Cambrian joy for Roberton
By TMX Archives on 17th Oct 07
ANDY Roberton is the new The Classic MotorCycle' British Classic Scrambles champion. In two 15 minutes plus one lap (12 laps) races, when he chalked up third and second places, he was outstanding, particularly in the second race which confirmed his season-long supremacy.
Although he returned home without a win in eitherof the championship races, it was a case of job done when he aced thefeature race of the day, the Cambrian Tyres Welsh Classic Grand Prix.Andy led the Grand Prix from start to finish from a determined AdrianCox, another of the stars of an action-packed meeting at Abbeycwmhir,high in the hills of a very damp and misty Central Wales last Sunday.
Despite the very slick conditions which causedplenty of visits to terra-firma, the first championship race was ahumdinger with winner Carl Pope riding out of his skin to pass AndyRoberton at the mid-race point. Despite some intense pressure fromAdrian Cox and Roberton, the three of them swapping places in finestyle, Carl hung on to take a popular victory with the proverbialpostage stamp covering them.
Those same slippery conditions nearly proved to beAndy Roberton's undoing in the second championship race. But Andy isAndy whatever the conditions. Half way round the first lap and lookingset to make amends for his earlier third place he lost control goinginto a ditch and down he went with the rest of the pack pouring past.That was the trigger the race needed for it signalled another of thefamous Roberton fight backs - the bigger the occasion the better therecovery.
He restarted last with the rest of the fielddisappearing into the distance. In 17th position at the end of lap one,he was up to 7th at the half-way stage and third behind Carl Pope andAdrian Cox on lap nine. Then Lady Luck took a hand in the Robertonrecovery and it was a case of good luck for Andy but bad luck forleader Carl. His carb fell apart, the bike coughed and stopped and hischampionship aspirations were over. Now it was Adrian Cox leading,Roberton second and James Newstead third and being harried by CumbrianKeith Barnes on the 500 Faber and young Tim Dallaway having the ride ofhis life on his 350 just behind.
BRITISH CLASSIC SCRAMBLE CHAMPS Cambrian Tyres Welsh GP
Abbeycwmhir, Central Wales (Mid Wales Classic MCC)
Pre-60: 1 Steve Gagg (650 Tribsa), 2 Richard White (612 Royal Enfield), 3 Andy Carter (650 Tribsa).
Pre-65 up to 250cc: 1 Roger Powell (CZ), 2 Andy Camm (BSA), 3 Andrew Owen (Husqvarna).
Pre-65 251-350cc: 1 Adrian Cox (350 BSA), 2 Chris Coillins (350 BSA), 3 Luke Sanders (350 BSA).
Pre-68 Over 350cc (Odd Numbers): 1 Carl Pope (500Cheney BSA), 2 Andy Roberton (500 Cheney BSA), 3 Phil Edwards (650Cheney Triumph).
Pre-68 Over 350cc (Even Numbers): 1 Adrian Cox (500 Cheney BSA), 2 Steve Gagg (650 Tribsa), 3 Ian Lovelock (650 Triumph).
Pre-74 Up to 250cc: 1 John Price (Honda), 2 Ian Davies (Bultaco), 3 Chris Collins (CZ).
Pre-74 Over 250cc: 1 Steve Adams, 2 Brian Littler, 3 Scott Adams (all 380 CZ).
Rickman Motorcycles British Bike Championship
350cc class: 1 Tim Dallaway, 2 Roy Thomas, 3 John Cashnella (all 350 BSA).
500cc class: 1 Rob Griffiths (500 Tribsa), 2 Alistair Fowlie (500 Mabsa), 3 Alec Dorrell (500 BSA Metisse).
The Classic MotorCycle' British Classic ScramblesChampionship - Race One: 1 Carl Pope (500 Cheney BSA), 2 Adrian Cox(350 Cheney BSA), 3 Andy Roberton (500 Cheney BSA), 4 Shaun Lovegrove(500 Cheney BSA), 5 James Newstead (650 Triumph Metisse), 6 RichardHunt (500 Cheney BSA), 7 Roger Powell (250 CZ), 8 Andy Carter (560 JawaMetisse).
Race Two: 1 Adrian Cox, 2 Andy Roberton, 3 JamesNewstead, 4 Keith Barnes (500 Faber BSA), 5 Tim Dallaway (350 BSA), 6Tony Sullivan (650 Cheney Triumph), 7 Richard Hunt, 8 Dave Cooper (650Triumph Metisse).
Cambrian Tyres Pre-68 Welsh Grand Prix: 1 AndyRoberton (500 Cheney BSA), 2 Adrian Cox (500 Cheney BSA), 3 PhilEdwards (650 Cheney Triumph), 4 Robert Jones (500 BSA), 5 Dave Cooper(650 Triumph Metisse), 6 Steve Gagg (650 Tribsa).
Non-Winners: 1 John Nicholls (650 Cheney Triumph), 2 Graham Bell (360 Bultaco), 3 Derek Daniels (500 BSA).
Grand Slam: 1 Adrian Cox (500 Cheney BSA), 2 BrianLittler (380 CZ), 3 Carl Pope (500 Cheney Jawa), 4 Shaun Lovegrove (500Cheney BSA).
For full story and pictures, see T+MX NEWS, Friday, October 19, 2007.