Heckler's Corner at the Onza Tires Mini Downhill

The Onza Tires Mini Downhill returned to the Forest of Dean for a day of muddy, rooty, techy racing.

The track—a variation of 'Endo'—took racers through a heap of muddy berms, over a sloppy fire road and then over a battle zone of wet, slithery roots. Adding a bit of extra spice to the mix was the fan's heckling - with a healthy gathering around the most technical part of the track. Racers had to contend with the track and the onslaught of encouragement, air horns and cheering from the sidelines!

Despite the challenges of the track and the hecklers, the Mini Downhill was a great challenge for riders of all levels. There were Rippers as young as 10 years old on track and plenty of first timers rubbing shoulders with season racers, including 4 elites.


Racing, amazingly, got easier as the day went on. The track started out wet and wild then gradually dried up through the day meaning riding got faster and more fun and times got quicker. The elite race came down to a battle between Glenroy Martin, Kyle Hall, Ben Deakin and the legendary Tim Ponting. Glenroy looked strong from the word go and despite Kyle Hall's local knowledge was leading on first runs.

First runs saw Glenroy go fastest, followed by Deakin and then Tim Ponting. For second runs the Deakinator was pushing hard for the win but—as the video shows—took a dive in the roots… he had to be happy with a bit of showboating rather than a decent time! Tim Ponting also took a dive, throwing away his chance of a podium.

By the end of the elite field, Glenroy Martin took the overall win, followed by Kyle Hall and Deaks in 3rd.


The female senior field was a battle between Abbie Sloan, Maddy Brown and Chloe Buys who crossed the beam in that order. Junior female racer Rosy Monaghan deserves a special mention for her time which would have put her into 2nd in the senior field. Big things to come from her for sure!

If you're a fan of short tracks, tight racing, low stress and plenty of laughs ... head over to the Mini Downhill website and see about getting an entry. The next race is now open and will be at the Forest of Dean on March 26, 2017.

Thanks to Dave Price for the images.

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