Guy Kenyon-Bell	Ali Haigh
Mark Kenyon-Bell	Alex Ross

2013 Club Champs 3rd Round and Centre Inter and Novice.

Report Ken O'Brien

Pictures by Gary Dowzall,  others can be found here

A quality entry 77 riders turned out for this round of the South Midland Centre Intermediate and 50/50 championship event (stop allowed) which also included the third round of the Ixion club champs.

Overnight storms made the going a little tougher than anticipated for the first lap or so but a brisk wind and sunshine dried the sections a treat as riders set of on four laps of ten sections.

In the Expert class it was always going to be close between Gas Gas mounted Guy Kenyon-Bell and Darren Wheeler on a similar steed the former coming out on top today with a 6 point to 17 advantage.

Guy lost his marks at section 5 a drop to an awkward turn then a fallen tree to traverse whilst skirting the swamp ensured plenty of water dragged up the steep bank to the ends cards.

All Inters today rode the 50/50 course with Ali Haigh putting the best performance in losing 13 Ali dropped two of these on lap one at section 4 a tricky muddy slot with a massive branch to pass over and speed was of the essence as a quick approach to the steep bank was required before descending again and turning up over a huge rock.

Twenty took on the Standard White route with classes for Novice-Pre 65-Youth A / B and Clubman.

Neil Saunders over from the Berko club took maximum championship points losing 30 ten ahead of North East London member Simon Thake.

Neil done well to hold his nerve as three failures on the the first lap were soon put behind him although one of these stops was on section 10 a greasy downhill gully and sharp turn with a steep hairpin loose climb.

Best Pre 65 was Mark Stokes 500 Triumph who scorted around for a loss of 10 the open piped twin making section 2 a hairy blind drop to the Quarry base then an equally tough bank with a rocky outcrop finish look all too easy.

In the Clubman class Ixion ace Adrian Steele 300 Gasser posted the overall best performance nine marks lost including a faultless display of clutch and throttle control technique on the double sub of 7 and 8 only metres away from the mainline railway track where locomotives roared past at earth shattering speeds.

Liam Anderson 125 Beta was best youth A with Luke Townsend taking the Youth B both enjoying their day with good rides at section 3 'The Wall of Death' a bomb-hole camber to cross and then 'The Wall' once committed there was no turning back.

Blue eased route saw no less than forty runners today and I had to delve into the results archive to see the last time Kevin McCullagh was runner-up but couldn't find any sign of it.

Today up and coming Youth C rider Alicia Robinson Beta 80 put a brilliant ride in losing a miserly three marks on this not so easy blue route and the only section to deny Alicia a clean sheet was the first climb at sub two when the going was to say the least claggy and loose.

Kevin wasn't far behind though on six with Paul Wickson taking the tie-break for third spot on twelve on his aging TY Pinky.