Trials Torque: Wallace Cup kicks off S3
By Team TMX on 24th Feb 16
The opening round of the eagerly awaited and popular 2016 ACU S3 Parts British National Clubman series gets underway this Sunday, February 28, courtesy of the North Berks MCC and their Wallace Cup Trial.
And with an entry pushing three figures the Wallace gets the series away to a flyer with good entries on all three routes, S3 Champs, an easier Non-Champs route and a harder Elite course.
The trial will start as usual from the Horse & Harrow pub, West Hagbourne, and first riders away Darren and Stefan Walters, will line-up at 9.30am before heading off to the first group called The Moores for five opening sections.
It is then off to the club's showpiece group Seymours Arena for seven sections,which will have been created by Stu Robinson and where spectators will be heading.
Then it will be Lollingdon Hill which consists of chalky climbs with tree roots.
Competitors then change punch cards in the farmyard and head to Aston pit for two more sections, then Pump House before taking in Air Raid Shelter and a further five subs which will comprise turns over roots and steep climbs.
There follows the nice ride over the top of the Oxfordshire downs, crossing the race horse gallops, along to Churn estate, riders then making their way to the group at Chiton railway cutting where this can sort out the winners
It then moves along to Bucknells Copse for three sections and if Chiton cutting hasn't sorted them out, then Bucknells' steep muddy climb out of the stream always puts a sting in the tail.
All that remains is to cross over the road for the last section which is Stranges Gate, right by the start finish and you are done!
There will be a food van at Seymours Arena and back at the pub at the end of the day. Spectators and back-up vehicles please park safely on the main roads and can all riders please ride sensibly through the villages.
There's good parking at Seymours which will also have toilet facilities.
So, who's in the frame?
Last year's S3 champ Chris Pearson is back to defend his title and amongst his biggest challengers will be fellow Sherco riders Luke Walker and James Fry.
Luke finished runner-up in last year's S3 series and James won the Wallace Cup.
Others looking for championship points will be John Crinson and Thomas Hick, in around 40 hopefuls, looking for a good haul of points, including the two leading Ladies in the world, Emma Bristow and Becky Cook. The large Non-Championship class includes more than the odd veteran who could well have been challengers for the Over 40s S3 class.
But the ACU have withdrawn that option so the likes of Dave Clinkard, Paul Doney and Barry Roads ride for no points.
The Elite class, riding for the Wallace Cup, is set to be super competitive with Ross Danby looking to bag a national debut win on the TRS but with Alexz Wigg, Sam Haslam, Sam Connor and Jack Sheppard, the latter starting out on his first full British National campaign, it should be a super day-long battle.
Read all about it in next week's issue, full report and pictures
