Rounds 6 and 7 of the 2022 Schwalbe British 4X Series took place at Afan in South Wales at the weekend. This iconic track is pretty amazing, nestled in the Southern Welsh Valleys, it has always been a great venue for Scott and the team were excited to get back to Schwalbe British 4X Series action.
A cornerstone of the British 4X Series for many years, Afan is fast, flowing and always a favourite for riders and spectators. With fun jumps, high berms, rocks, corkscrew bridges and split lines on the track, racing is always amazing. The sun was shining and the stage was set for a great weekend of racing.
On Friday, Scott did a photoshoot with team photographer Charles Robertson to get some images on Afan’s trails as well as on the 4X track. Then, Scott did a small amount of practice on Friday evening on the 4X track to see how the track was riding and dial in some lines. The rain throughout the day made the track tricky, but Scott looked good ahead of the weekend.
Saturday – Round 6:
The weather had continued to hammer Afan on Saturday morning with frequent showers making conditions tricky.
The British 4X Series uses the moto system for qualification which means Scott would race 3 qualifying races against different riders to qualify through to the knockout rounds.
Racing got underway at 12.00. Scott’s motos went perfectly with him taking 3 wins from 3 races. He looked impressive and focused in each race, taking the wins with a big margin.
In the final, Scott took his preferred gate 1. Saving his best till last, Scott made a perfect start and was able to get all the way across the other riders to take the holeshot! He was pulling away until the tight turn above the rock section. His rear wheel skipped off a rock and he had to unclip and dab a foot, before setting off again. The pack were on him again and Scott powered down the rocks and into the lower sections. He pulled a slight lead again and it was enough. Crossing the line Scott was clearly very happy! A step closer to getting back his number 1 plate.
“I could not be any happier. This has been a tough day of my racing. It also goes down as one of my best British 4X races ever. We have stayed focused all day and made it happen in these tricky conditions. I am absolutely stoked to have won. Thank you to everyone for their support.”
After the podiums, photographs and film interviews were done, it was time to rest up, refuel and get ready for Sunday.
Sunday – Round 7:
Sunday morning and the weather predictions were right. Rain and fog engulfed Afan Bike Park! The organisers took the decision to move the start time 2 hours earlier to try and avoid the worst of the rain. So a shortened practice session but Scott was happy with the track and that suited us.
Into the motos. Like Saturday, Scott rode flawless and took 3 wins from 3 rides, qualifying directly to the final as the number 1 seed.
He certainly saved his best race for his last race. Choosing gate 1, his start wasn’t his best of the weekend and he slotted into 2nd in turn 1. Hounding the rider in front, he was wheel to wheel through the S bends. Into the rocks and a slip lost him some speed, losing 2nd place. Now in 3rd, you could sense the cogs turning in Scott’s brain. In the penultimate turn he shot out wide to the outside berm and carried ALOT of speed into the final corner. Opting again to go to the extreme outside, he was hauling and on the last straight went from 3rd to 1st. It was an incredible move and the crowd were going wild.
“That was amazing. I came into the last corners and just thought lets go. I’ve never gone through there so quick! I am stoked to take the win but also extremely proud. I haven’t dropped a lap all weekend and I’ve taken maximum points from the weekend. I want the overall title badly and this was a huge step towards it.” Said an ecstatic Scott in the finish!
So now we move onto the big one. BMX World Championships start on Friday with the first practice session. Scott is in form and looking for a big result. We will keep you all updated throughout the next 2 weeks as we build up to race day.