Doug's back for Brimham bash!
By TMX Archives on 30th Jul 09
BRIMHAM Rocks, near Pateley Bridge in deepest Yorkshire, is where the trials action is this Sunday (August 2) when Yeadon Guiseley and DMC stages its MacKenzie Trial, the penultimate round of the ACU British Solo Trials Championship. Leeds rider James Dabill, on a JST Gas Gas, currently holds a nine-point series lead over long-time friend and rival Michael Brown and his MRS Sherco while Beta UK man Alexz Wigg, winner of the West of England round, is a further 14-points adrift.
All three riders are well capable of winning on the day BUT there's another rider entered who will be gunning for the win - local hero Dougie Lampkin. The seven-times world outdoor trials champ entered the opening two rounds of this year's series where he was beaten both times by a very on-form Dabill, so Doug is definitely out for revenge.
The winner will surely come from one of these four, although the MacKenzie sees the return of Lancastrian Shaun Morris after a spell away from the action, boosting the Championship class to ten riders.
In Expert A, Teddington's Sam Connor should tie-up the title as big Sam has won the last five rounds after finishing second to East Yorks ace, Ian Austermuhle, in the opener. Standing almost 40-points ahead of second placed Gary Macdonald, Sam might not even need to score any points on Sunday to take the title but somehow we think he will!
As ever, watch out for the battling 125cc-mounted teenagers Jon Richardson, Jonny Walker and Ben Morphett who are always found battling for honours at the sharp end of the field.
Expert B is again expected to be a head to head between Scorpa two-stroke duo Sam Ludgate and John Crinson, with Sam holding a narrow advantage. But a third Scorpa, Darren Brice, could well affect the outcome. Cumbrian Bricey has only entered one round so far this year on the four-stroke Scorpa, the Lochaber event staged in Kinlochleven, and he won it! Yeovil's Ricky Wiggins can't be discounted either and, after winning the opening round in Scarborough, the Gas Gas pilot has settled into a solid third place overall.
The Brimham Rocks venue features - rocks - and some pretty fierce ones at that and makes for a super British Champs trial. All the sections are accessible, although spectators are warned to be careful while walking and watching.
There's a full house of contestants and the practice lap will take place from 8.30am until 10.30am with the trial getting underway with the Expert Bs at 11am.
The Brimham Rocks venue will be signed from Pateley Bridge and Summerbridge and don't confuse the start venue with the Brimham Rocks Country Park tourist haunt the trial is on the opposite side of the road to the famous Brimham rock formations.