Although there was no rain over the six days leading up to Sudbury Motor Cycle Club’s fifth Extreme Enduro at Foxborough Quarry Sible Hedingham the course was still very muddy, slippery and grippy.
The forty plus competitors over two hours had to contend with a bog, stairway, steep climb along scattered concrete slabs, steep muddy climbs with tree trunks to negotiate with some bikes flying high over the brow of the slope followed by the rider. After a small dip a ride over what has been named Ross Noble’s logs of which a photo of him riding this section appeared in the television programme of him competing in the Scottish Six Day Trial. Then it is straight onto large tractor tyres, tree trunks again smaller tyres finishing with smaller tree trunks and then was little rest at the ‘U’ turn the dreaded slippery telegraph posts followed by the see saw.
A mass start with the competitors running down the hill saw a determined Charlie Frost first to his machine to take an early lead with Ben Wibberley just behind him. These two riders dominated the latter stages Frost got held up by back markers also Wibberley was getting second wind and was now gaining on Frost very quickly and at the end Wibberley had to take 2
nd place just 89 seconds behind Frost both on 19 laps. Following behind them a quintet of Sudbury riders Stevie Roper 15 laps, Craig Roper 14 laps, Jack Berry 12 laps, Jamie Roper and Myles Saunders both on 11 laps
Jason Pearce winner of the December 2017 Expert Class was in top form and out to win again and try as he might it was Jonathon Pearson who toppled him completing 15 laps to Pearce’s 14. Barney Thurgood took 3
rd place with Mark Kirby 4
th with Quad Champion Sheldon Seal taking to two wheels secured 5
th while local hero James Barker finished 6
th.
There were three Sudbury hopefuls in the Clubman Class Joe Phillips, Jo Henthorn and Gary Vines however it was the most experience rider Jack Austin from Ilford who won on the day completing 12 laps, while 16-year-old Phillips was 2
nd on 10 laps with 3
rd Henthorn 9 laps and 4
th Vines 8 laps.
With Paul Nash not riding this time in the Trial Class it was the opportunity for Jason Green who finished 2
nd last time to go for the win and despite all the effort he put in it was out of Centre rider Ryan Crisp who had an outstanding ride completing 14 laps to take the win with Jez Moss 2
nd 12 laps while Green had to be content with 3
rd on 10 laps with Ben Warner 4
th on 4 laps.
Report by Roger Chaplin
Photos by Anthony Ridge