Richmond Motor Club were back in action for the second week in a row over the Spring Bank Holiday Weekend. Just seven days after hosting the annual S3 Championship Gerald Simpson Memorial trial, it was now time for the annual Blue Bar 2 Day Trial hosted in Upper Coverdale. Clerk of Course Sam Lambert and his team plotted the two day event with 2 laps of 18 sections facing the riders each day. The course followed similar routes to that of the Gerald Simpson Memorial trial the week prior, however with more simple and traditional sections catered towards the Pre ‘65 and twinshock trials bikes. The trial had a very healthy entry of around 150 riders with a range of classes tailored for the full spectrum of bike enthusiasts, both classic and modern. This included classes spanning Pre ‘65-Pre Units, Pre ‘65-Unit, Pre ‘65-2 Stroke, Twinshocks, Air-Cooled Monoshocks, and modern machines.
Day 1 started at noon with the riders tackling the first tricky sub over the River Cover. After a long dry spell the river was lower than usual, causing the rocks to be very slippery. From there, the riders headed up to the west side of Coverdale and enjoyed a mostly sunny day, with the odd light rain shower.
Riders finished the first day at around 4.00pm and enjoyed a well deserved drink after an enjoyable afternoon of riding.
Sunday kicked off at 10.30am in Horsehouse, where the dark clouds were looming above. Sections 1 and 2 were nested on the banks of the River Cover and riders hoped to get round the two laps without having to bring out the waterproofs. Unfortunately around midday the heavens opened, causing some riders to return for refuelling after the first lap rather soaked.
Despite the rain, there were some low scores throughout the weekend, with overall winner Richard Allen (Velocette) finishing on just 9 marks lost. Stephen Dennis (Ariel) wasn’t far behind on 11 marks lost and James Noble (Ariel) rounded off the top three on 12 marks lost. In the Pre ‘65 Unit Class, David Watson (Royal Enfield) finished on just 5 marks lost. Robin Luscombe (BSA) dropped only 2 marks in the Pre ‘65 2-Stroke Class and Philip Baxter (SWM) dropped one mark across the whole weekend in the Twinshock Class.
Results:
Pre ‘65 Pre-Unit: 1. Richard Allen (Velocette) 9; 2. Stephen Dennis (Ariel) 11; 3. James Noble (Ariel) 12
Pre ‘65 Unit: 1. David Watson (Royal Enfield) 5; 2. Tony Holmes (Honda) 24; 3. Ian Myers (Triumph) 39
Pre ‘65 2-Stroke: 1. Robin Luscombe (BSA) 2; 2. Paul Dennis (BSA) 10; 3. Andrew Scott (BSA) 18
Twinshock: 1. Philip Baxter (SWM) 1; 2. Martyn Pratt (Honda) 2; 3. Roger Williams (Fantic) 3
Air-Cooled Monoshock: 1. Stefan Walters (Fantic) 17; 2. Steven Kirkwood (Beta) 22; 3. Ian Hall (Yamaha) 22
Modern Machines Age 17-39: 1. Scott Lambert (Beta) 7; 2. Gareth Carr (Montesa) 9; 3. Mike Dyson (TRRS) 19
Modern Machines Age Over 40: 1. Ryan Ewers (Beta) 10; 2. David Wicks (Beta) 27; 3. James Iball (Montesa) 49
Modern Machines Age Over 50: 1. Darren Fowler (Beta) 9; 2. Tony Wild (Beta) 12; 3. Chris Booker (GASGAS) 14
Modern Machines Age Over 60: 1. Paul Sadler (Vertigo) 5; 2. Greg Williams (TRRS) 6; 3. Neil Gaunt (Beta) 20
Ladies: 1. Seren Walters (Beta) 22; 2. Lucy Bell (Beta) 57; 3. Helen Gaskell (Beta) 107
Report & Photos: Charlotte Brown
