Report: ACU S3 Parts National Championship headed to Cumbria
By John Dickinson on 4th Mar 20
THE Westmorland Motor club staged their Milnthorpe Cup trial as the second round of the ACU S3 Parts National Championship series last Sunday and were rewarded with a fantastic entry of 154 split between the classes.
Competitors were treated to 20-mile single-lap trial staged mainly in the Winster Valley near Kendal, Cumbria.
The event was a cracker with 36 separate sections including steep climbing becks with just the right amount of water, rocky outcrops and after the wet winter, plenty of slippery woods and slopes.
Following a wet Saturday, Sunday was a dry windy day which improved things no-end and fully justified clerk of the course Anthony Brockbanks decision to run come what may!
Overall winner of the Milnthorpe Cup was Leyburns Richard Sadler who amazingly took the JST GasGas round for just five marks, which in no way shows how difficult the sections were.
Richard was one of just four non S3 Championship riders and had just four marks in hand over Whitbys Andy Chilton (Scorpa) and Scotlands Gary MacDonald (Montesa).
Gary Mac was top S3 Parts Experts points scorer on the day in his first-ever S3 Parts round and in his first trial for some two years, having just taken delivery of a smart new Montesa 301.
Gary is looking forward to riding his favourite Scottish Six Days on the Montesa, after several years of successful Cyclo-Cross and Mountain Bike racing, and wanted a good run out to get back into the swing of trials.
What a brilliant day said GMac.
Ive really enjoyed catching up with everyone and I couldnt have picked a better event to see where we are after a long time out of trials.
And it was great catching up with everyone.
Gary, looking absolutely at home on the four-stroke Montesa, enjoyed an eight-mark buffer over S3 Parts regulars Dan Thorpe (GasGas) and Luke Walker (Sherco) who contrived to drop 17 marks apiece. Luke had to bag a fairly late entry as he thought he had entered but hadnt!
Sam Beecroft Penny was top TRS on the day with Scorpas Chris Alford only just getting the better of Britains Ladies World Champ Emma Bristow (Scorpa), who gave the boys a good run for their money finishing seventh from the healthy entry of 30 Experts.
Top local contender was Tom Swindlehurst (Scorpa) in tenth, getting the better of his usual partners in crime Will Brockbank (Sherco) and Jim Hayhurst (Scorpa).
The S3 Parts Clubman class enjoyed a bumper entry of over 60 contenders and saw British Ladies Champ Jess Bown (Scorpa) dish out a real riding lesson to the lads as Jess romped home on just 14 marks to finish a dozen clear of runner-up, Montesa mounted Miles Jones.
It was then close right down the points with Richmond clubman Tom Fraser (GasGas) beating brother Richard (Sherco) to the final podium place.
This included a superb clean of the waterfall in Twiggys wood which saw only a handful of cleans all day.
Over 40s Philip Houghton (Vertigo) and John Shirt (GasGas) also made it to the Ends cards feet-up.
Tom Hudson (Beta) was first local rider home just losing out to Richard on the most cleans tie-break.
The Over 40s saw, fittingly, over 40 entries and there was just a single mark separating the winner Darren Wasley (GasGas) from runner-up and reigning class Champ Philip Houghton who is enjoying life on a new Vertigo.
These two experienced warhorses take some beating in traditional northern trials.
They were joined on the podium by the recently self demoted John Shirt Jr who pointed out, with dismay, that he was 50 next birthday.
Im still losing loads of marks as a Clubman! laughed Shirty.
Prestons Kiaran Hankin took his Vertigo to fourth while Montesa-mounted Michael Irving was the top Northern centre rider, just ahead of Stuart Gaskell (Beta).
In a nutshell, the Milnthorpe Cup showed the very best of traditional trials and the huge, enthusiastic entry is the living proof.
Big thanks to all who made it happen.
RESULTS
Premier: Richard Sadler (GasGas) 5.
Elite class: Andy Chilton (Scorpa) 9, Tom Minta (Scorpa) 17, James Fry (Sherco) 17.
S3 Parts Experts: Gary MacDonald (Montesa) 9, Dan Thorpe (Gas Gas) 17, Luke Walker (Sherco) 17, Sam Yeomans 18, Sam Beecroft Penny (TRS) 24, Chris Alford (Scorpa) 28, Emma Bristow (Sherco) 28, Richard Timperley (GasGas) 31, Tom Housecroft (Vertigo) 33, Tom Swindlehurst (Sherco) 36, Sam Yeadon (Beta) 37, Aran Drachenberg (Beta) 37, Craig Seward (Scorpa) 44, Will Brockbank (Sherco) 45, Joe Hiley (Gas Gas) 48.
S3 Parts Clubman: Jess Bown (Scorpa) 14, Alex Bell 26, Miles Jones (Montesa) 28, Tom Fraser (GasGas) 33, Richard Fraser (Sherco) 38, Tom Hudson (Beta) 38, James McCanna (Montesa) 44, Simon Hiscock (Beta) 45, Katy Sunter (GasGas) 50, Lewis Johnson (TRS) 52, Stephen Bennett (GasGas) 52, Douglas Paton (Montesa) 54, James Moorhouse (Beta) 54, Greg Miller (TRS) 55, Thomas Sawyer (Beta) 55.
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