ARB Tuning Kawasaki joined the masses at the Grand Prix of Great Britain at Mallory Park this weekend, but not on the spectator side of the fence. Indeed, Jamie Lewis and Mark Jones were selected to join the ranks of selected British riders at the starting line. The facility at the Mallory Park road-race circuit was created from scratch in just under five months, and while rain threatened time and again over the weekend, the gods smiled on the event organisers, participants and spectators.
Mark, a Grand Prix veteran himself, soon re-adjusted to the Grand Prix schedule, and in his first free practice session ended just outside the top twenty, and then twenty-fifth in the second. Jamie, having tried his hand at a British Grand Prix once before in the MX2 class, tried to get used to the new track on a 450cc bike, ending both free practice sessions in thirty-sixth. Later in the afternoon, in the timed practice session, Mark pulled out all the stops to qualify in the top twenty. Jamie did not qualify, his times remaining consistent throughout the afternoon and earning him a thirty-sixth place.
Unfortunately for the team, Mark's day ended five laps into the first race. While in twentieth, Mark dislocated his knee. Although the knee immediately slipped back into place, the injury forced Mark to return to the pit lane and end the day with ice on his knee.
Team owner Mark Bishop was disappointed by the race day, although he was very satisfied with the Saturday results.
"Mark did well in qualifying, Jamie was just out but it was good experience for him," said Bishop. "But unfortunately in race one his knee popped out, so that was the end of our weekend. So, disappointing really."
ARB Tuning Kawasaki will next race at Culham in a fortnight's time for the fourth round of the British Motocross Masters Series, after which the team decamps to Desertmartin in Northern Ireland for the fifth round of the Maxxis British Motocross Championship.
