Report: Bootle SC
By Team TMX on 27th Nov 15
BOOTLE Scrambles Club staged the opening round of their winter Multi Class trials series at Fell Green, Bootle, in Cumbria and a fabulous sunny day, after weeks of incessant rain, brought out almost 50 riders eager for a good run out last Sunday.
And that's just what they got with a decent lap starting out on Fell Green, dropping down the fell to the opening sections near the Gowan homestead and then trekking up on to the heights where if you paused to look across the Irish Sea you could see South West Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man.
The couple of miles run took in 10 sections which were a good mix of rocky outcrops and becks and with a Normal course and Expert and Green to choose from everyone was catered for.
There were only a couple of takers on the Expert route and it was no surprise that three times British Expert Trials champ Darren Brice took the win on just five marks. Bricey was having a run out on a 2016 Sherco that he had just picked up and looked pretty sharp as his real job on the day was shepherding son Cameron round as he tackled the Green course. James Postlethwaite was the only other taker on the Expert route and he wasn't happy with his score of 51, finding the going slippery on his 125.
The rocky outcrops really were absolutely gripless – the weeks of rain leaving them green – and a quick slip-off was always on the cards whichever course you were riding.
Craig Seward on his shiny Yam-engined Scorpa continued his run of good form with a convincing Green course win so a score of 13 wasn't unlucky for young Sewey. Tony Barrow rode well, trying a 250 Scorpa from Nigel Birkett and finding it suited the conditions nicely.
Joe Hiley enjoyed himself as always, jumping and bouncing his way through the sections, always with a grin, to take Youth A while the Over 40s was Mark Barrow's by a healthy margin from surprise visitor Rob McElnea who enjoyed the ride out but admitted he couldn't get to grips with the sections.
The Normal course saw the bulk of the entry and Joel Gowan eased his air-cooled Yam TY250 mono round for just three marks in the Novice class followed by a gaggle of Over 50s in the shape of Anthony Brockbank, Norman Cooper, Andy Whiteside and Angus Jenkinson. Cooperman was back on a revitalised Ossa after it expired in the Lakes Two Day and it was proving to be pretty lively and sent Norm for a trip over the bars on the first lap, sadly when well away from the camera!
Enduro ace Jane Daniels turned out for some fun on her trials bike and a score of just 12 showed that Jane would be a force to be reckoned with in Ladies trials if she chose to take it seriously. But Jane likes her enduro and trials is for fun.
All in all it was a super little trial and no doubt word will get around how good it was and there will be an even bigger turnout for the next round.
RESULTS
Experts: Darren Brice (Sherco) 5, James Postlethwaite (Beta) 51.
Green course
Novice: Craig Seward (Scorpa) 13, Tony Barrow (Scorpa) 21, J Clark 34.
Youth A: Joe Hiley (Gas Gas) 26.
Over 40: Mark Barrow (Gas Gas) 28, Rob McElnea (Beta) 42.
Normal course
Novice: Joel Gowan (Yamaha) 3, Jane Daniels (Gas Gas) 12.
Over 50: Anthony Brockbank (Sherco) 5, Norman Cooper (Ossa) 7, Andrew Whiteside (Beta) 8, Angus Jenkinson (Jotagas) 8.
Youth B: J Willshaw 22.
Over 40: Pete Blowers 15.
Beginners: Jack Dixon (Beta) 23
