Whipping up a storm

In a flash 2024 is a wrap! We rounded out our 8th year of post-classic, two-stroke racing at Brands Hatch hosted by Bemsee. On publication of the timetable we discovered that we were to be racing on a mixed grid – our first non-dedicated grid since the series’ inception in 2017. As we all know, frustration is not a new emotion in racing! We adjusted our sails and ended the 2024 season on a high.

Down the Hatch 

Our paddock assembled by the Hailwood Cafe on Thursday afternoon. Riders and team members that arrived first put out an obscure range of objects and tape to conserve space for those that followed later. Riders made long journeys, fixed 11th hour breakdowns or pieced together planes, hire cars and vans to make the effort required to be there.

A sincere thank you goes to Spike Sheldon who, in his first outing with GP Originals stepped-in to collect our Larsson early entry rewards in a last-minute motorway rendezvous with Michelle and Steve.

2 x 4 = championship points 

Where would we be without Reg and Jean? In a long uncomfortable scrutineering queue, that’s where! They fast-tracked us through the process and we were ready. Ahead of us were four points scoring chances to seal the three Championships. Each of which had come down to the final round.

Get set… 

Practice counts as our timed qualifying with Bemsee and it was a tricky affair with so many bikes out on the Indy circuit. Phil Stead was disappointed to make an early exit after discovering the bike had a misfire. On the upside, the previous suspension issues were resolved and his Maxton set-up was working well. The session was soon red flagged buying enough time for Siân to set a qualifying lap after being dismissed from the first attempt due to a missing transponder.

With the sun shining it was a surprise to get a sharp sprinkle of rain which brought the restarted session to a close. The result found Phil Atkinson at the top of the sheet with a Motocarb Motopole time of 52.457 collecting £50. Roy Chapman was on a mission to clinch the AD Modular supported Masters Championship and meant business. Chapman secured 2nd on the grid at 53.080 ahead of Josh Wainwright’s 53.261.

The 250cc Motocarb Motopole £50 went the way of Grant Goodings with 54.980 from Mark Linton at 55.495, George Thomas managed a 55.900 before losing water. Notably, Darrell Higgins showed his no-practice-required form as our second fastest Master in the session.

Spot on tyre choice

After some on-off light showers and a couple of wet races the sun beamed out just in time for our first competition. The track was mostly dry except for a damp section through Surtees to the exit of Clearways. Disappointment for Masters contender John Bolsover as he pulled off on the warm-up lap with a blocked fuel line.

The damp section would pay dividends for our treaded Avon and Continental race tyres. We lined up on the split grid with an equal number of 400s a few rows back, primed for take-off once we had safely negotiated the early corners.

At the lights the bunfight into Paddock Hill Bend saw 250s and 350s in the mix. The front five spots taken by riders from the first to the fourth row. Roy Chapman continued to impress completing the first lap in 3rd overall but with a determined Phil Stead closing in from his uncharacteristic 8th slot. Darrell Higgins held a strong 5th and was making the most of the early laps before his nagging arm injury would inevitibly hold him back.

Of the Maxton Suspension supported 250s, Mark Linton had a fast-starting Siân Brooks to deal with before coming through to head up the green plates. Goodings got busy chasing down Brooks as Grigson kept ahead of Thomas. Mid-race Thomas had overcome Grigson, then Brooks and closed in on Goodings – the pair had a coming together at Graham Hill Bend. Neither rider gave an inch as they locked together on the slippery grass. Goodings sadly lost traction and was down.

The excitement escalated for our Cooper Buckley supported 350s in the final corners as Josh Wainwright harangued Phil Atkinson. Keen to show who’s Manor this circuit was, Josh passed Atkinson only to have the move promptly returned. As they entered Clearways, Atkinson swept wide allowing Wainwright the opportunity to stuff his Yamaha framed TZ350 up the inside and claim victory at the flag by a close 0.076. Phil Stead managed to just about hold off 1st of the Masters, Chapman, by 0.399 for 3rd. Andrew Taylor rounded out the top five following a battle with 2nd placed Master Higgins.

Next in line was Linton as 3rd Master and 1st 250, leading the 250Ls of Thomas then Brooks. Mark Edge finished ahead of the next Yamaha TZ250 machine of Michael Grigson. Spike Sheldon achieved his first  GP Originals race finish, however RAFMSA rider Gavin Heggs wasn’t so lucky in his attempt at getting his GPO wings. Sergeant Heggs would be battling water pump gremlins all weekend. Stuart Rankin also suffered a DNF on the Maxton TZ350.

Last but not least

Last on the bill we came to the line at 17:40 thankfully still under dry conditions with the threat of rain looming for the evening.

Another hectic first corner ensued, Atkinson determined to avoid a repeat dose of Wainwright. The pair headed up the race to the flag with Atkinson taking the victory from Wainwright by 5.868 seconds. A loop at 51.863 delivered Atkinson the Staffordshire Honda fastest 350 lap and another £50 cash. Phil Stead took 3rd place, despite being down on speed and the suspected ignition issues were hampering the promised lap times. Andrew Taylor moved up into 4th putting in fast 52 second laps and squeezing ahead of 0ur dominant Master, Chapman, also in the 52-zone.

George Thomas had the 250 hammer down and followed Chapman to 6th on-the-road and first 250. 2nd placed Master Higgins found himself sandwiched between the 250s of Thomas and fellow Master Linton – 3rd in both the Masters and 250 classes.

Dannisport TZ350 rider John Bolsover enjoyed a dice with the TZ250 of Brooks as Mark Edge pipped Grigson by 0.554. Stuart Rankin notched up a successful finish as Gavin Heggs continued the struggle with his cooling system getting no complete laps on the chart.

Greased lightning

Ian Longstaff surpassed himself by organising an impressive complementary buffet for everyone to enjoy on Saturday evening. Julie Taylor brought her delicious homemade cakes, Carys, Abi and Laura sorted the tunes, teasing out some Dad-dancing from our riders. The night sky provided the disco effect with a fork lightening display that was heading our way. With a long Sunday ahead we gave out a raft of raffle and prize draws including EBC 260mm twin brake discs, £150 worth of vouchers from Dannisport. £30 151s voucher and the coveted Tony Green Racing free silencers reward voucher. Even our valued supporter members claimed products from Fuchs Silkolene, Dannisport, Teng Tools and White Diamond Detail Products.

Thunderstruck

Saturday night was one long thunderstorm with heavy rain and lightning. The intensely busy, wet morning practice session held no interest for our riders, all choosing to wait for racing with the promise of our own dedicated race should the circuit remain wet.

Three time GP Originals Masters Champion, Nick Williamson abdicated from his Over-55s Challenge. With 18 points the difference to Chapman, Nick went to Anglesey to secure his NG Road Racing FP2 Championship. Chapman got the job done on Saturday and likewise for Mark Linton’s 250 campaign. However, in the 350 class there were still 50 potential points with 39 points between Wainwright and Atkinson’s 5th GP Originals title.

Calm after the storm

Mark Linton had his ignition fail whilst warming it up during the morning so the pressure was on Team Toj to get the bike ready in time. Lunch was called just before our outing so we waited, leather-clad, for the short break before making our way to assembly and 14.5 miles of racing. Drama unfolded as Josh Wainwright coasted to a stop on the way out of the holding area. In the attempt to get him going he failed to make his front row grid position and parked up at Druids.

Josh’s untimely exit, coupled with Steady only lasting half a lap before his ignition went pop on the Cooper Straight, gave Atkinson some breathing space for a comfortable win. Andrew Taylor found excellent pace and held 2nd spot race long as the 250 of Thomas swapped places with 350 Master Chapman. With four laps remaining Chapman retired with a broken gear shaft, leaving Thomas to an impressive 3rd overall, only 0.564 from Taylor and 1st of the 250 finishers. George received a welcome £50 courtesy of Staffordshire Honda for fastest 250cc lap of the weekend at 53.286.

Mark Linton collected 2nd 250 and 1st Master from Brooks. Grigson had made an excellent start making up several places by Druids but it was short-lived as he promptly exited at Clearways with a suspected big end failure. John Bolsover was finding his rhythm and finished clear of fellow Masters Higgins and 2019 Masters Champ, Edge. Spike Sheldon completed nine of the 12 laps before retiring at McLaren.

Final race of 2024

With NG Road Racing’s final round in progress at Anglesey, Andy Taylor sacrificed his strong NG Open 500 Championship lead. Likewise, Siân conceded her ACU 125 National Championship 3rd; both riders keen to prioritise GP Originals.

We gathered in assembly. Two-strokes revving, adrenaline building only to wait for a lap of honour to be completed. With very hot engines we finally made it to the grid and were set off without further delay. As the lights went out Siân’s chain parted company with the sprocket. Avoiding a potential collision, the efficient marshals quickly pulled her clear of the grid in time for the 400s to scream off the line.

Taylor could now taste the potential to challenge the front runners and was eager to have one last pop at a race win. 0.7 from Atkinson by the first timed lap and 1.429 ahead of the flying 250 of Thomas and an early charge from Higgins. Just as things were looking promising Taylor noticed an intermittent problem. Banishing thoughts of a retirement, he persevered. But, on the approach to lap four he was in the gravel at Clearways after running wide.

Thomas held on to 2nd overall until the fifth lap when London-Geezers Wainwright and Chapman took over. Chapman made a pass on Wainwright into Paddock Hill and held him at bay to the flag beating his own Masters lap record with a 52.749.

Thomas took the 250 win and 4th on-the-road just 0.484 ahead of 2nd Master John Bolsover. Mark Linton came through 6th overall, 2nd 250 and 3rd Master as Higgins faded a little with his very sore arm. Mark Edge is always buoyed by the increased competition at GP Originals, he brought Lea Gourlay’s TZ home with strong 55 second laps. Stuart Rankin notched up another positive finish as Spike Sheldon sadly retired early once more with machine problems.

Dry time

Again the weather apps all lied and we managed to complete the entire season with nothing more than a few damp patches on only two occasions. We do miss Jason Davis, but by his own admission perhaps he brought rain with him last year!

As we close the racing in 2024 we look forward to our gathering on the 2nd November. Please join us for a few rounds of Golf, a delicious dinner, bike chat and relaxation before the winter really sets in.

What’s next?

It has been another challenging racing year with more than a few unexpected curve balls thrown in. However, the paddock atmosphere has been second-to-none, all our new riders have given overwhelmingly positive feedback on the standard of competition and the camaraderie in the paddock. The team working in the background have over-delivered when the pressure has been full gas. Along with every current racing entity, the future of GP Originals is under scrutiny. Challenges arise constantly regarding grid numbers, diminishing host clubs and people willing to fulfil organisational roles. Discussions were had with riders this weekend and we’ve been very carefully considering all ideas and possible options. Decisions and announcements regarding 2025 will be made very shortly and we thank you for your patience.

GP Originals Maxton Suspension 250cc Championship 

• 1st Mark Linton
• 2nd Siân Brooks
• 3rd George Thomas

GP Originals Cooper Buckley 350cc Championship 

• 1st Phil Atkinson
• 2nd Josh Wainwright
• 3rd Andrew Taylor

GP Originals AD Modular Masters Championship 

• 1st Roy Chapman
• 2nd Mark Linton
• 3rd Nick Williamson

Cash prizes and further rewards

Our excellent 2024 prize fund package for our three title championships has been generously provided by: Cooper Buckley • Maxton Suspension • AD Modular. Thank you to Michelle Carthy for developing this excellent support.

Maxton Suspension 250cc results

• £50 Motocarb Motopole 250cc (0:54.980): Grant Goodings
• £50 Staffordshire Honda 250cc fastest lap (0:53.286): George Thomas
• £200 1st 250cc: George Thomas
• £150 2nd 250cc: Mark Linton
• £100 3rd 250cc: Siân Brooks
• £75 4th 250cc: Mike Grigson

Cooper Buckley 350cc results

• £50 Motocarb Motopole 350cc (0:52.457): Phil Atkinson
• £50 Staffordshire Honda 350cc fastest lap (0:51.863): Phil Atkinson
• £200 1st 350cc: Phil Atkinson
• £150 2nd 350cc: Josh Wainwright
• £100 3rd 350cc: Roy Chapman
• £75 4th 350cc: Andy Taylor
• £50 5th 350cc: Darrell Higgins

AD Modular Masters (over-55s) results

• £75 1st placed Master: Roy Chapman
• £50 2nd placed Master: Mark Linton
• £30 3rd placed Master: Darrell Higgins
• NGK Spark Plugs (UK) John Bolsover. 

Awards throughout the field and beyond

• £50 rollover from 250 class: John Bolsover
• Ragged Edge £50 vouchers: Mark Edge, Phil Stead
• Continental rear tyre draw: Grant Goodings
• Tony Green Racing silencers voucher: Mark Linton for his late night efforts at Donington to get Mark Edge back out racing.

End of season special draws

• EBC Brakes pair of 260mm brake discs – riders that have supported five or more GP Originals rounds: Nick Williamson.
• Dannisport £100 voucher, awarded for the most places gained on-the-road from qualifying across the weekend: George Thomas 10th–3rd.

Raffle prizes

• Top prize Teng Tools, White Diamond Detail Products, Fuchs Silkolene: Chris Ingram
• Additional Raffle prizes from Fuchs Silkolene, 151s, EBC Brakes: Chris Rose, Roy Chapman

Special draw for our supporter members

• Dannisport £50 voucher Simon Bartling.
• Teng Tools screw driver set: Kenny Hill.
• White Diamond Detail Products: Chris Ingram.
• Fuchs Silkolene: Gerry Vines.
• GP Originals TZ illustrated tea towel Mark Trautmann.

Riders and supporters make it happen

Thank you to the marshals and organisational team at Bemsee for hosting us at three rounds in 2024. Our warmest thanks go to Reg and Jean, of course for their scrutineering, but most of all their company at every round – we all know what an effort they put in. Ian Longstaff has stepped up to the plate on every level; calmly fixing problems, smoothing out the details and for this round, putting on a superb buffet. Thank you to Jemma who compiled the first three sets of points whilst busy on track herself. The final points were completed by Ian. Top team Richard Freeman and Chris Ingram chipped in and King of the Rollers Tony Green ensured we have a means to get started in assembly. Darrell, as always turns up early, puts up awnings and helps everyone. Carys and Abi took over delivering rewards, raffle tickets, music, dancing, photography and generally keeping everyone on their toes. Julie Taylor baked some superb carrot cake and coconut puds for the buffet. Mark Linton continued to deliver his great presentations, this late in the day prize giving was executed promptly but without feeling rushed. We also thank Spike Sheldon for getting us out of a pickle and collecting the Larsson boxes on route at the 11th hour. Thanks to Paul Korkus for taking our photographs and getting them ready for these race reports in double quick time at every round.

The GPO awning has never received so much attention! It really has been great to see so many chipping in to put it up and take it down. Thank you to Roy for buying, storing and transporting it. Extra thank yous are in order to everyone who takes the time to personally collect their rewards, clap their fellow competitor and share in the sportsmanship that makes any competition a worthwhile endeavour.

Photography kindly provided by:
PK Photomedia

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