Over the Weekend of August 30th & 31st, the Devon Classic Motorcycle Club hosted their last Scramble of 2025 at Widworthy in Devon, which was called the Widdy Hills Scramble, which also incorporated the penultimate round of the Pre 74 and Pre 68 Classic British Championships on the Saturday, with a support Sidecar class on Sunday.
Race Report and Images by Dave Rich
The club had moved there meeting at this venue to later in the year to hopefully avoid the wet weather, but believe it or not they have got to be one of the unluckiest clubs at this venue as after all the hot weather leading up to this meeting the rain was to come, and come it did which made things hard going and they were only to run a block and a few races from the second block on the Saturday. Nevertheless, the club persevered and decided to run the rest of the second block to get things underway on the Sunday. Luck was against them again during the first block on Sunday as a heavy storm had decided to make an appearance, and things got abit tricky again and several riders were struggling to get up one of the hills and the club decided they would alter the track especially before the sidecars as they knew the hill was going to be difficult for the chairs to get up. As with the day before, the club were up against it and they were only able to run two of the three blocks of racing on the Sunday, which was appreciated by many riders.
The Pre 68 & Pre 74 Classic British Championship class saw three races over the two days which was run as a combined race and it proved to be a good weekend for the defending Pre 68 Champion Wayne Partington on his 360 CZ Twinport who went in to the penultimate round with a thirty three points lead over Lee Kelly who was a nonstarter, but Partington knew especially in the difficult conditions he had to be very cautious and make no mistakes which was exactly what he did by winning the opening two races only to be beaten in the last race by the 500 BSA of Ben Green but it was Partington who took the overall and with it he had done enough with a round to spare to become the 2025 Pre 68 Champion again with Green who was tied on points with Luke Hickie taking second overall by virtue of the better result in the last race. The Pre 74 Championship class saw Tim Dallaway, who last won this Championship back in 2016, go into the penultimate round with a sixteen-point advantage over Rhys Walker, who was also a nonstarter. Kristian Marshall was lying third in the Championship and did lead the opening race on his 400 Maico early doors, but the old faithful Hickie 500 BSA of Dallaway was to pass Marshall, powering up one of the hills. Marshall did fight back, but a mistake saw him drop back. Dallaway was to go on to take the chequered flag with Marshall after his mistake, coming back to take second with Adam Butt on his 350 Hickie BSA, taking third. Dallaway, who had plenty of local support, seemed to relish the wet conditions and was to go untroubled in the other two races and was to take a clean sweep of wins, and with it was declared the 2025 Pre 74 British Champion. Butt took second overall on the day, with Marshall third overall.
In the combined Classic support class, there was only one competitor in the Pre 60 class and that was Jeremy Lile on his 650 Trisba whereas in the Pre 65 over 350cc class there was no stopping the big 650 Triumph Metisse of Chris Hacker who took a clean sweep of wins and the overall with Paul Arnold taking second overall from David Hobbs who were both tied on the same points but Arnold took in by the better result in the last race. The Pre 65 Under 350cc class saw two wins for Colin Hickie on his Hickie 350 BSA on the Saturday with Roger Sims on his 250 BSA taking both wins on the Sunday, but at the end of the two days consistency was the name of the game with the overall going to Ian Baldock also on a Hickie 350 BSA with Neil Hammersley taking second overall with third overall going to Jim Hannis. The Pre 68 class saw the 441 BSA Metisse of Richard Palmer win the opening race, but it was the 360 CZ of Neil Aldridge who was to dominate the other three races to give him the overall from Mark Lapham, with James Townsend taking third overall.
In the Pre 74 Over 250cc support class it was Greg Speed who dominated the opening race on his 500 Cheney BSA with Neil Aldridge who used all his experience in the wet conditions taking the chequered flag in the other three races which gave him the overall from the 380 CZ of Ray Hooper with third overall going to Louis Harmer on his 450 CR Husqvarna, whereas in the Pre 74 Under 250cc class it looked as if Steve Dagger on his 250 MX CZ was going to take a clean sweep of wins after winning the first three races but he was a nonstarter in the last race which was won by Ian Burton on his 250 MX Yamaha and with Burton consistant in all three earlier races he took the overall from Dagger with Fraser Jones taking third overall.
The Pre 78 support class saw a race win each for Danny Sansom and Simon Chamberlain on the Saturday, but Sunday saw a fine performance from Jon Drescher who took two convincing wins, but at the end of the two days it was Will Clack on his 400 CZ who took the overall from the 250 MC Maico of Ian Thomas with third overall going to the 250 KX Kawasaki of Chamberlain.
The Twinshock A class it was fast and furious in the opening race especially on the opening lap between the 490 YZ Yamaha of George Bowerman and Kristian Marshall on his 440 Maico with Marshall eventually getting pass Bowerman on the second lap and was to hold off Bowerman to take the win with Jack Alderton on his 490 Maico just holding off a late charge from Marcus Clare taking third. Marshall was a nonstarter in the other three races, which seemed to leave the door open for Bowerman, who was to notch up three wins and with it was to take the overall from Clare, with Tom Paulley third overall with a 6,4,3,3 scorecard.
In the Twinshock B class, there was no stopping the 250 YZ Yamaha of Jonny Orchard, who took all four race wins, with Neil Jones on his CR 250 Honda second overall, and Matthew Milsom on board a 490 Mega 2 Maico, taking third overall by one point from Stephen Fews.
The Twinshock C class was highly contested, with Jack Courtney and Paul Ford taking a win each, with Adrian Dark on his 490 YZ Yamaha winning the other two races, which gave Dark the overall from Ford, with Courtney third overall.
Twinshock D class saw some good racing with Jake Bristow and Shane White taking a win each on the Saturday, but on the second day, there was no stopping Jack Pellow, who took both race wins, and with it, he took the overall from Jake Bristow, with James Bristow taking third overall.
In the Twinshock E class, there was a fine performance from Chris Brown, who was to win all four races.
In the Ladies class, it was Mia Milsom who seemed to like the difficult conditions and took a clean sweep of wins, and in the Novice class, there were two wins for Chris Payne on the Saturday, but Sunday saw Dale Hancock take both wins to give him the overall.
Sidecars were in action on the Sunday, and they were to struggle with the challenging conditions, but they gave there all and in the opening race it was the 880 Yamaha Wasp of George Wolff with David Bell in the chair who were triumphant from Andy & Tim Breacher on their 840 Yamaha Wasp and third was Kristian Marshall with Paul Young in the Chair also on an 840 Yamaha Wasp. In the second race, there were a few nonstarters, including the Breachers. Kristian Marshall came to the line but withdrew when he noticed oil leaking from the crankcase. Race one winners Wolff and Bell led from the off and were soon to power away at the front, and were to go on untroubled and took their second race win by some twenty-one seconds, which gave them the overall. Second overall was to go to Nick and Harley Gorst, with Gary Wolff, with Vicki Marsden in the Chair, taking third overall.
Results
