Stefan Walters	Sam Cherry
Ben Skinner	Gary Wigson
Simon Dignum	Harry Stokes

2011 Club Champs 1st Round

Report Ken O'Brien

Pics Gary Dowzall Event Gallery =====

The first round of Ixions 2011 club champs attracted around 60 riders of varying abilities all vying for maximum points at the Sunny but very slick Steeple Hill corner venue.

Four laps of 9 were taken in with the Expert class going to Stefan Walters although Intermediate class and brother Darren put in the best performance on the hard route overall losing 30 with good rides on section 4 a fairly tough sub with muddy turns and three foot low growing boughs to master.
Youth  A went to Charlie Langston who this year has upgraded to the hard course and riding section 8 without fault a double hill climb of some 200 metres.

On the standard route Tim Blackmore 250 Beta showed 16 other "Clubman Class" riders a clean pair of heels losing 20 marks, Tim being mainly troubled at section 3 where more than half his tally was lost. Ex centre expert Brian Williamson observed this sub which started with a downhill drop to a slick right handed loop then a third gear gripless blast to a 2 foot fallen tree.

Assistant course plotter Chris Joyner was best novice on 54 marks lost one ahead of John Wheeler with Stuart Jackson back in third out for the first time on his new Beta 300T. The Hayes brothers took first and second spot in the youth B although there was only a point in it.

Fifteen riders tackled the Blue eased route with Kevin McCullach Mont 4RT doing the business albeit the sat-nav switched off in section five first lap. Other good riders worthy of a mention in this class were that of Paul Wickson, Archie Gardener and Dave Faulkner with the latter riding section 7 for only a dab after four visits to the long sandy camber of "Holly Bank".
A full crew of observers were on hand.