Time for change
ACU BRITISH CHAMPIONSHIPS – SOLO
Masters
Riding with a mature consistency, Ross Danby has three consecutive wins under his belt in this new-for-2018 series. After missing the opening round Sam Haslam made his first appearance in this class but he has no answer at the moment to Danby as he keeps the TRS at the top of the championship with another clear win in south Wales.
Expert
On paper it may look like Richard Sadler is pulling away at the head of the championship, but he knows that at every round there is a handful of riders who could win on the day in this very closely matched, competitive championship. At the moment his nearest rival is Guy Kendrew with ‘Veteran’ Dan Thorpe never far off the pace. After a poor performance by his own admission, Thorpe knows he is on the back foot but Kendrew needs to be looking to take a win if he is to challenge Sadler for the crown.
Luke Walker is holding his own in fourth as the Isle of Wight’s Chris Stay had to contend with a retirement in the Lake District which is a points deficit he knows will be hard to pull back.
Worth noting is the excellent ride by Emma Bristow in round two. The current Ladies’ Trial World Champion will be happy with her career-best fifth position but also frustrated as she knows that the top three is achievable. Never one to give up, do not be surprised if Emma bridges this gap from fifth to third. With the more open hazards found in rounds two and three now changing to the much more confined hazards at the challenging Kelly’s Farm maybe we will see some of the younger riders start to shine.
Elite Youth
If you look at the final scores from each event you will see that the 125cc machines have a tough day, as do the riders. As some of the younger riders enter into the European and Trial World Championships, in theory this new Elite Youth Class should better prepare them for this transition.
Mitch Brightmore has successfully raised his level of riding, which has put him clear at the head of the championship with two wins in last two rounds. Both Gus Oblein and Brett Harbudd know that a win is vital at the next round if they are to stop Brightmore pulling further ahead in the championship. It will be interesting to see which of the riders can take the fight to Brightmore.