Melton motorcycle racer Any Hart up for the fight at Pembrey

Motorcycle race ace Antony Hart started the season where left off in 2015- on the top step of the podium.
Antony Hart in action at Pembrey EMN-160504-173446002Antony Hart in action at Pembrey EMN-160504-173446002
Antony Hart in action at Pembrey EMN-160504-173446002

The Hart team faced their longest trip of the season to open the championship season at the Welsh circuit of Pembrey.

After the unprecedented success of last year when the Melton rider won four championships on two machines, the team has decided to run one bike in 2016.

The TZ 350 Yamaha will compete in three championships – the 350 GP, the National ACU 350 GP, and the King of Classics with the first two starting last weekend.

Saturday morning started very wet, windy and cold, but organisers are loathe to cancel a meeting unless there is standing water on the track.

The team has developed an effective wet weather set-up consisting of a front wheel in the back which is much narrower and cuts through water well.

In the two Saturday races for the club 350 GP Championship, the riders needed all the help they could get with rain blown sideways by 30mph wind.

It was the worst possible conditions for racing, but when the flag dropped there was a terrific display of bike control between Hart and George Hogton-Rustling.

They set an extremely quick pace which no-one else could get near, with Hogton-Rustling taking the chequered flag by a couple of seconds.

Race two was just as exciting which brought a repeat of the earlier result.

Sunday dawned still wet, but brighter and by the time Hart returned to action the rain had stopped and the track was drying in the strong wind so it was back to full power and dry settings.

The first race saw a red flag incident which put one of the main contenders out for the day.

On the re-run it was much the same as Saturday with Hart and Hogton-Rustling breaking away to a clear lead.

Hart’s rival was adjudged to have made a jump start so was handed a 10-second penalty, dropping him to fourth place and leaving the way clear for a Hart win.

Next up was the ACU National and it was a familiar scenario with Hogton-Rustling and Hart breaking clear.

With his rival opting not to run the final race of the afternoon, Hart finished a clear winner again to cap a successful opening weekend.

The next round is at Croft, in North Yorkshire, in a month’s time.

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