From a press release issued by Thundersport GB:
Despite showers during testing on Friday and the odd spit of rain on Saturday and Sunday, it was a dry but windy Mallory Park that greeted our riders for the first round of the 2010 Championships as we got underway this weekend in Leicestershire.
Many spectators from the crowd and the paddock gathered to watch one class in particular though, as the F450.com Moto 450/Supermono cup was finally launched on the 1.39 mile circuit.
With it not being a Supermono Championship round, we were slightly light on the Supermono entries for the series but a healthy fifteen machines made it onto the circuit for qualifying, including thirteen 450′s, which was more than predicted, as the numbers of riders building the machines for this season, continues to rise.
As it was though, the Yamaha of Nicky Pearce headed the list of machines that included seven Aprilia’s, a Ducati, Honda, Rotax, KTM and Kawasaki during qualifying, with a pole position time of 1.00.544 and ex-Superteens Danny Murphy and Connor Tagg in second and third, with ex-Streetfighter B runner Phil Page rounding off the front row.
During the races however, the Aprilia’s reigned supreme as Danny Murphy’s two victories and shared wins for Connor Tagg and Ben Gautrey stole the headlines in the class. Yamaha rider Nicky Pearce could only manage one podium all weekend from first on the grid and whilst the likes of Phil Page, Phil Cannessa and Liam Shelcock all enjoyed top six finishes on their Aprilia’s, it was 2008 Moto 450 Champion Will Hodgson that ended the weekend on top of the points table after taking three second place finishes and a fourth.
A time of 56.966 from Danny Murphy during the final race of the day smashed the previous lap record and all in all, the series that a few critics had labelled as a ‘non-starter’, was a big success and you wont speak to anyone in the Thundersport paddock that doubts its current and future stability.
Qualifying
1. Nicky Pearce (Yamaha) 1:00.544
2. Danny Murphy (Aprilia) 1:00.611
3. Connor Tagg (Aprilia) 1:00.845
4. Phil Page (Aprilia) 1:01.776
5. Phil Canessa (Aprilia) 1:01.847
6. Ben Gautrey (Aprilia) 1:02.125
7. Will Hodgson (Aprilia) 1:02.842
8. Nigel Palmer (Ducati) 1:03.299
9. Liam Shellcock (Aprilia) 1:12.013
10. Robbie Robson (KTM) 1:12.595
11. Jonathan Lodge (Kawasaki)
12. James Stacey (Honda)
13. Danny Lloyd (Honda)
Race 1
1. Danny Murphy (Aprilia)
2. Will Hodgson (Aprilia)
3. Ben Gautrey (Aprilia)
4. Phil Page (Aprilia)
5. Nicky Pearce (Yamaha)
6. Nigel Palmer (Ducati)
7. Liam Shellcock (Aprilia)
8. Robbie Robson (KTM)
9. Danny Lloyd (Honda)
Phil Canessa (Aprilia) DNF
Connor Tagg (Aprilia) DNF
Race 2
1. Ben Gautrey (Aprilia)
2. Will Hodgson (Aprilia)
3. Nicky Pearce (Yamaha)
4. Nigel Palmer (Ducati)
5. Phil Page (Aprilia)
6. Liam Shellcock (Aprilia)
7. Robbie Robson (KTM)
8. Danny Lloyd (Honda)
Phil Canessa (Aprilia) DNF
Connor Tagg (Aprilia) DNF
Danny Murphy (Aprilia) DNF
Race 3
1. Connor Tagg (Aprilia)
2. Danny Murphy (Aprilia)
3. Ben Gautrey (Aprilia)
4. Will Hodgson (Aprilia)
5. Phil Canessa (Aprilia)
6. Liam Shellcock (Aprilia)
7. Nicky Pearce (Yamaha)
8. Phil Page (Aprilia)
9. Nigel Palmer (Ducati)
10. Robbie Robson (KTM)
11. Danny Lloyd (Honda)
Race 4
1. Danny Murphy (Aprilia)
2. Will Hodgson (Aprilia)
3. Connor Tagg (Aprilia)
4. Phil Canessa (Aprilia)
5. Nicky Pearce (Yamaha)
6. Liam Shellcock (Aprilia)
7. Nigel Palmer (Ducati)
8. Phil Page (Aprilia)
9. Robbie Robson (KTM)
10. Danny Lloyd (Honda)
Ben Gautrey (Aprilia) DNF
