James Dabill keeps a clean sheet at the British Trials Championship

By John Dickinson on 31st Aug 18

Trials

The RT Keedwell British Trials Championship resumed last Sunday when the Guisborough club played host to round five of the 2018 series with their John Hardaker Trial.

And while the event took place in the Whitby area in north Yorks, there was a new venue this year, Aislaby Quarry, just five minutes from the seaside town, with the sections set on the slopes of the nearby wooded area.

Hazards were mainly twisting climbs between trees on loose earth with the odd rock thrown in.

The trial, run over the accepted three laps of 12 sections, proved to be low scoring in all bar the Elite Youth class and in the Championship and Expert classes it was all about maintaining concentration and not making mistakes as those were punished hard.

James Dabill maintained his 100 per cent winning record with another confident ride on the factory Beta.

The Dibsta dropped just three marks through the 36 sections, all on the first lap, with a prod at section seven and two at nine before deciding that three was enough for the day.

Although Dibs went on to clean the second and third laps, the only rider to record a clean lap in any class, he was kept under pressure all day by runner-up, defending champ Jack Price, and his Gas Gas teammate Dan Peace.

Dan was actually leading the trial for most of the day, dropping just a single mark on section 10 on each of the opening two laps.

So going into the final circuit Dan was one ahead of Dibs. A single in section six put them level but then a disastrous maximum at nine, plus his now compulsory dab at 10, dropped Dan to third behind a relieved Jack Price, who eased into the runner-up berth.

Pricey started really well with just one stray dab in section five on his opening circuit to share the lead with Dan. A three at seven on the second time round and a lap of four cost him any chance of the Premier but a final circuit for one secured Jack the second place points.

Dans younger brother Jack took fifth, a costly opening lap of 10 being his downfall with a repeat performance by fifth finisher Montesas Toby Martyn, who cast no fewer than 16 marks to the wind through the first dozen sections.

Rounding out the top six was TRS-mounted Iwan Roberts, the Welsh ace losing 24, the same as Toby but losing out on the most cleans tie-break, 26 to 24.

It was a similar story in the Experts with four riders in single figures through their eased sections.

The popular win went to Luke Walker, his first BTC victory, with the loyal Sherco rider losing an incredibly consistent single mark per lap for a total of three.

It was effectively a three-horse race with the top three in the Championship at the sharp end.

Beta-mounted pals and rivals Guy Kendrew and Richard Sadler had their usual battle, with Guy winning out this time by a single mark.

Richard dropped to third on the last lap with a three in the seventh hazard while trying hard for a clean lap.

James Fry was doomed to fourth following a five in the ninth on the opening circuit.

Isle of Wights Chris Stay kept them all honest, finishing on just 10 marks with a gap back to sixth which went to Sam Yeomans who bettered Dan Thorpe on a tie-break, 28 cleans to 27, after both dropped 20 marks.

Ross Danby enjoyed the biggest winning margin of the day to maintain his Masters class domination for TRS with Adam Milner making it a one-two for Steve Saunders, keeping Vertigo-mounted Tom Affleck in third, the fourth time in third place this season for Tom.

Elite Youth saw a superb win from Mitch Brightmore, the Gas Gas rider coming back for a first outing after a shoulder operation.

Mitch stretched his Championship lead out to 11 points as challenger and last-round winner Gus Oblien finished third on Sunday behind Charlie Smith.

Smith enjoyed his best result in the series to date, his second-place points taking him level in the series with third-placed Brett Harbud, who took fourth on Sunday.

In the Championship, Dabill now boasts a 19-point advantage over Jack Price, who in turn is just six in front of Dan Peace.

Richard Sadler maintains his Experts points lead, still with a dozen points in hand from Kendrew while Walkers excellent win propelled him into third ahead of Dan Thorpe who had a bit of a mare on Sunday as, like so many others, a bad first lap did the damage.

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