The penultimate round of the FIM Super Enduro World Championship returned to Newcastle, United Kingdom on February 28th for the third consecutive year. The challenging track featured tight opening corners, a slippery cement pipe and a super long matrix section. A home race in front of family and friends for many of the riders and championships on the line it was certainly a night British fans won't soon forget.
Junior: Toby Shaw's Perfect Night
Toby Shaw headed into round 6 tied for the championship lead with 232 points, but with main rival Milan Schmüser still recovering from a broken leg, this was Toby's opportunity to seize control of the championship lead. Racing in front of his home crowd with family and friends watching, Shaw delivered a masterclass.
Race 1 set the tone for the evening. After qualifying fastest, Toby got the holeshot and immediately took command of the lead. Racing with exceptional flow and comfort, Shaw consistently pulled away from Martinez to build an 11 second gap. The British rider crossed the finish line in 1st with a full 20 points. A perfect start to the night.
Race 2 brought a reverse grid start that placed Shaw on the second row, but it didn't matter. Toby took control through the rock garden and shot straight to 3rd after the first lap. Quick overtakes on the pipe against Popovici put him in the lead, where he belonged. Shaw wasn't just benefiting from home crowd advantage, he was showing his true potential. Riding smoothly at a great pace, Toby pulled a commanding 10-second lead that grew to 16 seconds by the final lap. His second victory of the night: another 20 points.
Race 3 completed the perfect sweep. Shaw got the holeshot again and started pulling a lead before the first lap was even finished. Despite a small mistake that cost some time, Toby maintained his position and pulled a gap of more than 10 seconds. Looking confident and smooth on the track, Shaw crossed the line in 1st with a full 20 points.
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Three races. Three wins. Three holeshots. A night to remember!
Toby finished the evening at the top of the podium with a perfect 60 points, claiming the overall victory at his home round in front of his home crowd. More importantly, he now sits in 1st position in the championship with 292 points and will carry the red leader plate into the final round in France. Reflecting on his night, Toby shared that the evening was perfect with all his family cheering for him. "Home round, so many familiar faces, so good. Extended my gap now so taking it nice and steady into the next round."
This is regarded as the best race of his championship campaign so far and the first overall winner other than the dominant Milan Schmüser. Shaw has announced himself as a championship contender.
@Super Enduro
Youth: Watson Battles Back for Podium
Connor Watson headed into Newcastle in 2nd overall in the Youth classification with 150 points, looking to build momentum in front of the home crowd. After qualifying fastest, Connor was ready to deliver.
Race 1 showcased Watson at his aggressive best. Taking the holeshot after banging bars with Kropitsch, Connor engaged in proper side-by-side racing until the rock garden when Kropitsch went off track. Watson extended his lead to 5 seconds ahead of championship rival Walczak, which grew to 15 seconds after a fall from his competitor. Racing comfortably and able to showcase his speed and aggression, Connor crossed the finish line with a commanding 20-second lead in 1st position with a full 20 points. A fantastic race win at his home round in front of local fans.
Race 2 brought heartbreak. Connor had a very unlucky incident going down in the first corner, slipping on the logs and losing the front end. The crash caused a knock-on effect with multiple riders going down, leaving Watson in 8th and needing to fight back through the field. Putting in intensity and pushing hard, Connor worked his way up to 4th, then took a new line through the rock section to overtake into 2nd position. Despite a big gap to 1st, Watson secured 17 points with a strong recovery ride.
Overall, Connor finished in 2nd place on the podium. While unfortunate not to be standing at the top, it was a performance he can be proud of, especially the comeback from the first corner crash. Connor leaves Newcastle in 2nd position overall in the championship standings with 187 points. Reflecting on his race, Connor shared that he was disappointed about what happened in Race 2 and how it went, but understands that sometimes these things happen. He's feeling good heading into the final round.
@Super Enduro
National Class: Peter Collins
Peter Collins, a local British Plews supported rider who races in the British Extreme Championship, took the opportunity to compete in the National class at his home round. Racing on the Plews Tough One and Extreme front tyres, Peter finished 5th in Race 1 (11 points) and 9th in Race 2 (7 points), securing 6th overall with 18 points.
Reflecting on his race weekend, Peter shared: "It was a great overall day racing, enjoyed it. Just need to practice more at it. The tyres were great—never struggled for grip at all. Was struggling with blisters on the right hand all day but made the most of it."
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Prestige: Marc Fernandez Finding Form
With Diogo Vieira sidelined after his injury at Round 5, Marc Fernandez carried the Plews flag in the Prestige class. He is finding his confidence once again amongst the world's elite after his comeback from injury.
Marc delivered consistent performances across all three races, finishing 8th in Race 1 (8 points), 11th in Race 2 (5 points) after getting caught up in the Jonny Walker and Billy Bolt battle for the lead, and 7th in Race 3 (9 points). Overall, Marc secured 11th for the round and sits 14th in the championship standings with 73 points.
Reflecting on his night, Marc shared that he "felt like himself again and can make progress from here". This is an encouraging sign as he continues establishing himself in the competitive Prestige class.
@Super Enduro
Championship Showdown Awaits
While Billy Bolt has already secured his 6th Prestige championship, the Youth and Junior titles remain wide open heading into the final round in Douai, France just one week away on March 7th. Toby Shaw's perfect Newcastle performance has put him in the driver's seat for the Junior championship, but with one round remaining, nothing is decided. The finale in France will determine who claims championship glory.