Seven Star riders, Lee Heron, Mark Boyles, Ian Maconnachie, Martin Kelly, Lisa Ansell, Suzy Patience and 12 year old Isabella Boyles, travelled all the way down to Thruxton race circuit in Hampshire yesterday for the last big TT of the year. The event, the National Closed Circuit Championships, attracted a total entry of around 250 riders, which included some of the country’s top club TT riders, plus the appearance of Dame Sarah Storey.
This is a tough 11.7 mile race, which comprises 5 laps of the race circuit, which although smooth, is very open to the elements and has a long inclined drag that leads up to the final chicane before the pit straight, which is always slow. The conditions however were kind compared to previous years with dry conditions and a breeze that wasn’t too challenging.
The men’s event, which attracted 140 riders, was won comfortably by Chris Fennell with a time of 21.47, averaging 32.23mph. First Star rider home was Lee Heron in 66th position on 26.40. Other Star times were as follows; Mark Boyles 28.21, Ian Maconnachie 29.19 and Martin Kelly 29.41.
The women’s event also saw another comfortable win by last year’s champion Joscelin Lowden with a time of 24.22. Suzy Patience put in a great effort to finish in the top half of this competitive field on 28.31, while Lisa Ansell, attempting this sort of event for the first time, finished on 36.45.
Finally young Rising Star Isabella Boyles managed to knock 12 minutes off her time from last year, finishing with a time of 39.27, in the mixed 56 junior/juvenile rider field.
Don’t forget, this year the club’s TT season has not really ended, as we have launched a fortnightly Winter Saturday series on the K4/20 course. The first event took place on Saturday, which Ben Heaney won with a time of 29.47, and the next will be on 2nd November – start time 1pm.