Report & Results – Nutcracker Grass track meeting

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Julie Rodman reports on a record entry for the Nutcracker Grass track meeting last weekend

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Report & Results – Nutcracker Grass track meeting

The perfect recipe for a great days racing, engage two very enthusiastic organisers, add music, gain the help of a commentator who oozes charisma and enthusiasm for bike racing, add more music, find a suitable cricket pitch to ride around then add a couple of commissaires and find an enthusiastic crowd fueled by Yorkshire beer. Add a record entry of riders What do you have …….. Nutcracker Grass track meeting!

The above didn’t disappoint at all, even though the worst of the conditions were thrown at them this weekend. Damp conditions made the track heavy going, so riders had to choose the correct gears accordingly. It was good to see a. Good mix of experience and youth riding the events. Also encouraging to see new faces out there.

First senior event up was the National 8km scratch race. Youngster Joe Clarke Fenland Clarion being the first to make a move at the front, shortly followed by Nick Barnes they joined together on lap eight of the twenty two lap race.
With seven to go Ryan Whatmaugh sensed the danger and bridged the gap to them which triggered the rest of the field to take notice that medals were slipping away from them.

They were joined with a few laps remaining by Jack Duffy Cottingham Coureurs and the very experienced Ben Elliott VC St raphael.

This was to be the decisive break and on the final lap Ben dug deep into his reserves and pulled off a well deserved win by a bike length from a very close finish with Ryan Whatmaugh Team Terminator taking the silver and Nick Barnes taking the bronze. Jack Duffy taking fourth and Joe Clarke with a credible fifth place I don’t think it will be long before we see these riders with medals around their necks. Alan Peet making up the top six places.

1. Ben Elliott VC St raphael
2. Ryan Whatmaugh Team Terminator
3. Nick Barnes zepnat
4. Jack Duffy Cottingham Coureurs
5. Joe Clarke Fenland Clarion
6. Alan Peet VC Raphael

We then saw a rapid points race with Nick Barnes breaking away again with Joe Clarke, and Tom Seaman from the promoting club Nutracker RT. Nick taking the win from Joe and Tom.

The ladies and youths raced together for the omnium with a good tussle coming from Ben Turner Dinnington and Mark Donovan beacon Wheelers, it must be a thing about yellow and black kits going fast today, they were head and shoulders above the rest with Mark McMurdo Team Vertex third.
1. Ben Turner Dinnington CC
2. Mark Donovan Beacon Wheelers
3. Mark McMurdo Team Vertex
4. Joe Parker East Bradford CC
5. Alistair Lloyd Richmond CC

The ladies had a close competition with Katie Lucas Beacon Wheelers getting the better of ever experienced Lyndsay Clarke Fenland clarion with Katy Ross Hetton Hawks third.

1 Katie Lucas Beacon Wheelers
2. Lyndsey Clarke Fenland Clarion
3. Katy Ross Hetton Hawks
4. Penelope Kingsland Beacon Wheelers
5. Zoe Forbes Giant Sheffield

The riders just about got their breath back when the heats were drawn for the National Short distance series. The favourites all progressed to the semi finals with no surprises the rest to the reps, with three going through and a fastest second place. This set up two fantastic semi finals with VC St Raphael riders abundant in heat two with four of them riding. Riders going into the final were: Rowan Elliott, Lewis meadows, Ryan Whatmaugh, followed by heat two top three, Andy Leveton, Dave Heald and Nick Barnes.

The final set off at a blistering pace with Andy Leveton taking a spectacular win from team mate Rowan Elliott with Dave Heald in third, to make it a VC Raphael 1-2-3.

1. Andy Leveton VC Raphael
2. Rowan Elliott VC Raphael
3. Dave Heald VC Raphael
4. Lewis Meadows Cottingham Coureurs
5. Nick Barnes Zepnat
6. Ryan Whatmaugh Team Terminator.

Final event was the devil takes the hindmost which went on for ages, after the riders had Agreed to one out a lap!
A well deserved win for the longest travelling rider, John McClelland Bush Healthcare, from Nick Barnes Zepnat and Paul Whatmaugh shepherds cycles.

The customary Richmond cobble was won by Teesside CC from Ferryhill Wheelers in a close fought battle over three laps.

Certainly a cracking event, well done to all who took part, if you didn’t enter you need to, burgers, hotdogs, friendly banter and a great family day out, you can even take your dog! See you all next year.

 

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