The South Birmingham Motor Club got the A.C.U. Luscombe Suzuki Leeds British Sidecar Trials Championship moving on Saturday and Sunday with an ambitious double header championship weekend at the popular Clee Hill venue in Shropshire.
It was a cliffhanger event. Robin Luscombe and his son Sam turned on the pressure and won both days. That in turn got the Leeds businessman, and series sponsor, with his son Sam, right back into the championship rankings after missing the opening Isle of Man opener. Double winners Adrian and Aaron Smith had a tough time in the Shropshire hills and could only take fourth places on each day. Son and father team Rupert and Chris KImber put Rochester right back on the championship chases after their exit from the Peveril opener with a double rostrum results at the D.K. Mansell and Clee Hill events.
The other serious threat from the Manxmen was Gary Flowers and passenger Antony Smith who matched the Kimbers on each day swopping rostrum positions, but not the championship points. In the small select Inter class Tony Crabtree and Jamie Howe reigned supreme with a clear cut double victory over David Tuck/Steve Chandler duo. Peter Dale and Barry Pocock locked in on fourth place and trail the Crabtree/Howe team by a single championship point. The strong Clubman entry, twenty six listed to date, the Mansell and Clee Hill rounds would throw up different results, and they did! Wessex members Phil Sparkes and Roger Tuck won the Mansell from Mark Kemp and ian Allaway with Robbie Head and passenger Aaron Jacobs poised to strike. They did just that on Sunday but Sparkes and Tuck ended the day just four penalties down on the winners but Mark Kemp and Ian Allaway were down in seventh place and that rocked the championship as they leveled with the Sparkes/Tuck combination on sixty seven championship points.
Of course all championship standings are subject to ratification by the Trials and Enduro Committee of the Auto Cycle Union. The series moves into Wales on April 21 at Rhayader where the Mid Wales Centre ACU stage the fifth round in the championship.