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Report Ken (The Mud) O'Brien

Pics Gary Dowzall

Following torrential rain though out the night the going was made all the more slick at the Norton Trophy Trial for pre 65 and Twinshock machines promoted by the Oxford Ixion Motor Club.

Three laps of 14 were taken in at Cox's farm and it was BSA mounted Darren Snell who took the honours for the forth consecutive time and a fifth overall after lifting the trophy back in 1994.

Section eleven ' Roberts Copse ' was a tricky affair with mulchy turns-fallen trees and a muddy slot to negotiate,Snell was inch perfect on this one cleaning at every visit.

Runner up spot went to Ex Greeves factory rider Dave Spurgeon this Pilot enjoying every minute of these old fashioned style sections,Dave was good on Section Four a real muddy blast up to the Hunting gate with a choice of many lines.

Alan Taylor Bultaco Aced the Twinshock class from past Centre Expert runner Brian Williamson also Bully,Alan suffering machine Gremlins early on but managed to nurse it back to life and go on to victory,Taylor seemed to be in his element on section Two having a single dab on the gripless cambers of Holly Tree Bank.

On the Blue Eased route Arthur Walton posted the best score of 44 on his big Rigid Ariel being the only rider to clean section nine the second big hill off the day.

Best Two Stroke was Arthur Tomkinson on his very original Greeves with Matt mullen Bantam a few marks adrift in second.

We ran a Trail Bike class for this event and a handful of various machines turned out but the man to beat was Gary Wooster out on a brand new Beta retuning a very creditable card of 56 just edging out travelling companion graham Harris yamaha.

It's not all Doom and Gloom Fourteen sections and fourteen observers now that's what I call a result.