The penultimate round of the British Arenacross Championship featured numerous twists and turns, accompanied by some intense racing throughout. Round 7 took place at The Resorts World Arena in Birmingham, introducing challenges that could significantly impact the championship dynamics.
All three Stark Future athletes commenced the evening in Pro Heat 2. Jack Brunell started the race strongly in 2nd closely followed by Justin Bogle in 3rd. Both riders rode sensible races maintaining their respective positions until the finish line.
Due to injury, Eddie Wade was substituted by French rider Yannis Irsuti. With only his second time on the bike, Irsuti encountered difficulties with the start of his race and was unable to make significant progress, ultimately finishing in 7th position.
The turning point in Brunell’s evening occurred during Pro Heat 3. Despite starting in 5th position, he maintained a competitive pace. However, an incident occurred when he made contact with Dylan Woodcock in the second rhythm section. Regrettably, Brunell bore the brunt of this collision, forcing him to retire from the race.
Following the intense action in the preceding heat, Pro Heat 4 continued to provide heart-stopping moments. After starting in 6th Irsuti still finding his feet with the championship got shuffled back to 8th place. It was Bogle however who demonstrated his speed and seasoned expertise. Positioned patiently in 3rd, he seized the opportunity when Harri Kullas, Brunell’s closest championship rival, suffered a crash. Exploiting Kullas’s misfortune, Bogle swiftly took the lead, finding his flow to clinch the race win.
Eager to recover from the setbacks of the previous race, Brunell entered the Head to Heads. Although securing victories in all three sprint races, he faced a momentary lapse at the start gate during his second duel, allowing his rival Ben Clayton to gain an advantage. With limited time at his disposal, Brunell committed himself to an impressive fast lap, demonstrating his resilience and determination to secure the race win and, consequently, his entry into the main event.
Regrettably, Irsuti faced the demanding challenge of the Last Chance Qualifier race. Despite pushing hard, the Frenchman struggled to find that little bit extra needed to challenge and make it through to the final event.
In the aftermath of what had already been a rollercoaster evening, Brunell secured a less-than-desirable gate pick for the Traxxas Pro Main Event. Starting at a disadvantage, he managed to briefly advance to 3rd, he was eventually shuffled back to a respectable 4th place, concluding the race in that position.
Encountering technical issues at the beginning, Bogle faced a mountain to climb but made a resilient comeback, highlighting his remarkable speed as he rapidly advanced through the pack to secure 5th position.
Following the demanding round in Birmingham, Brunell has solidified his hold on the Championship’s red plate and will carry a 12-point lead over Kullas into the final round at Wembley. The Stark Future Racing Team will now regroup with the singular goal of clinching both the British Arenacross Title and the Teams title on the 24th of February in just 2 weeks time.
