It was a wounded Elliott Banks-Browne who rocked up to the infamous Hawkstone Park for round 3 of the MX Nationals Championships, so second overall in the MX1 class was a tremendous result for him and the Geartec Husqvarna team.
Injuring his wrist the previous weekend at Preston Docks, Elliott took a break from training in the week, so it was a venture into the unknown as he hit the track for practice and timed qualifying and it soon became apparent that pain was going to be the order of the day.
With the track heavy going after a morning Thunderstorm a good start in Moto 1 was imperative, but as the mixed MX1 and MX2 group piled into the first bend Elliott was not among the front runners.
Some quick passes and clever moves and EBB was up into the top 5, and moving forward and up into second in MX1 by the end of the Moto despite jarring his wrist mid race.
In Moto 2 it was the two championship big hitters of Elliott and Jake Nicholls out the front with EBB hounding his rival for 5 laps until a heavy landing jarred his injured wrist again. Going into survival mode he nestled into second position where he stayed until the chequered flag, giving him a well earned 2nd overall and cementing his second place in the standings at the half way point in the series.
Paul Mason – Team Manager
“It was a good result all things considering. Elliott has been struggling with his wrist all week, and on the track this weekend. It a case of resting now for a few weeks and regrouping for the next one”
Elliott Banks-Browne
“I was struggling big time with my wrist. I had a week of no riding, which is the first time I have done that this year. It didn’t feel too bad going into Hawkstone but as soon as I started in practice I knew it was going to be sore. After a bad start in the first race I was starting to pass riders when I bent my wrist back and after that I was struggling to hold on.
“In the second race I made a good start and was riding at the front, and for the first five laps I felt really good, and I felt I had the pace of Jake (Nicholls), and was riding well and was having a good battle. I got beside him coming out of the bomb hole, and landed in a hole and it bent my wrist right back, so it was just a case of trying to hold on. I had a big enough lead to be able to ride around and finish in second, which is as good as we could of done, but we are going there to win. Jake has won every race so far and I don’t want him to win anymore, so we are going to do everything we can to get my wrist sorted and come back at him at Sherwood.”
A previously planned entry in the British GP this weekend has had to be shelved due to the wrist injury with Elliott saying “I don’t think it would be the right thing to do with my wrist how it is. I want to go there and show what I am capable of, and I don’t feel like I am ready for that with my wrist in the position it’s in. So we have made the decision to sit this out, but maybe we will do another GP as a wildcard later on in the year”.
Elliott now has a few weeks rest before he recommences his assault on the Bridgestone British Masters title at Preston Docks where he leads the series after two rounds.