Midwest Husaberg UK Team Race Report - BXCC Round 3 at Canada Heights August 1st

The 3rd and final round of the ACU British Cross Country Championship headed to Canada Heights MX track in the south east of England. The sandy soil would be a different surface for the riders to contend with but it proved to be a little dusty due to lack of rain in recent months. The 5 mile lap that was full of interesting features and beyond the MX track, the course threaded its way through a wood over logs before bursting out into the sunlight for a mile of stubble fields around a mowed field & there was a rock pile with an easy and a hard route. The second half of the course was through another wooded section where the track was narrow & the surrounding vegetation held the dust in the still air. The 2.5 hour main race started at 1.30pm. Jason Thomas took the holeshot from Ashley Wood with Ollie Moyce in 3rd on his Midwest Husaberg UK, but as they rounded the second corner Ollie dropped his bike & the series leader Daryl Bolter collided with him. Neither rider was injured but Daryl broke his de-compression lever. Jason Thomas took the overall win with 13 laps, Dorren Coutts was the runner up on 12 laps and Daryl Bolter was 3rd with Ashley Wood in 4th & Ollie Moyce was 5th. Ollie said “We have had very dry weather leading up to this event and that has ironically proved to be its downfall. Normally Canada Heights holds up very well and is a joy to ride but nature decided today would be different. The track was laid out very well but because of the lack of moisture the whole lap became a 1 lined dust rut and no fun at all!

I had a good start in 2nd and then turning a sharp corner I pulled the front brake too hard and went down. I jumped back on in around 5th position and entered the tighter woods section where I sat in a cloud of dust following the person in fronts back wheel. After catching lapped riders and not even being able to pass them I continued to get frustrated with not being able to show my full potential and eventually stopped pushing with around 40 minutes to go, it was very annoying not being able to race properly but not anyone’s fault. Eventually finished 5th on the day but more importantly I finished the BXCC in 3rd overall in the championship class for Midwest Husaberg UK. Thanks Guys!”

Fellow Midwest Husaberg UK team mate, Tyson Maytom-Jones was racing this weekend with the possibility of winning the Expert class but circumstances made it hard work with a clutch problem in the first part of the race which was fixed and the just after halfway some rope got caught in the rear wheel and stopped the bike but fellow Midwest Husaberg UK rider Jamie Paget stopped and helped Tyson remove it and he went on to finish 5th on the day and win the Expert class by 1 point!

Further success was achieved by long term customers Alan James and Peter Neal who finished 1st and 2nd in the Over 50’s class.

Results

Pictures by Martin Harding

BEC Rounds 6 & 7 at Knighton, July 10/11th

Fresh from success at the UEM in Poland the Midwest Husaberg UK enduro team arrived in Wales for rounds 6 & 7 of the BEC in high spirits knowing that bike set up and rider preparation was ready for good results. The course was to be 3 laps of 45 miles with 2 special tests per lap which would lead to over 8 hours in the saddle. Currently 6th overall in the championship Ollie Moyce struggle to get the power of the 4 stroke down on the lush grassy fields of the special tests at the start of the day but as a line appeared and the grass dried up he improved on his times to get with in a couple of seconds of his rivals by the end of the day leaving him 4th in E2 class and 8th overall on day one. E3 team mate and fellow under 23 competitor, Jamie Paget again found the lush grass a little tricky for most of the day and was disappointed to finish 3rd in E3 class and 13th overall but hoped for drier test conditions tomorrow. In the ultra competitive Expert class where times were matching the championship class riders Midwest Husaberg UK rider, Arran Poolman having his first ever ride at the Knighton got to grips with the grassy conditions to finish 3rd in E2 class and 4th overall even after changing his rear disc on the going. E3 expert rider Tyson Maytom-Jones would have liked the conditions a little wetter as unusually for Wales it was very dry on the going with dust being a problem along the forest tracks, he finished 2nd in E3 class and 11th overall.

Overnight rain meant conditions were near perfect and with a line established on the special tests Ollie Moyce started where he left off at the end of day 1 with his first 5 test times matching the multi-British Championship winner Paul Edmondson and with Greg Evans making a mistake on time check gaining a 60 second time penalty and Tom Sagar out in the morning with mechanical problems Ollie could relax a little and was in line for his first ever championship class win but just as the pressure was off him he hit a bump on the third from last special test which throw him over the handlebars and cost him the win on the day. Afterwards Ollie commented, “I am bitterly disappointed for both myself and the Midwest Husaberg UK team who have worked so hard to get me to within sight of my first championship class win, but I am young enough to go on and try again and pleased with the fact that I put myself in the position of nearly winning the class and glad I never injured myself. I am looking forward the next weekend now and the UEM in Italy where I hope to continue my good positions on lately”. Jamie Paget improved on Sunday with commitment and achieved 2nd in class and 11th overall to maintain his consistent results. Determined to improve on the previous days results expert rider Arran Poolman pushed on and went one position better and gained 2nd in class and 3rd overall to give him his best ever results from a BEC round so far setting test times which would place him well in the championship class. Tyson Maytom-Jones was still struggling with steering issues and didn’t feel that confident to push on too hard on Sunday but equalled his results from Saturday and was pleased to finish and find out what the problem was and after investigation from the Midwest Husaberg UK technicians turned out to be a loose shim stack in the front forks giving him no damping and thus causing turning problems. Again all Midwest Husaberg UK team riders and machines finished both days of the event and are now all set to travel to the UEM in Italy this weekend.

Photographs by Martin Harding

European Enduro Championship, Poland 26/27th June 2010

All 4 Midwest Husaberg UK team riders Ollie Moyce, Jamie Paget, Tyson Maytom-Jones and Arran Poolman, set off for the long drive to Poland early Tuesday morning leaving the UK in record temperatures only to arrive in Poland to be met with heavy rain. This would suit the UK riders as they are used to riding in wet conditions but for the weekend the rain stopped and the course was in good condition. The course was to be 4 laps per day and featured only 2 tests per lap, one cross and one enduro but the first test on Saturday was scrapped as the timing system failed. A late start of 10am also meant that the last lap was cancelled so only 3 laps were completed by all competitors on day 1. All Midwest Husaberg UK team riders put in good test times and all finished the first day with no problems with Ollie Moyce finishing 3rd in class followed by Jamie Paget 11th, Tyson Maytom-Jones 12th and Arran Poolman 8th.

Sunday was to be 3 laps again but an earlier start of 9am was planned which suited all the riders. Again all Midwest Husaberg UK team riders rode well on day 2 with only Arran Poolman loosing coolant from his radiator forcing him to retire. Ollie Moyce made it another 3rd in class and made it to the podium for his best result ever followed home by an improving Jamie Paget in 9th and Tyson Maytom-Jones 16th. This was a very good result by all team riders and puts them in strong positions for the next round in Italy on 16/17th July.

The team returned to the Hafren enduro which staged a round of the WEC in 2008 under sunny skies, a far cry from 2 years ago when it rained the whole weekend. Full of confidence from gaining 2 ACU British Championships the previous week team riders set off Saturday morning for the first of two 45 miles laps and 2 special tests per lap, one an mx style course and the other an enduro test both very similar to the WEC event in 2008 only much drier, that said early tests proved slippery on the fresh grass until it was cut up and a dry line began to appear. Showing great form at the moment, as result of riding extra quality events such as the BESC, Midwest Husaberg UK rider Ollie Moyce rode his Husaberg FE390 consistently achieving top 6 positions in his test times closely battling with Ed Jones and Ashley Wood. With two back to back enduro and mx tests at the end of the day there was a lot at stake and as the course became drier the 4 stroke power proved ideal for Ollie and he powered to 2nd in E2 championship class, 1st Under 23 and 6th overall. E3 championship class Midwest Husaberg UK rider Jamie Paget took it couscous on the powerful Husaberg FE570 until the slippery grass cleared and achieved his best result of the year so far with 11th overall, 2nd in class and 3rd Under 23.

Expert class team riders Arran Poolman and Tyson Maytom-Jones had a good day with Arran achieving his best result this year in 3rd overall and 2nd in E2 class, Tyson was also second in his E3 class.

Sunday dawned with grey skies after overnight rain and the threat of rain saw some riders fit new front tyres as well as rear, but this made track conditions perfect with maximum grip available test times were even quicker than the previous day. Slightly less distance on the overall lap allowed the expert class to have one more test on the day bringing the total to 6 with the championship class again having 7 tests to complete during the day. Both championship riders Ollie Moyce and Jamie Paget had trouble free days with there Husaberg machines running faultlessly all weekend they achieved good results again with Ollie 3rd in E2 class and 7th overall, Jamie 2nd E3 class and 14th overall. Expert rider Arran Poolman fresh from his best result yesterday was looking to improve his position but bad luck was to happen when on the first lap he caught something in his rear wheel and broke 12 spokes. He struggled on to the service area where he removed the wheel and tyre then rebuilt it and continued for the remainder of the day losing 31 minutes but setting some of the fastest test times in his class. Fellow expert rider Tyson Maytom-Jones improved on his overall position claiming 11th and 2nd in E3 class, again a successful weekend for the Midwest Husaberg UK enduro team.

ACU British Enduro Sprint Championship May 29/30th rounds 5 & 6.
Photographs by Nuno Laranjeira

DOUBLE JOY for team riders Ollie Moyce & Arran Poolman who at the weekend claimed 2 British Championship titles between them in the Under 23 E2 and Expert E2 classes, and to add to the achievement fellow team riders, Jamie Paget & Tyson Maytom-Jones claimed runner-up positions in there classes of Under 23 E3 & Expert E2.

When the team arrived on Friday at the spectacular Saints Well farm circuit in mid Wales the track officials were watering the circuit due to a few weeks of extremely hot, dry weather in an effort to keep the dust down but there efforts proved unnecessary because the forecast of persistent rain for Saturday was correct and at 9 am the riders set out on a very demanding course which included an mx style area followed by an extreme section which included obstacles such as tyres, rocks and logs to negotiate and ending in a grassy off cambered hill side which would prove very difficult to ride. First away was Under 23 E3 Midwest Husaberg UK rider Jamie Paget on his FE570, now fully recovered from previous injuries saw him produce his best performances so far this year riding with new determination and confidence. Ollie Moyce was next away and knowing the championship would be decided this weekend and with a healthy lead in his class opted to ride with caution until the track became drier ending the day second in class but beating his main championship rivals. Expert E2 team riders Tyson Matom-Jones and Arran Poolman were in a close battle for honours in this class with both riders winning previous rounds this weekend would prove to be very interesting. The tall stature of Tyson and his trials riding skills helped him tackle the very slippery course with no problems taking him to a comfortable victory with Arran finding the wet conditions more difficult to deal with persevered to 3rd on the day making a gap of just 1 point between the two rivals and team mates going into the final day.

Sunday saw a completely different day with the sun shining and wind blowing the track soon dried and with the course running in the opposite direction to the previous day the pace of racing was much faster. Jamie Paget was again first away and with a good first days riding under his belt he continued to ride well and even ex 10 times British Enduro Champion Geriant Jones commented on how well he was riding finishing runner up in his class overall. Ollie Moyce was more determined to do well on Sunday and with the course drying his times improved rapidly and he eventually won his class comfortably and became British Enduro Sprint Champion Under 23 E2 class. The battle to see who would become Expert E2 champion was a 2 horse race between Midwest Husaberg UK team riders Tyson Maytom-Jones and Arran Poolman. Tyson prayed for more rain on Sunday but the drier conditions suited Arrans MX riding style allowing him to take the victory on the day and win the class championship, a second British title for the team. We would just like to take this opportunity to thank all our sponsors and helpers who have made this success possible.

Second place honours for Ollie Moyce in the Champ class, victory for Tyson Maytom-Jones in the Expert class!

The 1st round of the 2010 ACU British XC Championship was held at Chavenage on the 16th May, the skies were grey with a threat of the rain but the bright yellow fields of oil seed rape shone like sun and the 7 mile course was in excellent condition.

The Main 2.5hr race started at 1.00pm and Lewis Belfield took the holeshot closely followed by Midwest Husaberg UK rider Ollie Moyce and by the time he had disappeared through the hedge he had a good 50 yards lead. From the start the riders looped around a cambered field and then ran along the hedgerows to the first of 4 wooded sections and included an interesting addition to the dammed stream - a fallen tree. At the halfway point Daryl Bolter took the lead on his KORR KTM. The rain came & went in short sharp showers but it did little to cool the heat of the battle for 2nd between Ollie Moyce and Ashley Wood. The lead changed and then changed back again and as the event continued the stream crossing got deeper and the marshals had to remove a couple of sandbags to lower the level of the water. At 3.15pm - with 15 minutes to go - the heavens opened. The course greased up and the riders slowed down. Daryl held the lead from Ollie Moyce with Ashley Wood in 3rd and Jon Hinam in 4th all managing to complete 11 laps. Jamie Paget finished in 8th position on his Midwest Husaberg FE 570.

Midwest Husaberg's Tyson Maytom-Jones took the holeshot in the Experts ahead of Seb Dexter. Tyson never looked back and topped the Experts by over a minute despite picking up some rope in the rear wheel with James Burroughs in second and Seb Dexter third.

Picture by David Moyce

With only 2 days rest following the UEM enduro in France last weekend the Midwest Husaberg UK team headed north for the long journey to Lossiemouth in North East Scotland to compete in the re-scheduled rounds 2 & 3 of the BEC. Conditions were better this time as the event was cancelled in February due to heavy snow and the riders tackled the long, sandy, demanding tests which became extremely bumpy after nearly 14 hours riding over the weekend.

Championship E2 rider, Ollie Moyce improved on his first BEC results to claim 3rd in class on both days and 1st under 23 class. Ollie said

“I had a mixture of fortunes over the weekend. On the Saturday I struggled in the beach test getting past slower riders but pushed hard to finish 3rd in class and seventh overall, only a few seconds from 2nd. Whilst on Sunday I was having a better day but a lack of concentration meant that I crashed 3 times in the last Enduro test undoing all that hard work. I then had to give it everything to again finish 7th overall and 3rd in class but this time I was the fastest under 23 rider. It was a great event and well worth the 12 hour drive. My FE390 Midwest Husaberg did not miss a beat all weekend and I would like to say thanks to everyone who helped.”

 

Picture by David Moyce

E3 Championship contender, Jamie Paget had a difficult first day breaking off his gear lever but improved on day 2 to claim 3rd in class on both days. Arran Poolman Expert E2 rider had a good result on day 1 claiming 3rd in class but on the second lap hit a hidden tree stump and later had an x-ray to confirm 3 broken bones in his foot so couldn’t ride the second day. Tyson Maytom-Jones had a consistent weekend in the Expert E3 class finishing second on both days.

Following several weeks of good results the Midwest Husaberg UK enduro team arrived in France for the first round of the European Enduro Championships on Thursday.

The 9am start took the riders straight to the extreme/cross test then time check 1. From there it was in to the Enduro test which was un-timed on the first lap, then into Cross test2 and back to time check 2 in the paddock. The day was to consist of 5 x 52km laps with 3 tests per lap. All Midwest Husaberg UK team riders had good results on both days all scoring points in there classes. Team rider Ollie Moyce, who was the highest placed Husaberg rider said,

"I was very excited going into the first round of the European Championship in France as I had been riding well in recent competitions and was very comfortable with the FE390. The whole weekend went very well for me and apart from losing out on 3rd place on the 2nd day I had no major dramas at all. I was consistently up the front of the class with test times and even winning one or 2 which has done wonders for my confidence. I am now running joint 3rd in the points and will be hoping to improve on that in the next round."

Other good news was the team were 4th in the team event.

Rounds three and four of the 2010 ACU British Enduro Sprint Championship moved onto the Rogers Hill Raceway facility in Dorset this past weekend where once again great weather and a diverse and challenging course ensured some great racing in all classes.

With no rain for at least three weeks prior to the event conditions were extremely dry during Saturday’s round three giving all riders their first taste of genuine hard-pack conditions this season. Featuring one motocross track at the start of each lap, a wooded extreme section, a grass track section, and finally a second motocross track, the average lap time for Elite class riders on day one was over 11 minutes.

Ollie Moyce (Midwest Husaberg UK) and Ashley Wood were the two fastest riders in the Under 23 E2 class finishing comfortably ahead of third placed Joe Jones on day one. With Ashley setting the pace early on during round three Ollie soon got into his stride to enjoy a 17 second winning margin. On day two there was no catching Ollie as he finished one-minute clear of Ashley, who in turn placed one-minute up on Joe.

There was no question as to who the fastest Under 23 E3 class riders was as Daniel McCanney romped to two convincing class wins placing ahead of Jamie Paget (Midwest Husaberg UK), who overcame his hand injury, and Kieran Jones.

The battle for the top spot in the Expert S2 class was an all Husaberg affair as Midwest Racing team mates Tyson Maytom-Jones and Arran Poolman battled it out on both days with Tyson claiming the top spot at the end of round three while Arran got the upper hand after some committed riding during round four.

Ollie Moyce dominated the Under23 E2 class.
Jamie Paget, coming back from injury, scored two second places in the Under23 E3 class.
Tyson Maytom-Jones battled it out with team mate Aaron Poolman in the Expert E2 class.
While Maytom-Jones claimed the top spot in round 3, Aaron Poolman won it in round 4.

Report J. Edmunds, Pictures by Martin Harding.

Hewitt National XC Championship (Round 2) at Chavenage Farm on Sunday, 18th April organised by Midwest MCC
Report By Mike Wood, Photographs by Martin Harding and Jack Stringer

The super Chavenage venue, scene of last months successful staging of the first ever ACU British Enduro Sprint championship witnessed yet more action at the weekend as the Midwest MCC held the second round of their Hewitt National XC series. Once again a bumper entry was in attendance to tackle the very dry,undulating Gloucestershire circuit, with for the first time racing for Youth riders. The kids in attendance proceeded to produce some great competition after first witnessing Midwest Racing supported riders Ollie Moyce and Tyson Maytom-Jones score a great 1-2 in the main Adult event aboard their Husaberg machines.

Indeed it could have been total domination for the Midwest team as in the opening few circuits of the Experts Adult event,Jamie Padget was also keeping his teammates company up at the front until a re-occurrence of a recent hand injury was to eventually force him out on lap four. Earlier in the contest it was though the very experienced Ady Smith who had led the pack away to commence their three hour blast aboard his two-stroke KTM before dropping back to 5th spot. Another rider initially in contention for honours and producing some very impressive lap times was James Jackman until retiring on lap eight after his Yamaha lost all of its gearbox oil and seized. So,after passing Smith before the completion of lap one,the immaculate Moyce led all the way to the chequered flag,finishing two minutes ahead of his very determined teammate Tyson Maytom-Jones whilst third placed Darren Wheeler was charging hard and just a very narrow five seconds behind Tyson Maytom-Jones.

Great racing and great weather ensured that the British Enduro Sprint Championship got off to a memorable start.

The 2010 British Enduro Sprint Championship got off to a flying start this past weekend when the opening two rounds of the series took place at the spectacular Chavenage Farm circuit in Gloucestershire. Despite terrible weather during the days leading up to the event, come the weekend track conditions were perfect, ensuring great racing action in all classes.

As expected it was the Under 23 class that provided much of the weekend's best racing action. Competition was close at the top of the Under 23 ES2 class on day one with Ollie Moyce placing his Husaberg at the top of the class, just 15 seconds up on Mark Roberts while third went to Ashley Wood. On day two the same three riders finished in the same order at the top of the class with Moyce's winning margin a slender three seconds.

In the Expert ES2 class Aaron Poolman placed his Husaberg at the top of the class on both days, enjoying two comfortable wins in front of teammate Tyson Maytom-Jones.

The British Enduro Sprint Championship's next two rounds will take place at Rogers Hill Raceway, close to Bere Regis, Dorset on April 24-25. As part of GMC Events Ltd plans to expand the series the event will include the BESC's first Sunday-only Clubman class.

Pictures by Martin Harding

Raced at a club motocross on Sunday and ended up 3rd overall. I had forgotten how much different it is and in the first race I struggled with my arms pumping up and I felt I was down on power against the 450 motocross bikes so I ended up 5th.

After that race we decided to take the bung out the exhaust as it sounded like a hair dryer compared to the others anyway. This not only made it sound better J but gave it that extra edge up the straights. I had a better second race and came 3rd. I was a lot more confident for the last race and had a good start in about 5th and moved my way up to second and catching the leader when my hands decided they were tired and would not push any more, so unfortunately I had to settle for 3rd again but it was nice to overtake most of the field on an Enduro Bike haha.

Considering I was down on power, had softer suspension and was a bit rusty I thought it was a great day and a lot of people complimented on either my riding or the bike.

The 1st round of the 2010 Hewitt National XC Championship got off to a cracking start at Chavenage Farm near Tetbury on Sunday 21st February.

Overnight snow had dusted the fields with a light frosting. The sun shone but the air was cold. The Midwest team of Ollie Moyce, Jamie Paget & Tyson Maytom-Jones had organised a training session the day before & their first job on Sunday morning was to chip the frozen mud off their wheels.

The first through was Ollie Moyce ahead of Aaran Poolman, Jason Fraser & Jamie Paget.

By the halfway point the sun had begun to work it's magic & the course began to dry. The Chavenage course is very compact & a good crowd had turned out to support the riders. Ollie Moyce held onto the lead, closely followed by Jason Fraser but with less than 30 minutes to go Jason's new Suzuki ran out of petrol. He had only had the bike for 3 days & he wasn't too sure of the capacity. Ollie Moyce went on to take the overall win. He had enough of a lead to stop for a splash & dash on his last lap. Midwest team mate Jamie Paget did well to get so much out of his Husaberg FE 570 in such slick conditions.

After the event Ollie Moyce said that he hadn't had the best of starts & he had struggled with arm pump on the first few laps but it was probably the same for everyone. Once the course began to dry out he really enjoyed the ride & he was looking forward to the first round of the British Enduro Championship this weekend.

Results, Expert Class
1. Ollie Moyce (Husaberg)
7. Arran Poolman (Husaberg)
8. Tyson Maytom-Jones (Husaberg)

1st Rnd Eastern Centre Championship – Tunstall Forest

A cold misty and grey day in Tunstall Forest near Woodbridge did not dampen the enthusiasm. Over 160 riders entered this popular season opener in East Anglia with a strong national field doing battle with the local boys. A slight drizzle had decided to accompany the Midwest riders (Ollie, Jamie and Aaron) but this fizzled away after an hour or so.

The schedule saw us doing 6 laps of a 12 mile loop with each lap getting tighter on time. We had to ride a test on each of the first 2 laps and then another at the end of the day!

Photograph by Anthony (GRUD) Ridge

Special test action kicked off at the end of the first and second lap with a sting in the tail for the championship class with a final test after the 6 punishing laps. Local Woodbridge rider, Aston Bird out on a new 450 Kawasaki put the mark down for the Eastern Centre finishing the first test a second and a half ahead of HuskySport Husqvarna rider Si Wakely with Midwest Husaberg rider Ollie Moyce tucked in third place 0.4 seconds behind Wakely. After the second test things were even closer with Bird still in front but Moyce had the fastest second test a second up on Wakely with Bird a few hundredths behind. As the event moved on to the tighter laps Bird had a slender lead 0.9 seconds ahead of Moyce with Wakely a further 0.7 seconds adrift.

However disaster struck for Bird at the end of lap 6 – after the tight final lap required to be ridden in 28 minutes he clocked in a minute early – dropping him from the final special test shoot out. Moyce made no mistakes and again topping the test times, just over a second ahead of Wakely with Bird a despondent third on the test but dropping to eighth overall. This left local championship riders Chris Hockey Julian Harvey and Jamie Roper to slot into third fourth and fifth places.

New Midwest Husaberg UK team rider, Jamie Paget still adjusting to the big four stroke after riding a two stroke last year, started the day steadily and as the day progressed grow more and more confident which saw his test times improve to finish 7th overall with no penalty points incurred. Third Midwest Husaberg UK team rider Tyson Maytom-Jones was still away on a skiing holiday so his place was taken by Aaron Poolman riding in his first year of enduros after a motocross career who again managed the conditions very well and admitted there was still a lot to learn before he returns in 3 weeks time for a round of the British Enduro Championship.

Thoroughly enjoyable day and great practice for the Muntjac! Thanks to all sponsors and helpers

Results

• 1st - Ollie Moyce(2) - Midwest Husaberg 390
• 2nd - Simon Wakely (3) HuskySport Husquarna 250
• 3rd - Chris Hockey (1) Yamaha 250
• 4th - Julian Harvey (9) Aim KTM 250
• 5th - Jamie Roper (15) Yamaha 250
• 6th - Bradley King (11) Gas Gas UK 300
• 7th - Jamie Paget (10) Midwest Husaberg 570
• 8th - Aston Bird (20) Kawasaki 450
• 9th - Jason Morland (12) Jim Aim Racing 250
• 10th - Steve Mason (22) Yamaha 250
• 11th - Richard Roper (16) Kawasaki 250
• 12th - Aaron Poolman (25) Midwest Husaberg 450

Another Husaberg rider making his indoor enduro debut was British competitor Ollie Moyce. Competing in the event 'as a bit of fun' Ollie was unable to qualify into the finals but opted to try his luck in the night race. With the stadium lights turned off, and using only the headlight of his FE 390, Ollie started well, moved from second into first and claimed the win, much to his delight.

'I'm not the greatest trials rider and this was my first indoor, so I wasn't expecting too much. I got a good start in the night race and rode much, much better than I did in any of my other races. Maybe it was because it was just a fun race but I felt great. I moved from second into first and everything really came together for me then. I learned a lot during the event and really enjoyed it.' - Ollie Moyce

I travelled to the 2009 ISDE in Portugal with Kurt (my mechanic) in the van, meeting various other riders on the boat from Plymouth to Santander. After many games of bingo and watching magic shows we arrived in Spain at 11am the next day. Travelling through bright sunshine we made the 7-8 hour journey through Spain and into Portugal. Arriving a little later than expected we booked the caravan into the campsite and I went to meet the others at the team hotel where everyone looked fresh faced and ready for action. After a meal and a shower we had a good nights sleep ready to explore the area which would be our new home for the next 14 days.

Unfortunately the weather the following day was not on our side and we had very hard thunderstorms, delaying our test walking for a short period. After a few days of unpredictable showers it settled down and the sun shone.

After walking various sandy tests we decided we should get out on the test track which was a very deep sandy track of around 40 seconds long. It was a good indication of how the bikes would run and also how hard the week would be if the rider struggled in the sand.

Back to the pits with no problems and time to get the bike prepped for technical inspection the next day. We showed our documents and signed the papers at 5.30pm on the Thursday and our technical inspection was 9am on Friday morning. All bikes went through without problems although some needed to make small adjustments to their silencers.

The rest of Friday was spent walking tests and sorting bits out for the coming week.

Their was an opening ceremony held on Saturday night with a parade of all the countries teams, some speeches, the purple helmets did a performance and then some fireworks at the end.

Sunday is normally the day of rest but it is usual for most people to just go to the park ferme and check they have everything sorted and ready for the next 6 days. Then come back and chill out for a while.

It was nice to get off the start line and get going on the first day. The first check we rode out of town, over the bridge and to the first check in an industrial estate. This was then effectively the start of the lap. After leaving this check we rode around the corner, off the road and into the very deep, powdery sand test. It was great fun to ride but on the first day your start position is mixed up so there are many slower riders in front. I caught a German rider and whilst trying to pass him I crashed but I wasn’t going to let this get me down. Out of the test and into a long dry, hardpack and dusty check to the fuel.

Then another check but this was an Enduro test which was tight and rocky. Whilst coming off a drop off the bike stalled and in my rush to get going again I was twisting the throttle therefore it did not start for about 15 to 20 seconds. After the test we rode round the corner to the check. Then another check with a nice flowing sandy test at the end. My first test of the day was pretty good and a lot of fun to ride. Then it was back to the check in the industrial area for another lap. My tests on this lap varied with some being better and others not so good.

After the lap we rode back to the town but had to ride what was known as the KTM super test which consisted of a test laid out on the beach front with long straights and dunes of about 3 minutes long. Again this was great fun to ride but was so deep and powdery it was very easy to crash.

In my 15 minute work period I decided to change both the front and rear tyre because I was not happy with my choice of front tyre so opted to put an extreme hard on. All went well but my front spindle would not go in as hard as I tried. This was due to the quick release bolt inside the shaft heating up and expanding. I had to bodge the wheel in and fix it in the morning which I did with no problems.

Day 2 was the same course and tests as the first day and I knew that I had to step it up if I were to do well and get a gold medal so I did and had a much better day pulling myself up a lot of places. Finishing after 2 days, 7 seconds behind Si Wakely.
Unfortunately on this day Lee Edmondson’s clutch went and he had to retire, David Knight crashed and hurt himself and Jamie Paget had to change a barrel and piston to make sure he kept going.

Day 3 + 4

A new course and 3 new tests but this time it would be the going that was the hardest part of the day. For the last 10 minutes of the first check and the whole 30 minutes of the second check we had to ride over powdery sand about 10 metres wide which was great fun for the first lap but as you could imagine was horrendous by the end of day 4.
The first test was through some fields which had a rock hard floor like concrete making it tricky in the corners.
The second a test next to the beach but a harder type of sand and physically challenging, and the third a very rocky test with steep hills but ironically the most enjoyable of the lot.
I had some good steady days with no major incidents on any of the tests but crashed both days on the KTM super test back in the town.

Day 5

A totally separate day from all only using one of the previous 6 tests and this was the one with the concrete slippery corners. The other was next to a river which we rode to just after leaving the first check. It was nearly 9 minutes long and very tiring to ride especially so late in the week. The last check had 2 tests in, one being the previous days and the other a very deep sandy test.
I think I was more focused on making it through the day so stayed steady. I didn’t crash on the KTM super test so was pleased to end with a good one.

Day 6

The last day is renowned for being fairly easy and slack but due to the final motocross being more than an hours drive away we had 2 one hour checks to do in the morning which were not the simplest of rides.
Once we arrived at the amazing GP motocross track of Agueda we put our bikes in the parc ferme and waited for our race. I was in the second E2 race. We had a warm up lap and then got into the race which was a lot of fun for the first 3 laps until my arms pumped up and so I decided to back off but still enjoyed it. I was glad to finish the day and the week.

I finished in 77th place overall and got a gold medal.

Thanks to all the support crews and helpers at the ISDE!

Fresh from a European Championship round in Italy Ollie was keen to get back on the bike he was getting more and more to grips with. The Natterjack, run by the Reme team is always a fantastic event with a long Enduro test in the woods, an MX test in a deep sand bowl and long whooped out checks which take their toll on the entry. This year they had included some new sections including a vertical wall with an option of going up it or around.

Day 1,

At 10am the riders started, making their way to a check just before the MX test. This was a timed test but it had been un-ridden so there were no berms or lines. Ollie crashed twice in the test but stayed positive because he knew the course would only get better. Then it was out on a check which looped back around to the start of the Enduro test. This first test was untimed so it was a good chance to check out all the lines available. Ollie decided he would not even try the wall as his trials skills as yet are not sufficient enough. After the test it was time for the dreaded check over the other side of the road and then back to start another lap.
Upon arrival to the second MX test Ollie was ready to prove something and was having a great test until he caught his arm on the final tree before the finish causing him to crash and lose valuable seconds. Back round to the first timed Enduro test and Ollie made a mistake in the bog and fell off. His day was going from bad to worse with everything seeming to go wrong. He took 5 minutes in the check to assess what was happening and try to start again. This seemed to help as the rest of the tests in the day were much better and more consistent.
He finished the first day in 13th overall.

Day 2,

A 9am start for Sunday and a reversed course saw the riders making their way to the other side of the road first. The Enduro test was the same direction with a small alteration and the wall coming out. Ollie was keen to prove that he was better than the previous day and pushed hard in his tests. He enjoyed the day and had no major issues in any of the tests. He put in his fastest time of the weekend in the sand bowl on the last test of the day.
He finished the day in 8th position overall.

Kurt and I set off in the van and made the 15 hour journey to Castiglion Fiorentino in Italy for the final round of the European Enduro Championship. The start was situated in the middle of the town on top of a hill with amazing views all around. Upon arrival the weather was unsettled but by the look of the ground it had not rained seriously for quite a while.

The British contingency was all parked together and there was a great atmosphere with so many riders making the journey. By Thursday morning we had all been to the test track and the bikes were prepared.

There were 2 tests a lap, an Enduro test which consisted of a very rocky, technical riverbed and long fast straights and an MX test which weaved in and out of the final motocross track with soft powdery berms.

DAY 1,

We woke up to sunshine to everyone’s delight and it just got hotter all day. The Enduro test was untimed on the first lap but seemed to ride easier than first anticipated. Then there was a long check out to the first fuel stop. The next check made its way back through the mountains to the MX test at the end of the lap. This was meant to be timed but unfortunately for me the timing did not stop causing me to have the slowest time in class. Then it was back to see my old friend Kurt at the check who could also not understand having watched the test how I seemed to be 30 seconds slower than anyone!
After starting the next lap we came to the Enduro test again which was timed. I made a small mistake in the test and still felt like I was learning about my new FE390. The rest of the day was steady but I was slowly getting my confidence back. By that night my first MX test had been rectified but it seemed as if they had almost guessed a time for me.
I finished the day in 9th position, 16 seconds down on 8th.

Day 2,

I knew I was capable of going faster so I decided to leave my brain at the van in the morning. After the start of day 2 we went straight to the Enduro test again. My fastest day 1 Enduro time was 7 min 41 seconds so my aim was to get to the mid thirties. After coming through the end of the test, I looked at my time which said 7 min 24 seconds. From then on my times were considerably faster and my confidence grew all day.
I finished the day 6th in class (5 seconds from being 4th in class) and 7th overall after 2 days of racing.

Day 3, (motocross)

The motocross track was on the same dry, dusty field as the MX test had been. The women and vets were the first to race and it worked backwards to the juniors who were last. By the time I had my sighting lap there were areas of the course that were difficult to see past the front wheel. Woodsy (Ash Wood) and I lined up on the start gate together and waited for it to drop. I had a good jump out of the gate but didn’t quite get to the corner where I needed to be. After a lot of argy bargy the 8 lap race pretty much finished in the order you made it around the first corner due to the severity of the dust.
I finished in 8th position.

Thanks to all the support crews who helped out especially Deb Harvey who kept me, James Jackman and Julian Crimp in order.

Prior to leaving for the last round of the European Championship in Italy Ollie competed in a South Eastern Centre Enduro at Canada Heights.

With nearly the whole of the motocross track being used and a mixture of grassy fields and tight woodland it was a good way of getting used to the new FE 390. Confident with the new bike Ollie proved it was the right move and set both the fastest special test times of the day.

Throughout the day there were checks tight enough to make the riders lose a small amount of time but due to traffic it was difficult to judge who would get a clear run.

Most of the championship riders came in, dropping the same amount of time on the first tight check. This left one more tight check to go and Ollie was positive that if he only had a clearer run that he could put a minute or 2 on the rest.

During the last tight check came and Ollie came in dropping 2 minutes whereas everyone else dropped 3. He finished in 1st Position

“I really love riding here and the new FE 390 was incredible on every type of terrain. There was nothing I could fault about it. I’m looking forward to trying the new bike on the rocks in Italy. Big thanks to the Sidcup club for a great event and the clerk of the course for not being my mechanic for the day” -Ollie Moyce

Ollie at GBXC Round 7

I picked up my new Husaberg FE 390 the day before the event and went testing on a local motocross track and an Enduro loop. After the first lap of riding it I knew that this is what I had been looking for. The power was so nice and smooth, much more like a 250F. It was like it was on rails around the corners and however much I tried I could not fault it.

After this we headed off to the final round of the GBXC championship. Barry was kind enough to let me and Kurt sleep in his motor home and we were joined by Stuart and his wife Kelly.

The weather in the morning was overcast but dry and the morning race came and went with no real problems. I was all set for the start of the race and looking forward to seeing what the new bike could do. Unfortunately after half a lap I realised that my security bolt was spinning in the tyre so had to stop and put another one in. This was due to the fact that these were my old wheels which had been polished due to an earlier incident in the year.

I returned to the course some 15 minutes later and thought I would get some practice on the new bike. It performed superbly and I was really enjoying riding it. I stopped a few times to change the ignition curves to see how they were.

Apart from the small problem at the start of the race I had no further issues and am very happy with the bike.

Thanks to everyone at Midwest Racing for all of their help.

It took 21 hours driving in convoy with the car and van to get to Slovakia. On the way we stopped over night in Germany. The last leg of the route took us through the Slovakian A roads which have ruts in like a welsh forest. With an hour to go the phone rang and the car had a puncture. Somehow it wasn’t the person who was sitting over it who felt it because he had slept the entire journey (Mr Paget). After fitting the space saver we decided to look out for a tyre fitter on the way to the event. Luckily we asked a car parts shop and ended up in the back of someone’s garden with the wheel out and haggling the price. We ended up paying 30 euros for a used tyre, fitted and balanced but he wouldn’t let us leave without taking another tyre for free so we let him win and chucked it in the van for good measure.

Once at the event we spent the whole of Thursday walking the tests and scoping the area. Then Friday was the day of testing and getting signed in. Unfortunately this was also the time when Brad crashed whilst testing and injured himself. Everyone eventually got through the technical and we walked the extreme test once more.

Day 1.

1st extreme test was untimed. It was just over 2 minutes long through a gulley with a few logs and steep climbs. Then onto a fast and dry motocross test with some nice jumps. After a fuel check there was a long Enduro test through the woods. Dust was a big issue so check times were reasonably slack although some people thought they would follow the squirrel trail on the first check. On the first timed extreme test I managed to fall and get the bike to fall on top of me costing me to lose around 40 seconds. I pushed hard on the motocross tests and had pretty good times. My Enduro tests were not as fast as I had hoped but this will be addressed.
I finished in 11th position

Day 2,

By now all the tests were extremely dusty, technical and deep. My extreme tests were steady without drama and I again enjoyed the motocross tests with my times showing it. The Enduro test still had the better of me but a better day all round.
I finished in 7th position

Thanks to all the sponsors and wish Brad a speedy recovery.
Pics Martin Harding

The weekend started at 6am Friday morning when the Team left for the 4 hour drive to the Dyfi forest in Wales for rounds 4 & 5 of the BEC. On arrival at the paddock the team vehicle managed to make it into the gateway before getting stuck, the farmer was quickly on hand and towed us into the parking area. The weather forecast was to rain heavily during the night and not to disappoint the tradition of always raining in Wales the heavens opened and we awoke Saturday morning to wet mud everywhere. A-team riders Tom Sagar & Ollie Moyce were not at all phased by the conditions knowing this extra rain would sort out the men from the boys & B-team rider, Tyson Maytom-Jones, was also looking forward to more difficult conditions as his very long legs would be ideal for the hard work ahead.

First team rider away was Ollie who was on the same minute as Husqvarna mounted Si Wakely but when Ollie arrived at the end of the first of three 50 km laps he was on his own as Wakely had retired complaining of blurred vision & feeling un-well following a reaction to anti-flu & anti-histamine medication. The special test was awesome combining grassy fields, off cambered corners, stream crossings and wooded sections resulting in a 10 minute circuit. Knowing the long lap was going to be tough Ollie concentrated on cleaning the checks and setting steady test times, this plan resulted in finishing 8th overall and 5th in class on day one and was only one of 6 riders to not loose any penalty points on the time checks. A minute behind Ollie was team mate Tom who set off with multi-World & British enduro champion David Knight. Tom was looking to put behind him a run of injuries and bad luck, to get back to his winning ways, he completed the going all day without loosing any time, Tom’s plan was to go all out in the special tests and try his best to regain his British Enduro Championship title. His valiant efforts proved to pay off as he set the second fastest times overall with only Knight beating him at the end of a gruelling day 1. With moral high, joint team owner Simon Molter & Kurt Pringle (Ollie’s mechanic) went back to nearby Newtown with Tom and washed the bikes off. Following a stop at the local chippy for nourishment other joint team owner Graham Ward set about preparing the bikes for Sunday’s event.

A dry day dawned Sunday morning and with a forecast of no rain everybody looked forward to another good event. Championship contender Tom was in a determined mood looking to continue his previous days good result and with the course drying out pushed hard eventually finishing 3rd overall and again 2nd in class. A little disappointed he fell in the second test which allowed E1 rider Daryl Bolter to claim 2nd overall, Tom was still pleased that his championship hopes were still alive, he remain`s positive with his results and is looking forward to the final round in September. Ollie found that his efforts from Saturday took there toll on him and felt a little “off the pace” but he persevered and finished 12th overall and 6th in class, but the team put this down to the fact that he lost his favourite pink fluorescent goggles the previous day and spent too much time looking for them whilst riding during day 2!

The teams next event is the GBXC on August 9th where Tom hopes to wrap up the championship with one round to go. Thank you to all team members and sponsors for there help. Photographs by Martin Harding

The ACU Trials and Enduro Committee are pleased to announce the ACU British Trophy and Junior Teams for the 84th ISDE to be held in Figueira da Foz Portugal during the second week of October this year.

The Junior Team remains the same as last year and made up from a group of rising enduro stars, Lee Edmondson, Ollie Moyce, Ashley Wood and Jamie Paget.Ollie Moyce continues to perform well, and should be the junior team member to beat after finishing top junior last year.

The 4th round of the GBXC was held in Devon and was a brilliant venue for racing with the weather holding off all day.

Ollie had a poor start and was nearly last around the first corner. After the first few laps he was running in 12th position and seemed like he couldn’t go any faster or catch the guys in front but this was due to excessive arm pump and slowly faded leaving Ollie with full strength to start his attack on the field. He pushed hard in the latter stages and ended up finishing the race in 6th overall and 5th in class.

“The race started badly for me as I was nearly last off the line due to such a quiet engine it is hard to know when it has started with all the other bikes around. I then had to get through severe arm pump and pushed hard towards the end of the race. I really enjoyed it though and am working hard in preparation for the next one.”

Thanks to Midwest and all the sponsors who support the team.

Having not ridden an event for 6 weeks or more due to an A/C separation (shoulder separation) Ollie Moyce was itching to compete again and decided to do so in the 4th round of the South Eastern Centre Enduro Championship at West Harting Down.

Upon arrival there was a downpour lasting for a good hour which would make the already slick course more like a welsh Enduro.

It was a roughly 10 mile lap and every lap was a check, completing 1 test on each of the first 2 laps. Ollie decided it was a good idea to turn his mapping switch down to smooth and he set the fastest time on the first test by 4 seconds. On lap 2 he continued to be fast and took another 3 seconds off his previous test leaving him in the lead with the rest of the checks to go.

It is normal for the SEEC to try and take at least 1 minute from the entry at each event so with the conditions it was going to be tight. Ollie was slightly sceptical in the first tight check worrying about his newly healed shoulder and probably didn't push as hard as he could have. He dropped 5 minutes and was still in the lead. After another slack check there was one other tight check and Ollie was feeling better about the course and himself. He narrowly missed out on cleaning the check but was happy with the day.

"I had a fun day racing and I am really glad to be back on my bike again. I knew it was going to be slippery so I just adjusted the power to suit. It was a great event and am looking forward to my next" commented Ollie.

Bob Mullins
enduronews.com

On the original staging date for the opening round of the 2009 National Hewitt XC series back in February, eight inches of snow covered Chavenage, a venue that has endless potential and which sits in a gorgeous Cotswold valley with Gatcombe Park, the royal residence of HRH Princess Anne in the distance. For the re-staging of this Midwest MCC promoted event on Sunday though,there could have been no greater contrast in conditions as warm, Spring like sunshine greeted the truly fantastic 307 strong entry, again proving the immense popularity of not only the Hewitt series but also XC racing in general. At most venues, an entry of this size would create congestion, but such is the fast, flowing nature of the vast Chavenage expanses with its combination of motocross style blasts and open wooded sections that a majority of riders managed to comfortably complete the three hour blast with little difficulty. Once again Midwest MCC produced a quality event for their entry and so it was therefore rather fitting that the eventual top Expert honours in this Hewitt opener should be claimed by one of their main team riders, Ollie Moyce. However the Husaberg rider certainly had to work overtime for his win, snatching victory on the final lap of the event following a thrilling tussle with Matt Ridgway.

 

Right from the start, Matt Ridgway had been the early pace-setter, forging an advantage ahead of Ollie Moyce before the latter eventually hit the front. Then, came the first moment of drama as Ollie Moyce stopped to refuel in the parc-ferme. Whilst filling up, Ollie Moyce lost his balance and was trapped under his machine with the fuel spilling onto his race clothing.

 

Once upright again, Ollie regained his composure before racing off in hot pursuit of Ridgway, lap by lap reeling him into his sights. With just one lap remaining, Moyce had finally caught the Suzuki rider, locking him into his sights, and the battle of the young guns was well and truly on. On that final lap though came the race deciding moment in the only wet, muddy area of the entire circuit. On the exit from a rutted stream crossing, Matt Ridgway spun off and so close was the charging Moyce that he was unable to avoid collision, falling on top of his stranded rival. In the battle to remount, Moyce was quickest to climb aboard his machine and regain traction before blasting off to take the win.

Simon
FastEddyRacing.com

The warm spring weather & a new 3.5 mile lap in perfect condition attracted a field of 160 riders to the Garden of England this weekend for a Putoline Fast Eddy non championship event at Lodge Hill camp, Chattenden. In the Youth race "little Ed" Jack Edmondson took the overall win on a 65cc & Jake Deacon was the runner up.

 

In the Adult race Ollie Moyce - on a Midwest Husaberg - took the lead from the second corner & held it to win by a clear margin of 5 minutes. The battle for 2nd place between Richard Ely & Nick Ames came down to a dash for the final corner with Richard snatching the runner up award, Veteran Peter Clark kept pace with the Experts to complete 18 laps & finish was 4th. Fellow vet Graham Farquer was 5th. After the race Ollie said "The event was very good due to the course layout and how good the weather has been. It was really enjoyable".

Ollie Moyce got a 5th in the E2 class and 8th overall.

 

Today Ollie took part in Round 1 WoodbridgeMCC - Tunstall Enduro and got a second place finish only losing first place to Si Wakely by one second.

Just uploaded some photographs of Ollie Moyce from Sundays REME 5hr Enduro at Weavers Down (Longmoor Army Camp). To view photographs click