Back on Sunday 25th May the North Devon Atlantic Classic Motorcycle club hosted its first Scramble event of 2025 at Yarde Gate, Nr North Molton which is better known as the Roar On The Moor Scramble which also incorporates the 743 race which is a memorial race in memory of former club member Andy Sollars who sadly past away back in 2022. A lot of effort had gone into running this event, which was to be well supported on the day with quite a few spectators in attendance who were to witness some good racing.
Race Report and Images by Dave Rich
Unfortunately, the entry for the classic classes was a bit low, so they had to compete in a combined race. The Pre 65 class saw Colin Hickie on his 350 Hickie racing BSA take the overall with two wins and a third, with Mike Jones with a trio of second place finishes on his 250 Cz Twin Port, taking second overall, and Trevor Townsend on his 500 Triumph Mettisse, who did win the last race, taking third overall.
In the Pre 68 class there was no stopping the 440 BSA Victor of Mark Lapham who took a hattrick of wins, but second overall was to be decided on the last race as both James Townsend on his 470 BSA Victor and Mike Gillingham on yet another BSA Victor were tied on points, but with Gillingham beating Townsend in the last race he was to take second overall.
The Pre 74 class saw a fine display of riding from the 380 Cz of Marcus Denham, who, once he hit the front, was to race away to a hat-trick of wins. Still, there was a good battle behind him between Philip Peaster, Nathan Jones and Paul Mollet, which was to go down to the wire with Peaster on his 360 Bultaco Pursang, taking second overall by three points from Jones and Mollet, who were tied on points at the end of the last race. Still, by virtue of the better result in the last race, it was the 400 CR Husqvarna of Jones that took third overall. In the Pre ’78 class, there was only one rider, and that was Colin Ayles.
In the Twinshock A class it was fast and furious with plenty of talent in attendance including one of the organisers of the event and local favourite Luke Hill on his 500 CR Honda who had plenty of local support and Luke was to deliver to much applause taking all three race wins, but there was plenty of action going on behind him especially in the second race between Scott Faulkner on his 560 MX KTM and Marcus Feltham on the 490 Maico who were banging bars on several occasions on the last lap with Faulkner just holding off Feltham at the line by half a second. The last moto again saw some good tussles towards the end of the race between Faulkner and this time the 440 Maico of Kristian Marshall, with Marshall put under huge pressure from Faulkner on the last lap, but Marshall kept Faulkner at bay and took second by just a bike’s length. Hill took the overall with the 490 Maico of Jack Alderton, who, with a 2,4,2 scorecard, took second overall, with Faulkner taking third overall.
The Twinshock B class saw some impressive riding from Ryan Baker, who took all three race wins convincingly, giving him the overall victory. Derek Adams had three good rides to secure second overall, and Alex Richards, a local rider, took third overall.
In the Twinshock C class it was the 490 Yz Yamaha of Adrian dark who had the best start before being passed by Ross Johns and Chris Porter which turned in to a battle royal all through the race and on the last lap there was nothing between them with Johns just holding off Porter on the line by half a wheel. Porter was to come back strong in the other two races, though, with two convincing wins, which were enough to give him the overall from Johns, with Dark taking a well-deserved third overall.
The Twinshock D class there were three different winners as Kevin Pettit was victorious in the opening race and making his first appearance at a scramble on a Twinshock from Southampton was Phil Hunt who unfortunately missed the opening race, but he was to claw his way through the pack in the second race and took his first race win but only just by half a second from Alan Payne with Payne taking the win from Hunt in the last race to give him the overall from Joe Pavitt who with a trio of third place finishes took second overall with third overall going to Robert Coleman.
The Twinshock E class saw Dorian Gould take the overall with two wins and a fourth, with Gary O’Shaughnessy taking second overall from Scott Perry, who did win the second race, having a bad result in the last race and had to settle for third overall.
In the Evo Unlimited class, it was much a battle between the 500 KX Kawasaki of Ryan Allen and the CR 125 Honda of Matt Holcombe. The opening race saw Allen hit the front early doors and looked in control, but Holcombe was clawing his way through the field and was soon up into second and chasing down Allen at the front, who he was to catch and pass and from there went on to take the win. It was much the same in the second race with Holcombe again having to work his way up through the field, which he did, and he was challenging Allen for the lead in the closing stages, but just ran out short to Allen by literally .045 of a second at the line. This meant that both Allen and Holcombe were tied on points going into the final race to decide who would take the overall. Again as with the earlier races Allen had the better start of the two and he was soon pulling away at the front, but Holcombe wasted no time and was soon up into second giving chase and with the last lap flag out Holcombe was right with Allen trying to get pass but Allen kept him at bay and took the win this time by .256 of a second to give him the overall from Holcombe with Nick Phillips who had been consistant in all three races taking third overall.
The Pre 83 125 class saw Mia Milsom take the overall from Graham Cross.
The 743 Memorial race was well anticipated, and this year the race was a bit different to the previous two years with a handicap start. The top five riders from each class in the first block of racing were invited to take part in this race, with start positions determined from their fastest lap time. Riders would start one at a time, so by the time Matt Holcombe, who had set the fastest lap time, started, some riders were well ahead. It was fast and hectic on the opening lap, and one rider that stood out was Luke Hill, who started third from last and was up into 15th by the end of the opening lap, and Ryan Allen was also going well up into 20th, with Holcombe in 25th from last.
Hill was really pushing it, and with two laps completed, he was in third with Allen now in 6th, but Holcombe was still back in the teens with still a lot to do. Hill took over at the front on the third lap, which gave the local spectators something to cheer about, but closing in on Hill was now Jack Alderton, with Allen now in third, closing on both. Holcombe was still coming and was squeezing every little bit of power out of the 125 and was being urged on and put in an unbelievable lap, some two seconds quicker than anybody, which lifted him up into the top four. Hill seemed to be slowing, as did Alderton, and Allen took over at the front with two laps remaining. Holcombe passed both Alderton and Hill on the same lap and was closing in on Allen as the last lap flag was shown. The spectators couldn’t take there eyes of the two at the front as Holcombe challenged Allen a couple of times with less than half a lap remaining but time was against Holcombe and Allen took the win to much applause to what was an epic race to watch, Holcombe took second with Alderton third and Hill was fourth and said to me afterwards he went too early and got arm pump mid race when leading.
Results
THE 743 - ANDY SOLLARS MEMORIAL - Classification - 2025-05-26 09.46.17EVO AND PRE 83 125CC - OVERALL
