Barrow’s Beta Barrow Blast
If ever there was a bike suited to a rider, then Mark Barrow on a 250 Beta looks to be an ideal combination. For many years the self-employed electrician was always a rider on a Gas Gas, but some months ago he made the change to a Beta and found that it simply suits him “down to the ground” as the saying goes.
The result at the Barrow Club’s Zeke Myers trial, a Northern Centre Championship round, shows that Barrow’s ride in the Clubman class was exemplary, for he lost just 6 marks over the three laps of 15 sections to finish four ahead of Centre Chairman Angus Jenkinson who had one of his best rides for some months to be runner-up with the coveted third place having to be decided on the most cleans tie-breaker between Gary Kitchen, Johnathan Cooper and Anthony Hayhurst. Whilst Kitchen and Hayhurst could reasonably be expected to be in those positions, Cooper’s ride was a level up from his norm, though he has consistently improved over recent months.
Jake Gowan rarely rides a trials bike competitively, but when he does he is a rider always in contention, just as he was on Torver Common, overlooking Coniston Water where this Barrow trial was held, as it is just once per year. The younger of the two Gowan brothers won the green course by a single mark from Sam Metcalfe whilst Sam Myers, campaigning a 1999 125 yellow Gas Gas (remember them?) was third, sharing the same score as David Heyes.
These days, almost needless to say, the Hard course was won by Tom Swindlehurst who currently dominates trials in Cumbria. He lost just 10 marks with his closest rivals on the day, Wilf Shuttleworth and Jimmy Johnson were on 39 and 40 marks lost.
Full results (the amended version) from the Home page link.