Robbie Head & Les AshbyThe Thames Valley Trials Combine will close down the A.C.U. Luscombe Saab Leeds British Sidecar trials championship on Sunday at Hook Woods in what could be wintry conditions, but the final event in the championship will be red hot in the Intermediate and Clubman classes. Bristol’s Jon Tuck and passenger Matt Sparkes have cruised through eight events and scored one hundred and sixty championship points. Rochester son and father Rupert and Chris Kimber have had a testing year with a retirement in the Tuck Cross and a fourth and fifth at the Doncaster Cup and Mel Harrison trials though they did strike back to beat Tuck and Sparkes at the Talmag.
The rostrum position up for grabs will be from Daryl Dale and Hannah Etherington and Team Kimber. That no score at the Tuck Cross by the Kimbers means they have already dropped their score so their 131 points in solid and means pressure for Dale and Etherington. Only four Inters have entered. Robbie Head and Aaron Jacobs start with 147 points but only eight points ahead of rivals Karl Jarvis and Bob Chapman but Head and Jacobs no-scored at the D.K. Mansell. Exit their drop score
David Tuck and Steven Chandler are holding third place eight points behind the Jarvis/Jacobs duo. Returnees Sean and Paul Cuckow could be at home on the Hook Woods sand. The class is really wide open if Head and Jacobs falter.
The Clubmen are just about in the same category. Skipton brothers Chris and Robert Pickard have to finish no lower than third if Simon Evans and Nick Harding win Hook Woods. The Pickards have a ten to drop from Andy Cheesman while Evans and Harding are facing a thirteen drop at the Dommett. Thomas McDowell and Jon Stanley have the Newcomer title but Adam Allaway and Jake Pope will not be thinking about the Mansfield Maun crew on the day.