Dib Dab Doo!
By Colin Bullock on 14th Mar 11
The 2011 British Trials Championship is under way. The ACU Events-sponsored series has once again drawn additional support from TRC Trucks and Michelin and the brand new opening round was organised by Dirt Bike Action at Westwood, near Barnsley.
The course featured many man-made hazards linked by some sharp, natural muddy banks and with Graham Jarvis setting out the sections they were tough, spectacular and in places very big. The hazards were very accessible for spectators and estimates of the total crowd were anything up to an impressive 2000.
It was business as usual at the sharp end though with reigning British Champ James Dabill, who took the 2010 title undefeated, carrying-on his unbeaten run by taking a clear win in the opening round, now doing the business for Beta after winning his title on Gas Gas. He took a clear win from Michael Brown, who swapped Sherco for Gas Gas with third-placed Alexz Wigg, now on Sherco from Beta, further back still.
In the Experts Ricky Wiggins took first blood for Gas Gas while in the biggest class of all, Experts B with 31 entries, Guy Kendrew took his Ossa to a convincing victory.
At 10am the Experts were the first away and they had a full line up as they set off from the imposing Renault hospitality unit parked up alongside the final section which would see plenty of action a few hours later.
The opener was a long hazard and if the muddy climbs did not get you the time allowance of 90 seconds ensured some fast exits. There were not too many successes early on amongst the B Group although Adam Milner got through with a steady two, Jordan Potter a dab and then fine cleans from Richard Timperley and Guy Kendrew.
These first four subs in the Quarry gully area were all mark takers although Phil Disney went well here after an early setback on the opener. Kendrew was setting the pace as might have been expected following his early season National rides but even he took a maximum on the rock steps of section ten. Fortunately for him Timps also fell foul of this sub and they finished lap one just one mark apart with Milner in third at this point.
Second time around Kendrew, looking very comfortable on the Ossa, got through ten for a dab whilst Timps found this his bogey section. Just behind them, two Midland riders were beginning to make a move. Buster Regan was riding consistently and Ben Sprigg put in a lap of 16 which put him in third overall with a lap to go.
With conditions drying as the day went on the B group were finishing lap two before the Championship had completed their first circuit. With the big crowds waiting to see the top guys it gave many of the other classes a chance to ride in front of an appreciative audience and good rides were warmly applauded.
Guy Kendrew made his final lap for a superb loss of just eight and he finished a very comfortable class winner with Timperley second and Buster Regan third. It was Buster's first podium after a couple of seasons in the Championship leaving Zac Sherwin fourth.
Gary Macdonald had again entered Experts A to defend his 2010 Championship but a hand injury sustained prior to the event made the Scot a non starter. Section one turned out tricky although Ricky Wiggins, James Fry, Andy Chilton and Michael Phillipson all made it for a solitary dab.
The big banks of section four put another five on Jack Spencer's card, not the best of starts for the young Beta rider who went so well in last year's series. Jack did not have the best of opening circuits but came back as the event progressed. There was a big crowd assemble at seven which featured deep water and stepping stones. Man made maybe but a definite crowd puller. There were no cleans on lap one and this was one hazard that certainly did not dry out!
Ricky took two maximums near the end of lap one in the muddy morass of section nine and banks and tree logs at 12. This section stopped virtually all of Group A on each lap with only Jack Spencer seeing the ends cards on his second and third laps. With two laps done it was Wiggins leading the way from James Fry but the Eastbourne rider would slip back one place to third after Spencer got a good final lap in. Ben Wibberly took a good fourth ahead of Andy Chilton.
In the Non-Championship Youth class, which rode the same hazards as the A Group, Tom Dexter came out on top just two marks ahead of Chris Stay.
ACU EVENTS BRITISH SOLO TRIALS CHAMPIONSHIP
Rd 1 – Putoline TRC Westwood Trial (Dirt Bike Action)
CHAMPIONSHIP CLASS
1 James Dabill (Beta) 13 + 13 + 14 + - = 40
2 Michael Brown (Gas Gas) 21 + 21 + 13 + - = 55
3 Alexz Wigg (Sherco) 28 + 32 + 33 + 1 = 94
4 Sam Haslam (Gas Gas) 36 + 37 + 39 + - = 112
5 Ross Danby (Gas Gas) 41 + 36 + 50 + - = 127
6 Jonathan Richardson (Sherco) 44 + 40 + 46 + - = 130
7 George Morton (Beta) 51 + 52 + 58 + 4 = 165
8 Ben Morphett (Sherco) 60 + 58 + 51 + - = 169
9 Craig Robinson (Gas Gas) 55 + 58 + 51 + 10 = 174
SERIES STANDINGS after 1 (of 8) rounds: 1 Dabill 20 points, 2 Brown 17, 3 Wigg 15, 4 Haslam 13, 5 Danby 11, 6 Richardson 10, 7 Morton 9, 8 Morphett 8, 9 Robinson 7.
EXPERT A CLASS
1 Ricky Wiggins (Gas Gas) 19 + 18 + 17 + - = 54
2 Jack Spencer (Beta) 30 + 16 + 17 + - = 63
3 James Fry (Sherco) 22 + 18 + 29 + - = 69
4 Ben Wibberley (Gas Gas) 27 + 28 + 27 + - = 82
5 Andy Chilton (Sherco) 31 + 24 + 36 + - = 91
6 Michael Phillipson (Beta) 34 + 33 + 27 + - = 94
7 Robert Harries (Gas Gas) 26 + 31 + 39 + - = 96
8 Jake Evans-Luter (Beta) (6x0,10x1) 28 + 35 + 34 + - = 97
9 Josh Brain (Gas Gas) (6x0,5x1) 37 + 30 + 30 + - = 97
10 Chris Short (Gas Gas) 35 + 32 + 47 + - = 114
SERIES STANDINGS after 1 (of 8) rounds: 1 Wiggins 20 points, 2 Spencer 17, 3 Fry 15, 4 Wibberley 13, 5 Chilton 11, 6 Phillipson 10, 7 Harries 9, 8 Evans-Luter 8, 9 Brain 7, 9 Brain 7, 10 Short 6.
EXPERT B CLASS
1 Guy Kendrew (Ossa) 13 + 9 + 8 + - = 30
2 Richard Timperley (Sherco) 14 + 12 + 22 + 5 = 53
3 Buster Regan (Beta) 21 + 20 + 17 + - = 58
4 Zac Sherwin (Beta) 24 + 20 + 21 + - = 65
5 Adam Milner (Beta) 17 + 27 + 29 + - = 73
6 Ben Sprigg (Gas Gas) 23 + 16 + 35 + - = 74
7 Josh Woods (Gas Gas) 33 + 30 + 20 + - = 83
8 Phil Disney (Beta) 19 + 31 + 32 + 2 = 84
9 Mark Harries (Montesa) 29 + 29 + 31 + - = 89
10 Jordan Potter (Gas Gas) 31 + 34 + 37 + 1 = 103
11 Andrew Blackman (Gas Gas) (5x0) 33 + 33 + 38 + - = 104
12 Chris Barnfather (Gas Gas) (3x0) 37 + 31 + 36 + - = 104
13 Becky Cook (Sherco) 41 + 40 + 27 + 1 = 109
14 Harry Harvey (Gas Gas) 33 + 41 + 39 + - = 113
15 Philip Kettlewell (Gas Gas) 35 + 36 + 44 + - = 115
SERIES STANDINGS after 1 (of 8) rounds: 1 Kendrew 20 points, 2 Timperley 17, 3 Regan 15, 4 Sherwin 13, 5 Milner 11, 6 Sprigg 10, 7 Woods 9, 8 Disney 8, 10 J Potter 6, 11 Blackman 5, 12 Barnfather 4, 13 Cook 3, 14 Harvey 2, 15 Kettlewell 1.
YOUTH SUPPORT CLASS (Non-champs)
1 Tom Dexter (125 Gas Gas) 29 + 39 + 33 + - = 101
2 Chris Stay (125 Gas Gas) 38 + 35 + 30 + - = 103
3 Jack Howell (125 Beta) 42 + 44 + 44 + - = 130
4 George Gosden (125 Gas Gas) 43 + 46 + 44 + - = 133
5 Sam Yeadon (125 Beta) 54 + 54 + 54 + - = 162
NEXT ROUND: April 3 – Anthony Rew Trial at @ Hound Tor, nr Widdecombe in the Moor, Devon (West of England MC).
FOR FULL REPORT AND PICTURES SEE T+MX MARCH 11