Michael Brown 2013 British Trials Champion

Ztc 3814Scarborough-based Gas Gas rider, Michael Brown today finally claimed his first British Championship crown at the closing round of the championship hosted by Lakes MTA at Fell Green in Cumbria. Friend, rival and reigning champion, James Dabill - Beta finished second, five points behind with Ian Austermuhle - Beta a further ten points behind completing the podium line-up.

 

It was champion for the past four years, Dabill who held the advantage going into this fourth and closing battle having won two of the three previous rounds and holding a three point lead in the championship standings. With Brown still suffering some weakness from the knee injury he sustained at the Scottish Six Days Trial back in May, many would have assumed that Dabill would hold on to his title for another year, however that was not to be.

 

Although neither rider would have realised it at the time, it was the opening lap that decided this event and, ultimately the Championship outcome. Brown came out strong, dropping just three points on his first loop, all on the tough fourth section which was to prove difficult for all competitors. Dabill also dropped three on the same section, but immediately followed that up with a single dab on the fifth section and two on the sixth. A further three dabs over the remaining sections put the Leeds rider on nine at the close of the first lap to Brown's three.

 

The second lap saw Dabill claim back a mark as Brown fived the third section, one he'd ridden clean on his first visit. A further three, again on the fourth section put Brown on a total of eight for his second lap and eleven overall. Dabill, meanwhile improved on his first lap score, dropping seven for the second lap, putting him on fifteen in total.

 

With just four marks between the two riders there was all to play for between the two going into the final lap. Again, the tough fourth and fifth sections were to claim marks off both riders, but Brown held his nerve with both riders finishing on a score of ten for the lap and final scores of twenty one for Brown and twenty six to Dabill.

 

This put both riders with two victories and two second places apiece over the four round series and therefore tied on seventy four points each in the overall championship standings. In this situation it is best performance at the final round that is used to decide the overall winner with Michael Brown being declared 2013 ACU British Trials Champion.

 

In the Expert Championship, Sherco-mounted Darren Brice took the win by a nineteen point margin over fellow Sherco rider, Josh Woods with James Carr - Ossa taking the remaining podium place. This gave Brice three wins out of the four rounds and the Expert Championship title.