The Ben Ball & Vince Bennett Trophies

The Club was delighted to again award special trophies on the Sunday of the GP meeting. The first of which, the Ben Ball Trophy in memory of past Presidents, Gordon Cobbold and Sir Ben Ball was awarded to a rider who in the Club's opinion represents a "Tip for the Top". The Ben Ball trophy was awarded to Minitwin rider, Jesse Jones. Shown here with Club Chairman, Eddie Bellars.

The second, the Vince Bennett Trophy was awarded for an outstanding performance on the day to Premier 1000 rider, Mark Parbury. Mark was chosen by Viv Bennett who presented the trophy later in the afternoon.

Neevesey's GP Blog: HERE 

and a link to his flying lap video from Sunday's Warm -Up:  HERE

Michelin BMCRC Minitwins / Rookie Minitwins....Couzens Extends Series Lead

Dan Couzens extended his championship lead at Brands Hatch, taking two wins and two seconds over the weekend. 2011 runner up Couzens put his Team V Speed Suzuki SV650 on pole, and was joined on the front row youngsters Jesse Jones, Charlie King and Jordan Gilbert. And arguably the most competitive class at Bemsee provided some of the exciting racing it has become known for right from the off, as the four on the front row were joined by Ashley Buxton in a five way fight for the lead in race one. Constant position changing ensued, but the race was red flagged after Buxton highsided his way down Paddock Hill, with his bike sitting in the track and him getting gingerly to his feet. The rerun was a four-lap sprint, which ended with just three thousandths of a second between first and second, as Couzens took his first win from Jones. Gilbert rode to an impressive third. In race two Couzens was second, just over a tenth behind eventual winner King on the S&S Panelcraft SV650. Jones crashed out of contention after a coming together with Couzens out on the GP circuit, which left Gilbert to take his second podium finish in third.

On Sunday, Buxton dealt with the wet and took his first win of the weekend in race one, nearly a second ahead of Fitt and Kieron Newman in third. The order remained the same in race two.

BMCRC Premier and Stock 600s / Rookie 600s....Foursome Cooper Puts One Hand On Title

Anthony Cooper put one hand on the Bemsee Premier 600 title, after taking all four wins at Brands Hatch. Cooper now has a 144-point lead over second in the Supersport standings, Darren Jones. David Heal, on the Littlewood Fencing Triumph 675 threatened to put a spanner in Cooper’s works early one, after qualifying on pole with a time seven tenths better than Cooper’s. Heal led the first lap of the weekend’s opener, before dropping to second behind Cooper. He maintained a challenge at the front, before going missing from proceedings on the last lap. Cooper took his first win from Stock 600 rider Stuart Wickens and Stock 600 championship leader Steve Murphy. Nick Hobden was the leading Clubman in ninth on the second Littlewood Fencing Triumph.

In race two Cooper and Wickens are first and second across the line again, this time with a gap of just two tenths of a second. Wickens also takes 25 points in the Stock 600 championship. Dan Helyer put his Stock Yamaha R6 on the podium in third, as reigning 400 champion Steve Murphy fails to complete the first lap. Hobden again took the win in the Clubman class.

Sunday’s opener escaped the tricky conditions, getting underway before the ominous black clouds in the distance made their way over the Brands Hatch tarmac, and the podium replicated the second race on Saturday. There was also a strong performance from Tommy Philp, who rode to a well-earned fourth on the Berkshire Motorcycles Yamaha R6. Nick Hobden took his third Clubman win in 11^th.

In the final, rain-hit race, Cooper completed his dominance and made it look increasingly likely that he would take the 2012 Premier 600 Supersport crown, but he was chased all the way to the flag by second placed and leading Stock 600 Murphy, with the gap just eight hundredths of a second. Darren Jones was third across the line and second Supersport 600, while the leading Clubman rider was Rob Goodall on the Southern Classics Yamaha, who secured an excellent fourth place.

In the Rookie 600s Mike Richards and Ben Doolan took a win apiece on Saturday, Richards’ coming ahead of championship leader Doolan and Stuart Carter, and Doolan’s victory coming one second ahead of Carter and Christopher Beck.

On Sunday Beck secured a double win on his Suzuki GSX-R600. In race one he bettered Richards and Doolan by nearly six seconds, and in race two he just edged Vaidas Gaurilcikas to the flag, with Doolan third. With Ben Gallaway absent from proceedings, Doolan closed in on the Rookie 600 crown, with just two rounds to go.

EDI Asia Formula 400S....Martin Edges Closer To 400 Title

Colin Martin edged a little closer to the EDI Asia Formula 400 title, taking three wins from four over the weekend. He qualified over one and a half seconds quicker than Chris Camps in second, while Richie Welsh, his nearest title challenger qualified third and James Runham made up the front row. In race one Martin checked out early one, riding to a comfortable two and a half second victory, while behind, the scrap for the podium was on. Camps, Gary Henning and Welsh were locked in an exciting battle for second, and after much position swapping, the ever-popular Welsh emerged at the front of that battle in the closing stages of the race to take second, head of Camps in third. In race two Martin’s margin of victory was nearly five seconds, with Welsh again second, as Henning this time took the bottom step of the podium.

In Sunday’s opener the heavy black clouds had soaked the surface, and it made for an interesting spectacle. There were eight non-finishers as Henning took the win from Phil Polden, while there was an excellent podium for Honda VFR400 rider James Caswell-Cox. Martin could only manage an eighth, while Welsh struggled down in 18^th. Martin rediscovered his form in the final race, and took his third win of the weekend, ahead of Camps and Ben Palmer.

DFDS Seaways Yamaha Past Masters....Hoare On A Roll

Tony Hoare seems to be on a roll after taking his first ever win in the DFDS Seaways Yamaha Past Masters at Cadwell Park, taking two wins and two seconds at Brands Hatch last weekend. Hoare obtained his first ever podium finish at Cadwell with a third, before taking his first win. Since that third, he’s finished off the podium once. However, his run of form may have come too late for the championship, which seems increasingly likely to go the way of twice former champion Pat Herron, who also took two wins and two seconds to extend his championship lead over Graham Higlett. Higlett by contrast had a poor weekend, suffering overheating issues with his own bike. On a borrowed he managed a ninth in race one, but was back up the sharp end in race two, taking fourth. Steve King took two thirds.

On Sunday the conditions caught a number of riders out, with five riders crashing out in race one, including King. Herron strolled to victory ahead of Hoare and Simon Braby. Hoare took his second win in race two, with Herron second and Andy Bown taking his first podium placed finish in third, after four riders went down in the tricky conditions.

Team Respro BMCRC Premier and Stock 1000s / Rookie 1000s....Neeves Extends Gap At The Top

Michael Neeves arrived at Brands Hatch with a 120-point advantage in the Team Respro Premier 1000 championship, and after a win, a second and a third, he looks set to take the championship come the end of September. Barry Chapman qualified on pole on his BMW S1000RR, with Neeves second and Mark Lister third, while Dan Fowler was the fastest Stock 1000 to qualify in fourth. And it was Chapman who took the first win of the weekend in Saturday’s race, ahead of championship leader Neeves. Dan Fowler’s Honda CBR1000RR was the first Stock machine across the line in third, while Spencer Casely was the leading Clubman on his Jacasey Racing Yamaha R1 in 14^th.

On Sunday, the conditions came in to play, and it was Kawasaki ZX-10R mounted Mark Parbury who came to the fore, taking the win by two seconds in race one, from Chapman and Neeves, as nine riders failed to finish. James Edwards was the leading Stock 1000 in fifth and Lloyd Sutton Foster was the leading Clubman in 12^th.

Neeves took his win in the final race of the weekend, ahead of Stock riders Ed Pead and Dan Fowler. Sutton Foster was again the leading Clubman in seventh.

In the Rookie 1000s, John Wilkinson took two wins on Saturday after qualifying on pole, the first ahead of Danny Campion and Michael Honey, the second ahead of Honey and Bryan Parish, as Campion failed to finish. On Sunday Honey took victory in the rain in race one, ahead of Mark Fincham and Parish, before Parish took his third win of the season in race two, ahead Honey and Fincham.

Bumpstop BMCRC Thunderbikes...Matthews and Palmer Double Up

Chris Matthews and Steve Palmer took two wins apiece in the Bumpstop Thunderbike races, after Martin Cooper qualified on pole. Matthews on his GSX-R750 took his two wins on Saturday, the first ahead of Martin Cooper and Palmer, the second ahead of Palmer and Ben Mills, before Palmer excelled in the wet on Sunday, notching his two victories, both ahead of Seb Kelly and Ben Mills. Championship leader Adam Nelson could only muster a best finish of fifth, to go with a sixth, eighth and 16^th over the weekend, allowing Seb Kelly to close the gap at the top significantly.

Bonham’s British Historic GP....English Double In British Historic Championship

Glen English took two wins, a second and a fourth at Brands Hatch in the Bonhams British Historic GP on his Matchless 500. English took two wins on Saturday, with Andrew Taylor and Michael Russell taking a win apiece on Sunday.

Two-Stroke GP Classics....Hat-trick For Symon

Alex Symon took all the wins available in the Two-Stroke GP Classic series, with the final race of the weekend cancelled due to the conditions and tight schedule. Symon was dominant on his dominant on his Suzuki RG500, his biggest margin of victory nearly 40 seconds on a grid filled with eligible Yamaha Past Masters machines.