The Chambers Racing Husqvarna team made the long trip down to Landrake in Cornwall for round two of the MX Nationals championship where hard work and dedication showed in some great results and improved team performances.

Jake Millward – MX1

In the first combined Pro MX1 and MX2 race Jake gated sixth and moved up and into fourth place by lap three as the established stars of Jake Nicholls and Brent Van Donnick made early mistakes in the rutted surface. At the halfway point he also inherited third and GP rider and current British MX2 champion, Dylan Walsh went out with an engine problem. With four laps to go the on-form, Adam Sterry found a way past him which meant he finished the race in fourth place but showed he had the pace to keep with the countries best riders.

Race two didn’t go so well for Jake for after a strong seventh-place start he suffered from the dreaded arm-pump and struggled to maintain his recent fast race speed and dropped back to eleventh across the finish line, but eighth in class for fourth overall, just a point off the podium.

“The first race was really good for me as I felt more comfortable on the bike than I have for a long time,” said Jake after the race “We have made great progress with the machine’s set-up and it felt great. I crashed out of a comfortable third place with only a couple of laps to go, which was a bit of a shame, and came across the finish line in fourth, which I was happy with. In the second race, I had arm pump the second lap and embarrassingly just rode around for the rest of the race but there was nothing I could do. But we will work on it for next time.”

Tom Grimshaw – MX2

Tom was the team’s top MX2 finisher. The smaller MX2 machines were always going to struggle up the tracks long uphill start straight against the MX1’s and Tom rounded the first turn in twentieth but among the top MX2 riders. He was on the MX2 leaders’ pace for the whole race and finished nineteenth on the track, but sixth in class.

Tom had a better start in race two and gated eleventh place, but second MX2 rider. For the next couple of laps, a couple of the bigger MX1’s powered past him, dropping him back to sixteenth but he recovered to finish sixteenth on the track, but sixth MX2 rider. All this effort gave him fifth overall in class.

“I had two good races but in the second one I really upped my pace to another level,” said a happy Tom “I could see some of the other MX2’s in front and pushed really hard to catch them. But as I did, I made two big mental mistakes that took me out of my rhythm, and I faded. The first race was solid, and I pushed all the way and I am happy with my riding I just need to work more on my fitness as to match my new speed.”

Ben Franklin – Pro MX2

Ben seemed to struggle with the track all day. He started the first race twenty-second and after dropping back seven places re-grouped to end his race twenty third on the track, but eighth in class.

After a collision on the start straight, Ben came around at the end of the opening lap second to last but fought his way up the pack to finish twenty-ninth, but fifteenth MX2 rider for tenth overall.

“I am not happy with my day,” said a disappointed Ben. “The first race was OK, but the second I was not happy at all. I got tagged at the start and made a bit of a mistake further in the race. But after the start and the mistake on about lap two, I lost my rhythm, lost touch with the rest of the guys and just did my own thing. It was tough out there and a real challenge.”

Aaron McCarroll – Pro MX1

Aaron is still suffering from a shoulder injury from the start of the year and the deep ruts of the Landrake track were always going to be a problem. He started the first race in twenty-fourth place, but a first-lap crash dropped him back to thirty-fifth from which he recovered to thirty first.

His race two was very similar to his first giving him nineteenth overall.

“I am still suffering from my shoulder so it was very tough going through the deep ruts as the handlebars were twisting all over the place,” said Aaron, “The first race was OK but like I said I was struggling a bit and had a silly crash on the last lap and lost a spot. The second was a bit better because the track being a bit slower and more technical meant I could use my skills a bit better and slow down to a more comfortable speed. It felt a lot better.”