Round three of the 2024 Lansdowne series comes from Donington Park, a real favourite with our riders. With weather forecast good, the paddock crammed with smiling faces, the scene is set. With the TT on and folk on holiday we still managed a healthy entry of 23 pilots all primed and ready for some classic Donington magic.
Qualifying
Lots of riders were quickly on the pace and with only 10 minutes to set a qualifying time there was no time for dawdling. Of the championship riders it took something really special from Michael Russell to set a 122.6 time for P1 on the grid on his Manx, Mark Taylor took P2 with some very spirited riding in front of the calculating Dan Jackson, first of the Matchless G50’s riders with his very smooth and accurate style. First of the 500 Clubman was Rich Ellis who was hot to trot in P8 a smidgen in front of Angela Cragg P9 and Domi mounted ‘rookie Dad’ Sam Rhodes P11. The ever smiling Jack Hebb emerged comfortably ahead of Cliff Ransley in the 350’s whilst the Pre-55 class had Richard Hann leading in P16 with closest rival Derek Bunning and Luke Bailey P21 / 22 respectively.
So what’s Donington like to ride ?
With the warm up lap completed the riders take their place on the grid, a furled flag pointed at the lights signal the final preparation to race. The red lights stay illuminated for longer than usual tempting the riders to launch, catching out the keen, landing them a 10 second penalty for jumped start? High rev’s and fried clutches have the bikes leap from the line with the best of em, or the jump starters arriving at Redgate’s awkward right hander first, a tight entry not allowing a full stretch of the throttle cable and so with a mix of track positions the crucial exit from the first corner feeds riders side by side into Hollywood’s downhill double apex before the muscle pounding right to left Craner curves with it’s compressing downhill exit keeping tendons taught and busy as brakes, gear changing and track positioning are so necessary to keep up momentum going through the off cambered Old Hairpin, then engaging flat chat mode you stamp through the gears, linking the left uphill apexes before hitting the brakes at Schwantz Curve ready for McLean’s naughty right, slightly wide you run out of track, hit the apex and you think you could have gone twice the speed ! Then all thought’s turn to the blind entry to Coppice, so important to exit fast and carry speed onto the back straight as not to get drafted and passed before hauling the anchors on for Roberts chicane, such a popular overtaking spot as it messes up the ability to drive for the finish line if pushed out of position, if not it’s victory and immortality? Well maybe not immortality but certainly a pat on the back and a wonderful trophy!
Race 1
And so to the race itself, the pointy end had Mark Taylor, Mike Russell and Dan Jackson sucking paint off each other’s bikes, the speed, just a little too much for the second group of Graeme Higlett, Matt Hebb and Tony Perkin who were enjoying their own little battle. Of the first group, Mark Taylor took his first Lansdowne win with Russell in his shadow and Jackson only yards behind whilst the second group had Higlett in fourth, Hebb 5th and Perkin 6th after his 10 second penalty for a jump start ! Rich Ellis and Ian Bain had a right little scrap throughout with the two of them so close at the flag with Ellis taking first place 500 clubman trophy. Returning from a bang on his head, Richard Dawson rode a great race to finish second Clubman in front of Alex Williams, Richard very excited that he could see straight all race!! Poor Angela Cragg who is always in the thick of the action didn’t make it past the first corner, a graceful nose dive in the Donny gravel only to be run over be another bike did the tough little Clubman leader a power of no good but she is determined! So tough is she that when lay there in the gravel, she told the Marshall’s not to stop the race but just haul her to safety, then at the medic’s told Dad John ‘what you doing here? Crack on and get the bike repaired for the next race!’ Unfortunately she had to go for an X-ray but you watch, she will move heaven and earth to be at Brands! Back to the race, Stuart Tonge found his mojo and really enjoyed getting the better of Martin Thrower, who is gaining speed meeting on meeting but Stuart out-witted him and even if it was by less than half a second at the flag that’s all that was needed. Jack Hebb topped up his points tally in the 350’s whilst Richard Hann took the P55 top spot.
Photo © Chequered Flag Images
| British Championship | Clubman 500 | |
| 1st – Mark Taylor | 1st – Richard Ellis | |
| 2nd – Mike Russell | 2nd – Richard Dawson | |
| 3rd – Dan Jackson | 3rd – Alex Williams |
| Clubman 350 | Pre 55 | |
| 1st – David Hebb | 1st – Richard Hann |
Race 2
The cold wind in this race could not keep the heat from the battle at the front, Mark Taylor carried on his very determined mood, taking top spot at the flag Well ahead of a titanic battle between Dan Jackson and Michael Russell, Dan, taking the runner-up spot by less than 2/10th’s of a second. In fourth place, Graeme Higlett held off Tony Perkin and Matt Hebb who, for half of the race tried to share the same bit of tarmac, these three finishing in that order as in seventh place Ian Bain, once again, had a rampant. Richard Ellis all over him, although Mr Bain with 30 years of racing racing know-how was able to stay ahead. 500 clubman runner Richard Dawson took runner-up spot after a race long battle with pre-55 rider Richard Hann, clubmen Alex Williams and Justin Keane, all four of them within a few yards of each other at the flag, great racing lads. Clubman Simon Hocking enjoyed this race a lot more after taking over a second off his lap time staying in front of Ken Perch. Of the 350’s Jack Hebb once again took the class win from the charming Cliff Ransley. The pre-55’s had that great ride by Richard Hann take his class win from Biggles brother by another mother, Derek Bunning, the birthday boy rode a Stirling race for his 2nd place trophy.
| British Championship | Clubman 500 | |
| 1st – Mark Taylor | 1st – Richard Ellis | |
| 2nd – Dan Jackson | 2nd – Richard Dawson | |
| 3rd – Mike Russel | 3rd – Richard hann |
| Clubman 350 | Pre 55 | |
| 1st – David Hebb | 1st – Derek Bunning | |
| 2nd – Cliff Ransley |
Race 3
Sunday and the weather is much warmer with the wind having dropped, this days action saw a fired up Michael Russell in a mean mood having a race long dice with Dan Jackson and Mark Taylor, this saw Mike snatch the win from Dan with Mark third. In fourth place, Tony Perkin had a hell of a battle once again with Matt Hebb with Ian Bain and Graeme Higlett, enjoying the shenanigans of these two just ahead, they finished in this order with nothing between them over the line. Clubman Richard Dawson took another stylish class win ahead of a well chuffed, Stuart Tonge, leaving Alex Williams to claim third from Martin Thrower. Richard Hann scooped first in the Pre-55 class whilst Jack Hebb once again took the 350 win.
Photo © Chequered Flag Images
| British Championship | Clubman 500 | |
| 1st – Mike Russell | 1st – Richard Dawson | |
| 2nd – Dan Jackson | 2nd – Stuart Tonge | |
| 3rd – Mark Taylor | 3rd – Alex Williams |
| Clubman 350 | Pre 55 | |
| 1st – David Hebb | 1st – Richard Hann |
Race 4
Those three were at it again, Russell, Jackson and Taylor, although this time only two of them could make a charge for the line and class win after Taylor blew his motor on lap six leaving Russell and Jackson to put on a heck of a show as with nothing in it on the charge for the line, both in each other’s shadow, Mike just edged ahead for a popular win, although Dan did the fastest lap. In third was super stylish Graeme Higlett from the uncomfortably close Tony Perkin and Matt Hebb as both crossed the line within a yard of each other, Perkin’s bigger nose coming in handy. Ian Bain once again had a front row seat watching and waiting for a door to open in the aforementioned battle whilst right behind Ian, Richard Dawson once again riding superbly took the clubman honours just ahead of Stuart Tonge with Paul Stephen taking his first clubman podium in 3rd. Richard Hann once again took the pre-55 class win whilst Jack Hebb again had the upper hand over Cliff Ransley in the 350’s.
| British Championship | Clubman 500 | |
| 1st – Mike Russell | 1st – Richard Dawson | |
| 2nd – Dan Jackson | 2nd – Stuart Tonge | |
| 3rd – Graham Higlett | 3rd – Paul Stephen |
| Clubman 350 | Pre 55 | |
| 1st – David Hebb | 1st – Richard Hann | |
| 2nd – Cliff Ransley |
To sum up, a great weekends racing on a fantastic circuit, out there dicing with friends, making memories both on and off the track. Another superb Lansdowne weekend. Thank you to everyone who makes this happen, Bemsee and their officials, the medical staff, Marshalls and all who help out. Roll on Brands Hatch, see you there, Perky
