Just one more Knight
By TMX Archives on 18th Feb 09
JUAN Knight added another success to his impressive off-road riding CV when he won the Andy Smith Trophy Trial, the opening round of the British Sidecar Trials Championship on home soil, in the Isle of Man, with experienced passenger Chris Molyneux, on Saturday. The former British Enduro Champion, who has a long list of Isle of Man Centre solo trials, enduro and motocross titles to his name not to mention several ISDE gold medals showed his ability on three wheels when he won the Peveril MCC organised Andy Smith Trophy event from the regular charioteers, as he wryly refers to sidecar competitors! Knight, similar to his younger sibling David, revels in difficult conditions and they don't come much tougher than last weekend's event when simply riding from one section to another in the clinging mud of the club's Knock Froy venue proved testing.
Between the sticks, Knight and Molyneux made a strong start on their 300 Gas Gas, dropping seven for the opening group of four subs to enjoy the joint lead with fellow locals Jonathan Kelly and Ealish Baxter. One behind were reigning British champions Jon Tuck/ Matt Sparkes and the father and son duo of Robin and Sam Luscombe – each with a five and a three to show for their opening gambit.
Single fives at Ballingan for Knight and Luscombe enabled Kelly and Tuck to move into the joint lead on eight apiece – the latter man and his sidekick Sparkes cleaning the group along with Adrian and Aaron Smith and Gary Flowers/ Antony Smith.
At nearby Ellerslie Glen, Tuck and Sparkes surprisingly failed the first of two sections where four of the nine expert crews wriggled through clean, and the Beta pair showed further jitters at King's Forest where they uncharacteristically failed four of the five steeply graded subs between the tree.
After 14 of the event's 40 sections, Kelly/Baxter were the clear leaders on 19, followed by Knight/ Molyneux 24, Luscombe/
Luscombe 25, Smith/ Smith and Kevin Nolan/ Daryl Dale on 28. Defending champions Tuck and Sparkes were a lowly sixth on 33.
Topping the Intermediate class at this point were Seemond Stephens and Gary Davey on the RCM Gas Gas, by three marks from 2008 winners Mark Bimson and Julie Owen, while the Clubman class was led by Chris Dakin and John Stanley (Sherco) on 16 marks from similarly mounted locals Craig Baxter and Jane Birchall on 23.
BRITISH SIDECAR TRIALS CHAMPS
Rd 1 – Andy Smith Trophy Trial at Knock Froy, Santon (Peverill MCC)
EXPERT SIDECAR: Juan Knight/ Chris Molyneux (Gas Gas) 85 marks lost, Robin & Sam Luscombe (Montesa) 90, Jonathan Kelly/ Ealish Baxter (Beta) 97, Jon Tuck/ Matt Sparkes (Beta) 104, Kevin Nolan/ Daryl Dale (Sherco) 113, Adrian Smith & Aaron Smith (Gas Gas) 116, Gary Flowers/ Antony Smith (Gas Gas) 117, Rupert & Chris Kimber (Beta) 153, Lee Granby/ Jamie Howe (Gas Gas) 160.
SERIES STANDINGS after 1 round: 1 Knight/ Molyneux 20 points, 2 Luscombe/ Luscombe 17, 3 Kelly/ Baxter 15, 4 J Tuck/ Sparkes 13, 5 Nolan/ Dale 11, 6 Smith/ Smith 10, 7 Flowers/ Smith 9, 8 Kimber/ Kimber 8, 9 Granby/ Howe 7.
INTERMEDIATE SIDECAR: No finishers within the maximum Time Allowance.
CLUBMAN SIDECAR: Craig Baxter/ Jane Birchall (Sherco) 80 marks lost, Chris Dakin/ John Stanley (Sherco) 89, Martyn Kissack/ Nigel Woods (Gas Gas) 93, David Tuck/ Steven Chandler (Montesa) 119, Dave Haynes/ Wendy Brennan (Montesa) 125, Andy Abraham/ Karen Crabtree (Sherco) 128, Gerry Hannay/ Paul Watterson (Beta) 149, Dougie Christian/ Kevin Watterson (Gas Gas) 153, Terry Crabtree/ Lynda Crabtree (Gas Gas) 167, Brian & Lauren Christian (Sherco) 74, Jason McNee/ Luke Roberts (Montesa) 179, Brian & Stuart Bedford (Sherco) 185.
SERIES STANDINGS after 1 round: 1 Baxter/ Birchall 20 points, 2 Dakin/ Stanley 17, 3 Kissack/ Woods 15, 4 D Tuck/ Chandler 13, 5 Haynes/ Brennan 11, 6 Abraham/ Crabtree 10, 7 Hannay/ Watterson 9, 8 Christian/ Watterson 8, 9 Crabtree/ Crabtree 7, 10 Christian/ Christian 6, 11 McNee/ Roberts 5, 12 Bedford/ Bedford (Sherco) 4.
NEWCOMER SIDECAR: Elliot Baxter/ Elliot Moore (Montesa) 106 marks lost, David Willcocks/ Michael Ripper (Sherco) 168, Tim Walker/ Paul Norman 194, Anthony Lewis/ Peter Barber (Beta) 200.
SERIES STANDINGS after 1 round: 1 Baxter/ Moore 20 points, 2 Willcocks/ Ripper 17, 3 Walker/ Norman 15, Lewis/ Barber 13.
NEXT ROUND: Mar 1 – Colin Dommett Trial at Rejarrah, nr Newquay (Camborne Redruth & DMC).
SUPPORTING CLASSES
TWIN-SHOCK EXPERT: Wayne Wardell (Bultaco) 35, Stephen Collins (Triumph) 37, Damian Owen (Yamaha) 43, Mick Thurman (Majesty) 43, Nigel Fallows (Bultaco) 46, Graham Christian (Suzuki) 49, Kevin Whiteway (Honda) 58, Mark Spencer (BSA) 62, Phil Readshaw (Triumph) 66, Jez Bray (Yamaha) 66, Dave Renham (Honda) 68, Sammy Ball (Fantic) 78.
TWIN-SHOCK CLUBMAN: Stuart Clague (Fantic) 53, Graham Thomas (Honda) 67, Dave Megson (Majesty) 70, Chas Watson (Honda) 92, Peter Lace (BSA) 94, Steve Hudson (Triumph) 126.
FOR FULL REPORT SEE T+MX NEWS, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2009
Juan Knight revels in the difficult conditions which he and passenger Chris Molyneux mastered for the win.