Nobes takes honours in John’s special race (From Worcester News)

Nobes takes honours in John’s special race

4:00pm Saturday 18th August 2012 in Sport

THE Worcestershire Grasstrack Club finally got the John Webb meeting under way in memory of their late former president and chairman.

The day had to be postponed in July because of the wet weather and took some reorganising.

A few riders had to miss out on the new date due to other commitments but the meeting incorporated the ACU Under 21s Championship which had been set for Cornwall.

Because of a shortage of riders in the 250cc and 350cc classes, they were run together and provided close racing at the course near Cookhill.

Fifteen-year-old James Shanes gave the 350cc riders a run for their money and won the 250cc section.

Local rider Tim Curnock clinched the upright class, while Gerald Short edged out Calvin Palmer in a battle for the pre-75 category.

The restricted 1,000cc right-hand sidecars were introduced to the programme for the first time.

However, two riders had to cry off from the original scheduled meeting due to holiday plans and it is hoped to run the category again on Sunday, October 14.

The Buildbase Championship is open to national status riders and Colin Blackbourn and Carl Pugh, unbeaten in the heats, could not make the podium.

The favourites, Mark Cossar with Carl Blyth and Rod Winterburn with Liam Brown, found the going hard after a rainstorm with only the latter pair managing a heat win out of three.

In the John Webb memorial race, 10 riders were in the line-up with Evesham’s Tim Nobes and Harland Cook making headway.

Cook had a busy day, also riding in the 350cc event, but it did not stop him from pushing Nobes in the heats. David Rowlands scooped third place.

In the ACU Under 21s Championship, Tom Perry came from Scotland after his evening speedway meeting and proved the champion after going unbeaten in all his heats. Charlie Saunders had two victories under his belt with six points between the top three riders and won the final with Perry second and Georgie Wood third.

After points were calculated overall, Perry took the title for the third year in a row ahead of Saunders and Charlie Wood.

Solos, 250cc: 1 Shanes, 2 Colin Bird, 3 Trevor Clarricoats; 350cc: 1 Mark Taylor, 2 Chris Johnson, 3 Harland Cook; upright: 1 Curnock, 2 Nick Griffin, 3 Stephen Russell; pre-75: 1 Short, 2 Palmer, 3 Dave Meadows; restricted 1,000cc right-hand sidecars: 1 Adrian Morris and Daniel Husband, 2 Chris Walker and Dave Kieslinger, 3 Sam Snowden and Lewis Middleton; John Webb memorial final: 1 Nobes, 2 Cook, 3 Rowlands, 4 Tommy Crewe; 1,000cc right-hand sidecars: 1 Cossar and Blyth, 2 Winterburn and Brown, 3 Peter Lloyd and Sam Fumarola.