Three Sister - July 2005 - Lap record for Malaguti!

With the six week summer break from running in the British Championships. The team took the chance to return to the JRA/ P&D Championships at Three Sisters on the 30/31st July. With one thing in mind to take the outright lap record at the circuit!

The two day meeting started on the Saturday under heavy skies although remarkably it didn’t rain for any of Alex’s races we had entered him into - The JRA 125 GP class -The P&D 125 Class and the Open Single Cylinder class. Which would give him six races that day.

First up was the 125 Trophy race and the stars here must be the ever improving Ashley Cornal, the very experienced Simon Griffiths perhaps Jay Fletcher (riding injured) and Matt Cole who is in the transition to the 600cc class as he is getting far to big for the 125 bikes. Alex was very unlucky with his grid position being drawn on the very last row, despite his best effort he could not catch Ashley who had made a stunning start from the front row of the grid and after 7 laps it was Ashley who took the win from Alex with Simon in third.

Next up the JRA 125 GP trophy race, with this race it is a mixed grid of Formula 80, Formula 125 and the 125 GP bikes, but on the GP bikes Alex’s rivals were Louis Dadge on the Jerry Stacy Honda (the bike which Alex rode to victory in this class last year), Matt Cole and Richard Wardle (his first outing on his new Honda).

It was Alex who took the win from Louis, Matt and Richard who had had a very hard fought race
long battle.

Next out and it was the Open Single Cylinder Trophy race a stronger grid saw Alex line up along side, Louis, Simon, Ashley, Jay, Richard, Irish man Mark Glasgow, Thai Boxing champion Haley Moss (Alex had to be very careful how he passed Haley or she would have kicked the sh*t out of him) and Tony Holt on the 660cc MZ.

Unfortunately due to Kids eating the results sheets, I say that as, as I write this report I can’t
find hide nor hair of them where I left them! So from memory Alex took the win from Ashley and Simon.

On to the points races for the same classes and we had asked for Alex’s results to be disregarded when it came to championship points, as we are not contending these championships this year we do not think it fair to change the outcome for the regular protagonists.

In the 125 class Alex took the win. In the Junior class Alex took the win setting a new JRA lap record of 55.2 sec. In the Open Singles Class Alex took the win setting a new Class record of 55.000 seconds. Alex was also very honoured to accept “The Man of the Meeting” trophy at the presentation held in the circuit bar that evening.

A little explanation of the folklore surrounding lap record at the Three Sisters track. The outright lap record was awarded to Matt Maguire at 55.3 sec, Now there is also tell of Casey Stoner (who now is a phenomenon in world championship 250 GP’s) setting a 55.0 second lap on the Honda Britain 125 GP bike using cut slick tyres (which were illegal at the time).

The plot thickens as Casey Crashed on the next lap. With the advent of the P&D Club allowing slicks this year the lap records have fallen at every meeting, Jay “The Vet” Dun broke the lap record at the last meeting with a 54.9 and crashed on the next lap, In unofficial practice Alex had done a 54.8 (Which does not count as an official record) and crashed on the next lap. So Alex had
deduced that there was something spooky about this record.

On to Sunday and slightly better weather, we had elected to run in only the JRA and 125 GP classes as this would give us a bit more time to adjust the bike. Here I would like to thank one of Alex’s Sponsors David Wodsworth of Specialised Coatings HALIFAX for coming along on both days to lend a hand. Well to tell the truth he had only came along to watch on the Saturday but soon got roped into mucking in with the spanners and enjoyed it so much couldn’t resist coming back on the Sunday!

David’s own lad is a bit of a bike racer, 11 year old Max is currently leading the British 50cc Metrakit Championship and we wish him luck at the next round to be held in a few weeks time!

Back to the racing and in the 125 Trophy race and Alex again took the win from Ashley and Simon, in the JRA Trophy race Alex took the win from Louis and Matt.

With Alex’s deduction about the lap record he had got his trophies and was now out to set about the record, in the 125 GP race he took the win breaking the record by setting a 54.8 sec Lap. Behind a fantastic battle between Ashley and Simon, seen Simon take second after a fantastic pass on the penultimate lap.

The last race of the weekend for Alex seen him out in the Junior Racing Association 125 GP class, Could he better his time? He did, a stunning 54.6 second lap secured the win and the new outright lap record for himself and BARRUS MALAGUTI. For which Alex was awarded the “Pro-Care Medical Services Trophy.”

Alex’s performance over the weekend also earned him the “George McDonough Memorial Trophy”. George McDonough was an avid supporter of junior racing and ever since his untimely death, Georges family have presented a trophy every year to the most deserving youngster, Alex was again very honoured to accept this years trophy and it is already in the trophy cabinet alongside his other “George McDonough Memorial Trophy” he won back in 2003.

Thankfully we had enough room to carry the trophies back over the boarder to Scotland, 2nd place 125, 1st place Junior, 1st place Open Singles, 1st place 125, 1st place Junior, Pro-Care outright lap
record, Man of the Meeting and the George McDonough Memorial trophy’s all made it home safely along with the Clubs Open Single Cylinder lap record of 55.00sec, the Clubs 125 GP lap record of 54.8, the new JRA &. Outright circuit lap record of 54.6.

Thanks to all our sponsors, to every one who came along to support Alex, Pro-Care, the McDonough
Family, every one at the JRA and Preston Club, the marshals (even though you didn’t call in on your usual lunch time walkabout!) and for every ones kind comments on the way Alex was riding.