Kia Championship
As they say, you should never look back but always forward; and with the Kia Twinshock Championship growing in both events and riders year on year it’s progressed into a series well worth winning. Would you believe that the championship had over 300 points-scoring riders this year? Yes, that’s a fact! Starting back in February with the opening round of the 2019 series in Wales at the Aqueduct Classic Trial the organisers had another nine rounds to offer, running the length and breadth of the country before closing at the last round with the Castleside Trial in the north. Only seven of the ten rounds count towards the winning totals but as was expected many riders opted to ride the full series, such is their passion and enjoyment for motorcycle trials. Expert Class: Twinshock
With Chris Koch (Fantic) missing round four it removed an opportunity to take points from Richard Allen (Gori) who won the title by just five points. On his way to the title Allen won four of the ten rounds, followed by three wins from Koch who will be kicking himself for not winning the final round. Other round-winners included Michael Irving (Majesty) at round two, Chris Forshaw (Fantic) at round four, and the final one went to Glen Scholey (Honda).
Final Championship Positions: 1: Richard Allen (Gori) 129; 2: Chris Koch (Fantic) 124; 3: Chris Garlick (Fantic) 105; 4: Chris Forshaw (Fantic) 80; 5: Roy Palmer (Kawasaki) 62; 6: Matthew Spink (Fantic) 46; 8: Phil Daley (Fantic) 44; 8: Mark Cameron (Fantic) 40; 9: Chris Barnett (Fantic) 37; 10: Mick Thompson (Majesty) 35.
Expert Class: Historic Spanish & Pre-78 Twinshock
With only 13 points-scoring riders Dean Devereux (Bultaco) dominated the series with five wins from nine starts. Rob Faulkner (Yamaha) only won one round but was consistent enough to take the runner-up position. Three other round-winners included Richard Pulman (Montesa), Darren Mitchell (Bultaco) and Stuart Blythe (Bultaco).
Final Championship Positions: 1: Dean Devereux (Bultaco) 134; 2: Rob Faulkner (Yamaha) 106; 3: Dave Wood (Bultaco) 82;
4: Richard Pulman (Montesa) 71; 5: Stephen Bisby (Ossa) 64; 6: Darren Mitchell (Bultaco) 20; 7: Stuart Blythe (Bultaco) 20; 8: Gary Younghusband (Bultaco) 17; 9: Barry Roads (Yamaha) 15; 10: Ian Tracey (Ossa) 11.
Expert Class: Monoshock
Using the mono-shock Yamaha to its best, Steve Bird easily won the class in front of Peter Ruscoe (Fantic). Four wins, two seconds and a third-place finish secured the championship for Bird as Chris Alford (Yamaha) won two rounds with Ben Butterworth (Fantic), Andrew Reynolds (Yamaha), Nigel Scott (Honda) and Steven Johnson (Yamaha) all winning one each.
Final Championship Positions: 1: Steve Bird (Yamaha) 129; 2: Peter Ruscoe (Fantic) 50; 3: Andy Paxton (Yamaha) 43; 4: Chris Alford (Yamaha) 40; 5: Ben Butterworth (Fantic) 37; 6: Dan Sanders (Yamaha) 32; 7: Jack Costigan (Fantic) 22; 8: Andrew Reynolds (Yamaha) 20; 9: Nigel Scott (Honda) 20; 10: Steven Johnson (Yamaha) 20.
Expert Class: Pre-72 Britshock
It was the various examples of the BSA Bantam machines that dominated the first three positions in this class as Ian Peberdy (BSA) dominated with six wins. Finland’s three-time FIM World Champion Yrjo Vesterinen won a round, as did Mark Reynolds (Triumph) at the new Sheffield round; David Sherlock (James) won another, and Rob Atkinson won the last round.
Final Championship Positions: 1: Ian Peberdy (BSA) 137; 2: Tim Blackmore (BSA) 55; 3: Yrjo Vesterinen (BSA) 48; 4: Paul Bennett (Francis Barnett) 47; 5: Mark Reynolds (Triumph) 46; 6: Nick Paxton (BSA) 28; 7: Nathan Jones (BSA) 23; 8: Rob Atkinson 20; 9: Dave Sherlock (James) 20; 10: Sam Clarke (Triumph) 17.
Clubman Class: Twinshock
With a huge 73 points-scoring riders in this class Martyn Gilbert and his little two-stroke 65cc Honda TLM simply destroyed the opposition, with a clear win which included four individual round wins. Proving that this class can be enjoyed on machines to suit both the pocket and availability Andrew Williams (Honda) won a round as did James Lamin (Honda), John Zottl (Majesty) and, at the final round, series runner-up Jim Williams (SWM). Final Championship Positions: 1: Martyn Gilbert (Honda) 121; 2: Jim Williams (SWM) 84; 3: Gary Hawkins (Fantic) 65; 4: Darren Walker (Aprilia) 56; 5: Andrew Williams (Honda) 52; 6: Simon Anderson (Armstrong) 49; 7: Owen Hardisty (Honda) 48; 8: John Zottl (Majesty) 46; 9: Nibs Adam (Fantic) 39; 10: Shaun Francis (Fantic) 37.
Clubman Class: Historic Spanish & Pre-78 Twinshock
I for one was delighted to see Dave Wardell take this series win on the diminutive Montesa Cota 172. It’s quite interesting to note that in second position was another Montesa, this time the Cota 247 in the capable hands of Paul Cook. With four wins from the opening six rounds, Wardell already had a hold on the championship. A delighted Steve ‘Butch’ Robson was another Montesa winner with two round wins as ‘Mr Ossa’ Martin Beech also won two and Dave Mathews and Kevin Edmondson won one each.
Final Championship Positions: 1: Dave Wardell (Montesa) 125; 2: Paul Cook (Montesa) 85; 3: Ian Thomas (Bultaco) 72; 4: Steve Robson (Montesa) 70; 5: Dave Mathews (Bultaco) 58; 6: Martin Beech (Ossa) 57; 7: Bob Hill (Suzuki) 50; 8: Ossy Byers (Bultaco) 36; 9: Phil Dyson (Bultaco) 31; 10: Adrian Kent (Bultaco) 29.
Clubman Class: Monoshock
The RTL Honda was a superb machine when it came out in the mid-eighties and it’s still winning in the capable hands of Cheshire based Jeremy Hawker. With 47 riders scoring points it was once again well supported. Of the nine rounds he contested Hawker won four, as second-placed Paul Whittaker (Fantic) never recorded a win all season. The monoshock Yamaha did not win the series but Keith Burgess took two round wins, as did Steven Mycock (Yamaha), Robin Foulkes (Yamaha) and Darren Morgan (Fantic) won one round each.
Final Championship Positions: 1: Jeremy Hawker (Honda) 127; 2: Paul Whittaker (Fantic) 97; 3: Keith Burgess (Yamaha) 86;
4: Robin Foulkes (Yamaha) 85; 5: Darren Morgan (Fantic) 63; 6: James Brooker (Yamaha) 59; 7: Nick Boxall (Fantic) 45; 8: Steve Ransom (Yamaha) 44; 9: Tim Heaton (Yamaha) 40; 10: Steven Mycock (Yamaha) 40.
Clubman Class: Pre-72 Britshock
In a very close championship won by Simon Critchley (BSA) from Paul Howells (Triumph) a massive 66 riders scored points. What’s interesting is that Critchley only won two rounds and Paul Howells one. Yorkshire car dealer Robin Luscombe (Triumph) won the two opening rounds, and individual round wins went to Ian Myers (Triumph), Mark Godfrey (BSA), Tim Wooldridge, Ossy Byers and Chris Myers (Tribsa).
Final Championship Positions: 1: Simon Critchley (BSA) 115; 2: Paul Howells (Triumph) 102; 3: Chris Myers (Tribsa) 84;
4: John Chatto (James) 73; 5: Simon Bown (BSA) 69; 6: Peter Edwards (BSA) 66; 7: Gerry Minshall (James) 51; 8: Keith Wells (BSA) 50; 9: Ian Myers (Triumph) 50; 10: Robin Luscombe (Triumph) 40.