THE 2016 Maxxis British Motocross Championship has two new champions in the shape of Monster Energy DRT Kawasaki’s Tommy Searle and Wilvo Virus KTM’s Adam Sterry – that’s two established teams headed by Steve Dixon and Steve Turner bagging trophies too.
It could so nearly have been a double dose of championships for the Steve Turner Racing team in fact as reigning British MX1 Champion, Shaun Simpson, made a perfect meeting with two convincing moto wins at Foxhill to take the overall. But despite Scotsman Simpson doing his very best, Tommy Searle was just as confident doing all he needed to claim the British MX1 crown for the first time. The Kawasaki man held his nerve convincingly to follow Simpson home in both races to take second overall on the day.
Tanel Leok and Graeme Irwin traded third and fourth places, eventually bagging one each, but it was Estonian Leok who took the overall third place.
In MX2 it was more or less all over in the first moto as Apico Husqvarna’s Steven Clarke DNF’d moto one in heart-breaking fashion. It was cruel and all-but pushed the MX2 trophy in the direction Sterry right there and then. To be fair on Sterry though he was in no mood to mess about and took maximum points from race one to put himself in the best possible position for the season’s final MX2 moto.
Despite Clarke blasting back with a super-confident win in the final moto of the year it wasn’t enough and Sterry took the championship with a safe-as-houses seventh. Credit must surely also go to Buildbase Honda man Martin Barr who dropped a double two finish at Foxhill to seal himself the season closing MX2 overall win. The Irishman has had a great season for Thorpey’s team and deserved his first overall.
It was the end of an era for Mackenzie fans, Bry Mac signed off a famous career with third overall at Foxhill and will now move on to managing Duns circuit, as well as his young family. Good luck with both old son.
MXGB 2016, we salute you. It’s been a corker.
