Yorkshire Classic’s 2017 Championship Season started with 10 sections on the hillside off Lady Lane plotted by Clerks of Course, Colin and Tim Pawson and Colin Lawrence. The weather was dry and quite warm, a change from past years’ wind, rain and snow! 68 riders turned up to enjoy a good day’s sport with only Steve Thomas and Mick Haslam going clean all day on the Clubman route. A mixture of climbs and drops over and round the rocky outcrops took marks from all the other competitors.
Best on the Premier Route was Norman Shepherd, losing his only mark on John Brindle’s uphill climb over the rocks with a tight right-hander at the top. Second was Tony Calvert on 3, complete with foot pump due to a puncture late on, again a dab on John’s section and 2 marks lost on section 10, the hardest section of the day for the Premier Route, a climb through large rocks with a very slippery banking and turn to finish. Best rides here came from Mick Grant and Ian Hopley on 1, with Chris Haigh and Robin Luscombe also on 2. For the Clubmen, an easier path through the rocks had been plotted but again apart from class leaders only Les Humphries, John Holdsworth and Jim Jardine kept their feet on the pegs!
On the Clubman route, Eric Boocock and Keith Hobson were second on 3, with Colin Benson and Bob Baker third on 5 and Gary Marshall on his Rigid TRW fourth on 6. Both routes on section 5 caught out the majority of the entry. A steady start up and round a series of projecting rocks finished with a tricky uphill climb and turn over loose rocks. Outside the Class leaders notable clean rides came from Nigel Greenwood on the Premier route with Steve Rayner on his 8E Tandon and Neil Anderton on his Bantam for the Clubman.
A new innovation on the day was the double sub of sections 7 and 8 up the stream at the far end of the course which kept Sue Driffield busy marking her 2 cards. A slippery drop into the stream at the start took a few marks from the Clubmen with the top sub causing most of the problems with its loose rocks and bankings in the narrow streambed.
It was agreed by all that the Course Plotters had done a good job and our thanks go to them for a good days sport and the Landowner, Observers and Riders, and Barry Pickard for results and photos.
Results
Premier Route
Class A Pre-Unit Springers
1st Chris Haigh Velocette – 4 2nd Dave Emmott Tri Twin – 14
3rd Mick Clarke Ariel – 17
Class D Cubs
1st Tony Calvert - 3 2nd John Maxfield – 4 3rd Andrew Scott - 16
Class E Unit over 246
1st Neil Buckley Royal Enfield – 24 2nd Colin Davy C15 - 56
Class F 2–Strokes
1st Norman Shepherd Bantam – 1 2nd Chris Gascoigne F/B - 5
3rd Mick Grant Bantam - 6
Class S Specials
1st Robin Luscombe Cub – 5 2nd Ian Hopley S/Cub – 10
3rd Jake Ingram B40 - 23
Clubman Route
Class B Pre-Unit Telefork Rigid over 347cc
1st Gary Marshall TRW – 6 2nd Tim Pawson Norton - 41
Class H Vintage 2-stroke
1st Eric Atkinson James – 34
Class K Open Clubmen
1st Steve Thomas Bantam - 0 2nd Eric Boocock Cub - 3
3rd Jason Lee F/B – 3 4th Bob Baker Cub - 5
Class T Pre-Unit Springer
1st Colin Benson Ariel – 5 2nd Paul Jackson Velo - 8
3rd John Patefield Triumph Twin – 10
K Specials
1st Mick Haslam McD Cub – 0 2nd Keith Hobson McD Cub - 3