2025 Cock O’The North: Saturday Races Review
Firstly, apologies to everyone for the sparse, live qualifying, race updates, the internet signal, connection at Scarborough interesting to say the least.
The warm, sweltering weather that graced Oliver’s Mount on Friday, continued throughout this morning, into mid-afternoon.
Post practice stints, qualifying contests, the Dave Suddes tribute lap, 2025 Cock O’The North race action blasted off with the Pub & Kitchen Super Twins curtain raiser.
Riding well within himself, SMT Racing’s Rob Hodson dominated, moving eleven seconds plus ahead at mid race distance, ultimately winning by 18.95 seconds!
Ian Lougher (Team ILR with Frog Vehicle Developments) unlocked all his guile, clever race craft to poach second with Preston’s Lewis Arrowsmith third, finishing top non-Paton powered pilot.
Galashiels Johnny Stewart banked fourth, Jack Sim was fifth as Bailey Harker completed the race leaderboard, top six.
Following Lightweight/CB 500 racing, yielded wins for pre-race favourites, Stephen Gorton and Adam Shelton.
Just as the first Lightweight/CB 500 race burst concluded, one could not but not notice in the background, a growing number of darker clouds. Then, you guessed it, rain, rain, wet weather!
This meant, mixed conditions all round for pending Supersport Race (A) competition.
Aran Sadler went onto seal a hard-earned victory, besting, above-showcased swiftest Manx GP newcomer of 2024, Johnny Stewart by 2.104 seconds.
David McArthur took third with Bailey Harker, lead Scarborough newbie Franco Bourne, Paul Marley, fourth to sixth.
The Supersport B-race, held in equally tricky, challenging conditions went the way of Paul Moir. Steve Hardy, Brook Built Racing’s Ben Long scooped second, third place finishes whilst Italy’s first Scarborough competitor in this decade, Enrico Rocchi, placed a respectable eleventh.
Next it was three wheeling time and remarkably Michael Kirkup, whose event participation looked dicey, having considered pulling his entry, due to the lack of availability of a suitable passenger, was J.Hughes Plant Sidecars Race One victor aside last minute co-pilot Josh Smith.
Kirkup/Smith finished close to 2.7 seconds ahead of race pole-sitters, the Ramsdens Steve & Matty.
Carl Fenwick/Jake Roberts, Rob Dawson/Matt Sims, Bruce Moore/Ashley Moore, Charlie Morphet/Dave ‘Knight’ Ryder, No.1 Pre-Injection exponents Jim Noble/Abi Caiger, David Marshall/Anthony Pitt and James Hanks/Jonathan Kirk were the remaining race finishers.
Aran Sadler’s glorious Saturday continued with the 441-plate holder, securing Potter Plant Hire Classics Race One, HMH Civils Supersport (A) Race Two victories.
Respective second, third place finishers from opening yesteryear, second middleweight category encounters were 2-Strokes category topper, Whippet Racing’s Stuart Hall (Classic SBK/Two Strokes R1) Team York Suzuki’s Joey ‘Yorkshire’ Thompson (Classic SBK/Two Strokes R1).
Treble times illustrated in this article Johnny Stewart (P2 Supersport R2) and already accomplished Oliver’s Mount debutant, Trickbits Racing’s Ryan Dixon (P3 Supersport R2).
Today’s sole L.May Plant Support race was taken by newcomer Lloyd Morris, finishing 3.918 to the good over fellow newcomer Adam Jamison.
In total just six competitors took part in this race, with only three more riders finishing the six-lap tussle, Sam Ward (P3), Ben Rainbow (P4) and Thomas Bradshaw (P5).