Apico Husky squad carves up Cusses

Cusses Gorse was the stage for round 5 of the Michelin MX Nationals, with this being the team’s second trip to the venue this season, we knew what to expect and the bikes were well set up for the terrain. With Stuart Edmonds still out injured, the team lined up with Martin Barr in the Leatt Pro MX1 Class, Jamie Law in Apico Pro MX2 Class, and Jack Lindsay in RFX Expert MX2 Class.

Martin Barr, 50, Leatt Pro MX1 Class

It was a day of all 5’s for Martin. With Cusses Gorse not being one of his favourite tracks and a mystery illness still affecting his riding, it seemed like the day was going to be a tough one, yet he still made it look easy. In qualifying, Martin put in an early 5^th fastest lap that despite his and competitors’ efforts, the benchmark had been set for the 10^th pick of the gate with the MX1 & MX2 classes being mixed.
In race 1 Martin didn’t get the best jump out of the gate, though with a solid bike set up he hooked up the start straight and rode around the outside of the pack to get into 4/5^th place. It wasn’t long before Martin made a small mistake and got tangled with a rider losing a couple of positions, though he was able to get his head down to get back into 5^th position and gap the pursuing riders before fatigue kicked in. With the hard work done, he then had to control his race for the last few laps to finish 5^th at the flag. Race 2 started pretty much the same, not getting the jump, Martin was able to power up the start straight in 3/4^th place. He, unfortunately, lost a place at the midpoint, though had gapped the field considerably to finish 5^th again for 5^th overall in the Leatt MX1 Championship.

Jamie Law, 25, Apico Factory Racing Pro MX2 Class

This was always going to be a tough weekend for Jamie. Coming off the back of illness and with Cusses not being one of his favoured tracks in previous years, it was all to do for the experienced Cumbrian. Jamie’s timing to get the first lap on the board in timed practice is usually impeccable, though he struggled in qualifying and couldn’t find the room to put in a fast lap and finished 13^th MX2 at the end of the session. After qualifying, Jamie made a technical change to the bike that certainly showed at the beginning of Race 1.
After firing out of the gate in 2^nd place for the MX2 Class, Jamie went into the race with gusto and energy, though this faded after the first few laps as the fatigue kicked in and it was a battle for survival. With riders passing him almost every lap, it was evident this was not the Jamie we’d been watching in 2022. After crossing the line 9^th MX2 it was a result to forget this season. Race 2 was almost a re-run of the first. After getting the start, Jamie was in the top 3 though struggled where he usually wouldn’t. After a couple of laps and losing a few positions disaster struck, with the rear brake fading Jamie had a big crash and was dead last. After circulating for points Jamie finished 14^th and had his worst MX Nationals result of the season. That said, Jamie is still in 4^th place in the Apico Factory Racing MX2 Championship.

Jack Lindsay, 433, RFX Expert MX2 Class

Qualifying for Jack didn’t go to plan, he managed to time the first lap perfectly, though wasn’t able to get another lap in due to traffic and unfortunately finished 11^th in the MX2 class. Jack wasn’t too fazed as he knew he could push in the racing. He proved the point by getting out the gate in race 1 in second place and stayed at the front only losing positions by making a couple of mistakes to finish 3^rd at the flag. In race 2 Jack had another fantastic start holding second over both classes for the first third of the race. He, unfortunately, made a mistake sliding out on the wet track to then be hit from behind and go down with another rider. Jack then managed to get going though had already been passed by 2 competitors, so had to settle for 3^rd overall in MX2 Expert Class again.

Races 3 & 4 took place on Sunday, with Jack not getting a good start in race 3 he had it all to do from the back of the field. The plucky Midlander didn’t disappoint, making moves from the back of the field after coming together with another rider and breaking his subframe, Jack went from 25^th to 11^th in a field of MX1 & MX2 riders to finish 7^th MX2 at the flag. Thankfully, that was the worst result of the day for Jack. In race 4 he managed to get a good start and went on to push his way through the field to 5^th in both classes and 3^rd MX2. He was unlucky to miss the podium, tying for 3^rd giving him 4^th overall. Jack is now 4^th in the MX2 Expert Championship.

Dylan Brown, Team ManagerIt was a strange weekend, we were not expecting the results from Martin due to his illness, though he’s adapted his style of riding to cope with it for the time being. We are hoping for answers soon from his doctors as to what the problem is, though looking at the results you wouldn’t think there was a performance issue. I feel for Martin, as he knows he’s not able to perform to his best and is still capable of fantastic results. I can’t wait to see what he’s capable of when he gets the medical answers he’s waiting for and can be back to full fitness.

After talking to Jamie about this weekend he’s not been feeling his normal self and has struggled, that said he’s still managed to get points on the board and keep his position in the Championship. We hope the break in the racing will allow him some rest to get back to full fitness and be back challenging for podiums.

Jack continues to impress and show he’s maturing as a rider. I think it helps that he has experienced teammates that can give him tips and advice when it’s required. He’s currently sitting 4^th in the Expert Championship, and I am hoping he’ll have some podiums before the season finishes.

We look to take on the Revo British Motocross Championship fuelled by Gulf Race Fuels in a couple of weeks at FatCat Moto Parc. Thanks to all our sponsors and the team for the season so far.