Results Rd 1 Peak Classic Trials Club Championship Clifton Nr Ashbourne Derbyshire Sunday 19Th January

[old trials fanatic]

The headline in one of the National papers read “wettest winter EVER ! “. Well I wouldn’t for once question that statement and the going at the Peak Classic trials Clubs opening round of their 2014 Club Championship season was decidedly on the waterlogged side. Clerk of the Course Paul Beswick did his best to try to avoid the worst of the gooey mud but to totally avoid it was an impossibility and the car park resembled the Somme. Not all the sections were so badly affected though with the main culprits being sections 1 & 2 which were very tricky after the first lap and took marks off everybody which resulted in nobody having a clean round let alone a clean bike at the end of the day.

In the Expert Twinshock class 2013 Championship winner Mark Weston continued his winning ways on his Montesa taking the honours from Steve Hitchcock, Honda, by just the one mark with Mark on 15 and Steve snapping at his heals on 16. Third was unlucky Ian Margetts who suffered reliability problems on his Fantic but still managed to record a credible score of 19 marks lost.

In the British Bike Classic Expert class the relentless onward march to Classic British Bike domination by the BSA Bantam continued with Peter Carson conquering the opposition to take first with a miserly loss of only 6 marks. Second was Mick Ash aboard his James on 15 which left David Dench to take third on 20 marks. The Bantam has become the machine to beat nowadays and you really struggle if you haven’t got one as seen in all the British Bike classes on the day.

David Pattison, Bultaco, has moved up to the Classic Expert Twinshock class for 2014 but continued his 2013 winning ways by taking an easy class win with a loss of just 21 marks from second placed Peter Kearsley, Honda, losing 40 and Ian Bend, Fantic, rounded off the top three with a loss of 44 marks. David definitely looks the man to beat this year in the Twinshock class.

As I said earlier the Bantam whitewash continued in the Intermediate British Bike class with Mark Spencer cruising to a win on just 9 marks lost from Colin Fray, Dot, in second on 25 followed in third by his nephew young Harry Lyons again on a Bantam who lost 36.

Intermediate Twinshocks honours went to Andrew Slack who took his Fantic to the win losing 21 marks from John Morley, Honda, who lost 38 leaving Mark Kearsley, Yamaha, to secure third place losing 42.

Back to the British Bikes and the Classic Intermediate route this time and those Bantams were at it again with Bantam mounted Peter Elvidge easily taking the win from Paul Beswick on his James trailing in his wake. Peter lost a mere 12 marks which would have been so much better if not for a very unfortunate 5 on section 1 on the first lap. Third place was Rob Goodwin on his Francis Barnett who lost 32 marks.

Nice to see the ladies getting one over on the boys and Margaret Carter, Majesty, did it in style easily winning the Classic Intermediate class in 12 marks from Tony Shaw in second on 38 and Peter Austin also Bultaco mounted like Tony tieing up third on 53.

Which brings us to the Clubman classes and those Bantams very nearly did it again but the faithful Tiger Cub of Steve Turner managed to thwart their quest for total domination with a great ride to lose only 8 marks keeping the Bantams of Dave Pickering in second on 23 and Peter Cotterills Bantam in third on 29.

Clubman Twinshock was won by young Michael Fletcher, Yamaha, riding in only his second season and having a great ride to lose just 16 marks from Tony Fray also Yamaha mounted in second on 23 marks. Cliff Richards shadowed them to take third on 26 marks. All good stuff lads.

Finally great to see former East Midlands ACU Centre Champion Barrie Rodgers out again on his TY250 mono who had an enjoyable ride in the Air Cooled mono class and lost just 10 marks in the process.

So that just about ties it up for round 1 of the 2014 Club Championship and with 11 more rounds to go I think there will be some closely fought battles this season and it will be interesting to see if anybody can stop those pesky Bantams from sweeping all before them.

The next round will be at Burycliffe quarry, Elton, Nr Matlock on Sunday 23^rd February start time 11.00am

See you there.

Expert Twinshock

1^st Mark Weston Montesa 15 marks

2^nd Steve Hitchcock Honda 16 marks

3^rd Ian Margetts Fantic 19 marks

Classic Expert British Bike

1^st Peter Carson Bantam 6 marks

2^nd Mick Ash James 15 marks

3^rd David Dench Tiger Cub 20 marks

Classic Expert Twinshock

1^st David Pattison Bultaco 21 marks

2^nd Peter Kearsley Honda 40 marks

3^rd Ian Bend Fantic 44 marks

Classic Expert Pre95 Air Cooled Mono

1^st Michael Dorricott Honda 58 marks

Intermediate British Bike

1^st Mark Spencer Bantam 9 marks

2^nd Colin Fray Dot 25 marks

3^rd Harry Lyons Bantam 36 marks

Intermediate Twinshock

1^st Andrew Slack Fantic 21 marks

2^nd John Morley Honda 38 marks

3^rd Mark Kearsley Yamaha 42 marks

Classic Intermediate British Bike

1^st Peter Elvidge Bantam 12 marks

2^nd Paul Beswick James 25 marks

3^rd Rob Goodwin Francis Barnett 32 marks

Classic Intermediate Twinshock

1^st Margaret Carter Majesty 12 marks

2^nd Tony Shaw Bultaco 38 marks

3^rd Peter Austin Bultaco 53 marks

Clubman British Bike

1^st Steve Turner Tiger Cub 8 marks

2^nd Dave Pickering Bantam 23 marks

3^rd Peter Cotterill Bantam 29 marks

Clubman Twinshock

1^st Michael Fletcher Yamaha 16 marks

2^nd Tony Fray Yamaha 23 marks

3^rd Cliff Richards Ossa 26 marks

Clubman Pre 95 Air Cooled Mono

1^st Barrie Rodgers Yamaha 10 marks