The final round of the IOWMCC’s 2020 Pat Death Summer Series was held at Limerstone Farm, Limerstone, courtesy of Mr Geoff Case.
Six sections comprising of rocks, grassy banks and sand were well set out by Calvin Wright to challenge 32 riders ability in the scorching heat. Indeed this was a trial where riders had to keep their cool, as no fewer than seven classes were to be settled, to conclude what has been a nail-biting, action packed summer championship!
Expert class
Three Expert riders tackled large rock steps and cambered banks on the A route.
Championship leader Rob Howard only needed to finish the trial to win the series, as fellow competitors James Stay and Tom Richardshad each missed a previous round. Rob put in an impressive performance never the less, losing just one mark a lap on section one to finish on five.
Tom Richards put in a good performance on his new GasGas to finish in second place, despite still nursing a nasty shoulder injury. Tom lost just 11 marks in total, all on section one which proved to be quite tricky.
James Stay finished in third place on 13 on board a borrowed a bike – a score he shouldn’t be too disheartened with considering.
Intermediate class
The fiercely contested Intermediate class saw six riders battling it out for top spot.
Championship leader Ben Brodie was under pressure from the experienced Mark Coombes who was looking to improve following a sub-par performance during the previous round, whilst Scout Gregory still had an outside chance of winning the championship if both Ben and Mark were to fall under pressure.
As it happened all three riders rode very well, dropping a total of just two marks between them. But it was Mark Coombes who prevailed on board his Beta machine. Mark took his time and completed the trial without losing a single mark, to not only win the trial but secure the championship!
Both Ben and Scout lost just one mark each, but Scout was awarded second place as he travelled the furthest with least marks lost. All three riders certainly enjoyed the battle as the series came to a finish.
Over 50 class
In the Over 50 class, on the B route, Andy Scott-Jackson and Simon Watmo both pushed each other right until the end, each finishing on a total of six.
Andy was awarded top spot to win the championship however, having travelled furthest with least marks lost. Both riders will be eager to compete against each other again when the winter series resumes in a few months time!
Clubman class
Three riders competed in the Clubman class, riding a 50/50 split of both B and C route sections. John Coombes claimed top spot, and looked comfortable on the sections, losing a total of five marks and securing the championship.
Phil Chase finished close behind in second place on six while Jon Croft finished in third on 17.
The Novice Class
The Novice Class which follows the C route saw three riders compete. Joe Taylor had another fantastic ride not losing a single mark all trial to claim top spot and win the championship. Joe may choose to move up a class soon as he continues to make light work of the sections. B Ashcroft finished in second place on 26 while Tristan Osborne finished close behind in third on 31.
Twin-shock class
Twin-shock riders Nick Symes, Calvin Wright and S. West all competed on the C route.
It was another close battle between Nick and Calvin, but Nick managed to go clean and not drop a single mark all trial on board his trusty Honda TLR machine. Congratulations to Nick having secured the championship win!
Adult Easy class
Two riders followed the D route in the Adult Easy class; Sam Jurich and Mike True.
Both riders put in strong performances to each finish on five, but Sam was awarded the win having travelled furthest with least marks lost. Mike’s second place finish was still good enough to ensure championship success however.
Sportsman class
In the Sportsman class, riding a mixture of sections, Jos Wright and Steve Chase both enjoyed posting low scores, losing just two and ten respectively.
Solo British rider John Townsend rode a mixture of C and D route sections losing 26 marks in total. An impressive performance in the scorching heat from the club’s oldest competitor!
Youth Expert class
Three riders competed in the Youth Expert class. Alfie Haydon put in a very impressive performance not losing a single mark throughout the whole trial on the B route to take the win and secure the championship.
The ever-improving Dan Locke finished in second place on just one, while Josh Morris finished in third on 15.
Youth Intermediate class
Alfie Gaskin was the solo rider in the Youth Intermediate class, riding a 50/50 split of both B and C route sections.
Alfie lost just 13 marks, cleaning section 5 on every lap, securing the championship at the same.
Youth Easy class
Two riders tackled the Youth Easy class, Freddie Death and R. True, posting scores of just 2 and 5 respectively. Congratulations to Freddie for securing the championship victory!
Thank you
A big thank you to all those involved with organising the trial, in particular Wayne Brodie, course setter Calvin Wright who worked hard in the heat to set out the trial and photographers Viki Taylor and Gill Locke.
A massive thank you also goes out to our fantastic observers, Jenna Locke, Kevin Smith, Darren Taylor, Mike Morris and Tara Wheeler who all gave up their time in the heat for our enjoyment.
Next trial
The club’s next trial will be on Sunday 23rd August at 1pm in memory of Nigel Crouch at Apes Down in Calbourne.
Full details can be found on the on the Club’s Website.
Report shared by Scout Gregory, in his own words. Ed
Image: © Viki Taylor
