Trials Torque: Scarborough set for double topper
By Team TMX on 31st May 17
THIS weekend ses the Scarborough club stage their big weekend of trials as the go-ahead east Yorks club stages the fourth round of the 2017 RT Keedwell British Championship trial on Saturday.
The club then follows it up on Sunday with their popular Super Trial.
Both events take place at Scarborough's own Low North Park venue, Harwood Dale, which is a cracking spot in its own right.
But for the Championship and the Super Trial the club have had the earth movers in and created some spectacular new hazards.
Saturday gets the weekend underway and sees the British Championship reach the halfway stage with 16 riders set to tackle the Championship course.
So far it has been a battle between Gas Gas aces Michael Brown and Jack Price and Beta's Jack Sheppard – but Scarborough could easily see that change. The trial will be fought-out over three laps of 12 sections.
Pricey, fresh from a career-best World Championship ninth place in Japan last Sunday, currently holds a narrow lead in the series from 2013 champ Brown but local boy Michael will be keen to impress his fans on home ground.
Shep, meanwhile, has to travel a long way to any round from his Ipswich home but loves the big rocks and is sure to be in with a chance.
Fellow Beta boy Iwan Roberts has hit form in the Trial2 class at the World Champs and will relish the big stuff on offer.
Add in local brothers Dan and Jack Peace plus Vertigo's Toby Martyn from Cornwall and TRS challenger Ross Danby and it could be a crush on the podium.
Then there's Andy Chilton from just down the road in Whitby who could also be a cat amongst the pigeons.
The Expert class is, as ever, the biggest in terms of numbers with no fewer than 26 hopefuls going for Championship points. There's plenty of choice here with the likes of James Fry, Luke Walker and Tom Affleck in a strong Sherco attack on the class but up against the Betas of Richard Sadler and James Stones and the ever-faithful Gas Gas star Dan Thorpe.
The big rocks might not favour Thorpey but he took a shock win at Hookwood and don't be surprised if he does it again.
And for an outside bet how about Ulster's Harold McQuaid? He had many riders whispering "Who's that?” when he turned up at the second round run by the Westmorland club.
The Youth A class is expected to see Devon's Billy Green continue his dominance and Billy is back in Britain after a first trip to Japan, where he took a first and second in the Trial125 class.
Ulster's Josh Hanlon and Scotland's Duncan MacColl should be the main opposition.
Then on Sunday the top guys will be going for it over some even more extreme sections with the SuperTrial where Price, Browny, Shep and co will be hoping for glory – and hard cash!
The venue will be signed off the A171 Scarborough to Whitby road (YO13 0LA) and start time is 9.30am both days.
There are excellent facilities including the club's own cafe plus toilets and lots of excellent hard standing.
All's set for a super weekend.
