Four-Cross Finale

National 4-Cross Series

Rounds 6 & 7

Report& Images: Joolze Dymond

It was a weekend full of spills and thrills as riders contested the last two rounds of the National 4-cross Series on the relatively new Blandford track in deepest darkest Dorset. The track was testing in itself but coupled with the great washed-out summer weather we've been experiencing it turned round 6 into a virtual lottery - as often as not, the person left on the bike at the end of the race was the winner, with riders sliding off all over the place.

Two of the stars of the series - Scott Beaumont, above, and Bernard Kerr below

After some heavy rain in the night, Sunday and Round 7 turned out to be a real humdinger, with a rare sighting of the sun plus some pretty tight and exciting racing throughout the day. With some exciting racing conducted in some pretty awful conditions on Saturday, everyone was praying for a better out come for the final round of the series and thankfully those prayers were answered, with beautiful blue skies and a gentle breeze welcoming all those ready to sort out the final standing to decide those all important series titles.

Despite the better weather, the course was still slippery with a lot of riders motos finishing nearly as soon as the started as they hit the first part of that long straight. It was a tough course with plenty of argy bargy as riders fought for the best lines.

With everything to play for in the juvenile category Alex Metcalfe and Isaac Mundy were lining up for a battle royal. Mundy never made the motos having broken his collarbone warming up in practice, leaving Metcalfe to take control, which he did taking a clean sweep from both days to claim the overall victory to go with his National jersey picked up earlier in the year.

Tom Knight was the man to beat in the Youth category as he's dominated the whole series and this weekend was no different, adding the series title to his National jersey, although Round 7 didn't always go to plan with quite a few random motos on his way to victory.

Crossing over from BMX has paid dividends for Masters rider Shane Trotter, who's been having a play at 4X over the year and this weekend saw him picking up 2nd in R6 but scoring a bullseye in Round 7, taking the win ready for getting stuck into the series properly next year. The series title went to Steve Jones, who has risen quickly to the top of the pile after taking a year off.

Olli Jones loved the muddy conditions taking control of the senior races only dropping to second in his semi. He recovered to take the senior win. Mick Ridgway finally found the form to have a breakthrough year, taking a number of podiums this year culminating in a surprise overall series win for the DialledBikes rider. After a blinding year Ridgway now faces a tougher challenge as he steps up to elite next year.

The biggest battle of the day had to be between Juniors Scott Roberts and Bernard Kerr. A win in Round 6 by Roberts saw the two riders locked head to head for the series. Roberts just had to beat Kerr in the final, but it wasn't to be as he slid to defeat on the start straight leaving Kerr to take the final and despite them both tying on points that final win gave Kerr the overall series win.

Ex- European BMX Champion Charlie Phillips took up another challenge after a nasty crash put her out of BMX racing. Persuaded to give 4X a go, Phillips took to it like a duck to water taking the national title earlier in the year and now adding the series win to her CV too. Despite a nagging shoulder injury she went through the motions for two motos, before finally deciding that if it was gonna hurt she may as well get stuck in proper and with some great racing from Kathy Curd, Suzanne Lacey, Sarah Jane Hewitt, Kerry Wrigglesworth and Bonny Kerr, Phillips went on to take the win. A great year for women's racing, there just need to be a few more to make it even more exciting!

The series winners show off their prizes

Finally the toughest race of the day, the Elites, with Scott Beaumont keen to take a clean sweep having only dropped two races all season and riding high on a cracking 6th spot in the World Champs plus for the first time in 4X history taking the double, National title as well as the overall Series title, he was the man to beat. With a clean bill in all his motos it was Beaumont against Pat Cambell Jeener, Will Evans and Oggy in the final. All had him in their sights but Beaumont looking controlled took a blinder out of the start gate and went for gold, with only Pat Cambell Jeener breathing down his neck, who went on himself to take his first podium in his first year as an elite.

Riders' Comments

Alex Metcalfe - Juvenile winner
It's been a pretty good weekend, I managed a clean sheet through both days, so I'm pretty chuffed. It was a pretty tough course but a nice change from he other tracks we've been racing, it's been interesting with he weather as well as it made it very slippery which added to the toughness. I loved the mud, really loved it.
I wrapped up the series this weekend, closely followed by Matt and Jonathon Bard, they've all done well, it's been a good year racing with these guys. We've all had different positions, we've all swapped around nothings been clear-cut, but it's made it more exciting.

Today it was a case of studying the course, selecting the right tyres and just go out and give it my all. I've had loads of people come up to me today and tell me that my last gate was amazing. I've had a good year, collecting the National title, along with the series win; I've had a brilliant bike thanks to my sponsor, who's also helped me with everything this year. I move up to youth next year so I'll be using the winter to work on my sprints so I can keep up with them.

Scott Beaumont - Elite winner
It's been a pretty good weekend; I'm unbeaten again so obviously I'm really happy with that. I'd won the series before this weekend, so what I was looking for, well I've only dropped two races all season, so I wanted a perfect score to count for my overall and that worked out. From 7 rounds I've managed 6 perfect scores, I couldn't ask for much else.

It's all going really well for me this year, I think I'm probably the first rider to win both the National Champs, the national series and pick up 6th at The World Champs, so it's been good, though perhaps I've been a bit inconsistent with my World Cups. I know I have the speed and I know I'm riding well, I'm just looking to come back even stronger next year now. To be honest I want to do a complete clean sweep and get on the podium at the World Series and I know I can do it!

I loved the course; it's the closest we have to World Cup courses. Most of those are built 2/3 weeks before the event, where most of the UK courses are pretty established and smooth and flow well, where as this course was actually really rough and unpredictable and that's really what World Cups are like, so for me this is a perfect practise ground.

I think any rider who wants to do well in World Cups they should ride here. It's perhaps not the most slickest of tracks, you have to work really hard here and really think about where you're pedalling and you're bike isn't always going to go in a straight line, it'll be kicking around, I think we need more tracks like this.
The investment they are making here is phenomenal, that start gate is quite an impressive structure, it's great to see some money being thrown at 4X, which will hopefully improve venues and create more.

I have to be honest I can't remember the last dry race I've had, so the mud was no trouble. I've just come back from 2 weeks in Canada and the rain there was outrageous, so to be honest the bit of drizzle we had here yesterday was no problem! We got a bit dirty and stuff but it was all cool.

I've really felt like I've been able to control all my races this weekend, my gates were good and I just wanted to get out front and ride my lines, I didn't feel pushed, I just rode confidently and concentrated on staying on the bike, so my races were probably a little bit closer than I would normally like, but it was all good and I feel so confident and I'm really looking forward to stepping up a gear next year.

Tom Knight - Youth Winner
Yesterday was pretty good I won all my motos and the final, today was a bit iffy, I got a couple of seconds and a 4th in the motos but it went alright in the final! It was good to get the win eventually. I've won all the rounds so I'd won the series coming into this, but to get the extra 2 rounds as well here well that's unbelievable, I can't really believe I've done that.
It's very slippy out there and I didn't get good gates, I didn't listen out for the beeps properly and got a real bad gate so I went to pull a move and that didn't work either and I slid out and got fourth, I just wasn't getting my gates up until the semis where it suddenly clicked.

The course is good, some big jumps really suited to the DH mountain bikers when it got a bit wet, down the bottom as well with the moguls, so nice jumps and nice corners and pretty long too.

The weather has been something else. We came up on Friday and it was lovely and dry and the course rode well, yesterday it was just boggy and slippy, but today we were lucky and it started to dry out and at least the start wasn't so boggy, yesterday wasn't was hard trying to choose tyres and getting the power down. No the conditions weren't good but everyone rode in the same, so it was equal.

As far as my final went I got a good gate, moved over to block my main rival, felt something rub against my tyre but didn't look back. I heard someone close behind when I was on the second last corner, I thought I'd better get a move on in case they come round the inside, I crossed the line and saw my main rival had a puncture, that was bad for him but good for me.

I couldn't ask for any more this year, the training has certainly paid off and now I have he Series title to add to the National title I got earlier in the year. My dad's been brilliant sorting stuff out and the bike has run well so no I couldn't ask for anything else.Next year will be harder as I move up to Juniors now, but I've raced the guys last year and came 3rd, so if I can come 3rd at least next year, I'll be happy.

Pat Cambell Jeener- 2nd elite
It was really close in that final, I got a good gate, next to Will Evans and Oggy on his inside I managed to get my bar ahead of his, came across just behind Scott on the first straight and followed him down into the second corner and then really slowed for some reason and got really loose, so I pedalled hard grabbed a thumb full of gears and pedalled my arse off to the finish. I'm really happy with that this is my first podium of the year as a first year elite. I didn't have such a great day yesterday, I only managed 5th, but I pulled it back today.

If it hadn't been so grim weather wise I reckon the course would have been great, it was good fun, a bit different. I don't think lane choice came into it at all this weekend; it was whoever got to the first jump upright, real good fun even if it was a bit of a lottery at times.

Charlie Phillips - 1st lady
I haven't had that much of a good weekend really to be honest, I picked up an injury a couple of weeks ago, I crashed down at my home track and I'm not really sure what I've done to my shoulder but I felt it today. I didn't race yesterday and today I kinda coasted the first 2 motos and then I thought I might as well race. I finished 2nd in the first race then I kinda chilled out for the second race, took a 3rd home then in the 3rd race I had a good gate so I went for it. I was already in pain for the first two races so I thought I may as well pedal and have a bit more pain and took home he win.

I won the 4th race then going into the final I had a bit of a bad gate, I came unclipped I managed to get back in, Katy Curd was leading into the first jump, we were together after that, then I pulled away but she was still hot on my tail through the rest of the track I was getting a bit worried so I had to keep pedalling. I went wide on the 2nd corner purely because I didn't want to be dropping down anything with my shoulder, I came out round the corner and heard all the crowds calling, so I pedalled my way through and I saw out of the corner of my eye Katy drop down the inside but I came out in front so I had to keep trying all the way to the finish.

It's good to add the overall series to the National title I took at Bridgnorth, it's been a good year of racing with some great competition. I gave up BMX last year after a really bad accident at Cheddar at the European Champs. I got back on a bike this year Gary sorted me out, so all credit to him for getting back on really. It's been a good year and exciting too, I went off to the World Cup in Fort William, I didn't do as well as I hoped but it was good experience and hopefully next year I can get to a few more and get some World Cup points under my belt and get a few finals. I'd like to say big thanks by the way to Scott's dad; he's really looked after my bike & me this year!

Chris Seager Smith - Novice 12-16 winner
I had a fun weekend it was a bit muddy though, course was good a bit pedally but yeah good fun. Yesterday I had a clean sweep but today it was all a bit sketchy but I got the win in the end.

'Mop Head' - Novice 17+ winner
It's great fun being in the final, I came out the gate flat out and won it so it's good enough for me. I had a few sketchy moments but I got a clean sweep I won every round today, so like they said I completely dominated today. Yesterday I almost got the win, I was in the lead up to the first turn but someone came off in front of me so I lost it. It's not a bad course I'm not really a big fan of the flat pedally stuff, it would have been nice to have a course like Redhill, I love that track, really steep, turny, but this is cool a bit different.

Ollie Jones - Senior winner
Yeah it was really good out there today I won all my motos, 2nd in the semis and I got the win, so yeah it all went through pretty well. I got to the last corner and used the same line that Beaumont was using and I got through which was excellent, I nearly got stuck but no I got it. I liked he mud, no really I do it makes it a bit harder for everyone, so I enjoyed it I thought it was something different, very similar to some of the Uci World Cup courses. It was a bit of a lottery but I like it like that! I rode better than yesterday, I crashed in the semis and went through to the B final and it was alright, great weekend, just the camping was terrible I hope Chris sorts the weather out next year.

Shane Trotter - Master winner
There certainly was some tough racing out there today and yesterday and it was just as slippy today as yesterday too. The course was excellent, a bit slippery but great to ride. I only managed 2nd yesterday but today I won all my motos and the semi I got second. The final was pretty tight we all together pretty much together all the way down, it was close, but I got the win. I've only done a few races this year, I'm normally doing BMX but I'd thought I'd give this a go and will now probably do a lot more of this now, it's great.

Bernard Kerr - Junior Winner
Yeah good day today, better than yesterday, I just couldn't get my gates, I kept hitting them I was just too keen, but I got it in the end but I was a bit tired. The course was hard really pedally you had to pedal hard down that long straight, then you'd break and then sprint again so it really tired you out it could have been better and the rain certainly didn't help.
Out the start gate it was really muddy and slippy, it certainly wasn't ideal. I won all my motos yesterday but got 2nd in the final so I wasn't too happy with that and today I got motos a 2nd cos I kinda mucked up a bit, but then I got the final so it was all good in the end.

Mick Ridgway - Senior Title Winner
That was a bit of a surprise or me, it's been a good year I finally got there, I've been racing for 4 years now and I've been knocking on the doors for years and I hadn't actually won a race till this year, so yeah it's just been good. Next year I gotta race elite now, so that's gonna be tough and the title win, yeah like I said that's a surprise I still can't take that in, I can't believe that everything has gone my way really. The tracks have been a bit more mountain bikey where as last year they were more BMXy and for me they worked out good.

Even the weather has gone my way, well apart from today where I didn't do as well as I wanted, I didn't get a lot of practise on the track, I was out riding the motorbike yesterday. I nearly didn't come at all, I've had a really bad week, but I changed my mind at the last moment, I'd never ridden here so I wanted to come and check it out. The track is pretty good, it could do with a bit more of a hill but you know, they've done a pretty good job of it. The start gate is something else, its so impressive, love it.
So yeah a good year, I gotta thank Mike at Dialled Bikes, he's really helped me out, I've got quite a few of these trophy's this year and I hadn't had any before, but I'll be keeping this one.

Chris Roberts - Organiser
We've had an amazing year on the NPS 4X circuit this year, great turn out throughout the year and hundreds of motos. The weather hasn't been the kindest but overall we've had a fantastic season. This weekend, numbers have been a bit down but it's a new track and the end of the season and the weather has been pretty grim but we've had some fantastic racing out there. I gotta thank all our sponsors who have provided some cracking prizes throughout the year.

We'll be back next year and hopefully if we get the riders we'll make it bigger and better again. The girls this year have been excellent, we've had a good group coming through we just need to get 10 -15 girls out here racing and that would be excellent.

I'm not gonna have too quiet a winter, I'm helping out at a few Winter Series 4X events, plus I've got a another Urban Downhill lined up in October and possibly some more 661 mini downhills too and there's loads more stuff being lined up for next year but its all top secret. Lots of things going on!

Thanks go out to all the people that have helped across the series, the riders, the spectators and all photographers hundreds of them all taking great photos and really capturing the action and fun of racing 4X. Sue & Mark from MAW Racing for all the Call up and Gate Starts over the entire season and of course all our sponsors who have provided some cracking prizes over the year: So thanks to Hayes, Manitou Forks, Halo Wheels, Spank goodies, ODI, FSO sunglasses, customer made Hope Trophies who between them provided well over £15000 worth of goodies!