The weekend of 27th/28th January saw Ben Moorhouse of Moonglu Downhill Race Team back on the move for the first race of 2007, in the 2nd round of the Hamsterley Downhill Race Series.

Saturday was practice day and after sleet and rain earlier in the week the track was in quite good condition and Ben made good use of the time learning the various different sections of terrain put together to make a very interesting course.

Sunday, and after a couple of practice runs to refresh the memory and get back up to speed it was time for Bens first race run.
Off the start ramp, breaking the timing beam and its onto the pedals, picking up speed through the first few corners before dropping into the bombhole and straight back up and out the other side into the switchbacks still pedalling all the time, keeping up the momentum as you sweep from side to side wilst dropping down over progressively bigger drops then launching over the 25foot tabletop and down to the road gap at the half way point. No time for a breather though as the hard work has just begun as you turn left at the cabin and the roots try to send you sideways off the track and into the trees. Only a short distance in and you hit the bus stop, an arrangement of rocks and trees which is best taken at speed, not for the faint hearted, take it slowly and you will come to a dead stop against a large rock or end up like many riders, going over the bars or into a tree. From here the track drops away steeply peddaling over stumps and round fast sweeping corners then over the last drop and jump, pedalling in the air whilst changing up the gears to keep up the speed on landing before breaking the timing beam again at the finish line.
Bens first run time was 1min 57.897secs, bettered on his second run with a time of 1.53.786 and 4th place out of 38 in youth category, missing out on a podium finish by 0.483secs, and 16th place out of 138 overall.