British Trials Championship - a 'worthy cause
By TMX Archives on 15th Jul 11
After a gap of five weeks, during which time the top British riders have been chasing World Championship points, it is now back to the domestic ACU Events-sponsored British Solo Trials Championship with the Rene Pearce Trial which takes the series deep into the West Country. This is being held this weekend, July 16/17, and it is at a new venue for the series.
The Rene Pearce event is organised by the Torridge club and the club will run the trial at Lower Wembworthy Farm, Hartland, Bideford, Devon (Postcode: EX39 6EN).
As usual, practice takes place on Saturday between 3pm and 5pm with the start of the British Championship on Sunday at 10am, when Expert B class will be away first, followed by Expert A and the British Championship chasers away last.
In the main Championship class factory Beta ace James Dabill is on such a run – 15-successive BTC premiers and counting – that his rivals must be wondering what they can do to stop him.
Reigning champ 'Dibs' currently holds a 14-point lead over his nearest rival, Gas Gas mounted Michael Brown with British number three Alexz Wigg on the Sherco a further 12-points adrift. It is not that everyone else is riding badly, that is not the case, Dibs is currently looking invincible.
In the shortened St David's Trial, the previous Championship round, affected by heavy rain, reliable Gas Gas runner Sam Haslam had a well deserved podium which put him into fourth place in the standings, just one-point ahead of fellow Gas Gas teamster Ross Danby. However, Ross heads down to the south west on form having won the recent Dave Rowland National Trial.
In Expert A Class, there is a three way fight going on between Ricky Wiggins (Gas Gas), James Fry (Sherco) and Jack Spencer (Beta). Only three-points separate them at the half way stage of the series. The winner at the rain soaked Welsh St David's was however Jake Evans-Luter. Both he and Robert Harries had tremendous rides down in South Wales so it will be interesting to see if they can get on the podium once again on Sunday and further stir-up the Championship chase.
Meanwhile, always one of the more interesting contests, the Experts B is bubbling-up into a very competitive affair. At the moment the two chief protagonists are Guy Kendrew on the Ossa and Sherco's Richard Timperley. Locked together on 74 points both have two wins and two second places to their names and are comfortably ahead of Josh Woods who is running third.
Another rider going well at the moment is Keelan Hancock with a pair of third places in the two rounds he has contested. But the pressure is definitely on the two front runners!
If you live in the west country and want to watch a top class trial then by all means get along. If you can't, we will of course have a full report and latest championship positions in next week's issue.
