The 'more the merrier
By TMX Archives on 3rd Mar 10
JUST one-week after the series opener, the North Berks MCC Wallace Cup Trial, the Stratford-upon Avon MCC's Colmore Cup Trial attracted an entry of over 100 riders, including 50 Novogar contenders to test their mettle on the slippery banks, roots and streams in the Moreton-in-the-Marsh area of Gloucestershire.
One thing about the Colmore Trial is that even though it is the oldest National in the trials calendar and is run in February, it has never been postponed or cancelled through bad weather (that's probably put the mockers on next year's event! – Ed). It came pretty close to being cancelled on Sunday though, falling foul of low-lying mist as the 9am start came and went as riders could not see more than a few dozen yards.
Clerk of the course, Alan Wright, delayed proceedings for this the second round of the Novogar Championships to see how things would pan out and within 15-minutes the bad weather had, incredibly, disappeared.
At the end of the day Yorkshire's Dan Thorpe claimed his third overall victory of the Colmore Cup, and, as he's eligible to score Novogar Championship points, he bagged a 20-point haul to jump straight into fifth place in the championship standings after missing the opener due to snow not letting him out of Yorkshire.
However, after the initial brief delay, first rider Chris Gilbert was able to make his way out of the start venue at 9.20am to the Dovedale group where eight hazards on the steep banks were awaiting the unwary.
NOVOGAR TRIALS CHAMPIONSHIP
Rd 2 – Colmore Cup Trial at Downs Farm, Blockley, Glos (Stratford-on-Avon MCC)
NOVOGAR POINTS SCORERS: Dan Thorpe (JST Gas Gas) 7 marks lost (Colmore Cup), Ricky Wiggins (Albion Gas Gas) 18, Buster Regan (Beta UK) 19, Guy Kendrew (AM Gas Gas) 23, Ben Wibberley (JST Gas Gas) 24, Dave Clinkard (250 Beta) 28 (28x0), Gary Chandler (280 Gas Gas) 28 (27x0), Tom Nicholas (Gas Gas) 29 (fc), Colin Crease (280 Gas Gas) 29, Ben Sprigg (290 Beta) 32, Shaun Fox (Goode Gas Gas) 33 (27x0), Phil Disney (Appleyard Beta) 33 (25x0), Ben Morphett (Beta UK) 36, Andrew Blackman (Gas Gas) 39, Dan Farrer (JST Gas Gas) 46.
SERIES STANDINGS after 2 (of 8) rounds: 1 Wiggins 27 points, 2 Ben Morphett 23, 3 Kendrew 22, 4 Wibberley 22, 5 Thorpe 20, 6 Chilton 17, 7 Regan 15, 8 Crinson 15, 9 Matthew Jones 13, 10 Disney 12, 11 Clinkard 11, 12 Tom Nicholas 10, 13 Sprigg 10, 14 Gary Bingley 9, 15 Crease 7,...
NOVOGAR 125cc CLASS: Benjamin Heane (125 BVM Beta) 80 marks lost, Terry Craig (125 Gas Gas) 87, Ryan Henderson (125 Gas Gas) 105, John Battensby (125 Sherco) 110.
NOVOGAR 125cc SERIES STANDINGS: 1 Heane 35 points, 2 Craig 34, 3 Battensby 33, 4 Henderson 28,...
NOVOGAR OVER 40 CLASS: Dave Clinkard (250 Beta) 28 marks lost, Richard Allen (John Lee Gas Gas) 46, Mick Boam (250 Scorpa) 56 (22x0), John Cowley (250 Beta) 56 (16x0), Steve Grindle (RAW Gas Gas) 84, Kevin Morphett (260 Montesa) 87, David Burrows (300 Gas Gas) 93.
NOVOGAR OVER 40 Series Standings: 1 Clinkard 37 points, 2 Boam 30, 3 Allen 27, 4 Grindle 24, 5 Kevin Morphett 21, 6 Barry Roads 20, 7 Burrows 15, 8 Cowley 13, 9 Chris Koch 9, 10 Mike James 8.
NEXT ROUND: April 3 – Chris Carter Trophy Trial (Yeadon Guiseley & DMCC Ltd).
NON-CHAMPIONSHIP CLASSES
EXPERT CLASS: Ross Danby (300 JST Gas Gas) 10 marks lost (Cranmore Cup), Sam Haslam (JST Gas Gas) 13 (Calthorpe Cup), Sam Connor (Beta) 17 (Garner Rose Bowl), Chris Pearson (MRS Sherco) 24, James Fry (MRS Sherco) 35.
50/50 ROUTE: Ian Watts (290 Beta) 30 marks lost, Tony Cowley (250 Beta) 50, Phil Ducker (250 Beta) 56, Barry Roads (125 Beta) 57.
SPECIAL AWARDS
Best Lady: Becky Cook (250 BVM Sherco) 87.
FOR FULL STORY SEE T+MX NEWS, FRIDAY, MARCH 6, 2010
Buster Regan lost most of his marks in the Bridges and Camps groups, but fared better for the rest of the day.