A good turn out for all classes to compete the fourth round of the Ixion club championship held in brilliant sunshine although the temperature dipped dramatically towards the end of proceedings as an easterly wind whipped up. The venue was the very popular Standlake Pits where course plotting was put to the test as many areas were dry after months of drought like conditions. Ten tricky sections were plotted to be ridden four times with a variety of gravely banks- slick climbs - fallen trees and steep cambered rooty hills.
Best Expert was Callum Wilkinson riding for the first time at Ixion piloting the 250 Mont around for a loss of 34 putting an inch perfect ride in on section 7 on all four visits. Starting with a steep cambered drop this section looked easy to the eye but a tight turn in soft ancient wood mulch made for an exiting very steep loose climb and had to be negotiated with precision control.
Ryan Tomkins was best Intermediate on the hard route losing 58 but had good rides at section 3 'Jakes Bank' with a couple of prods early on then clean for the remaining laps. This a very awkward grassy camber with a steep drop before turning over a rotting willow stump.
On the standard yellow route top clubman Adrian Steele 250 Beta took a steadying dab lap two section 10 but that was it cleaning all other hazards. Section 10 however was the second part of a Double-Sub a seemingly easy affair but a hop over a stricken bough and into a bog put paid to a clean ride as Adrian got twisted up in the morass and had to take a factory dab.
Ex Motocrosser Brian Tomkins took best novice on 33 marks lost making section 6 look all to easy a loose cambered drop then a third gear blast over an outcrop of roots.
Lorenzo Timms Aced the Twinshock class on his immaculately presented TLR 200 Rothmans Honda plonking through most sections in bottom gear hardly spinning the wheel.
Another newcomer to the Ixion Tim Roblett went home with a smile on his face after putting the best performance in on the the White eased route. Tim lost nine marks with a one on the first section of the day this hazard was newly cut and used for the first time a cambered turn with a ghastly deteriorating ditch crossing before a left hander over a lattice of roots exposed as the swamp had receded due to dry weather.
Many thanks to all the observers.
Report Ken O'Brien
Results
Expert Callum Wilkinson 250 Mont 34
Jason Clifford 250 Beta 50
Inter Ryan Tomkins TRS 280 58
Yellow Standard Route
Clubman Adrian Steele Beta 250 1
Phil Ducker TRS 250 7
Novice Brian Tomkins TRS 280 33
Twinshock Lorenzo Timms TLR 200 54
White Easy Course (sportsman)
Tim Roblett 250 Beta 9
Jack French 250 Beta 15
Steve 'Rambo' McHugh 250 Beta 16
Martin Jones 250 Mont 24
British Bike Wayne Hutton 199 Cub 41