Logan Sewell produced a performance he was deservedly happy with as he won the opening round of the Ambition GBR Men's Series. The Ambition GBR Series is the top outdoor series during the summer and while it may need a revamp to try and attract the size of fields its predecessors enjoyed, Sewell took the race win with rising talent and British Children's team racer Oliver Weeks taking second and David Hatcher third.
Norfolk Race Club has traditionally provided great fare at the races they have hosted and this year was no different. A small field may have been the case but the racing of those there, provided the crowd with plenty of entertainment.
Sewell may have shocked a few of the crowd as not many would have picked him to be challenging for the Overall race win. Coming under the radar meant that the pressure was off him and while eleven racers packed into the same second in terms of time, the pressure was on the rest of the field in the second run to chase the local racer down.
David Hatcher is a true character of dry slope racing. Not only is he one of the oldest in the field, his own unique style that sees him trying to eek out every hundredth of a second advantage, has the traditionalists gasping. Hatcher was the one everyone was looking out for yet the Welshman was only in third after the first run as Ollie Weeks posted the second best time behind Sewell.
After Gerard Flahive's course had removed a number of the more senior racers from contention, Simon Bannister's course saw a final run shoot out for the first GBR race of the season.
The strong contingent from Pendle saw them take places five through to seven with Callum Witts taking fifth, Declan Huppach sixth and the impressive Robert Holmes in seventh.
Just six hundredths off the podium after the first run, Daniel Molloy had the benefit of his brother forerunning to get extra help from. Michael Molloy, a past All England Champion on the slope, should really have been racing but had opted to forerun instead.
Callum Witts managed to almost snatch fourth from Molloy but with every hundredth counting, Molloy had one too many hundredths advantage to stay ahead of Witts.
Next up was Hatcher and the Welshman stayed in contention the whole way down to edge further ahead of Molloy but would it be enough to take a higher place on the podium. With Weeks and Sewell still to go, the podium saw Hatcher leading with Molloy and Witts in second and third.
Ollie Weeks may not have the size of those already in the finish but what he lacks in size, he made up in technique. Hatcher may be all arms and legs in eeking out any advantage, Weeks used his technique and prowess to go fast. And go fast he did to take the lead in the finish. With a combined time giving him a lead of over three tenths on Hatcher, Weeks could only watch and hope as Sewell attacked.
Three years age difference, two age groups, was the difference between Sewell and Weeks yet Sewell knew that the four hundredths difference at the start of the second run would mean he had to go for it. By the time the Norfolk racer crossed the line, the lead had stretched out another two hundredths and the win was his. He was understandably proud after the race. While Weeks was also proud and happy, David Hatcher had also put in a great performance in taking third.
The age group victories were taken by Jack Upton (under 14); Ollie Weeks (under 15, second overall); Declan Huppach (Under 18, sixth overall); Logan Sewell (Under 21, Race Winner); Daniel Molloy (Senior, fourth overall) and David Hatcher (Master. third overall).
GBR2016 outdoor 1 male results
Picture - Logan Sewell - credit Racer Ready - all rights reserved