The longest established motorcycle club in the Furness area, the Barrow and District Motorcycle Club, held their latest Multiclass trial in and around Ickenthwaite in the Rusland Valley last Sunday.

Overnight rain had dampened most of the sections, which helped to keep the dust down.

Competitors had the choice of courses of approximately 11 sections each. The event counted towards the Northern Centre schoolboy Championship.

‘Invaders’ from Lancashire scooped up the top placings on the Clubmans course with the first two riders finishing without the loss of any marks at all. The third-placed man only dropped one mark himself.

Meanwhile, Grasmere`s Stephen Dixon was battling for the honours on the more difficult Green Course with two other ‘locals.’

He rose to the challenge finishing with just the loss of two marks whilst his closest rivals were eight marks in arrears to the Grasmere rider on ten marks each.

Harry Towler from Kendal, riding a Beta having cleaned more sections than Mark Quinn as trials rules dictate, was given second slot with Quinn in third place.

Millom’s Owen Gilchrist took the fourth place slot just one mark down on Quinn. All in all, it was a great day’s sport enjoyed by everyone.

Results

Machine Town Marks lost

Green Course: 1. Stephen Dixon (Twinshock, Yamaha, Grasmere, 2), 2. Harry Towler (Beta, Kendal, 10 (most cleans)), 3. Mark Quinn (Beta, Milnthorpe, 10).

Clubmans Course: 1. Daniel Ralph (Beta, Lancs, 0) 2. Mark Hewitt (unspecified, Lancs, 0), 3. Stewart Wilshaw (Beta, Lancs, 1).

As always, the club would like to thank all the observers, landowners and officials who gave up their day to make the event possible.

Still on the trials theme, if you’re out and about this weekend and would like to see some of the trials lads going through their paces, the Lakes Grass Track Club are holding the sixth round of their championships near Kendal on Sunday.

The venue will be signposted from Plumgarth roundabout just north of Kendal. The first rider is due away around 11am and they are usually finished by mid-afternoon.

If you haven’t witnessed a trials event before, it’s certainly worth a visit. You`ll be amazed at some of the places these lads get to on their machines.

Three routes are planned for competitors: The Hard, The Green and an Easy route for beginners and novices etc. It`s usually supported by most of the local competitors who compete in the Furness area.

It’s well worth a look and the added bonus is a catering van will be in attendance at this one.

*Being a Suzuki man, I made the trip down to Cadwell Park in Lincolnshire last Saturday, as one of my favourite circuits, Suzuki GB, were holding their second Suzuki promotion and track day.

They had assembled some of the most exotic Suzuki machines in the world that had many world championships to their credit.

Celebs from the motorcycle racing world mingled and chatted to the huge crowds, signing autographs etc before taking to the track and putting the bikes through their paces.

Former world champion Phil Read was there, alongside former BSB star John Reynolds, Steve Parrish Barry Sheene’s former teammate, GP star Danny Webb, and many others.

I had a couple of my 500 Crooks Suzukis on show too, and it was good to meet up with many of my old rivals I’d raced with at Cadwell in the past. It’s definitely in my diary for next year.

*Mark Newsome from Dalton, who only a few short years ago started his own business restoring classic motorcycles, picked up yet another award for his handywork at the annual Velocette Owners Club National Rally held at Burtonwood, near Birmingham, last weekend.

The rally has been going for many years now and attracts exhibitors and visitors from all over the UK.

In recent years, Mark has concentrated primarily on the British Velocette models restoring many to their former glory and manufacturing many obsolete parts, enabling owners to keep these classic motorcycles on the road.

He now supplies those hard-to-get parts to customers around the world.

To his surprise, his own 1959 500cc Velocette Clubman was awarded the ‘Best Bike in Show’ by the judges, despite some stiff opposition from clubs and other equally enthusiastic owners. Great stuff Mark, well done.

*My apologies to anyone who went along to the Torver Bikers Breakfast meeting last Sunday and left hungry after I had published the wrong date. It is of course this Sunday at the usual time of 9:30am at St Lukes Church Hall, near Torver.

Meanwhile, Askam schoolboy Finley Pickering came away from the 90 Racing Motocross clubs event at Haverigg on a high last Sunday after one of his best results yet, as he took second place in the 65cc class, from a field of nearly 40 riders.

Near neighbour Gavin Southward had a brief high too after winning one of the adult class events.

Unfortunately, it was followed by a low, as he fell heavily in a later race, dislocating his elbow.

Furness General Hospital carried out an operation on it earlier this week. I’m sure everyone wishes him a speedy recovery.