Jack was the Man!
By TMX Archives on 18th Feb 09
JACK Sheppard made a cracking start to his 2009 ACU National Youth Trials Champion-ship bid with a clear victory in the Isle of Man on SundayRiding for John Lampkin's Beta-UK.com team, the 15-year-old from Ipswich dropped 44 marks for three laps of 12 difficult sections at South Barrule slate quarry to finish 16 marks clear of Richmond's Richard Sadler and the MRS Sherco.
George Gosden made the island-hopping exercise from the Isle of Wight worth his while by taking first blood in the B Class championship. The John Shirt Gas Gas-supported rider finished seven marks ahead of MRS Sherco's Luke Walker after 36 slightly easier versions of the same sections.
The Franklins Trophy Trial was the first round of the ACU Youth Trials series to be held in the Isle of Man since 1992 and the undoubted success of the event has already prompted the club to consider hosting a similar event accommodating all four classes of the national championship next year, spread over two days.
Sheppard had initially struggled to get to grips with conditions far removed from those he is normally familiar with in his native Suffolk. In what was a dull and misty start, last year's number four in Britain and number three in Europe, dropped a brace of fives and three threes on the opening lap, which when coupled with a two on arguably the toughest section of the trial in the adjacent forest put him on 21.
Sadler made a more promising getaway on the Sherco, surviving the opening lap with a single five, three threes, one two and a couple of stray dabs for 18 in total and an initial lead of three marks.
Leading local hope Josh Brain, under the guidance of three-times British champion Steve Colley, was well in the mix with a score of 23, including fives on sections three and eight – the former on the regular Manx Two-Day slate gully in the
middle of the quarry. Chris Short was the best of the rest with 34 on his JST 125 Gas Gas.
The similarly mounted George Gosden completed the first lap on the easier route with a single figure score of eight, three fewer than Luke Walker, with Tom Dexter of Mansfield Maun MCC next best on 17.
BRITISH YOUTH A&B TRIALS CHAMPs
Rd 1 – Franklins Trophy Trial at South Barrule Quarry (IoM Youth TC Ltd)
YOUTH A: Jack Sheppard (Beta) 44 marks lost, Richard Sadler (Sherco) 60, Josh Brain (Gas Gas) 68, Chris Short (Gas Gas) 86, William Brockbank (Sherco) 93, Josh Maude (Sherco) 95, Joanne Coles (Gas Gas) 114, Matthew Maynard (Sherco) 116, Rob Margetts (Gas Gas) 130, Ryan Corkill (Gas Gas) 138, Jordan Birchall (Gas Gas) 140, John Battensby (Sherco) 151, Kieran Jones (Gas Gas) 152.
SERIES STANDINGS after 1 (of 8) rounds: 1 Sheppard 20 points, 2 Sadler 17, 3 Brain 15, 4 Short 13, 5 Brockbank 11, 6 Maude 10, 7 Coles 9, 8 Maynard 8, 9 Margetts 7, 10 Corkill 6,...
YOUTH B: George Gosden (Gas Gas) 24 marks lost, Luke Walker (Sherco) 31, Tom Dexter (Gas Gas) 40, Jack Welch (Gas Gas) 41, Chris Stay (Gas Gas) 42, Jack Howell (Beta) 53, Joel Edwards (Gas Gas) 54, Bradley Cox (Gas Gas) 56, Rob Waite (Sherco) 61, Dec Bullock (Gas Gas) 63, Sam Yeadon (Beta) 71, Corey Dubik (Gas Gas) 73, Joe Clements (Gas Gas) 74, Lee Sealey (Gas Gas) 76, Brad Bullock (Gas Gas) 80.
SERIES STANDINGS after 1 (of 8) rounds: 1 Gosden 20 points, 2 Walker 17, 3 Dexter 15, 4 Welch 13, 5 Stay 11, 6 Howell 10, 7 Cox 8, 8 Waite 7, 9 Bullock 6, 10 Yeadon 5,...
NEXT ROUND: March 8 – Bracken Rocks, Holloway, nr Matlock (Mansfield Maun MC).
FOR FULL REPORT SEE T+MX NEWS, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2009
Jack Sheppard took his Beta to a clear A class victory in the first round of this year's championship.