Dougie Lampkin, Takahisa Fujinami, Graham Jarvis, James Dabill and Michael Brown.....

Scott Trial venue bracing itself for mass influx


THE SCOTT Trial at Feldom Range on Saturday morning will attract thousands of spectators.

Make no mistake, with the names of Dougie Lampkin, Takahisa Fujinami, Graham Jarvis, James Dabill and Michael Brown on the 200-strong starting list that will satisfy the trials fans – but take out British Superbikes star Leon Haslam after a shoulder- damaging Brands Hatch crash last week. Leon Camier will compete and the spectator numbers will rocket.

Alfred Scott started this annual carnage way back in 1913 to test his Saltaire-built Scott motorcycles.

Could Alfred ever have foreseen just what his inspired testing programme would bring 95 years down the line?

Retired fireman Dennis Pitts starts number one. A 60-year BSA Sunbeam prototype that was the swan song of the British motorcycle industry, ridden on Saturday by an almost 60-yearold West Leeds Motor Club member.

Dennis is on a sponsored trial with the old British bike, to fund the Yorkshire Air Ambulance coffers.

Any money will be welcomed.

The big names, apart from the above, are Chris Pearson, James Fry, James Lampkin, Martin Crosswaite, Wayne Braybrook, Alexz Wigg, Sam Haslam, Ross Danby, Beta UK teamsters Dan and Ben Hemingway, Ian Austermuhle, Sam Connor, George Morten, and Scott winner Phil Alderson.

Start time is 9am, and a full programme with route maps, sections arrival times, and no-go areas is available now from local garages or direct from Richmond Motor Club. And, a word of warning, they are selling faster than hot cakes, and all for charitable causes.

● Alexz Wigg turned in a shock winning performance on Sunday at Broughton in Furness when he won the annual Lakes two-day trial from British trials champion Graham Jarvis. Barnstaple national Clubman Expert Joe Baker took third place.

Teenager Wigg never faltered on both days and finished both days just one penalty of ahead of Ripon’s Jarvis. Graham tried hard to break the Winslow rider but to no avail.

Buxton rider Mark Reynolds topped the clubman entry from Daz Wasley and Andy Wilkinson, while Maria Conway finished in seventh place just a single penalty ahead of Healaugh 23-yearold Katy Sunter.

With the forthcoming Scott dominant in most riders’ psyche at the present time, Middlesbrough DMC’s trial at the superb venue of Scotland Farm between Osmotherley and Hawnby proved the perfect place for some much needed practice to help tackle the infamous event.

Clerk of course Geoff Wright and sons devised a great threelap, 12-section course among the rock-strewn riverbeds and rock outcrops of this venue that brought a clear winner in every class.

Scarborough’s Simon Kershaw went some way to dispelling the disappointment of missing out on the EY two-day victory after mechanical trouble last weekend, by bouncing back with a great win here by one mark from Andy Lishman.

The ride of the day had to be from the returning Jonathan Taylor of Guisborough. One of the top East Yorkshire Centre trial riders five years ago, he made a move into the moto cross scene with good results, but Sunday saw him return for a one-off ride and he promptly posted best score of the day on four marks lost.

Colin Bailey had a steady run round to win Clubman A class on three marks lost from Mark Buckworth and Mike Watson.

These three are all contesting the Scott next Saturday. Bailey knows what punishment waits, Buckworth and Watson are Scott virgins, so hopefully the course will be gentle with them, but I doubt it.

John Pattinson continues to defy the age barrier, although the last lap did bring a ruddy glow to his features to show how hard he was trying. But for all that, it was a cracking ride for the old timer on the cub, beating a battling Paul Conroy and Steve Duncan who kept ahead of the fast-improving trio of Craig Campbell, Vicky Ellis and Paul Wright.

Scarborough did the Youth double on Sunday at Low North Park where Whitby’s Andy Chilton won Class A from Scarborough’s Josh Sprintall and Sleights youth Jack Howell. While four classes ran a full four-lap ten-section course, Howard Hunter and top female national rider Emma Bristow staged a 13 newcomers. Louth girl Emma was complete with her wrist in a plaster-cast after her two-day trial accident.

● Martin Crosswaite stayed on home ground on Saturday to win the Yeadon-Guiseley club’s sixth closed championship trial – but the trial seemed to be more of a pre-Scott warm up for the Bingley rider.

Joe Clements took Class B while Wallsend youngster Billy Bolt grabbed Class C after just having had seven stitches removed from a knee injury.

Mike Hinch was a very happy small wheeler co-ordinator because he had 14 tiny tots, and larger, riding a detached eightsection three-lap trial all on their own.

In the last few weeks, the small wheelers have been thin on the ground, but not on Saturday.

Martin Crosswaite retained his winning form on Sunday at Cawder Hall Farm where he rode his Montesa machine to an easy victory over Glusburn builder Nathan Wrigglesworth and Askrigg’s Phil Alderson.

West Leeds club member Chris Manby headed the clubman class from West Witton’s Paul Sadler. For the first time this year, Richard Sadler lost out to fellow MRS Sherco rider Josh Maude in the Youth category.

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