Plum Pudding Historic Sporting Trial

Our 3rd Plum Pudding Sporting Trial and a bumper entry tackled the 6 hills on offer. With the conditions under foot very good it was always going to be a low scoring trial and after 2 runs Andy Gowen (Ibex), Ian Wright (Cannon) and Steve Courts (Facksimile) had cleared every hill. On the 3rd run Courts scored 1 on hill 1 and it was enough to drop him to 3rd overall as Gowen and Wright cleared every hill on round 3 and could not be separated. They were declared joint winners. Mitch Wood took the historic category in 5th place overall, scoring just 5 penalty points.

Coventry Road Club Boxing Day Cross

It was a dry day for another superb Boxing Day Cyclocross. With a more intersting route through the old quarry there was plenty to see on this year’s edition and for the first half an hour there were a number of changes at the front end of the race. It did settle down and Ewan Grivell-Mellor took victory by just over 20 seconds after almost an hours racing. Stephen Knight was 2nd and first rider home in the 50-59 category and the podium was completed by the first junior rider, Edward Woodward.

Christmas Stages Rally

Courtesy of track maintenance the 2018 Chritsmas Stages, at Croft, were brought forward to two weekends before Christmas. 2017 winners Kevin Procter & Dave Bellerby (Fiesta WRC) did not give any of the other crews a chance as they blitzed the field setting fastest times on all 8 stages to take victory by 79 seconds. After the retirement of his son Guy from the event, it was Pete Smith who took up the chase in his Fiesta WRC and did manage to equal Procter on 1 stage, but that was it. Co-driven by Graham Wild they held off the Scottish crew of Gordon Morrison & Calum MacPherson (Impreza) to take 2nd place by 33 seconds.

Grizedale Stages

After missing last years edition we returned to a windy Lake District to see a full entry tackle the Grizedale Stages. The first run through the 17 mile stage saw Stephen Petch & Michael Wilkinson (Fiesta WRC) as the only crew to go under 20 minutes. Jock Armstrong & Cameron Fair (Impreza) were 2nd fastest with Josh Moffett & Keith Moriarty (Fiesta R5) 3rd fastest after dropping over half a minute with an early issue on the stage. Moffett then went fastest on the first run through the short Broughton Moor stage before sharing fastest time with Petch on the 2nd run.

Gloster Sporting Trial

Ian Wright ended his championship winning season in a fitting manner by winning the Gloster Sporting Trial. Without a victory since September, Ian found the conditions to his liking as he powered his way to victory. Wet conditions underfoot met the 32 starters, and as the day wore on and intermittent rain showers broke up the dull conditions, the early grass disappeared and engine revs began to rise on an enjoyable day’s sport at this super site. Josh Veale and Roland Uglow led the way early on with Josh holding a slender point lead at lunchtime on 17 with Roland on 18 and Ian Wright two points further back on 20.

Rockingham Stages

After 15 years the Rockingham Stages was the last event to be held at the Northamptonshire circuit, before it closes at the end of the year. Having attended most of those it was a sad final visit. Paul King & Alicia Miles (Escort MkII) took victory on an event that has served him well, but he was pushed hard by Darryl Morris & Mark Regan (Escort MkII) who finished just 13 seconds behind, after 12 stages. Completing the all Escort MkII podium were Steve & Jack Tilburn.