Eight times world motocross champion Stefan Everts teamed up with Eastleigh-based Yamaha team leader Steve Dixon to score a crushing victory at the 21st annual Weston Beach Race.
Dixon runs the Bike it Dixon Yamaha team in the World and British Motocross Championships, and Everts climbed on board a standard YZ465 machine and devastated the opposition.
The Belgian ace lapped down to second place after 19 laps of the treacherous sand course - and promoter Gareth Hockey had attracted many top class riders to entertain the 10,000 spectators who lined the sea front.
While Everts steamed away, some of the stars made painful exits. Top American showman Travis Pastrana crashed and dislocated his wrist and former 125cc world champion James Dobb went to hospital with a suspected broken arm. Top Britain Gordon Crockard, on a borrowed CR500 hybrid two-stroke machine, retired in the closing laps with overheating problems.
Everts and Dixon devised a one stop strategy for the three-hour race and both man and machine impressed with their fuel efficiency. The only man the Belgian didn't lap was the World Enduro champion Paul Edmondson, but he still finished ten minutes ahead of him.
He would have lapped him, as well, but for an unscheduled pit stop on the penultimate lap because he was thirsty and needed a drink!
Dixon said: "Stefan showed the true capabilities of the stock Yamaha machinery when he himself is used to hand built, factory bikes. His only disappointment was that he didn't lap the entire field!"
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