Kentish born Ripon domiciled Graham Jarvis faces his toughest Championship defence on Sunday where the 33 year old Champion clashes with young ‘pretenders’ Michael Brown, James Dabill, Sam Haslam, Ross Danby and Alexz Wigg and Lee Sampson. The average age of the sextet is twenty years. All six have just ridden World and European Championship rounds in the last seven days, and all have won or finished high in the standings.
Add in Shaun Morris, and Jarvis has a major battle on his hands to win Kinlochleven. Morris took Jarvis to the wire last year but sustained a very serious eye injury in a machine preparation mishap but he is almost back to fitness albeit with vision problems. Local ace Gary Macdonald flies the MRS Sherco flag and he is on top form on the Sherco 3.2 four stroke machine so expect the Kinlochleven joiner to chop the Brits down to size.
Novogar Champion James Fry and Joe Abbot battle for the Expert title with Ben Hemingway, Darren Brice, John Crinson and Liam Walker. Scottish hopes rest on the shoulders of Rodger Mount and Neil Dawson.
Early Provisional List:-
Championship Contenders.
1 Graham Jarvis (Heyshaw) MRS Sherco
2 Lee Sampson (Sheffield) Sherco
3 James Dabill (Leeds) Montesa
4 Shaun Morris (Charnock) JST Gas Gas.
5 Michael Brown (Scarborough) Repsol Beta.
6 Michael Phillipson (Crook) Repsol Beta.
7 Gary MacDonald (Kinlochleven) MRS Sherco.
8 Ian Austermuhle (Rosedale) Repsol Beta.
9 Ross Danby (Bewdley) JST Gas Gas
10 Craig Robinson (Buxton) JST Gas Gas
14 Sam Haslam (Chalfont St Peter) Birkett Scorpa.
16 George Morten (Rawtenstall) Repsol Beta.
18 Alexz Wigg (Winslow) JST Gas Gas.
Experts:
21 Joe Baker (Barnstaple) Birkett Scorpa.
22 Miles Jones (Chester) Gas Gas
23 Dan Thorpe (Chesterfield) JST Gas Gas.
24 Mika Vesterinen (Burnley) Beta.
25 Chris Pearson (Dronfield) MRS Sherco.
26 Liam Walker (Pontefract) JST Gas Gas
27 Matthew Jones (Scunthorpe) MRS Sherco.
28 James Fry (Brighton) MRS Sherco.
29 Gary Jenkins (Neath) MRS Sherco.
30 Dan Farrer (Dronfield) JST Gas Gas.
31 Gareth Andrews (Co Down) Repsol Beta.
32 Ben Wibberley (Kent) Stevens Gas Gas.
33 Sam Ludgate (Ponterfract) Repsol Beta.
34 Zac Sherwin (Leeds) Repsol Beta.
35 Nick Baker (Taunton) OAS Beta 4T.
36 John Crinson (Sunderland) MRS Sherco
37 Phillip Kettlewell (Northallerton) Gas Gas.
38 Ben Wibberley.(no details)
39 Josh Law (no details)
40 John Sunter (Richmond) Sandiford Montesa
41 Phil Disney (Bingley) Beta
43 James Carr (Scarborough Feet Up Scorpa.
44 Darren Brice (Seascale) Birkett Scorpa
45 John Walker ( ) Montesa 4RT.
46 Neil Dawson (Scotland)
47 Harry Henry (no details)
48 Ben Hemingway (Wetherby) Beta-UK Com
49 Rodger Mount (Scotland) no details
Expert 125cc
Adam Jones (Scunthorpe) MRS Sherco
Youths (non Championship)
50 Ben Morphett (Herne Bay) JST Gas Gas
51 Jonny Walker (Wren MRS Sherco
52 Jack Thompson (Matlock) Sherco
53 Jonathan Richardson (Skeeby) JST Gas Gas.
Issued by Barry Robinson (NUJ) on behalf of the Auto Cycle Union, Rugby. Contact number 01943 –881022 or email [email protected]
Full results will be available at the Parc Ferme at the event or from the above named by email on Sunday evening.