TRAWDEN’S Ross Crosby just held off Crossroads expert Phil Disney in the Bradford Motor Club’s second closed to club championship trial at a bright and breezy Cowling Cragg on Sunday.
Crosby lost a single mark, on section seven where observer Andrew King watched as a boot went down for balance. Disney was under pressure from Cowling builder Nathan Wrigglesworth for second place, and the final result was an even score for each competitor of two marks, but Wrigglesworth lost the tie because he had a foot down earlier on the 10-section four-lap course before Disney.
Phil Scott won the green course category from Skipton’s James Moorhouse.
The opener was a delight. Nothing beats a third gear blast up a muddy hill, complete with a few large rocks at the critical points.
It did cut up a bit, but a hefty throttle and the right cog sufficed.
Fortunately Allison Black avoided the flying scenery and signed off with a pristine observer board.
Mick Shorrock had a quiet day on the second rocky section and pegged only a few marks from seven of the 58 competitors.
All the Greens cleaned the clubman route at the third where Disney, Ayrton and Iain Robinson dropped soft marks.
For Matthew Langford it was one section to forget as he foundered on lap one the footed on the next three laps.
The action kicked in at the fourth where Simon Boocock took marks of all bar BSA Bantam mounted John Maxfield and local ace Chris Metcalfe.
The moss-covered angled step at the beginning cost the clubmen while a fair rock step blocked a run for the hard coursers, all 12 of them.
A total of 58 rode the trial.
Andrew King and his family, out spectating for the day, and from Barnoldswick, ended up observing section six where a large rock step yielded a good tally.
Just 11 cleans for 28 clubman on the rock-strewn twisting climb.
Green winner Phil Scott, from Barrowford, dropped all his marks on that section and the previous one where short slippery climbs and descents had farmer Berry scribbling penalties on his board.
The last three got longer and longer.
A sat nav was the answer to section eight where multiple turns caused problems.
Stanhope’s John Sunter dropped all his marks on the final two sections where Disney dabbed.
Phil Crosby and Brian Ayrton observed the sections.
The Clubman and Green routes did get slippery to such extent that the lower order of the entry were taking a five rather than try the impossible.
The club move to Manor House Farm next Sunday for round four of the Autowbar Beginners series.