TYNESIDE motorcycle racer Joe Burns followed up a string of great results recently with a superb podium placing when he took third position in last Sunday’s Pirelli National Superstock 1000 race held at Donington Park.

Aboard the JG Speedfit Kawasaki, Newcastle-based Burns saw off fellow podium contender Lee Jackson to claim the final podium spot on the last lap and in doing so, bumped himself up to eighth in the title race.

It was a successful weekend for the region’s two contenders in the Motorpoint British Supersport Championship which saw both Graeme Gowland from Hexham and South Shields rider Josh Corner collect silverware in both races.

Gowland took his Smiths Triumph to third place in Saturday’s race and followed that up with second in Sunday to move to within a point of the championship lead whilst Corner replicated the results in the Evo class on his MJJ Motorsport Kawasaki to consolidate his third place in the standings.

It wasn’t so successful for Bishop Auckland MCE British Superbike star Barry Burrell who could only manage 23rd in qualifying on the WD-40 Kawasaki before problems forced him out of the opening race early on.

The riders head over to Assen in The Netherlands for the next round which takes place next weekend.

SIXTEEN-YEAR-OLD Northallerton enduro rider Robbie Wallace was competing in round six of the Perkins Slade Ride Off Road Enduro Championship last weekend where he maintained his championship lead despite problems.

Riding his Motoconnection and Putoline Oils-sponsored Yamaha YZ125, the event was held at near Pateley Bridge and this was the first time Wallace had been racing for a month so was expecting to be rusty. However, the four week break gave his niggling shoulder injury sustained earlier in the year more time to recover.

The two hour race kicked off at 10.30 in warm sunshine, and as ever Robbie was keen to make a fast start to hopefully break free at the front. He was third into the first turn off the start line and then had a half lap tussle with championship contender Trevor Harvey aboard a KTM 250. This ended up with a minor collision where Wallace’s rear brake lever got caught up in his opponent’s footrest and bent it round although the brake was still useable it was in the way of his boot. Nevertheless Wallace made the move stick and pressed on getting into the lead by the third lap.

As he settled into a rhythm everything seemed to be going well until Wallace landed in a rut where a large stone had been unearthed which ripped off his front brake caliper. He managed to ride back to the pits where his team attempted repairs although with the loss of over two minutes.

Wallace set off again minus his front brake which hampered his pace. Damage limitation was now the order of the day and Robbie rode for the last 45 minutes losing about 45 seconds a lap to the leaders. He ended the day in ninth place but still retains the championship lead albeit by a reduced margin.

The next outing is the Perkins Slade Ride Off Road Enduro Championship Round 7 at Lee Dell near Rochdale next week.

THE annual 2014 MB Motorsport and CRG Motorsports Pendragon Stages Rally took place last weekend with a number of local crews in action on the military ranges around Warcop on the Cumbria and North Yorkshire border.

Leading the way by guiding David Tinn’s Millington Proton Satria to second place was Richmond co-driver Reg Smith who chased home the eventual winners Peter Taylor from Carlisle and Newcastle co driver Andy Roughead.

Richmondshire brothers Mark and Andrew Constantine were a late entry in their Vauxhall Corsa before taking the 1400cc class victory and 13th overall with Staindrop’s Mark Thompson along with Ryton co driver Phil Kenny claiming 21st overall and sixth in class in their Peugeot 206.

Other crews failed to see the finish including the Hyundai Accent WRC of Hamsterley driver Stephen Petch and Crook co driver Mike Wilkinson who retired after the opening stage, as did the Mickleton pairing of Alistair and Joe Hutchinson in their Renault Clio. Guisborough duo Dan Thompson and Mike Scrimgour lasted until SS4 in their Peugeot 205 whilst Chop Gate’s John Gaskin and co driver Paul Rowland made it to the penultimate stage before going out in their Citroen Saxo.

Meanwhile it was a very busy weekend for the Pickhill team of Geoff Simpson and Bruce Lindsay who completed on both the Promenade Stages on The Wirral on Friday evening and Saturday before travelling over to the Pendragon on Sunday.

Friday evening saw the Chonka MOT-backed Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6 pairing struggling to get into the groove so a concerted effort on Saturday was needed. All was going well until a brake problem intervened and they had to do the final two stages without any brakes which dropped them to 32nd overall on the tight and twisty stages.

The team drove back to the workshops and repaired the car overnight before making the trip over the A66 to Penrith for the start of the Pendragon Stages on Sunday morning. Seeded at car 35, the pair set some respectable times and were inside the top 20 when they clipped a large rock which threw the car across the road and into the undergrowth at high speed.

When the pair came to a halt, a loss of the clutch was attributed to some substantial damage to the underside of car including radiator, intercooler, a smashed gearbox, a snapped sump guard and broken wheel. Both Simpson and Lindsay were both uninjured but it was a disappointing way to end the weekend.