Darren's Green piece party
By TMX Archives on 23rd Jan 08
DARREN Brice was in unbelievable form at Fell Green, Bootle, on Sunday, clocking-up a winning margin of over 30 marks over three laps of a tough, wet and incredibly slippery 15 section fell course that was simply running with water but which made for a real testing 2008 Northern Centre Championship event.
It was a miserable, wet, misty day with grip at a premium on the ‘dry' banking hazards and rolling rocks a hazard in the becks that were swollen with water. Brice's total of seven was simply amazing and comprised a single five plus two dabs. His five came as early as section three on the opening lap, when he just lost the rear of the Scorpa as he fired across camber to the Ends cards. He later had a dab in the same section and then another in the tough fourth and fifth double. This on a section that most had trouble getting out of at all.
In the river section that followed Nigel Birkett got his day off to a good start by flooding his four-stroke in the beck, but was soon back in the fray.
Steve Dixon eventually nailed a comfortable second place to make it a Scorpa one-two, but was a long way adrift of Bricey.
David Postlethwaite turned the clock back effectively with a convincing win in the Clubman class on his air-cooled Yamaha TYR, topping the usual large entry - and showing that in certain conditions the TY Yam is still to be reckoned with - with the right rider on board.
In the Over 40s, Nick Shield was almost as dominant as Brice with a cracking ride on his Beta REV3, Nick having the skill to find traction in the worst possible conditions.
The Youths found it tough, as Will Brockbank found with a big crash that made a mess of his Sherco rear mudguard. More work for his dad Antony, second in the Over 50s, to fix.
It was a day when you could either find grip or you couldn't and the class winners really had chance to show their skills.
The real heroes on the day though were the hardy handful of observers who stuck it out and to which the healthy entry of riders owe their thanks.
FELL GREEN TRIAL
Fell Green, Bootle (Bootle SC)
Expert: Darren Brice (Scorpa) 7 marks lost, Steve Dixon (Scorpa) 38, Richard Gaskell (Beta) 47, Dan Johnson (Gas Gas) 53, David Woods (Gas Gas) 60, James Johnson (Scorpa) 60.
Inter: Oliver Hart (Scorpa) 60.
Youth Hard: Jonathan Walker (Sherco) 34.
Clubman: David Postlethwaite (Yamaha) 15, Anthony Hayhurst (Sherco) 22, Kevin Seward (Scorpa) 34, Paul Mashiter (Montesa) 39, J Capstick (Gas Gas) 52, P Blowers 58.
Over 40: Nick Shield (Beta) 6, Gary Bingley (Scorpa) 18, David Braithwaite (Montesa) 19, Mark Barrow (Scorpa) 29, Angus Jenkinson (Gas Gas) 30, David Stevens (Scorpa) 33.
Over 50: Peter Woof (Gas Gas) 12, Antony Brockbank (Sherco) 24, Ted Beatty (Gas Gas) 57.
Youth B: James Bingley (Gas Gas) 26, R Henderson (Sherco) 53.