Martin Barr makes strong start to British MX Nationals at Oakhanger

The Apico Husqvarna rider was third fastest in qualifying and in his opening moto, at the tough Oakhanger track, he avoided the carnage on lap one to take the chequered flag in fourth.

Barr said: “I made a decent start and was lucky not to get caught in the first lap chaos. Fourth was a safe finish."

In race two Barr again made a good start off the gate and after getting up to fourth he was unfortunate to cross the line in fifth.

“I rode too steady after a good start,” he explained. “I caught John Adamson for fourth, passing him with two corners to go, but a backmarker jumped across me a hundred yards before the finish and I went down.

"Thankfully I had enough of a gap to remount and finish fifth. It was a good steady start to the championship, so I’m happy,” said Barr, who finished third in the 2022 series.

Dubliner Stuart Edmonds has switched machinery for the 2023 season, racing for team S Briggs Commercials Honda.

Edmonds admits he is still getting used to the new bike.

“I’m still learning the Honda but I’m happy where I am at the minute,” he said.

At Oakhanger he qualified fourth fastest.

“I had a bike issue and only got in two quick laps,” Edmonds added. “I was sure I would drop down the order but my fastest lap was good enough with no one bettering it.”

Despite finishing 11th in race one and 10th in race two, Edmonds reckoned it could have been so much better.

“I made decent starts but kept crashing, however 10th overall wasn’t bad. I need more testing and more bike time.

"I’m over the moon the way the season has started but I need to improve my speed and fitness and get more comfortable on the bike. Then I can show what I can do.”

It was a tough day for Loughbrickland’s Jason Meara on the Motorcycle Racing GasGas. The local man finished 13th and 11th in his two races for 11th overall.

Lisburn’s Richard Bird finished fifth overall on the AllMotoYamaha in the experts MX1, while Joshua McKorkill from Londonderry finished fifth overall in the amateur MX1.

In the 85B/W class Omagha’s Lewis Spratt had a difficult qualifying on the McCullaghs Centra KTM suffering a puncture on the first lap before finishing 11th fastest.

A good start in his opening race came to an abrupt end with a crash. From dead last he fought back to 10th by the finish.

A sixth place in race two and ninth on Sunday saw him claim seventh overall.

Meanwhile, Lisburn’s Gary Moulds and Lewis Gray were racing at the opening round of the Sidecar World Championship in Spain, finishing in the points in 18th overall.

The pair qualified seventh fastest in their group but on the opening lap of race one they were pushed wide at Turn1 and went upside down.

Moulds said: “Although very sore I’m happy as we head to Portugal this weekend for round two.”