It's tough at the top
By TMX Archives on 4th Sep 08
TWENTY-one-year-old Michael Brown faces his greatest trials battle of the year at Hook Woods Trials Centre on Sunday. Things are tight at the top of the table as the penultimate round of the Colin Appleyard British Trials Championship table takes place at Hook Woods Trials Centre, West Horsley, Surrey, hosted by Thames MC.
Newly crowned European Trials Champion, Brown, the TTT supported Beta rider from Scarborough has to beat Sherco-mounted five-times British Champion, Graham Jarvis, and top teenage trials stars Alexz Wigg, Sam Haslam and Shaun Morris.
With just two rounds remaining this season, Brown has just a four-point lead over Jarvis who in turn has the same advantage over the on-form Morris. The Preston JST Gas Gas rider could just spring a king-sized surprise over both front runners.
For Jarvis the event will mark a return to his Southern roots. After a poor start to the season Grimbo' chipped back Brown's early advantage and got it down to a two-mark gap after round four in Devon.
Brown then edged it back out to four points at the previous round in Yorkshire.
While a quartet of riders are engaged in a battle for the main title, the Expert crown will be a straight no-holds barred confrontation between graphic designer Joe Baker, from Barnstaple, and 17-year-old rising star, Jack Challoner, from Halifax. At present, Baker enjoys an 11-point advantage over his youthful challenger. As a warning to his rivals Baker will be mounted on a brand new, specially prepared, Scorpa machine which importer Nigel Birkett has breathed on' and subsequently run-in at the recent Manx Two-Day Trial.
Challoner has already clinched the Expert 125cc title ahead of Welshman Adam Jones.
The Thames Club enjoys support from 17 separate companies inn hosting the event.
The action commences at 11am.
Championship Standings: 1 Brown 85 points, 2 Jarvis 81, 3 Morris 77, 4 Wigg 56, 5 Haslam 52, 6 Ross Danby 50.
Experts Standings: 1 Baker 97 points, 2 Challoner 86, 3 Thorpe 71, 4 Fry 60, 5 Ben Hemingway 52, 6 Walker 50.
Expert 125cc Standings: 1 Challoner 100 points, 2 Adam Jones 51, James Graham 32.