Edward Kennett showed exactly why he was out and out favourite to retain his British Upright Championship crown, by doing just that as he stormed to 5 straight wins as the Smallbrook stadium last night.
On a night when the only rain cloud in the UK perched itself firmly over the Island, Kennett showed that he has lost none of his class as he cruised to the title.
Whilst Kennett was having things his own way, there was plenty going on behind his in the less that far from perfect weather conditions.
With races staged over three laps, the first race produced plenty of passing between Sean Bickley,
Felton passed Bickley for the final time to lead as they went over the line, however the flag marshal put out the final lap flag and the referee immediately put the red lights on, correctly giving the win to the former Stoke Potter Felton.
Kennett duly won heat 2 in a fast time of 57.9.
Wayne Broadhurst showed his liking for the conditions by winning heat 3 before flying Australian Nigel Flatman won the forth.
Kennett made it two out of two beating Ben Phillips in the 5th before Flatman won the sixth after a good tussle with Daniel Owen.
However disaster struck the Felixstowe Flyer, Flatman’s bike completely seized after the race had finished, ruling him out of the rest of the meeting.
Heat seven saw Broadhurst beat Bickley and then Felton also joined the leader board winning his second race.
Heat nine saw Broadhurst head the leader board as he beat Phillips to move onto nine points, he was the joined by Kennett on nine as he comfortably won the tenth.
By now the rain was in driving force, sweeping across the circuit, but the riders to their credit were happy to continue.
Bickley got himself back in contention by winning heat eleven, before Felton joined Broadhurst and Kennett on nine points by winning the twelfth heat.
Phillips gave himself a shot at a rostrum place by winning heat thirteen, before Broadhurst made it four win on the bounce taking the fourteenth.
Kennett joined him taking heat 15 from Bickley and Felton did likewise in the sixteenth.
With one round of races left we had three riders all on 12 points and they were all due to meet in the final heat!
Phillips took his tally to eleven by taking heat 17 and Martin Stacey moved up to nine winning the 18th
Heat nineteen saw Bickley go it alone as his three opponents had all been forced out with mechanical issues, moving him up to 12 points and still in with a chance of the podium.
So it all came down to the final heat, Kennett shot into the lead, but the race had to be stopped after Broadhurst took an awkward looking tumble on turn two and was disqualified from the re=start.
Kennett made his customary flying start to retain his title with Felton taking the runners-up position.
Broadhurst fall meant that there was to be a run-off for third place between him and Bickley, but with track conditions now making the track unfit to continue, the race was not staged and Broadhurst four raced wins meant that his was technically third but the position was shared.
The British Woman’s Championship, was a bit more straight forward and saw a new champion as twice winner Katie Gordon was pushed into second place by the highly entertaining and deserving winner Rachel Hellowell.
Hellowell, stormed to an excellent unbeaten four wins to take the title with 12 points Gordon’s 9 points giving her second place.
Talk of the town and the Island though was third place Tia Brant, 15 year old Tia from Worthing has only been riding the 500cc machines a matter of weeks and recorded 6 points, comfortably beating twice runner-up Steph Whitlock from the Island into 4th spot.
Anastasia Sallee finished 5th.
All in all, 25 heats of racing was staged within 90 minutes before the rain made racing too difficult, an achievement in itself and once again full credit must go to the staff and volunteers for doing such an excellent job.
Images courtesy of Sportography
