Scorcher on the Moor! Roar on the Moor Classic Scramble – Race Report & Results

Back on the Bank Holiday Weekend Sunday 28th May the North Devon Atlantic Classic Motorcycle Club hosted their first Scramble in 2023 which is known as the Roar on the Moor event at Yarde Gate, Nr North Molton in Devon. There was a huge entry which included Pre 60, Pre 65, Pre 68, Pre 74 plus four groups of Twinshocks and a under 40’s and over 40’s combined Evo class.

Race Report & Images by Dave Rich

Unfortunately, the club lost one of its main members back in 2022 in the shape of Andy Sollars who was one of the main instigators behind Roar on the Moor and the meeting was dedicated in memory of him. The track began with grass on top which was soon to disappear and during the day the track was to become very dry, and water had to be put down to minimise the dust and it was to produce some excellent racing in front of a bumper crowd who were in attendance.

In the Pre 60 class it was local South Molton rider Trevor Townsend on his 500cc Triumph Tiger who took the overall with a second and two wins with John Stocker on his 600cc BSA Mabsa taking the other win whereas in the Pre 65 class the opening race win went to Thorne Pett on the 500 Jawa but it was Steven Iles who was to take the overall on the day with a 2,1,1 scorecard with Neil Hammersley on the Hickie BSA 350 taking second overall with Chris Porter taking third overall.

No 815 Richard Tupman being pursued in the in the Pre 65 class

The Pre 68 class saw Andy White on his 500 BSA take the win in the opening race by literally .151 of a second from the 250 BSA of Ian Baldock but in the other two races there was no stopping the 500 Hickie BSA of Luke Hickie who made up for his mistake in the opening race when leading, but the overall was to go to White with a 1,2,3 scorecard with Baldock second overall and Hickie third overall.

Steven Iles took the overall in the Pre 65 class

In the Pre 74 class it was Adam Butt who was victorious in the opening race on his Hickie BSA 500 but unfortunately for Adam he picked up an ankle injury in another class and was a nonstarter in the other two Pre 74 races which were won by the CZ380 of Marcus Denham who was to take the overall with the 400 Maico of Scott Baker second overall with third overall going to Mitch York also on a CZ380.

No 28 Keith Taylor & No 391 Brett Ayres in action in the Twinshock C class

The Twinshock A class saw Ben Braddick lead the opening race early doors before a mistake cost him the lead who was now Luke Hill on the 500 Honda who was to go on to take the win by two seconds from Scott Faulkner with third place going to Marcus Clare. In the second moto there was a really good tussle between the big 500 Hickie BSA of Tim Dallaway who was to hold off Hill for the first couple of laps with Hill even going through the bog section to try and get through which he eventually did two laps from the end, but Dallaway who was on a 1981 machine didn’t let Hill get away and he was to try his all on the last lap but it was Hill who took the win from Dallaway with Brad Perrett on the 545 Triumph PDS after a long battle with Matt Wells taking third. In the last encounter it was Hill again who took the win from Dallaway with Faulkner on the 560 KTM taking third, but it was Hill who with a hattrick of wins who took the overall from Dallaway with Matt Wells who was tied on points with Perrett going into the last race with the better result in the race who was to take third overall.

There was no stopping Jonny Orchard in the Twinshock C class

In the Twinshock B class it was Stephen Fews on his 250 Maico MC who was to take the overall with two wins and a second with Graham Challis who denied Fews a clean sweep of wins taking second overall on his 560 KTM with Andrew Maddox taking third overall.

The Twinshock C class was totally dominated by Jonny Orchard on the 250 Yamaha who notched up a clean sweep of wins with Paul Clarke putting together three good race results to take second overall on his 600 KTM and third overall was to go to fellow KTM rider Adam Tabrett.

No 116 Dean Warren & No 45 Derek Morris battling it out in the Evo over 40’s class

In the Twinshock D class it was Kevin Pettit who had come across from Wales who was to take a clean sweep of wins and the overall on his 600 Yamaha but second overall was to go down to the wire as both Adrian Toy and John Weeks went into the last race tied on points so it was all on the last race and it was the 465 YZ Yamaha of Toy who was to finish the race in second ahead of Weeks in third to give Toy that second overall and Weeks third overall.

Zeb Dexter getting caught out in a berm in the Evo Under 40’s class

The Evo under 40’s class it was James Kensington on his 250 CR Honda who was the overall winner taking a hattrick of wins but not without having to work for it as the 250 RM Suzuki of Ryan Harris was to put up a fight especially in the second race as Harris was to hold of Kensington until the last lap. Harris was to take second overall with Matt Holcombe on the little 125 CR Honda with a scorecard of 3,5,3 taking third overall whereas in the over 40’s class there was a good tussle in the opening race between the KX500 Kawasaki of Dean Warren and Derek Morris on his 500 Husaberg who was back competing after a twenty year absent but it was Warren who took the win as he did in the other two races to give him the overall with second overall at the end of the day going to Matt Wells with a 5,2,2, scorecard and Alex Buckingham onboard his CR 250 Honda taking third overall.

Tom Sollars (Son) and Andy’s Wife Allison presenting the Andy Sollars memorial race Trophy to the 2023 winner Luke Hill.

The Memorial race in memory of Andy Sollars was over seven hundreds and forty-three seconds which was Andy’s race number (743) and it was to consist of the top five riders in the opening block of racing and any body else who wanted to be part of it. This race was thrilling to watch especially between Kensington and Hill early on as Hill didn’t get the best of starts and had to work his way up to the front and was kept at bay by Kensington for several laps with Hill trying the bog section again to try and gain some ground but Kensington held strong until the penultimate lap when Hill crept through to take the lead and Kensington now had Warren breathing all over him with Warren getting pass Kensington on the last lap to take second behind Hill with Kensington a close third.

Alex Buckingham rode his CR 250 Honda to third overall in the Evo over 40’s class

Results