www.acu.org.uk / ISSUE 38 / SPRING 2016 / £3 Full Speed Ahead WIN EVENT TICKETS WORLD TRIALS MXGP NITRO CIRCUS DAINESE LEATHERS See inside for details OHLINS.EU OHLINSRACING OHLINSRACING OHLINSRACING ÖHLINS DTC • Gottlieb-Daimler-Straße 25, 53520 Meuspath • Tel +49 (0)2691-93 77 80 CONTENTS www.acu.org.uk / ISSUE 38 / SPRING 2016 / £3 Welcome to Sportmoto With another busy season ticket competitions to events ahead of us I’m happy to such as the World Outdoor welcome you to this Spring Trial Championship at Tong issue of the ACU Sportmoto which for the first time will magazine. With the off season feature the Women’s World seemingly getting shorter and Championship. There are also shorter each year, the season competitions to win tickets to Full Speed Ahead for many of you is already well the World Motocross Grand WIN EVENT TICKETS WORLD TRIALS MXGP underway in 2016. Prix at Matterley Basin and NITRO CIRCUS DAINESE LEATHERS See inside for details Following the International the jaw dropping and exciting successes of Tai Woffinden Nitro Circus Tour that will in Speedway Grand Prix, be taking place around the Danny Kent in Moto3, Emma Bristow in the country during the summer. Women’s World Trials, Team GB winning the We also have a fantastic offer for all ACU World Long Track Championship and many licence holders to receive a 25% discount off Issue 38 Spring 2016 others during 2015, the upcoming season is selected Dainese products at MCA Leicester SportMoto is published by the looking to be another great year ahead, with situated in the city centre with one lucky Auto Cycle Union Ltd many British competitors once again tipped reader having the chance to win £500 to ACU House // Wood St to do great things in their respective sports. spend in store. Rugby // Warwickshire CV21 2YX The following pages of the magazine I hope you enjoy the magazine and have a T: 01788 566400 previews a number of this year’s events and great season of racing F: 01788 573585 championships taking place up and down Ride Safe the country. There are also a number of Richard Blyth Advertising and design Mick Tonks The Ark Design & Print CONTENTS Pudsey Business Park 4 Message from the Chairman 34 250GP National 47 Kent Road Leeds LS28 9BB Championship T: 0113 256 8712 6 News M: 07710 287255 36 John McPhee takes F: 0113 256 8724 13 National Road Rally great steps www.thearkdesign.co.uk 2/3 July 2016 Editorial 38 Revitalising the Maxxis Richard Blyth [email protected] 14 New look for the ACU ACU British Motocross Track Racing Committee Cover picture Championship Bradley Smith Courtesy of Yamaha 17 My National Rally 40 Busy season of Independence experience Sidecarcross ahead SportMoto is published by the ACU for its members. All 18 ACU Trials preview 2016 ACU to improve the training rights reserved. No part of this 42 publication may be reproduced or of Motocross Marshals transmitted in any form or by any 22 Sprint Enduro returns means, electronic or mechanical, with a bang 44 World Championship including photocopying, recording Trials heads South? or any storage or retrieval Sidecar Enduro system without the consent 24 of the publisher. While every 46 Nitro Circus Live announces effort is made in compiling 28 What’s in store for the 2016 2016 UK return SportMoto, the publishers cannot British Grass Track season? be held responsible for errors or omissions. All opinions expressed 48 MCA Competition by the contributors do not 31 Grasstrack abroad necessarily reflect the opinion of 50 MXGP returns to the publisher. 32 Brits abroad Matterley Basin www.acu.org.uk SPORT3MOTO MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN Message from the Chairman Easter came slightly earlier One of the biggest coups venue, but nevertheless still all easily this year and for many we have announced for accessible for all the spectators. With www.kiska.com marked the start of the new a long time is the blanket Graham Jarvis once again in charge season. One of the highlights Road Traffic Act cover. After of the section building – and I guess of Easter was the Monday various discussions with our there is lots to construct for a world evening live coverage of Insurers, we have arranged level Trial – and John Kirwin actually Guy Martin’s attempt to set a blanket cover across the promoting the event we can be sure of a new world record on the whole Membership to cover an action-packed event. Our domestic largest Wall of Death ever any competitor, marshal series will have kicked off by the time made. A superb programme or Official signed on for an you read this piece and once again I am which saw Guy successfully ACU-permitted event which confident that the ACU British Trials achieve his ‘goal’ and nice to see will allow them to use any motor Championship is probably more open motorcycle sport get some fantastic vehicle in connection with the event for different winners than in recent coverage. For the non-motorcycling in areas of the event where the Road years. These rounds are spread right enthusiast, Guy Martin is now probably Traffic Act is deemed to be applicable. around the country so there will be one the most recognized name and face This is covered elsewhere in this issue near year in the next few months and I since Barry Sheene which can only be of Sportmoto in more detail, but as can assure you this is an excellent day a good thing as he takes motorcycling your Chairman, for me this is one of out! into homes that it may not have the best things we have done to help After a successful season last year previously reached… His achievement our valued Clubs and Promoters, which which saw Great Britain win the FIM even featured on the TV programme in turn assists riders at no cost to the World Long Track Team Championship Photo: S. Cudby Gogglebox, so I guess he’s now ‘made individual competitor or organizer. for the first time ever, the 2016 season it’. Guy won’t be at the TT this year as The first round of the 2016 Maxxis gets off to a great start with some high he has decided to participate in the Tour ACU British Motocross Championship profile meetings to get the season Divide – a mountain bike race which supported by Pro Clean took place at underway. The Ledbury Leader followed covers the length and breadth of USA Lyng on 21st March. The choppy soft by the Ken Melksham Memorial being from the Canadian Rockies down to the soiled circuit of Cadders Hill was where held at the Masters venue and then Mexican Plateau. it all went down as Great Britain’s finest the Kent Kracker, the High Easter Event visions of the road traffic regulations! ent available at additional cost. Obviously the winter period has motocross riders embarked on the 2016 followed by the Masters of Midshires, seen our Licence Department go title hunt where Monster Energy DRT there is plenty to look forward to for through their busiest period and I am Kawasaki’s Tommy Searle and Rockstar the Grass Track fraternity. pleased to say that in comparison to the Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Finally, to end on a really sad note, PODIUM same time last year, we have issued just Max Anstie were victorious in their we have learned that very recently over 500 licences more which is great respective classes. Martin Lampkin has sadly passed away news and shows that there is now more We now look forward to the second at the age of 65 after he lost a long money around for individuals to resume round at Canada Heights in Kent on battle with cancer. I have personally the sport of their choice now that the 24th April for more superb Motocross known Martin and Isobel from right PROVEN country has moved out of recession. action and already the 2016 season back to the seventies when we were The girls in the Licensing department looks like being a classic. The first big riding British Championships together. have excelled this year and I believe Roads meeting takes place on 16/17th Martin was always a professional in that we can record one of the quickest April at Olivers Mount, Scarborough his ‘no nonsense’ approach to Trials turnaround times in recent years. My where we will see a lot of the TT before continuing his role as Minder thanks go to everyone concerned. competitors sizing each other up and – and mentor for Dougie during his You may recall that the Board held getting themselves ready for the Isle of continuation of the Lampkin name as PERFORMANCE the insurance premiums that we charge Man in 53 days time. World Trials Champions. I am sure I say KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION to our Organising clubs at the same cost Of course Trials fans will be looking this for many that it was a pleasure to Equipped with race-winning technology, for some years to help Clubs through forward to the British round of the have known Martin and he will be sadly the 2016 KTM 450 SX-F Factory Edition comes the recession and then increased them World Trials Championship which missed. Please make no attempt to imitate the illustrated riding scenes, always wear protective clothing and observe applicable pro The illustrated vehicles may vary in selected details from the production models and some illustrations feature optional equipm last year. I am pleased to say that will feature at a brand new (for a WC I wish all our Competitors, Officials standard with unrivaled factory-level components.