Greeves Championship 2016

[griffon380]

Hey Kim, looking forward to the report and video from the last meeting Hope all went well?

Was the camera turned on

[Kim275]

Greeves Championship Round 12 of 13 MAylandsea race report

Here comes the race report - Late - mainly due to racing commitments (racing an 8 tonne 40 ft yacht - life is tough !!....But back to Maylandsea -

Wow - what a brilliant Greeves Championship round. Difficult to know where to begin. Location and track - superb - weather good - racing fast and furious and one of the largest entries - around 30 Greeves going across the line ...
and indeed a very long start line - helping a Gaggle of Greeves to make it round the first bend without (much) incident !!

Where to start is maybe a reminder of the comraderie amongst competitors and supporters of the championship.....My day was nearly over when my (badly non prepped race bike due to work family commitments et etc) - meant I discovered a cracked gear lever and a lost headstock bolt before scrutineering.......Thanks to Geoff Nunn, Paul Valentine (Matts Dad) and Matt McCulloch for their spares and assistance - enabling me to race.

I managed a pretty good day 5th 7th 5th .......but the pace and racing up front was amazing....as filmed by Matt Valentine... Race 1 - Matt has a great battle first with his old mate Ricky Widdowson (in black) and then Jos "The Kid" 507 - who was flying on his QUB.....GAry had cleared off up front - and Matt Mcculloch ended 2nd (you can see him towards the end). Matt Valentine fighting thorugh for a hard earned 3rd place.........
Heres all the action on this link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuUjUMB-bOI

Onto the final race of the day -
Its MAtt McCulloch into the lead - Matt V nips past Jos "The Kid" - then enter Gary Smith in 3rd place pushing Matt.....All goes well until close to the end when Gary forces a move from the outside on a left hander........


In the end Gary wins as MAtt McCulloch comes off on the last lap ......

Later I will post my video - I end up 5th but from much further back in the field ...and you will see Matt V and then Matt M on trackside after their off's .....and you will get a good view of some of the racing thorughout the field......Enjoy More later

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1iAwu_5Z1c

ANd now here is my video of the same Race 2 - as you see I tried to show the number and variety of Greeves in this race........and then I get an awful start - but helped by the long start straight manage to recover to 9th position behind - Julian Smith - on his Challenger (multicolour horizontal striped top)...after battling past Julian - and then newbie MArk Larter on his twinport Griffon ..going well...it was onto catching Des Burton (blue and white hoops) - on his QUB........well I caught him 3 times - but failed to get past - due to pilot error - gear misses etc...but all in all a fun race...Note of course Matt V and Matt M sidelined - giving Des a 4th I think and me a 5th ..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wE_LA_vjYj4

Its all hotting up for a big finale at MArks Tey on the 18th October - where we are expecting a return of McCoster - to style things up for us...(get the big main jets out boys - we are due a fast layout there...)

Cheers Kim

[Brian Catt]

Kim, can you post up the Championship scores, so I know who might take the honours? Main reason is to select pics to go to LL.

[Kim275]

Results and positions after Round 12

here you go
Cheers Kim

[Brian Catt]

Thanks Kim......any chance of a better quality so I can read it????

[Kim275]

Hi Brian - sorry - no - I wasted about an hour yesterday trying all sorts of formats to come under the attachment limit - and GIF was the only one that worked......... here's the picture though using good old fashioned copy and paste
Gary Smith has an unassailable lead (i believe)
Matt Mcculloch same for second

Other riders up for overall honours (minor placings will swap around depending on both last race and also how many points to drop (we drop worst round)
Gary Smith 558
M McCulloch 483
J Smith 395
J Goddard 394
M Larter 333
Graeme Smith 328
K Morley 319
M Valentine 316
R Widdowson 294

Griffon Class

Gary Smith 558
M McCulloch 483
J Goddard 394
M Larter 347
K Morley 338
M Valentine 319

Challenger Class
J Smith 503
A Green 319
R Wiseman 292
B Keymer 285
C McCoo 125
G Hayward 72

Hawkstone Class
A Dickerson 286
J Asprey 204
J Runnacles 98
D Oliver 90
J Smith 58
G Hayward 24

[Brian Catt]

Thanks Kim, that has helped me no end. Piccies will be despatched to cover the top runners in each class and we can probably sort out the winners at Marks Tay.

[johnu]

Thanks Kim, report and video always appreciated

[Brian Catt]

From the Sec of Meeting:
Would you mind posting a message to alert everyone that at Marks Tey on the 16th the Greeves championship races will be the first and second races, not the second and third as usual. The organisers want to wrap up the championship in the first half of the meeting so as to be able to present the trophies in the lunch interval. 30 entries so should be some good racing.

[Kim275]

Here we are - The final Round of the Greeves Championship tomorrow

Here we go - tomorrow is the final round of this years mammoth season - which has taken Greeves all over the country - well a few counties - from Middlesex, Essex, Northamptonshire, Northants Lincolnshire borders all the way to Cumbria and back.

Big thanks to Dave Harper and Geoff Nunn for all the hard work organising - doing the lapscoring, results , fixing our bikes when they have broken - to Terry Sewell for Sponsoring and providing valuable spares and consumables along the way. To Craig McCoo and BluMArine for his support of the Nostalgia - which put the Greeves Marque firmly at the forefront of Classic Scrambling - where it belongs.

And to all the riders regular and new, from around the country from deepest Somerset to Northern Ireland for travelling far and wide providing close competitive racing at all levels throughout the field. We always mention those who are competing neck and neck at the front - but we should put in a special thanks to those who enter just for the sheer fun of riding their Greeves around a scrambles track at whatever level of ability or age. There is no other championship that enables 18 year olds to have so much fun racing with those who actually raced Greeves when they were new !!

It has been noted here that in the last couple of years Classic racing entries are down on the Noughties haydays - well I can guarantee that tomorrow the Greeves start will be packed with over 30 riders, with Hawkstones, MDS's Challengers, Griffons and specials whilst some other classes will be less than half that number.

Thanks also to our Greeves enthusiasts including GRA regulars, family friends. ex riders, ex factory workers who turn up and support the riders - I will mention no names - you know who you are - and the riders appreciate the support and we hope we have entertained you all.

See you all on the line tomorrow! Come along for yourself tomorrow and see what it is all about. Feel free to wander the pits and see the bikes, chat to the riders - I am race no 275 .
If you happen to own a BSA, CZ , Bultaco or Husky and you want more company on the race track and fun in the pits - you know what you need to do

Feel free to post comments into this thread - the more the merrier

Cheers Kim
Greeves RIDERS Association

[Brian Thompson]

Another excellent season of Greeves racing from the scrambles lads!

Really nice post Kim.

Thanks to you too for all of your sterling work, keeping everybody updated on the forum with your excellent (and highly entertaining) Race Reports and video footage.

For those of us that can't attend it's the next best thing to being there.

Have a great time tomorrow mate!

Brian.

[dave higgins]

Really nice post Kim.

Thanks to you too for all of your sterling work, keeping everybody updated on the forum with your excellent (and highly entertaining) Race Reports and video footage.

For those of us that can't attend it's the next best thing to being there.

Have a great time tomorrow mate!

Brian.

Personally Brian, i thought it was Drivel.............. only joking kim...... enjoy your meeting & thanks for the coverage of the championship this year.

[Brian Thompson]

Driveling....

Personally Brian, i thought it was Drivel.............. only joking kim......

That's what happens when you read drivel for long enough mate.....everything looks like drivel..... (or maybe it's just me....)

bRiAn.

[Brian Catt]

Middlesex?????

[Kim275]

Marks Tey Report

Well and now its all over..............

So first an apology - due to technical issues - Mud slinging literally all over lens in the first race and battery issues - no Chesty Cam footage of this one worth posting...which is a shame cos the track layout at Marks Tey was superb.....clerk of the course was a sidecar rider - and read into it what you will - it flowed a treat and resulted in some fast exciting racing and lots of overtaking (especially past me in the first race )

The track was a tad slippery in the first race due to overnight and early morning rain - but by the time of the second and third races it had all bound together and was just brilliant - really good grip.

The first two races were championship races which enabled DAve HArper and Geoff Nunn to work out the results and Terry Sewell and Dave to do a lunch interval presentation with ex Works Greeves rider and British motocross champion Freddie Mayes as guest of honour (as an aside I had the chance to spend an evening with Freddie with my family at the Nostalgia in Cumbria - what a gentleman and great source of knowledge - he still does some part time motocross training at his brothers - Geoff's old training school)

Special moment - Terry Sewell presented an award to Dave Harper for all his unsung work over the years making the championship the jewel in the classic scrambling scene - and this drew the biggest applause from all the gathered riders and family - true recognition from the riders.

Another interesting point on reflection on this years championship - was that we have been down on Hawkstone and Challenger numbers (especially hawkstone) compared with previous years and a growth in Griffon numbers - but there in teh last few meetings a sign of a re-resurgence especially challengers - where there are a half a dozen newcomers racing over the last two meetings - and in the Hawkstone's - the Bells will be back next year.

This should redress the imbalance of the Griffon class.

Another point to note is that this year - the championship attracted over 80 different riders throughout the season - a remarkable demonstration of the interest in racing a Greeves - as well as our 30 to 40 regulars - we were joined by local Greeves riders at Reading, Northampton and Nostalgia meetings
The races went off without incident - Gary winning two - and Matt McCulloch i think 2 second places. Some good battles for the next 3 places with Jos The Kid , Julian smith and a "new" challenger rider name un-known to me (lets just call him Voldemort) ... ( Voldemort nailed me and took out my front wheel in the second race - and roughed up the Kid in the first race - and a few others ...I took great pleasure in re-taking Voldemort over the big jump in the last race...even if it was shortlived )
[Won't dwell on it as many more worthy things to write about - and Greeves racing is simply the best ...we play hard ...but also like going to work on Monday and doing it again next time ]

Congrats to Jos "The Kid" Goddard for his first championship race win in the last race - he has got quicker throughout the year and is now a contender at the front - and at the grand old age of 18 the future is bright for the kid .
In the next pack - of note Barry Keymer was flying on his challenger as well - really going for it and riding very stylishly

I will post full results when i get them from Dave - here are some of the overall placings from what I remember. (I am good on overall and Griffon - but need confirmation of the Challenger and Hawkstone final placings )

Overall Results
First and overall Champion Gary Smith
Second Matt McCullocj
Third Julian Smith
Fourth Jos "The Kid" Goddard
Fifth Mark Larter
Sixth Graeme SMith - (Father and son in top 6 - can't be bad!)
Seventh ..Me..oh sorry only top 6 .....

Griffon Class
Winner Gary Smith
Second Matt McCulloch
Third Jos "Te Kid"
Fourth Mark LArter
Fifth Graeme Smith
Sixth Kim Morley

Challenger Class (needs to be confirmed - but I think this is how it finished)
Winner - Julian Smith
Second - Andrew Green
Roy? Wiseman
Barry Keymer
Craig McCoo
Graeme Hayward


Hawkstone Class - again maybe John R or John A could confirm for me )
Winner Adrian Dickerson - and also Iron Barrel trophy winner
John Asprey
John Runnacles
Dave Oliver
Julian Smith
Graeme Hayward

I will update when I get full results
Hope you have enjoyed the season and the reports and the vids - feel free to drop a comment - Cheers Kim