June 25th, 2019.

Nora-MX QX Championship, round 6, Sunday 23rd June, Milton MX Park, Northampton

Photography: John Cook

The sixth round of the Nora-MX Championship proved to be another well-attended event with a strong field of 120-plus riders lining up to tackle the excellently prepped track by the new Milton MX owner Rob Wood.

Whilst there is another of the seven round Nora-MX series still to run at Cusses Gorse in July, the weekend’s penultimate round at Northants was the final of the five-round Pro and Pro Am class championships. As a result, Mark McLernon is the 2019 Nora-MX KIK Pro Champion with 560 points and Iestyn Rowlands the ATVs Only Pro Am Champion with 539 points.


Newly-crowned Nora-MX Pro champ Mark McClernon

The day kicked off with a surprise announcement from Nora-MX chief Stuart Walker, who advised that, due to other commitments, the Walker family will step down from running the club at the end of this season.

Back to the racing and, with the Pro and Pro Am riders returning to the Nora-MX fold after missing the last round at Mildenhall thanks to British Championship duties, the programme was once again a packed one. The action was close and exciting throughout all classes with few issues; aside from Zac Beavers damaging a shoulder, Harry Walker enjoying a seat-less ride, and Paul Winrow taking to three-wheels in the final Pro moto.

Mark McLernon continued his extraordinary 2019 form with another master class display of quad racing. He took three wins from three starts with George Day emulating that in second, whilst his younger brother Tom proved to be the leading Under-21 rider with a third, sixth and seventh in the Pro class to take a hard-fought third overall, just one point ahead of Harry Walker – who wasn’t going to race this weekend. Another U-21 in the form of James Bevan put in solid rides to take fifth and, rounding out the top six was the popular figure of Carl Bunce. Beset with machine problems, Dafydd Davies finished a lowly 13th overall, but increased his championship standing to third. Jamie Morgan posted three wins to take a maximum score in the Pro Am sub-class, whilst also finishing a credible eighth overall on the day in the Pros.

Robbie Wood extended his lead in the 250cc championship with two wins and a second, ahead of Chad Beevers, who took the other win and stepped up to third in the championship. Luke Berlyn rode consistently to take a second, fourth and third. In the 250 Air-cooled category, Josh McNight put in a perfect performance to take all three wins.


250cc - #6 Robbie Wood leads the pack and the championship

Alfie Walker proved his switch from 250s to Clubman was the right decision to make. The fifteen-year-old went out on a 250cc in the Clubman Elites and just missed out on winning the class by one point, behind Gary Atkinson. He recovered from an early spin-out in the opening race to claw his way back to sixth and then took back-to-back wins to finish second overall, with Tom Yates just four points behind in third.

Ed Davies suffered machine problems in the Masters A, leaving the gate open for former multi-British Champ Paul Winrow – who was riding in both the Pros and Masters. Winrow posted a win and two seconds with Davies taking the second win, prior to retiring with a DNF in the third. Johnathan McKnight ttook the last moto win, but Davies still leads the series.


Clubman Elite - #7 Alfie Walker from boy to man

Catrin Davies avoided the family gremlins and took a full house of points in both the combined ACU Ladies and the Novice Championship classes. Georgia Lent and Shelley Smart followed her home in the Ladies. Iestyn Reeds, Gavin Roach and Lewis Shaw were the Novice overall top three, but they shadowed the uber-fast Davies on track.

The 100cc Open and Auto classes were won by Alfie North and Brooke Bunce, with Ella Robe winning the 50cc group. Connor Yates leads the 100cc Championship, whilst Harriet Mewse continues to lead the 50cc Championship.


Masters - #95 Pete Bates, #18 Phillip Hammersley, #61 Richard Clark, #686 Stumpy Lawrence

Nora-MX will wrap up its 2019 season at Cusses Gorse, Swindon on 7th July when it runs round seven of the Nora-MX Championship alongside round six of the British Quadcross Championship.

RESULTS
PRO
1. Mark McLernon 120, 2. George Day 111, 3. Tom Day 92, 4. Harry Walker 91, 5. James Bevan 86, 6. Carl Bunce 82

Pro Am
1. Jamie Morgan 120, 2. Aaron Haslett 111, 3. Jack Naylor 103

250 Open
1. Robbie Wood 117, 2. Chad Beevers 108, 3. Luke Verlyn 105

250 air-cooled
1. Josh McKnight 120, 2. Aled Davies 102, 3. Kieran Marriott 101

Clubman Elite
1. Gary Atkinson 110, 2. Alfie Walker 109, 3. Thomas Yates 105

Clubman
1. Michael Haydon 120, 2. Jamie Bone 103, 3. Marcus Sprason 99

Masters A
1. Paul Winrow 114, 2. Jonathan McKnight 110, 3. Antony Barrett 99

Masters B
1. Richard Clark 120, 2. Gary Jones 109, 3. Pete Bates 107

Novice
1. Iestyn Rees 120, 2. Gavin Roach 107, 3. Lewis Shaw 105

ACU Ladies
1. Catrin Davies 120, 2. Georgia Lent 107 3. Shelley Smart 105

100cc Open
1. Alfie North 115, 2. Frank Marston 112, 3. Connor Yates 109

100cc Auto
1. Brooke Bunce 120, 2. Ellie Stott 107, 3. Charlie Eaton 105

50cc
1. Ella Robe 117, 2. Malaky McKenna 108, 3. Harriet Mews 107


Ladies_Novice rider #60 Chloe Keitch

CHAMPIONSHIP
Pro – Final Championship positions
1. Mark McLernon 560, 2. George Day 500, 3. Dafydd Davies 444, 4. George Callaway 440, 5. Tom Day 406, 6. Harry Walker 401

250
1. Robbie Wood 684, 2. Luke Berlyn 634, 3. Chad Beevers 583

Masters
1. Ed Davies 668, 2. Johnathan McKnight 629, 3. Greg Fisher 597

Clubman
1. Thomas Yates 582, 2. Gary Atkinson 569, 3. Lewis Rowles 536

Novice
1. Catrin Davies 667, 2. Gavin Roach 532, 3. Shelley Smart 551

100cc
1. Connor Yates 667, 2. Frank Marston 628, 3. Alfie North 626

50cc
1. Harriet Mewse 639, 2. Malaky McKenna 598, 3. Ella Robe 576


100cc #21 Alfie North #77 Connor Yates #30 Louie Holt