WITH star rider Marc Cox on the sidelines there will be a championship up for grabs when the 2008 season gets under way at Pleinmont on Saturday. In Cox’s enforced absence, attention in the MX2 class with its 250cc four-stroke or 144cc two-stroke bikes shifts onto Sam Clark who took the 2007 title after the championship favourite had had to retire from the championship.
Others to look out for are recently graduated junior Brett Pierce, who has competed extensively in the UK, along with Lloyd Wallbridge and Hamish Moriarty.
Although he will not be able to take part, Cox is still looking forward to the season.
‘It’s going to be good to watch the lads,’ he said.
‘It should be a close contest for the championship. There are quite a few younger riders coming up now.’
The other classes are promising to be just as exciting.
In the auto class, 2007 champion Riley King is likely to be pushed by an improving Josh Lambourne.
Jerseyman Ryan Caurel took the 65cc class honours last year, but Guernsey riders Louis Waddingham and Bradley Matthews are the likely contenders in 2008.
The 85cc class is split into intermediates on small-wheeled machines and seniors on big-wheeled ones.
In the intermediates, Mike Dempster is once again favourite to regain his title but will need to watch out for a challenge from Freddie Bates.
Unlike the intermediates, the current seniors’ champion, Elliott Bates, is far from certain to retain his crown in 2008.
The Lesbirel brothers, Luke and Aaron, look good if they can avoid the injuries that plagued them last year.
Chip Le Page and George McConnell are two other riders who are always there or thereabouts and cannot be ruled out either.
After an absence of a few years due to a lack of entrants, the club are once again able to run the youth open class for junior riders on adult machines.
The two in this class, Eloise Boucher and Jess Dray, will be closely matched.
Due to the number of riders now joining the sport at adult level, the classes will change slightly for 2008.
Alongside the premier MX2 class, a second category, known as the adult open class, will be run for riders on machines ranging from 125cc to 650cc.
This group will be the training ground for future MX2 class riders.
Motocross subcommittee secretary Jon Le Page is looking forward to an exciting 2008.
‘After a successful 2007 season, we are once again seeing new riders deciding to come along and have a go at this exciting and challenging sport, which is very encouraging,’ he said.
‘With extra riders we get bigger grids, which leads to closer racing. This in turn creates more of a spectacle for the public, which leads to interest from new riders.
‘The organising committee is really boosted by these developments, as it’s making the future of motocross in Guernsey looks very rosy.’
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