Above #16 James Shanes (ACU) and #2 Christian Huelsorst (DMSB)
The Astra Grass Track Clubs hosting of the 2016 FIME European Individual Grass Track Final was certainly a very competitive event that was staged on a very hot and sunny Autumn day at the ultra-fast Swingfield circuit near Folkestone in the South East of England.
The 3,000 spectators witnessed some very exciting racing with riders not giving a centimetre during the 12 qualifying heats. Once all the points had been totalled, the field of the top 16 point scoring riders was allocated to the three (C, B and A) Finals.
With two ‘last chance’ places available for the winner and second place riders (in the B Final), to qualify through to the all-important A Final, racing was again extremely competitive with Josef Franc (ACCR) and 19 years old James Shanes (ACU) finally managing to gain these two important places. This enabled them to join defending champion Jannick de Jong (KNMV), Dirk Fabriek (KNMV), Andrew Appleton (ACU) and Matt Tresarrieu (FFM) for the ‘winner takes all’ A Final.
2016 European Grass Track Champion James Shanes in action on his way to victory at Swingfield, England.
With all six riders keen to make a successful start and first corner, it was Jannick de Jong who fell in the first turn and was excluded from the re-run. At the second attempt, the home fans’ favourite – James Shanes – shot from the starting tapes and lead the race to the chequered flag, chased all the way by Frenchman Mathieu Tresarrieu.
Full results on FIM Europe website: http://www.fim-europe.eu/events/271
Podium shot (left to right) 2nd placed Mathieu Tresarrieu, 2016 FIME European Grass Track Champion James Shanes (ACU), and 3rd place Andrew Appleton (ACU)
Photos courtesy of Jesper Veldhuizen (www.baansportfansite.nl)
