Sheppard shines
By TMX Archives on 20th Feb 08
IPSWICH teenager Jack Sheppard rode his Beta-UK machine to a shock victory at the second round of the ACU British Youth Trials Championship at Dob Park on Sunday. The former National Youth B champion made his Youth A debut at Low North Park three-weeks ago, posting a good strong fourth place that netted 13 championship points.
is Dob Park victory puts him a single point behind a consistent Ben Morphett who held the record of being the youngest Youth A winner at 14 years and nine months. Sheppard has dipped under Ben's record, by two months! Sheppard, an auburn-haired six-footer, decided that he would ride his own trial, and not bother about riding the Andrew Carter devised three-lap course in the company of his rivals.
I spent Saturday with James Lampkin who gave me a lot of tips on how to ride rocky sections. We do not have many rocky sections where I live so my victory at Dob Park is in many ways due to the advice that James gave me on Saturday,'' was how he summed up his winning ride.
One of the first to congratulate Sheppard was Beta-UK importer, John Lampkin, who suggested that his plan to ride his own trial ahead of the field had paid dividends.
Ben Morphett travelled from Herne Bay to claim second place ahead of Keswick rider, Jonny Walker. Morphett now leads the series.
After the opening lap, Sheppard had tallied nine with Morphett next best on 14, then Darwen's Jack Spencer on 19. The Championship leader, and hot tip for a Dob win, was Jonathan Richardson, on 20, with Ben Millichap a
dab behind the Skeeby youngster.
When the score board was marked up after two laps, one rider Sheppard had completed the icy course twice for single figures. His lap scores of nine and seven demoralised some of his rivals.
The Youth B starters, 31 in total, started in the long gully in Dob Park, down behind the barn and, for the Youth A competitors, the line featured a kick at the top, up the left banking. Although, on the surface, a mild opener to avoid any queues, that section was cleaned by one rider Jonny Walker, on lap one, and only Ricky Wiggins and Sheppard got out for a dab.
Soft marks went in the stream in the extreme east corner of Dob where the slabs had a mild coating of frost.
BRITISH YOUTH A&B TRIALS CHAMPS
Rd 2 Dob Park, nr Otley (Yeadon Guiseley & DMCC)
Youth A: Jack Sheppard (Beta-UK) 33 marks lost, Ben Morphett (JST Gas Gas) 35, Jonny Walker (MRS Sherco) 45, Jack Spencer (Beta) 49, Jonathan Richardson (MRS Sherco) 51, Ricky Wiggins (RCM Gas Gas) 55 (mc), Andy Chilton (FeetUp Sherco) 55, Jack Thompson (MRS Sherco) 61, Josh Brain (Azzy Paints Sherco) 76, Josh Sprintall (Beta-UK) 78, Josh Maude (MRS Sherco) 80, William Reynolds (Gas Gas) 92, Allan MacMaster (HLS Sherco) 102, William Brockbank (Sherco) 103, George Pollard (OAS Beta) 104 (mc).
SERIES STANDINGS after 2 (of 8) rounds: 1 Morphett 34 points, 2 Sheppard 33, 3 Richardson 31, 4 Walker 30, 5 Spencer 21, 6 Chilton 20, 7 Wiggins 19, 8 Maude 15, 9 Brain 12, 10 Sprintall 10,...
Youth B: Richard Sadler (MRS Sherco) 8 marks lost, Jake Evans-Luter (Beta-UK) 16, Jack Howell (Beta-UK) 30, Keelan Hancock (Gas Gas) 33, Alistair Bedford (JC Beta) 38 (mc), Tom Dexter (B&B Sherco) 38, Jack Welch (Sherco) 44, George Gosden (JST Gas Gas) 49, Chris Short (Stevens Gas Gas) 50, Luke Walker (MRS Sherco) 55, Matthew Maynard (Sherco) 59, Joel Edwards (AB Gas Gas) 63, Chris Stay (JST Gas Gas) 64, Rob Waite (MRS Sherco) 74, Sam Yeadon (Acklams Beta) 77.
SERIES STANDINGS after 2 (of 8) rounds: 1 Sadler 40 points, 2 Howell 32, 3 Evans-Luter 27, 4 Hancock 26, 5 Short 22, 6 Bedford 20, 7 Walker 17, 8 Welch 17, 9 Gosden 14, 10 Dexter 10,...
NEXT ROUND: Mar 16 Wolversleigh Farm, Sidbury, Sidmouth, Devon (Otter Vale MCC).
For full story, see T+MX NEWS, Friday, February 22, 2008