old trials fanatic Posted February 28, 2012 Report Share Posted February 28, 2012 With the 2011/12 season now well and truly behind us riders were chomping at the bit to compete for the awards for the coming 2012 / 2013 Trials season with the Peak Classic Trials Club. The opener of the season was as usual at the very popular venue of Dudwood Farm near Elton Derbyshire and the weather was glorious a beautiful spring day helping dry the land leaving the sections in prime condition. The team had spent Friday and Saturday laying out 10 sections, to be ridden 4 times, through the streams, woodland and rocky outcrops that comprise local Trials impresario Barry Burtons home Dudwood Farm. Barry not only allowed us to use his farm and outbuildings for the event he even helped out by observing a section. What a star! This was the first event where the club would be running the new Classic Expert and Classic Intermediate classes and after a bit of confusion all seemed to go well in the end with everybody who rode those routes happy with the outcome so looks like it was the right decision to include the classes to make the progression from Clubman to Expert more progressive. 64 riders started the event with some big names from the world of Classic Trials also present a tough competition was assured with nobody wanting to blink first. The legend that is Dave Thorpe came out tops in the British Bike Expert class keeping his feet well and truly planted on the pegs all day to record a clean sweep. Watching Dave was simply awesome he makes even the trickiest section seem like a main road. Keeping Dave honest was Mick Grant close behind losing just 5 marks on his Ariel which is almost as much a legend as he is. One other name that has been a feature of Trials both on the UK stage but also the European Championship during the 60’s and 70’s was Peter Gaunt looking barely half his 75 years of age. Peter was out on his 62cc Honda maintaining his preference for small capacity machinery. Remember the Gaunt Jawa and Suzukis from the 70’s? Peter picked his way through the hazards to record a very creditable 4th in the Expert Twinshock class losing a miserly 14 marks 7 less than some of the guest riders on modern machinery none of whom were even born when Peter was one of the top 3 riders in Europe and he has obviously lost none of his talents. The new Classic Expert class was won by Peter Carson on his Bantam who also kept a clean sheet for the day followed home by his brother Derek also Bantam mounted on 14 marks. Another class family act was the team of Mark and Ashley Hallows who took wins in the Expert Twinshock and Classic Expert Twinshock classes well done guys. The Intermediate British Bike and Classic Intermediate Twinshock classes were also taken by a father and son team of Mark and Peter Elvidge. Mark having machine problems on his Francis Barnett but still managed to triumph through adversity to take the win while father Peters Honda never missed a beat to triumph on the new Classic Intermediate route. Last but by no means least for the first time in a long time we almost had a full complement of observers and the Club would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank all the people who picked the board up and helped make the event so enjoyable. After the event came the presentation of last seasons awards which were handed over to the class winners by another legend the ever young at heart Mick Andrews. We are so lucky at Peak Classic to be able to ride with such enthusiastic like minded people of all ages but it was almost like the old days to sit alongside the likes of Dave Thorpe, Peter Gaunt, Mick Grant and Mick Andrews who all just like us enjoy the sport so much. Expert British Bike 1st Dave Thorpe Cub 0 marks 2nd Mick Grant Ariel 5 marks 3rd David Dench Cub 16 marks Expert Twinshock 1st Mark Hallows Majesty 4 marks 2nd Bob Gent Fantic 7 marks 3rd Stephen Bisby Ossa 13 marks Expert Air Cooled Mono 1st Andrew Weston Yamaha 27 marks Classic Expert British Bike 1st Peter Carson Bantam 0 marks 2nd Derek Carson Bantam 14 marks 3rd Nigel Crappor Cub 48 marks Classic Expert Twinshock 1st Ashley Hallows Yamaha 9 marks 2nd Ian Bend Ossa 11 marks 3rd Antony Sprinks Bultaco 39 marks Intermediate British Bike 1st Mark Elvidge Francis Barnett 24 marks 2nd Peter Barber Greeves 26 marks Intermediate Twinshock 1st Stephen Eyre SWM 17 marks 2nd Gary Shield Bultaco 23 marks 3rd Mark Kearsley Yamaha 32 marks Intermediate Air Cooled Mono 1st Michael Dorricott Honda 7 marks 2nd Matt Dixon ` Honda 12 marks 3rd Gary Martin Yamaha 13 marks Classic Intermediate British Bike 1st Paul Beswick James 6 marks 2nd Johnathan Harrison Triumph 6 marks 3rd Kevin Scott Cub 12 marks Classic Intermediate Twinshock 1st Peter Elvidge Honda 4 marks 2nd Mark Barrington Honda 13 marks 3rd Peter Austin Bultaco 20 marks Clubman British Bike 1st Peter Cottrell Bantam 28 marks 2nd David Pickering Francis Barnett 36 marks 3rd James Wickstead BSA 56 marks Clubman Twinshock 1st Sean Wickstead Honda 17 marks 2nd John Davies Bultaco 21 marks 3rd Stephen Baker Yamaha 36 marks Clubman Air Cooled Mono 1st Graham Lyons Honda 5 marks 2nd Barrie Rodgers Yamaha 19 marks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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