The rain falls on the Sky'!
By TMX Archives on 15th Aug 07
AND the rain came down, again, and descended on one of only four trials in Yorkshire at Skyrakes Farm, Skipton, where the Bradford Motor Club staged their restricted event for 60 competitors.
Appropriately, the winner was Skipton's footweardistributor Aran Drachenberg, who rode the exposed moorland course fora loss of just 17 marks, just one under Ben Ludgate, and threepenalties under Crosshills rider Nathan Wrigglesworth.
Colne's Darren Mitchell took the fifty-fiftycourse where competitors ride half the hard sections and, with the rainhammering down, even the easy sections turned difficult.
Barrowford's former national sidecar ace, PhilScott, emerged as the Clubman winner as well as taking the best Over 40class. Eleven-year-old Rob Waite, from Hurworth, did not rest after hisKent ride on Saturday where he was third in the national Class Cchampionship trial. With his father Phillip, he travelled to Skyrakes,rode in Class B Youth instead of the younger Class C category, and wasthe best Youth. He also managed to beat his father in the overallresults.
The action centred on the long, exposed ridgeoverlooking Gargrave, and it bore the brunt of a strange day of verychangeable weather, baking sun and then torrential rain, in the spaceof minutes.
The opening section was a simple one, just up anddown a grassy bank, but muddy after the rain arrived. Just about allthe Clubmen cleaned their route, but no 50/50 cleaned and the sole hardcourser to get the bankings right was local lad James Duxbury.
The second was Crow's Nest country, where afour-foot step caused problems. Drach and Wriggy hit the step hard,along with top Youth Jack Spencer and all three posted four cleans withRoss Crosby blasting the 4RT at the hardware with menace.
The eighth was right at the north end and it washard going for all classes. Again it was Drach and Wriggy with BenNaylor, on his odd-coloured Scorpa, Phil Disney, Spencer and Luke Kaywho bested the rockery.
Scott only cleaned the Clubman route on the first two laps but Chris Manby nailed it, as did Adam Butterworth and Mark Davison.
The event at least laid out the lie of the landfor the British Championship round on October 7. Just hope that thegrowth level has dropped or some spectators may vanish under thegreenery which was chest high on Sunday.
RESULTS
Expert: Aran Drachenberg (Beta) 17 marks lost, Ben Ludgate (Beta) 18, Nathan Wrigglesworth (Sherco) 20.
Inter: Ross Crosby (Montesa) 37, Phil Disney (Beta) 40, Gavin Black (Beta) 56.
Novice: Jason Turner (Montesa) 52, Louis Black (Sherco) 62, Luke Kay (Beta) 72.
Youth A: Jack Spencer (Beta) 37.
50/50 Course
Adult: Darren Mitchell (Beta) 36, David Cocker (Montesa) 45, Phillip Armstrong (Beta) 57.
Over 40: 1 Richard Taylor (Beta) 63.
Youth: Robert Waite (Beta) 81.
Clubmen: Paul Gravestock (Montesa) 16, Chris Manby (Scorpa) 17, Mark Davison (Montesa) 19.
Over 40: Phil Scott (Montesa) 7, Alan Butterworth (Beta) 19, Andy Judson (Beta) 27.
Youth A: David Bradley (Beta) 128.
Youth B: Oliver Ingham (Beta) 45.