up (and down) the sides of a steep valley the circuit provides superb spectator viewing and has gained the reputation as one of the world’s best natural terrain tracks.

Like virtually all the modern crop of British Championship riders, series leader Paul Holmes, who won the previous round, has never tackled the infamous climbs before on a quad: “I have been up and down them on an 85cc moto cross bike, but that’s it!”

You have to go back to 1998 for the last British Quad Championship round that used the hills, and a winner of one of the races on that day was a youthful Justin Reid. Now 38, the Ulsterman is still bang on form having won the final race at round two earlier this month.

“I rode them on a Yamaha Banshee. From memory it was no big deal. I won at least one race that day,” said Reid, racking up the pressure on his many teenage rivals who will be tackling them for the first time!

Holmes, from Harrogate, and his Yamaha, lead the series by 25 points after the opening two rounds, which were both held at deep sand tracks. However, he knows that several riders who prefer the faster hard pack going of Foxhill will come into contention on Sunday. His stiffest challenge looks likely to come from 20-year-old Ulsterman Dean Colhoun, who was in contention to win at the first two rounds right up until the final race when, each time, bad luck ruined his overall chances. At the opening round at Hawkstone Park he picked up a puncture in the final race, then at his home round at Desertmartin earlier this month he jarred his wrist.

With a race win scoring 50 points and with three, 20 minute plus two laps races on the card on Sunday, there are several riders well within shouting distance of the championship lead, including Sheldon Seal (KTM), Carl Bunce (Suzuki), Reid (Can-Am) and George Callaway (Yamaha).

Rounding out the championship top ten after two rounds are southern Ireland’s Jack Raeburn (KTM), Oli Sansom (Yamaha), David Cowan (Yamaha) and 15-year-old rising star Bailey Edwards.

Adding additional spice to the event is a three-pronged Wild Card attack from France, headed by former European and WORCS champion Jeremie Warnia. The factory-backed Yamaha pilot will be joined by Randy Navaux and Etienne Sannier, who are both capable of top ten finishes. However, Wildcards cannot score championship points, so they will just be in it for the glory!

The two riders who dominated last year’s British Championship round at Foxhill – Luke Cooper from Wales and Mark McLernon from Northern Ireland – have both had slow starts to their seasons and will be looking to find form on familiar territory. Cooper was leading the very first race of the championship when he crashed and dislocated his hip, but has been edging back to his race winning form in recent weeks. Meanwhile McLernon, the reigning Under 21 Champion, admits he’s been struggling to find his racing mojo so far this year, but if he finds it at Foxhill, he’s a potential winner.

In addition to the British Championship races there will be a packed support programme including round four of the NORA-MX Championship, with classes for Clubman, Masters, plus 250 and 100 youth classes.

Some of the NORA-MX classes still have entries available. You can enter directly via the club’s website at: www.nora-mx.org.uk

The race action starts with qualifying at 9.30am, with racing beginning at 10.30am. Entry cost £10 per person. The postcode for the track is SN4 0DR.

* The NORA-MX classes will NOT use the big hills at Foxhill as they are only suitable for Expert riders. They will use the same version of the track used last year.


Pictured by Paul Ervine: Paul Holmes on his way to victory at the last round of the British Quad Championship.