MISSING YOU
2011 SSDT
As we are still living under the Covid-19 pandemic cloud, the organising Edinburgh & District Motor Club Limited had no option but to follow on from 2020 and cancel the 2021 Scottish Six Days Trial once again. Some people will say the decision, made on 26th January, was a little hasty, but it proved to be the correct one as we are only now seeing the true extent of the long roadmap out of this awful period in human history. For those who are not aware, the planning for each year’s event starts the week after one finishes; such is the logistical operation for an event of this size — it’s not just about six days in May for many!
2011 marked the 100-year celebrations of the famous Scottish Six Days Trial, still, in many eyes, the most prestigious trials event in the world. The attraction from around the globe to compete in this celebration event was huge. The entry once again way oversubscribed. After the ballot to allocate riding numbers, the club had many previous winners included in the entry, including Dougie Lampkin (1994, 1995,
1996, 2008, 2009); Graham Jarvis (1998,
1999, 2004, 2006); Amos Bilbao (2002); Sam Connor (2005); James Dabill (2007) and the 2010 winner Alexz Wigg.
To take the win in 2011 would be one moment in time, and they all wanted the winning title of ‘Centurion’ to celebrate 100 years of the most famous trial in the world. The whole world of motorcycling (not just trials) came to Fort William in 2011 to celebrate this iconic occasion. We reflect on the 2011 event won by James Dabill (Beta), and, yes, we are missing you and look forward to meeting up again with friends old and new in 2022.
For once, the inclement weather that can be found at the event did everyone a favour and stayed away. Sunday’s weigh-in day was blessed with Mediterranean sunshine, and it was a happy carnival atmosphere for motorcycle trials at the West End car park. Friends old and new had their regular ‘Meet’ and spoke about and enjoyed 100 years of this famous event.
DABILL’S DOUBLE HIT
It was a very happy James Dabill who arrived in Scotland as the man on form and focussed on the history books. He delivered on the goods and hit the history books on two accounts. He won the event and became the first winner on a four-stroke machine since Alan Lampkin’s win on the BSA in 1966. Even though his late riding number, 248, meant he would be in the early group on the final day, he rode a well-calculated six days. He was in touching distance of the lead all week and on day five made his intentions clear as his close rival Dougie Lampkin crashed out of the event with an injured ankle. He was the best performer on Friday with his nearest rival Alexz Wigg; they both dropped two marks each but stretched the marks advantage to four, leaving it all to play for on the final day.
EARLY FINISHER
He rode a cool, calculated final day, despite the intense heat as the sunshine hit the area once again. Riding at the very front of the entry, he enjoyed the sun and parted with six marks for the day to finish early – had he done enough to win? As Alexz Wigg (Sherco) dropped down to finish fourth, his good friend and rival Michael Brown (Gas Gas) moved into the runner-up position with the best performance for the day.
In third position was the previous winner, Graham Jarvis (Montesa), who benefited from Wigg’s surprise stop on the final hazard at Town Hall Brae as his chain derailed. The win from Dabill moved him to the status as the number one trials rider in the UK as he also added another string to his bow. He became only the second rider in the event’s history — along with the great Sammy Miller — to win the event on both two- and four-stroke machines.
SSDT 2011 TOP TEN
RESULTS: 1: James Dabill (Beta) 13; 2: Michael
Brown (JST Gas Gas) 16; 3: Graham Jarvis (Pidcock Honda-Montesa) 19; 4: Alexz Wigg (Sherco) 19; 5: Gary MacDonald (JST Gas Gas) 32; 6: Sam Connor (Beta-UK) 33; 7: Ian Austermuhle (Beta-UK) 37; 8: Ben Hemingway (Beta-UK) 39; 9: Alfredo Gomez (Montesa-ESP) 45; 10: James Lampkin (Beta) 45.
As James Dabill took the victory, the fight behind him for the top positions had been close throughout the six days. With the weather being kind, it was appreciated by the larger-than-expected crowds for the 100-year celebration. In a low-scoring event, every mark counted, and the scores were close, with the tie-break decider also sorting out the final podium position. So, what happened to the opposition? The most significant loss from the top positions was the retirement of Dougie Lampkin (Gas Gas), who damaged his ankle as the event entered its conclusion. With five wins already to his name, he failed to start the final day.
2nd — Michael Brown (JST Gas Gas UK): The 2010 runner-up, the ‘Mighty Atom’, was once again pushed off the podium’s top spot despite a gallant attempt for glory. Going clean and losing no marks on the first day is a superb achievement, and it gave him the extra feel-good factor.
Two single-mark penalties on Tuesday put him in front, but a very loose five on section two at the sections named Annatt overlooking Fort William was not good – and he knew it. He was up for the fight for victory with only a two-mark loss for Thursday before his early day, Friday. A total of five marks lost pushed him out of the top three, leaving so much work to do on the final day if he wanted to win. He rode his heart out at the back of the entry losing only a single mark, the best for the day, but it was not enough, and it was a disappointed Brown who sportingly shook hands with Dabill, acknowledging his rival’s win.
3rd — Graham Jarvis (Pidcock Honda-Montesa): The importership of the Honda–Montesa range of trials machines had moved to Chris Pidcock. He arrived at the SSDT on a new centenary celebration machine for the four-time winner Jarvis to ride.
Jarvis had moved to Italy, riding for an Enduro team; a man of very few words, he was never far away from the hunt for the victory. Losing just a single mark on day one, he fired a warning shot to his rivals, but the wheels came off his challenge with a single five late on day two.
With a strong ride at the halfway point, Thursday (Day four) got even better when the single mark he parted with put him in second place, but two three-mark penalties on the penultimate day left him with too much work to do on Saturday. It was not to be a win, but his five-mark penalty on Saturday was all he lost, giving him the last place on the podium on the tie decider. Graham was happy, and so was Chris Pidcock.
4th — Alexz Wigg (Sherco): A hugely popular winner in 2010, ‘Wiggy’ gave the SSDT one hundred per cent. It was a tough start to the week on Monday when he took a five on the step at Coire Mhorair, a repeat of 2010, and then added two more marks to finish the day down in 12th position. It had been a sure-fire wake-up call, and he came to life on Tuesday with just a single-mark loss which confirmed he wanted another win.
He was ‘feet up’ all day Wednesday and moved into a very strong fourth place. Three single-mark penalties on Thursday kept him in touch of the leaders, and on Friday, he delivered in true style, matching Dabill’s two for the day; he knew that with Dabill having his early day on Saturday, the win was still out there for the taking.
It was drama at the close of the day, though, when a rock dislodged the drive chain of the machine on ‘Town Hall Brae’, the last section of the event, and he lost out to the tie-break decider for third position to Graham Jarvis.
5th — Gary MacDonald (JST Gas Gas): This very proud Scotsman once again missed a much sought-after win as he gave it his all to come in fifth place and the second-best Gas Gas rider. Earlier in the year, he had damaged his hand in an accident at work. As a result, he had not had as much time on the machine as he usually would, which is necessary if you are to push for the win. The highlight of his week was the joint Best Performance on the Wednesday.
THE BEST OF THE REST
It was to be a fight amongst the Beta riders for the remaining top positions, headed by Sam Connor. A winner in 2005, he now treats the event as a sporting holiday, one he very much enjoys, and once again, he proved that talent never goes away.
As you would expect, the ‘Scottish’ usually brings out the best riding over the six days. Both Ian Austermuhle and Ben Hemingway raised their game at the event, with Ian beating
Ben by just two marks. The best daily performance efforts on the Thursday gave him the edge when he parted with no marks.
Of the young riders now coming through the ranks in the world championship events, Spain’s Alfredo Gomez was a welcome first-time rider in Scotland on the four-stroke Montesa, rewarded with the Best Newcomer and Foreign Rider awards. It would be another ‘Scottish’ addict, James Lampkin, who, despite having only had a few outings on the machine before the event, rounded off the top ten.
A SUPER WEEK
In a change of colour scheme and engine supplier, the French-built Scorpa machines were now orange, and with a change from the Japanese Yamaha engine to one supplied by Europe. With a reputation as a good machine for the event, Devon-based Joe Baker was the best of a handful of riders on the new machine.
With no marks lost on the Wednesday, Dan Thorpe joined three other riders for the best Daily Performance award, but this was still not enough to out-point his fellow Gas Gas team rider, Sam Haslam.
A British Expert Trials Champion many years ago but now fully converted to enduro, Tom Sagar showed he still has the talent on the Montesa as he finished in front of
Jack Challoner. Rounding off the top 15 was another young rider full of potential, Ben Morphett.
OSSA
Ossa last attended this event in the mid-80s, and we all remember the glory years with Mick Andrews in the ’70s. They returned in 2011 with a revolutionary new machine to put it to the ultimate test — the ‘Scottish’.
Guy Kendrew was the best of the riders on the new machine, as Emma Bristow took the Best Ladies’ award after some gutsy riding during the week. All the three lady riders, including Becky Cook and Katy Sunter, did themselves proud by finishing the event.
The Edinburgh and District Motor Club put on a fantastic event to celebrate 100 years of the Scottish Six Days Trial. Blessed with Mediterranean weather for most of the week, it still stands proud as the most prestigious event in the world trials calendar — and long may it continue.