Ian LivingstoneThe Triumphs of Tony Calvert, Ian Hopley and John Maxfield took the top 3 places on a bitterly cold day with a high chill factor from the strong wind blowing across the Aire Valley above Bingley. The forecast rain was kind enough to hold off until the very end before wetting the already slippery sections.
With an entry of 66 split evenly between the Premier and Clubman routes there was a good spread across the various classes for the spectators to enjoy. Sections were set on the safe side due to the strong gusty winds.
The rocky outcrop at section 1 as usual looked tricky but rode much easier than expected. It was the tricky rocky turns of section 2 that took the most marks on the premier route with only 6 riders staying clean on every visit. Ben Butterworth out on the truly original Jim Sandiford B40 was unlucky to drop 5 here and even Vesty and sidecar champion Robin Luscombe had to take a quick dab.
On the clubman route it was the wriggle through the immovable boulders of section 4 and the slippery cross camber of section 8 that caused all the trouble. Star of the new class T (pre-unit on the clubman route) Gary Mitchell and Steve Cordon in the open class were the only riders to remain clean on section 4 with Richard Tarn Bainbridge, Rochdale's engine wizard Frank McMullen and Mick Driffield on Chris Nutter's rigid Ariel joining them clean on section 8.
The tricky rocky approach to the climb on section 10s premier line took more than its fair share of marks with pre-unit springer winner Chris Haigh losing one of his three and Vesty more than doubling his final score here.
But on a day as cold as this, we should all put our hands together for the observers who tolerated the chill of the north-west wind for over 3 hours. You're our unsung heroes.
Thanks again.
Report by Steve Rayner
Photo by Barry Pickard
Results
Premier route
Class A- Pre-Unit Springers
1st Chris Haigh – Velo 3 2nd Dale Harrison – Ariel 20 3rd Mick Clarke – Ariel 29
Class G-Twins
1st Andy Littler - Triumph 17 2nd John Patefield – Triumph 65
Class D-Cubs
1st Tony Calvert – 0 2nd John Maxfield - 1 3rd Stuart Blythe – 4
Class E- unit over 250
1st Ben Butterworth B40 – 13 2nd G. Moor B40 21 3rd Paul Wilson - C15 41
Class F- 2 strokes
1st Steve Thomas - Bantam 6 2nd Terry Raw - James 18 3rd Richard Thorpe - James 29
Class S – Specials
1st Ian Hopley - Cub 0 2nd Yrjo Vesterinen - Cub 9 3rd Andy Scott – Cub 10
Clubman Route
Class B - Pre-Unit Rigid
1st Graham Wilkinson - TRW 20 2nd Tim Pawson – Norton 35 3rd Mick Driffield – Ariel 38
Class H - Vintage 2 strokes
1st Eric Atkinson - James 33
Class J - Pre unit Rigid/Springer under 347
1st Chris Bacon - C10 26
Class K – open Clubman
1st Steve Cordon – BN/Villiers 2 2nd Phil Holey - Cub 10 3rd Richard Bainbridge - Cub 12 4th Bob Baker - Cub 14
Class T – Pre-unit springer
1st Garry Mitchell – Ariel 8 2nd Dave Wear – R Enfield 19 3rd Colin Benson – Ariel 20