BRAD TOP BRIT IN MX1 @ MXGP

Sunday, 21 August 2011 00:00

IMAGES & WORDS ADE THREASHER

After securing his 2nd British MX1 Motocross Championship the previous weekend, Brad travelled down to Winchester to try and continue his fine form of late into the World Championships, as the GP circus moved into the Matterley Basin circuit for Round 13 of this years series.

Despite being up against the best riders in the world, Brad was as confident as ever and took to the opening practice session on Saturday in confident mood and this showed as he set the 10th fastest lap time, in the next session he dropped down slighty, only securing the 18th fastest time. Next up was the Qualifying race and after a poor start Brad was climbing upthe standings, but around the mid way stage he had a problem with his goggles and had to dispose of them, this slowed him slightly but he still fought on to a fine 15th place finish.

When Sunday came, it saw Brad with new goggles and he went straight out and set the 5th fastest time in the mornings warm up practice. Happy with the mornings results he went to the start line for race 1 in a super confident mood and after the opening lap he was inside the top 10, as the race began to settle down Brad slipped a few places to 10th and slightly lost touch of the riders ahead, but after regrouping and refinding his rhythm he was charging back at them and managed to pick up a place with a few laps to go and secured a fine 9th place finish.

Race 2 saw Brad round the 1st lap this time just outside the top 10 in 12th but he was looking good and soon started to pick up places, by lap 6 he was in 8th. The riders ahead had managed to gap themselves from Brad so he started to charge in true Ando style, and was gradually reeling them in, with a handful of laps remaining he caught 7th and made the pass. Brad now had the riders in 5th and 6th in his sights and despite reducing the gap by a huge amount he just ran out of time to catch them before the chequered flag came out, leaving him in 7th.

The Grand Prix on the whole was a great success for Brad and his PAR Honda team, as his 9th and 7th race placings gave him 5th overall and Top Brit in the MX1 class, proving himself to be a worthy inclusion for the Great Britain Team for this years Motocross of Nations, after the team was unveiled by manager Steve Dixon at a Press Conference during the weekend.