NORTHALLERTON’S Guy Kendrew and Port Mulgrave’s Jack Howell, both Beta mounted and in superb form, battled for honours in the Guisborough DMC East Coast Tyres Trial, Kendrew showing more consistency in the latter stages to take first place.

Unmatchable rides of seven lost over the awkward, steep roots of section two and just three on the twisting uphill climb on five gained Kendrew the win.

Howell had the satisfaction of being the only expert to remain clean on section nine.

Greg Winspear, head man at Peddlers, Marske, made a welcome return to the sport, edging the strong opposition of Alan Carr from Scarborough, Alan Williams, Middlesbrough and Tom Smith back to the minor placings to win Clubman A.

His slide down the greasy hill climb without on the first lap would have matched Lizzy Yarnold’s time in Sochi, but he recovered well, making few mistakes after that.

Great Ayton’s Phil Mayfield just failed to clinch an Intermediate win, giving best to John Benton by four marks.

Age and experience proved the vital ingredient in a relatively easy Clubman B class, with Guisborough’s Chris ‘Banger’ Banks back to winning ways, along with Yarm’s Darren Johnson and Mike Watson, from Marske, who all remained unpenalised.

  • At Dob Park on Sunday almost 100 competitors sampled what was the second round of the Yeadon-Guiseley club’s second club championship.

Sixty-eight contenders rode a Paul Jackson-devised fourlap, ten-section course, taking on the extremes of a muddy Brown’s Wood, where Crosser’s infamous rocks yielded little in the way of cleans.

Mick Hinch and Paul Whitham entertained in Dob Park, where 24 tiny tots enjoyed splashing about in the stream in the lower wood.

The adult course got cracking half way along the east end of Brown’s, where the dryish climb up over pine needles concealed a glass-like surface, but it was well flagged and the section got the field moving to delightful Crossers.

Only winner Rob Waite bossed it, twice. It was down to new Centre champion Sam Yeadon to add his touch on lap three, while Sam Beecroft- Penny cleaned on his final lap, much to Mick Shorrock’s surprise.

The Skipton observer was well into the threes and fives register.

Much-travelled Masham Sausage supremo Paul Dennis tussled with Phil Scott and Paul Jackson in Clubman A, where Joe Faunthorpe and where former road-racing star Rob McElnea fought of Andy Turner and Lee Black.

Club member Nick Owen won Clubman B from Craig and Mark Robertson, though Andy Howe, Robin Luscombe and Graham Atkinson lurked on hand.

Down in Dob, the fun was really on the boil. Eight very varied sections tested the 24 boys and girls in the Small Wheels division. Half the section tracked the stream, climbing steep banks, while the bank-side rocks afforded the nearest copy to the adult sections.

Many seemed to navigate the water at a rate of knots.

Catterick’s Elliott Laws held sway in the hard course over Harry Hemingway and class supremo Henry Stephenson, who is showing signs of mastering his Beta stroker.

Alfie Lampkin dispatched his cousin George Hemingway, while Fraiser Lampkin rocketed through section chasing, to no avail, Ravensthorpe’s Conrad Andrew.