ROUND one of the Eastern Centre Championships at a revamped Blaxhall circuit, organised by the Woodbridge club, saw a bumper entry of almost 200 riders contest the start of the series in sunny but very windy cold conditions on Sunday.

ROUND one of the Eastern Centre Championships at a revamped Blaxhall circuit, organised by the Woodbridge club, saw a bumper entry of almost 200 riders contest the start of the series in sunny but very windy cold conditions on Sunday.

Syd Bales, 2006 champion, soon took over at the front in the first Experts race, with Nathan Norman chasing. Ben Lambert-Williams had problems at the start and had to battle from 11th place to eventually claim second behind Bales. Norman held off Stean Jolly for third. Chris Bastick was the leading MX2 rider, finishing in ninth place.

The SMX team of Lambert-Williams, Jason Higgs and Jamie Smith were all at the front in leg two, along with Paul Edge. Bales was almost at the back of the 40-strong pack but, with the sandy circuit becoming increasingly rutted at the end of the day, positions soon changed.

Higgs fell, as did Lambert-Williams, leaving Grimsby's Smith at the front, with MX2 rider Steve Bixby taking over second place from Edge. Jolly and Jason Morland were having a closely-fought race for fourth place until Bales came storming through.

At the front, Bixby was dramatically closing in on Smith until, with five minutes remaining of the 25-minute long race, he crashed, leaving Smith to take the win from a charging Bales, Edge, Morland and Jolly.

With Bixby's demise, it was again Bastick who was the leading MX2 rider. Bixby, bravely came back for ninth place and second best MX2.

Earlier on, Lambert-Williams had won the non-champs race from Bixby and a fast-starting Danny Ayres. Bales only managed a few yards at the start but had to retire with front brake disc problems.

After morning qualification in both junior graded groups, it was the two heat winners, Adam Wheeler and Matt French, who were at the front of the first MX1 Moto.

Wheeler was never headed, although Norwich youngster Alex Smith tried hard after passing French. Smith made a great start in leg two and, by the time that Wheeler had fought through to second, he had built up a huge lead.

Once again, it was former expert French in third, with Chris Place having a good solid ride in fourth ahead of a hectic battle between Ollie Taylor, Craig Cook, David Lockwood, and a charging Mark Hunt.

After easily winning his qualifier, Ipswich teenager, James Cotterell raced to an impressive hat-trick of wins in the junior MX2 class.

Just up from the youth scene, Cotterell soon took a liking to the Blaxhall circuit and was untroubled in both championship races.

Another emerging youth rider, Kevin Lancaster, impressed in leg one with a fine second place from Essex rider Perry Callow.

Leg two saw Cotterell dominate again, easily winning from Scott Londors, with Ben Talbot, Rob Howard, Stuart Dyerson and Tim Rose all involved in a hectic race-long battle for third position.