A GOOD-sized crowd, bright sunshine, well-prepared circuit and closely-fought racing were the ingredients of Sunday's National Moto-cross meeting at Blaxhall.

A GOOD-sized crowd, bright sunshine, well-prepared circuit and closely-fought racing were the ingredients of Sunday's National Moto-cross meeting at Blaxhall.

The Woodbridge club hosted round three of the British Fourstroke and Under-21 Championships, plus round two of the National Quad Series.

In the timed practice sessions, Suffolk star Syd Bales delighted the crowd by posting the second-fastest lap, split seconds behind 2006 champion Brad Anderson. It was Anderson who stormed to the front of the first 30 minute-long race for the fourstroke machines, chased by Yorkshire rider Jordan Rose, with Bales in an excellent third place, leading a big pack of top national riders.

The leaders were setting a very fast pace until, after 15 minutes, Anderson's Yamaha developed ignition problems, leaving Rose at the front and taking victory.

Bales scored his best-ever national result, taking second place. Suffolk-based American Sean Hamblin, on a 250cc bike, had a superb ride, coming from a midfield position to snatch third place against all the bigger 450cc machines.

Series leader Wayne Smith was fourth after a closely-fought battle with South African Neville Bradshaw and Wiltshire's Mark Hucklebridge.

Anderson and Rose led race two and put on a great show of high-speed racing, leaving the remainder of the 40-strong pack to sort out third place. Smith held third from Lewis Gregory, Bales and another Eastern favourite, Aston Bird, until once again Hamblin came charging through in spectacular fashion to pass all of them to claim third position.

Bales was eventually eighth, with Bird in ninth place and, with a tally of 42 points on the day, Bales moved from 14th to seventh place in the Championships.

The British Under-21 Series saw leader, 17-year-old Ray Rowson, up against Bury St Edmunds teenager Elliott Banks-Browne and a host of rising young British talent.

Sure enough, it was Banks-Browne and Rowson leading the first race, and the lead changed several times between these two talented youngsters, until Banks-Browne clipped Rowson's back wheel, and fell.

Rowson then took an easy win from Suzuki rider Jamie Law. Hampshire's Alan Keet took third from two 16-year-olds, Kristian Whatley, and Luke Remmer, with Mildenhall's Chris Bastick in sixth position.

Race Two saw Banks-Browne leading the charge, with Rowson in second palace ahead of 2006 champion Jim Murro and Law. Rowson took over, when Banks-Browne again crashed out, to further increase his lead in the Championships.

Rowson has now won five of the six races so far this year, plus a second place. Murro was second and despite a huge spill, Law fought back to third position.

Round two of the National Quad Championships also provided lots of entertainment for the spectators.

The 2006 Champion John Mitchell, from the Scottish island of Lewis, won both races despite recovering from a broken ankle.

Mitchell had had a disastrous first round in Devon previously, leaving him in 14th place in the Championships, but his double win at Blaxhall hoisted him to joint fourth after two rounds.

Reading rider Jason Macbeth chased hard in both races to take two second places but the series leader is still Dutch ace Joe Maessen, who claimed a third and fourth placing.

Multi-times British champion Paul Winrow had problems in both races, although in race one he managed to fight through to third place and, after starting last in the second leg, the little north easterner could only finish seventh.

Results round-up

CCM British Fourstroke Championships Round Three

Race One: 1 Jordan Rose (450 Albion KTM), 2 Sydney Bales (450 Danger UK Honda), 3 Sean Hamblin (250 Swift Suzuki), 4 Wayne Smith (450 Par Homes Honda), 5 Neville Bradshaw (450 Par Homes Honda), 6 Mark Hucklebridge (450 Moto Xtreme Kawasaki).

Race Two: 1 Brad Anderson (450 Pioneer Yamaha), 2 Rose, 3 Hamblin, 4 Smith, 5 Lewis Gregory (250 Relentless Suzuki), 6 Hucklebridge.

Points Positions after three rounds: 1 Smith (148 points), 2 Hucklebridge 131, 3 Anderson 120, 4 Jody Smyth 112, 5 Danny Smyth 111, 6 Rose 109, 7 Bales 73.

Par Homes British Under-21 Championships Round Three

Race One: 1 Ray Rowson (Molsom Kawasaki), 2 Jamie Law (Relentless Suzuki), 3 Alan Keet (KTM), 4 Kristian Whatley (Ruddock KTM), 5 Luke Remmer (Pioneer Yamaha), 6 Chris Bastick (Danger UK KTM).

Race Two: 1 Rowson, 2 Jim Murro (KTM), 3 Law, 4 Pritt Ratsep (KTM), 5 Keet, 6 Alex Snow (Relentless Suzuki).

Points Positions: 1 Rowson 177pts, 2 Law 159, 3 Whatley 112, 4 Keet 103, 5 Murro 98, 6 Kirstian Ratsap 89.

British Quad Championships Round Two

Race One: 1 John Mitchell (ATV Yamaha), 2 Jason Macbeth (Fourtech Honda), 3 Paul Winrow (Honda UK), 4 Joe Maessen (Mercuria Yamaha), 5 Will Waggott (Kik Honda), 6 Richard Toye (Yamaha).

Race Two: 1 Mitchell, 2 Macbeth, 3 Maessen, 4 Waggott, 5 Justin Read (F/F Yamaha), 6 Carl Bunce (Honda).

Positions after two rounds: 1 Maessen 85pts, 2 Macbeth 82, 3 Waggott 69, 4 Reid 61, 5 Mitchell 61, 6 Lindsey Duke 61.