Holloway's on song
By TMX Archives on 10th Nov 06
NO fireworks but plenty of low scores at last Sunday's Guy Fawkes Trial.
This annual Classic trial, courtesy of Western Classic, with a new base – the Fostons Ash Pub, near Birdlip, in Gloucestershire – had all the ingredients of the best kind of sporting trial: perfect weather, sensible sections, a 25-mile lap around glorious Cotswold country, and of course the clean sheets of which there were five.
Mike Holloway, in the Tele-rigid class, had the only zero on the easier of the dual route sections, while Doug Nolan and Keith Gardner (in the Unit Construction class), Keith Wells (Trail Bike) and Nigel Houlston (British Specials) all returned to the Fostons Ash having completed a faultless ride through 31 sections.
The trial contained a good mix of old and new hazards. After the first group at Bob's the riders made their way, via a couple of old favourites at Catswoods (two sections) and the infamous Merves's Swerve, to three tried and tested sections at Battlescombe – two continuous subs up through the trees and one along the stream. Mark Worsfold was the first to clean all three on the easy route and he was soon followed by Adrian Moss, Mike Holloway and Rob Hatto. On the harder route, Doug Nolan, Godfrey Hannam and Chris Denney were faultless through the entire group, but Dave Spurgeon, vying with Denney for the title of top two-stroke, went the wrong way in the section and chalked up a five.
Rickman British Bike Trials Champs
Rd 4 – Guy Fawkes Trial (Western Classic MCC)
Tele-rigid: Mike Holloway (350 Matchless) clean, Adrian Moss (500 Triumph) 6 marks lost, Nigel Townsend (350 AJS) 8.
Pre-unit Springer: Rob Halliday (350 Royal Enfield) 3, Godfrey Hannam (500 Ariel) 9, Nick Woolley (500 Ariel) 10.
Vintage Two-stroke: Graham Steward (225 James) 22, Tim Padmore (225 James) 44.
Pre-65 Two-stroke: Dave Spurgeon (250 Greeves) 6, Paul Brimelow (250 Greeves) 7, Chris Denney (250 James) 8, Terry Sewell (250 Greeves).
Pre-70 Unit Construction: Keith Gardner (225 Triumph) clean, Doug Nolan (200 Triumph) clean, Martin Bell (350 BSA) 11.
Pre-unit Sidecar: Peter Pesterfield/ Keith Laker (500 AJS) 17, Dave/ Steve Burdge (500 Ariel) 22.
Unit Sidecar: Ian Hannam/ Debbie Smith (441 BSA) 21, Gerald Dyer/ John Gibson (500 Triumph) 44.
British Special: Nigel Houlston (200 BSA Bantam) clean.
Trail Bike – Hard Route: Keith Wells (185 Honda) clean, Jon Bliss (150 Easy rider) 3, Graham Harris (250 Honda) 8.
Trail Bike – Easy Route: Neil Turner (200 Beta) 3, Steve Wynne (200 Beta) 5, John Edwards (200 Honda) 5.
For full report, results and pictures see T+MX News, Friday, November 10, 2006