Thornhill Classic Scramble - 5th July 2009

Scottish Classic Racing Motorcycle Club’s
Thornhill Scramble, Dumfries.
by Richard Winn

Glorious but unexpected warm sunny weather combined with very competitive racing from the large entry made the 18th Thornhill Scramble an event to remember. Scrambling legends Vic Allan and Norman Barrow added some real class to the proceedings and neither disappointed the enthusiastic spectators who turned out in their numbers to witness some fast and spectacular racing. Vic took the pre70 class win immaculate style aboard his beautiful Bob Pearson owned Cheney BSA while Norman Barrow smoothly rode his CCM to the win in the over 60’s Class from another former Northern Centre Champion, the elegant Mike Barnes. It was a very good day for the Barnes family as Mike’s two CCM riding son’s Keith and Tony finished first and second in both the under 40’s and the pre 75 over 300cc Class with some stunning riding and in fact Keith was also named Man of the Meeting.

Another of the day’s star riders was Scott Gordon who as well as winning the Pre 60 Class on his Tribsa also took the Invitation Handicap race on the same machine which he rode as fast as it would go with his ‘sit on the back mudguard’ riding style. In a fast and furious Twinshock Class Richard Charlton and Paul Chiappa were well ahead of everyone else but Richard just had the edge although Paul did manage to win the final race of this thrilling encounter between two of the giants of Twinshock racing. In the Pre 77 Class Gary Smith took an excellent win on his Maico with Four Stroke Yamaha mounted Craig Dickson second and the CZ of Graham Miller in third. There was another Maico victory in the over 40’s Class with cheque shirted John Mitchell coming through to win from Arbroath’s Derek Macaulay on his Bultaco and Dunoon’s Grant McClure third on another Maico.

Kendal’s Steve Dent on his fabulous Faber BSA won the pre65 over 350cc class in fine style from Lee Jackson who in one of his best ever rides beat his uncle Peter into third place. Peter Jackson however was one of the fastest riders of the whole meeting irrespective of the fact that he was on a Pre 1960 bike with his lovely BSA Goldstar surely weighing nearly 100 pounds more than many of the other machines on display. It was nice to see the four stroke Honda of Andrew Alston get among the two strokes of the pre 75 up to 300cc class and he claimed third place behind that battling duo at the front of Derek Macaulay and winner Tommy Anderson.

The meeting’s guest of honour Jim Allan rode his little Bultaco Metisse with great vigour as usual in the smaller pre65 class but although he just got the better of Penrith’s Adam Purdham he was beaten by another B40 BSA in the hands of the spectacular Graham Bell. In the over 50’s Big Ken Soutar rode very determinedly to hold off the long travelled Tony Hegarty from North Wales with the thundering B50 of Edinburgh’s Jim Allan in third place. Thornhill had proved once again that it is a special meeting with a terrific atmosphere and due to a track layout that offers plenty of interest and overtaking opportunities great racing is always guaranteed. Roll on 2010!

Results

Pre 60

1) Scott Gordon 2) Peter Jackson 3) Ken Soutar

Pre 65 up to 350cc

1) Graham Bell 2) Jim Allan 3) Adam Purdham

Pre 65 over 350cc

1) Steve Dent 2) Lee Jackson 3) Peter Jackson

Pre 70

1) Vic Allan 2) Andy King 3) Phil Nelson

Pre75 up to 300cc

1) Tommy Anderson 2) Derek Macaulay 3) Andrew Alston

Pre 75 over 300cc

1) Keith Barnes 2) Tony Barnes) Scott Gordon

Pre 77

1) Gary Smith 2) Craig Dickson 3) Graham Miller

Twinshock

1) Richard Charlton 2) Paul Chiappa 3) Robert Smith

Over 60’s

1) Norman Barrow 2) Mike Barnes 3) Phil Nelson

Over 50’s

1) Ken Soutar 2) Tony Hegarty) Jim Allison

Over 40’s

1) John Mitchell 2) Derek Macaulay) Grant McClure

Uner40’s

1) Keith Barnes 2) Tony Barnes 3) Tommy Anderson

Invitation Handicap Winner

Scott Gordon

Man of the meeting

Keith Barnes