Report: Barrow & DMC
By Team TMX on 10th Feb 16
THE Barrow and District Motor club staged their Frank Jackson Northern Centre Championship trial last Sunday at Torver, near Coniston in the Lake District and this road-based event drew an excellent entry of over 80 hopefuls.
The single lap event of around 15 miles took in 35 sections, set in numerous groups, many used in the Lakes Two Day National, and with Hard, Green and Clubman courses catered for most abilities and machines.
After three months of virtually continuous rain in the area conditions were saturated and the sections in the becks were the most rideable parts of the course as the fields, bankings and fells were virtually gripless. It was hard work just making forward progress walking and riding a bike wasn't much better.
All three classes, though were challenging but rideable, and the scores in each were proof of a real good day out. Even the weather stayed dry for the duration of the event before the familiar rain set in for the evening.
The Hard course saw an incredibly close finish with just four marks between the top six riders and the top two had to be separated on a tie-break!
Stephen Dixon eventually took the win having dropped 13 marks, the same as local James Johnson who was riding out of his boots pulling off some awesome cleans, riding really confident in the conditions.
Jimmy's clean in section 29 – a gripless twister through the trees and rocks in Rosthwaite wood – was arguably the ride of the day.
Leader after 10 sections was actually third place finisher Sam Myers and Sam didn't do a lot wrong through the rest of the hazards to lose just 14 marks.
Lancashire visitor Jack Spencer has been enjoying his trips into the Northern centre and was always going to be in the frame.
But the penultimate section proved decisive as it was only cleaned by the winner Dixon and fittingly second and third placed Johnson and Myers were the only riders to escape for a single mark.
Spencer saw his pitch for the Premier go along with his three marks in this hazard.
Richard Gaskell and Will Brockbank both had a fighting chance of the Premier but a five at section 28 put paid to Richard, while Will held a share of the lead going into the penultimate sub, only to see victory snatched away with a stray maximum.
It was close but not too close for the honours on the Green course where Mark Jackson had the luxury of a two-mark advantage over Jimmy McCanna.
Julian Ingham was top Over 40, riding with brother Lance and Lance's lad Oliver. The Ingham clan was being kept in line by dad and grandad, Brian, who is not above giving any of the above a clout to remind them who's boss, even though the big fella has almost 80 years on the clock!
James Postlethwaite took fourth on the 125 Beta with Paul Hayes fifth and giving his Pre-65 Cub a rest with a run out on his Beta this week.
Antony Brockbank posted the lowest winning score through the three courses dropping just a dozen to win the Clubman with fellow Over 50 Pete McCanna second, five marks adrift of Brock and Lance Ingham first Over 40 home on his Yam engine Scorpa.
Mark Batty was fourth, riding as a Novice on his old 250 Beamish Suzuki and talking of twin-shocks, Steven Davis enjoyed a strong ride on a 200cc TY Yam taking eighth place just a single mark ahead of Richard Taylor on his 350 Montesa twin-shocker.
Results
Hard course: Stephen Dixon (Scorpa) 13 marks dropped (26 cleans), James Johnson (Beta) 13 (23 cleans), Sam Myers (Scorpa) 14, Jack Spencer (Beta) 15, Richard Gaskell (Beta) 16, Will Brockbank (Sherco) 17, Michael Clarke (Gas Gas) 32, Paul Sullavan 33.
Green course
Novice: Mark Jackson 18, Jimmy McCanna 20, James Postlethwaite 24, Paul Hayes 25, Adam McCanna 33, Thomas Hutchinson 33.
Over 40: Julian Ingham 21, Nick Shield 26, Karl Ratcliffe 51, Mark Quinn 51.
Clubman course
Over 50: Antony Brockbank 12, Peter McCanna 17, Trevor Clarke 26, Richard Taylor 34, Tony Haddow 36.
Over 40: Lance Ingham 19, Andrew Downham 24, Martin Peck 40, Craig Stewart 41, Ronnie Looker 41.
Novice: Mark Batty 21, Jonathan Wren 43, Matt Hopkinson 48.
Twinshock: Steven Davies 33.
Pre-65: John Gornall (500 Norton) 56, Mike Batty (250 Villiers) 61.
