The stage was set at last Sunday’s final round of the Dave Barkshire Two Man Enduro Championship to decide the winning pair in the Clubman Class. In contention were Ben Alexander (Woodbridge)/Tom Fazah (Bury St Edmunds) and Robert Aldridge (Diss)/Ed Pooley (Stowmarket) both equal on points and round scores.
The rain Saturday afternoon and overnight frost created perfect riding conditions at Tye Farm Great Cornard Suffolk organised by the Sudbury Motor Cycle Club. The morning session of two hours was hotly contended between Alexander/Fazah and Aldridge/Pooley with the lead changing every 30 minute sessions and after the final morning session Alexander/Fazah had completed 27 laps to Aldridge/Pooley 26 laps.
It was still all to ride for in the afternoon sessions with the course ridden in the other direction and the first lap being timed to decide any ties. Aldridge/Pooley struck first blood with a special test time of 4 minutes 13 seconds four seconds faster than Alexander/Fazah so it was all down to which team could complete the most laps and fewer penalties. Again the lead changed regularly during the afternoon and the team Aldridge/Pooley completed 30 laps while Alexander/Fazah could only manage 29 and with both teams equal on 56 laps each it was down to time penalties for lateness at the end of each session which resulted in a win for Aldridge/Pooley on 54.83 laps to Alexander/Fazah 54.50 laps so Aldridge/Pooley were crowned Clubman Class Champions. The only other contender for the Title was Jake Gregory/Richard Squirrell who finished third on the day with 54.33 laps. Sudbury pairing of Jim Funston/Terry Hadwen secured 4
th place with Chris Wright/Tristian Hales 5
th and Ben Roper/Ryan McDonnell (both Sudbury) 6
th.
With the Championship Class having been won by Tom Braddock (Lowestoft) and James Potter (Woodbridge) it was left to overall second and third places to be settled between Adam Ranson/Mark Chapman (Diss) and Paul Belton/Phil Roper (Sudbury) who was on equal points. However on the day it was going to be a battle between Jason Morland (Halstead)/Julian Harvey (Ipswich) and Jamie & Craig Roper (Sudbury) with the 2014 Expert Class winners Glenn Walsh/Ian Tutton (Sudbury) having a run out in the higher Class which they will be riding in next year.
Throughout the day Morland/Harvey and the Ropers battled it out and the lead changed constantly but it was slip in the bog by Jamie Roper which enabled the other team to gain the advantage which resulted in a win for Morland/Harvey on 58.00 laps to the Ropers 57.00 laps. It was a great achievement for Walsh/Tutton with third place ahead of the Contest winner Braddock/Potter.
It was credit to Ben Martin (Sudbury) who rides two Classes lower and with Brendan Mayers (Halstead) finished 6
th while top Moto Cross rider James Cottrell riding with his father finished 8
th. The Belton/Roper team managed 7
th on the day to become runners up in the Contest. It was a great win on the day for Alex Walton/Andy Quorn (Sudbury) in the Expert Class beating Martin & David Stevens (Diss) and Dale & Gary Gladwin (Sudbury). With this Class already won by Walsh/Tutton the Stevens brothers have secured 2
nd place with Walton/Quorn 3
rd.