Home - www.scottishenduros.co.uk

2005 Championship ENDURO

Round 2/3 - Melville MC Pathhead Enduro Day 1 and Day2

30th April / 1st May

Results for Day1 - click here

Results for Day2 - click here

   Photos at the bottom of page - taken by Mrs Rachel Little & Scott Thomson (Evil Snapper shots ) Day 1- April Marr Day 2

With the original date postponed due to low cloud and snow cover making First Aid cover difficult it was a welcome surprise to arrive at Pathhead and find bright sunshine and a warm day ahead. As usual the Melville club had done an excellent job of preparing a testing track across wet moors, mossy forest and fast fields. Thanks to Kenny Donaldson and the team for a lot of hard work.

Although the day was dry the ground was not and riders soon found themselves well covered in mud from the numerous small ditches and bogs. A couple of riders - Paul Scott and Malky Bissett managed to bury their bikes - and it took a lot of effort from helpful riders to get them back out. The point to  note here - the only flat ground in an Enduro is water. Helpful spectators through the trees soon built a bridge of logs across the worst ditch - ta lads.

Arriving at the test the riders could see electronics. What - a proper timed test in Scotland !! With the Melville having invested a lot of money in equiment over the past few years it was good to see it operational. There was only one test this year - the open field and MX type test which had plenty of small mud patches and holes to trap the unwary. Smoothness was they key this year to a rapid time.

The riders soon found the day quite warm with camelbacks soon empty - no hint of rain here. The lap back to the start was the faster second half through thr trees and included two road crossings - well manned to ensure all riders pushed their machines across on a dead engine. Essential for Police permission to cross the road . Then "Kennys Sting in the tail" - down the bank and you can see the pits - but NO! - he takes you back up the hill for another couple of miles through the forest before finishing along the old railway line.

A lot of wildlife was spotted with several riders spooting deer on the course. One rabbit decided to use the track as a short cut and would not get out of the way - but he was going to fast to catch anyway !

One lap was cut off the day as times were proving tight and 5 hours was enough.

Sunday arrived damp - but the sky was clearing and no snow. Riders set off in race shirts for a fast blast over the same course as Saturday -in reverse. A lot of the course was changed and cut to make the reverse track easier and effective marshalling kept the course open all day.

But then the heavens opened and heavy rain blasted the track making easy climbs slippy and the special test a rutted test track rather than a smooth flowing line.   The decision was made to cut the number of laps to prevent excessive ground damage and get the riders in before they all got stuck.

A tough two days riding but good practice for those riding down south. Two days is harder than one - but well worth the effort.

Crawford Carrick- Anderson won day one from  Derek Liitle and Grant Smith with some very fast test times.  Murray Thomson followed up in 4th. Comments about his power valve spring ( see Photo) were repaid ! Where can I buy a girlie spring ........

Andrew Flockhart continued his title defence in the over 40's with Sean Wooley splitting first place to push Ian Paterson down to 3rd place bu only 4 seconds - nothing in it this year. Dougal Walker putting in a fine race for 4th with Kenny Donaldson finishing 5th.

In the Clubman Craig Jagla put in some very fast tests to win over Allyn Scotland with Douglas Page in 3rd by only 3 seconds.

Ian Clark won the Sportsman from Gordon Maclean and Michael Rathbone.

Day Two produced a different set of winners as the track was different and the test a lot muddier

Experts were again dominated by Crawford Carrick Anderson this time fending off rider No 2 Murray Thomson with Mark Godfrey finishing in 3rd ahead of Derek Little. Test times went up as the rain poured down and turned the track into a ski slope in places

Ian Paterson posted an impressive win in the Over 40's class with Sean Wooley in second and Andrew Flockhart in 3rd.

Craig Jagla finished 1-1 for the weekend to get some good Championship points ahead of Alan Lauder and Allyn Scotland in the Clubman Class.

Alastair Crocket pushed hard in the Clubman to finish 25 seconds clear of Allan Poynton in the Spotsman class.Mark Ewing finishing 3rd.

[bottom.htm]