Results

The third round of the Isle of Wight Motorcycle Winter Trials Championship took part on Sunday 11th February at Arreton Down. The Club would like to thank A. Brown Farms for allowing us the use of yet more new ground. Thanks also to course setters; Michael and Molly Brown with Geoff and Kameron Taylor who between them cleared the ground to set eight excellent sections. We very much appreciate the Observers that help to keep the trial running smoothly and to Viki Taylor and Ian Groves for their top photographic skills. The day began with a rather fierce and prolonged hail shower which served as a reminder that we are still firmly in the Winter season. The sky soon cleared however to leave us with dry and bright conditions for the rest of the afternoon. The sections were plotted on land not trialled on in over twenty years - but with some clever thinking by the course setters they were able to provide the riders with an entertaining and challenging trial.

Some extra difficult deviations were added to help Chris Stay prepare for his 2018 British Championship campaign. Chris managed to clean five of the eight sections only dropping marks on sections one, five and eight. Chris completed the trial with a miserly total of just fifteen, the lowest total of the day – we wish him all the very best for what will be a very well contested British Trials Championship. Meanwhile another Stay was riding in the Expert class. Brother James put in a confident performance to take the win despite a determined effort from Rob Howard – sections four and five made all the difference here. Course setter Michael Brown finished in a respectable third place with young Jos Wright in fourth. Just two Intermediate competitors today which resulted in a win for Steve Groves. Steve finished twelve marks ahead of Malcolm Hawkins to take the spoils – good effort by both riders. Simon Newnham (Sportsman class) recorded the best score on the ‘B’ route with thirty-eight, closely followed by Mark Coombes, sections seven and eight proving pivotal.

The Clubman class was topped by the improving Ben Brodie who finished with a total of thirty-six, thirteen ahead of Phil Chase in second with Scott Milton in third. The closest battle of the day came from the Novice group of riders. Dan Flux produced a brilliant ride to take the win from Paul Kent – only a six marks between these two. Robert Baker has to be pleased with his third place just one more mark adrift. Nick Symes was the only rider in the Twin Shock class but never the less finished with the second lowest total of the day - on twenty, to claim another ten Championship points. John Townsend, another lone rider, this time in the British Bike class also earned himself top points completing the trial dropping only twenty-seven.

Just two Youth riders in action today, Alfie Haydon (Youth Novice) and Dan Locke, Youth Beginner. Alfie must be exceptionally happy – completing the ‘C’ route with a lower score than all but one of the Adult riders – fantastic effort Alfie! Dan Locke should also be encouraged by his score - he has improved markedly in just his second ever trial – very good effort, rewarded with another ten Championship points. The next Club trial will be held on March 4th. The venue is still to be confirmed, all the details will be available from the Club website nearer the time.

The Club is still coming to terms with the passing of Nigel Crouch following his battle with Cancer. Nigel was involved with the Club for well over fifty years, on the Committee for forty plus years and Treasurer for around thirty years. More than all of that though – he was such a welcoming and friendly man with not a bad word to say about anybody! He will be very sadly missed - but very fondly remembered. Our deepest sympathies and thoughts are with his Family. Nigel’s funeral will take place on Wednesday 21st February at the IOW crematorium at 12 noon. I would like to urge as many IOWMCC members as possible to attend and help send ‘Big Nige’ off in a manner befitting such an inspirational and friendly man.

The second round of the IOWmcc’s Winter Championship was held at Lee Copse, Bouldnor, on Sunday 21st January courtesy of Ann Gustar. The Club would like to thank Ann and her family for making us so welcome and allowing us to pretty much take over their property for the afternoon. Thanks are also due to course setter, Mark Coombes, who was faced with an impossible task given the recent, very wet weather - but never the less he managed to provide us with a very entertaining trial. The Observers and Viki Taylor, who was on hand to capture some top images.

Four laps of eight sections awaited the riders at the rain soaked Bouldnor course. The sections held up remarkably well for much of the first lap but with the rain continuing to fall - conditions soon deteriorated into a bit of a mud fest! We would like to welcome two new members; Andy Bedwell and Dan Locke. Not the easiest of trials to make a debut but we hope they enjoyed themselves and we look forward to seeing them signing on again soon.

The Expert class attracted five riders, and there was just seven marks between the top three. Rob Howard managed to take the win finishing with a total of forty-two from in second, James Stay with Will West in third on forty-nine. This is Rob’s first time out for a while but he clearly managed to keep his composure and kick start his season off to an excellent start - top riding by all three. Andy Steele proved to be the clear winner in the Intermediates, with a thirty mark cushion from Malcolm Hawkins. Malcolm did well to recover from a heavy fall on the difficult section one (third lap) to complete the trial. Andy Scott-Jackson blasted his way through the tricky ground to secure a good third place finish.

The Novice group of riders produced another clear winner, this time for Dan Flux. Dan should be really pleased to have finished with a total of thirty-seven. The battle for the minor placings was much closer, just four marks between second and fourth. Rob Baker just about held on for second with Steve Chase in third. Rob Herzberg was the fourth place rider. Ben Brodie and Keith Jacobs (Clubman class) were separated by only two marks, Ben held his nerve well to take the win by the smallest of margins. Phil Chase ended up a distant third after sustaining an injury to his hand following an acrobatic dismount on an earlier section. Lone Twin Shock rider, Nick Symes finished with the joint lowest total of the day on fourteen. Despite the lack of competition Nick still put in a very competitive performance. Another lone rider, this time in the British Bike class, saw a determined effort from John Townsend who battled the mud well to complete the trial. Simon Newnham (Sportsmans) proved to be the lowest scoring rider on the ‘B’ route, managing to restrict his total to fifty-two – very good effort in the conditions.

The Adult Beginner class was taken by Ellie Attrill who just edged Joe Taylor into second place with Kevin Smith in third. Ellie equalled the lowest score of fourteen, Joe was only three more adrift, some confident riding here. Harvey Grieve found the mud hard to deal with but never the less added another ten Championship points to his seasons tally in the Youth Experts. Alfie Haydon (Youth Novice) should be happy with his efforts – only section four defeated him, otherwise a really good performance. New youth rider Dan Locke did very well, taking part in his first ever trial. Riding in the Youth Beginner class, which must have seemed like a ‘baptism of fire’, never the less he soldiered on to some very well earned points.

The Club next meet on Sunday 11th Feb for the Spring Cup. The venue is still to be confirmed but will be made available on the Club website, once finalised. The Club’s Annual Awards evening is fast approaching, Sat 24th Feb – again all the details can be found on the homepage of this website.

The 2018 Winter Series Trials Championships began on Sunday 7th January at Sweetwater Brook, Calbourne, courtesy of Mr Trevor Strickland. The Club would like to thank Trevor for welcoming us back to this superb venue for the season opener. Special thanks also to the owners of Calbourne Mill for the kind use of their car parking facilities along with Mark Coombes and Calvin Wright for setting eight excellent sections, Viki Taylor for her great camera skills, the Observers and to all those that helped clear up afterwards.

The weather conditions were perfect, a bright clear day with wall to wall sunshine providing the riders with an excellent start to the Championship. The Club would like to welcome new member Robert Baker - we hope he enjoyed the Sweetwater course and look forward to seeing him at future trials. Two Expert riders this afternoon, James Stay and Jos Wright. It was James who kicked off his 2018 campaign with maximum points following an impressive performance. Jos has just moved up from the Youth classes into the Adult section and held his own with a confident effort finishing on a total of forty-four.

The very well contested Intermediate class provided the closest battle of the day. Andy Steele fought hard to complete the trial for a loss of twenty-one to take the win. Alan Gosden finished just one more mark behind in an excellent second place with Steve Groves in third. Malcolm Hawkins and Shaun Harris’s scores were tied on forty-three – these two were separated with Malcolm notching up just one more clean. Simon Newnham was taking part in the Sportsman class (on the B route) and finished with a very impressive total of just seven dropped marks. Ben Brodie and Phil Chase have both moved up into the Clubman class for the opener, from the Novices. Ben definitely had the upper hand on the day with a clear win from Phil, sections two and seven proved to be the deciders – very good effort by both of these improving riders.

The Novice class was won by another improving rider, Dan Flux. Dan finished on a total of only six, Paul Kent was on target to take the win until he received a maximum five point penalty on the penultimate section on his last lap, which more than doubled his total – handing Dan the win. Excellent riding though by both riders. Steve Chase took a solid third place, not too many more behind. Nick Symes (Twin Shock) started his season with a perfect ride, despite the rather muddy and slippery conditions. Nick managed to maintain the level of concentration and determination over the four laps of eight sections to finish with a clean sheet – superb riding. With that in mind young Alfie Haydon (Youth Novice) was riding the exact same course as Nick, Alfie was absolutely on fire today and produced what was arguably the best performance of the day - dropping only two marks! Brilliant result for this very determined young man – very well done Alfie.

The Adult Beginner’s class attracted five competitors which resulted in a win for Joe Taylor. Mike Attrill was not far behind, just seven marks between the two. Relative newcomer Finlay Lockhart was certainly another rider on form and secured a solid third place and five Championship points to kick start his 2018 season. Harvey Grieve was the sole rider in the Youth Expert class but despite the lack of opposition he completed the day with a very competitive total – good effort Harvey.

The Club next meet for the Mercury Cup trial on Sunday 21st January, starting at 12 noon, signing on from 11 am. The full details will be available from the Club website: www.iowmcc.co.uk nearer the time. The full details of the Annual Awards Dinner and Dance night (Saturday 24th February) will also be made available there very soon.

The Isle of Wight Motorcycle Club held the 2017 Father and Son Boxing Day Trial at Shorwell Chalk Pit, courtesy of Mr Ralph Cook. The Club would like to thank Ralph for welcoming us back for the traditional Boxing Day ‘fun’ trial. We should say a big thankyou to the course setters; Nick Symes, Calvin Wright, Malcolm Hawkins and Mark Coombes who between them set eight top standard sections. Thanks also to Viki Taylor (Club photographer) and the Observers; John Coombes, Rob Howard & the Elf on section eight!

The weather conditions had deteriorated resulting in the intended easier than normal trial becoming one that required a bit more thought! The sections were plotted on Christmas eve when it was dry, but despite some rain later on, Christmas Day’s weather was mostly dry and very windy, drying out the wet stuff – the course inspectors were happy that all was good. Unfortunately the conditions overnight became very wet which completely changed the severity of the sections.

Congratulations to Jono and Ben Read who won the Father & Son title with two excellent performances. Alan and James Stay took second from Ross & Alfie Haydon in third with Calvin & Jos Wright in fourth – very well done to all four pairings. Prizes were awarded to Wayne Brodie and Paul Kent for their fancy dress efforts.

Chris Stay (TRS UK Team rider) made a guest appearance - and some super difficult deviations were added to test him, Chris did take a heavy fall on section six, last lap, fortunately he was not hurt and completed the trial with a loss of only sixteen marks – good stuff Chris. The Club would like to wish him all the best for the forthcoming 2018 British Championships. Meanwhile, brother James Stay recorded an excellent win in the Expert class, losing a miserly fifteen marks forcing Will West into second spot on this occasion – Top riding by both the Stay Brothers. The well contested Intermediate class proved to be a win for Ben Read with Mark Coombes in a close second place, section five making all the difference. Andy Steele took the third place from Shaun Harris in fourth. Co-course setter, Malcolm Hawkins, was only two more marks adrift in fifth. Scott Milton, the only Clubman class rider finished on a total of twenty nine with more than half of his total was caused by a thrown drive chain on his final lap.

Four Novice riders battled for the top spot. The honours were taken by returning rider, Jon Read. This was an excellent performance and very well deserved. Phil Chase dug deep to secure a good second place from Paul Kent in third. Ross Haydon stole the show in the Twin Shock class, finishing with the lowest, almost perfect score of one dropped mark. Nick Symes ended up in second with Alan Gosden third. Adam Brodie took part on a recently restored 1977 Montesa Cota, one of two bikes being ridden in honour of Nigel Crouch - who watched on with great interest. Adam secured a solid fourth place finish. Alan Stay was riding another of Nigel’s bikes (1967 Greeves) in the Sportsman class but was forced into a close second spot behind Simon Newnham. Mike Attrill took the win in the Adult Beginner’s from returning rider, Jason Blackburn. Not the easiest of trials to make a comeback – we hope to see both these riders battling it out in 2018.

Jos Wright (Youth Expert) completed the day with a score of only forty-one marks to take the win. Harvey Grieve, despite a confident ride was happy to settle for second place this time. Alfie Haydon, the only Youth Novice rider found the tricky ground conditions a bit of a challenge – but never the less he completed the trial with a big smile and a ‘thumbs up’ Alfie celebrated with a well-deserved mince pie! Good stuff Alfie, keep up the good work.

The Club next meet on the 7th January for the New Year Shield trial. The usual start time of 12 noon applies. The full details will be available on the Club website very soon. On behalf of the Committee, I would like to wish all the Landowners, Members, Friends and Associates all the very best for 2018.

Very many thanks to all the Landowners who allowed us to use their superb venues, making the 2017 Winter Series possible. Thanks also to EVERYONE who helped out during the year - Course Setters, Observers and to all those behind the scenes - Top effort by all.

The final round of the IOWmcc’s 2017 Winter Series Trials Championship was held at Haslett Sand Pit, courtesy of Mr Glen Draper. We would like to thank Glen for allowing us back to this excellent all weather venue. Very many thanks also to the course setters; Nick Symes and Calvin Wright along with the Observers who give up their time to help the keep the trial running along smoothly.

There were two new members to the Club this week - we would like to extend a very warm welcome to Father and Son duo; James and Thomas Lovell Kaye. We hope they both enjoyed the trial and we look forward to seeing them again in the near future. Returning to the Club today were two more riders; Steve Groves, following an absence of the best part of thirty years and Adam Brodie after a more modest break of just five years! – welcome back guys.

Riding conditions were excellent - despite the gloomy wet weather forecast, the Haslett sand held up very well providing much more grip than we normally expect – only one short spell of light drizzle spoiling the otherwise perfect winter conditions. Just two Expert competitors battled for the top spot. In the end it was Jim West that claimed the honours finishing with a miserly loss of seven dropped marks. James Stay was forced to settle for the second spot on fourteen. There were no less than seven Intermediate class riders which proved to be a very close contest between Andy Steele and Adam Brodie. Two marks separated these two - sections one and two were the pivotal sections. Ben Read put in a confident performance to secure the third place from Shaun Harris in fourth.

The equally well contested Novice group of riders provided the closest battle of the day which resulted in a win for Paul Kent. Section eight proved to be the decider - from Ben Brodie who was only a single mark behind in second place. Phil Chase, three more adrift, claimed the third spot with Dan Flux in fourth. Scott Milton (Clubman Class) completed the day for a loss of fourteen, taking another maximum ten Championship points. Course setter, Nick Symes - the only Twin Shock rider, finished with the lowest total of the day with a loss of only three marks, cementing his dominance in the class.

The ever improving Joe Taylor stole the show in the Adult Beginner class, finishing on a total of just four – the second lowest score of the day. Gary Jones must be pleased with his second place finish that left Finlay Lockhart in third – after rushing around to complete, following some annoying carburation difficulties. Three Youth riders in action toay, headed up by Jos Wright (Youth Expert) Jos put in an excellent performance despite the challenging final two sections. Alfie Haydon continues to impress in the Youth Novice class finishing with a total of just twenty-one, beating all but three of his adult counterparts. New member, Thomas Lovell Kaye (Youth Beginner) started out very well but was forced to retire due to bike reliability problems.

The Club next meet on Boxing Day for the Annual Father and Son Trial – don’t be put off by the name, it’s open to all, a chance to take part in a ‘fun’ trial. Not part of the Championship but prizes are on offer for the best fancy dressed Adult and Youth riders. 26th December at Shorwell Chalk Pit, courtesy of Mr Ralph Cook. Please note, the earlier than usual, start time of 11am.

The Matthew Russell Memorial Cup Trial was held at Nodewell Farm, Totland courtesy of the Morgan Family. The Club would like to thank them for welcoming us back to this brilliant venue - for this very special trial. We would also like to thank Ross and Alfie Haydon, Simon Morgan & Keith Jacobs for setting eight excellent sections, the Observers and Club photographer, Viki Taylor - all their efforts are very much appreciated. Matt was a popular and a well-liked member of the Club. He was an accomplished Intermediate class rider who tragically and suddenly lost his life at the age of just twenty-nine. The ‘Matt Russell Cup’ is awarded annually to the best Intermediate rider at this trial.

Shaun Harris rode very well to claim the win in the Intermediate class from last year’s winner Andy Scott-Jackson, who was forced into second on this occasion. Sections five and six proving decisive. Tony Russell (Matt’s Dad) was on hand, accompanied by Simon Morgan, to present the Mathew Russell Cup – this unbelievably is Shaun’s first winning trophy! – very many congratulations to him. Chris Stay (TRS UK team rider) in a surprise appearance, took on the B route riding Nigel Crouch’s 1967 Greeves. It was great to see Nigel enjoying the day watching Chris ‘float’ the rather heavy Greeves around the tricky sections for a loss of just thirty marks, in what was a top gesture – very good stuff Chris, well done.

There were just three Expert riders this afternoon, headed up by the West Brothers. Will took the top spot, eleven ahead of Jim in second. James Stay was a few more marks adrift but secured a solid third place finish. Once again James had to endure reliability problems with his bike. Scott Milton, the sole Clubman class rider went into his final lap having dropped just three marks, he was very frustrated to loose seven more on that final lap – never the less he still managed to complete the trial with the second lowest total of the day.

The Novice group of riders proved to be the most popular class of the day and provided the closest battle for the first place. Ben Brodie just about managed to keep ahead of Keith Jacobs for the win, sections one and five were pivotal. Phil Chase took the third spot from the improving Dan Flux in fourth. Another improving rider, Joe Taylor, this time in the Adult Beginners class put in a very confident performance completing the trial for a loss of only eleven marks – excellent effort Joe. Relatively new rider, Gary Jones should also be pleased with his second place finish to earn himself seven Championship points.

Three Youth riders taking part today, headed up by Youth Expert rider; Jos Wright. Jos found some of the sections a bit of a challenge but despite this he finished well to take the points. Young Alfie Haydon (Youth Novice) once again put in an excellent performance, as did Harrison Crickmore (Youth Beginner) who finished with the lowest score of the day, a miserly seven dropped marks – very well done lads, keep up the good work. The full results can be found on the Club website in the results section.

The Club next meet for the Duver Cup on Sunday December 3rd. The venue is still to be confirmed, all the details can be found on the Club website once finalised. All the info regarding the 2018 Wight Two Day (open) Trial can also be found here. Entries are now being taken – send your entry in sooner rather than later to avoid disappointment.

The Guy Fawkes Cup trial was held on Sunday 5th November at Godshill Park Farm, courtesy of Mr Angus Baird. The Club would like to thank Angus for welcoming us back to this superb trials venue. Angus also provided us with the use of his ATV which was put to good use by the course setters and used to ferry the Observers to their sections – what a fantastic host! It has been just over a year since we were here last and therefor a certain amount of cutting out was required! – Many thanks to Geoff Taylor, Simon Newnham, Mike Taylor, Malcolm Hawkins, Will West, Jim West and Shaun Harris, who between them cleared the way to set eight very good and challenging sections. We would also like to thank the Observers and Club Photographer, Viki Taylor for all their time and effort – very much appreciated guys.

The Club would like to extend a very warm welcome to new member – Finlay Lockhart. We hope he enjoyed the experience and look forward to seeing him again in the near future.

Will West just about claimed the win in the Expert class from Brother Jim – only two marks separating the two. Will completed the trial with the lowest total of the day finishing on twenty-seven. James Stay once again had some mechanical issues to overcome but never the less he secured a solid third place. The very well contested Intermediate class of riders proved to be a clear win for Ben Read. Ben finished twenty-one ahead of Shaun Harris in second with Andy Scott-Jackson in third. Stuart Gummer was forced into fourth spot with course setters Malcom Hawkins, Geoff Taylor and Mike Taylor claiming the 5th, 6th and 7th places respectively. Scott Milton, the only Clubman class rider, posted a competitive total to earn himself another ten Championship points.

Ben Brodie put in a confident ride, despite the tricky riding conditions, to take the win in the Novice class – Ben finished the trial eight marks clear of Paul Kent in second with the improving Dan Flux in third. The Twin Shock class was headed up this time by returning rider, Stewart West, with a twelve mark advantage from Nick Symes in second – sections two and seven proving to make all the difference. The Club’s oldest rider - 79 year old John Townsend, piloted his rather heavy BSA in true British fashion, claiming the maximum points in the British Bike class – top effort John.

The Adult Beginner class was won by the improving Joe Taylor with a very convincing performance from new member, Finlay Lockhart in second with Gary Jones in third. Youth riders, Jos Wright (Youth Expert) Alfie Haydon (Youth Novice) and Harrison Crickmore (Youth Beginner) all took the maximum ten Championship points in their respective classes – despite being unopposed all three of them posted really competitive scores – very well done lads, keep up the good work.

The full results are available from the Club website: www.iowmcc.co.uk where you can also find all the details for the 2018 Wight Two Day (open) Trial – 21st and 22nd April 2018, entries are now being accepted for what promises to be another top South coast trial. The next Club trial is on Sunday 19th November when we meet for the Matt Russell Memorial Trial, at Nodewell Farm, Totland - at 12 noon.

The Isle of Wight Motorcycle Club held the tenth round of the 2017 Winter Trials Championship at Hawthorn Manor Farm, Chale, courtesy of Mr. Fred Colson. The Club would like to thank Fred for welcoming us back to this excellent venue. Very many thanks also to Mark Coombes who set six top sections, making good use of the hilly terrain and of course to the Observers that trekked up to the sections to ensure the trial ran smoothly – top effort by all. The weather was mostly favourable, just a few blustery showers to contend with but storm Brian had already left its mark, with a deluge of rain on the Saturday, making for some tricky conditions for the riders to contend with.

There were just two Youth riders taking part today, headed up by Jos Wright in the Youth Expert class. Jos managed to negotiate the challenging ground conditions to complete the trial. His result from today sees him crowned as the Youth Expert 2017 Winter Champion – very well done Jos, brilliant achievement. Young Alfie Haydon put in another top drawer performance in the Youth Novices. Alfie completed the trial for a loss of just thirty-one marks, beating all but one of his Adult counterparts – keep up the good work Alfie.

The Expert class was emphatically won by Will West, who dropped only thirteen marks, thirty-six clear of second place finisher James Stay. James did however have problems with his bike and a few lost spanners to deal with. Third spot was taken by Mick Brown with Simon Newnham finishing in fourth on this occasion. The well contested Intermediate group of riders proved to be another clear win, this time from Ben Read, Ben managed to complete the trial with a cushion of nineteen - from Andy Steel in second. Geoff Taylor should be very pleased with his third place on today’s challenging sections.

It was great to see course setter - Mark Coombes back on his bike, on leave from his British Championship, support duties. Mark rode the B route as a Sportsman (no championship points) with what was the third best score on this route – good stuff Mark, we hope to see you at the next trial. Scott Milton, the sole Clubman rider, finished the trial with an excellent total of forty - superb effort by him.

The Novice class once again proved to attract the largest entry and was won this time by Ben Brodie, the clear winner from second place rider, Phil Chase. Martin Moore should be pleased with his efforts to take the third spot, only two more behind Phil. Dan Flux should also be pleased with his ride, finishing in fourth, only one more mark adrift. Nick Symes found things quite lonely (as the only Twin Shock competitor) despite riding unopposed he finished with the second lowest total of only sixteen dropped marks.

The Club next meet on Sunday 5th of November at Godshill Park Farm. The usual start time of twelve noon applies. The Club is pleased to announce that the 2018 Wight Two Day Trial will take place on Saturday 21st and Sunday 22nd of April next year. All the details can be found on the Club website. Please make a note in your diaries as you will not want to miss this top South Coast trial which attracted one hundred and thirty-five riders earlier this year.

Bembridge Down played host to the Isle of Wight Motorcycle Club on Sunday 1st October for the Frank Pragnell Cup. The Club would like to thank Mr. Rob Taylor for welcoming us back for the use of this stunning venue. Very many thanks also to Geoff Taylor and Rory Stephens who braved the rain on the Saturday to clear the way and set eight superb sections, the all-important Observers and Viki Taylor, Club Photographer, who battled constantly with the very poor light conditions but still managed to produce some great images – Top effort by all. The riders managed to complete almost two laps before the rain began falling on the chalky down land, despite the challenging conditions, the sections held up remarkably well and provided the riders with an excellent trial.

Will West led the way in the Expert class with an excellent performance to finish with the lowest score of the day - just eight dropped marks. James Stay recorded a ‘dream’ final lap, adding only a single mark to his total helping to secure a solid second place from Jim West in third. Jos Wright (Youth Expert rider) deserves a mention at this point – Jos tackled the exact same route as his adult counterparts on the very tricky Expert course. He had a mixed day and was disappointed with his score - but top marks to him for what was a valiant effort, braver than most of us! However the day ultimately belonged to Simon Newnham, who with today’s fourth place finish earned himself the 2017 Winter Series Expert Championship. Simon consistently posted solid performances - particularly during the first half of the year to take the Club Expert title - very many congratulations on what is a great achievement.

Meanwhile, the Intermediate class produced another clear winner, this time it was Ben Read - who finished fifteen marks ahead of Alan Gosden for the top spot. Andy Scott-Jackson manged to hold off a strong challenge from Shaun Harris to seal his third place finish. Course setter, Geoff Taylor was going well until an unfortunate but spectacular crash on section seven forced him to retire. Thankfully Geoff and his bike suffered no lasting damage. Scott Milton (Clubman class) was also forced, reluctantly, to retire after his clutch lever snapped clean in half whilst attempting that difficult seventh section.

The very well contested Novice class of riders provided the closest contest of the day. Ben Brodie and Phil Chase’s scores were tied after the four laps of eight sections. Ben was awarded the win notching up just one more clean than Phil – very well done to both riders. Third place went to Paul Kent who forced Brian Brockwell into fourth, with a four mark cushion. Dan Flux should be very pleased with his fifth place finish, this being his first attempt on the more difficult C route following his step up from the Beginner class – very well done Dan.

The Club next meet, towards the end of this month, for the Ted Phillips Cup on Sunday 22nd of October. Start time of 12 noon applies. All the details will be available from the Club website: www.iowmcc.co.uk once finalised.