‘RACE OF THE YEAR’ TO CONCLUDE CROFT’S SEASON The Classic Racing Motorcycle Club (CRMC) is holding the final rounds of its prestigious 2007 motorcycle road racing championships at Croft Circuit on the weekend of 6th and 7th October as the curtain comes down on the 2007 season at the North Yorkshire track. All CRMC classes will be running their usual two championship races on Saturday and then have a single, eight lap “Race of the Year” on Sunday. These longer races often settle down into tactical duels and regularly produce thrilling finishes as riders give their all to claim those coveted “Race of the Year” podium places. The programme also includes the final rounds of the Summerfield Engineering National Junior (350cc) and Senior (500cc) Championships and the Classic Racer Syndicate 1300 National Series. This is the opportunity to savour the evocative sights and sounds of Classic and Post-Classic solo and sidecar racing machines from the 1950’s to the early 1980’s, widely referred to as the Golden Era of road racing. The racing is always furiously quick and the action comes thick and fast with 29 races and four Classic parades taking place over a busy weekend. Paddock entry is inclusive and offers a great opportunity to ogle the wide variety of machinery and talk to the riders and teams. CRMC meetings are where you will see the cream of the UK’s Classic Racing talent riding machinery ranging from 125cc Honda two-strokes to 1980’s Superbikes, Manx Nortons to Triumph Triples, and just about everything else in between, including sidecar outfits. Every class has been furiously contested this season and many Championships are still undecided. Probably the most ferocious rivalry has been between Lea Gourlay (Summerfield Petty Norton), Mike Smith (Dunnell Manx) and double Manx Grand Prix winner Olie Linsdell (Paton GP) in the 500cc Group 1 category, and all three will be going flat out over the weekend to finish their season on a high. That’s not to say that others won’t be looking to gatecrash their party and one of the more likely candidates is Luke Notton, who has consistently troubled Gourlay and Co. all season on his Molnar Manx Norton and Walmsley 7R. Gourlay (Lidgate Triumph 750) also rides in the 1300 National Series, which sees a spectacular coming together of big multi and twin cylinder four-strokes such as BSA/Triumph triples and Norton Dominator and Commando twins. Post-Classic fans are more than looked after too with classes for 125 and 250/350cc pukka racers (e.g. MT Hondas and TZ Yamahas) and the big bike classes that bring together an awe inspiring grid of two and four stroke Superbikes such as Yamaha TZ 750’s and P&M 1100 Kawasakis. The sidecars include Belgians Damien Perilleux and Nancy Detournay who are looking to seal the championship on their Windle Imp, and among those trying to stop them will be Darlington’s Lenny Pallister, who will be piloting his Triumph 750cc outfit.