CHG Sphinx Trial - ACU Trailbike Championship 2018

Previous Years: 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2017

Results

Report by Ben Falconer..

Clearly a relaxed afternoon shot as this is the start venue without all the demoralising rain of the morning. Pic by Amory Falconer.

Championship newcomer Simon Welch took maximum championship points again in the Cotswold round before the trailbike contenders head to Dartmoor next month for the final round.

Title challengers Andy Foot and Martin Gilbert saw their hopes deflated literally by puncture problems and both did not finish. That meant it was down to reigning champion Chris Koch to try and halt 12 times ACU Western Trials Champion Welch’s title aspirations.

The battle opened at Boyd’s where Welch carded a 2 but Koch cleaned the slippery bank and boggy run-up. Only Best ACU Western rider Glyn Smith and CHG MCC club member Nigel Davies managed a clean here as well.

Welch pulled back a mark in Humblebee Woods, over the tricky roots and fallen tree of section five, with a one compared to Koch’s two – while Smith stayed clean with the only flawless ride of this very tricky section.

The battle then moved to the Cotswold escarpment where Koch added a mark on section 12 at Irene’s Wood, named after Irene Smith, wife of scrambles world champion Jeff and sister of the late Johnny Draper, a European scrambles champion. This location was where the wheels started to fall off Glyn Smith’s challenge with a one at Austin’s only a quarter of a mile away and another at Irene’s. Welch took another at Fry’s 2, and he dabbed on section 29 at the Hazelton finish to end the day on five marks lost.

With Koch on three until the final group at Hazelton, it was his to lose and a five on section 29 gave Welch the win. Smith’s five on section 16 at Colgate saw to his hopes of a win but he still remained well ahead of a gaggle of riders in the 20s. That included event secretary Sam Wilson, who put down his laptop and calculator to win the best CHG club member honour. Clerk of the course Roy Savery and David Eeles set a figure of eight course which meant the trial called at the popular Hazelton start/finish in the middle of the day, and enjoyed the excellent hospitality from the landowners.

Nick Worgan took best performance on the non championship route, 2 marks ahead of Roger Brain.

The club would like to thank the landowners for their continued support over the event’s long history which dates back to 1994 and the hardy observers who turned out in heavy morning rain to officiate.

The final round of the championship will be held on Dartmoor by West of England MC on Sunday, October 14.

Results (top championship points scorers)

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