Jonny Walker has won the British Extreme Enduro Championship finishing in second place behind Joe Wootton at the final round in Wales. Hamish MacDonald was third.

The final round of the British Extreme Championship at Llanfyllin, Wales ran in dry conditions more suited to enduro riders than extreme specialists. But the Fast Eddy Racing course proved a popular one with riders, in particular Joe Wootton who topped the Championship class ahead of Jonny Walker who took second place and with it the British Extreme Enduro Championship for 2018.  

Speaking after the podium, Walker said: “I knew I had to finish third or fourth today to win the championship and to become British Champion is great, a real bonus to my season.”

Walker ran out the winner despite missing the opening round of the series: “I wasn’t initially planning on doing the series and missed the first round but when I saw that Billy [Bolt] and Graham [Jarvis] were doing it I thought I had to do it as well. 

“I won the first round then got two second places, won another and then a second today so it’s been consistent. It’s nice to come home and race in Britain because I don’t get chance to do it enough.”

Commenting on the less technical course for the final round Walker says he was never-the-less giving it his best shot: “It was real fast today and I basically came prepared for a bit more extreme race with super-soft tyres and mousses. It was faster than that today, the tyres were rolling everywhere. Don’t get me wrong I was trying and I gave it my best shot. 

“This is the first round where I have been on a 300 EXC TPI I’m racing in the WESS series. Basically at the start of the year we bought our own bike, a 250F, from Eurotek KTM and they have helped me to be able to do this series so a big thanks to them.” 

“Going for it” bags Wootton the win

Riding faster than usual in the dry conditions, the Green Hall Farm course played into the hands of EnduroGP rider, Joe Wootton. Joe has form on the more extreme terrain after a fine third in the EnduroGP Juniors at the Trentino GP. 

At the finish though Wootton was surprised to run out the winner: “I’m really pleased. I didn’t expect it at all. I only live just down the road and thought I’d give it a shot just as practice [ahead of the upcoming British Sprint Enduro round at the same venue]. 

“For a lap or so I was thinking, ‘that looks like Jonny Walker in front’ and then for the first hour we just rode together pacing it. Following him was an education really. When it got to a technical bit it was easy to see why he is where he is – he was smooth and would gain loads on me where I was just hitting stuff hard like an enduro rider!

“When Jonny pitted first I thought this is my one chance to make a gap, one lap just go for it and it worked. Also I think he had a slow pit and I opened a gap but it helped that the track was fast and dusty because it suited the 350 four stroke. Overall though I really enjoyed it.”

Rounding out the Championship class podium was the well-travelled Hamish MacDonald mixing up his World Enduro campaign with some British Championship action. James Dent was fourth and the only other rider to clock up 11 laps in the 2.5 hour race. Jordan Scott was fifth with Paul Bolton, perhaps not on his best form in the dry and faster conditions finishing sixth. That result, however means Bolton takes home third overall in the 2018 British Extreme Enduro Championship.