TEAM ACR’s John Crockford finished the 2009 season on a high, by winning both races at the MRO Morello Powerbike Championships round at Thruxton.

After comprehensively putting his Suzuki GSXR 1000 on pole position by 1.5 seconds during qualifying, Crockford from Bitterne was favourite for winning both races but was pushed hard by the championship front runner Steve Mercer from Maidstone, on his Suzuki in each encounter.

Although Crockford led for the whole race, the second race was particularly close with the outcome in the balance until the end, with Mercer 0.167sec behind at the chequered flag.

Crockford said “It was a great race with my Superstock spec bike on road tyres, against his Superbike on slicks.

“Thanks to Alan Cook and Trevor Butt at Team ACR, I had an advantage on top speed but he had an advantage on grip with his tyres, especially on the fast sweeping bends.

“It is a great way to end the season and now we all look forward to hopefully competing in a full season of the British Superstock Championship at BSB meetings in 2010.”

Team ACR’s other rider for the day in the Powerbike races, was none other than former TT winner and fans’ favourite Trevor Nation. Trevor, originally from Stockbridge, was drafted in to the team to give his own valuable feedback on the team’s bikes and also to allow him to race one of the new breed of superbikes in anger for the first time.

The ex-Norton works rider had a minor problem with his bike during qualifying, which meant that he had to start from the back of the grid in both races. However a good start in each of the seven-lap races soon promoted him up the order, allowing him to finish a very respectable midfield in both.