Report: Wetherby & DMC
By Barry Robinson on 20th Apr 16
Brilliant sunshine greeted riders at Nidderdale on Sunday, when Wetherby staged the fifth event in the Yorkshire Centre championships at Kingstone Farm, Fellbeck.
A total of 14 sections were set out to test the bumper entry of more than 100 riders.
James Lampkin won the Championship class from cousin Dan Hemingway and Danny Gamble.
Peter Sharp topped Clubman A and Neil Gaunt headed Clubman B in a Beta win-fest.
Megan Savage headed the Youth class with Gabby Whitham four penalties behind and the pair meet again on Saturday in the Ladies Championship.
Richard Shepherd plotted a route that took competitors from the Holly Tree car park and the legendary section was on its game on Sunday.
Lampkin opted to stop in the rocks at the second section but only four riders stopped in the 23-strong championship class.
The first six sections tracked the rocky escarpment above the farm then through the gate in Russell's Plantation.
Two new sections in Smiths saw Dan Hemmo, John Sunter, Rob Waite, Lou Haley and Joel Sadler drop marks, while a loop below the Holly Tree was cleaned by only six riders, with only Lampkin managing the feat three times.
The stream bank section opposite was tricky with a trip across the beck and along the grass, up a left hand banking then a right-handed hop round to blast up a muddy rut.
Hemingway was the best here.
Clubman A ran the same lines as Clubman B without the hopping business halfway up.
The 4rt boys were rockets up the final yards and in Clubman B Rob Hardisty made his Sherco-power work in what seemed a very high gear.
A stop on the escarpment and a three in the narrow stream alongside the east wall dropped him to fourth behind Chris Greenwood.
Results
Championship experts: James Lampkin (Beta) 12, Dan Hemingway (Beta) 17, Danny Gamble (Sherco) 21.
Inters: Sam Johnson (Beta) 24, Sam Boocock (Beta) 37, Oliver Sharp (Gas Gas) 37.
Novices: Louis Haley (Montesa) 26, Joel Sadler (Beta) 28, Harry Lampkin (Vertigo) 31.
Youths: Megan Savage (Gas Gas) 69, Gabby Whitham (Beta) 73, Beth Waite (Beta) 97.
Clubman A: Peter Sharp (Beta) 4, Roger Williams (Montesa) 7, Andrew Jackson (Scorpa) 7.
Youths: Edward Earle 46, Adam Juffs 92. (All Beta).
Clubman B: Neil Gaunt (Beta) 8, Darren Mitchell (Beta) 8, Chris Greenwood (Honda) 13.
Youths: Harry Hemingway 64, Harry Turner 70, Elliott Payne 75. (All Beta)
