Sidecar Glory at Smeatharpe for the Breachers! Devon Classic Scramble – Race Report & Results

On Sunday, June 25th, the Devon Classic Motor Cycle Club hosted their second Classic Scramble of 2023 at Smeatharpe, which also included sidecar racing with round 2 of the Twinshock Sidecar Charity Series.

Report and Images by Dave Rich

A lot of hard work and great thought had gone into running this event, with the track being longer than normal and being wider to give more opportunity to pass and have many different lines. The track had been watered prior to the event and during the day to try and keep the dust minimal to help produce some top-class racing to be witnessed by the many spectators in attendance.

The Pre 60, Pre 65 over and under 350cc plus the Pre 68 and Pre 78 were run as a combined race, with John Stocker being the only Pre 60 competitor on his 600cc Mabsa.

In the Pre 65 over 350cc class, it proved a good day for Chris Hacker on his 650cc Rickman Triumph Metisse, who notched up a clean sweep of wins taking the overall pipping the 500cc Jawa of Martin Coleman in the first two races, but Coleman was to miss the last race, and it was another 650cc Triumph Metisse of Martin Kemp who was to chase Hacker and took second in the last race which gave Kemp second overall and third overall went to the 650cc Triumph Wasp of Ady Matthews with a 4,5,3 scorecard whereas in the Pre 65 under 350cc class it was Richard Hall on his 250cc Cz Twin Port who won the opening two races, but he was denied a clean sweep in the last race which was won by the 350cc Hickie BSA B40 of Neil Hammersley. Hall took the overall with the 350cc BSA B40 of John Dowse taking second overall with a 2,3,3 scorecard, just edging out Hammersley, who was third overall.

No 84 Andy White & No 102 Stuart Sneddon battling it out in the Pre 68 class

In the Pre 68 class, there was no stopping Luke Hickie on his 500cc Hickie BSA, who put up a fine display of riding and was rewarded with a hat-trick of wins, with Mike Jones on his 360cc Cz Twin Port taking second overall with a hat trick of second-place finishes behind Hickie with third overall going to Kevin Wilmer on his 441cc BSA Victor with three consistent rides.

The Pre 78 class saw a win for Oliver Smith on his 250cc Maico in the opening race, but he was a non-scorer in the other two races, which were won by Thomas Layton on his 450cc XL Honda but at the end of the day the overall was to go to David Trowbridge on his 370cc AJS Stormer with a 4,4,2 scorecard with Paul Ebsary on his CR 250cc Honda second overall and Layton taking third overall.

No 44 Gary Wolff & Greg Wernham holding off No 18 Paul Pelling & Mike Curnow

The Twinshock sidecar class had attracted nineteen outfits which had also attracted many spectators as sidecar racing is not seen very often in the South West and it proved to be very popular with some breath-taking action. Andrew Breacher with Tim Breacher in the chair on their 1984 840cc Yamaha Wasp, which was the only outfit with the chair on the right-hand side, were to show their class in all three races leading from the off and racing away to take a clean sweep of wins, but there were some good battles going on behind them, especially in the opening race where Paul Pelling and Mike Curnow on the 1000cc Wasp went too early at the start and got stuck behind the gate so they were totally last to get away, but they thought their way up through the field and were in a tense battle with the 880cc Yamaha EML of Craig Edwards and Mick Stones on the last lap who just held on to take fifth by literally three-hundredths of a second whereas in the second race again it turned out to be a nail-biting finish between Arthur Walton with Steve Baughan in the chair on their 1000cc Wasp who just held off Pelling and Curnow in the closing stages to take second. The last sidecar race was a bit closer at the front towards the end of the race as Pelling and Curnow gave their all and did close on the Breachers in the closing stages, but the deficit was too much, and they had to settle for second. Breachers were to take the overall, with Walton and Boughan second overall, with Richard and Miles Gilham on their 840cc Yamaha Wasp with three consistent rides taking third overall by one point from Pelling and Curnow, who were rewarded with fourth overall after their first race mistake getting stuck behind the start gate.

In the Pre 74 under 250cc class, there was a fine performance from Gary Warr on his 250cc OSSA Phantom, who was to take all three race wins and with it, the overall with the 250cc CZ of Matty Taylor consistent all day taking second overall with third overall going to Kevin Pidgeon on his 250cc CZ whereas in the Pre 74 over 250cc class, there was no stopping 2022 British Pre 74 Champion Kristian Marshall on his 1973 380cc CZ who showed the kind of form that won him the British Championship last year, second overall was to go right down to the wire with both Mitch York on his 380cc CZ and Martin Stephens on his 360cc Yamaha MX tied on points going into the last race which saw a real close battle right to the chequered flag with York just holding on to take second in the race to give him second overall literally by a second from Stephens who was a close third and with it took third overall.

There was no stopping Kristian Marshall in the Pre 74 over 250cc class

The Twinshock A class saw Kristian Marshall take the win in the opening race on his 440cc Maico, but only just as the 500cc XR Honda of Marcus Clare was to push him right to the chequered flag and at the line; it was Marshall who took the win by three-hundredths of a second with Jack Alderton on his 490cc Maico coming through a distant third. In the second race, it wasn’t the best of starts for Marshall, and he was mid-pack, but as they dropped down the hill, he was to pass many riders before getting to the bottom quicker than he hoped as he had no back brake, which was to hamper him for the rest of the race. Clare, once he hit the front, was to go on untroubled to take the win, with Alderton second with Marshall coming home in third. In the last race again, it wasn’t the best of luck for Marshall as he picked up a rear wheel puncture early on, which was to put him well down the field, but he did keep going, but at the Chequered flag, it was a convincing win for Clare with Zeb Dexter on his 480cc CR Honda coming home in second with Phill Studley on his 570cc Sportac taking third but the overall was to go to Clare, Marshall took second overall with Dexter taking third.

No 437 Marcus Clare with No 53 Jack Alderton in action in the Twinshock A class

In the Twinshock B class it was Mark Mumford who took the race one win on his 490cc Maico Mega 2, but Andy Long won the other two races on a 400cc Maico Mega, which was to give Long the overall with the 250cc YZ Yamaha of Gary Wright with a hattrick of second place finishes taking second overall and third overall went to Mumford.

No 129 Chris Shorland being pursued by No 711 Paul Clarke in the Twinshock C class

The Twinshock C class saw one of the sponsors of the meeting Steve Dyer win the opening two races but could only manage an eighth place finish in the last race, which was won by Chris Shorland on the 250cc YZ Yamaha, but Dyer had done enough to take the overall with Shorland taking second overall and Buzz Goudie on his 490cc YZ Yamaha taking third overall.

In the Twinshock D class, it was Ross Gould who was to take the overall but was denied a hat-trick of wins in the last race by Rob Trapnell, who with it took second overall and third overall was to go to Tom Wilkins.

No 658 Terry Burdon leads the opening Combined Twinshock E & Novice race

In the Twinshock E class, it was Justin Warren who took the overall with two wins and a second with Nick Trott, who was the only rider to beat Warren in the last race, taking second overall with Mark Wyatt taking third overall.

In the Twinshock novice class saw a win in the opening race for Carlton Marklove from Dan Fredriksen, who was to win the other two races, which was to give him the overall from Marklove with Jeremy Knight with a 3,2,3, scorecard ending the day third overall.

Results