2023 Jack Thompson Classic Bike Trial

By Team TMX on 4th Dec 23

Philip Wiffen, on his 400cc Matchless, mastered the wet and slippery areas around the Sidcup Club's famous Canada Heights motocross track to win the 34th running of the Jack Thompson Classic Bike Trial.

Phil Wiffen took top honours in the Jack Thompson

It’s always tricky laying out a course at this time of year and the day before the event, the temperature at the track was minus five with freezing fog. Come the morning of the trial, the temperature had risen to a bearable level, with only drizzle and rain perhaps spoiling the day a bit. But with the winner, Wiffen, only losing three marks in the two-laps-of-20-sections event – that’s 40 in total – its severity must have been about right.

A huge lineup of 140 riders braved the conditions to participate in this popular event, with four even returning from the Netherlands to take part. As usual, the sections had three routes, with White being the hardest, Red being less hard and Yellow easier but still testing.

Wiffen started off well and rode the opening lap without loss but on his second lap, with lots of his fellow competitors riding the sections and the rain starting to fall harder, it was surprising that he only dropped three single dabs. Those singles came in Sections Four, Five and Seven and for that level of skill and determination, Philip received the Jack Thompson Trophy. The trophy is always awarded to the lowest scoring Class A rider, that’s Four-stroke Pre-unit construction machines.

Daniel Carter (500 Ariel) kept Wiffen honest as he completed his first lap with just two dabs dropped. But on lap two, after a one on Section Seven, he had a disastrous five on Section Eight, which really cost him a chance of the win. He finished with a total of eight marks lost, just three behind the winner.

Geoffrey Herbert (500 Ariel) had dropped ones and twos here and there and finished his first lap with seven marks lost. He lost nine on the second lap for a total of 16 and took third place in the Pre-Unit class of the trial.

It was very close at the top of the Four-stroke Unit class, with the top three riders separated by three marks. Gary Baker (200 Triumph) had a single dab on lap one and followed that up with a couple of twos and another single for an event total of six.

Chris Collins (270 BSA) had a three on his first attempt at Section Six, which spoilt his chance of the class win because, with the four single dabs he had around the rest of the trial, he finished with a loss of seven, just one mark behind the winner Baker.

Steve Monk, riding a 350 Royal Enfield, a bike he didn’t really like and that kept throwing its chain, still managed to finish his day on eight points lost, one behind Collins and two behind Baker.

The top two-stroke on the White route was all Simon Bird (250 Greeves). Apart from a five on Section Six, he picked up a couple of twos and a one on his way to a 10-point class win. Second place rider was Bryn Matton (175 BSA) on 37, with Martin Kemp (250 Greeves) another two marks behind Matton.

On the Red, slightly easier route, Alan Brown (400 Triumph) won the Pre-unit class from Andy Healey (350 TriGreeves) and David Dodd (350 Triumph) as they finished on 22, 36 and 45, respectively.

James Cammack (200 Triumph) won the Unit class on the Red route with a loss of 15. Robert Hampton (250 Royal Enfield) was second on 20, with Colin Moyce (350 BSA) third, just one point behind Hampton.

Mark Worsfold (500 Triumph) won the small but brave class of riders riding the Rigid-frame class on the Red route, from Steve Higgins (500 Vincent) and Doug Mummery (500 Norton).

Richard Snowden (250 Firefly) won the Two-stroke class on the Red route with a loss of just five marks. Tony Billingham (185 BSA) was second on 18, with Roy Haines (250 Ariel) third on 24.

Elliott Tickner (197 James) was the best of the two riders riding the Two-stroke Rigid-frame class.

On the easiest Yellow route, Dutchman Jan de Klerk (500 Norton) was the only finisher in the Rigid frame Girder forks class on 67.

Steve Monk in a rare shot with the chain on his Royal Enfield

Tim Taylor (197 James) won the supporting Gentleman and Ladies’ class from David Wiffen (410 Matchless) and Barry Wise (350 AJS).

It’s a shame that only three out of the 11 sidecar teams made it to the finish. But out of those three, Sean Cuckow with passenger Paul Cuckow (600 Matchless) took the win with the loss of just eight points from Bob Head and Luke Reynolds (500 CCM) with Paul Randall and passenger Harry Martin (500 Triumph) third. Results

34th Jack Thompson Classic Bike Trial Results

Class A (Four-stroke/ Pre-unit/ White route)

1 Philip Wiffen (400 Matchless) 3 marks lost.

2 Daniel Carter (350 Ariel) 8

3 Geoffrey Herbert (500 Ariel) 16

4 Joe Butcher (500 Norton) 33

5 Antony Martin (500 Triumph) 34

6 Will Barden (500 Noriel) 42

7 Bill Swallow (350 AJS) 56

Class A (Four-stroke/ Pre-unit/ Red route)

1 Alan Brown (400 Triumph) 22

2 Andy Healey (350 TriGreeves) 36

3 David Dodd (350 Triumph) 45

4 Graham Barton (500 Ariel) 47

5 Geoff Cornes (500 Matchless) 70

6 Tony White (410 Matchless) 72

7 Matthew Jagger (350 Royal Enfield) 108

Class B (Four-stroke /Unit /White route):

1 Gary Baker (200 Triumph) 6

2 Chris Collins (270 BSA) 7

3 Steve Monk (350 Royal Enfield) 8

4 Jack Austin (400 Trifield) 19

5 Jon Henderson (220 Triumph) 21

6 Scott Dark (200 Triumph) 25

7 Charlie Tindle (350 BSA) 37

8 David Strank (250 BSA) 64

9 Chris Anderson (200 Triumph) 81

10 Elliot Ryan (350 BSA) 83

11 Graham Baylis (250 Francis Barnett) 85

12 Vincent Gooding (350 BSA) 86

Class B (Four-stroke/ Unit /Red route)

1 James Cammack (200 Triumph) 15

2 Robert Hampton (250 Royal Enfield) 20

3 Colin Moyce (350 BSA) 21

4 John Bird (250 BSA) 23

5 Mark Chapman (250 Royal Enfield/ Greeves) 28

6 Mark Cross (350 Triumph) 30

7 Sam Pocock (200 Triumph) 32

8 Charles Worsfold (160 Ducati) 36

9 Graham Knowler (200 Triumph) 47

10 Nigel Frankling (220 Triumph) 51

11 Bob Clarke (250 BSA) 60

12 Stuart Littler (200 Triumph) 61

13 Jake Caunter (250 BSA) 63

14 Martin Vermeulen (450 FN) 64

15 Chris Pickup (220 Triumph) 74

16 Andy Withers (350 BSA) 78

17 James Bunton (200 Triumph) 88

Class C (Four-stroke /Rigid frame /Girder forks /Yellow route)

1 Jan de Klerk (500 Norton) 67

Class D (Four-stroke /Rigid frame /Tele forks /Yellow route)

1 Mark Worsfold (500 Triumph) 40

2 Steve Higgins (500 Vincent) 61

3 Doug Mummery (500 Norton) 66

4 Nicola Clarke (250 BSA) 67

5 Rob Cameron (407 Norton) 108

6 Nathan Morton (500 Ariel) 112

Class E (Two-stroke / White route)

1 Simon Bird (250 Greeves) 10

2 Bryn Matton (175 BSA) 37

3 Martin Kemp (250 Greeves) 39

4 Trevor Baker (250 James) 63

5 Andrew Pierce (250 James) 66

6 Grace Dark (190 BSA) 112

Class E (Two-stroke/ Red route)

1 Richard Snowden (250 Firefly) 5

2 Tony Billingham (185 BSA) 18

3 Roy Haines (250 Ariel) 24

4 Steve Thompson (175 BSA) 27

5 Peter Bavin (250 Jarrow) 37

6 Alan Day (186 BSA) 45

7 Katie Butcher (175 BSA) 46

8 Chris Page (185 BSA) 61

9 Ian Hayward (250 AJS) 74

Class F (Two-stroke /Rigid frame /Red route)

1 Elliott Tickner (197 BSA) 3

2 Paul Neilson (197 James) 54

Class G (Gentleman and Ladies/ Yellow route)

1 Tim Taylor (197 James) 26

2 David Wiffen (410 Matchless) 31

3 Barry Wise (350 AJS) 36

4 Graham Tickner (250 Cotton) 39

5 Peter Weeing (200 Triumph) 49

6 Rob van der Ham (350 Matchless) 50

7 Emma Thompson (150 Excelsior) 55

8 Richard Tree (250 Greeves) 61

9 Kenneth Baxter (250 BSA) 69

10 Colin Miles (250 Greeves) 82

11 Charles Snelgrove (200 Triumph) 95

12 Cheryl Matton (250 James) 105

13 Ian Povey (250 Greeves) 158

Class H (Sidecar/ Yellow route)

1 Sean/ Paul Cuckow (600 Matchless) 8

2 Bob Head/ Luke Raynolds (500 CCM) 12

3 Paul Randall/ Marry Martin (500 Triumph) 22