Church delivers champion performance in Patchquick Trophy

Marshfield motocross star Tom Church was the toast of the CCM team camp late on Wednesday after winning all three 11-lap races in the West of England club's National Patchquick Trophy meeting, near Newton Abbot.

As overall winner, he took home the lions share of the £2,000 prize money and he also got his name engraved on the magnificent solid silver trophy, which has been won in the past by world champions Jeff Smith and Dave Thorpe and other all-time greats like the Rickman brothers, Don and Derek, and Vic Eastwood.

On a slippery track, Church won the first race by 55 seconds and the second by 33 seconds.

Many of the national stars fell by the wayside in the first two races.

James Noble retired with clutch problems and Jason Dougan went to hospital with a suspected broken foot after he and Noble collided in the first race.

With rain falling steadily and daylight fading, only eight came to the line for the final race which Church won again, hands down.

He travels to Hawkstone Park in Shropshire on Sunday for the fourth round of the national series in which he is in sixth place.

With the exception of former World champion Dougie Lampkin, all the UK's leading trial stars will be in the West Country for the fifth round of the National Championships at Ilsington, on the lower slopes of Dartmoor, on Sunday.

There are no local riders in the championship proper or in the A class experts event, but there are hopes of a West country win in the Experts B class with Yeovil's Ricky Wiggins.

He is currently third in the series but he needs only a few points to relegate second placed John Crinson.

Many grass racing fans will be off to the National Inter Centre team event at Ugley near Stanstead Airport on Sunday where the Wessex Centre are represented in the 500cc class by Bristol trio Paul Derrick, Barry Woodruffe and Rod Melksham.

John Chimes, John Weeks and Jody Hodgeson form the 350cc squad.

Nearer home, the Swindon club have a meeting at Dauntsey with 80 solos, many of them regular race winners.

Fixtures – Sunday: West of England MCC British Championship trial, Bagtor Barton, Bickington near Newton Abbot (9.30). Salop MCC British Motocross Championships, Hawkstone Park near Whitchurch, Shropshire (12.15). Swindon MCC grass track meeting, Grangewood Farm, Dauntsey, Wiltshire (1pm). West Cornwall MCC trial, Trelissick Farm near Helston (11am). Kingswood MCC trial, Inglestone Common, Wickwar, South Glos (10.30). Somerton AMCA Classic clubs trial, Lower Pitts Farm, Priddy near Wells (11am).

Results: West of England MCC National Patchquick Trophy Motocross at Kingsteignton, Devon: 1 T Church (CCM); 2 M Barr (Suzuki); 3 L Mellows (Suzuki).

First race: 1 Church; 2 Barr; 3 Rose.

Second race: 1 Church; 2 Rose; 3 Barr.

Third race: 1 Church; 2 Barr; 3 Mellows.

Junior A group: T Kellett (Yamaha).

B group: S Stowell (KTM) and S Maunder (Yamaha).