The IHRO Continental Circus had a severe change in weather after Djursland when it went to the last meeting of the year at the CRMC Race of the Year event at Brands Hatch in the UK.

The Saturday race was mainly dry, although with a few spots of rain towards the end of the race, but Sunday’s race was held in terrible conditions. The whole of the Sunday event was run with reduced laps due to the weather after a night of wind and rain which saw many awnings disappearing and rivers running down the paddock, conditions were so poor that many people packed up and went home.

Practice was combined with the CRMC normal practice session and was untimed so little information could be gained from that.

A smaller than usual entry meant that the race classes were combined for both days racing giving only one race per day. A lot of the regulars were missing, Ives Glauser had still not recovered from his Gedinne accident, Vanni Jensen and Mike Edwards though present at the meeting, had too many other commitments that weekend and were under ‘team orders’ not to compete in the IHRO races, a lot of the continental riders had decided not to brave the French fisherman’s blockade of the channel ports, there was a Lansdowne race at another venue which removed UK stalwarts like David Lock and Roger Jennings so it was a depleted grid which came to the line for the Saturday race.

From the line, Ton Groot got a flying start but was soon overhauled by Alan Oversby who was on a mission after his excellent MGP result, Michael Cooper on Tony Dunnell’s Manx had made a slow start but he fought his way up to third by the end of lap 3, passing Lea Gourlay who was riding a Goldstar in preparation for his father’s memorial race on the Sunday and also the smooth riding Jarno Jonker on the Becks BMW. Peter Branton was a frustrated start line failure after the throttle stuck partly open as he stopped the engine on the line, as a result, probably fortuitously, the bike refused to start. Martin Hudson continued with his fine run of results by gaining his first ever IHRO class victory in the 350cc class, just behind the hard battling French duo of Christian Vite, now fully recovered from his early season accident, and William Gougy both mounted on Seeley Goldstars. Bob Millinship was the 250cc class victor.

The Sunday race was held just before lunch in the pouring rain, many riders had given up and gone home by this time and as a result there was a very sparse entry on the grid for this race. Michael Cooper took the early lead but hard charging Oversby took command on lap 2, the two then battled hard until Cooper’s bike expired with water in the carburettor, this was a real shame as the battle was shaping up to be possibly the best fight for the lead all season and it gifted the win to Oversby. Conditions were so poor that Oversby’s fastest lap was some 8 seconds slower than on Saturday. Branton having got the G50 started this time, took over second place which he held to the flag well ahead of third placeman Lars Sandberg. 350 class victor was Gordon Russell and Bob Millinship again took the 250 class honours.

It is now six long months till the first race of next season, but that will allow time for riders and machines to relax ready for another full year of racing around the circuits of Europe.

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