Huddersfield Falcon club rider Paul Haigh headed the Championship course in the Spen Valley MCC’s RAS Sport Novice and Beginners trial.
Haigh, from Halifax, just beat Gomersal’s Ben Hillam and Denby Dale’s British Superbikes Championship contender Tom Tunstall, as a field of 31 riders had a taste of the Pennine weather across the border in Lancashire at Diggle.
In dreadful weather conditions the Spen Valley club’s organizers marked a nine-section four-lap course and it was a tight contest as Tunstall, going somewhat slower than he was last week at Oulton Park in the National Superstock 1000, lost second place on a tie-breaker to Hillam.
On the Challenge course Lee Dando headed the way as he managed to finish well clear of Ashley Ashworth.
William Tolson lost his chance for a Class B victory in section two with the 14-year-old wasting away a three and two dabs compared with winner Zac Ashworth’s two dabs on lap one.
The Beginners route contenders missed out sections seven and eight, and the rising star in the class was Helen Greaves who got her Gas Gas through 23 of the section clean out of a possible 28.
Despite torrential rain, plus hailstones and gale force wind, the retirement numbers was a mere four.
The weather conditions were the worst ever for the Spen Valley club and the water levels in the deep gully stream sections became a problem.
The speed of the water flow threatened to topple some machines, and event secretary Steve Smithies summed the ordeal as ‘thoroughly miserable, but as ever everyone made the best of it’.
The next round of the RAS Sport Novice and Beginners Championship will take place at Cliffe Lane, Cleckheaton on Saturday, May 24 starting at 5.30pm.
Results – Hard challenge course: Lee Dando 28, Ashley Ashworth 42. (All Gas Gas).
Championship course: Paul Haigh (Gas Gas) 10, Ben Hillam (Gas Gas) 16, 3 Tom Tunstall (Beta) 16.
Youth Class A: William Ackroyd (Sherco) 16.
Youth Class B: Zac Ashworth (Gas Gas) 7, William Tolson (Beta) 10.
Youth Class C: Charlie Mosley (Beta) 31.
Middle course: Michael Shackleton (Gas Gas) 49.
Beginners course: Helen Greaves (Gas Gas) 10.
Youth Class B: Joshua Clegg (Sherco) 25, Samuel Robinson (Gas Gas) 12.
Youth Class C: Harvey Mosley 1, Mathew Briggs 63. (All Beta)
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