MX is ready for winter warmers
By TMX Archives on 4th Feb 10
This week editor JD looks forward to some cracking early season motocross and backwards at a favourite trial as the Westmorland club celebrates 100 years in business...
WINTER is traditionally the trials season, once reserved for hardy types wrapped-up in Barbour suits (so steeped in dried mud-n-sweat that they stood-up all on their own) to avail themselves of a healthy dose of axle-deep water and exhaust-cooked mud and leaves. And it still does of course, although trials these days has lost its exclusive rights to run during the winter months. The more ambitious MX clubs now run – weather permitting – hard-fought winter series while the rapid rise and rise of hare and hounds events also sees a healthy number of events run during the shorter, darker days. And good luck to them all, it all keeps the wheels turning.
The key phrase was of course, weather permitting, and with a bit of luck we have now seen-off the worst of the snow and frosts and as well as all the events already in the calendar going ahead, clubs are also catching up with events cancelled in the cold spell – so fingers crossed. The biggest casualty of the big freeze in January was the Tough One enduro – but February sees that treat back on the cards!
Of course, winter has become the time for indoor Supercross and as well as the monster AMA series, which we keep you up to date with each week, there's the British SX series for real-time live competition and entertainment.
Yet almost catching us out this year is the opening round of the Maxxis British MX Championship Motocross and I'll remind you right now, it takes place as early as February 28 at Little Silver in Devon. Even taking into account the fact that the West Country allegedly enjoys milder winters than some areas of the UK this still rates as a very early start and even comes in ahead of the Hawkstone International which traditionally heralds the ‘real' start of the MX season as both fans and riders remind themselves of what we've all been missing for months.
I've always been a big fan of the Hawkstone International and while the very early-season event can see certain riders giving perhaps slightly less than 100 per cent it is always a big occasion. I fully understand that no-one is going to risk their necks before the season has barely got underway but at the same time they need to be aware that the paying fans deserve to be entertained.
Whatever, there's always plenty worth going to see and this year's prize draw, for me anyway, is Mike Alessi on the factory 350 KTM. This could be a very influential machine regarding the future of MX and I can't really see why Alessi should be holding back. His job is development rider and that means going as hard and fast as possible! With a bit of luck it should give us all something to think about come the end of the day.
The Westmorland Motor Club, which has been my local club for the last 30 years or so, actually celebrates its 100th anniversary this year. And no, since you ask, I don't actually remember the first ever meeting! One hundred years certainly is a long time though and the earliest events I can remember attending are their scrambles, staged at Helsington, in the early 1960s.
The first Westmorland club event I competed in was the Grant Cup back in 1969, which was my second ever trial and one I can clearly recall. It was run over a long, single lap moorland course which I was enjoying immensely – until the clutch on my second hand Bultaco fell off its shaft and destroyed itself pretty comprehensively. This naturally happened right out on the moors and I spent a couple of hours pushing dead Bultaco to a remote farm. I eventually had to abandon my bike in a steep gully, wandered into farmyard and the nice farmer cheerfully volunteered to drive me back to the start. I returned later with a mate to retrieve the bike!
I really looked forward to the Grant the following year as it really was a ‘proper' trial. The Bult been replaced with a brand-new Montesa Cota Mk4B but can you believe it, I failed to finish again because the swinging-arm of the shiny new Mont promptly snapped. Yes, out on the moor again – but at least I managed to ride off it this time – although definitely not in a good mood. The happy ending is that the following year, on yet another new Mont (yes, I never did learn!) a Mk5 Cota this time, I did manage to finish the event. Which was a good job really as the Grant, as run over that particular mega route, came to an end shortly afterwards.
Despite, maybe because of, my early bad luck in the event, it remained my favourite trial and maybe one that taught me that there's nothing wrong with undergoing a set-back or two. When I eventually did ‘crack' the Grant, it meant that much more.
Whatever, happy 100th birthday to the Westmorland club...