Round 2 of the G H Motorcycles/Husqvarna/ACU Eastern Solo Enduro Championship took place last Sunday at Hawkedon Suffolk. The organisers were Bury St Edmunds Motor Cycle Club and they laid out a super course using a new format which is based on a Two Man Contest adapted for Solos thought up by the host Club’s Stalwart Neil Sargent and was a great success all round.
If the first session was anything to go by in the Championship Class the final result was going to be very close. Jamie Roper (Sudbury) led the first session from Jason Morland (Halstead) and at the end was 1/6
th of a lap ahead. The second session saw Morland take the lead but Roper was content to keep him in sight and come in on the same minute which he did to maintain his lead. Once again in the third session Morland took the lead with Roper in close pursuit but halfway through disaster struck for Roper when jumping into one of the woods he glanced a tree which threw him off and he laid stunned on the ground. Four other riders stopped to help him and called the medical services who were on duty at the event and at times like these it is welfare first and riding second. Roper has sustained a broken humerus upper arm bone and will need an operation and will be out for the rest of the Contest. Brother Rick retired from the event to help and sort out the transport home of his bike and vehicle. This incident spurred on cousin Craig Roper (Sudbury) who rode his heart out and finished the day of equal laps with Morland and Tim Rose (Diss) but when time penalties were deducted it was a win for Morland 17.50 laps, 2
nd Rose 17.00 laps with Craig Roper 3
rd on 16.67 laps.
The Expert Class was hotly contested with Myles Saunders (Sudbury) completing 20 laps with Kevin Palmer (Diss) and Dan Willis (Stowmarket) on 19 laps but when time penalties were deducted the winner was Palmer on 17.17 laps, 2
nd Willis 17.00 laps and Saunders 3
rd 16.67 laps. It was a win for Michael Ridge (Stowmarket) in the Expert Veteran Class followed by Paul Spurgeon (Woodbridge) and Jake Morphey (Woodbridge). Unluckiest rider was Contest Sponsor Gavin Hockey who in the last lap of the last session had carburettor problems which drained his fuel but he pushed his bike about one mile to record a finish. The top three in the Clubman Class were James Barker (Sudbury), Lee Monger (Sudbury) and Ben Marsh (Halstead). What a great day for Dean Curry (Sudbury) he won the Clubman Veteran Class his first win ever in competition. He held off fellow Sudbury members Jeff Sharp, Terry Allen and Jeff Turner. Andy Mason (Sudbury) was dominating in the Clubman Super Veteran Class taking the win and making it a Sudbury 1-2-3 were Graham Mays and Nigel Ross.
There is no rest in this Contest as Round 3 is this coming Sunday at Foxborough Quarry Sible Hedingham being organised by the Sudbury Club. Making his debut in his first Adult event is 15 year old Joe Phillips the grandson of the legendary Ipswich Town Footballer Ted Phillips and Joe can’t wait for the day.