Llanthony Classic Motocross
By TMX Archives on 5th Dec 07
THE journey to Little Trostrey Farm, Bettws Newydd, near Usk, was rain lashed and windy. By the time many of the riders entered for Llanthony Classic's motocross had arrived, they were wondering if the meeting would run.
The club members very quickly got everyone across the valley with a mixture of 4x4 vehicles and the irrepressible Rob Griffiths driving the largest tractor imaginable!
Practice was soon underway. With 32 of the 52 solos having signed on. The sidecar crews managed a better average with eight out of the ten. Bad luck for Brian Ayes and Paul Young's outfit. First kick the kick-start lever broke clean off! So, with nothing to show, it was a long trek back to Somerset for that pair.
The track, laid out by Rob Griffiths, had some ‘interesting' sections, elevation changes, fast corners, a decent jump and a difficult uphill camber that caused a fair bit of entertainment for the small crowd of enthusiasts and supporters who braved some very heavy rain and winds. It was reminiscent of the Classic MXdN at Coombe Martin in 2006.
The track very quickly generated some large ruts, which really sapped the power from the smaller bikes and took a heavy toll on the sidecar machinery. It would be fair to say, some of the younger and less experienced, learned some harsh lessons on tackling such going.
The race programme featured some 16 races, all over three laps, apart that is from the Grand Slam, which ran over six laps. In a number of races, the ‘star' riders suffered gremlins in the form of ‘water in the works' while leading or contesting the lead. The weather and track conditions conspired to create a high attrition rate and for later races the numbers on the start-line dwindled.
For a brief period of about an hour, the grey skies cleared and sun ventured out, the track drying quickly in high winds. There was commentary by John Bethell, all the way from Cumbria, who sacrificed his ride to help out.
In the final race of the day, a spirited contest between Dave Lane on his 400 Husky and Chris Castles (650 TriBsa) had the assembled audience waiting for the chequer. A well-deserved win went to Dave. Soon it was time to head back across the valley, on the tow-rope and to reflect on possibly the best season of Classic Racing, both solo and sidecar. Incredibly, in just over a month, the season gets underway for 2008.
LLANTHONY CLASSIC MOTOCROSS
Bettws Newydd, nr Usk (Llanthony Classic SC)
Pre-60/ Pre-Unit Derek Thomas Memorial Trophy: 1 Phil Edwards, 2 Peter Hollinshead, 3 Chris Castles, 4 Bryan Smith, 5 Phil Gittins.
Pre-74: 1 Colin Edwards, 2 Dave Lane, 3 Paul Jones.
Sidecar Mel Carter Cup: 1 Paul Harker/ Richard Smith, 2 Dave & Steve Burge, 3 Andy & Leigh Carter, 4 Bryan Bodfish/ Paul Horton.
Evens: 1 Peter Hollinshead, 2 A Philpotts, 3 Simon Jones, 4 Alistair Fowlie, 5 Ian Jones.
Odds: 1 Phil Edwards, 2 Dave Lane, 3 Phil Keen.
Sidecar: 1 Andy & Leigh Carter, 2 Dave & Steve Burge, 3 Marcus Diggins/ Will Acock.
Up to 350cc: 1 Phil Keen, 2 Matty Taylor, 3 Ian Jones, 4 Stuart Smith.
Over 350cc: 1 Peter Hollinshead, 2 Colin Edwards, 3 Roger Dunford, 4 A Philpotts.
Sidecar: 1 Dave & Steve Burge, 2 Andy & Leigh Carter.
Under 45: 1 Phil Keen, 2 Bryan Smith, 3 Simon Jones.
Over 45: 1 Peter Hollinshead, 2 Dave Lane, 3 A Philpotts, 4 Chris Castles.
Sidecar: 1 Dave & Steve Burge, 2 Andy & Leigh Carter.
Evens: Phil Keen, 2 Ian Jones, 3 Matty Taylor.
Odds: 1 Colin Edwards, 2 Roger Dunford, 3 Chris Castles.
Sidecar: 1 Dave & Steve Burge, 2 Andy & Leigh Carter.
Grand Slam Billy Roberts Memorial Trophy: 1 Dave Lane, 2 Chris Castles, 3 Bryan Smith, 4 Stuart Smith.