Experience the key to Rob's win
10:09am Wednesday 14th May 2008
IT was a new start venue for Pendennis Motor Club's annual Flora Classic Trial on Sunday. Starting and finishing from the Coppice Inn at Lanner, the figure-of-eight course catered for solo motorcycles, sidecars, quads and a wide selection of cars to tackle a total of 22 sections and two special tests covering 80 miles of coast-to-coast route.
At the lunchtime break it was a six-way fight for the lead, with clean sheets for Robin Martin, Shaun Martin, Melroy Youlton, Richard Parkyn, Peter Pollard and the overall winner for the last two years, Phil Atkins.
It was not long after the re-start that the six-way fight became a three-way competition with Parkyn, Pollard and Atkins spinning to a halt in the wooded section on the outskirts of Ponsanooth. The Martins and Youlton remained feet up for the remaining hills and it was the two special tests which were to decide the winner.
The favourite for this final decider had to be Shaun over veterans Robin and Melroy, but it was not to be as Shaun slid to ground on the first test giving Robin the overall but still pushing Melroy down to a first class award in the B class.
Atkins loss at section 13 was still good enough to take class A from St Day's Ian Martin and Illogan's Steve Tremaine, making his debut at this type of event.
Gareth Andrew and George Edyvean were in control from the start in class E for sidecars and they stayed clean until number 13 where they spun to a halt with a three mark loss, but already having a nine mark cushion over eventual runners-up Martin and Claire Chapman. They only dropped another three marks on the deep ruts at Porkellis Bottoms to take the class by a 12 mark advantage.
The winner of the class F quads, Shane Orchard, was also in control from the start, completing the day with a clean sheet while his rivals were left to fight for the remaining awards with last year's winner Paul Jeffery pushing Andre McLellan down to third.
Julia Atkins turned the tables on Rose Disney from last year's event, holding a comfortable lead at lunch which proved enough for Julia to hold off a late fightback from Rose and take class G by six marks.
In the cars it was also the runner- up spot for last year's overall winner Andrew Rippon/Neil Allan. Despite keeping a clean sheet it was not enough to stop Ben Tonkin, with father Norman as ballast, to take the win with a three second faster time over the special tests.
The club would like to thank all those who made the running of this event possible including, working parties and many marshals on the day, local police and council authorities, Robbie, Rose and staff at the Coppice for excellent service and venue and the competitors who supported the event.
Award winners Overall motor cycles: Robin Martin, 175 Supamoto, St Day, 0 ST 48-40.
Class A winner under 200cc: Phil Atkins, 185 Honda, Scorrier, 4 marks. 1st class: Ian Martin, 125 Supamoto, St Day, 13; Steve Tremaine, 185 Honda, Illogan, 18. 2nd class: Mike Curnow, 125 WTM, Redruth, 29.
Class B winner over 200cc: Shaun Martin, 300 Gasgas, St Day, 0 ST 49-31. 1st class: Melroy Youlton, 250 Gasgas, Redruth, 0 ST 62-39; Paul Truscott, 230 Honda, Roche, 3 ST 52-19; Tristan Barnicoat, 200 Honda, Perranwell, 3 ST 55-06. 2nd class: Richard Parkyn, 250 Gasgas Nanpean, 4; Neil O'Connor, 250 Honda, St Just, 6; Tony Penhaligon, 250 Yamaha, Redruth, 7.
Class E winner sidecars: Gareth Andrew, 525 WTM, St Day; George Edyvean, 6. 1st class: Martin and Claire Chapman, 18, 525 BSU, Brea. 2nd class: Paul and Tricia Everley, 50, 540 BSU, St Austell.
Class G winner ladies: Julia Atkins, 43, 225 Yamaha, Scorrier. 1st class: Rose Disney, 49, 230 Honda, Fraddan. 2nd class: Louise Hillier, 75, 225 Yamaha, St Agnes.
Overall cars: Ben and Norman Tonkin, 0 ST 24-70, Camborne, VW Beetle.
Class 1: Darren Counter/ Andrew Harrington, 39, Maestro, Truro.
Class 3: Ken Bassett/Bill Wagstaff, 4, Escort, (Perranporth).
1st class: Harvey Waters/Tina Allaway, 5, Escort, St Day.
Class 6: Andrew Rippon/Neil Allan, 0 ST 27-20, Bissoe, VW Beetle.
Class 7: Derek Rogers/Charles Gregory, 17, Marlin, Hayle.
Class 8: Howard Clinton/Peter Volkner, 13, Marlin, Perranwell.