{gallery}2010champs1{/gallery}

Report Santa Himself

Pics Gary Dowzall =====  new improved picture Website =====

Much rain made the going tough for this event even though the sections were set out on the more straightforward side for the first round of 2010 club champs.

At the notoriously wet Cox's farm 4 laps of ten were taken on with a decent entry of 60 plus raring to go.

Before proceedings got underway a presentation to Kevin P McCullagh took place and this was for Kevins 50th competing year riding Ixion events in fact it was a double whammy as long time friends and riders John and Dave Fletcher presented Kevin with a nice Silver Salver on behalf of the family.

Richie Gardner observed section one and deterioration was soon underway as the loamy turns and persistant rain were not what the Doctor ordered.

However Clive Charlton 250 Beta recorded two superb cleans on laps 3 and 4 in the Clubman class riding the Standard White route.

Youth A Bradley Cox posted the best score on the hard route with a loss of 64 Brad parting with a miserly 4 on sub 8 which consisted a tough slick bank a turn over a fallen tree and an equally tough drop over two fallen boughs.

Novice honours went to John Langston who put good rides in on section 9 a 4th gear blast to the observer then a left hander down over roots and a controlled drop to the end cards.

Evergreen Alan Taylor piloted the trusty Bultaco around for a steady 69 in the Twinshock Class Pushing Montesa mounted Mark Stokes into second spot although Mark did put a couple of ones in on sub three early on with this being one of the hardest sections of the day a Boggy affair with cambers - rocks steps and much debris to negotiate.

A good entry of Youth B were out today and another Langston stole the show in fact it was Charlie who had fine rides on subs 3 and 4 to assist his seven point margin over James Linney on the 125 Gasser.

Best Pre 65 was Cotton 250 mounted Ken O'Brien despite losing 102 the points are in the bag as they say.

Conditions were by now pretty atrocious so the Blue easy route wasn't as described and fair play to all as there were only a few retirements mainly due to mechanical gremlins.

Kevin Miller was the man to beat but it didn't happen as he ripped his 300 Gasser around in record time parting with 72 his Sub 4 contribution made the difference this tricky little Rocky Bank job with a stiff turn at the summit.