VERTIGO TO VICTORY
One of the most improved riders in the 2019 championship, Sam Yeomans held his calm in a close contest to take the Vertigo to victory at the opening of the 2020 series. With the top four separated by single marks, it was a very close contest all day. Forty riders competed in this Expert class, which is proving to be a suitable ‘feeder’ to move them up into the higher classes.
HOME ADVANTAGE
Riding on his home ‘patch,’ it was Ben Morphett on his ageing two-stroke Montesa who took the advantage after the opening lap, but it was very close, proving that every mark would count towards the final scores. Sections three and nine proved the most difficult, with two- and three-mark penalties the order of the day. The riders soon settled down to the new rules, and the hazards rode very well, with Morphett leading on six with Yeomans and Thorpe separated by a single mark, as Lloyd Price (Gas Gas) remained close to the fight for the victory on ten marks lost.
On the second lap, it was Morphett who was still holding the advantage as Thorpe dropped off the pace with two consecutive stops on sections nine and ten, but Yeomans kept the pressure on despite a five-mark penalty in section seven putting him three marks behind Morphett. Connor Atkinson (SW Trials TRRS) pulled himself up the order after a very poor opening lap, parting with 11 marks on the second.
The final lap of this testing terrain that deteriorated with every rider would see time play an important factor in the result, as the riders knew that this element would be pushed all the way. Eventual winner Sam Yeomans had a below-par performance parting with 17 marks lost, but it was still enough to give him the single-mark victory from Lloyd Price. Price’s lap scores had been the most consistent during the day to keep him in the fight for the victory, but the extra two marks for exceeding the time allowance denied him the win.
Now a veteran of the British Championship, Dan Thorpe knew his second lap score of 19 marks lost would be difficult to come back from as he took the last step on the podium. Early leader Morphett blew his hopes of victory with a score of 22 as Connor Atkinson rounded off the top five just two more marks behind.