The splendid rolling plains of Hope Farm will give British youth trials contenders a real taste of Northumberland on Saturday and Sunday when they contest the sixth event in the Class C and D championship and the Class A and B series on Sunday. Secretary Colin Battensby has received a total of seventy entries despite some going astray into the wrong letter boxes. Up to press forty three will ride a three lap two mile course and that alone will test some minders and parents, but make no mistake, the length of the course and variety of sections will provide excellent action. The action on both days will commence at 10.00 am with the vastly experienced Fred Nicholson in charge of the courses on both days.
As far as Class A and B on Sunday, the fourth event brings Dan Peace into the action on a maximum sixty points but Sam Minta is inspired and chasing hard as is Class B champion Tom Hooper all the way from Porlock. Minta’s victory in last Sunday British Championship youth class suggests that Peace will have no peace. Class B is tight at the top with Cornish starlet Toby Martyn five points ahead of Sam Yeomans with Jack Peace and Sam Johnson lurking and ready to pounce.
On Saturday, Class C standard wheels will be the Billy Green-Daniel Slack show. They are the cream of the crop at twelve years of age. It will be either Newton Abbot or Whitwick hitting the headlines. Buxton hopeful Mitch Brightmore and Ilkley’s Edward Earle will be on track to beat the two championship class leaders.
In the Class C medium wheels Jack Dance is also on a maximum roll leading Dale Freeman and Huddersfield boy Harvey Mosley. The latter boys have been hitting class awards in recent weeks. Ellliott Laws and Jacob Smith will be in the hunt for a rostrum place. Kirkcaldy’s James Galloway has blazed a victory trail in Class D medium wheels chased by petrol convert Henry Stephenson who has fought the transition from electric to fossil fuel. Harry Hemingway heads Class D small wheels with Buxton’s Harry Turner on his heels. Five points separate the class leaders.
Silsden’s Josh MacParland rules Class D petrol engine machines and has won all three events to date.