The weather was kind for Dunmow Motorcycle Club s only grass track racing event of the season on Sunday, as riders enjoyed a slickly run meeting with 46 races. The eagerly awaited 250cc clash between ex-champions Adam Shipp (Diss) and Dave Knowles (York)

The weather was kind for Dunmow Motorcycle Club's only grass track racing event of the season on Sunday, as riders enjoyed a slickly run meeting with 46 races.

The eagerly awaited 250cc clash between ex-champions Adam Shipp (Diss) and Dave Knowles (York) looked to provide the best racing of the day, but Shipp was slowed by suspension problems and it collapsed completely in two of the four races puffing smoke from a burning tyre.

Knowles went on to win three of the legs, with Paul Simmons (Ashford) taking leg four.

Another ex-250cc champion Richard Smith (Ipswich), returning from an arm injury, took on Dave Mears (Canterbury) in the 350cc.

It was one win apiece after two races, but then Smith's motor failed to fire up in the third leg, with Richard Reed (Woodbridge) taking a convincing win, but Mears took the overall on points.

In the 500cc solos class the heats were dominated by Steven Green (Sudbury), with Richard Smith and Scott Campos (Ipswich), each taking a win too, but the final was a disaster for Green, and Campos took the honours with Smith struggling to hold onto second place.

In the older engined upright class it was four straight wins for John Yeldham (Burnham).

The 1000cc right-handed sidecars produced the most talked about race of the day in heat 19 when Paul Johnson and Russell Little (Doddinghurst) reeled in Lester Page and Paddy Monk (Felixstowe) inch by inch lap by lap for a thrilling photo finish with Johnson given the nod.

Johnson went on to win the final from Pete and Shane Colvin (Hailsham) after a horrendous accident on the first lap involving Lee Jones/Steve Henderson (Welwyn) and Julian/Tom Meakins (Spalding).

The 1000cc left-handed sidecars raced for the Ben Kinchen shield and Will Penfold/Nigel Shaw (Crawley) looked favourite to take the final after three heat wins, but with a yellow flag out on one bend for the whole race Penfold could not work his way through and Martin Cuff and Steve North (Cranbrook) took the honours.