James Dabill rains supreme - updated with video
By Colin Bullock on 16th Jun 11
Nothing was going to stop James Dabill keeping his winning run going, as he took the factory Beta to another clear victory at the 2011 ACU Events British Trials Championships - Rnd 4 St Davids Trial.
Organised by Neath MC the venue was, for the second time, Ysguthan Farm, near to Ammanford in South Wales on Sunday.
Heavy rain in the area preceding the event had left the area pretty boggy underfoot and the forecast for heavy rain on trials day was something of an understatement.
Practice on Saturday was held in fine weather but it did lead the organisers to make changes to the course as the degree of difficulty and time element needed some alteration.
But conditions on the day were so bad that the organisers were forced to call a halt after just two of the planned three laps had been completed.
Nothing was going to stop James Dabill keeping his winning run going though, as he took the factory Beta to another clear victory leaving his rivals to scrap it out for the minor placings, with just nine marks separating runner-up Michael from Alexz Wigg in fifth.
Experts B were away first and Richard Timperley and Guy Kendrew, the two main title challengers, were early into action.
Section one was pretty much as last year with a series of fallen trees. It was not really a stopper and there were many cleans but it did manage to persuade Guy and Adam Milner to drop single dabs on lap one.
From here riders dropped down into the valley area where there weren't too many nasty surprises until subs seven and eight.
Eight was probably the worst, where a slippery adverse camber was followed by a descent that saw a few tumbles.
Kendrew's single mark ride was superb, Timps managed a two while three was the best for many but Keelan Hancock fived as he lost grip.
By the end of lap one, with conditions deteriorating, it was Kendrew from Timperley with everyone else some distance behind.
Lap two saw virtually everyone lose more marks with Alistair Bedford the only exception and this would net him a steady eighth place finish.
Guy took the Ossa to a class win from Sherco's Timperley, with Keelan third which matched his result at the West of England.
This brought the top two Championship chasers level on 74 points apiece, and this duel looks likely to be going right down to the season's end.
Things were turned upside down in Expert A where it has been a little topsy turvy to date.
Ricky Wiggins has so far held the upper hand but the St David's saw him finish down in fifth place.
He started well enough, matching everyone else on lap one but five maximums on lap two saw him post his worst result of what has been a very good season so far.
It was however a great day for the young Welshman Jake Evans-Luter, who eventually took the win in what turned out to be a very close-run affair, with only three marks separating the top four riders.
Jake only really had problems down at the third hazard and the waterfall sub at 11, which just got deeper and deeper as the day went on.
FOR FULL REPOORT AND PICTURES SEE T+MX JUNE 17
Results: ACU EVENTS BRITISH SOLO TRIALS CHAMPIONSHIP
Rd 4 – St Davids Trial at Ysguthan Farm, Garnswilt, Ammanford (Neath MC)
CHAMPIONSHIP CLASS
1 James Dabill (Beta) 27 + 37 = 64
2 Michael Brown (Gas Gas) 42 + 44 = 86
3 Sam Haslam (Gas Gas) 40 + 48 = 88
4 Ross Danby (Gas Gas) 46 + 48 = 94
5 Alexz Wigg (Sherco) 45 + 50 = 95
6 Jonathan Richardson (Sherco) 48 + 51 = 99
7 Ben Morphett (Sherco) 48 + 55 = 103
8 George Morton (Beta) 53 + 58 = 111
SERIES STANDINGS after 4 (of 8) rounds: 1 Dabill 80 points, 2 Brown 68, 3 Wigg 56, 4 Haslam 47, 5 Danby 46, 6 Richardson 39, 7 Morton 33, 8 Challoner 26, 9 Morphett 24, 10 Robinson 20.
EXPERT A CLASS
1 Jake Evans-Luter (Beta) 19 + 24 = 43
2 Robert Harries (Gas Gas) 24 + 20 = 44
3 Jack Spencer (Beta) (10x0) 18 + 27 = 45
4 James Fry (Sherco) (9x0) 18 + 27 = 45
5 Ricky Wiggins (Gas Gas) 18 + 31 = 49
6 Richard Sadler (Sherco) 19 + 31 = 50
7 Andy Chilton (Sherco) 21 + 32 = 53
8 Ben Wibberley (Gas Gas) 21 + 34 = 55
SERIES STANDINGS after 4 (of 8) rounds: 1 Wiggins 59 points, 2 Fry 56, 3 Spencer 56, 4 Chilton 44, 5 Evans-Luter 43, 6 Sheppard 34, 7 Harries 32, 8 Wibberley 31, 9 Sadler 27, 9 Sadler 27, 10 Brain 24, 11 Macdonald 20, 12 Phillipson 19, 13 Short 11.
EXPERT B CLASS
1 Guy Kendrew (Ossa) 5 + 19 = 24
2 Richard Timperley (Sherco) 8 + 24 = 32
3 Keelan Hancock (Gas Gas) 16 + 19 = 35
4 Tom Affleck (Sherco) (9x0) 20 + 22 = 42
5 Adam Milner (Beta) (3x0) 17 + 25 = 42
6 Ben Sprigg (Gas Gas) (8x0) 18 + 29 = 47
7 Mark Harries (Montesa) (6x0) 19 + 28 = 47
8 Alistair Bedford (Beta) 26 + 22 = 48
9 Josh Law (Gas Gas) 33 + 19 = 52
10 Buster Regan (Beta) (6x0) 24 + 30 = 54
11 Kyle Hayes (Beta) (5x0) 23 + 31 = 54
12 Andrew Blackman (Gas Gas) (4x0) 24 + 30 = 54
13 Josh Woods (Gas Gas) (6x0) 25 + 30 = 55
14 Becky Cook (Sherco) (4x0) 24 + 31 = 55
15 Shaun Fox (Gas Gas) 23 + 33 = 56
SERIES STANDINGS after 4 (of 8) rounds: 1 Kendrew 74 points, 2 Timperley 74, 3 Woods 40, 4 Milner 39, 5 Regan 36, 6 Sherwin 34, 7 Sprigg 33, 8 Keelan Hancock 30, 10 Mark Harries 23, 11 Affleck 20, 12 Blackman 17, 13 Fox 16, 14 Law 10, 15 Bedford 8.
YOUTH SUPPORT CLASS (Non-champs)
1 Luke Walker (125 Sherco) 31 + 35 = 66
2 George Gosden (125 Gas Gas) 34 + 33 = 67
3 Tom Dexter (125 Gas Gas) 32 + 37 = 69
4 Chris Stay (125 Gas Gas) 34 + 36 = 70
5 Jack Howell (125 Beta) 44 + 42 = 86
NEXT ROUND: July 17 – Rene Pearce Trial at Lower Wembsworthy Farm, Hartland, N Devon (Torridge & DMCC).
