Brown calls Dibs on Torridge glory
By TMX Archives on 22nd Jul 11
MICHAEL Brown (Gas Gas) sensationally won round five of the ACU Events-sponsored British Solo Trials Championship, the Rene Pearce Trial, staged by the Torridge club at LowerWembworthy Farm, Hartland, in Devon.
Michael's win finally brought to an end his friend and arch-rival James Dabill's incredible run of 15 consecutive British Championship wins and in doing so, reduced Dibs' championship lead to just nine-points with three-rounds still to come.
In Expert A class, Ricky Wiggins extended his series lead with a win over local ace Joe Baker, the latter rider making his 2011 Championship debut. And in Expert B, Richard Timperley eased five marks clear of his rival, Guy Kendrew, as the pair were split by Kyle Hayes, enjoying his best British Championship finish to date.
A few weeks ago torrential rain shortened the St Davids BTC event, and the forecasters all seemed to agree it was about to happen again in Devon.
Thankfully, the rain limited itself to a few showers on the day but overnight rain, and strong winds, on sections that were already damp not only made the going worse. but required the Torridge and DMCC organisers to shorten many of them to give riders a chance to exit the section ends cards before the whistle signaled them 'out of time'.
The weekend's excitement actually began on the Saturday practice day. In the Championship class there were many faces missing from the practice lap. Sam Haslam and Ross Danby subsequently made it to the start on Sunday but George Morton, Craig Robinson and most surprisingly Alexz Wigg, did not attend the event at all.
Although Ben Morphett's name was not on the original entry list he was there on both days but this only gave the Championship class a grand total of six entrants. You would have to ask at what point will the organising clubs decide that all that work, for six riders is just not worth the bother!
On Sunday, as usual the Expert B class got things underway and championship challengers Guy Kendrew and Richard Timperley soon got to grips with the very muddy climbs and cambers down in the wooded gully and started to trade scores.
Only a handful of marks separated them after two-laps of the 12-section course but 'Timps' took his Sherco around for a stunning third and final lap for just eight marks to finally put some air between them.
Kyle Hayes also put his Beta between them for a fine runner-up berth and it has to be said that without seven time penalties apiece, the Hancock duo from down the road in Bodmin would have snatched second and third on the podium.
FOR FULL REPORT AND PICTURES SEE T+MX JULY 22
ACU EVENTS BRITISH SOLO TRIALS CHAMPIONSHIP
Rd 5 – Rene Pearce Trial at Lower Wembsworthy Farm, Hartland, Devon (Torridge & DMCC)
CHAMPIONSHIP CLASS
1 Michael Brown (Gas Gas) 9 + 4 + 4 + - = 17
2 James Dabill (Beta) 16 + 10 + 12 + - = 38
3 Ross Danby (Gas Gas) 17 + 16 + 20 + - = 53
4 Jonathan Richardson (Sherco) 22 + 27 + 12 + - = 61
5 Sam Haslam (Gas Gas) 28 + 19 + 23 + - = 70
6 Ben Morphett (Sherco) 45 + 23 + 42 + 15 = 125
SERIES STANDINGS after 5 (of 8) rounds: 1 Dabill 97 points, 2 Brown 88, 3 Danby 61, 4 Haslam 58, 5 Wigg 56, 6 Richardson 52, 7 Morphett 34, 8 Morton 33, 9 Challoner 26, 10 Robinson 20.
EXPERT A CLASS
1 Ricky Wiggins (Gas Gas) 16 + 8 + 6 + - = 30
2 Joe Baker (Scorpa) 11 + 14 + 8 + - = 33
3 Jack Spencer (Beta) (20x0) 12 + 24 + 8 + - = 44
4 Jake Evans-Luter (Beta) (16x0) 24 + 13 + 7 + - = 44
5 Josh Brain (Gas Gas) 15 + 25 + 13 + - = 53
6 James Fry (Sherco) 28 + 21 + 13 + - = 62
7 Ben Wibberley (Gas Gas) 28 + 20 + 16 + - = 64
8 Robert Harries (Gas Gas) 26 + 22 + 19 + - = 67
SERIES STANDINGS after 5 (of 8) rounds: 1 Wiggins 79 points, 2 Spencer 71, 3 Fry 66, 4 Evans-Luter 56, 5 Chilton 44, 6 Harries 40, 7 Wibberley 40, 8 Brain 35, 9 Sheppard 34, 9 Sheppard 34, 10 Sadler 27, 11 Macdonald 20, 12 Phillipson 19, 13 Baker 17, 14 Short 11.
EXPERT B CLASS
1 Richard Timperley (Sherco) 14 + 20 + 8 + - = 42
2 Kyle Hayes (Beta) 17 + 15 + 17 + - = 49
3 Guy Kendrew (Ossa) 16 + 23 + 19 + - = 58
4 Adam Milner (Beta) 20 + 19 + 21 + - = 60
5 Keelan Hancock (Gas Gas) 19 + 22 + 13 + 7 = 61
6 Ross Hancock (Beta) (14x0) 22 + 15 + 19 + 7 = 63
7 Shaun Fox (Gas Gas) (12x0) 21 + 17 + 25 + - = 63
8 Buster Regan (Beta) 27 + 23 + 17 + - = 67
9 Andrew Blackman (Gas Gas) 31 + 22 + 19 + - = 72
10 Nick Baker (Sherco) 24 + 27 + 21 + - = 72
11 Ben Sprigg (Gas Gas) 25 + 28 + 23 + - = 76
12 Steve Martin (Ossa) (8x0) 33 + 27 + 18 + - = 78
13 Tom Affleck (Gas Gas) (4x0) 27 + 27 + 24 + - = 78
14 Josh Law (Gas Gas) 32 + 27 + 29 + - = 88
15 Josh Woods (Gas Gas) 33 + 35 + 24 + - = 92
SERIES STANDINGS after 5 (of 8) rounds: 1 Timperley 94 points, 2 Kendrew 89, 3 Milner 52, 4 Regan 44, 5 Hayes 43, 6 Keelan Hancock 41, 7 Woods 41, 8 Sprigg 38, 10 Fox 25, 11 Blackman 24, 12 Affleck 23, 13 Mark Harries 23, 14 Ross Hancock 15, 15 Law 12.
YOUTH SUPPORT CLASS (Non-champs)
1 Bradley Cox (125 Beta) 20 + 25 + 24 + - = 69
2 Tom Dexter (125 Gas Gas) 23 + 28 + 22 + 2 = 75
3 George Gosden (125 Gas Gas) 32 + 18 + 32 + - = 82
4 Dec Bullock (125 Gas Gas) 37 + 43 + 39 + 5 = 124
NEXT ROUND: August 7 – MacKenzie Trial at Brimham Rocks, Summerbridge, Harrogate (Yeadon Guiseley & DMC Ltd).
