THE first week in December normally means rain, snow and gale-force winds, but on Sunday the Castleside Club’s trial at Lambshields, near Edmondbyers, was held in glorious sunshine.

Five riders braved the expert route and eventual winner John Crinson had kept his feet up until he arrived at the last section up the stream leading away from the resevoir where the double section was so frozen over, observer Jim Parks judged it to be too dangerous to ride after the first lap.

Crinson, along with runnerup John Battensby pushed their way out of both of the subs, but earlier Rob Waite had the ride of his life on the first sub to claim the only clean of the day on Jim’s card.

Even without these two, the second lap scores generally went up on the second lap as riders struggled for grip in the worsening conditions, but Crinson’s total of 14 was enough to repeat the final positions of the previous week’s event, where Battensby and Waite again took the next two places.

It was a successive win for Phil Baxter on the green course as well after he finished on a total of 49 over the two laps, finishing five ahead of Kevin Chapman with Carl Shaw, third.

Guisborough riders Mike Watson and Richard Simpson took first and third places on the clubman course, with Tweed Valley member Tony Hodgson sandwiched between them, while Ossy Byers survived a five on the first section to finish on 22 – enough to take the easy course win ahead of Rob Lowery and Mark Constantine.

PICKERING Motor Club ended their hectic season of grass track, motocross and trials season on a high note last Saturday evening when nearly 100 members and guests attended the annual dinner and awards evening at the Feathers Hotel, in Helmsley. The guest speaker was ACU director and chairman of the grass track committee, Peter Gregory.

East Yorks Centre motocross champion Shaun Robinson headed the champions, with grass track class winners Mark Williams, Josh Birkett and Dave Radley, plus Steven Hind, David Knowles, Barry Darrell, Rob Bradley and Mark Franklin.

In the trials events, Dave Hunter, Tony Urry, Tony Frost, Andrew Thorpe and youth rider Jason Gendall won their respective classes.

Despite the mixed weather conditions, the club only cancelled one grass track and one motocross meeting.

Currently, Pickering are the only ACU affiliated organisation to stage events in three different disciplines in Yorkshire.