Andy Fox was crowned king of Tinklers Farm after a winning performance on his Majesty. Fox, riding in the twinshock experts class, dropped just eight marks after four laps of ten sections at the difficult and demanding venue near Slaidburn, in the Forest of Bowland. Used for the first time in many years by the Lancashire-based club last year, the land offers everything from narrow gullies, streams, and grassy bankings to test all the riders.
Section ten proved to be one of the trickiest, with the experts setting off across the stream, which was more of a trickle thanks to recent dry weather, up the steep grass banking before negotiating a 180-degree turn to return downhill back into the stream and then up a very short banking at an angle. With many riders incurring penalties here, Fox showed his class by cleaning the section. Such was his superiority, class T runner-up Stephen Jarman (Honda) finished on 24 marks, with third place going to David Wilkinson (Honda) on 39.
With several Red Rose regulars away on other events, class A saw lone entrant Jake Ingram take the win with 61 marks lost on his BSA B40. Class C was similarly affected with four riders in the hunt for honours. Pete Clibburn’s score of 25 on his Cub was enough to take the victory, ahead of Steven Smith (BSA) and Colin Fray (DOT).
The Ce class podium was an all-Bantam affair with Steve Thomas’s excellent ride for just three penalties finishing well ahead of Steve Broomhead and Shaun Gent. Eric Atkinson and his James had class D all to themselves with a score of 61.
The Oldest Rider rule decided the winner of class Te, with clerk-of-the-course Malcolm Bell getting the verdict over fellow course plotter Mark Wilson after the pair tied on 11 marks. Richard Jarman finished third on his Dalesman.
Thanks go to the landowner, the observers and the clerks of the course Malcolm Bell and Mark Wilson.
The next Red Rose trial is at Walsden, Todmorden on 2nd July, the nearest postcode is OL14 6QY.
Results
Class A: Jake Ingram (BSA B40) 61.
Class C: Pete Clibburn (Cub) 25, Steven Smith (BSA) 55, Colin Fray (DOT) 63.
Class Ce: Steve Thomas (Bantam) 3, Ian Broomhead (Bantam) 12, Shaun Gent (Bantam) 18.
Class D: Eric Atkinson (James) 61.
Class T: Andy Fox (Majesty) 8, Stephen Jarman (Honda) 24, David Wilkinson (Fantic) 39.
Class Te: Malcolm Bell (Bultaco) 11, Mark Wilson (Honda) 11, Richard Jarman (Dalesman) 19.