Sun beams on Graham!
By TMX Archives on 19th Dec 07
GRAHAM Jarvis, on his 320 MRS Sherco, was untouchable as he lost a very miserly five marks at last weekend's Southern Experts trail, run at Coombe Farm, at the end of Coombe Valley, just outside Dover, in Kent, and jointly staged by Sunbeam MCC, Sittingbourne DMCC and Barham DMCC.
Two young guns, Alexz Wigg and Sam Haslam, both riding a 300 JST Gas Gas, finished second and third respectively and as their experience grows you can tell that the winning margin will be getting smaller and smaller.
The 66th running of the Southern Experts saw 15 very challenging sections for the small but talented field to complete three laps of, before it got dark. Some sections looked impossible and prompted a group of spectators who were looking at
the last obstacle, a steep climb of about six feet, after a sharp left hand turn, at the end of section 15 to say, "That's ridiculous, they will never get up that. Why
do they make them
impossible?”
But never underestimate the skill of some of our home grown riders as every section was eventually cleaned by at least one rider.
Sam Connor, who was making a welcome return to trials, said before the start, "This is the first time I have ridden a trial since the Scott in October, as I broke a bone in my hand riding motocross and I have had to have it pinned.” But some days are over before they even start, as moments after saying this, Connor was back at his van with a very sick and smoking Beta.
Jarvis set off in great style as he cleaned all the way up to section eight, where he took a single dab, another single on ten and 14 and that was it for the opening lap, just three marks. Wigg did almost the same but a five on section 14 sealed his fate as he ended the first lap on nine while Haslam, with a couple of threes on his score card, was on 11.
The section that claimed the most must have been 14, with it's long, slippery climb up the side of the
valley, where the sun doesn't shine at this time of year. On lap one, Haslam had a great ride to get out with a three, the rest all got fives, apart from Jarvis who cleaned it all three times.
The second lap was all about Jarvis as Wigg had a couple of fives to complete the lap on 10 and Haslam did better to finish on eight but Jarvis cleaned the lot to get a big fat zero on his score card.
As the sun started to go down and the five-hour time limit was creeping up, Wigg had his best lap with the loss of just three single dabs giving him an overall total of 22.
Haslam finished on six, giving him a total of 25, just three points behind his long time rival Wigg, while a last lap score of two gave the impressive Jarvis a total, for all 45 hard sections, of just five marks lost, a great ride.
Fourth on 36 was Ross Denby, while local favourite Ashley Newberry was fifth.
Commented second placed Wiggy, "It's been a good day, but I had a couple of slack fives where I think I was trying too hard. You know how it goes, you could have a safe dab and lose a mark, but you go for the clean and get a five!”
While winner Jarvis said, "It's nice to come back to this area as I used to live here, Canterbury in fact and it must be 15 years since I rode at this venue. The club did a good job making out the sections and got the severity of the event just right as most seemed to have a good day – and it's always nice to win!”
Ben Morphett on his 125 JST Gas Gas was the best of the Youth A riders on 87 with Ricky Wiggins second on 88. Veteran Dave Clinkard won the Clubman Expert class on a slightly easier route with David Strank second and Barry Roads third.
RESULTS
Premier: Graham Jarvis (320 MRS Sherco) 5 marks lost.
Experts: Alexz Wigg (300 JST Gas Gas) 22, Sam Haslam (300 JST Gas Gas) 25, Ross Danby (250 JST Gas Gas) 36, Ashley Newberry (250 Beta) 50, James Fry (290 MRS Sherco) 53, Ben Wibberley (250 Stevens Gas Gas) 78, Andy Blackman (300 Gas Gas) 86, Rob Warner (250 Raw Sports 4RT Montesa) 93, Danny Haslam (250 Montesa) 98, Jason Bayliss (320 MRS Sherco 4ST) 103, Jack Lee (250 Sandiford Montesa) 104, Simon Bird (290 Freestyle Sherco) 120, Greg Marshall (280 Gas Gas) 121, Becky Cook (250 JST / BVM Gas Gas) 148, James Burroughs (250 John Lee Beta) 153, Gary Chandler (290 Sherco) 156.
Youth A: Ben Morphett (125 JST Gas Gas) 87, Ricky Wiggins (125 RCM Gas Gas) 88, James Graham (125 Gas Gas) 100, Jack Sheppard (125 Repsol Beta) 102, Tom Sands (125 Gas Gas) 156.
Clubman Expert: Dave Clinkard (250 Beta) 37, Davisd Strank (250 Gas Gas) 82, Barry Roads (270 Beta) 87, James Connor (270 Beta) 88, Joe Harris (280 Gas Gas) 89, Matt Strank (250 Gas Gas) 101, Geoff Herbert (250 Montesa) 113, Tony Moulder (250 Beta) 116, Chris Neville (270 Harley Beta) 195.
for full report and pictures see T+MX News, Friday, December 21, 200