WINNER : ROB EDWARDS ( MONTESA)
1971 BRITISH EXPERTS TRIAL
A jubilant 25-year-old Rob Edwards (Montesa) finally achieved a lifetime ambition when he won the end-of-season British Experts Trial. He had finished third in 1968 on the 125cc Sprite, and, in 1969, he rose to second on the Montesa. Starting at 10.30am prompt from the Lakeside, Llandrindod Wells in Wales on a cold, sharp November morning, a strong entry of qualifiers included 21 solo riders and nine sidecars who would compete over a 40-mile, singlelap course. Dating back to 1929, when this ‘Blue Riband’ event was first organised, solo riders would be competing to win the magnificent SKF Gold Cup. Riders who had qualified for the event were contacted by the Birmingham Motorcycle Club and invited to enter as the wellknown lady trials rider Olga Kevelos held the main reins as the Clerk of the Course.
A fine but cool day greeted the entry of 186 riders, the highest entry since 1966 when Alan Lampkin had won on the four-stroke BSA, to the start field where the Darlington and District Motor Club were running their 22nd Scott Trial.
For many years this event had been plagued with time limits for the riders. They would hang around after they had started so that the many rivers and rocks found in the event would become easier with the passing riders through the sections. 1971 would be no different as the whole entry ground to halt at the first group of sections at Ashfield.
GET GOING
A group of section ‘Scrubbers’, made up of halfa-dozen riders from the organising club, would not compete in the trial. Instead, they would attempt the 40 sections to bed them in before the competitors rode them. A previous winner in 1965, Scott Ellis (Bultaco) was the first rider to attempt the opening six sections at 11.05am, some 35 minutes after he had started, before some of the later
numbers were threatened with five-mark penalties if they did not attempt the first section when called upon. Malcolm Rathmell (Bultaco) was the best, parting with two single marks before Rob Edwards rode the Montesa through them all, parting with no marks. As the riders passed through the eight sections at ‘Hillgate’, Edwards was still in the lead as Rathmell maintained his challenge to add the Experts trophy to his Scott Trial win.
LEVEL
As Edwards parted with two more marks at ‘Llwyncutta’, Rathmell’s single-mark loss made it level pegging. However, a change of terrain from the rocky rivers to the muddy banks and climbs would happen at Esgair-Rhiw, and this is where Edwards made the push for victory. He passed through the five sections losing just three marks as Rathmell parted with seven.
The eventual third- and fourth-place finishers, Martin Lampkin (Bultaco) and Dave Thorpe (Ossa), also lost any chance of a victory here as they parted with more marks. Rathmell came fighting back, but Edwards would be crowned the British Expert; he was happy.
In Sidecars, as Alan Morewood and Gerry Holmes returned to the sport after winning the Experts in 1970, they were beaten by Ray and Derek Round by three marks.
1971 BRITISH EXPERTS TRIAL
SOLO RESULTS: 1: Rob Edwards (250 Montesa) 17; 2: Malcolm Rathmell (250 Bultaco) 21; 3: Martin Lampkin (250 Bultaco) 27; 4: Dave Thorpe (250 Ossa) 29; 5: Tony Davis (250 Bultaco) 30; 6: Jack Galloway (250 Bultaco) 34; 7: Bill Wilkinson (250 Ossa) 36; 8: Lawrence Telling (250 Montesa) 39; 9: Brian Higgins (250 Bultaco) 40; 10: Alan Lampkin (250 Bultaco) 42; 11: Scott Ellis (250 Bultaco) 43; 12: Gordon Farley (250 Montesa) 47; 13: Rob Shepherd (250 Montesa) 48; 14: Ian Haydon (250 Montesa) 48; 15: Derek Adsett (175 Greeves) 51; 16: Mark Kemp (250 Bultaco) 52; 17: Billy McMaster (250 Bultaco) 58; 18: Benny Crawford (250 Bultaco) 60; 19: Derek Russell (250 Bultaco) 73; 20: John Harrison (250 Bultaco) 80.
SIDECAR RESULTS: 1: Ray/Derek Round (441 BSA) 40; 2: Alan Morewood/Gerry Holmes (650 Triumph) 43; 3: Phil/John/Mountfield (500 Ariel) 49; 4: Bob Colein/Paul Taylor (500 BSA) 55; 5: Peter Shiner/Stan Tranter (500 Ariel) 55; 6: Ginger Budd/Peter Cane (500 BSA) 58; 7: Jack Mathews/ Gordon Ruffley (500 BSA) 61; 8: Colin Laver/John Bow (500 Lavariel) 64; 9: Roger Martin/Chris Warren (500 Ariel) 65.