Race Report: NDH Rd 2 Kidland Forest

24 May 2011  |  
The second round of the 2011 Northern Downhill Series was held at Kidland, situated near the Northumberland town of Rothbury. The track itself is in the same forest as the previous round held at Alwinton and shares some of the characteristic steepness. There were a few minor changes to the track from last year's event, the most notable one being the new start section. After arriving on the Friday and walking the track, the most striking features were how dark some sections were and how technical the track was. Helmet camera footage of the track at Kidland. Riders are Ant Preston following Oscar Armistead Northern Downhill Series Liam Little Off the start the riders are straight into a short firebreak sprint before rounding a flat grassy right turn into the dim light under the trees. Out of the turn the riders are straight into a series of bumps which resemble mini moto whoops; the only issue here was avoiding the deepest of the mud and water which had formed in the troughs between them. With tyres full with mud the riders dive deeper into the darkest part of the track littered with roots waiting to catch riders out. Northern Downhill Series Chris Brown Coming out of the darkness onto one of the few light parts of the track the riders are faced with a sharp right and a then couple of shallower turns as the riders descend down the hill. Next up is where the track deviates slightly from the original line, over the top of a berm the riders are sent straight down the hill across what was nice grass at the start of the weekend. Northern Downhill Series Matthew Woodall Passing the painted roots it's down onto a flatter rocky path cutting across the hill. This was punctuated with a couple of bus stops going up the bank at the side. Up the bank for a third time the riders are faced with a choice of three lines down a steep chute into the darkness of the woods. Coming off the chute the riders are caught by a left hand berm, this one claimed a few with riders going through the tape. Northern Downhill Series Chris Ashworth The next section is characterised by a few tight and steep switchbacks. A couple of different lines were available to the riders here with the inside line being the favourite. Out of the last of the tight turns it's into a fairly straight section littered with awkward roots. Line choice here is important with some riders gapping between roots and taking the top line which drops down into the right turn or a lower line which was easier but looked slower. Northern Downhill Series Andrew Dorritt Out of the right turn it's onto the loose rocks of the next few turns, these were entertaining to watch over the weekend with some riders getting loose between the trees. The last of this turns ends with a choice of going through Kidlands V tree or around it, unfortunately most of the riders were going around it, bad for photos. Northern Downhill Series Graeme Robertson The last section has a huck down over the roots of a big tree. There are a couple of different approaches riders can take here, either jump the lot or play it safe and go over the edge of the roots. It's then back up and over a crest before the steep chute down into the finish area. Northern Downhill Series Peter Williams The fastest time of the day was set by elite rider Peter Williams who came down in a 1.43.03. RESULTS Juvenile 1st - James Purvis - 2.09.63 2nd - Andrew Dorritt - 2.19.14 3rd - Brandley Swinbank - 2.26.05 Youth 1st - Ant Preston - 2.02.96 2nd - Rory Mcritchie - 2.03.41 3rd - Daniel Franklin - 2.13.52 Woman 1st - Esther Sands - 2.27.43 2nd - Gina Robertson - 3.57.19 Grand Vet 1st - Alan Turnbull - 2.19.68 Veteran 1st - Shaun Kelly - 2.08.30 2nd - Pete Hoggan - 2.08.466 3rd - Michael Strangeways - 2.13.21 Master 1st - Jayson Cavill - 1.54.21 2nd - Mark Weightman - 1.54.87 3rd - Philip Grimes - 1.59.89 Junior 1st - Matty Leggett - 1.52.87 2nd - Matthew Downes - 2.01.16 3rd - James Joyce-Gibbons - 2.01.50 Senior 1st - Craig Shane - 1.51.60 2nd - Robert Tait - 1.52.21 3rd - Garry Neale - 1.52.89 Expert 1st - Liam Little - 1.45.32 2nd - Steven Turnbul - 1.49.83 3rd - Peter Walton - 1.49.86 Elite 1st - Peter Williamson - 1.43.03 2nd - Alasdair Maclennan - 1.55.24 3rd - Bradley Illingworth - 1.56.81 A special mention must go Shaun who was the only rider mad enough to tackle the hill on a hardtail, he didn't even have a front brake fitted during practice! Northern Downhill Series Shaun To view all the photos from the event click here Words & Photos: Richard Easton or www.photo-moto.co.uk

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