Hillsborough Motor Club, Yorkshire Centre Championship trial, Ughill, Sunday

DAN THORPE won the rain lashed Yorkshire Centre Championship trial at Ughill on Sunday after battling through eighteen sections. Many of the sections were streams and as the day progressed the water levels shot up but the Birstall motorcycle instructor navigated his JST Gas Gas to victory over Sheffield's Richard Timperley and Yeadon TRS rider Sam Beecroft-Penny.

Thorpe lost a mere three penalties. Bradford's Charlie Smith was the top youth on the championship route and claimed sixth place.Only forty eight riders contested the event which was the final Centre Championship event this year. Andy Turner and the Hillsborough team salvaged a two lap eighteen section off-road course which featured ten stream based variations. The perennial problem surfaced when only nine observers turned up to man eighteen sections. Tom Jackson was in charge of the first section where the championship and Clubman A riders traversed tree roots and a steep descent across the stream. Phil Granby and Wendy Yeadon observed section two and three where steep banks and tight turns tested all riders. From section four to eleven it was waders country, water of all depths. Clerk of Course Dave Aspinall was a wise man as he took the rocks at section thirteen where there was no sign of water. Paul Turner, Harry's dad, was multi - tasking observing sections seven and eight leaving the lad to get on with it, which he usually does. Dan Thorpe was fired up and rattled off a clean opener then slacked off with a dab in the sixth and double prod in the fifteenth. Darren Wasley headed Clubman A from novices Andrew Jackson and Richmond rider Richard Fraser. Katy Sunter nailed sixth place three marks less that Melmerby motor engineer Stuart Blythe who went one better than his mates Paul Dennis and Roger Williams who joined the retirees. The latter punctured and had no spare inner tube and he also took a big dive into the valley bottom and landed on an elbow. Blythe also had a big moment when his pristine Beta slid back off a rock so the 'The Musketeers' were in the wars.

Paul Dennis was suffering from illness, and was not his usual cheery self.

FIXTURES

Saturday

Bumpy Ltd, Julian Ford Memorial Trial, Bumpy, Howden Clough, Birstall, 10.30 am.

Sunday

Hull Auto Club, Embro Cup Trial, Low North Park, Harwood Dale, 10.30am.

Yeadon-Guiseley Motor Club, 10th Club championship trial, Dob Park, Otley,

10.30am.

Pickering & D.M.C. Easy Trial, Yatt's Farm, Newton on Rawcliffe, 11.00am.