It's been a Long' time in coming!
By TMX Archives on 16th Jul 08
THIS weekend the Inter Centre Team Trials will be staged by the North East centre, at their Longframlington venue, with the Youths and Girls event taking place on Saturday, July 19 and the Adults and Sidecars at the same venue on Sunday.
It is 37 years since the Inter Centre was last staged in the north east and back then there was just the one class. Winners were the Yorkshire centre - and what a line-up they boasted: Malcolm Rathmell, Martin Lampkin, Alan Lampkin, Bill Wilkinson and Dave Thorpe. And Thorpey still rides every week! The Yorkies, one of 18 Centres taking part in the Adult Solo series, looking to emulate their predecessors are Dan Thorpe (son of Dave of course) Liam Walker, Lee Sampson, Ben Hemingway and Sam Ludgate.
The home North East centre squad is certainly not to be sneezed at with Michael Phillipson, Andy Huddleston, John Crinson, Roger Williams and Michael Lee all sure to give it their best shot on home ground.
Last year's winners, the South Eastern centre, are without their star man Graham Jarvis this time round but James Fry, Ben Wibberley, Simon Bird, Adam Farley and Steve Foord will do their best to defend the crown. The East Midlands team looks tasty with this week's Dave Rowland winner Richard Timperley, Craig Robinson, Matt Jones, Adam Jones and Dan Farrer all handy riders on the rocks.
A healthy eight centres are fielding Sidecar teams and, as ever, they will all make the most of their day with plenty of encouragement and ribbing between the crews. The Yorkie drivers are Robin Luscombe, Kevin Morley, Les Lansley and Ian Pickard. East Midlands pilots are Robin Morewood, Lee Granby, Tony Crabtreee and Ali Haigh while the Essex centre is a Tuck whitewash with John, Roger and David with an outfit apiece!
On the Saturday, 18 Youth squads will get the action underway including teams from the Isle of Man, Scotland (just over the border) and the MCUI. If you had to pick a winning team then the Yorkshire boys would be high on the list with Jon Richardson, Josh Maude, Richard Sadler, Jack Stones and Jack Price.
And of the three Girls teams, all of which are to be congratulated, the Yorks squad of Harriet Peacock, Danielle Whitham, Chloe Richardson and Hannah Richardson looks pretty strong.
The venue is Hope Farm, Longframlington, near Morpeth, in Northumberland and flagged from the A697. Both days' action begins at 10am. T+MX has been told that there is NO charge for spectators and even a programme will be chucked-in for no charge! There is even free overnight camping although a donation would be welcome.
So, all is set for a super weekend - why not get along and give YOUR centre some support!