Who'll be King of Colchester Castle?
By TMX Archives on 28th Jan 09
THE Phil King National Trial has been run by the Castle (Colchester) Club for numerous years and in 2009 the event is once more the opening round of the ACU Normandale Traditional Trials Championship. The big day is this Sunday, February 1. The event is the only road based trial still running in the Eastern centre and the single lap of over 25 miles takes competitors over land owned by 15 different landowners and the club thanks them for their ongoing support allowing 40 sections set over beautiful Essex/ Suffolk countryside. It really is an excellent ride round. Section plotting has been in the accomplished hands of Jim and Mark Cammack who face a tough test to improve on last year's excellent trial.
The start will be at NC Cammack and Sons yard at Wakes Colne (Postcode CO62PS), which is on the A1124 and the first championship rider will be flagged away at 9.30am sharp.
The club is in the envious position of having over 120 entries, the most they have ever had and there is quality as well as quantity in there too with plenty of well-known names. Looking back at past A class winners, Dave Thorpe has won four times in total and has entered again this year. He will be up against the likes of Martyn Wilmore, Scott Dommett, Alan Wright and Neil Gaunt.
Class B could be anyones but Chris Koch on his Cotswold, Ian Baker, Kev Nolan and, Dave Wood are favourites, or how about Fantic-mounted former World Championship rider Steve Monk?
With no fewer than seven classes there will be numerous battles right down the order all day with riders like Doug Theobald, Jon Bliss, Allen Collier, Nic Draper, Pete Ruscoe, Ali Haigh, David Pye, Richard Allen, Simon Levett, etc., all capable of a really good points scoring ride.
If you live down in that neck of the woods then a really good day's sport is on the cards and we'll have a report and pics from Dick Law in next week's paper...