Grant-ed it was a toughie
Over recent weeks it’s been said that recent trials through the summer have been too easy for many regulars, so the message went out to the gang of enthusiasts under the leadership of Malcolm Metcalfe to plot a harder version of the annual Grant Trial, organised for the Westmorland MC. And they did.
On the third Sunday of September on a dry but chilly day, 72 riders tackled three laps of 14 sections (13 for Clubman) for the penultimate round of the 2022 Northern Centre Championship at Tommy Road, Wharton fell near Kirkby Stephen.
Rob Waite (lead picture)- who had finished fourth in the previous week’s Travers Trial made his first visit to this trial to take on some of the Centre’s better Experts and gave them all a good lesson in riding, finishing with the miserly score of 13 marks, some 20 ahead of the current Centre Champion Tom Swindlehurst. His clean of the 14th section on lap 2, just the first of only two hard course cleans of the hazard, was masterly, smooth, fast and never an inch off line which was in total contrast to the clean on lap 3 by Ross Bainbridge who hit every rock he could find, appeared to be totally out of control, but who nevertheless kept his feet glued to the pegs. Joe Hiley had a great day and can only have been pleased with his third place performance.
Multiple Centre Champion Stephen Dixon chose to ride his old Yamaha Mono in the Green course class and waltzed off with the win from Jamie Jackson and Kevin Tate. The day’s fifth section, a steep, smooth rock gully that has always been incredibly slick was only used by the Hard and Green course riders. Jackson and Jack Dixon were the best there with three over their three attempts whilst only Waite in the Hard class scored three very impressive cleans.
There’s no doubt the trial was seen to be difficult for the Clubman riders and inevitably there were a number of retirements. However, veteran Mark Barrow in the Over 50 class was the best of everybody with a challenging score of 26 with Glyn Boughton next best on 34 with Anthony Hayhurst third overall on 35.
Jonny Wren
In the Uner 40 category there was a tie for first place with Jonny Wren having five cleans more than Ben Hanson with both having lost 38 marks.
Full results are available from the link on the Home page and Kitch pics have now been uploaded and are in the Gallery .