Lewis Tombs goes for career best at Red Bull Pro Nationals‏

After the disappointment of a cancellation at Canada Heights four weeks ago, John Banks Honda-supported rider Lewis Tombs returned to the track with the intention to move up the championship ladder for a career best in the series.

With Sunday morning dawning to overcast skies, Tombs went into free practice on the moist and tacky track, and emerged from the qualifying session later in the morning in eleventh in the MX2 class.

A hard and sustained rain storm left the track drenched and muddy, and it was under these challenging circumstances that Tombs went to the start for his first race. A mid-pack start was the beginning of a hard journey up a mud-splattered pack, tough on vision and resolve, but Tombs found himself making progress nonetheless and ending two places up in seventh. With the track surface dried up somewhat, the second race went off much smoother. Fourth off the start, Tombs suddenly found himself in the midst of a fierce battle for positions. With MX1 and MX2 bikes going for the same places in the race, Tombs had to concede several places which left him in sixth at the end of the race, and sixth overall on the day.

Commented Lewis Tombs: “I just didn't get a good feeling with the track in qualifying and it was quite rough, so it was hard to get into. I didn't have a great gate pick for the first race, so had a pretty bad start and it was seriously wet, so it took me a little while to get used to the conditions. I was riding good, actually, I overtook a few others, was running seventh in the MX2 and twelfth overall, caught up to Matthew Moffatt, he crashed and I passed him but he got me back on the last lap so it was a good ride. The second race I had a really good first lap and was fourth in the MX2. I stayed there for around half the race, then Neville passed me and him and Matt got away from me, and Stuart Edmonds got me towards the end, but it was good riding and I'm pleased.”