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The Hugely successful Perkins Slade Intellegent Insurance sponsored Hare & Hounds Enduro Championship came to a close last Sunday at Ellington Banks. The competition and friendly rivalry between RideoffroadUK Club Members was awesome. Laughing and joking before the start, fierce rivalry on track, handshakes and congratulations at the chequred flag. This sums up just how popular ROR events have now become, being the Norths most active club since 2008.
A foggy start to the day saw the Youth event blast off into the MOD training ranges. Youth A class was a winner take all affair between Tom Patrick and Dawson Marriott. The pair were hounding each other lap after lap before Marriott, out on a 125 for the first time, managed to build a gap of just over a minute. With mum and dad watching on, Dawson made no mistakes and took the overall Youth A Championship. A solid and very sportsman like performance from Tom Patrick saw him take runner up on the day and overall. This, in his first real season of racing, was no mean feat. Harry Conner upgraded from Youth B for the final event of the season set his intentions clear for next season by taking the final podium place. Reece Pickersgill was back on his bike after breaking his shoulder just over a month ago. A nightmare start left him with work to do, but a great smooth consistant ride saw him hit the front to take the Youth B class win. Ben Wood was again delighted with runner up spot, and local lad Richard Moorhouse had a good day to finish in third. The Youth riders always get their own event with ROR no matter how many riders turn up. They have all done themselves and their parents proud this season, taking in some tough events and some real battles throughout the season.
A somewhat depleted PM event was confirmed to run for 2 hours and not the usual 2.5 hours due to the low numbers. Expert MRS/ROR Sherco rider Dan Bewlay showed everyone his intentions for the 2015 season are right on track. A problem with a broken drinks system valve saw Bewlay setting off almost 3 minutes behind the entire PM event field. Having already won the Expert title at Round 8, he used his 250 2t Sherco to prove why he’s the 2014 Champ. Ripping round the Ripon MOD area, his focus and speed saw him hit the front after the first hour, then going on to take a convincing Expert win. It’s a shame other Experts in the northern area don’t come to play at ROR events; maybe they are scared of the 9 stone whippet Bewlay. Adam Jones looks more at home on a weekly basis, the ex trials man is starting to get on the Expert pace with a solid second place at Round 9. Phill Hancock struggled to find his rhythm at Ellington, maybe a set up issue, but the lad from West Yorkshire still ground out a good finish. Liam Eddleston in his first full season after a serious illness proved to himself and his family that he is back fit and well for enduro competition. Winning the Clubman event and overall Championship could not have gone to a nicer lad. Iain Robinson narrowly missed out staying on the lead lap, but in doing so just held off Doltan Shannon for second place. Now almost recovered from a broken bone in his foot, Shannon was beaming all weekend, just glad to be back on his Sherco enjoying his racing again. Super fast Vet Mick Boam again took the Over 40s win, Boam’s lap tally and speed saw him second overall on the day. Perhaps a return to the Expert ranks for 2015 would spice up the class having an old lad in there with nothing to loose! RideoffroadUK are more than happy with the way this season has gone in terms of competition. 2015 will see a return to some old favourite venues which were not used this year. Norwood Teversal, Silsden, Tosside, Claxby and a new venue in North Nottinghamshire are all confirmed for next season’s Championship. Massive thanks to all our trusted helpers, you know who you are. Thanks to all our club members, and all other riders for supporting the ROR events in 2014. Right now ROR set their sights on a new wave of Iron Man HARD Enduros to see us through the winter months. Event information www.rideoffroaduk.co.uk/events
Bewlay Blasts the Opposition
at Helmsley With Carlton Grange (Helmsley) being in the best shape ever, and a course which was totally as promised from the ROR organisation, competition was awesome across all classes as Round 8 of the Perkins Slade Enduro Championship played out in perfect weather conditions on September 21st. Now in it’s seventh year of event running, RideoffroadUK really are a club who know how to provide top quality well prepared enduro tracks. The main reason is because Clerk of the Course Wayne Braybrook can still hold the bars of a bike, and he still rides every week. Tracks are expertly designed to be testing for competitors, without being impossible, but above all great fun to ride for enduro enthusiasts.
Top Youth A rider Tom Patrick dominated the class by winning in fine style on his 125 KTM. His nearest rival on the day, Dawson Marriott, tried for well over an hour to get on terms with Patrick, but a couple of small crashes hampered his progress, so it wasn’t to be for the Mansfield lad and he had to settle for runner up spot. Harry Conner was the clear winner in Youth B, consistant Ben Wood netted runner up place just ahead of Conner Turpin who grabbed his first ever ROR trophy. With an average lap time of around ten minutes, and a course which was half soft ground and half dry soil, the fast fire road sections soon became rough in places as riders looked to gain places in the 2 hour race. Beginners class championship hopeful Tyler Pinchin blasted his CR125 around to a fine first place in class, the ever improving Ellis Friend continues to try taming his firey new 300 Husky by taking runner up place, and Richard Baker was the only other Beginner to complete 13 laps. Super Vet Brett Haley was loving life as he won the Over50 class on his vintage 125 KTM, this proves that older bikes can still win so long as they have older riders on them! ROR regular Mark Wardingley had a good race to take second place having had a good battle with Northumbrian Colin Lee who eventually grabbed third place. By far the most competitive class on the day was the Sportsman. Ryan Newbury was on great form taking a good win back to Greater Manchester, Self upgraded Thomas Kirby pushed hard the whole race after a steady start to finish second at the finish flag. Robbie Wallace was the first rider on 13 laps, having no less than 12 other riders finishing on 13 laps nipping at his heels behind him. Like a good wine Mark Lodge is getting better with age, his solid performances continued at Helmsley with a one lap winning margin in the Sportsman Vets class. Chris Vines has been the eternal bridesmaid this season, almost pushing but never passing Mark Lodge. Chris had another good points haul for runner up place, 2 minutes ahead of third place finisher Lee Parry.
With a small line up of Clubman, Expert and Over40 riders ready to race; the system stayed the same. The third race of the day ran for a full 2.5 hours giving the more experienced riders a tough ride. On a course which was by this stage of the day getting rough in places, a keen eye was needed to spot the hot lines. Dan Bewlay put on a display of riding which was simply perfect. His 250 MRS Sherco was the perfect tool for the job, a mid week test session found some improved settings which suited the flyweight from the East Coast, leaving him to race the bike as hard as he wanted without getting tired. Phil Hancock was his nearest challenger keeping a great pace all day long and managing to stay on the lead lap. Anthony Ayrton had a nightmare start when his trusty old Gas Gas refused to fire up on the start. Around a 1 minute gap left Ant with work to do to get the final podium place on the day. Ex trials riders Sam Ludgate and Henry Moorhouse had a mixed day, Sam’s rear Tubeliss failed leaving him with a flat tyre for the last 4 laps, and Henry Moorhouse ran low on fuel in the closing stages, meaning economy mode kicked in, leaving him back in 5th after his holeshot. Brandon Sharples was the star turn on the day riding for well over half of the race with no rear brake pads in his bike! Now we don’t quite know who prepped the bike but clearly more attention to the brakes is needed for the next event! Brandon still managed to dominate the Clubman class and would have been second overall on the day. David Haith had one of his strongest rides this season with a great runner up place, David had to fend off Liam Eddleston for a good while to stay ahead, it was nice to see the acknowledgement of a good race after the flag with a firm handshake from both riders. Eddleston in turn had Oliver Allbones pushing him to the flag eventually just missing out by 50 seconds on a top 3 finish. Finally Mick Boam won the Over40 class ahead of Andrew Sykes with Andy Kirby, having his first outing on his Sherco, in third place. Many thanks to all the clubs helpers, with only one round remaining in this seasons Perkins Slade Championship, round 9 takes place on October 12th, and with lots of title positions still up for grabs, its sure is going to be emotional!! Next Event - Sherco Enduro Test Day on Saturday October 4th followed by an Enduro Practice day on October 5th, both will take place at our fantastic venue situated near Pateley Bridge. For more information on events and the club, please visit the website www.rideoffroaduk.co.uk/events
Early morning mist shrouded the Lancashire hills and looked like delaying the 8.30am Youth event start, but as the sun rose and the largest heater in the universe warmed up, blue skies were the order of the day, in fact you could have been fooled into thinking summer had begun again! Dawson Marriott was in a class of his own on his Mansfield Motorcycles KTM, in conditions which were very slippery in places after overnight dew, Dawson revelled in the tricky conditions. Tom Patrick finished in runner up position despite his Six Days KTM playing up all race simply not running right. John Patrick kept the family trophy cabinet full taking a well earned third place. With only the wet mill ruins sections causing problems for the Small Wheel Youth B riders, Harry Conner continued his run of good form to win the class by a full lap from local lad Jacob Wilson. ROR regular Ben Wood was delighted by his third place finish, second week running! A slightly delayed first adult event got underway around 15 minutes behind schedule; this was due to a longer than expected Youth lap close down. Around 4 miles of track awaited the packed start line. Old mill ruins and steep descents were very fairly complimented by some really fast, sweeping grass field sections. There was something for all riders and with the weather conditions drying the course by the minute it was pure Enduro Cross Country fun. East Yorkshire based Landscape gardener Paul Culkin took his first ever Enduro win in the Beginners class; Paul who only ever wanted a third place trophy was a happy man when the results were read out. Rob Little did a great job to take runner up place in class. Mark Wardingley continued his run of good results to win the Over 50 class and extended his Championship points tally. Duncan Tweedy kept him honest only finishing around 3 minutes behind in second. The most competitive class of the day was the Sportsman, with around 8 possible winners on the day, positions changed throughout the event for various reasons. Local lad Ryan Newberry used his MX skills to gap the field on the fast sections of the course to hold on for a good win, Josh Haith had to really ride his socks off to take runner up spot; Josh having to re fuel on his KTM 85 meant a quick job was needed from dad David in the pits to keep him up front. The looser on the day was the unfortunate Robbie Wallace; Robbie ran up front all race long until a rather big crash saw the lad winded, and laid at the side of the track for three minutes in the care of ROR marshals. Wallace then re mounted and ground out a points haul for his sixth place finish, true northern gritty enduro rider, well done that man. ROR team rider Jade Gordon rode with a cracked elbow to ensure she scored some points from Rd 7 taking seventh place. Sportsman Vets rider Mark Lodge continued to dominate the class taking the win, he has now paved his way to an Over 40 upgrade for 2015. Mark has set his mind to task this year proving that a cool head works well in long enduro events. Andy Pulfrey had a great result on his Six Days KTM to take runner up place finishing just one minute in front of Chris Vines; Chris has a great sense of humour, deciding to race his 525 KTM on the day was a big challenge!
Yes the weather played a big part in what turned out to be one of the best events of 2014. Let’ hope this delayed British summer continues as the ROR crew head to Matlock in Derbyshire for an B.E.D. (Enduro) Practise Day at a new venue in Lea Bridge on September 14th. Event information www.rideoffroaduk.co.uk
RideoffroadUK Perkins Slade Championship Rd 6 The picture postcard RideoffroadUK Pateley Bridge venue provided fantastic battles across all classes for round six of the Perkins Slade backed Enduro Hare & Hounds Championship. A superb enduro cross country course at around the 3 mile mark was set out with a number of challenges across the two morning events; whilst the screws were tightened even more on the more experienced afternoon event riders - this was in the shape of a compulsory hard route through the old woodland. Right at the start of the Youth 90 minute event, on form Reece Pickersgill took an awkward fall whist leading the Youth B class, injuring his right shoulder. This saw him retiring from the event. That left Harry Conner to take the win with a great display of smooth riding. Out on new machinery John Patrick battled with Dawson Marriott right to the finish flag, Patrick took the Youth A win by a mere 2 seconds at the flag.
After a short break for results and presentation, the ROR course crew made some alterations to stiffen things up for the afternoon event riders. A healthy turn out in all three classes meant no one could have an easy win. No fewer than 11 Expert riders left the start which was holeshot in true F1 style by new dad Benjamin Howard on his Jordan Rose supported “Mix and Match” KTM. Ben led around the first lap, had his glory, and retired at the half way stage after loosing out to a dry stone wall! Expert rider Dan Bewlay overcame a poor start to settle into a good rhythm on his MRS/ROR 250 2T Sherco - his pace saw him set the fastest lap time on the day despite having to pit to replace a broken side panel and a toilet stop! Anthony Ayrton used his trials skills to negotiate the horrible hard route without any trouble to take runner up spot. Sandiford Off Road rider Josh Law brought his Beta home in third despite not showing his best potential on the day. The Over 40 Vets class was a battle right to the end; Martin Sandiford ran second overall for most of the race on his new 350 Beta, leading the Vets class comfortably until Mick Boam upped the pace in the closing stages of the race. Boamy caught and passed Sandiford on the very last lap; Sandiford reverted to his MX roots and was having none of it; a firm re pass on Boamy saw Martin take the win by two seconds at the flag. “Where the hell did he come from!?” was the comment as he crossed the line - great racing from the nearly old boys. Riding on a borrowed bike, his dads 300 KTM, Brandon Sharples ran the whole event without stopping for fuel; with a tank which would see him ride 3 days in the desert, Sharples took the Clubman class win. David Haith equalled his sons result from the morning event with a good runner up spot, Liam Eddleston rode the last half hour stood on one leg after clattering his right footpeg on a rock breaking it off. Under performer of the day was Doltan Shannon, a heavy fall saw the lad from Halifax struggling to find any pace, going home with bruised ribs and pride! After a brief chat with his team mate Rob Dawson (sidelined with an injury) and his bottom lip lifted back up, Doltan grabbed a handful of championship points rather then a DNF against round six results. The feedback received from all competitors was that this event was one of the best so far. Great weather conditions always help the vibe on race day, however it still takes a lot of planning and effort to make it happen in a safe professional manner. Well done to all the hard working ROR marshals/helpers, greatly appreciated. Next on the list in a matter of days is Lee Dell Rochdale for back to back Perkins Slade championship events. This will be Rd 7 taking place this Sunday – all event info will be on the website on Wednesday, but you can book in online NOW or call/text the event mobile on 07576 095137 – www.rideoffroaduk.co.uk/events For all Club information click www.rideoffroaduk.co.uk
RideoffroadUK RideoffroadUK are raising the bar at the Perkins Slade Championship Round 6 with a fresh, new, and more challenging course for riders to compete on at the awesome Pateley Bridge venue in North Yorkshire. The new course will run completely the opposite way to last years event, so Pateley fans will be treated to a track which leaves the start and heads downhill towards the farm into a new section of land, then a flowing technical climb will see riders into the woodland where the course splits - a longer easy route uses an old farm track through the woods, or a faster hard route is available for the technically agile. The harder route will be compulsory for PM race riders. The rest of the course is made up of traditional grass farmland which berms up nicely in the corners. This event is a real treat for enduro riders who like superb natural terrain to form the challenge on the day. First on track will be the Youth starting at 8.30am, this will be followed by the highly popular Sportsman, Sportsman Vets, Beginner, Over50 and Ladies race starting at 10.30am. After a short break for morning event results and presentation, the Expert, Over 40 and Clubman riders will hit the dirt for 2.5 hours around the Yorkshire turf. If the weather turns then this will be cut to 2 hours, but otherwise you PM boys will be in your element!! On arrival all vehicles must park in the paddock field. If you want to park next to your mate then please arrive with them. Any vehicles blocking medics and officials access will be removed by the farm tractor. This area is noise sensitive, ALL 4 strokes must be fitted with enduro silencers or the FIM noise reduction inserts. Noisy 4 strokes which have baffles and inserts removed will not be allowed to ride. We will be checking all bikes before they are taken to the start line. The event can be entered either online - www.rideoffroaduk.co.uk/events or by calling/texting the event mobile on 07576 095137. Entry Fees We will have the usual RORUK Spares shop at the event which will open at
7.30am on Sunday morning. More event information is available at www.rideoffroaduk.co.uk or by calling the event mobile on 07576 095137.
After taking a 4 week break from event commitments, Rideoffroaduk are now happy to release some amended details on events for August and September. As the leaves on the trees start to turn colour, September is set to be a full throttle month for the ROR crew, although some venues have had to be changed due to circumstances outside of the clubs control, the dates have NOT been altered. So starting with August 31st - Round 6 of the Perkins Slade Championship will now be run at the awesome Pateley Bridge venue (very similar to Tosside - but due to circumstances outside of the clubs control we won't be able to run at Tosside this year). Pateley Bridge is, like Tosside, still in North Yorkshire. It's around 40 minutes further east and offers every type of terrain to make up the perfect Hare & Hounds challenge. Then one week later on September 7th the series moves back over to Lancashire at the Lee Dell complex high on the hills overlooking Greater Manchester. Lee Dell will have the long lap in place for Round 7 of the Perkins Slade Championship. The following week on September 14th sees the stand alone BED (Braybrook Enduro Days) recommencing with another top quality Practice Day at a brand new venue - Lea Bridge just outside Matlock in Derbyshire. Rounding out September on the 21st will be Championship Round 8 at a venue still to be confirmed. ROR are going to watch the weather to ensure the best venue is available for the weather conditions at the end of the month. All of these events can be entered either online - www.rideoffroaduk.co.uk/events
or by calling/texting the event mobile on 07576 095137. More event information is available at www.rideoffroaduk.co.uk or by calling the event mobile on 07576 095137.
Putoline 4 Hour Series The final round of the RideoffroadUK Putoline backed 4 hour enduro series reached its climax at Ellington Banks last Sunday. It turned out to be some of the closest class battles of the season to date. The Sportsman team class and overall series win went to Mark and Marc Vardy; they won the race by a mere 2 seconds after 4 long hours of racing from Chris Vines and Ryan Newberry.
Just as the youth race finished the sun shone through as the adult competitors were lined up ready for the Le Man Style start. A longer run to the bikes than usual saw ROR team rider Rob Dawson making a great start to lead the field around lap one. In the Expert Clubman combined team class, top enduro now MX runner Gav Houson and his dad Mark Houson riding number one were out for a fun ride together, they were going to be stiff opposition for the Sandiford off Road duo of Martin Sandiford and Josh Law.
There are always stand out riders in the 4 hour events for lots of different reasons. When Reece Pickersgill rode round 1 he didn’t even think he would finish let alone place very well. As the lad from West Yorkshire grows in height and confidence, his finest hour came at Ellington Banks, he won the Solo Beginner class on his Wadsworth KX85 small wheel ahead of many adult riders on larger machines. Well done that man! Newcomer to enduro James Healey took his Sherco 2.5i to a superb runner up spot just ahead of ROR regular Mark Foreman. In the Vets solo class Andrew Sykes held off top vets runner Martin Thomas to claim the win. Jonathan Ellis was over the moon with his third place finish.
Many thanks to the hard working ROR marshals, they all had very little to do at Ellington banks thanks to a great well thought out course design which ran faultlessly. Massive thanks to John and Sally from Putoline Motorcycle oils for continuing to back the ROR events team as well as the 4 hour series. Now in its third year, and already planning for a bigger series in 2015, we look forward to the 4 hour series enjoying another fun friendly team atmosphere next season. Next ROR event is at the Awesome Tosside near Gisburn on the Yorkshire / Lancashire border. Only used once per year this awesome venue has everything required for the Enduro hare & Hounds addicts out there! Event info www.rideoffroaduk.co.uk
The second round of the Putoline 4 Hour Series had a real treat in store for the 4 hour competitors who took part. An average lap time of 14 minutes around a brand new course was described by many riders as one of the best yet at the east coast venue. Rain showers on Sunday morning did little to dampen the atmosphere as the sun shone through just before the start of the main 4 hour event.
After a short break the Adult 4 hour competitors were lined up in classes ready to go. The Expert Clubman combined class saw 2 man teams and solo 4 hour riders the first away, the extra long lap at Driffield saw some teams doing an hour each, others opted for 3 fast laps then changed over. First round winner Josh Law was on the pace again despite just coming back from a broken wrist. His team mate and general goon Andy Cripps was equally as fast as his team leader, the pair took the Expert Clubman win by a mere 34 seconds after 4 hours of racing! Runner up spot went to ROR rider Dan Bewlay and his training partner Danny Culkin, both local lads did a great job in the perfect conditions. In the Expert solo class 4 of the top 5 places were filled by Sherco mounted riders. Rob Dawson dominated the class notching up 23 laps despite falling on his backside in the first corner.
Another fantastic Putoline 4 hour series event ran like clockwork, with only 2 riders out the entire field not finishing, the recipe for RideoffroadUK events seems just about right. A big thanks to the hard working marshals on the day, the final round of this series is in two weeks time. With most classes still not won its going to be a nail biter on July 13th. For more ROR event info www.rideoffroaduk.co.uk
Hatcliffe bathed in sunshine The sleepy Lincolnshire Wolds village of Hatcliffe held its annual RideoffroadUK championship event in absolutely perfect conditions on June 8th. Severe weather warnings did little to deter the keen riders who know how good Hatcliffe is to ride. Always providing very close racing due to the short ish lap, Hatcliffe once again was the scene of some great enduro competition.
Over the weekend the threat of rain may have scared off the fine weather boys, but for those who did compete it was an awesome event in superb conditions. Many thanks to all marshals and helpers, in particular Si Ryan for assistant time keeping duties. The next ROR event is Round 2 of the Putoline 4 Hour Series solo or 2 man team event on June 29th. The club have two new venues which may possibly be used depending on the weather conditions over the next 10 days. Details will be released as soon as they are confirmed. Event info www.rideoffroaduk.co.uk
Muddy Hell at Lee Dell
A packed AM Adult race fired into life with the Sportsman Vets away first. Chris Vines made a lightning start only to spin off in the second turn letting his rivals stream past. David Haith was looking like taking an early advantage until at the end of lap one when Vines had already worked his way back into the lead. Steady progress was being made by ex trials man Mark Lodge. Lodgy was setting consistent lap times keeping out of trouble. In the end the final three was David Haith first Mark Lodge second and Chris Vines finishing a very tired third place. Tyler Pinchin continues to be at the top of the Beginners class taking a great win on his little 125 Honda, hot on his heels keeping the championship battle incredibly close was Thomas Kirby with Ryan Chapman finishing third. Credit goes out to all Beginners who made it to the finish after the 2 hour race duration. Well done. With his eye on the overall Sportsman championship, Trevor Harvey seems to revel in tough conditions. His 13 lap tally was impressive although the young guns are really starting to gain speed and experience behind him. Robbie Wallace pushed hard all race to earn himself a great runner up spot, and Danny Culkin had his best adult event result taking a fine third place back to the east coast. Over 50 class honours went to local enduro ace John Lofthouse. John is now helping his son Max get into enduro riding and it will be good to see lad and dad doing well in the future. Paul Askew finished runner up with Motorcycle Industry long term employee John Wilkinson grabbing the final podium place in third. Sarah Thomas was one of two riders in the Ladies class; Sarah took the win after Nikita Millers Honda throttle caused problems for her in the early stages of the event.
To sum up the event, the rain and wet conditions are a great leveller, in fact it seems from the sidelines that these kind of events are sometimes more of a mental test to see who buckles first. The “never say die” attitude of many riders is great to see on all levels. For those who found it too much on the day, next time take a break and try again, it gets easier the more you do. Massive thanks to Kev, Geriant Rodgers, Andy Cooke and Stu Gordon for a great job out on course marshalling duties, and to Sy Ry for his continued commitment to the course. Well Done again to every one, whether you finished or not, those were hard conditions! ROR are on BED Enduro Practice Day duty now through until early June when
the Perkins Slade battle continues. If you are wanting to ride this Sunday
at the great Driffield venue, then please don’t hesitate and get booked in
either via the website or by calling/texting 07576 095137. Lots of fun to be
had, unlimited great time, a great day out for the family, and we are even
going to be blessed with some sunshine!
Perkins Slade Championship Round 3 The stunning north Lincolnshire Wolds played host to round 3 of the Perkins Slade Intelligent Insurance backed ROR Championship. A near perfect Hare & Hounds enduro course was marked out to provide a great days riding. Rain in the early hours of Sunday morning made conditions very difficult for the morning race riders. As the day went on the scheduled heavy rain never arrived and ironically the more experienced PM race riders had track conditions at their easiest.
Well Done Harry! Reece Pickersgill was another to suffer a seizure on the final fast field section coming into lap scoring, so he too had to push to the finish line to hold onto second spot with Richard Moorhouse proving his wet weather skills are in good order taking home third place. After a longer than anticipated delay closing the Youth event course, the first of the two adult races of the day were assembled on the start ready to take on the challenge of the slippery Claxby course. The highly competitive Sportsman Vets class were first away, Mark Lodge overcame a very average start and just kept plugging away to take a great win. Chris Vines used a very methodical approach to this race keeping out of trouble and his second spot reflected his efforts. Rick Rial who at one point looked like retiring had one of his best results to date proving that giving in never produces results.
To sum up another great days off road sport, although difficult conditions for many riders, most of them are always up for the challenge which at the time seems impossible, but on reflection when the bikes and kit are washed down is one of the reasons we love enduro sport. Thanks to all the marshals for all their efforts - we're sure all the riders in the AM race appreciate your efforts! This weekend, Sunday 13th April, sees the return of the BED Days, at Ellington Banks Ripon. Please get entered for this so we can cater for you. The next Perkins Slade Championship heads to Lee Dell near Rochdale on May 11th. Event Info www.rideoffroaduk.co.uk
Putoline 4 Hour Series The first round of the 2014 4 Hour enduro series supported by lubricants giant Putoline went off in fine style last Sunday. Blue skies were only cooled slightly by a chilly wind whipping across the huge North Lincolnshire quarry based venue. After
a rider safety and rules briefing, the solo Ironmen and two man teams were
flagged away around the short but testing course. Dan Bewlay was first back
to lap scoring chased by one half of the Expert/Clubman team pre event
favourites Josh Law. Two man teams opt for different time stints, some do a
set number of laps others simply ride for an hour then swap with team mates.
A fantastic turn out of Ironman Vet riders saw a close battle ensue for top honours. Hard enduro fan Justin Carter earned a great win ahead of the hard charging Alex Owen. Mark Paine, a regular Over 50 competitor, was really pleased taking the final Solo Vets trophy home for his days work. In the Team Vets class Andy Kirby and his mate Steven Dean took a convincing win despite Dean's crash on the approach to lap scoring, winded but not out, the pair now lead the series going into round 2.
As usual the Sportsman class is always hard to predict the outcome of, Solo Sportsman are always a hardy bunch ready to push themselves to the limit and beyond, that's what Jade Gordon did to take a very neat win in the Solo class. She was followed home by ROR regular Trevor Harvey, with the North East's finest gentleman Gary Nicholson taking third place. Mark Cockfield was unlucky being forced to pit to repair a badly bent disc. A very tired Ben Clarke was forced to do an extra lap when he passed through lap scoring with only a few seconds to go. One thing that is nice to see as youth riders get older is when lad and dad can team up despite machine differences. Shane and Dawson Marriott did a fantastic job to stay on the lead laps in the Sportsman Team class taking a great third place back to Mansfield Motorcycles HQ. Will Livesey and Chris Mason proved they are no slouches by taking a fine runner up spot. Having to run for the win was another father son duo of Mark and Marc Vardy. Vardy Seniors KTM clutch went foul forcing the old man to jog back to the pits to tag young Mark, leaving him to clock up some laps while dad fixed the problem and had a well earned rest. For the record Vardy senior is a better builder than he is the next distance runner. Well done to team MAV Builders on a great win! The ROR focus is now back onto the Perkins Slade Championship which resumes with round 3 on April 6th. One week later the next stand alone BED (Braybrook Enduro Day - enduro practice day) will be running. We will be releasing venues a bit nearer the time. For all Club and Event information please visit our website www.rideoffroaduk.co.uk
Near perfect riding conditions greeted riders at Round 2 of the ROR Perkins Slade Intelligent Insurance backed 2014 Hare & Hounds Championship last Sunday. Ellington Banks played the perfect host to a great line up of competitors all wanting a fine weather enjoyable ride out. A good turn out of Youth riders saw a super quick Josh Haith holeshot the Youth A class taking a three minute advantage winning margin over Mansfield's Dawson Marriott, both riders out on 105cc machines now riding to a very high level. Max Ditchfield took third place narrowly missing the extra lap cut off time. Reece Pickersgill overcame a nightmare start when his Kawasaki refused to fire up on the line, soon in his rhythm Reece was in great form to win the Youth B honours, Harry Conner took the number 9 machine to second spot while ROR newcomer Cole Cookland took third place after a battle with Richard Moorhouse. Ground conditions were just right for a spring Hare & Hounds event, with little or no wet sections on the course, riders had to deal with some greasy climbs and flowing MOD driver training area sections, a great section of fast fire roads through the woodland gave riders a rest as well as something rarely seen in modern closed circuit events.
As track conditions started to get greasy Mark Paine used his race brain to keep a solid advantage of around six minutes to take the Over 50 class win. Second on the day was Paul Askew and Mark Wardingley grabbed third spot and vital championship points. The largest class of the day was once again the Sportsman. Elliot Bradshaw took a good win with local lad Dan Sadler having his best enduro result to date taking runner up position. Perhaps the happiest rider of the day was Robbie Wallace. Robbie finished third place on the day and netted 20 championship points as the two riders in front of him were non club members. Wallace now leads the Sportsman Championship from Phil Dodsworth with Steven Brown in third place going into round three. New for 2014 the Sportsman Vets class grows weekly. a great bunch of ROR club members are now vying for top honours. The almost 50 year old David Haith once again took the win on 15 laps despite being pushed early on in the race by his rivals; Mark Lodge just missed the 2 hour time cut off by 44 seconds and was the first rider on 14 laps. Mark Barrow took the final podium place for his efforts on the day. After a short break and course alterations to suit the more experienced riders, the final race of the day got underway. Jordon Rose out on a barrowed KTM had a ride out by holeshotting the Expert race. Rose was followed around lap one by Lee Sampson, and Wayne Braybrook who used the event for some saddle time on his 300 2t Sherco ahead of his annual ride out at the Tough one in April. After lap 3 Braybrook had worked his way forward and led the race through to the finish flag. Lee Sampson was the only other rider to stay on the lead lap taking second spot. Dan Bewlay had a great result finishing third and now leads the Expert championship.
The Over 40 class win was taken by Martin Sandiford. Now enjoying his Sunday ride outs Martin sat third overall on the day so job well done. Local ace Jonny Bradford took runner up spot with Gary Morley finishing in third place. A massive thank you must go to all Marshals and helpers out on the course - the job would have been very difficult without your support. RideoffroadUK now focus on Putoline 4 hour duties with round 1 taking place at Scunthorpe on March 16th. This event caters for 2 man teams and solo riders, don't miss it as it is a great way to have some fun with your mates, and good fun for the family too! For more info please visit the website or call 07576 095137. Event Info www.rideoffroaduk.co.uk Event Images http://www.ch-images.co.uk/
Round 1 of the new looks Perkins Slade insurance backed, Rideoffroaduk hare & hounds championship fired into life at a very sunny Driffield in east Yorkshire last Sunday. A healthy turn out of competitors was treated to near perfect riding conditions around an average 12 minute per lap free flowing course.
The first Adult race of the day was full to capacity, right off the start riders filtered into a small MX section next to the paddock before diving into one of the many blocks of woodland around the Driffield site. Sportsman Vets were the first away and David Haith took a great start and was the first rider back to lap scoring on lap one. He was followed by the chasing pack which included Chris Vines John Brindley and Martyn Thomas amongst many other keen vet riders. At the two hour cut off David Haith took the win from Steve Cranshaw in second with Mark Barrow happy with his final podium spot. The Sportsman class was a battle of the young uns, Brandon Sharples fresh out of the Youth ranks started his season with a convincing win from the slow starting Robbie Wallace who placed as runner up. Lee Pallett was in third with Josh Bailey running on fumes near the end of the race in a strong 4th place. Starting 2014 as the largest class was the Novice and Beginners, with all the top 20 riders being separated by seconds rather than minutes the competition was going to be close. Rob Little started his season with a great win just edging out Thomas Kirby into second spot. Andrew Page took his Kawasaki to a credible third place. Another tooth and nail class for the
Whilst the UK has faced the wettest January for a long time, RideoffroadUK managed to pull off a great opening championship event with the usual high standards of organisation needed to ensure everyone enjoyed their days riding. Yes lady luck was on the clubs side providing the nice weather, but with preparation being the key from plan to production, ROR will keep working hard to provide the best events they possibly can. Thanks to all riders and helpers, ROR marshals and medics for making this event one to remember. Event Information www.rideoffroaduk.co.uk
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two hour first Adult event of the day started in glorious sunshine, a
slightly delayed start saw Ellington steaming as the moisture was
evaporating out of the ground in the sunlight. Martyn Thomas was quick off
the mark to holeshot the Sportsman Vets race and go on to take his first win
of the season. Rick Rial saved his best performance until the last round
taking a great runner up spot on the day which secured him third overall in
the Championship. Local decorator Steven Dean narrowly held off Dean Foster
in the closing stages to take the final trophy with a popular third place
finish. Sportsman class rivalry is always really close at ROR events, none
more than this year. Robbie Wallace used his YZ125 to great effect on
Sunday, nipping through the technical sections with some fire in his belly.
Desperate to win the Championship battle Robbie had a faultless ride to win
the Sportsman Championship ahead of his Clubman upgrade for 2015. Jim
Laidler was the winner on the day, Jim now getting right into his enduro
racing is a hard charger and always good to watch. One disappointment on the
day was for Championship hopeful Trevor Harvey, still in with a chance of
the overall his KTM refused to start on the line meaning he had to play
catch up all day, his 14th place finish didn’t show how well his season
has really gone. Ryan Chapman having his last ride on his old husky before
moving to Sherco for next season, took a great win in the Beginners class to
hold on to second overall in the Championship in his first season of racing.
Tyler Pinchin took second place to secure the overall Beginners class title
for 2014. Neil Myers blasted his old KDX round to have his best result of
the year taking home the third place trophy for his efforts. Dominant in the
Ladies class, Sarah Thomas again won the class and the overall championship.
Nikita Miller now on a 125 showed that her old big wheel 150 Honda had been
holding back her progress; taking second spot at the final round was a nice
end to her long season. ROR’s longest standing female rider Anita Gordon
finished in third place on her Sherco X Ride. Brett Haley again dominated
the Over 50 class on his vintage 125 KTM, second spot went to Colin Lee with
local graphic designer Nick Thorpe making his day finishing third on the
day.
A
short break for PM harder route track additions to be taped in, and track
repairs from 12 hour hero Captain Cooke, and the PM event containing some
super fast Expert riders were flagged away. A nasty drop down through rock
strewn bracken hillside followed by a climb up through a dry stone wall was
added just after the start. Ex British Sprint Enduro Champion Jordon Rose
had a ride out on a borrowed bike, well Mr Rose has not lost any speed
during his recent career change, ripping up Lee Dell to the delight of
onlookers, Jordon was never really troubled during the event. In the last
half an hour his pal Josh Law did get closer to him. Despite suffering with
blistered hands Josh held off 2.5 hours of pressure from ROR team rider Dan
Bewlay. Dan continues to learn his craft having moved from 150 power to an
MRS supported ROR Sherco 250 2T, at just 18 years old, despite an average
start and running second to Rose for a short time, Dan pursued Josh Law and
kept the race on right to the flag, eventually taking a sold third place. No
fewer than 8 (good) Experts enjoyed proper racing over the 2.5 hour event.
The Accrington whippet Brandon Sharples used his dads 300 KTM to take
Clubman honours for the second week running, using a 14 litre fuel tank
means no stopping for the on form MX convert. Local lad Andy Holker muscled
his 4T Husky round to take a cool second place finish; David Haith used his
head to run a consistant race taking a good third place in stiff opposition.
On paper the Over 40 class looked like being a local winner, unfortunately
Martin Sandiford took two awkward falls whist leading the Over 40 class
injuring his shoulder. Not one for chucking the towel in as a rule, Martin
decided to call it a day heading home for an early bath. This left stand up
all day specialist Mick Boam to take a two lap winning margin from local
trials man Paul Heyes. ROR regular Andy Kirby didn’t believe his last ride
on his Husky would have been his best Over 40 finish taking third place.
Running right on time at 10.30am prompt the first adult event of the day
was flagged away. After a short blast around the edge of the paddock field
riders plunged into a new section of course running along side the river,
this then led into the first technical section of the course in the
woodland. Here riders had the option of a hard route saving around 7 seconds
per lap, or a longer easy chicken route chosen by many riders as a safe bet.
At the top of the hard route a small rock garden was seen as too risky for
most riders. Mark Lodge led the Sportsman Vets class from start to finish,
showing a clean pair of heels to his rivals. Lodge’s pace was right on
key, Rick Rial finished runner up with Shane Marriott netting third place
fresh from his Manx mini break. Sportsman top honours could not have been
closer with the top 6 riders all finishing on the 16 lap tally. It was the
young guns who topped the timing sheets with Brad Lilburn taking a stylish
win from the unflappable Josh Haith. Ex trials man Michael Lee took his
Sherco to a nice final podium spot. Returning to racing and now enjoying
traditional enduro events, Brett Haley won the Over 50 class from enduro
stalwart John Lofthouse, local man and ex Dakar entrant Duncan Tweedy
rounded out the old boys class with a fine third place finish. In the
Beginners class the title race saw some new names on the top places. Ryan
Chapman’s pace on the day saw him take the class win from Joe Johnston,
Championship hopeful Tyler Pinchin earned good points on his 125 Honda in
third.
RideoffroadUK
Busy End of August and September.
Around an hour of heavy rain first thing Sunday morning meant
RideoffroadUK’s prayers were answered, keeping the dust at bay after a
long hot week, and also making the ground conditions tacky rather than slick
meant great racing conditions for the day. A small turn out of Youth riders
had a full two hour event which saw Tom Patrick take a convincing win in the
youth a class. Runner up slot went to holeshot king John Newboult who forgot
to turn left into the second corner on lap one. A good start saw the lad
from North York’s getting over excited wrapping himself up in track tape
and safety rope.
As the 4 hours went
by Gav Houson was setting blisteringly fast lap times being able to push
hard for around 30 minutes before handing over to Mark Houson who really is
no slouch when it comes to enduro racing. Their 37 lap tally saw them take a
5 minute winning margin over series class winners Martin Sandiford and Josh
Law. The Beta duo managed the point’s standings to perfection earning a
good Putoline series finish. In the team sportsman class, father and son duo
of Mark and Marc Vardy finished on a high as young Marc held off Chris Vines
on a last lap shoot out to claim overall honours by just 2 seconds. Team
beginner honours went to Adam Greener and his team mate James Lawson, James
continues to improve on a weekly basis. First time team riders Colin Lee and
Ryan Chapman held on to a great second spot and thoroughly enjoyed their
days racing. David Bellamy and Richard McCrackle rounded out the beginner
team podium places.
Finally ROR team rider Jade Gordon showed all the men a clean pair of
heels to take another Putoline victory and overall title. Jimmy Davy ground
out a hard fought runner up spot on his KTM, with another delighted rider
Mark Siddons taking the final trophy back home for his efforts. Sherco
mounted Rob Dawson made his good start work well to take the solo Expert
Clubman class win, in doing so Robs 36 lap tally placed him third overall,
some achievement racing 4 hours solo. Phil Hancock held on to a slender
second place advantage ahead of series class winner Liam Eddleston. Liam had
an awkward crash on the penultimate lap, whacking his head hard during the
crash, after seeing stars for a few minutes the determined Eddleston made
the finish to seal the overall Putoline solo expert class title.
During
the 2 hour standalone youth event conditions were tricky for riders as
drizzle made the hard packed ground greasy in places. Leading from the first
to the last lap in youth A was Tom Patrick, James Gamble rode his 150CRF to
a solid runner up place. ROR regular Ben Wood had one of his best rides to
date to seal the Youth B win, with John Patrick and Richard Moorhouse
placing second and third.
After
the first half of the race the track conditions could not have been better,
fluffy soil berms and fast grassland straights kept the fast going in check,
that coupled with nice flowing woodland trails left riders wanting to do
more and more laps. Chris Bursell was smiling all race long and his 20 lap
solo tally earned him a great vets win on his 300 Sherco 2 stroke. Sportsman
solo honours went to Jade Gordon, Jade had a big crash at the 3 hour mark,
the gritty ROR team member didn’t disappoint and still ground out a great
overall win. Trevor Harvey almost caught Gordon in the closing stages but
had to settle for runner up, Lee Hargreaves was the only other Sportsman on
20 laps. Crasher Chris Vines and his partner Ryan Newberry were delighted to
take the sportsman team first place trophies back to Lancashire. The father
son duo of Mark Vardy with Jnr Marc kept their title hopes alive with a
solid runner up spot. In the team beginner class Thomas Kirby and Richard
Baker won by a massive 2 laps, both riders are sure to be upgraded to
sportsman for the 2015 season. Adam Greener and James Lawson were really
chuffed to take the runner up place with Shane and Nick parsons rounding out
the Beginner team podium.
Newcomer
Tom Patrick marked his intentions on Saturday evening by pre walking the
track twice, Tom then had a great race to win the Youth A class from Dawson
Marriott who had problems in the latter stages of the race with a seized KTM
kickstart which refused to come out when needed. John Newboult fresh from a
recent training session took a fine third place on his Yambits prepared
YZ85. Reece Pickersgill worked hard to win the Youth B class from Harry
Conner in second place. Cole Cookland looked neat and tidy finishing in
third place. All the youth riders finished the event doing a great job
around the fresh grassed areas in the valley bottom.
As
the first adult race of the day were flagged away into the first small
woodland loop it was Sportsman Vets riders who were first around lap one.
Leading the race for over an hour and a half Andrew Hornshaw was overtaken
by Mark Lodge who went on to take the win in the closing stages when
Hornshaw had to stop for a splash of fuel. Shane Marriott fresh from a week
at the TT had a great result finishing in third. The Sportsman class had
three riders at the sharp end which saw young Robbie Wallace’s YZ125 on
full song through the Hatcliffe valley, taking the win by just over a minute
from the likeable Jim Laidler from the North East. Ryan Newberry who has
lots of MX experience used it to good effect earning a solid final podium
place in class. In the battle of the old boys Over 50 class Mark Wardingley
rattled off 17 laps to take the win, ex Dakar rider Duncan Tweedy was the
only other Over 50 rider finishing on 17 laps. Colin Lee made the trip from
the North East worthwhile taking his 250f Sherco on to finish in third
place. As the morning event progressed a light breeze and scorching 20
degree heat dried the track to perfect condition. In the Beginners class
championship leader Thomas Kirby had another win and in doing so added to
his point’s total. Andrew Page missed the time cut off by a mere 47
seconds meaning he had to be happy with runner up spot. Richard Baker
managed to hold on to third place despite his KTM running like a tractor due
to a badly damaged front exhaust pipe.
After
a short break for the morning event results and presentation, a healthy
entry were lined up for the PM event which always features some fast riders.
Out of the start area like a scalded cat was Lee Sampso. He was chased
around lap one by the hard charging ROR team rider Dan Bewlay,as well as
local ace Adam Jones. Anthony Ayrton, Rob Dawson and George England were all
at the tail end of the early Expert runners. With a full two and a half hour
race on the cards, fuelling and the hot conditions were always going to be a
factor in the outcome of each class result. Dan Bewlay overtook Lee Sampson
on lap 4 before Sampson retired not feeling well. Rob Dawson had worked his
Factory 300i Sherco into a good second place and was setting about catching
Dan Bewlay. Both riders are products of the ROR Team Training Academy, they
are both pushing at the front of the Expert class and it’s great to see
team mates having fun and battling hard. In the end Rob Dawson was making
progress taking around 5 seconds per lap off Bewlay in the latter stages,
but time ran out. So Dan took his second Expert class win in a row for the
ROR team with Dawson settling for runner up this time. Anthony Ayrton buzzed
his Gas Gas round for the 2.5 hours to take a fine third place back to
Lancashire, despite his bike running a bit rich in the hot conditions. Over
40 class honours went to Andrew Sykes; his 23 lap tally was enough to fend
off East coast ROR regular Andy Kirby. Steve Johnson was a happy chap taking
the final trophy home for his efforts on the day. Perhaps the most
competitive class of the day was the Clubman. Out on a borrowed 250f whilst
his usual 2t engine is being repaired, Liam Eddleston loved the course and
took a one lap winning margin over other Clubman riders. Doltan Shannon took
his ROR Sherco to runner up spot despite being knackered in the closing
stages of the race. His dad Ian reminded Doltan in the fuel stop that he is
still the faster Shannon in the 4 hour races! Featuring in the top few
riders Ryan Armitage and Lee Hattersley looked like they would both feature
in the results until both riders retired on lap 15. This left Richard
Cookland to finish in a strong third place equalling his son Coles result
from the Youth event, I guess this keeps the lad and dad bragging rights
going in the Cookland household!
Dealing
with the wet conditions in fine style was Josh Haith taking a fine Youth A
win. Having an off day was Haith’s nearest championship rival Dawson
Marriott who could only manage 4th on the day. This left Tom Patrick and
Thomas Widd filling the second and third place positions. Harry Connor was
runaway winner in the Youth B class with John Patrick equalling his brother’s
second spot in Youth A. Local lad Jacob Wilson ground out a good third place
finish.
A great mixture of half woodland and half open sprint going saw some very
determined Youth riders (and parent/helpers) do a great job in the very
difficult slippery conditions. Stand out performance goes to Mansfield
Motorcycles Dawson Marriott; Dawson took a heavy fall but refused to retire,
and taking home the Youth A class win along with a sore ligament damaged
shoulder. Harry Conner won the Youth B class and was the only other rider to
get near Marriott's 8 lap tally. Harry blew his bike up at the top of the
hill coming into lap scoring so had to push his bike in for the win!
Respect has to go out to all the Beginners who finished the event.
Thomas Kirby ended up taking a convincing win on his KTM, he was followed
home by Neil Myers in second place with Haith Motorsport Patrick Haith
keeping his championship hopes on track with a solid third place. Always the
last to moan about wet conditions, the Ladies class riders did a fine job.
Sarah Thomas was delighted to take home the first place trophy with Anita
Gordon taking her Sherco X Ride to a great runner up spot. Nikita Miller
continues to improve on her CRF finishing in third place. The Over 50 Class
had a few old faces out for an enduro ride with veteran Mark Houson having a
blast round on an old school enduro course. He took the win from Graham
Naismith who made the journey from Scotland to compete, Glenn Coltman
rounded out the Over 50 podium places. On paper Phill Hancock was the
overall winner of the Sportsman class although he is riding non competitive
due to his experience. So first place points went to Trevor Harvey who has
his sights set on the overall 2014 championship. Steven Brown kept Harvey
honest taking runner up spot, and new to the adult ranks Josh Bailey added
to his skill set by taking a fine third place for his efforts. The sportsman
championship is packed with talent, 2014 is set to be a great championship
battle all the way down the table.
After a few track alterations and with a steady wind now drying the
course the PM race was flagged away by Starter Sparky Ryan. Fastest away in
the Expert class was Anthony Ayrton taking the holeshot from Lee Sampson.
Ayrton stopped after around 3 minutes when leading the race and thought he
was lost as he could hear no bikes!! When Sampson passed him he soon woke up
and plugged away to finish in third place with a lap tally of 15 laps. Dan
Bewlay continues to improve; now under the guidance of ROR technical support
the lad from the east coast is upping his game and experience, taking a
great runner up spot. Lee Sampson took the Expert class win showing his
trials skills never let him down in the technical events. Wayne Braybrook
did win the event overall as a guest ride on his 3.0i MRS Sherco, Braybrook
was just getting some extra track time in ahead of the Tough One on Easter
weekend. Lee Hattersley stamped his authority on the competitive Clubman
class taking his 350 KTM to a great win on 15 laps. Iain Robinson was runner
up just pipping Joe Webster by around one minute. The evergreen Dave Salkeld
now 50 years young won the Over40 vets class by two clear laps from Stuart
Cryer. Andy Kirby was delighted with his third place finish on an 11 lap
tally.
After a dominant and faultless performance the team of Beta mounted Martin
Sandiford and Josh Law took the number one plates back to Lancashire. Simply
riding one hour each saved valuable change over time and allowed the pair to
set some consistent lap times. Dan Bewlay and his team mate Danny Culkin
rode out of their skin to take a fine runner up place. Filling the final
podium spot was father and son duo Ian and Doltan Shannon on their ROR
Sherco. The Shannon's sharing Doltan's race bike had to factor in fuel stops
as well as rider changes which may well have cost them vital track time.
Solo Expert/Clubman top honours went to Liam Eddleston, his tally of 40 laps
was pretty impressive for a solo runner. Oliver Allbones settled for runner
up place after hitting the wall at the 3.5 hour mark, Jono Hunt took his 102
machine to a credible third place.
In
all the Putoline 4 hour events there are always stand out performances for
various reasons, Reece Pickersgill took third place in the Solo Beginners
class on his Wadsworth KX85 completing an impressive 31 laps, despite having
to pit to change a punctured wheel! Tyler Pinchin earned a very respectful
runner up spot and Mark Foreman took his first ever ROR win with a 32 lap
tally. Beginners 2 man team winners Josh and Patrick Haith did a great job
to net the win. Joe Howsam and Martin Hargreaves stayed out of trouble
during the 4 hours to finish runner up. The Colin Appleyard supported duo of
Adam Greener and Amir Meramo earned third place in their first season as
enduro hare & hounds riders.
In
the Beginners class Thomas Kirby now has a slender 4 point championship lead
by being head and shoulders above his rivals to take the round 2 win, Andrew
Page took his KXF to a good runner up spot, and the ever improving Paddy
Haith nicked third place from Rob Little by just 17 seconds. Only three
Ladies entered the event which saw Ellie Cooke take a convincing win on her
125 KTM. Ellie rode a smooth and unflustered race to win with an 11 lap
tally. Sarah Thomas continues to improve each week taking second spot, and
Beginner Nikita Miller took a well deserved third place.
In
the Clubman class Josh Law showed his speed to take the win from a returning
to race fitness Liam Eddleston. Doltan Shannon fresh from having a cup of
"man up" took his ROR supported Sherco to a fine third spot and
now sits second place in the overall Championship.
Hot
out of the start in the Youth race Danny Culkin led from flag to flag
despite being kept on his toes by second placed Josh Haith. Youth B honours
went to the likeable Reece Pickersgill on his Wadsworth Kawasaki, Reece took
the win by a healthy two minute margin from Harry Conner, both riders
completed 9 laps. Richard Moorhouse was the only youth B rider finishing on
8 laps in third place.
Season
ahead is the over 50 class, Mark Paine took his 150 KTM to a healthy
championship points winning performance from Mark Wardingley in second
place. With Paul Grant finishing in third it already looks like these three
riders will be the ones to beat in 2014. Sarah Thomas and Nikita Miller were
the only two lady riders at round one finishing first and second
respectively.
After
a short break for morning race results and presentation, course marshals Kev
and Pete went out to add in 3 extra sections to give the afternoon more
experienced riders a little extra to deal with. Throughout the 2014
championship harder routes will be added to the PM race, although at
Driffield they were not too hard, at other venues different terrain will
give much more for riders to challenge themselves on. Right from the start
the popular Harry Hillas was on a mission leading around lap one just ahead
of local lad Dan Bewlay. Sherco mounted Rob Dawson and Luke Lusher both had
below par starts leaving the pair with work to do. Lusher worked his way up
to third in the closing stages of the race leaving Harry Hillas and Lee
Sampson in first and second place. Going into the final lap Hillas had an 18
second lead over Sampson, this should have been enough but Hillas had ridden
with no oil in his rear shock for almost an hour! With back pain and a not
so safe machine under him, Hillas was ambushed by Sampson on the final lap
to take a well fought race win. Alex Owen and Rob Dawson had a great race
long battle until Dawson clobbered a tree on the final lap, and on crossing
the line went to see the medics with mild concussion thinking his name was
now Doris!. With almost 30 Clubman riders signed up once again this seasons
championship is already shaping up to be a close one. Ben Howard took a
welcome break from weekend work to enjoy racing like the good old days
taking a fine win in class. Ex Trials man Adam Jones was runner up just less
than two minutes behind Howard with Liam Eddleston finishing in a fine third
by less than 30 seconds. Beta Mounted Mick Boam was the top Over 40, once
again standing up the whole race. Dean Johnson and Gary Morley finished
second and third on 13 laps.