Sam Lycett is far from a newcomer to motocross, having previously ridden to a high club level while based in the UK, but he moved to Guernsey in 2024 and has only recently begun his attack on the domestic racing scene.
He won four races from six in the A Group over the weekend at a dusty Pleinmont, capitalising on the absence of established top dog Brett Pearce to complete a clean-sweep on the Saturday.
Sunday proved tougher going with Pearce now on the start line, but he still claimed one head-to-head victory as his rival edged the other two heats.
‘I was buzzing, really,’ said a rider who competes on a Stark Varg 1.0 electric motorbike.
‘As the season goes on, getting back into it, it will be good to see how it goes. I think Brett and I will have some good races.’
Lycett’s feats are more impressive given that he had gone over the handlebars and suffered a severe injury to his left wrist four years ago.
After multiple surgeries, he returned to riding but still cannot properly flex or extend the affected wrist.
That did not stop him from making and cashing in on a series of fast starts across the weekend, which he finds especially important on the Guernsey track due to how difficult overtakes can be.
‘The Guernsey track is a bit tighter than I’m used to,’ he added.
‘It’s easy to get one line going. If it’s a dry, dusty day, everyone will stick to that line.’
He won the opening race by 12sec. from former motocross captain Mark Burbridge, but Joe Holden proved his closest challenger in the next two heats on Saturday, taking runner-up by similar margins.
On day two, Pearce started with a win but the second heat had Lycett coming out 8sec. clear, maintaining a solid lead as his opponent got caught up behind a backmarker. Pearce came back to win race three.
Holden proved arguably best of the rest, claiming two second-place finishes and three thirds. Promising 17-year-old Cody Wallbridge also made the top three three times on his relatively humble 125cc bike.
Lycett praised the standard of Guernsey motocross for the facilities available, including giving credit to captain and clerk of the course Lloyd Wallbridge.
‘I’m really impressed with how it’s run here. Lloyd does a great job.’
The Wallbridge surname was front and centre in the B Group, where 14-year-old Zach achieved a perfect run of six victories.
Fellow youngster Elliot Jeffreys consistently earned runner-up spots in a massive group that featured 22 entrants.
Racing from the same packed gate, Dean Robilliard took four from six in the veterans class in an ongoing duel with brother Anyon. But Anyon had started the weekend superbly with a third and a fourth.
Top girl Jenny Mahe also had a solid Saturday, claiming a 13th, 10th and seventh, consistently ahead of rival Nor Holden.
In the 85s, Tait Smit came so close to a perfect record in winning five from six.
However, he lost critical time early into the second lap of Saturday’s third heat as Jack Biggins pinched the win.
Rudi Wickins produced a very consistent series of second-place finishes.
Similarly, Freddie Nelson just missed out on an unbeaten run in the 65s and autos class, but Finn Parnwell-Peters got in front in Saturday’s second heat and carried that to the line, winning by under 5sec.
The rarity of the true perfect record continued in the shaft class for the very youngest riders, with Thomas Burnett dropping one race each day into the hands of rival William Clark.
Captain Wallbridge was rather pleased with both the numbers and the standard of racing.
‘I honestly feel so grateful to be in the position I’m in as MX captain and clerk of the course, being able to organise events like this for everyone,’ he said.
‘It’s not easy – but weekends like that make it all worth it.’
