www.wgdfmcc.org.uk

West Glos & Dean Forest
Motor Cycle Club

Celebrating 71 Years of Motor Cycling 1953 - 2024

Chicken Run Hare & Hounds Enduro - 7th Sep 2008

Incorporating Round 3 of the Mercian Dirt Riders Championship.

You thought it was all over, didn't you! Nah! there is tons more paperwork to be done and just a few fields to finish clearing completely, but Glenn says thanks to all the guys who turned up for the Thursday clearing session.

Snippets

Final Results are now up. (linked on the right). Mercian Championship points will be calculated soon. Check on their site (Linked on the Right).

Apologies to Meirion Thomas who was shown as DNF but was really one of the unknowns down the bottom. He managed 2 laps in the Sports 2/s. Can anyone identify who the other 2 unknowns were?

A very big thanks to the real heroes of the event, the members who made it all possible some of whom are: Glenn and Suzie Thomas, Dave Pinney, Nick Lord, Ian Vessey, Jules Bishop, Dave Harris, Cliff Hannam, Wayne Hewitt, Anthony Moore, Carl Pollock, Mark Mazzucca, Dave Adams, Paul Dekkers, Ian Beard, Mike and Josh Allen, Dave and Alex Smailes. And of course Mercian's Gail Lucas and Phill Hodges for doing the Timing and the Results. (I know there are many more but help me complete the list. Apologies if we've left you off, it really was unintentional.)

Veteran Martin P-Jones put in a brilliant 5 laps before running out of steam, if only he had stopped for 9 minutes before the line he would have claimed a 2nd behind Rob Chivers. (We've just found out it was due to a big Bang from the engine, so Rob should watch out next time!)

Commiserations to some of our riders who went through hell to get to the event, only to face some people's idea of hell! One rider was sent home from a flooded factory and couldn't believe he would still get a ride on the weekend. Another woke up to find his Garage under water with all his kit drowned.

Riders Say...

Steve Biddle says: I would just like to thank everbody for all there efforts for the event, a job well done to keep it all moving, sorry i couldnt make it for the clean up, I enjoyed the day very much even considering how wet it was, but its all good practice. There was a little bit of grip near the very end though. I was pleased with my result just couldn't quite catch Derry, on my 7th lap had to come in for some water for the bike so lost a bit of time there. I just need to get good results now for the last 2 in the Mercian champs to hold on to my 2nd position or catch the leader. Many thanks to all for a good tough event and really glad they ran it in the end, also thanks to Gail and Phill for scoring and all there efforts they always put into the championship.

Kim Bevan (From the Rider's Pit crew view point) says: We had a really good day and appreciate all the hard work you guys put in to hold the event. we encouraged a few friends to enter what was their first event and even they really enjoyed it too.

Rob Chivers 57 says: just to say thanks for a great day....very tricky due to the conditions. You all did a fab job to keep the event running so smoothly, well done all of you.....now, where are the results Many thanks. (ed. Good timing Rob, I'd just put them up.)

James Wilden says: This has to be the muddiest event this year so far and hopefully for the rest of the year too!
It all began for me on Saturday trudging around with Chief Marshal, Nick Lord. We had the final taping of the track to do which gave us chance to identify where the trouble spots would be and the best way round them once the going got tough. the rain was relentless and we were expecting the worse for the next day.
Sunday morning and I expected the rain to continue but no, something was in our favour and we at least had a dry day from above. Messrs Biddle and the rest of the gang were true to form and we were the first riders on the scene to survey and test the going. This happened earlier than expected when Wayne got the van stuck on a downhill field before even the tractor arrived and we had to push.
Next Julian and crew scrutineered with some sniggers and comments about what lay ahead for us, I was undetered by all this and lined the bike up ready for the off. On the start line the general consensus was that we must all be totally off our rockers, or words to those effect anyway.
First lap turned out for me to be the best of the day with a pretty clear track before the carnage ensued. It was as expected, muddy in the fields and slippery in the woods. By the second lap the whole course changed and every consequent lap the same. Top marks to all Marshals for keeping the track flowing at all times, the only thing slowing me down was my inability and boiling bike.
Big thanks to Glen, Dave, Paul and Nick for the course layout. Top Marks to Nick for keeping it Going, Thanks to all the other nameless Marshals. Thanks to Suzi for the Tea and cake after. Thanks to Farmer Gerrard for letting us destroy his fields. Roll on Next year!!!

Chris Waterworth says: Thanks for a 'less than usual' event guys, I blame my performance solely on ineptitude, but perversely enjoyed it. A good day. Is it necessary to deliver the 2 tons of topsoil off my bike back to the farm?

Dan Heelas says: That was fun!!!! Having done the Welsh 2 day this year I thought I had had my tough event for this season! How wrong I was. Thanks to Andy Morgan for turning up, as he was the only reason I carried on as I had to try and beat him. Thanks to the tractor drivers also.

Clerk of Course's Notes

Hang on! Give me a chance to recover.... Still recovering..

Ben's Press report

IN a battle against the elements, West Glos and Dean Forest MCC's Chicken Run Enduro came out on top - but only just.

Postponed thanks to heavy rain throughout the latter half of August, clerk of the course Glenn Thomas made the decision to run it come hell or high water.

With the backing of a healthy entry of almost 70 starters and an enthusiastic landowner, it went ahead. The event proved to be not far off two-and-a-half hours of muddy hell for some, and there was certainly some high water.

However the organisers kept most of the entry moving at the Hendre to ensure only 16 were classified as non-finishers.

Heading the pack was Derry Milling, for whom the event must have been very different to most. He managed 10 laps in the allotted time, a lap ahead of last year's runner-up Steve Biddle.

He and Neil Thomas recorded nine laps, one ahead of Ryan Bawn in the expert class. Last year's winner, Phill Gardiner, completed six laps, which demonstrated just how tough an event it was.

Further down the field, many riders struggled, but battled on.

Clubman two stroke winner Ben Roberts covered nine laps, ahead of four riders on eight laps – Nathan Etheridge, Leighton Roberts, Arran Wells and Thomas Craig.

Tellingly, the four stroke clubman winner, Caerwyn Ralph, was the only rider in his class to manage seven laps, in conditions more suited to two strokes.

Veteran Rob Chivers circulated for six laps.

Best sportsmen were both in the four stroke category – Ryan Leary and Chris Morris managed five laps.

The club would like to thank the landowner and all marshals for their perseverance in making the event happen.

Class Winners

  • Expert – Derry Milling, 10 laps
  • Veteran - Rob Chivers, 6 laps
  • Clubman 2T – Ben Roberts, 9 laps
  • Clubman 4T – Caerwyn Ralph, 7 laps
  • Sportsman 2T – Robert Jones, 4 laps
  • Sportsman 4T – Ryan Leary, 5 laps
  • Twinshock – Guy Mansfield-Smith, 4 laps
  • Trail – Peter Neale, 4 laps