www.acu.org.uk / ISSUE 34 / SPRING 2014 / £3 Bumper Year Ahead Win Win Win Free Tickets see inside Win the latest Arai MX-V Helmet Discounted BMF show tickets Discounted parts from R&G Racing CONTENTS www.acu.org.uk / ISSUE 34 / SPRING 2014 / £3 Bumper Year Ahead Win Win Win Free Tickets see inside Win the latest Arai MX-V Helmet Discounted BMF show tickets Discounted parts from R&G Racing Issue 33 Winter 2013 SportMoto is published by the Auto Cycle Union Ltd ACU House // Wood St Rugby // Warwickshire CV21 2YX T: 01788 566400 F: 01788 573585 36 Advertising and design Mick Tonks The Ark Design & Print Pudsey Business Park 4 Editors Comment 28 Grasstrack 47 Kent Road Leeds LS28 9BB T: 0113 256 8712 5 Leader from the 32 Drag Racing M: 07710 287255 F: 0113 256 8724 Chairman www.thearkdesign.co.uk 34 Supermoto Editorial Richard Blyth [email protected] 6 News 36 Sidecar Cross Cover picture Matt Winstanly 13 National Rally Styleimages Photography 38 MXGP Competition Independence SportMoto is published by 14 Serious Incident Quads the ACU for its members. All 40 rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or 16 TT Preview transmitted in any form or by any 42 Maxxis So Far means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording World Trials - Penrith or any storage or retrieval 18 43 GT Cup system without the consent of the publisher. While every effort is made in compiling 20 Trials 44 Arai Helmet Competition SportMoto, the publishers cannot be held responsible for errors or omissions. All opinions expressed European Extreme by the contributors do not 23 46 BMF Show Discount necessarily reflect the opinion of the publisher. 24 Sprint Enduro 48 R&G Discount www.acu.org.uk SPORT3MOTO EDitor’S COMMent Editor’s Comment Motorcycle sport turns the corner. With the new season just beginning to take activity, it is also great to hear that a number of shape, it is great to see the excitement building clubs are reporting increased numbers of entries around each sporting discipline and the various for their events across all our disciplines. In the championships. Off-Road sports, Motocross are reporting higher Following the fantastic successes of 2013 – numbers of entries for its’ main championships which saw Great Britain boast no less than six along with improving numbers at grass roots individual world champions and the Women’s events as well. triumphant team who won the Trials Des Nations, On the Road Racing side, the new Basic Rider British Motorcycling has a lot to be excited about Assessment which has recently been implemented for the coming year. Although it is not only at the for riders looking to take out a Road Racing top level that we have plenty to be excited about licence for the first time has seen a large increase with the early signs showing that 2014 could be a in the number of new Road Race competitors. good year at all levels of competition. Combining the Rider Assessment with the The early months of 2014 have seen an classroom based activity has proven to be a very increase in licence numbers for the coming year, popular and positive step. with as much as a 5% increase at the end of Following the terribly wet winter which saw March. Other interesting movements show that a large swathe of the country either flooded or since the launch of the online licencing system, incredibly wet, it is hoped that the spring and 65% of all ACU competition licences and Trials summer months will continue to bring much better Registrations are now processed by competitors weather and help to produce a number of top renewing or applying for their licence in this way. quality events up and down the country. This has a massive difference to the output as the Another positive is the increased interest in online process is much quicker and easier for the events with spectator numbers also on the rise Licencing Staff to manage. as well. The opening two rounds of the Maxxis Away from the licence increases, more and ACU British Motocross Championship at Landrake more of our clubs are using the Online Event and Lyng both featured strong crowd numbers, System which allows riders to quickly and easily showing the sport is hopefully on the increase enter events around the country in a matter both in terms of those competing and those of minutes. So far nearly 50 clubs have used wanting to come and watch. the system to help with the successful running So all in all, a positive start to the year – of over 125 events. With the Online Event an exciting time of the year now that all our System handling a large bulk of the paperwork disciplines have just got underway. With a long requirements for the clubs, this allows more time season ahead, we hope that you have a successful to be saved in the lead up to events and allows and enjoyable for all riders, clubs and officials. Organisers to concentrate on other matters. Ride Safe With licences figures showing an increase in Richard Blyth SPORT4MOTO www.acu.org.uk LeaDER FroM THE CHairMan Leader from the Chairman For some time now, the ACU have been I was particularly pleased with our first “Open engaged with the MSA in doing some work in Day” which took place towards the end of March. pushing successive governments to empower local The idea was to open our doors to show our authorities with the right to suspend the Traffic Act members who do not have the opportunity to visit without having to resort to an Act of Parliament. the building which has affectionately been called Should such an amendment to legislation happen, “ACU Towers” in the past. I am pleased that over this would open up the way for competitive motor a dozen members were able to see the busy office sport events such as Road Race events, sprints in full function and to prove that all our staff are and hill climbs to take place on a limited number approachable and there to help. We have had of British roads as currently happens now across some very positive responses since and this will be most of mainland Europe – and of course – closer repeated again later in the year if you missed the to home we only have to look at the Isle of Man opportunity last month. and Northern Ireland. I would just like to finish by saying that the By the time this edition of Sportmoto is MSA have now appointed a new Chief Executive issued, I hope that as many of our competitors – Rob Jones. Rob was their General Secretary and officials have responded to the positive for a number of years and held the position of consultation process put in place by the Acting CEO for a number of months before his Department of Culture, Media and Sport. This is an appointment was recently confirmed by the exciting time for both two and four wheeled sport MSA Board of Directors. I have had a couple of and now is the time for us all to pool our resources meetings with Rob already and I am pleased to say and come together and support this government that moving forward the relationship between the backed public consultation as competition on MSA and ACU carries on in the positive manner we closed roads is a step closer. had with Rob’s predecessor – Colin Hilton. There There is a real positive air at the moment and are a number of issues that affect both two and I believe we have turned the corner on the last four wheels which I am confident we will strive few years of economic gloom. Certainly, so far as to address in unison which will in turn provide a licence numbers are concerned, we appear to have much more effective voice for motorsport rather more licence holders who have renewed their than each organisation tackling these matters licences than this time last year. I know for sure in isolation and the recent work carried out on that the number of Road Race first time licence ‘motorsport on closed roads’ goes some way holders has increased significantly which is a good to demonstrate the effectiveness the voice of indication that the participant side of the sport is motorsport can have when we work together. on the increase. The season has already started and may I wish I knew it was going to be a good start to the all our Organisers, competitors and Officials a year when the 2014 edition of the ACU Handbook successful and safe 2014 campaign. was produced and distributed electronically before the Christmas break – now that has to be some Brian Higgins kind of a record !! Chairman www.acu.org.uk SPORT5MOTO NEWS Tom Sagar Champions come together to Celebrate the ACU Awards On Saturday 25th January the ACU collect the Award from Tony Lloyd of held the annual Awards Presentation the Sunbeam MCC. at the Park Inn Hotel in Northampton. Other stand out winners were Tom During the course of the day nearly Sagar who collected his awards for Zach Wajtknecht 500 people attended to celebrate the winning the FIME E2 Championship, achievements of both Youth and Adult along with the British Enduro riders from all disciplines of the ACU. Championship and ISDE Gold Medal. Hosted by Peter York from Coventry Also present at the awards was Zach Speedway, the Youth Awards took Wajtknecht to collect his award for place over the lunchtime to applaud the winning the FIM Track Racing 125cc achievements of our future stars from Gold Trophy for the second year the sports of Trials, Motocross, Quads running.