Monday October 24, 2011 at 11:33am
You know the season is drawing to a close when South Hants Scramble Club host the annual Bill Turner and Wally Searle meeting at Binsted. Beautiful autumn sunshine greeted the competitors and good close racing entertained the crowd, including a tiger and zebra clad Neil Franks and Ryan Humphrey!
The Wally Searle class, for twinshock sidecars with foreign engines, had a good turn out with 18 outfits on the line for race 1. Paul Morris/Paul Horton took the holeshot and although Rob Wilkinson/Ady Matthews and Chris Walker/Luke Williams tried hard they were no match for the pair who lead from start to finish. There were some good battles throughout the field with a very close finish between Paul Kimbell/Alex Leisk and Mark Kinge /Dug Woods. Race two looked like it was going to be a repeat as Morris/Horton came over the first hill in front but Shaun Mallows/Colin Dunkley, who hadn’t finished race 1, had other ideas and took over the lead on lap 4 of 6. Both teams pulled away from Wilkinson/Matthews who were having their own race with Kinge/Woods they managed however to keep them at bay to finish third. Race 3 was déjà vue for Morris/Horton who quickly built up a gap back to Wilkinson/Matthews who this time were battling with Mallows/Dunkley to keep second place. Morris/Horton crossed the line a long way ahead to take the overall and lift the Wally Searle Trophy. Despite having Mallows/Dunkley right on their sandrail for the whole race Wilkinson/Matthews held on to both second in the race and on the day.
The outfits with British engines were competing for the Bill Turner Trophy and as last year had their own races. Arthur Walton/James Georges took the lead at the start of race 1 with Paul Harker/Matt Williams and Ricky Coles/Kev Mullins in hot pursuit. Although this result stood as they took the chequered flag Walton/Georges couldn’t relax as Harker/Williams were right behind them from start to finish but both these front two teams pulled way from Coles/Mullins in third place. Race 2 saw Tony and Scott Beeching take the holeshot but it wasn’t to be for the pairing as a crash on lap 1 put paid to their days racing. Harker/Williams took over at the front with Coles/Mullins and Walton/Georges chasing. Out front Harker/Williams pulled away to take the win leaving the following two to battle for second but Coles/Mullins held on. Race 3 was a repeat of race 2 with Harker/Williams getting the lead at the start and staying there until the flag. The same two teams followed but this time Walton/Georges got the better of Coles/Mullins and once past began to reel in the leaders but with the races only 6 laps time was not on their side and to settle for second.
As SHSC’s fun day known as ‘Sidecar Sunday’ was cancelled last month a pre-arranged passenger swop for that meeting was put into action for the modern class. Jack Etheridge had Michael Franks on the side and Neil Franks had Ryan Humphrey in the chair. Also as part of the pre-arranged fun Franks/Humphrey dressed for the occasion in tiger and zebra all in ones! Race 1 saw Etheridge/Franks take the holeshot with Steve Pannell/Jo Reynolds and Mark Banks/Steve Randall behind them. Banks/Randall were quickly overhauled by Adam Field/Paul Hutchman, Franks/Humphrey and Mick Noyce/Mark Searle. Pannell/Reynolds were passed on lap 2 by Field/Hutchman and Franks/Humphrey who both began to reel in the leaders. Field/Hutchman lost out to the ‘Tiger and Zebra’ who eventually took the lead from Etheridge/Franks and the win. Franks/Humphrey took the lead from the start of race 2 and pulled away from Etheridge/Franks who were forced to pull in with a rear wheel puncture. This time it was Oldfield/Kinge, who had been left on the line in race 1, who took up the chase and finally passed Franks/Humphrey for the win. Once again Field/Hutchman had a brilliant ride and claimed third with Jon Pannell/Chris Pannell in fourth. The holeshot for race 3 was once taken by Franks/Humphrey with Etheridge/Franks, Pannell/Reynolds Oldfield/Kinge close behind. This time Franks/Humphrey began to pull away and took their second win of the day and the overall. Oldfield/Kinge got by Pannell/Reynolds to start the charge after Etheridge/Franks. This left a battle between the Pannell brothers with Pannell/Pannell finally getting the better of Pannell/Reynolds. It wasn’t Etheridge/Franks’ day as they retired with a blown head gasket. It had been Field/Hutchman’s turn to get left on the line but they continued their brilliant day by storming through the pack and bumping Pannell/Reynolds down to fifth to claim fourth place.
Results:
Wally Searle Trophy
1st Paul Morris/Paul Horton
2nd Rob Wilkinson/Ady Matthews
3rd Mark Kinge/Dug Woods
Bill Turner Trophy
1st Paul Harker/Matt Williams
2nd Arthur Walton/James Georges
3rd Ricky Coles/Kev Mullins
Modern Sidecars
1st Neil Franks/Ryan Humphrey
2nd Rob Oldfield/Gary Kinge
3rd Adam Field/Paul Hutchman
Report and photos Ann Reynolds