Report: Tuck & Sparkes kick off their sidecar defence
By Andy Withers on 4th Mar 20
The ACU Wessex Plant Hire (Bristol) British Trials Championship got off to a flying start at Dunsford in Surrey in bright sunshine with plenty of southern mud and water cleverly disguised under a layer of leaves.
Finding traction in the slippery conditions was the difference between success and failure on the expertly-crafted 36-section course. More than 30 crews entered the event with musical chairs prior to the first round throwing up new partnerships which created a lot of interest and made the results hard to call in some classes.
Jon Tuck/ Matt Sparkes got their defence of the British title off to a great start as three crews contested the Expert class.
Tuck/ Sparkes used all their experience, tackling the sections early on to find what grip the surface had to offer and going into sections with pace and momentum.
On section seven, a short climb followed by a tight right through a crater then a left up a long climb, several crews blasted up the first climb but lost momentum and got tangled in the fallen tree roots, making the second climb near impossible.
Tuck/ Sparkes hit the right turn at a tremendous pace and had the skill to flick the outfit right and then left through the crater keeping the power on and not losing momentum to make the long climb with ease.
It was an example of the masterclass they gave in the conditions.
Tuck said that they were unsure if the outfit would make it up some of the climbs but the TRS seemed to find grip everywhere if you attacked the sections.
A first-lap loss of 12 marks was reduced on the second to seven giving them a 60-mark win over second-placed Nigel and Gracie Mae Scott on their Beta, in their second season in the class.
Elliott and Richard Tickner took their first leap into the Experts after a 12-month layoff, they showed plenty of promise finishing a good third.
In the Intermediates at the halfway stage the result looked to be too close to call.
Experienced pairing Robbie Head/ Aaron Jacobs held a narrow lead of four over Paul Fishlock/ Pete Pesterfield, who taking over the passenger duties.
Kevin Nolan who was returning after 10 years away from competitive modern sidecars was shaking his head before the start, wondering why he was there and in the Intermediate class. On section one his front wheel dug in on a steep descent, he went over the handlebars and landed on his head no permanent damage but welcome back.
Several more offs meant he was off the pace eight behind the leader at the halfway stage.
However, on the second lap, Nolan with Karl Jarvis in the chair put together a cracking run to lose just six for a clear win, 24 ahead of the chasing four crews who were only covered by four marks.
Fishlock/ Pesterfield and Head/ Jacobs had expensive second laps, Fishlock/ Pesterfield were second despite Pesty tumbling out of the chair twice, they were one ahead of Head/ Jacobs whose outfit blew a gasket and lost power and a five in the last section cost them second place.
Sean/ Paul Cuckow and Jake Pope/ Hannah Shore both put in good final laps and closed the gap finishing three back.
The Cuckows were impressive on the tricky section 15/ 34 through the water ditch as the only Inter crew to escape with a dab on each lap.
Nolan and Jarvis grins at the presentation showed the satisfaction gained from their national Intermediate win.
The biggest game of musical chairs was in the Clubman ranks as former Expert champions Josh and Luke Golding both took on the riding duties with 14-year-old Sam Tuck passengering Josh, and Beth Thomas with Luke.
Steve Saunders had Southern Experts winning passenger daughter Izzy back and Graham Thomas had David Tuck in the chair.
All four crews were on the pace from the first section which they all cleaned, but by the halfway stage Luke Golding/ Beth Thomas held a one-mark lead from brother Josh/ Sam Tuck after a dab on the very muddy final section 18.
Graham Thomas looked strong and was on two to the Saunders eight, they lost traction up a climb and over a bank on section 12.
Thomas/ Tucks challenge came to an end on a cross camber run before a tricky uphill turn, turning onto the cross camber they overbalanced put their outfit on its side for a five, they then lost three more fives as the energy-sapping mud took its toll.
Josh Golding and the Saunders both managed ones while Luke Golding took two so it was all square between the Goldings with ten to go.
However on section 29 Golding/ Thomas took a five, Golding said, The front mudguard got clogged full of mud and made me slide off the line and I ended up with the chair wheel in a tree and it tipped the handlebar to touch the floor so we got the five.
This meant Golding/ Tuck finished with the lowest score from Golding/ Thomas with Steve/ Izzy Saunders having a good second lap to give TRS an impressive three lowest scores.
The Golding/ Thomas partnership, with ex-sidecar passenger Luke riding the bike for only the third time, took the championship points as Golding/ Tuck are ineligible for points due to young Sams age.
The two finishing newcomer crews showed great determination to get to the end despite racking up three-figure scores.
Torbjorn Eyre/ Kiri Owen from the Manchester club were exhausted but elated taking the class by 11 points from Elliot/ Scott Ryan on their third ride on the outfit.
The Ryans, as all-round motorcyclists, had one skill that could be transferred from grass track, controlling the impromptu wheelies, which they managed to do some if not all of the time!
To their credit, both crews almost halved their scores on the second lap.
Results
Experts: Jon Tuck/ Matt Sparkes (TRS) 19, Nigel/ Gracie MaeScott (Beta Evo) 79, Elliott/ Richard Tickner (Sherco) 101.
Intermediate: Kev Nolan/ Karl Jarvis (Scorpa) 28, Paul Fishlock/ Pete Pesterfield (Beta) 52, Robbie Head/ Aaron Jacobs (Sherco) 53, Paul/ Sean Cuckow (Beta) 56, Jake Pope/ Harriet
Shore (Sherco) 56, Neil Hannam/ Debbie Smith (Honda) 88.
Clubman: Josh Golding/ Sam Tuck (TRS) 2, Luke Golding/ Beth Thomas (TRS) 7, Steve/ Izzy Saunders (TRS) 16, Graham Thomas/ Dave
Tuck (GasGas) 24, Richard/ Miles Gilham (TRS) 46, Adam/ Harvey Allaway (Scorpa) 47, Mike Treagus/ Steve Gould (GasGas) 49, Mark Kemp/ Fiona Clark-Wilson (Beta) 61, Neil/ Mike Franks (TRS) 64, Chris/ Anna Newsham (GasGas) 124.
Newcomer: Torbjorn Eyre/ Kiri Owen (GasGas) 107, Elliot/ Scott Ryan (Sherco) 118.
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