Melton rider Ant Hart retains Colim Breeze Trophy at Cadwell

Hart's fortunes were as contrasting as the weather at Cadwell Park EMN-190618-111621002

The Hart team headed to a wet and windy Cadwell Park for round three of the Classic Racing Motorcycle Club Championships.

The ACU open race was combined with the Colin Breeze Trophy race, silverware donated every year by the Breeze family to the first unsupported rider home.

The race again brought out all the big teams chasing the good prize money, but this year Hart couldn’t manage to repeat last year’s giant-killing overall win. Yet his fourth-place finish was enough to take home the trophy for another 12 months as the first unsupported rider across the line.

The weekend had started with qualifying for the 350 GP series in extremely wet and windy conditions.

A new front end was tried on the bike, but a fuel leak in practice meant the Leicestershire rider was only able to complete half-a-lap, leaving him at the back of the grid for race one.

A good ride was rewarded with a fifth-place finish, and after a lot of work in the pits, Hart reverted to the old front end, but was then knocked off by another falling rider in race two.

After another late night repairing all of the crash damage, Sunday dawned a much better day with sunshine and a gentle breeze.

Because of the disastrous previous day, Hart faced another back row start for race three, but with the bike restored to its old set-up he produced a very spirited ride to finish second.

He matched the much-improved result in race four as a second runners-up position kept Hart on top of the championship table.

Hart also gave the big F1 superbike a run-out over the weekend hoping for more consistency after a very promising start to the season was negated by niggles.

Saturday’s opening two races netted two third places, a boost to the team in the appalling conditions.

As the conditions improved 24 hours later, Hart’s bike had serious handling problems and after losing the front end three times in one lap, he pulled in to the pits.

Starting at the back of the grid, race four was a survival mission which was successfully passed as a sixth-place finish kept him in touch with the championship leaders.

The next round is at Anglesey in a month’s time.