After a few seasons of going to Mablethorpe Beach Racing watching and helping Dad, I have always wanted to try it myself. As the new season had started and I began seeing pictures from the first round I wanted to give it a go. It only took one text message of encouragement from 'Greenfield' George Pickering to persuade me... While Dad was on a Sideburn trip in Nepal I changed our old Honda CRF100 rear tyre back to a knobbly but left an almost bald front tyre on. Then I started messaging Steve Nicholls, one of the Greenfield crew who helps me most during DTRA race days. I wanted to know if the CRF100 would be legal in the ‘Up to 200cc Road Bike’ class, because Steve rode a DRZ100 at the first round, trying to pick up some points while he’s finishing his Yamaha DT125RE. Mablethorpe's organisers said I could ride my CRF100 in that class until they get enough entries to have a whole minibike class. On Saturday morning, the day before the race I arrived at Greenfield George's house where I walked in on Scott Faulkner and George wrestling on the sofa while Joe Drewery was watching the big England rugby match. We then went to work on the bikes, putting new tyres on George’s and Fergus Bluff’s Kawasakis while Joe Banks and Steve Nicholls we’re working on their own bikes. After a trip out for lunch in Alford, and a couple of rounds at the pub, where we met by more of the Greenfield crew: Toby, Freddie, Ellz, Henry and Ben, then went back to Greenfield. As it’d been raining all week there was no riding to be done so we organised a FIFA Playstation tournament, that, somehow, George won. The clocks changed that night. Everyone who was riding thought ‘At least I’ll get an extra hour in bed’, apart from one. Scott’s idea of clocks going back was ‘That must mean we’ve got an extra hour in the hot tub’. While Joe was busy in the kitchen cooking us the homemade ‘Banks Special Curry’ I was day dreaming about tomorrow’s racing. On Sunday morning we met Ellz and Steve again and all started trucking over to Mablethorpe, before driving straight onto the beach in George’s 4x4. Gary Birtwistle and I joined the club as it was our first ever race there. After a big breakfast at a local cafe we headed back to the seafront to get our bikes out and start getting ourselves ready to tackle the beach.
Steve and I were first on the track out of the ‘Greenfield Group’ and the track was amazing, As the day went on the track changed every time, getting more ruts every time we went out. I’m still not quite sure how but in the first two races a managed to beat Steve, the man who was giving me tips all DTRA season, noticeably improving my ride once I applied every bit of advice he gave me. However in the last three races Steve beat me by. quite a long way... My excuse was I couldn’t concentrate after he came by me shouting and screaming as he got past me on the back straight.
Steve Nicholls
George won all of his races on his #38 450 (see above with he back wheel in the air), in front of Gary Birtwistle, Joe Banks and Scott Faulkner. Fergus Bluff finished 2nd in the 250cc class with Ellz finishing third after crashing out in the last race. And Steve finished in front of me in the 200cc Road Bike class on his DRZ100 and I was on my CRF100. Both with almost bald front tyres.
Gary Birtwistle
Joe Banks
Scott Faulkner
Fergus Bluff
If you want somewhere to race through the winter, Mablethorpe beach is the place, we need more CRF100s so we can have a whole class of them. As long as you don’t mind the cold, it’s great. Fairly cheap - one-off £15 club entry, £35 race entry, no licence needed - and you don’t need to do anything to your bike, just have a knobbly tyre on the back and front. The next round is Sunday 10th November. If there’s enough CRF100s we will get a whole class to our selves instead of being mixed, make sure you’re there! Thanks to George for having us and everyone else who made it such a good weekend, and Joe Banks for the curry and Emily Tokelove for the brownies helping us power through the races. Also thanks to Jon Braking Point Images for the great photos.