West Leeds Nutexa Trial

west leeds motor clubMRS Sherco teamster and S3 Parts national champion Richard Sadler won the annual Nutexa Trophy trial at Cawder Hall on Sunday from fellow MRS runner Matt Maynard. Both competed under Richmond Motor Club colours and scored points for the club in the West Yorkshire Championship series. Only forty five rode the trial and three of that number were non-competitive on the West Leeds Motor Club results.

 

Nigel Crowther and Howard Gulley marked a three lap fourteen section course including a leg sapping climb up the hill to the eighth section. The first seven started the ball rolling in the stream near the parc ferme and they were all green and slippery. The third gear blast up the grassy slope after crossing the stream was cleaned, on the higher expert route by all nine hard course riders. At least the high speed stuff kept observer Penny Ludgate entertained. Tight flagging at the twisting second gathered fives as back wheels deftly removed a blue marker on the grassy left turn. The observer, perched on a rock ten feet above the section, did not miss a trick. Matt Maynard's first lap dab was the benchmark. Even Sadler, Sam Yeadon, Joe Jennings, Ben Robinson and course plotter Nigel Crowther dropped maximums on their laps.

 

The green rocks at the third and the narrow stream bed meant one line for all. Sadler and Maynard cleaned but many did not. Wendy Yeadon was in her element watching any stationary moments. Clubman A missed the big rocks consequently Alan Mudd planted a good marker for the class. Paul Gravestock, Tony Holmes and Phil Scott matched Alan's triple cleans. By the count at the top of the seventh Mudd was trailing on seven after failing the first section so Falcon's Chris Tolson was happy on two dabs.

 

Sadler was clean while Maynard had his single dab in the second section on his card, In Clubman B it was serious business with Ian Haigh and Karl Greaves on a single mark. Class winner Rob Hardisty was playing at being an enduro rider and completed the course before many managed a lap. He is now known as Rocket Robert

 

. The triple rocky crags group under the pylons and overlooking Skipton were bone dry so the losses right across the board were minimal. Not so the thirteenth where Denis Pitts scorched under the blazing sun. It may have been 26c on the day but the narrow little stream and its path out through the soggy under growth was testing and demanded a precise line and the speed. All but Sadler dropped marks in the top ranks. The same applied to Clubman A who rode the hard line. Hardisty swept round on his final lap to record his third clean.

 

The final section was a tester. Up the rocky loose slope, under the stout tree branches. Maynard lost eight of his total on the section. Ben Goddard rode the hard course and smacked his head on the low branch to such effect it damaged his crash helmet. The Follifoot teenager adjourned back to the paddock to clear his head, and effect repairs to his headgear.

 

Two years previous was when Sam Yeadon missed the woodwork by a millimetre. On Sunday six foot tall Goddard found it, the hard way. BR