Leeds-based three times British Trials Championship winner today added a fifth domestic title to his tally after taking victory at the Rene Pearce Memorial Trial, the seventh and final round of the 2014 R.T. Keedwell ACU British Trials Championship hosted by Torridge and District Motorcycle Club at Peter Tavy in Devon. Second place went to defending champion, Michael Brown – Gas Gas with Ross Danby – Jotagas claiming the remaining podium place.
With little time to draw breath following yesterday’s penultimate round of the British Championship season, it was swords drawn again today for Britain’s top riders as they did battle for the seventh and final time this year. Having won five of the six rounds to date, the determination of Dabill to reclaim the title taken from him by Brown last year has been apparent all season and today was no different though perhaps nerves or the pressure of having the title so close within his grasp showed in the earlier stages with the Beta-mounted protagonist dropping single dabs on the second and fourth sections of his opening lap which, along with his one and only maximum five of the day on the fifth section gave him a first lap score of seven to lay down the gauntlet to his rivals. Brown, who took his one and only victory of the year back at the opening round in the Lake District in April also had a somewhat shaky start with a dab on the opening section followed by a five on the third. Further dabs on the fifth and ninth sections and another maximum five on the tenth put him on an opening lap score of thirteen and, as on the previous day, an uphill struggle to recover.
With the taste of the winner’s champagne now very close, Dabill upped his game in the second lap dropping only single dabs on the second and tenth sections to give him a lap score of two and putting himself on the single-digit score of just nine with one lap remaining. Brown continued his fight to recover, but two dropped on the third section and another maximum five on the fifth effectively ended any hopes he had to retain his title. The Scarborough rider finished his second lap on a score of seven and an overall total of twenty.
Now in his stride there was no stopping Dabill. A third lap score of again just two with dabs on the second and ninth sections meant it was all over. Brown had no answer and a lap score of twelve meant his reign as British Champion was over – at least until next year.
The overall final Championship standings reflect James Dabill as 2014 British Trials Champion, with Michael Brown second and Alexz Wigg – Gas Gas in third place.
In the Expert Championship, even more unstoppable than Dabill was Guy Kendrew – Beta who has clocked up a very impressive maximum one hundred and forty championship points this season, winning every single round from start to finish. Second place on the day went to James Stones – Sherco, eighteen marks adrift of Kendrew with John Crinson – Sherco completing the podium line-up. Kendrew is 2014 British Expert Trials Champion with Stones second and Tom Affleck – Sherco third.
Ed: Our thanks to Dave Willoughby for his fast and efficient results service again this year.