West Leeds Motor Club. National White Rose Trial. Cam Head, Sunday

TOM MINTA gave the 2019 Scorpa its first airing on the British trials scene on Sunday when he won the national White Rose Trial at Hawes.

The brainchild of Reg Roberts way back in 1958 is became the White Rose national in 1976 having run as a Group and Yorkshire Centre event up to that date. For winner Tom Minta and Scorpa it was a case of first time in competition and victory in what was a real traditional one day trial with a loss of a mere four marks, nothing short of sensational, and heading 2015 and last year's winner Richard Sadler by one penalty. No danger of moorland fires on Sunday at Cam Head where the West Leeds Motor Club launched yet another brilliant albeit wet national White Rose Trial. Torrential rain aided by a strong almost gale force south westerly wind blanketed the Hawes regions. The dry stream beds on Saturday became raging torrents by start time on Sunday morning when one hundred and fifty five competitors headed out from Cam Fell to ride forty traditional sections. The legendary Ribblehead Viaduct was hidden in dense hill mist as were the opening nine sections on Widdale Allotments. A misnomer if ever as the 'Allotments' are miles of heather and bracken covered moorland. In amongst the opening sections is Gritstones which carries a long history of hard luck stories over the years. Renee's Gorge is also a memorable section with the national Red Squirrel Sanctuary its immediate neighbour. Sadly Renee Smith has left us but her name lives on. Nigel Crowther and his team plotted the section, tenth in order, on Saturday. "It was dry yesterday" commented Nigel as he viewed the torrent flowing down the moor.

Wetherby D.M.C. 6th Norman Crooks Trophy Championship, Grimwith Reservoir, Saturday

THE Wetherby club were lucky at Grimwith Reservoir on Saturday afternoon where the sixth trial in the Norman Crooks Trophy series took place in what turned out to be a dry afternoon. While Clerks of Course John Henfrey and Michael Benson were setting out the ten section trials course the rain was falling but as the Event Secretary Margaret Myers arrived the rain ceased.

The Greenhow trials features a steep hillside that abounds with climbs and fearsome descents. Exactly forty competitors contested five classes. John Lydamore won the hard course class beating Kirby Malzeard precision engineering director Dave Mawer. The latter lost marks on three consecutive sections. Sixteen year Bellerby youth Ryan Brown competed as a novice and took third place overall. Barnoldswick Rolls-Royce employee Anthony Ayrton strayed over the border from Barnoldswick to ride the entire 50/50 course without penalty heading MRS Sherco contenders Rob Hardisty and Phillip Hammond. A trio of competitors won the easy course class. Darren Fowler, Graham Parker and Thomas Simpson all incurred no penalties. Darren's son Callum went one better, he did win the Youth class - by a good margin. The final Crooks Trophy event will take place at North Close Farm, Kirkby Malzeard on September 15 commencing at 4.30 pm.

FIXTURES

Saturday

Wetherby D.M.C. 7th Crooks Trophy trial, North Close Farm, Kirkby Malzeard,

4.30 pm.

Sunday

Richmond Motor Club, G.E. Brown Trophy Centre Championship Trial, Low Row,

10.30 am.

Yeadon-Guiseley M.C. Mel Harrison British Sidecar Championship, Fellbeck

10.30 am.