It was warm, dry, and sunny and the going was ideal for the 6th Round of the G H Motorcycles/Husqvarna/ACU Eastern Enduro Championship held at Butley Suffolk organised by the Woodbridge Motor Cycle Club last Sunday.
In the Championship Class Luke Parker (Norwich) won all three Special Tests with Will Hughes (Halstead) was 4
th. As the day went on the going got softer and rutted making the two final laps more difficult to complete on time and it was the final lap that was a killer. Morland was first in but was a minute late receiving 60 penalty points so was Craig Roper (Sudbury) and Jamie Roper (Sudbury) riding in his first Championship since his injury nearly two years ago. Morland was still hopeful of a win but when Hughes came in also one minute late that meant he was in the lead then Parker appeared in the distance when was he was he late or on time and he was on time the only rider in the Class to be. Parker took the win with Hughes 2
nd, Cole 3
rd, Morland 4
th and Jamie Roper 5
th but it was not all bad news for Morland he still leads the Class on 97 points, Parker has 95 points and Hughes 83 points.
The Expert Class once again the battle between Jack Berry and James Barker (both Sudbury) was red hot with Barker just edging the Special Test by 2.58 seconds with Rob Blackman (Castle Colchester) 3
rd, George Eustace (Sudbury) 4
th and Adam Johnson (TBEC) 5
th. All these five riders finished the day without penalty points so there were no change in the finishing positions. Barker now leads Berry by two points so it is everything to ride for in November at the last round.
Julian Harvey who has not ridden for a long time won the Expert Veteran Class from Michael Ridge (Stowmarket) with Gavin Hockey (Sudbury) 3
rd and Paul Spurgeon (Woodbridge) 4
th. Hockey was on for 2
nd place and Spurgeon for 3
rd but both were one minute late thus promoting Ridge to 2
nd place.
Rob Aldridge (Diss) won the Clubman Class also the Class Title and will be promoted to the Expert Class for 2019. 15 year old Jake Roper (Sudbury) finished 2
nd, George Wolfe (Sudbury) 3
rd and 16 year old Joe Phillips (Sudbury) 4
th. Phillips won the first Special Test but with a stumble in the second Test and one minute late at the end pushed him into 4
th.
Jason Carsboult (Sudbury) was leading the Clubman Veteran Class after the Special Tests and the win was in his sight but a puncture in his rear tyre on the last lap slowed him down and was two minutes late at the finished and took 6
th place. Kevin Gore (Norwich) won with Andy Peck (Sudbury) 2
nd and Dean Curry (Sudbury) 3
rd. The Class Title is wide open with Steve Youngs (Lowestoft) in the lead.
Paul Davis (Sudbury) who lives in The Netherlands came back to England this weekend to ride this round of the Clubman Super Veteran Class and duly won on the day from Andy Mason (Sudbury) with Steve Finch (Braintree) 3
rd and Jez Moss (Sudbury) 4
th. Mason on 102 points and Graham Mayes (Sudbury) 84 points are only the two riders that can win the Class Title.
Report by Roger Chaplin
Photos by Anthony Ridge