THE six tight and interesting sections set for riders made for a great test of ability in the Isle of Wight Motorcycle Club’s final round of the 2018 Winter Series Trials Championship, held at Haslett Sand Pit, Shorwell, on Sunday.

Championships were decided on the final round, with Shaun Harris taking the intermediate title, and Dan Flux, the novice class.

Harris kept his head to snatch the title from the grasp of Alan Gosden.

Isle of Wight County Press:

Dan Flux, who won the 2018 Winter Trials Series novice title.

Starting the day with a slender five-point lead, he ended the season by extending it to nine following his solid second place.

Mark Coombes won the intermediate class, completing the trial with the second lowest total of the day, 21 dropped marks, with Andy Scott-Jackson third.

There was a similar scenario in the novice championship, with Flux and Rob Baker vying to win it on the final round.

Baker, trailing Flux by five marks before the trial, put in a spirited performance to finish second, but he only clawed back two marks on Flux, who came third.

Simon Watmough won the round with 27 marks.

Although James Stay was the only rider in the expert class, he posted an excellent score, dropping a miserly 17 — the lowest of any rider taking on the tight and twisty all-weather venue.

Scout Gregory just pipped Ben Brodie by four to take the clubman’s class, while Geoff Taylor, the only sportsman class rider, finished with 47 marks, a below average score for him.

John Townsend, the club’s oldest rider, competing on the oldest bike, struggled at times to get the BSA round the twisty sections, but nevertheless, he claimed maximum points in the British bike class.

The Winter Series Championship is made up of 13 trials. To qualify for an award, adult riders must complete a minimum of eight trials, with 12 rounds to count (in the same class), except for youth riders, who are exempt from the rule and can only qualify for an award in the class they completed the most trials in.

Another lone rider, Gary Jones, in the adult beginner class, finished on 48 marks to also earn ten points, but he just missed out on an award, falling one trial short of the minimum eight.

Alfie Haydon continued to dominate the youth novice class with an outstanding effort, losing 36 marks to beat all but one of the adults on the C route.

Only two marks separated Josh Morris and Dan Locke who finished in second and third respectively.

The club’s next meeting will be the annual Boxing Day Father and Son Cup competition, to be held at Shorwell Chalk Pit, on December 26.

The trial is just for fun and is open to all members, not just father and son (or daughter) pairings, with prizes to the best rider in fancy dress.

Starts at noon.