Well what a weekend in Wales. Moelfre was the venue for the 2016 4X National Championships. Organised alongside a round of the British Downhill Series, it was once again great to see these two disciplines united to provide a great weekend of entertainment for the fans.
Friday – Practice:
Friday’s practice session went perfect for Scott. After winning the title here in 2015 he has fond memories of this track, and after some changes had been made to it ahead of the 2016 Championships, Scott was at home straight away and was up to speed quickly. The changes were good to the track and heading away after practice, Scott was in confident mood.
Saturday – Race Day:
So it was time for business. The second practice session went well as Scott raised the tempo and started to focus on the speed he would need to bring home the title again.
The competition was going to be tough. The top 4 from last year were here – Nathan Parsons, Alex Metcalfe and Luke Cryer. The in form Duncan Ferris and Will Evans. Plus it was amazing to see Will Longden racing again along with downhillers Phil Atwill and Craig Evans.
The first hurdle would be qualifying. With turn one being close to the start gate, gate choice would be critical, so Scott wanted to qualify well to give himself the best chance.
Scott was the last rider to qualify (as defending Champion). The gate dropped and Scott was flying. Nailing all his lines, he looked quick. Across the finish line and it was a great run, taking the fastest qualifying time and the vital lane choice.
Racing:
So it was Showtime. Scott took the win in his opening races and was confident heading into the quarter final. Choosing gate one, he exploded out of the gate and was able to comfortably take the win in his quarter.
Onto the semi final. The pressure was on all the riders. This was it. Top two to transfer to the final. Again Scott made a great start and was away. Leading from start to finish, he booked his place in the final.
So it was final time. Choosing gate one. Luke Cryer in two, Duncan Ferris in three and James Whitby in four. The gate dropped and Scott took the holeshot. Riding the best lap of his day, Scott continually pulled a lead and stretched the gap in every corner and over every jump. Crossing the finish line to take the win, the emotion was evident:
“Winning this race means so much to me. That was the fastest lap of my night and I am happy to have put it together in the final. Thank you to all my sponsors for their support, the fans who were cheering and the organisers for putting on a great event. Let’s go and spray the champagne”!
