| RACE REPORT – British Masters Rd5 |
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Noble secures first major podium for his new team The fifth round of the British Masters series took place at Landrake, near Plymouth on 5th July. Qualifying. Noble pipped Anderson for pole on the very last lap of qualifying with Rose just behind in 3rd and Parker in 11th. Race 1. Noble made a good start and was in 3rd as he passed the pits for the first time. A couple of corners later he was up into 2nd and looked as though he would be challenging Anderson for the lead but he stalled his new bike in a tight left hander and took an age to kick it up. Having restarted in 23rd he simply charged through the field and was up to 8th by lap ten. He then disposed Neville Bradshaw, Wayne Smith and Lloyd Vercueil all on one lap before catching and passing Rose on the last lap to claim 4th at the flag. Rose had also made a good start in 6th and was soon up to 3rd behind Martin Barr. It looked just a matter of time before he would make his way through to 2nd but Barr fought doggedly and when Scott Columb charged through to pass them both Rose lost the tow and had to settle for 5th at the close. Parker had a terrible start down in 26th but rode superbly through the pack to 16th by the end of the third lap. He then had his customary excursion off the bike which dropped him back down the field and he spent the rest of the race re-passing the same riders to take an eventual 15th. Race 2 Noble made another good start in 5th and was up to 3rd by lap three behind holeshotter Anderson and Columb in what developed into a three horse race in which none of them was able to make any impression on the one in front. The final running order of Anderson, Columb and Noble mirroring the overall for the day giving Noble his first major podium for his new team. Rose also has another good start and was just in from of Noble when Banks-Brown clipped his front wheel coming into the second corner, dumping Rose on the floor and to the back of the field. He was left with the unenviable task of fighting his way through from dead last on the super quick track and was only able to get up to 15th by the end of the race. Parker again struggled off the line in a lowly 21st and spent most of the race following the returning Ray Rowson through the field before the CCM rider pulled out leaving Parker to fight his way through to cross the line in 12th. |












