Tuck in Spark'ling form
By TMX Archives on 20th Feb 08
DISPLAYING superb confidence, the current British Sidecar champions, Jon Tuck and Matt Sparkes, easily coped with just about everything the Clerk of the course put in their way at the Birmingham Motoclub's second championship round, the DK Mansell Trial, in the Clee Hill area of Shropshire on Sunday. Compared to their 57- mark class A win in the Isle of Man, Tuck and Sparkes eased through the half-way mark on Sunday, changing punch cards at the Strandbrook Group on a total of three marks, two ahead of Robin and Gill Morewood, both crews safely clear of Kevin Nolan and Karl Jarvis who were already on a total of 16, as were Rupert and Chris Kimber who handed their card in with 22 marks to their credit, six at the card change behind Lee Granby and Amelia Haigh.
Multi champions Robin Luscombe and Les Ashby admitted to just one short practice session on their new highly tuned 300 Montesa and suffered a stalled motor and rolled back in the first Park Farm group and added 25 more before the card change.
Tuck and Sparkes improv-ed to a two-mark loss on their second card but were two minutes late at signing off, still in single figures on a magic total of seven, far ahead of the Morewoods who struggled to a 19-mark second card deficit for a second place 24 mark but safe 17 points.
BRITISH SIDECAR TRIALS CHAMPS
Rd 2 – DK Mansell Trial (South Birmingham MC)
CHAMPIONSHIP SIDECAR: Jon Tuck/ Matt Sparkes (Wessex BVM Beta) 7 marks lost, Robin Morewood/ Gill Morewood (MRS Sherco 4T) 24, Kevin Nolan/ Karl Jarvis (JAM Sherco) 42, Rupert Kimber/ Jamie Arnold (Sherco) 43, Robin Luscombe/ Les Ashby (300 Montesa 4RT) 44, Lee Granby/ Amelia Haigh (Gas Gas) 95, Glynn Hawkins/ Tim Sparkes (290 Sherco) 105, Bernie Chambers/ Helene Allaway (Montesa 4RT) 119.
SERIES STANDINGS after 2 (of 8) rounds: 1 J Tuck/ Sparkes 40 points, 2 Nolan/ Jarvis 25, 3 Granby/ Haigh 23, 4 Kimber/ Arnold 20, 5 Morewood/ Morewood 17, 6 Teare/ Birchall 17, 7 Knight/ Molyneux 15, 8 R Luscombe/ Ashby 11, 9 Smith/ Smith 11, 10 Hawkins/ Sparkes 9, 11 Flowers/ Smith 9, 13 Chambers/ Allaway 8.
INTERMEDIATE SIDECAR: Kevin Morley/ Sam Luscombe (250 Montesa) 40 marks lost, Tony Crabtree/ Ben Sprigg (Sherco) 47, Ali Haigh/ Barry Pocock (Gas Gas) 51, Peter Dale/ Daryl Dale (Beta) 65, Phil Sparkes/ David Tuck (270 Beta) 69, Les Lansley/ Ali Woodbridge (250 Scorpa) 79, Mick Treagus/ Steve Gould (Gas Gas) 82, Robert Head/ Aaron Jacobs (Beta 4T) 85.
SERIES STANDINGS after 2 (of 8) rounds: 1 Haigh/ Pocock 28 points, 2 Dale/ Dale 28, 3 Treagus/ Gould 26, 4 Morley/ Luscombe 20, 5 Bimson/ Owen 20, 6 Head/ Jacobs 19, 7 To Crabtree/ Sprigg 17, 8 P Sparkes/ D Tuck 11, 9 Lansley/ Woodbridge 10.
CLUBMAN SIDECAR: Andy Abraham/ Adam Allaway (Montesa 4RT) 63 marks lost, Dan Hornsby/ Bob Chapman (270 Sherco) 75, Chris Dellow/ Robert Chapman (Montesa 4RT) 78, Mark Kemp/ Ian Allaway (Scorpa) 83, Neil Hannam/ Pete Pesterfield (290 Sherco) 94 (15x0), Chris Guppy/ Sara Carter (Sherco) 94 (14x0), Michael Jewell/ Karen Crabtree (250 Gas Gas) 96, Paul Fishlock/ Debbie Merrell (500 Ariel) 97, Andrew Jewell/ Kelly Jewell (320 Gas Gas) 101, Kevin Allaway/ Josh Gould (Beta) 117.
SERIES STANDINGS after 2 (of 8) rounds: 1 Abraham/ A Allaway 33 points, 2 Baxter/ Caine 20, 3 Hornsby/ Chapman 17, 4 Moore/ Davidson 17, 5 Dellow/ Chapman 15, 6 Haynes/ Brennan 15, 7 Kemp/ I Allaway 13, 8 Hannam/ Pesterfield 11, 9 M Kissack/ Woods 11, 10 Guppy/ Carter 10, 11 D Christian/ K Watterson 10, 12 Jewell/ Crabtree 9, 13 Bedford/ Bedford 9, 14 Fishlock/ Merrell 8, 15 B Christian/ Gurney 8.
NEWCOMER SIDECAR: Seemond Stephens/ Gary Davey (320 Gas Gas) 69 marks lost, Shaun Jenkin/ Phil Highland (320 Gas Gas) 139.
SERIES STANDINGS after 2 (of 8) rounds: 1 Stephens/ Davey 20 points, 2 McNee/ Swan 20, 3 Jenkin/ Highland 17.
NEXT ROUND: Mar 2 – Colin Dommett Trial (Camborne Redruth & DMC).