Chilton gets Carter
By TMX Archives on 16th Apr 09
ANDY who? Andrew Chilton actually, on his recently acquired ex-Alexz Wigg 300 Montesa, threw a king sized spanner in the works at Dob Park, on Sunday, when he won the National Chris Carter Trophy Trial, the third round of the Novogar Clubman trials championship, from a brace of Hemingways, Ben and Dan, John Crinson and Bemrose winner Matthew Jones.
It was a low-scoring dry as dust Yeadon-Guiseley Motor Club promotion which more or less went the way of ACU Trials and Enduro committee thinking by being rider friendly - slightly easier than has become the norm for the Novogar Championship. Andrew Carter sorted out the 40 section one lap course, centred as ever on Dob Park, near Otley, and the scenic Washburn Valley. The Chris Carter enjoyed a dry course with little mud, brilliant sunshine, and a Battle Royale, from which Master Chilton emerged with a splendid victory. His ride was nothing short of brilliant on the fire-breathing 4RT. A dab on the loose slabs in the dense woodland of Fewston Post Office and an even better effort on the notorious Crosser's Rocks in Browns where the zig-zag line took in the worst of the sharks teeth rocks.
Only three Novogar competitors cleaned the section: Chilton, Matthew Jones and Beta-mounted Ben Hemingway. Little Hemmo's throttle and clutch control to get the barking four-stroke up and onto the final crucial rock and get it turned in less that it's own length had the spectators gasping. Chilton just about matched Ben with his clutch control and then gunned it up the final two steps.
The trial got under way in Browns where ten sections tracked the bottom of the wood ending up in the east beck. Despite the dry conditions only Chilton, the Hemingways, Martin Crosswaite and Phil Disney nailed all ten sections. Jones, Chris Pearson, Josh Woods, John Shirt and Aran Drachenberg took a single dab on the Waterfall.
The tight turns on the riverbank at Dob Splash took some nervous dabs while Sword Point should have featured six climbs in the dense hillside forest but landowner dictates cut that number by half. Nigel Greenwood had the first and best with a flight up to a large rock. Dan Farrer took the altitude record with Jono Richardson while Becky Cook and John Shirt tried to ride the gap and lost grip.
The sun was baking Sandwith Moor where the middle section featured a six foot rock outcrop which fortunately was dry at the launch pad. Even so only Chilton, Dan Hemmo, Miles Jones and Zac Sherwin cleaned. Very few riders lost marks at Post Office where Chilton dropped a foot on the loose flat slabs. The suffering Andy Cripps dropped two as he fought a wobbly tummy, a problem that took the edge off the Mancunian.
Sections at Top Snowden, Crabtree's and Colin Dibb's failed to upset Chilton as he arrived at Browns level with both Hemmos on points. Ben sailed through all ten sections while Dan added two dabs in the third and Crosser's sections so it was down to the farthest clean count for the win which put Andy Chilton in the driving seat, having ridden 20 sections clean to Ben's first dab on the slopes of the fourteenth in Sword Point.
Only eight contenders in the Novogar Over 40's which was won by Mick Boam and his trusty Scorpa from Roger Williams and Richard Allen.
Five Experts battled for the Chris Carter Trophy, all ineligible for Novogar points. Ian Austermuhle cleaned the entire course while James Dabill dabbed on Sandwith and on the huge rock which was the big attraction at Crosser's. Dan Thorpe was matching Austy until he hit Crabtrees. "I missed a flag in the beck. That five stuffed me for the win then I had two dabs on Crosser's” added Dan.
NOVOGAR TRIALS CHAMPIONSHIP
Rd 3 – Chris Carter Trophy Trial
(Yeadon Guiseley & DMCC Ltd)
NOVOGAR POINTS SCORERS: Andy Chilton (300 Montesa 4RT) 2 (fc) marks lost, Ben Hemingway (300 Beta UK) 2, Dan Hemingway (290 Beta) 4, John Crinson (Birkett Scorpa) 5, Matthew Jones (MRS Sherco) 6, Dan Farrer (280 JST Gas Gas) 7 (3x0), Sam Ludgate (250 Birkett Scorpa) 7 (2x0), Chris Pearson (MRS Sherco) 8, Josh Woods (Beta UK) 9, Martin Crosswaite (250 Montesa 4RT) 13 (4x0), Phil Disney (Appleyard Beta) 13 (3x0), Jonathan Richardson (125 MRS Sherco) 16, Simon Welch (270 BVM Beta) 17, Aran Drachenberg (Beta) 18 (7x0), John Shirt (280 JST Gas Gas) 18 (4x0).
SERIES STANDINGS after 3 (of 8) rounds: 1 Pearson 43 points, 2 Jones 23, 3 Crinson 21, 4 Wibberley 21, 5 Chilton 20, 6 Crease 20, 7 Richardson 18, 8 Ben Hemingway 17, 9 Hicken 17, 10 Welch 17, 11 Dan Hemingway 15, 12 Turner 15, 13 Blackman 14, 14 Disney 14, 15 Nicholas 13,...
NOVOGAR 125cc CLASS: Jonathan Richardson (125 MRS Sherco) 16 marks lost.
NOVOGAR 125cc Series Standings: 1 Richardson 60 points.
NOVOGAR OVER 40 CLASS: Mick Boam (250 Scorpa) 36 marks lost, Richard Allen (300 Gas Gas) 41 (5x0), Roger Williams (250 Beta) 41 (2x0), David Clinkard (250 Beta Evo) 42, Graham Tales (250 Gas Gas) 46, Michael James (300 John Lee Gas Gas) 54, Paul Dennis (250 Gas Gas) 57, Glen Quinn (280 Gas Gas) 70.
NOVOGAR OVER 40 Series Standings: 1 Boam 52 points, 2 Allen 47, 3 Clinkard 39, 4 Mark Hicken 20, 5 Kevin Morphett 20, 6 James 29, 7 Stephen Rees 17, 8 Williams 15, 9 Tales 11, 10 John Cowley 11,...
NEXT ROUND: April 13 – Lomax Cup Trial (South Liverpool MC).
EXPERT CLASS: Ian Austermuhle (290 Beta UK) clean, James Dabill (300 JST Gas Gas) 2 marks lost, Dan Thorpe (300 JST Gas Gas) 7, Liam Walker (300 JST Gas Gas) 10, Miles Jones (Montesa) 43.
After finishing eighth, Chris Pearson (MRS Sherco) leads the Novogar series by 20 points.