Whitebread's alright Jack!
By TMX Archives on 11th Dec 08
Richard Whitebread, riding his 500 AJS with the loss of just nine marks, won the nineteenth running of the Jack Thompson British Bike Trial , staged by the Sidcup club, at their excellent Canada Heights venue at Swanley, Kent, at the weekend. For once this year, the hard-working club was lucky with the weather as, after a frosty start, the wintery sun shone with a reasonable amount of heat in it as the one hundred and one competitors queued up for the 9.30am start for the two-lap, 18-section British Bike event.
Whitebread's day started off well as he finished the first lap with the loss of just one point, but disaster struck in section five on his second visit, where a simple mistake cost him a five-mark loss and a total for the whole event of just nine.
The Jack Thompson Trophy is given to the winning rider in the Pre-unit class and the only other rider to finish in the class was Mark Baker on his 500 Ariel, who came in with 18 lost, just nine behind Whitebread.
In the Unit category, the on-form Steve Monk, mounted on a 200 Triumph, didn't put a foot wrong during the day. Actually he didn't even put a foot down as he completed all 18 sections, on the Hard route, for a big fat zero, but was having so much fun he didn't stop at the end of two laps, he explained: "I
didn't realise it was just two laps. I was three sections into my third, when someone asked me if I was practicing. I did feel a bit silly.”
Meanwhile, most of the interest in the event came from two of our country's best young riders as James Dabill and Michael Brown gave up their high-tech mounts to experience what it was like in grandad's day.
Dabill, riding a 200 Triumph, finished second to Monk with the loss of just three marks – not bad considering he was using a bike he hadn't even seen before the morning of the event.
He explained halfway round the first lap: "It's got no brakes so it don't stop, it's got no power so it don't go, suspensions not that good and the brake and gear levers are on the wrong sides. But its great fun and I am loving every minute of riding
it.”
19th JACK THOMPSON BRITISH
BIKE TRIAL
Canada Heights, Kent (Sidcup & DMCC)
HARD ROUTE
Pre-unit: Richard Whitebread (500 AJS) 9, Mark Baker (500 Ariel) 18.
Unit: Steve Monk (200 Triumph) clean, James Dabill (250 Triumph) 3, Chris Anderson (200 Triumph) 15, Graham Bridger (200 Triumph) 18, Tom Bartrum (200 Triumph) 18, Jonathan Walker (250 Triumph) 21.
Two-stroke: Dave Shave (250 Sprite) clean, Paul Casling (250 Greeves) 2, Michael Brown (250 James) 3, Bryn Matton (175 BSA) 7, Tim Streatfield (250 Greeves) 18, David Jones (240 Francis Barnet) 24.
MIDDLE ROUTE
Pre-unit: John Jones (500 Ariel) 2, John Mantle (500 AJS) 22, Roy West (500 Triumph) 23, Mick Holloway (400 AJS) 35, Chris Brown (350 Royal Enfield) 67, Bob Wreathall (350 Royal Enfield) 78.
Unit: Daniel Burton (200 Triumph) 9, Bryan Larby (250 BSA) 12, Richard Challis (250 BSA) 13, Graham Knowler (200 Triumph) 21, Nigel Frankling (200 Triumph) 38, Roger Sutton (200 Triumph) 39.
Telefork Rigid: Neill Cozens (250 Royal Enfield) 8, Stan Metcalf (350 BSA) 13.
Two-stoke: Vic Allan (250 DOT) 10, Doug Johnson (250 DOT) 10, Martin Kemp (250 Greeves) 18, John Pattinson (250 Greeves) 18, Jim Mason (250 Sprite) 18, Mike Smith (250 Greeves) 20, John Phillips (250 Ariel) 33.
EASY ROUTE
Unit: Bill Brooker (200 Triumph) 23, Joan Westbrook (250 BSA) 27, Dave Pickup (200 Triumph) 53, Malcolm Anderson (200 Triumph) 70.
Telefork Rigid: Bob Onley (350 Velocette) 28, Ian Johnston (350 Ariel) 38.
Two-stroke: Nicky Read (175 James) clean, Neville Lewis (250 Cotton) 23, Brian Williams (250 Greeves) 35, David Blackwell (250 Greeves) 91.
Sidecar: Peter Pesterfield/ AN Other (650 Triumph) 7, Mark Kemp/ Bob Chapman (500 Ariel) 7, Paul Fishlock/ Debbie Merrell (500 Ariel) 10, Rob Cameron/ Bludge Smith (500 Ariel) 23, Andy Abraham/ Looby Norman (410 Matchless) 24, Roger Abbott/ Colin Keane (500 Matchless) 108.
FOR FULL REPORT AND PICTURES, SEE T+MX NEWS, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2008
Richard Whitebread takes his Pre-unit 500 AJS to victory with a nine-mark loss.