The Sporting
T S I L C Y C R O T MO
..published monthly
orting motorcycling
News for social and sp
March 2019
Enduro, Grasstrack, Motocross, Road Racing, Speedway, Sprinting and Trials news
CONTAINS OFFICIAL EVENT ENTRY FORMS
The Sporting
MOTORCYCLIST
is published monthly and is available through your Clubs or by direct subscription
Editor
(ACU Southern Centre) John Bramall
16 Gifford Close, Fareham, Hampshire, PO15 6PJ T: 01329 823282 E: johnbramall246@btinternet.com
Editor
(ACU South Midland Centre) Bob Twigg
2 Harwood Close, Welwyn Garden City, Herts, AL8 7SN E: bobtwigg@ntlworld.com
Editor & Advertising and Distribution
(ACU South Eastern Centre) Andy Wood 30 Westways, Edenbridge, Kent TN8 6AA Tel/Fax 01732 865380
E: anmarprintingservices@gmail.com
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Anmar Printing Services, Edenbridge, Kent
MARCH 2019 VOL. 19 ISSUE 3 PUBLISHED ON THE 1ST OF EACH MONTH
All material for TSM should reach the editor by the tenth day of the month preceding publication.
Cover Photo: Josh and Luke Golding Photo by: Andy Withers awsportphoto@gmail.com
FROM THE EDITOR'S CHAIR n By Bob Twigg
There was a good turnout of youngsters on electric bikes at the Berkhamsted clubs Frostbite trial at Great Brickhill at the end of 2018. I wonder if they really are the future of trials. One Dad said to me that he would change the battery on his sons bike after two laps. I do wonder if when the time comes when they have to change to a petrol engine bike will they cope with clutch and gears. Also, like the appearance of electric cars we may need a few more power stations! I see that Gas Gas have developed a "leccy" with gears, that might be interesting. Ex Wycombe "ace" Ian Mackman, who runs a bike dealership in the North East sells the adult size electric trials iron. He says it will spin the wheel if you are a bit clumsy with the right hand! Will youngsters who have started at an early age get fed up with the sport by the time they are sixteen and have discovered girls and GTI's! I am of the opinion that it will be some years before electrics are the norm. A recent comment in Nick Boxall's trials forum mentioned riders visiting pubs in road based trials, if you were not at the back of the entry it was almost mandatory! A rotten job for the back marker getting riders out of the public bar so that the trial progressed! When we used to visit Ireland in the 1980's considerable amounts of the "black stuff" were consumed in a week. Maybe I should not have admitted to that, I must confess that my riding was affected somewhat afterwards! Returning to the subject of youth riders, the North East London club used to stage a National youth round at Bayford woods, under the watchful eye of Pat Hadingham. Here I have to say that many of the Northern riders suffered a bit. There were several comments of "I come two hundred miles to ride in this", It seems that many of them had not encountered mud and tree roots "oop home"! Once a youth parent told me that the trials tyres fitted to the small wheel eighties are not really much good, the bigger size tyres on big wheel models offer considerably more grip. I must say in defence of my remarks on Northern youth riders that today they are superb. Watching some of them at the Berko' clubs Tough Ten trial I was most impressed, maybe Berkhamsted can find some mud and tree roots at later events! All the best riders, have a good years sport. Contributions in this issue: Bob Twigg, Chris Fletcher, Mike Wiseman, Bob Brown, Neil Emmott, Mick Auger, Alan Turner, John Bramall, Tristan Robinson, Fraser Law, Karen Southwood, Hayley Bell, Bob Adams, John Sapsard, John Eckhart, Tom Grimshaw, Ken O'Brien, Paul Durbajlo, Andy Wood, Gloria Moss, Richard Thomas, Mike Murdoch and Ray Denyer Would you like to contribute? Please send to the editor, contact details on page 3,
3
C
O N T E NTS
Enduro
The Witley 'Classic' Enduro
Grasstrack
GRASA Membership Grass Track News South East Awards Evening
Motocross
Successful Seminars Ladies Line up Wanted
Centres Officials
Chairmen South Eastern: Roger Brown Tel: 01273 563931
10 26 27 30 5 42
Speedway
Sittingbourne Speedway 2019 5 Kent Kings Speedway 8 Speedway Anniversary at National Speedway Museum 34
South Midland: John Coles Tel: 01865 361735 Southern: Bob Hewson Tel: 023 9259 2919
Secretaries South Eastern: Peter Burrell Tel: 020 8300 5572 40 Annandale Road, Sidcup, Kent, DA15 8EL email: pj.burrell@btintternet.com South Midland: Terry Golds Tel: 01582 455714 Mobile: 07747 855264 21 Buckingham Drive, Stopsley, Luton, Beds, LU2 9RA email: terrylgolds@ntlworld.com Southern: Chris Fletcher Mobile: 07443048362 1 Fairclose, Whitchurch, Hampshire, RG28 7AN email: chris-fletcher@tiscali.co.uk
Trials
British Sidecar Championship 5 Ixion Championship 9 Gordon Jackson 13 South Eastern TVTC 16 SE Star Group Championship 17 SM Meteor Group Championship 17 Trials Wellies 18 GB RT Keedwell British Solo Trials Championship Round 1 19 Pete Michell Trial 20 Heel Farm Trial - Sunday April 7th 43 Central England Classic Trials Championship 43
Permit Secretaries South Eastern: Inquiries to Peter Burrell South Midland: Ian Reynolds Tel: 0208 9079856 Mobile: 07803766314 186 Regal Way, Harrow Middlesex, HA3 0SQ email: reynolds.russell@virgin.net Southern: Claire Ballard Tel: 0118 981 2595 26 Droxford Crescent, Tadley, Hampshire, RG26 3BA email: ballardclaire@hotmail.com
Benevolent Fund Representatives South Midland: Dave Porter Tel: 01582 651189 22 Belper Road, Luton, Beds, LU4 8RG Southern: Terry Graves Tel: 02380 643503 13 Locksley Road, Eastleigh, Hampshire, SO50 5DX South Eastern: Hazel Collins Tel: 01189 421534 14 Brookside, Calcot, West Berks, RG31 7PJ
Regulations Motocross
Sidcup, 14th April
Trials
Nene Valley, 10th March Wickham, 10th March Gravesend Eagles, 24th March Hillingdon & Uxbridge, 24th Mar Barham, 31st March Bridport & Weymouth, 7th April Kenton & Kingsbury, 7th April Sittingbourne, 7th April Barham, 14th April South Reading, 14th April The Star Group, 14th April Alton, 21st April Isle of Wight, 27th-28th April
37 6 6 14 14 23 31 31 32 32 37 38 44 44
Entry Forms 7, 15, 22, 33, 39, 40, 45
Rights of Way Officers South Eastern (Sussex): Bevis Billingham Tel: 01243 585128 182 Elmer Road, Middleton on Sea, Bognor Regis, PO22 6JA South Eastern (Kent): Steve Neville Tel: 01797 458939 26 Donsmead Drive, Northiam, TN31 6EQ South Midland: Chris Hurworth Tel: 01494 446198 23 Cambridge Crescent, Totteridge, High Wycombe, HP13 7NE Southern: Martin Down Tel: 01264 365084 18 Barcelona Close, Andover, Hampshire, SP10 1JQ. email: martin.down1@gmail.com
Successful Seminars
QQ By Andy Wood
Run by Dave Edwards, Sidcup member and a very experienced Clerk of the Course on behalf of the SEMX Combine, the two seminars took place over the weekend 2nd & 3rd of February at West Kingsdown Village Hall near Brands Hatch. Both the MX Clerk of the Course Seminar and one for OffRoad Technical were attended by over 30 people on each day many of whom were new applicants.
OffRoad Technical attendees taking their test paper
Sittingbourne Speedway 2019
QQ By Andy Wood
Members filled the trackside cafe at Iwade last month for the Members General Meeting. Chairman Graham Arnold reported the activities at the venue in 2018 which did not reach all the initial
expectations but nevertheless provided a year of worthwhile activity at the venue. Much discussion was given to the calendar of events for 2019 and the provisional list of events drawn up showed an interesting array of events planned from
February to the end of October. The final list will be available when confirmed; visit sittingbourne-speedway.co.uk to check for details when available.
Wessex Plant Hire (Bristol) British Sidecar Championship
QQ By Richard Thomas
Normandy M.C.C. will be running their fifth Ray Thomas Sidecar Trial and this year it will be the First Round of the Championship on Sunday March 3rd The event returns to ‘Sethern’ Rams Lane, Dunsfold. GU8 4NR for which grateful thanks go to Roy and Lynne Enticknap for the use of their land. For this year we have added an extra Class to the event. Organisers now have the option of including a Non Championship Sportsman class and three crews are among the entry list. This will be a Very Easy route to try and encourage new teams into the sport so let’s hope it does.
It all starts at 10am and the 28 crews will be fighting it out, trying to get a good start on the board for 2019. You will be amazed what some of the teams can do on three wheels, so why not come along and give then your support and see the best crews in the country. There will be a presentation of Trophies to the winning crews in each Class at the end of the event at approximately 3:30 to 3:45. This is the second year we have a Trophy very kindly donated by Alf & Tracy Miles, Naughty but Nice Catering to one observer whose name will be pulled out of a hat and they will keep the trophy.
So why not come along and give them your support and see the best sidecar crews in the country.
Take part in discussions about motorsport in your centre and post reports for publication. facebook.com/thesportingmotorcyclist 5
The Sporting
MOTORCYCLIST
A monthly publication written by enthusiasts for enthusiasts
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The Sporting Motorcyclist Contains: Entry forms and regulations for Motocross, Trials, Enduro, Grasstrack events Information on the management of the sport in your centre Previews and reports on events Action photos
• • • •
Official news from the ACU and over 160 clubs in the Southern, South Eastern and South Midland Centres Fixture lists / championship tables Social events Your contributions?
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