Dabill hits ’em for six
By Team TMX on 5th Aug 15
King James lifts another British crown
James Dabill lifted his sixth British Trials Championship crown and gave a delighted Vertigo team their first national trials title in Great Britain, in the new Spanish brand's first year of competition.
The superb trials facility at the Bob MacGregor Trials Academy, near Glasgow welcomed 60 riders to Edinburgh & District MCC's event for rounds seven and eight of this year's RT Keedwell Group supported ACU British Solo Trials Championship.
Despite the fact that the event was plagued by heavy rain showers it did not dampen the enthusiasm of the riders and spectators, who delighted in the high standard of riding in all three classes of an entry of 60 riders.
In the Expert class, Dan Thorpe opened up a lead in the championship table, while Toby Martyn dominated the Youth A.
Defending British Champion Dabill knew a solid ride on Saturday would deliver his sixth and Vertigo's first BTC title.
Having already taken victories in four of the season's events his championship campaign was helped when his two closest challengers – Michael Brown and Spaniard Jorge Casales – suffered injuries in the earlier part of the season.
Casales came back to challenge Dabill for the victories and took the honours on day one, with a clear-cut win.
He posted the only score under 20 on the first of three laps of 12 hazards, while Dabill started with a big crash on the slippery rocky bankside and conceded two five-mark penalties in the first two hazards. Dabill fought back on lap two but the damage had already been done and he had to concede victory to the Beta rider.
‘Dibs', though, had done enough to secure his sixth British Championship title.
Behind the top two Billy Bolt, riding with a damaged right hand, put up a brave fight to take yet another podium finish, while Ross Danby and Jack Price tied on 68 marks with the experienced Danby getting the nod for fourth.
Sunday's action followed a similar course with the introduction of a graded hill climb and some changes to the hazards. And once again it was newly-crowned Dabill and Casales who battled for supremacy.
On a much closer day of competition the pair traded blows all day, with Dabill edging the win by just two.
Ross Danby's stunning full-throttle ride to the top of the graded hill climb made him the only rider to make it to the top as he claimed a podium finish.
Sam Haslam moved up the order to fourth as the expected challenge from the new breed of young riders never materialised with Jack Price fifth followed by Dec Bullock.
The highly-experienced Dan Thorpe used all his skills in the difficult conditions to top the points scorers in the well-supported Experts.
Scotsman Gary Macdonald was riding on a no-points scoring basis – and completed the best ride of the day for a great loss of ten. As in the Championship class it was the first lap which proved crucial with Macdonald losing six compared to Thorpe's 10.
FOR FULL REPORT & PICTURES SEE TMX NEWS, AUGUST 6, (ISSUE 1983)
