TWMA boys finish on top with a 1st and 2nd in Scottish MX2
Team TWMA Kawasaki enjoyed success over the weekend as Sean MacDonald held onto his reign of the Scottish MX2 Championship at the Final Round on Sunday, and team-mate Joe Garrick dramaticly jumped up into the series Runner-Up position in the closing stages giving Team TWMA the ideal end of season 1 - 2 overall result. The Shiplaw track in the Scottish Borders suffered heavy rain-fall all day which made difficult track conditions and lead to exciting racing as the points chase came down to the wire.
2007 Scottish MX2 Champ 17yr old Sean was never headed all season after a strong win in the opening round of the series and increased his points lead after every round of the series throughout the year. Joe's rise up through the score board was a tough challenge all year from an overall 6th place at the opening round. However with a persistant determination his speed improved and confidence grew at every round and he steadily narrowed down the defecit on his opposition. Coming into the final round only 7 points off second placed Ewan Mclaren, Joe's goal was clear -
'Only 7 points seperated me from 2nd position in the Championship behind Ewan McLaren, so I was focused on making up those points at the Final Round. When the racing started for the first moto the track was completely different from qualifying as it had started raining heavily. I had a reasonable ride and made 5points on Ewan in the first race, then in the 2nd race I got out the gate well and was up near the front. I got my head down and into my rhythm quickly, staying not too far behing race leader Tony Craig. I finished 2nd in that race which i was really happy with as this then put me 2points ahead in the Championship battle. So it came down to the last race. . . . I made an average start and was trying to push through the pack on the first lap then my mechanic Kahlum pit-boarded me telling me that Ewan was having problems. I decided to steady my pace as the track conditions were terrible and I just really wanted to stay on to collect enough points for our overall goal of the Championship 1 - 2. Ewan had a DNF which was a shame for him, but I was very happy with my day and am super happy with the result of 2nd Overall in the Scottish MX2 ! 1st and 2nd for the Team, cant get better than that. Thanks to everyone who has helped us all year :-)' A very happy Joe Garrick.
Sean's 2008 victory brings him his 5th consecutive Scottish title since winning the 85 Small Wheel Championship in 2004 -
'Last round of the Scottish Champs at Shiplaw, I feel very happy to be Scottish Champion again! As I was coming into the Final Round holding a comfortable points lead in the Championship, I did enough to win the Championship with a 3rd place finish in the first moto. 2nd moto I didnt have the best of starts and got filled in at the first corner. I had to stop to clear my goggles then battled hard through the pack back up to 5th! Last moto I got a good start coming around in 2nd then took the lead early as Tony Craig slipped off! I kept charging to the flag and was very happy to round off the season with a moto win! Also well done to Joe for finishing runner up it's a great result for the Team ! I'd just like to thank everyone who has helped me through the year, especially Ronnie at TWMA and all the Team Sponsors. A huge thanks to my mechainc Kahlum Grant for a great job all year and Stuart Flockhart's advice and support has done alot for me this year also! Thanks folks! :) ' Sean MacDonald 2008 Scottish MX2 Champion.
Final Championship points
| 1 | Sean MacDONALD | 780 |
| 2 | Joe GARRICK | 645 |
| 3 | Ryan BLAIR | 628 |
| 4 | Frazer NORRIE | 623 |
| 5 | Ewan MCLAREN | 608 |
| 6 | Darrell McCAULEY | 605 |
Team Manager Stuart Flockhart - 'I'm delighted to finish the season like this, it is a great reward for all our effort throughout the year. We were confident in Sean's ability to retain his title and he proved this with the 11 wins out of the 18 Championship motos. Joe's improvement this year has been remarkable and for him to climb up to the Runner-Up spot he has done himself and all the team very proud. We dreamed of a 1-2 finish in the Scottish MX2 this year and now achieving this has really put us on a high as we finish the 2008 season. We have enjoyed a good year with TWMA Kawasaki and would like to thank all our Sponsor's for their support which has made these results possible.'
Kerry Wilson triumphs at UK Girls National
TWMA Kawasaki Team rider Kerry Wilson rode to a scorching 6 from 6 wins at the UK Girls National over Saturday and Sunday at the Foxholes track in the South of England.
Kerry - 'I felt I was riding well straight away in practice and the bike is running amazing which helped my confidence! I didn't get a great start in the 1st race, was 4th out the gate which meant I had a whole lot of work to do trying to find lines to pass. I managed to work my way to the front about mid way through the race and went on to win it! 2nd race was interesting. I holeshot it and pulled out a good lead, then about 3 laps from the finish I got a rear puncture! I thought to myself, if I kept cool and rode smart I would manage to hold the lead, and I did, which wasnt easy on that track! I went on to win the remaining two races of that day too. It rained on the Sunday morning for a bit which made the track turn very slippy. It became a bit one lined and made passing very hard, however I went on to win both races that day too.... so I was very happy to take 6 wins out of 6 races over the weekend, making a total of 8 times winning this event over the years. The bike was running fantastic and felt good all weekend, I am now looking forward to the last British round with the Maxxis series at Hawkstone!' Kerry #319
Team Manager Stuart Flockhart - 'It was great to hear of Kerry's result on Sunday evening. Unfortunately I couldn't go to support Kerry at the UK Girls National as we were competing with the boys in Scotland, but I am very pleased with her performance. I knew she was confident going into this race and looking forward to racing with the girls as she's had to put up with a lot of 450 roost here in Scotland the last few months ! This result is great for our Team together with our 1-2 finish in the Scottish MX2 Championship and we will be happy to support Kerry for Hawkstone.'
- action photo taken earlier this year by dodspics -
2 on the Podium for Team TWMA in the Scottish Borders
Round 5 of the Scottish MX2 Championship was held at Shiplaw near Peebles, in the Scottish Borders on Sunday. Starting in muddy conditions the track cleared up well during the day after some excellent preparation by the Scottish Youth Club. TWMA Team rider Sean MacDonald scored another Overall Win and fellow Team rider Joe Garrick joined him on the Podium with a fine 3rd place overall finish.
Three good starts and smart riding took Sean to three moto wins on the day, helping him increase his firm hold on the top of the Championship points table. With only one round remaining of the six round series, Sean has scored 10 moto wins and 5 second place finishes in the 15 individual motos so far.
Joe again gained a 3rd placed overall finish on the day, this time missing 2nd overall by only one point to Ryan Blair. He has now reduced the points gap on Ewan McLaren who sits 2nd in the Championship to just 7 points. This will ensure an exciting finish to the Championship at the Final Round which is going to be held at the end of August.
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Rider's Comments -
Sean - Round 5 of the Scottish MX2 went well for me again taking 3 wins. I felt really comfortable all day as I had quite a lead in the points and also on the track. The bike was good and we had no problems. The track was really wet so the start was very important, I had good starts in all 3 races and enjoyed my day's racing. I am happy to go into the last round with a comfortable lead in the points, so I'm looking forward to that. cheers guys Sean Mac #1
Joe - 5th round of the Championship at Shiplaw was different to the other rounds, the track was very boggy in the 1st race. I didn't get the rhythm I wanted to but I stayed on giving me a good finish as other riders were pushing and crashing. The forecast was heavy rain but amazingly that never happened so the track dried up and formed just to my liking, hard deep ruts !! I made a hard charge and caught right up on Ryan Blair in moto 2 but then armpump hit and I didn't get past him. Last race I got out the start better and pushed right through to the chequered flag. made a few positions through the race and had good speed so I enjoyed it. I was happy to finish 3rd overall and closed the gap to 7points in the Championship between 3rd and 2nd. Last round should be good. . . . . 5-6 weeks to get in plenty practise !
Championship Points with 1 round remaining -
1 Sean MacDonald 660
2 Ewan McLaren 541
3 Joe Garrick 534
4 Darrel McCauley 517
5 Fraser Norrie 514
6 Ryan Blair 510
Again a big thanks to all TWMA Team Sponsors for their support during the 2008 Season.
All the best for the remainder of the season.
Regards,
Stuart Flockhart
TWMA Team Manager
(photos attached are by Graham Milne)
check out www.twmaRACING.com and www.scottishmotocross.co.uk for further info
The 'T-Dub Trio' score a succesful day at Duns
Team TWMA Kawasaki posted their strongest result of the season so far at Round 3 of the Scottish MX2 Championship on Sunday at the ever popular Duns track in the Scottish Borders. Conditions were perfect with both weather and track, and after an excellent day's racing Sean MacDonald scored a perfect showing with a dominating performance to increase his lead in the series and picked up his 3rd overall win from the 3 rounds so far. Joe Garrick had a great day scoring a personal best 3rd overall with some strong riding and was rewarded with a boost up into 3rd place in the Championship. Kerry Wilson added her name to the points table with an impressive 8th overall on the day, in her first ride on Team TWMA and her new KXF250.
Here's our riders comments from the weekend -
Sean - Really happy with today's resullts winning all three motos! :) Felt great on the bike all day pulling 3 holeshots and opening a comfortable lead in all of the three races. The bike was awsome my mechanic Kahlum is doing a great job. I'm also happy to have now further extended my lead in the championship. It was really a perfect day going Pole-Position in morning qualifying session, 3 holeshots and winning all my races with the fastest lap ! Thanks for all the support from friends, family and of course Team TWMA :)
Cheers Sean MacD #1
Joe - I went to Duns knowing that I had a job to do. I had to get 5points on Fraser Norrie to move up to 3rd in the championship, that was my aim for the day. Duns is a great track and I really enjoy riding it so I was looking forward to the weekend. Unfortunately I had a problem with the bike spluttering in morning practise and we had to pull the spare out which left me with little time for a good qualifying. I qualified 6th in the end which was pretty good considering! Race 1 I got a good start about 5th, then had a good ride and finished the race 3rd. Race 2 my start wasn't as good but got in early passes and started chasing the guys infront which got me back up into 4th. Race 3 was my best race. Stuart told me to try starting way over to the left so I did that, 3rd gate in, and he was right it was better. Got out the gate good and was looking promising coming up around the 1st corner fighting for top 3 so I knew I had to put in some fast laps early on to try and pull a bit of a gap. I settled in 3rd with a comfortable lead over 4th then just rode strong and focused to the finish. This was probably my best race of the season so far. I'm very happy with the days racing achieving my goal of finishing 3rd overall and moving up to 3rd in the championship!!!
Kerry - Quite happy with the way I rode today for the first time racing my new TWMA KXF250! It was also the first time I had raced Duns so wasn't sure of what to expect, but the track was pretty awesome and Stuart told me to just go for three solid finishes !! :o) I didn't get great starts in race 1 and 2, which meant I had to push to try get a half decent position. In the third race I got a much better start and was sitting in 6th for most of the race, however once again arm pump let me down though. I finished 8th in all three races. My speed was good in the beginning of race three, and I know I will be getting faster, fitter and more confident the more I ride the bike. I'm looking forward to the rest of the season doing the Scottish and getting ready for the Girls British too! :o)
Overall Points Round 3
1 Sean MacDonald 135
2 Ewan Mclaren 122
3 Joe Garrick 118
4 Ryan Blair 112
5 Darrell McCauley 110
6 Colin Lapinskie 109
7 Fraser Norrie 104
8 Kerry Wilson 99
Championship Standings
1 Sean MacDonald 399
2 Ewan McLaren 358
3 Joe Garrick 323
4 Fraser Norrie 314
5 Darrel McCauley 312
6 Ryan Blair 300
You can view the results and lap times of the Adult 125 class here on MyLaps.com - http://mylaps.com/results/showevent.jsp?id=299640
I attached some pics from the weekend too.
Thanks a lot to all Team TWMA Sponsors, we'll be back with more Team News coming soon.
Ciao for now,
Stuart Flockhart
Team Manager
www.twmaRACING.com
Sean MacDonald leads BYMX after Round 2 !
Round 2 of the British Youth MX Championship was held at Mildenhall in Suffolk over the weekend, and another excellent 3rd Overall on the day Podium finish for Sean MacDonald has now boosted the TWMA Team rider into the lead of the BYMX Championship in the Open Class. Sean's consistant finishes have made him the only rider in the Open Class to have stood on the Podium at both of the 2 rounds so far.
Sean's thought on the weekend's racing -'I am really happy scoring another good Podium finish at Round 2 of the BYMX, and it feels great moving up into the lead of the Championship :) First Moto I got out the gate pretty well, sitting about 7th. I was riding good early in the race and closing on the riders infront of me but then had a little crash which put me back into 9th. I managed to catch up with those guys again pretty quickly but wasn't quite able to make a pass before the finish. Not over the moon with the 9th place finish but happy my speed was good. Moto two- Got another good start this time sitting in 5th, then pushed forward two places into 3rd by the second lap. I tried to push for 2nd but the gap stayed the same and I stayed there for the rest of the race. 3rd is still good points. Moto three - I knew I had to have a good finish in the last race for another Top 3 overall, so went to the start line 100% focused. I came out the start good again which helped and got into 5th in the early laps but then got really bad arm pump half way through the race. I kept pushing as hard as I could and managed to get rid of the pump by the last few laps to hold the 5th place. This gave me the points I needed for my goal of the Podium 3rd overall on the day.
I am now really looking forward to Round 3 at Brampton as I will have a good crowd behind me.
Cheers Sean Mac # 318'
At this stage in the season there is a very positive atmosphere in the Team at TWMA Racing as we now lead the Points in the BYMX and the Scottish MX2 Championships. Thanks to all the support from our Team Sponsors, together with our tough winter preparation, we are keen to continue our hard work through the remainder of the season.
We look forward to racing at Duns this weekend for Round 3 of the Scottish MX2 Championship. Sean will be confident for another good finish, Joe Garrick aims for a load of points to improve on his current 4th place in the standings, and we are happy to have an addition of a third MX2 rider on the TWMA Team for the rest of the season with Kerry Wilson, former British Girls Champion, running in our 'Team Colours' and the Number 319 plate.
All the best from TWMA racing, Stuart Flockhart Team Manager
Sean MacDonald extends his lead in the Scottish MX2 Championship
Round 2 of the 2008 Scottish MX2 Championship was held at the excellently prepared track at Ardesier near Nairn, hosted by the Highland Club. After a great day's racing through mixed weather conditions TWMA again came away with a win by Team rider Sean MacDonald and a 7th overall finish from fellow TWMA rider Joe Garrick. Sean has extended his lead in the Championship to 28 points and Joe now moves up into 4th in the series through his consistant finishes.
The day started well in timed Qualifying where Sean achieved a great Pole Position time of 1:55.294, 2.3 seconds ahead of 2nd placed Neil Flockhart on a 1:57.599 and a personal best 3rd place for Joe Garrick with a 1:57.650.
In the three Motos throughout the day which started in beautiful sunshine and ended with some blistery showers, Sean went 1-2-1 for the overall win over second race winner Neil Flockhart.
Joe went 7-5-8 for 7th overall. Knowing that his speed is improving each week, Joe is working on carrying his confidence from qualifying into racing where his goal of a top 3 finish is very achievable.
View the Adult 125 class here on mylaps.com where you can see Sean's great form through his impressive lap times - http://www.mylaps.com/results/showevent.jsp?id=291849
Championship Points Standings after 2 Rounds
1 Sean MacDonald 264
2 Ewan McLaren 236
3 Fraser Norrie 210
4 Joe Garrick 205
5 Dale McCauley 202
6 Richard Hay 193
Here are our rider's comments from the weekend -
Sean - 'Round 2 of the Scottish went really well for me coming away with a 1,2,1 finish for the overall win. In timed qualification i went 2.3 secs faster than everyone else for Pole Position, I felt really strong and fast. 1st race I got a terrible start. It was a concrete start and I just spun too much out of the gate. I got into 2nd place by the second corner just behind Neil Flockhart (Stu's Bro) then passed him for the lead on the second lap. I got out front and pulled a huge gap winning the race by over 30 seconds. My confidence was high. 2nd race my start wasn't much better but I got into the lead really early. I pushed hard for 2 laps but then crashed out the back of the track. Neil passed me, I got restarted in 2nd but then he had a bit of a gap over me. I kept pushing and pushing and was onto his back wheel on the final lap but I got blocked by some back markers and Neil got the win. I was not too bothered getting 2nd as my lap times were again the quickest. Sitting on the line in the last race I knew I had to get the holeshot and get out front as the conditions of the track were bad with the rain! I pulled the holeshot and lead from start to finish pulling a gap of 46 seconds at the finish, and a lap time of 5 seconds faster than the next best time. I felt really good all day and feel now my whole conditioning is getting better each week. I can't wait for the next race :)
Cheers Sean Mac #1'
Joe - 'Round 2 started well when I qualified in 3rd which set a positive mood for the day. I really liked the track in the morning it was rough but fast which was good! The first race was close as positions from 2nd down to 7th were all running similar lap times. Unfortunately I spun too much out of the concrete start which meant I was starting from the back of this close group. I caught up with them through the race and made some passes but struggled a bit with arm pump which was annoying as I felt I had the speed for a better result. 2nd race was better as I started closer to the group again and this time managed to get through to 5th. I tried to push for 4th but then arm pump came into play again so I held on my position and kept my focus for the last race. It started pouring with rain and hailstones, the track was now very muddy and slippy. I stalled once in the last race and also got stuck in a rut which lost me a few positions. I tried to chase and get back up the pack but it was difficult due to the terrible conditions! I was not very happy finishing the race in 8th but again the consistant points have now lifted me up the Championship so I am looking forward to going for a better position at the next round in 3 weeks at Duns.'
We continue our hard preparation work towards the coming races up and down the UK, hoping for some better weather along the way !!
Thanks again to all Team TWMA sponsors who are doing a great job with us in this enjoyable season so far.
More news coming from the 'T-Dub' boys soon !
Regards, Stuart Flockhart TWMA Team Manager
Seany Mac puts TWMA on Podium at BYMX Round 1
Another strong ride from TWMA Team rider Sean MacDonald produced a great Podium Place Finish at Round 1 of the British Youth MX Championship held at Desertmartin in Northern Ireland on Friday and Saturday 28th/29th March. In tough wet conditions the 16 yr old Scot from Kirriemuir near Forfar came away smiling with a personal best finish and a great start to his British Championship campaign.
Here's his view on how the weekend unfolded -
'Round 1 at Desertmartin went just as I had hoped, where I finished with a 3rd Overall, podium placing. I knew I was on form for a good result as I was very well prepared and feeling confident.
Friday morning I was up early and feeling good. In the first 10 mins free practice I was mostly just checking the track out as it rained heavy the night before, but the track was awesome and I felt good on the bike.
Next, in timed qualification, I put in a decent lap for 7th quickest time in my group. I'm sure I can do better than that but I still had a reasonable choice for the start gate so I was happy enough.
Moto one- I got out the gate quite well which put in me into the first corner amongst the top 5. I was really aggressive for the first few corners and managed to climb up into 3rd place. I pushed for 2 laps to pull a bit of a gap over 4th then settled into a rhythm. I was riding comfortably in 3rd place then towards the end of the race then David Games fell off in front of me which boosted me up into 2nd. Kahlum and Stuart pit boarded me perfectly for the whole race, keeping me calm and focused. I managed to finish the race in 2nd place, it felt awesome !
We got a 2 lap practice early Saturday morning. The track was amazing, I felt really good and the bike was awesome. The heavens then opened and the rain was on for the rest of the day. I didn't let this bother me though as I was so pumped after having a 2nd on Friday and I just wanted to get out on the track again.
Moto two- I came into the first corner about 10th and got soaked by a huge puddle ! I did a lap and half but then my goggles got jammed up with sand. I rode around as fast as i could then came into the mechanic area to change goggles. I got out of the pits sitting 25th then just kept charging through the field to the finish flag, climbing my way back up to 9th. I was happy with my effort, and both my lap times and my fitness were strong.
I was very happy to get 3rd over all for the weekend, actually joint 2nd tied points with Tommy Fenwick, another Scot. This is now my best ever result at a BYMX event, I want to continue my current form and I'm looking forward to more great results this year.
Id like to thank everyone who was there at the weekend supporting me. A huge thank you to Stu Flock and Team TWMA for everything they are doing for me.
Cheers Guys
Sean Mac # 318'
TWMA on Top after Round 1
Team TWMA attended the first round of the Scottish MX2 Motocross Championship on Sunday at the newly re-vamped and improved sandy circuit at Leuchars.
With strong performances from both team riders Sean MacDonald and Joe Garrick, the team is very happy to come away with both riders in the top 6, taking the Overall Win and 6th place respectively on the day.
It was clear that our winter preparation has been a success as both riders were top 5 in morning timed-training and looking good.
Sean went on to holeshot all 3 motos through the day, and picked up finishes of 1st, 2nd, 1st - to take the overall win after some close racing with moto 2 winner Scott Findlay.
Joe got off to some great starts and was battling for a top 4 position in every race, however small incidents in races 1 & 2 brought his finish position down. The final moto was Joe's strongest finish as he maintained his compusure and secured important points towards his Championship Goal.
Sunday's Overall Championship Points -
| 1st |
1 |
Sean McDONALD | 132 | 45 | 42 | 45 |
| 2nd |
2 |
Scott FINDLAY | 129 | 42 | 45 | 42 |
| 3rd |
155 |
Ewan MCLAREN | 118 | 40 | 40 | 38 |
| 4th |
7 |
Jamie DUNCAN | 112 | 38 | 38 | 36 |
| 5th | 3 | Fraser NORRIE | 105 | 35 | 36 | 34 |
| 6th | 317 | Joe GARRICK | 102 | 34 | 33 | 35 |
Rider's comments -
Sean MacDonald - ' Had an awsome days racing yesterday having 2 wins and a 2nd. I went out in qualifying feeling confident and put in a good lap for 2nd fastest time. 1st moto went as planned, pulling the holeshot and leading it from start to finish. I was feeling good and the bike was awsome! 2nd moto also went well, pulling another holeshot and leading it for about 4 laps. My arms pumped up which made me drop down into second place, so i just relaxed and got into a rhythm and this helped my arms as the arm pump was gone. I pushed for the last 2 laps and caught right up on the leader, but by this time it was too late and I had to settle for 2nd. I was happy enough with this result as I know I've got the speed to win! We went into the final moto tied on points with Scott Findlay, so I had to go out there and put in a good performance and win to get the overall on the day! Sitting on the line I felt 110% confident in my bike for the holeshot. As the 5 second board went up I was totally focused on the pin as soon as it moved I was away, taking the 3rd holeshot of the day. I was out front not thinking about what was going on behind me, finishing with another win and giving me the overall. I was happy with the bikes, they're running sweet '
Joe Garrick - ' First round of the Scottish MX2 at Leuchars was a great start, I qualified 5th and finished 6th overall for the day. Still positive that I can do better as I stalled in the first and again in the second race which lost me a few positions and the overall. The bike was great, super fast and smooth, making it easy to ride which was a plus as the track got real rough. All in all I enjoyed my days racing, helped by alot of people turning up to support team TWMA which was good. And by the looks of things we attracted quite a bit of attention on and off the track. I'm looking forward to the next round on 13th April at Ardersier where I'll be aiming for higher results, and not stalling ! '
We now prepare for the First Round of the Scottish MX1 Championship at the very sandy circuit near Tain on Sunday March 16th. This will be tough racing for our boys as they will be competing on their 250f race bikes against the bigger 450s, however, we are looking forward to the challenge !
A huge thanks to all TWMA Team Sponsors.
More Team news coming soon.
Regards,
Stuart Flockhart.
Team Manager TWMA Racing
www.twmaRACING.com
www.twma.co.uk Sponsor's of TWMA Racing