This Is Guernsey

By Aaron Scoones

NINE new records, 100% sunshine and a good crowd gazing out from the sea wall, all added up to a pleasing start to a new sprint season at Vazon. The work of the 30 or so diehard Guernsey Kart and Motor Club background team was thus made all very worthwhile and with a hillclimb to come today, the summer motorsport season can be said to be truly under way.

Nobody impressed on Saturday more than bike riders Simon Cohu and Phil Guillou, who both bettered class records which had stood for eight long summers.

On his second timed run Cohu snipped 11 hundredths off Andy Richmond’s 1999 mark of 12.45.

Two runs later the 24-year-old called it a day and left his two class challengers to it, but neither was to get near his 12.34 best.

Cohu intends making regular use of the Honda 450 he acquired two years ago.

‘I’ve had a lot of engine work done and was just testing it today,’ said the 351 to 500cc class winner who aims to attack the hillclimbs as well ‘as a bit of Supamoto’.

Coho equalled the mark on his opening run and outstripped it on the next.

With a top speed of 132mph Guillou took seven hundredths off his own 126 to 250cc record set in September 1999.

From the man who next week takes his Condor Ferries Yamaha to Brands Hatch for the start of the British 250 Championship season, the message was that you have to take advantage of the good weather when it comes.

‘The weather was perfect today with a tailwind and not too hot either, which makes the engines run better.’

Guillou, 35, intends to compete in all eight rounds of the British 250 Championship but knows it will be tough with 62 riders competing for 38 places on the grid.

‘To finish in the top 10 would be good.’

Then it is off to Northern Ireland for the North West 200.

He expects to be away much of the summer.

‘It’s going to cost a fortune.

‘It’s only because the bike is set up well that it is worth doing.’

For the majority of the sprint set, Guernsey events will concentrate their time and efforts.

From the first sprint meeting Paul Price walked away with the fastest time of the day with a 10.15 on his third run on the Peter Price Builders Haysbusa 1300.

The other record-breakers were Scott Rayson, with his last run in the Cool Runnings Chevy Special, Steve Finch, Dale Crowsley, Steve Marquis, Terry de la Mare, John Rowlinson and Simon Bradbury.

Article posted on 9th April, 2007 - 12.00am