Marmon and Johnstone Seal P1 SuperStock Title Triumphs at Cowes

 Russell Marmon (Christchurch, Dorset) and Duncan Johnstone (Fareham, Hampshire) clinched the Elite 300 class and AM 200 class titles respectively at Egypt Point in Cowes, Saturday, 27 August, during the penultimate round of the 2011 P1 AquaX Championship.In choppy conditions, albeit under reasonably pleasant skies for most of the day, Kawasaki 300 Ultra rider Marmon extended his unbeaten streak to eight race wins from eight for the season with a pair of unsurprisingly dominant performances.The opening half-hour race, Moto One, was curtailed around five minutes earlier than scheduled due to ever-roughening waters but Marmon's skill, speed and endurance were clear to see as he rocketed away from pole position. In Moto Two, on calmer seas, the championship standard setter was again imperious."Great, good fun enjoyed that", said the Elite 300 Champion, "It was tough today, I couldn't see where I was going...but you have to keep the nose down and read the conditions. I am a little tired because I had a baby three weeks ago so I haven't been getting much sleep!"Second place in the headline class of AquaX went to fellow Kawasaki mount Richard Cable (Dridlington, Bradford) in both Isle of Wight outings while Ben Vine (Bicester, Oxon) rounded out the Elite 300 podium on each occasion.Yamaha FX160 rider Duncan Johnstone finished second in AM 200 in the opening race of the day, his first defeat of the campaign, but that was still enough to seal the title.

Championship newcomer Andy Steel (Southampton, Hampshire) starred to claim victory on his AquaX debut on his similar Yamaha ski and, as a fellow member of the Solent Skiers Club, the win over Johnstone was particularly sweet.Steel said: "I came out to give Duncan a run for his money, we are best of friends and ski all the time in the Solent so we're used to these conditions. We ski all through the winter, we do this every weekend. Unfortunately he beat me but I am extremely happy to come second overall."In race two, Johnstone returned to winning ways with his seventh victory from eight starts while Steel finished second to cap a very strong weekend and Steve Robinson (Hedon, Humberside) took third to add to his earlier rostrum in the opening encounter."I knew it was going to be close", commented Johnstone, "I kept looking behind me but I wasn't pulling away from Andy he was always just there. I do prefer it rough, but it really was quite rough today. It levels it all out and it comes down to stamina and riding style. It was gruelling out there, you just had to hold on and hope for the best."Paul Attiwell (Abingdon, Oxford) raced his Kawasaki Ultra 250 to a pair of fine wins in the AM 300 class, his third and fourth on the bounce after an equally strong weekend in Plymouth last time out. Another AquaX newcomer, Polish national Lucas Kliatkowski (St Albans, Hertfordshire), gave chase well though and delivered a fantastic showing en route to a brace of second places."I wanted to head out the front for the first few laps, which I did, the weather conditions were getting worse and changing all the time so it was hard to open up the ski and really go", explained Attiwell, "I sustained loads of damage to the ski, smashed the hood, and the faring cover came off. You're consistently reading the conditions out there - the weather played a big part in the results.""I don't think I shall be able to walk tomorrow, it is good there is a bank holiday so I can recover!", added Kliatkowski, "At my local Herne Bay in Ramsgate I'm the local nutter who goes out when it's really choppy, I think that has been good training for me!"Mat Shipley (Seaford, East Sussex) finished third in race one ahead of erstwhile points leader Dave Huddleston (Milton Keynes) and Stuart Steel (Paignton, Devon) while in race two, Steel made it onto the podium ahead of Shipley and Huddleston. In terms of the provisional AM 300 points standings, Attiwell has moved seven ahead of Huddleston with Shipley currently in third place.Albert Dock in Liverpool will host the final round of the 2011 P1 AquaX Championship just a fortnight from now, over the weekend 10/11 September, where the UK's premier Jet-Ski racers will again provide top class sport alongside the competitors from the P1 SuperStock powerboat racing championship.Provisional Race One Result:Elite 300: 1 Russell Marmon; 2 Richard Cable; 3 Ben VineAM 300: 1 Paul Attiwell; 2 Lucas Kliatkowski; 3 Mat Shipley; 4 Dave Huddlestone; 5 Stuart SteelAM 200: 1 Andy Steel; 2 Duncan Johnstone; 3 Steve Robinson; 4 Azam AliProvisional Race Two Result:Elite 300: 1 Russell Marmon; 2 Richard Cable; 3 Ben VineAM 300: 1 Paul Attiwell; 2 Lucas Kliatkowski; 3 Stuart Steel; 4 Mat Shipley; 5 Dave HuddlestoneAM 200: 1 Duncan Johnstone; 2 Andy Steel; 3 Steve RobinsonProvisional Championship Leader Board:Elite 300: 1 Marmon ; 2 Cable; 3 Nick BeerAM 300: 1 Attiwell; 2 Huddleston ; 3 ShipleyAM 200: 1 Johnstone ; 2 Robinson ; 3 Dave Lee


Related Motorsport Articles

84,520 articles