Report: National Alan Trophy Trial
By John Dickinson on 8th Jun 16
JAMES Boggis from Poulton le Fylde and riding his first trial for some four years turned out for the Cumberland County clubs National Alan Trophy Trial last Sunday at Newbiggin, near Carlisle, and promptly took the Premier award!
The Alan has quite a history of staging ACU Championship events having staged full British Championship trials for many years.
More lately it has staged S3 Parts Clubman rounds and now adds the Normandale Masters series to its impressive list of achievements.
The Alan represented the sixth of the nine round 2016 series.
Starting as it has for the past few years at Newbiggin, the event comprised two laps of 20 sections, with each circuit being roughly nine miles, all off-road with fields, tracks and open fell in the Croglin area.
Sections were a good mix of woodland, slippery streams, dry stream beds and loose rocky climbs.
And with a hot, sunny day, which fortunately clouded over in the afternoon, it was almost perfect for a ride on the Cumbrian fells.
With steady laps of nine and eight James fully deserved his overall win and maximum Championship points.
But series leader and reigning champ Chris Koch was left to rue a derailed chain at section 14 on the first lap which not only cost him five marks – and the Premier – it also jammed round the front sprocket and took a whole lot of un-jamming!
Third place was subject to a three-way tie as Dave Clinkard, Kevin Nolan and John Cowley contrived to drop 24 marks apiece.
Clink eventually got the nod from Kevin and John.
The Over 50s was the largest Championship class and it was Barry Roads, a regular visitor to Northern trials from his southern Ripley base, who bagged the win on his Gas Gas from north east former motocross ace Carl Shaw, resplendent in luminous Sherco gear to go with his new mount, purchased from Eddie Aitken – who was sunning himself on the Isle of Man.
Graham Haslam from Amersham – great to see so many riders travelling a long distance to enjoy a good rocky trial – nailed third and all three podium finishers kept their lap scores in single figures.
Midlands rider Mick Flanagan topped the three Over 60s, dropping just 18 on his Montesa.
There was a healthy turnout of mainly local non Championship riders with Tom Alderson taking Class 1, dropping exactly half the marks of runner-up James Postlethwaite riding his 125 Beta.
The largest non championship class was Route 3 and it was also the most competitive with Dave Postlethwaite just sneaking best performance on his TY Yam air-cooler, after sharing the lead with Vertigo- mounted Dave Stevens and Montesa rider S Bennett – all on 13 after the opening 20 sections.
Second time round Possy got his score down to just 10 compared to 11 for Stevens and 13 for Bennett, to bag that win.
With plenty of complimentary remarks about the trial as riders completed the course, the 2016 Alan Trophy was a great success all round.
RESULTS
Alan Trophy: James Boggis (Beta) 17 marks lost.
National Normandale Masters Series
Over 40: James Boggis (Beta) 17, Chris Koch (Montesa) 20, Dave Clinkard (Beta) 24, Kevin Nolan (Scorpa) 24, John Cowley (TRS) 24, Ashley Hall (Beta) 28, Gary Pears (Scorpa) 30, Ian Watts (Beta) 30, N Earnshaw (Beta) 38, Paul Doney (Beta) 41, Gavin Cooper (Vertigo) 43, Julian Bentley (Montesa) 43, Mark Reason (Beta) 58.
Over 50: Barry Roads (Gas Gas) 8, Carl Shaw (Sherco) 10, Graham Haslam (Beta) 12, Ian Wakeford (Gas Gas) 14, James Lamin (Montesa) 18, Tony Cowley (Sherco) 23, David Burrows (Gas Gas) 29, A(Scorpa) 31, Willie Wood (Beta) 31, Clive Charlton (Beta) 32, Derek Wilson (Beta) 35, Marcus Faulkner (Gas Gas) 38, A Fitzsimmons (Beta) 40, K Edmundson (Beta) 40, A Earnshaw (Beta) 41
Over 60: Mick Flanagan (Montesa) 18, Kevin Stannard (Montesa) 34, Mike Rapley (Beta) 35.
Non Championship classes
Route 1: Tom Alderson (Beta) 16, James Postlethwaite (Beta) 32, G Chandler (Sherco) 36.
Route 2: G Rutherford 87, GP Hemming (Beta) 114.
Route 3: David Postlethwaite (250 Yamaha) 23, David Stevens (Vertigo) 24, S Bennett (Montesa) 24.
