Report: Phil King East Anglian Trial - ACU Normandale Masters Trials Championship
By TMX Contributor on 7th Feb 18
The opening round of the ACU Normandale Masters Trials Championship got off to a fine start with 125 riders heading east to ride the Castle Colchester MCC Phil King East Anglian Trial.
There was an increase in all classes, though just five riders in the recently re-introduced Twin-shock class, but it was the Over 50 class that stole the show with 50 riders entered.
Running a trial in the winter months is a risky business and the club was blessed with a week of fair weather.
However it was rocked when the Secretary of the meeting, the Timekeeper and the Observer Co-ordinator were all absent through illness. However everyone rallied round and replacements were found.
The event generally favours the early numbers and the club has a policy of sending out the older bikes first, then the older riders with the super competitive Over 40 class riding at the back, where the deteriorating conditions give them a challenge.
First man was away at 9.30am headed off through the narrow lanes to the old railway line where the shale and rooty banks got the trial off to a steady start.
That moved nicely into Boley Road where the riders got their first taste of Essex mud.
Winner of the Over 50 class, Graham Haslam, lost his first mark of the day on section six where the greasy exit caught him for an unexpected dab.
Next section along found Eastern Centre stalwart Sidge Kenny on duty and despite the deterioration conditions he recorded the occasional clean ride were through the day.
Colne Park was up next and the Phil King has been won and lost on the gripless banks.
This year though the Clerk of the Course had eased things a little with most riders escaping relatively well.
Eventual winner of the Air-cooled Mono class, Chris Koch, lost two of his total of four marks on the slime of section 12, where he couldnt get his Yamaha to hook up and find grip.
The last section was a challenge and Class 1 winner, Steve Swanson, lost his first mark of the event.
Just up the road to Overhall there was four sections which were well supported by spectators, before the course headed cross-country again to the sections at the bottom of the fishing lake.
A huge angled log at section 22 followed by a greasy climb caught out many competitors.
After the fuel stop riders headed to Alphamstone, the biggest group and obe which is always a popular spot with spectators.
It also has a little bit of sand, which often catches out the earlier numbers.
The rooty climbs of sections 25 and 26 were very tough and no one managed a double clean. Roger Johns lost a two giving him a total of five marks for victory in the Over 60 class.
Riders had a final blast down the lanes to the grassy banks at Pebmarsh where grip quickly disappeared in the seven sections.
Considering the conditions the riders certainly lived up to the championship name and Mastered the sections with some outstanding riding.
Normandale Masters Trials Championship - Rd 1 Phil King East Anglian Trial (Castle Colchester MCC Ltd)
Class One Over 40 Modern: 1 Steve Swanson (300 Beta) 9 (31x0), 2 Kev Nolan (300 Scorpa) 9 (28x0), 3 Ben Skinner (300 Gas Gas) 10 (30x0), 4 Martin Hawyes (280 TRS) 10 (30x0), 5 Brian Francis (300 Gas Gas) 11 (30x0), 6 Dave Clinkard (300 Beta) 11 (28x0), 7 Steve Bird (250 TRS) 12, 8 Ashley Hall (300 Beta) 14, 9 Gavin Cooper (300 TRS) 16, 10 Mark Reason (300 Beta) 17, 11 Billy Craig (300 Honda) 18, 12 James Gammons (250 Gas Gas) 19, 13 Jason Galvin (300 Beta) 22, 14 Henry Pym (280 TRS) 23, 15 Stuart Woodfield (300 Montesa) 28.
Class Two Over 50 Modern: 1 Graham Haslam (125 Beta) 5, 2 Paul Doney (300 Beta) 6, 3 Simon Levett (280 TRS) 8 (32x0), 4 Philip Martin (260 Montesa) 8 (28x0), 5 Scott Brookes (250 Vertigo) 11 (28x0), 6 James Lamin (300 Thunderroad Mont) 11 (28x0), 7 Ian Wakeford (300 Gas Gas) 12 (30x0), 8 David Sherlock (300 Gas Gas) 12 (28x0), 9 Mike Champion (280 Gas Gas) 12 (26x0), 10 Marcus Faulkner (250 Gas Gas) 13, 11 Julian Page (300 4T Beta) 13 (26x0), 12 Kevin Hart (280 Gas Gas) 14, 13 Colin Allsop (300 Scorpa) 15 (28x0), 14 David Smith (280 TRS) 15 (25x0), 15 Dave Richards (250 TRS) 17 (28x0).
Class Three Over 60 Modern: 1 Roger Johns (250 Gas Gas) 5, 2 Michael Flanagan (300 Montesa) 15, 3 Stephen Farrall (250 Gas Gas) 17, 4 John Anstey (250 Gas Gas) 19, 5 John Oliver (250 Vertigo) 25, 6 Andrew Chandler (250 Gas Gas) 28, 7 Clive Dopson (250 Honda) 31, 8 Kevin Stannard (250 Gas Gas) 41, 9 Martyn Goodall (250 TRS) 48 (17x0), 10 Dave Beckett (300 Montesa) 48 (16x0), 11 Stephen Butcher (250 Beta) 51, 12 Mick Treagus (300 Gas Gas) 55, 13 John Penfold (250 TRS) 60, 14 Alan Day (200 Beta) 63, 15 Mike Husband (250 Gas Gas) 67.
Class Four Air-cooled Mono: 1 Chris Koch (250 Yamaha) 4, 2 Mark Banham (212 Fantic) 11, 3 Rob Sherlock (250 Gas Gas) 12, 4 Nigel Allen (270 Yamaha) 17, 5 Chris Collins (250 Yamaha) 19, 6 Martyn Wilmore (250 Yamaha) 26, 7 David Bathe (250 Honda) 28, 8 Steve Mannerings (250 Yamaha) 44.
Class Five Twin-shock: 1 Geoff Herbert (250 Fantic) 8, 2 Andy Barrell (156 Fantic) 18, 3 Chris Ryland (240 Fantic) 78, 4 Les Youngman (200 Honda) 94, 5 Gary Marchant (250 Bultaco) 106, 6 Guy Stanley (250 Honda) 115.
Class Six Open Pre-65 (Non Champs): 1 Graham Brown (250 James) 18, 2 James Newstead (175 BSA) 22, 3 Mark Fletcher (500 Ariel) 31, 4 Paul Whitehead (500 Triumph) 68.
Class Seven Open (Non Champs): 1 Brandon Youngman (300 Montesa) 21, 2 Martin Carter (250 Gas Gas) 23, 3 Tom Norman (300 Scorpa) 30, 4 Nick Baker (300 TRS) 48, 5 Marcus Jaggard (300 Gas Gas) 54, 6 Aaron Wakefield (300 Gas Gas) 55, 7 Thorne Smith (300 Gas Gas) 59, 8 Stevie Roper (300 Sherco) 69, 9 Bryn Matton (250 Montesa) 78, 10 Paul Lonergan (250 Gas Gas) 83.
NEXT ROUND: April 21 Dennis Richards Trophy Trial at Trescrowan Farm, Bone Valley, Heamoor, Cornwall (West Cornwall MC Ltd).
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