Friday April 10, 2015 at 1:16pm
68 riders mounted on Pre-70 and Twin-shock bikes started the now traditional 2 + 2 lap format trial set out around the Woodbridge & D MCC Moto-X track at Blaxhall. Two laps of 12 sections, laid out on gravel and wooded banks, were to be attempted prior to a lunch interval during which the sections were reversed, two more laps were then to be ridden. With heavy rain forecast for overnight and into the trial day itself some consideration had to be given when setting out the sections on Thursday in dry sunny conditions. In true British style barely a drop of rain fell and with it being dry on the day, ideal conditions for the riders left some of the sections less challenging than they might have been. With a low scoring event on the cards any marks lost could be crucial in deciding the outcome of the day, and maybe beyond with this being the opening round of the 2015 Eastern Centre Championship for the Pre-70 classes.
There were only two contenders on the hard route of the Pre-Unit class. Matt Neale (Ariel 500) was in good form, after cleaning the first lap he dropped his only mark of the morning session on his second attempt at the short steep climb of section 4. At the halfway stage Clive Dopson (Norton 490) was on a score of five, he had also had a dab on section 4 as well as a further four on the banks of sections 9,10 and 12. With the sections being ridden in the opposite direction in the second session, a step at the top of a short climb in section 3 cost Neale his only five of the day. A dab here on his final attempt was the third and last time that Neale would trouble the observers on his way to top spot. Dopson suffered two stops on the same step, he also picked up another five on section 6, his front wheel sliding away on a downhill cross camber, a further handful of dabs left him well adrift in second place. Kevin Goldsmith (Royal Enfield 350) was the only other Pre-Unit mounted rider, although being unchallenged on the easy route put in some excellent rides to reach the lunch break with only a single mark lost. Unfortunately he couldn't hold his form in the second session, although he didn't drop a single five all day a couple of both twos and threes and a few dabs pushed his score up in the afternoon
Like in the Pre-Unit class, only two riders contested the hard route in the Unit class, Chris Collins (BSA 250) and Gary Baker (Triumph 200) both showing their vast experience and their usual mastery of bike control. With both of them going clean throughout the morning all was still to play for after the lunch interval. Baker was the first to yield, his one and only loss being a three on the downhill cross camber of section 10 on his third lap. Collins maintained his clean sheet on lap 3, it was his final attempt at section 10 that came closest to being his undoing; however his single mark lost here would mean that he went home with the win. On the Intermediate route, new convert to Pre-70 bikes, Kevin Bishop (Triumph 230) only had a single dab on section 11 on his first lap, a feat he repeated on his second. At the break Gordon Blackburn (Triumph 350) was holding second spot, an early dab on section 2 and a pair of twos on the cross cambered section 11, putting him three marks adrift of Bishop. On returning to the action Blackburn was right on it, going clean on his third lap. Bishop did not fare so well, he dropped a three on the short sharp climbs of section 4 and another two on section 11, by the end of his third lap his three mark advantage had gone, instead he was two down from Blackburn. Despite Bishop having a clean last lap, Blackburns lap for a sole dab on section 7 was enough for him to end the day victorious by a single mark. On the easy Unit route neither of the two contestants had particularly good opening laps, both dropped two fives, Brian Cook (BSA 250) had his on sections 4 and 10 while Chris McKenzie failed on sections 3 and 7. Things did get better for both as they each did their second laps for one, at the interval Cook held a two mark lead, which by the end of the day had increased to 13.
On the hard route in the Two-Stroke class Daniel Carter (James 250) was a comfortable winner for the second succesive year, two clean laps in the morning session left him eight marks clear of Kevin Hood (Sprite 246) who was his nearest rival. Hood had taken a five on the wooded bank of section 10 in the morning, he also failed the the step over a large root at the top of section 3 on both attempts in the afternoon. Carter also failed the step on his first go in the afternoon, he got away with a dab on his second run, these being the only marks he lost all day. Not only did Carter have a clear victory but also won the 'Margaret and Kenny Shield' , awarded to the best performing Woodbridge Club rider. On the intermediate route it turned out that Kevin Plummer (BSA 185) blew his chance of victory on his first attempt at section 2, where he scrambled through for a three. He lost another single mark on the loose climb in section 7, giving him a first lap score of four. Graham Braybrook (BSA 186) had just a couple of dabs on his first lap, one in the trees of section 8 and one at 10 giving him a two mark advantage over Plummer, this being the way things stayed as neither troubled the scorers for the rest of the day. On the easy route Eddie Hood (Francis Barnett 197) was comfortably consigned to second place by an in form Robert Clarke (Banten 290), a reversal of last years result.
On the hard route in the Twin-Shock class Mark Banham (Yamaha 175) easily won his class, just a single mark lost on section 3 spoiling a very nearly clean sheet. Second placed rider Mark Chapman (Ossa 250) rode consistently well all day and was the only other rider out of an entry of over a dozen to go home with a single figure total. Twenty riders contested the intermediate route, the top two positions were decided at section 11 on the second lap. Winner Mervyn Carlton (Fantic 240) got away with a two, a five for Doug Barrell (Fantic 156) was enough to end his chance of victory as both rode well all day, and ending with just a two mark advantage for Carlton.. On the easy route veterans Brian Neale (Honda 125) and Charles Frisby (Bultaco 325) couldn't be seperated and were the only riders to go home with clean sheets.
Pre-Unit Hard route Matthew Neale Ariel 500 7 Clive Dopson Norton 490 25
Easy route Kevin Goldsmith Royal Enfield 350 14
Unit Hard route Chris Collins BSA 250 1 Gary Baker Triumph 200 3
Intermediate route Gordon Blackburn Triumph 350 6 Kevin Bishop Triumph 230 7 Easy route Brian Cook BSA 250 17
Two-Stroke Hard route Daniel Carter James 250 6 Kevin Hood Sprite 246 19
Intermediate route Graham Braybrook BSA 186 2 Kevin Plummer BSA 185 4
Easy route Robert Clarke Banten 290 2
Twin-Shock Hard route Mark Banham Fantic 212 1 Mark Chapman Ossa 250 9
Intermediate route Mervyn Carlton Fantic 240 7 Doug Barrell Fantic 156 9
Easy route Brian Neale Honda 125 0 Charles Frisby Bultaco 325 0
Report by Trevor Andrews Trial Secretary.