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Aintree - Brace Of Wins For Alex .....................................................Back To Reports and News
18th May 2009
 Alex visited the famous Aintree race circuit last weekend and returned with a brace of wins from the two classes he contended.
Designed to give him some valuable set-up and testing time aboard the ASTRO Kawasaki ZX10R which until now has been in short supply.
With the start of the ‘Ace of Aintree’ series there has become an affordable opportunity for us to get more track time in a race situation.
Although famous for horse racing, the Aintree circuit has also been used as a venue for motor racing since the fifties. With the British Grand prix being staged there on five occasions, in 1955, 1957, 1959, 1961 and 1962. In addition to the Grand Prix, the circuit also held 11 non-championship Formula 1 races, known as the Aintree 200, first won by Stirling Moss in 1954 with the last winner being Jack Brabham in April 1964.
Alex is no stranger to the circuit and has won races in every class he has contended there, Formula 80 in 2003, GP125’s in 2005, SS400 in 2006 & SS600 in 2006. He didn’t think he could do it again in the ‘Super Bike’ and ‘Power Bike’ classes he had entered at this meeting.
So large was the entry for the ‘Super Bike’ class, the organisers had to split the Qualifier into 2 groups, the fastest 18 from the combined times of both heats making it through to the final.
With the weather changing minutes before Alex took to the track his mechanics struggled to have the wet weather tyres fitted to the bike before the start but Alex used them to their full potential, streaking into the lead and taking the win.
 The faster times from second heat which was held on a slightly drier track, resulted in Alex slipping down the starting order to 5th place on the grid for the final.
The ‘Power bike’ Qualifier pitted Alex the youngest rider in the race, against last years Super Bike Champion and outright lap record holder ‘Greg Lewis’ and TT veteran ‘Tim Poole’ who finished 9th in last years TT.
A stunning race set the scene for the rest of the day with Greg 1st, Alex only 0.06 of a second behind in second and Tim taking the last step on the podium.
The Super Bike final and from the time sheets, it would be Tim, Greg, Alex and this time ‘Tony Rainford’ last years Power Bike Champion.
As it happened Alex Greg and Tim left the rest of the field in their wake as the three set fastest lap after fastest lap. The three machines eventually crossing the finish line separated by on 0.3 of a second with Alex taking the win from Tim and Greg.
Stunning race where no quarter had been given!
 With the ‘Power Bike’ final being held near the end of the day, you would have expected the crowds to have dissipated, this was not the case, if anything the crowd had grown with the promise of an epic battle between the three protagonists.
The race did not disappoint, this was the race of the day! The lead changed many times, keeping the crowd on their toes right until the last corner, the three coming round it abreast. Alex got the best of the drive and took the win from Greg and Tim.
The three crossing the finishing line separated by only 0.2 of a second.
Fantastic racing!!
Where Alex set the fastest outright lap of the day with a 55.8, an average speed of 99.032 MPH where the bikes had been reportedly doing 180 mph down the back straight.
Video - view Alex aboard the ASTRO Kawasaki ZX10R at Aintree Here
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