BARNOLDSWICK’S Cliff Camfield produced a fine Over 40s victory on his Beta machine in the fourth round of the Bradford D.M.C. Autowbars Winter Trials Championship at Manor House Farm, Glusburn.
The round ran in wintry conditions high above Glusburn on Sunday, where 35 competitors braved the elements to gain championship points.
Camfield kept Barnoldswick with an impressive win, and Ryan Staveley almost matched his neighbour with a third place on the green course, where a combination of hard and easy section plucked many marks.
The fair sex did not falter in the conditions, and Guisburn’s Vicky Peel got her 125cc Beta home to win Class A Youthto take overall 13th place in the clubman class. Gargrave’s Francesca Tattersall won the younger Class B age group category.
Despite the weather only four riders retired from the trial. The trialling started with a muddy hill which cost green course winner a couple of hefty penalty marks on the first lap. The Clerk of Course plus David Milner and Ron Eddings all took a spell with the observer board.
The club were struggling for observers, no more so than at the fourth where competitors Simon Armstrong and Jason Dunning parked up and observed then resumed in competition. Young Luke Calvert, from West Marton set the style through every section on lap one, sticking in an unpenalised lap. Not bad for a Class C boy, but then his father John and his grandfather John were all talented competitors back in the 1970s. Luke was a winner until the hard final section where a stop and three cost him the overall victory. As it turned out, Bradford winner James Bottomley had the twisting rock strewn climb and descent covered and dropped a mere two marks. The two final outcrops on the way down were slippery and steep. Mrs Calvert took on the role of number clicking at the fifth, where the rock steps had been on steroids. A mud covered drop-off for the hards and a quagmire of an ends for the easy riders. David Pickles and Matt Jackson swopped riding roles to observe the sixth where a two foot then three foot step faced the riders.
For the easy class the steps were 18 inches, followed by a wheel-grabbing narrow muddy slot. The penultimate section was mild with an angle rock then a descent between some hardware followed by a tight turn to a climbing exit line. That was hard and green while the easy route featured a twisting muddy track which required a fair blast of throttle to clear the ends cards.
Bradford will now rest until April 1st when the club head for Halton Gill.