The nature of the circuit and the demands of the Hottrax Motorsport Racing Club Endurance Motorcycle Championship meant this was always going to be a difficult and challenging event but nobody could have anticipated the outcome of the race day.

With the mouth watering prospect of a full six hours racing and the two leading teams only separated by three points in the championship, as well as the three hour Junior race running concurrently - a good start was going to be important. Early morning practice confirmed GBMoto (Mark Smith Halvorsen/Mick Godfrey/Mike Dickenson/R1) as fastest out of the absolutely massive 39 machine grid with a time of 56.297s, a smidge ahead of leading Junior TAG outfit Track Craft (Mark Linscott/Mike Dickenson). Track Craft were hoping to wrap the Junior 1000 TAG championship up at Mallory despite Mark carrying an injury from Cadwell Park, which also required an R1 rebuild conducted by Robin Hooker Racing who have previously raced in this series and hope to return with a trick Ducati 1098 – watch out and see if it appears at Silverstone in October! Newcomers and local circuit specialists RJS Superbike (Daniel Lane/Gary Arden/Steve Gillings) were top 600s less than half a second adrift from GBMoto and championship leaders Sweatshop Moores 2 (Hugh Brasher/Rod Lynn/Paul Smyth/R1) were back in 9th spot on the grid.

Dramas before the grid even lined up included an injured Mark Linscott being displaced at the Hottrax trackday on the Friday, on Sunday morning Darkside Endurance (Andy Buik/Darren Jones/Kevin Upstone/R6) saw Daz come off at the Esses after contact with a slowing 600 and TM72 Racing (Andy McKnight/Eric Chitty/Kevin Doughty) lost a machine which needed to be rebuilt before the off!

When the clock turned twelve the grid cleared quickly and ten minutes later Lee, one on the Rawlings Racing brothers (Lee and Mat Rawlings) tipped off at the exit to Edwinas bringing out the pace car for almost 15 minutes, this process cost Mike Dickenson who was dumped down to 18th, needing a meteoric ride to work his way back up through the pack. At the half hour spot Co-Ordit Racing (Dave Wardle/Ian Walker) almost stole the lead on the road before having to pit for a rider change just before Dickenson handed over to a limping Linscott.

After 60 minutes racing GBMoto held a lap over Track Craft, Ducks Cross Racing, Sweatshop Moores and Co-Ordit with Freaks of Racing Too (Mark Whiston/Dave Stewardson) in close contention. Eighty minutes into the race and the pace car made another appearance with the machines being held out on the track as medics tendered to fallen rider - motorcycling journalist Paul Smyth who had high sided at Edwinas on the Moores R1, at the same time the Rawlings rider was dispatched to hospital with a broken wrist. Riders and machines were held for around 90 minutes as Paul was taken to nearby Leicester Royal and the race organisers had to wait for returning medics and ambulances. After a couple of quick laps behind the Audi pace car the race was on again - not for the Sweatshop Moores 2 R1 which was damaged in Paul's accident and a holed crankcase spelled - 'game over' for the championship leaders. Track Craft were leading after 3 hours enjoying a whole lap advantage over the well ridden GBMoto R1, Co-Ordit were third with Ducks Cross (Jon Railton/Grant Wagstaff/Martin Landmann/R6), the Freaks and White Tiger Racing (Nigel Bryan/Ash Joice/Chris Lang) in close contention.

On the four hour mark the race was going take another turn - Pete Gibson lost control of the Phoenix Endurance R6 (shared with Shelley Pike and Andy Jones) at the exit of the Esses, some debris from the Yamaha landing on the Devils Elbow part of the track. Early concerns for Pete were lightened as the paddock discovered it was another broken wrist requiring hospital treatment, requiring adequate paramedics at the circuit the race pack was held on the start/finish straight for another hour and a half. With around half an hour to go, what was supposed to be a 6 hour and a 3 hour race was a race to the chequered flag for all. With such a little time to go master strategists were at work, some bikes had well worn rubber, others were low on fuel but a brave sprint to the finish might net a move up the finishing positions for some of the clever teams. This was the case for Moores Racing (Tony Jimenez/Mike Eglington/Jim Agombar/R6) as Jim challenged fellow class protagonists Team Viking (Paul Clarke/Crispin d'Albertanson/Barry Salmon/R6) and the two bikes circulated in close company with Moores effecting a move on experienced circuit instructor Clarke within sight of the finish.

Leaders on the road Co-Ordit shot down the pitlane thinking they had seen the flag being shown, this was with a few laps still to run allowing Track Craft to finish 20 seconds in front of GBMoto giving Track Craft enough points to seal their title with a race to go. The team had used their entry at Cadwell in the Senior race to show other Junior competitors that it is not such a huge leap up to the higher level of endurance racing - the team has been fast and reliable and this has been rewarded with the 2008 Junior TAG 1000 championship. Freaks of Nature Too and Co-Ordit Racing will carry their championship battle for runner up spot into Silverstone next month. Pete Bradshaw of Co-Ordit Racing has recently announced withdrawal from their BSB campaign citing costs and an uncertain economic future as reasons, Pete is probably being sensible but I hope they continue to support HMRC activities and giving Richard Cooper the opportunity to ply his trade.

The National and Senior runners only scored half points in the championship, due to restricted race time completed, the retirement of Moores Sweatshop 2 allowing GBMoto to overtake them in the points and they will have to wait until Silverstone in October to decide the outcome of their class.

In the hotly contested National Supersport class Darkside stay at the front despite Ducks Cross winning their race at Mallory and Moores are only a fraction ahead of Team Viking. Having already put to bed the Senior TAG 600 class title; Black Flag Racing (George Duncan/John Higham/Sam Smithson) could only manage third in class behind locals RJS and the consistent A&G Racing (Gary Jones/Mark Affleck).

Senior 1000 is the domain of Throttle Monkey 72 Racing who have wrapped the title up in front of White Tiger Racing led by colourful Aussie Nigel Bryan, winners today, ahead of SMF Racing (Paul Rogers/Simon Fenwick/Mike Ashton) and TM72. ETA Racing (Ian Courtts/Darren Brearley) did a sterling job to win the Junior 600 class with nearest rivals GBMoto Junior (Phill Clarke/Mario Costello) only managing fifth in class after a spill and a push in for Phill!

Spare a thought for Terje Joensen who hails from the Faroe Islands - no race circuits, not many two wheeled fanatics apart from Terje who has relocated to the UK to pursue his love of racing and will be returning to race at the final round at Silverstone on October 11th for Greg Wilson's Best Choice Endurance.