Hookwood Trials Club ran the Sunbeam MCC 75th Southern Experts Trial on Sunday at the popular Hookwood Trials Centre in West Horsley, Surrey. Solo competitors competed over three laps of twelve sections and in glorious sunshine, with a variety of terrain, from rocky gullies, tree root banks, huge fallen trees and some very slippery muddy ditches.
Last year’s Solo winner JST Gas Gas rider Sam Haslam was out to make it a hat trick of wins for him. Beta UK riders Sam Connor and Toby Martyn had other ideas. Haslam finished his first lap on nine, Connor on ten and Martyn on twelve. Haslam kept the pressure up on his second circuit with a loss of eight, Martyn also on eight and Connor on twelve. Haslam and Martyn recorded nice cleans on Rosys Rocks where Connor dabbed. How"ever the rocks of section ten had claimed fives from all riders in the class, except on the last lap when
Sam Connor back from a sixth month injury recorded a dazzling only clean, this gave him the lowest lap score of the day. Nearly enough to win, but not quite enough. Just two marks in it. So Sam Haslam came away with a very well deserved hatrick of wins in the Souths Premier National Trial.
Luke and Josh Golding carried on their winning form from the final British Sidecar Championship with a well-deserved win in the Expert Sidecar class. They were push hard by previous winners and Father and Son pairing: Rupert and Chris Kimber. They were all level after two laps on six marks. The final lap saw the Kimbers loose five and the Goldings a superb lap on one mark lost. This gave the win to the teenage Goldings a repeat of last year. Peter Dale and Harriet Shore came home in third place.
Report: Jim Connor Photos: Gary Attfield
Results:
Solo:
Sam Haslam JST GAS Gas 25ml
Sam Connor Beta Uk 27ml
Toby Martyn Beta Uk 32
Tom Minta JST Gas Gas 42
Joe Baker MRS Sherco 53ml
Jonny Starmer Beta 85
Sidecar:
Luke/Josh Golding TRS 7ml
Peter Dale/Harriet Shore Beta 38ml
Sean/Paul Cuckow Sherco 62
Clubman Solo:
Chris Stay Gas Gas 31
Brian Francis 42
Rob Warner Montesa 45
Youth:
Billy Green Beta 16ml
Oliver Smith Oset 44
Gus Oblein Sherco 57
Clubman Sidecar:
Simon Evan/Nick Harding Gas Gas 47
Bernie/Charlie Chambers Gas Gas 49
Pete Pesterfield/Keith Fishlock 61