NOBLE BACK WITH A PODIUM WITH PARKER HOT ON HIS HEELS

The team made the trip to Silverstone for the 4th round of the Red Bull Pro National Series on the same weekend as the MotoGP and with 65,000 spectators in attendance it was a chance to showcase Motocross to a new audience. The track was brand new and wasn’t really ready for racing at this level, however it did produce some fantastic racing with the lads performing superbly all weekend to bag some great results in the two day race schedule.

Race 1.
Parker grabbed the holeshot but drifted wide on the first corner allowing a gaggle of riders through leaving him in 10th , two places behind Noble. By mid-race Noble had progressed to 7th with Parker just behind in 8th. As they made their way through to 5th & 6th Parker began to pressure his teammate but disaster struck as he washed out on a sandy corner and went over the bars. He was soon up and running though and managed to get back to 6th again by the flag giving him 5th in the MX1 class behind Noble in 4th.

Race 2.
Parker again bagged the holeshot but this time stayed tight around the first corner to hold his position but as he laid down a huge whip over the first jump he drifted wide allowing Noble, Anderson and Lamay through. Noble was looking more like the rider which finished last season in 2nd place and was going all out for the win. Anderson was having a battle of his own to keep Lamay behind him before attacking Noble for the lead. He managed to pass Noble through the chicane but Noble was having none of it and re-passed the Geordie on the next corner and fry as he might Anderson just couldn’t find a way past. Noble took a well deserved win in front of Anderson and Lamay with Parker in 4th.

Race 3.
Both riders gated badly with Parker in 13th and Noble just behind in 14th but Noble, on a high from his previous race win blasted up to 7th by the end of the first lap. Parker could only make it through to 11th but was looking smooth, taking different lines to everyone else and by lap 9 had already disposed of the likes of Sword, Crockard and Nunn to move up to 5th just behind Noble. Lamay had gone at the front so it was now a fight for 2nd between Anderson, Noble & Parker and it was Parker who was showing the greater speed. On lap 12 he flew round the outside of Noble before sticking a block pass on Anderson to move into 2nd which he managed to hold to the end from his partner Noble who also got the better of Anderson to finish 3rd.

Race 4
With the sun beating down all day the track was baked like concrete for the final race and as the race began it was clear that dust would be a major issue as the field made their way around the first corner. Noble made an ok start in 6th but Parker’s gate didn’t drop properly leaving him down in 13th. Noble was looking for an overall podium and soon made his way up to 4th but Parker was really struggling with the dangerous conditions and could make little progress, indeed only improving to 12th by the end, albeit 8th in the MX1 class to give him 4th overall for the weekend. Noble allowed MX2 pilots Barr and Banks-Browne through towards the end of the race as they fought for the win in their class leaving him to cruise home in 6th in the race but 4th in MX1 to give him a confidence boosting overall podium finish in 3rd.

All in all a great weekend for both riders and one which they will be hoping to reproduce at Whitby next week as they continue their assault on the Red Bull Pro National Championship.
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