The Sporting
T S I L C Y C R O T MO
..published monthly
orting motorcycling
News for social and sp
January 2020
Enduro, Grasstrack, Motocross, Road Racing, ing,, 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
Printed by
Anmar Printing Services, Edenbridge, Kent
JANUARY 2020 VOL. 20 ISSUE 1 PUBLISHED ON THE 1ST OF EACH MONTH
All material for TSM should reach the editor by the tenth day of the month preceding publication.
FROM THE EDITOR'S CHAIR ď Ž By Bob Twigg
The festivities of the season are over and I hope all readers had a good time. Did you receive a new trials iron, motocross ,bike road racer or enduro bike from Santa ? Ordinary riders on the public roads might have been pleased with a new top box or heated gloves in their stocking! Looking through my old issues of the South Midland Review I saw that you could buy a Barbour suit for ÂŁ10.10 in 1954 from Monty Banks shop in East London. Today all the "fashion conscious" folk in Chelsea would pay three figure sums for them ( well the jacket anyway)! Monty would be at every centre trial in his van with it full of orders. A good rider and a true motorcycle enthusiast. I started trials with a motorcycle jacket, but it wasn't as nice as a Barbour, how I envied the "aces" in theirs. I also had a long riding coat ( stop laughing now ) that I would wear over the top of my riding suit , it kept the cold and wet out when I had a long ride to events far and wide. I'm glad we had those days of longer trials that used the road, the sections were only used once in a trial, in many ways it was easier for the clerk of the course as observers on earlier sections were only there until the back marker arrived. Of course as the road courses were longer observers on later hazards could still be out until it was dark with entries sometimes topping the 200 mark! Could you imagine a policeman's face today if he stopped a rider after dark riding with push bike lights back and front. Trials bikes didn't make you attractive to girls, maybe the single seat and no pillion footrests put them off (not my charming teenage good looks)! After the 125 Francis Barnett I got cocky and bought an Enfield Bullet from a member of the Edgware club. However, not being of the Charles Atlas physique I spent a lot of the time in sections under the bike rather than on it, a hefty old beast that was. The late Ron Baker (Gary's Dad) of the NEL club always seemed to be there during my disasters, having a good laugh I expect, thanks Ron from a long time ago! Enough of the all our yesterdays, Happy New Year to all and safe and enjoyable riding in 2020. Contributions in this issue: Bob Twigg, John Bramall, Billy Bishop, Andy Withers, Fraser Law, Andy Wood, Alan Turner, Roger Ashby, Dave Blanchard, Mick Auger, Liam Seamer, Johnn Sapsard, Mike Wiseman, John Eckhart, Neil Emmott, Nigel Cooper Would you like to contribute? Please send to the editor, contact details on page 3.
Cover Photo: Nicky Dowland Photo by: www.sossportsphotos.co.uk
Post reports about what is happening with motorsport in your centre.
facebook.com/thesportingmotorcyclist 3
78th Sunbeam Southern Experts Trial
Beach and Weymouth were lost on the riders as competition was intense but spectators appreciated the location. The two pure routes were taken by sixteen riders on the experts and thirty two on the Clubman whilst on the 50/50 Clubman/ Expert route twenty riders took on the challenge. Two top youth riders took on the A route and four the B. Expert Route Most of the souths top riders were entered on the expert route. Toby Martyn, Ross Danby, 2018 champion Tom Minta and Billy Green were only separated by three marks at the end of lap one. Martyn's two dabs on a cunning section three where is was so easy to trap a wheel between two rocks being his only loss. Martyn tightened up
ď Ž By Andy Withers Photos by awsportsphoto Toby Martyn - "King of the South" The 78th Sunbeam Southern Experts Trial attracted a strong field to Bowers Quarry on the Isle of Portland near Weymouth run this year by Bridport and Weymouth MCC, each year a Southern Club is selected by Sunbeam MCC to run the event on their behalf. Bright sunshine and fifteen sections crafted by Roger Johns' team took advantage of the rocks and climbs in the working quarry aimed to take marks from riders of all levels. The superb views over the sea to Chesel 10
for laps two and three losing just two more, taking steadying dabs, before a vertical lift up a rock face out of section nine. Danby was the nearest challenger looking at times to challenge with cleans on sections 3 and 9, he finished just six behind ahead of Minta and Green who couldn't quite match their first lap scores on laps two and three. Sam Connor improved lap on lap to be next up ahead of Oliver Smith who's challenge was hindered by an expensive lap one. Fourteen year old Jack Dance put in a superb performance to finish well inside the top ten, not phased by any obstacle put in front of him. Clubman/Expert Route This route was ridden mainly by top club experts, Grant Lamin put in a polished performance to win the 50/50 route class despite only riding Bridport and Weymouth Club club trials during the year. Lamin's riding partner Ben Lovelace matched him early on but finished ten down in second. Third place was decided on cleans after Jason Galvin and youngsters Tom McCabe and Toby Smith tied. Farnham based McCabe took it by one clean from Galvin and Smith. Clubman Route Veteran Neal Hubbard the 2009 clubman winner who rides very rarely was straight back into top form with an impressive 5-3-3 for eleven in total finishing well ahead of a big field. James Connor was twenty marks behind and James Stay showed superb concentration all day but was kicking himself to be only three marks behind Connor at the end. One to
watch, youngster Finlay Belcher from North Berks Club who has benefitted from programme of Southern ACU training days rode consistently throughout the trial finishing seventh overall. Youths Alice Minta and Oli Gray went head to head in Youth A, both avoided three figures on a tough route but Gray who has had a five week payoff pulled it back after a rusty first lap to win by a single mark. He took the winning trophy and a "diving award" for falling in the
water on section two. Minta who led early on picked up the "top lady" rider award. On the B route Devon rider Oliver Smith improved lap on lap losing just five on the final turn, he finished nine ahead of Joe Snelling from Surrey. Bridport and Weymouth after an eleven year break organised a superb trial taking marks off of all riders as planned but also receiving praise for a very well organised and enjoyable event. Toby Martyn became "King of the South" for the first time on Continued overleaf 11
The Sporting
MOTORCYCLIST
A monthly publication written by enthusiasts for enthusiasts
Subscription Form Would you like to receive The Sporting Motorcyclist? Please complete your relevant details below or we can email you a subs form, address below. Simply fill in this form and return by post with either a cheque (made payable to “The Sporting Motorcyclist”) or pay via bank transfer, using the payment reference of "your name TSM" (HSBC Bank Sort code: 40-20-35 Account Number: 91051687):
Andy Wood, 30 Westways, Edenbridge, Kent TN8 6AA Choose your subscription (NEW RATES from 1st January 2019) : 2nd class post
Please tick
12 issues - £25
1st class post
Please tick
12 issues - £28
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
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?
Action photos
Name: .......................................................................................................... Address: ..................................................................................................... ...................................................................................................................... ..................................................... Postcode: ............................................. Tel. No. ........................................ Email: ................................................... Please contact us immediately if your details change.
Please complete the following for our records (Delete non-applicable) 1) Are you a competitor / non competitor ? 2) Motorcycle Club: ______________________________ 3) Interest(s): Trials / Motocross / Grasstrack / Speedway / Enduro / Roadracing / Sprint / Hillclimb / Roadriding Your details are only used by The Sporting Motorcyclist for administration purposes, they are not shared with any third party and are held securely in line with the Data Protection Act 1998. This form is valid from January to December 2020
Form generated for January 2020 issue
Send membership queries to: anmarprintingservices@gmail.com