Michael cleans up
By TMX Archives on 6th Oct 06
MICHAEL Phillipson pulled off a dream ride at the Newcastle and District Motor Club's Travers Trophy Trial on Sunday as the Beta-mounted, Seaton Delaval rider won his local National for the fourth time with a clean sheet! It was the perfect ride and a major feat of skill and concentration as there were some pretty challenging hazards along the way and, although five riders did manage single-figure finishes, the scores then rose rapidly.
The Travers was, once again, a model of a good, traditional, British National trial, taking in 40 separate sections on a 30 mile plus road-based course centred on St John's Chapel in Weardale and it is no surprise that over 120 riders signed up for a cracking day's trialling.
The Travers was the pen-ultimate round of the popular Novogar National Clubman's Championship series and title chasers Chris Pearson and Liam Walker were right in the thick of the action, battling not only for Champion-ship points but also the Premier with Phillipson and fellow 'Expert' Dan Thorpe.
The weather forecast was for a wet day up on the north east moors but it turned out not to be a bad day at all for riders and spectators. The second section of the day, up the gully at Sedling, actually proved to be one of the hardest, being in very slippery mood. A pretty big queue formed here as no-one wanted to be first and even in the end the section only gave up two cleans, to the eventual winner and from eventual fifth placeman Sam Haslam, a talented youngster really enjoying his first season in adult Nationals.
TRAVERS TROPHY TRIAL
(Newcastle & DMC)
Premier: Michael Phillipson (Beta) 0.
Expert: Dan Thorpe (Gas Gas) 6, Dan Hemingway (Beta) 31.
Novogar: Liam Walker (Gas Gas) 7, Chris Pearson (Sherco) 9 (34c, 4 - 1s), Sam Haslam (Gas Gas) 9 (34c, 3 - 1s), Sam Ludgate (Beta) 11, John Sunter (Montesa) 17, John Crinson (Sherco) 20, Dan Farrer (Gas Gas) 22, Thomas Hick (Sherco) 24, Andy Huddleston (Montesa) 25 (27c), Philip Alderson (Sherco) 25 (25c), Ashley Smith (Gas Gas) 26, Gary Jenkins (Sherco) 29, Richard Gaskell (Beta) 34, James Fry (Sherco) 39, Ben Ludgate (Beta) 40.
SERIES STANDINGS after 9 of (10) rounds (Net points): 1 Pearson 140 points, 2 Walker 123, 3 Crinson 80, 4 Jones 79, 5 Haslam 75, 6 Jenkins 73, 7 Fry 51, 8 Ludgate 50, 9 Farrer 47, 10 Hick 44, 11 Holdsworth 31, 12 Smith 28, 13 Sunter 24, 14 Lee 20, 15 Crosswaite 17, 16 Roberts 17, 17 Kendrew 17, 18 Gaskell 17, 19 Dixon 16, 20 Fox 16.
125 Award: Ashley Smith (Gas Gas) 26.
Over 40: Greg. Marshall 69.
Bedlington Motor Club: Glenn Quinn (Gas Gas) 71.
Consett & DMC: James Harland (Montesa) 50.
Durham CTC: Andy Huddleston (Montesa) 25.
Seaton Delaval & DMC: Michael Phillipson 0.
South Shields & DMC: Tim Longstaff (Gas Gas) 122.
Weardale & DMC: Peter Grange (Sherco) 76.
For full report, results and pictures see T+MX News, Friday, October 6, 2006