Christmas comes early...
By TMX Archives on 18th Dec 08
THE West of England club is the busiest organisation in the South West Centre, and they rounded off a busy 2008 with its Pre-Christmas Cup Trial on the outskirts of Widecombe-in-the-Moor on Sunday which was won by Exmoor Clubman Nick Baker.
He lost just nine marks in the three lap 14 section event at the Hound Tor group, which was three less than runner-up Rob Pollard.
Nick lost two marks in the seventh, one in the ninth and six in the
tenth, where Pollard was best of 94 starters with a two mark debit, but he had seven ones elsewhere and a five in the eighth.
Nick's dad Ian, himself a former South West Centre champion, won the Clubman class on the furthest clean type special test. Jason Atwell put a foot wrong in the eighth sub whilst Baker kept his feet on the pegs until the ninth.
Pre 1965 and Novice class winners on the Alternative route, Tim Heard and Mick Whitehouse, escaped penalty throughout. There were also three clean sheets in the Over 50 years of age class, namely Mike Hann, Mike Wilson and David Bell, and their positions were determined by the engine capacity of their machines.
British champions Jon Tuck and Matt Sparks were in action in the Sidecar class, and true to form they won the three wheeler event staged over two laps of 18 sections without dropping a mark.
Plymouth speedway skipper Seemond Stephens and Gary Davey were next in line with two mark losses in the second and third subs and five in the fourth,
but they were only one mark up at the finish over Dave Tuck, and Steve Chandler who also incurred penalty in just three sections.
PRE-CHRISTMAS CUP TRIAL
Widecombe-in-the-Moor (West of England MCC)
Expert: N Baker (Gas Gas) 9 marks lost, R Pollard (Beta) 12, J Young (Beta) 17, S Goodman (Beta) 41, J Baker (Gas Gas) 55, R Broom (Beta) 61.
Club Expert: K Bushin (Gas Gas) 33, J Bright (Sherco) 48, H Pym (Beta) 51.
Clubman: I Baker (Honda) 1, J Atwell (Gas Gas) 1, S Sheriden (Beta) 7, M Champion (Gas Gas) 8, B Skinner (Scorpa) 8, S Atwell (Sherco) 14, M Strang (Gas Gas) 14.
Novice: S Eastick (Scorpa) 26, P Norrish (Beta) 29, P Chudley (Montesa) 49, T Forte (Yamaha) 63, D Smith (Beta) 71, B Dando (Sherco) 81.
Twin-shock: L Green (Honda) 16, S Abrams (Fantic) 43.
Pre-1965: T Heard (Triumph) clean, P Wickett (Triumph) 13.
Youth B: D Abrams (Gas Gas) 40.
Youth C: T Hooper (Beta) 22.
Alternative Course
Novice: M Whitehouse (Beta) clean, R Tupman (Montesa) 2, J Tupman (Montesa) 2, K Butt (Sherco) 3, T Wall (Beta) 4, A Austin (Gas Gas) 8.
Twin-shock: N Smith (Honda) 3, S Donaghy (Yamaha) 7, M Palfrey (Yamaha) 7, A Blacker (Whitehawk) 13, M Aldred (Fantic) 19, G Riley (Armstrong) 31.
Pre-1965: J Corin (BSA) 2, R Trott (Triumph) 5, D Williams (Triumph) 8, G Kinsman (Ariel) 17.
Over 50: M Hann (Gas Gas) clean, M Wilson (Beta) clean, D Bell (Beta) clean, L Jones (Gas Gas) 1, R Forte (Montesa) 2, N Fell (Beta) 2.
Youth B: D Champion (Beta) 6, T Kinsman (Gas Gas) 9, C Coffin (Sherco) 22, J Sheriden (Beta) 31.
Youth C: C Hill (Gas Gas) 48, J Church (Beta) 55, D King (Beta) 88.
Youth D: R Luscombe (Beta) 43, A Muxworthy (Beta) 138.
Sidecar Novice: T Jenkin/ A Davey (Gas Gas) 9, D Wilcox/ M Ripper (Sherco) 55.
Sidecar Expert: J Tuck/ M Sparkes (Beta) clean, S Stephens/ G Davey (Gas Gas) 9, D Tuck/ S Chandler (Montesa) 10, P Sparks/ R Tuck (Beta) 12, M and A Smith (Beta) 21, S Jewell/ P Highland (Gas Gas) 37.