Bristol duo Tuck and Sparks retain their sidecar title

BRISTOL'S Jon Tuck and Matt Sparks have retained their British sidecar trial title.

The pair secured the crown for another year after winning the West of England club's 75th annual national event at Ashburton, Devon, by a 30-mark margin from Kevin Nolan and Karl Jarvis.

With several crews opting out of the series because of the high cost of travel and overnight accommodation, there were only three starters in the main event, but even so Tuck and Sparks were in a class of their own at the difficult Millwood Hound Tor, Hedge Barton and Decoaker groups of sections on Dartmoor.

South West Centre area solo champion Joe Baker also held on to his title in the experts' class in the British Championships.

Baker wrapped up the title with victory at the Bradford club's event at Skipton in Yorkshire on Sunday.

Over three laps of a dozen sections at Skyrakes Farm, Baker lost 20 fewer marks than his main rival, Jack Challoner, to take the title by an 11-point margin.

There was a nail-biting finish in the main championship, where Graham Jarvis finished one point up on Mike Brown, but both were beaten by former world champion Dougie Lampkin, who was seen to enter the event as "spoiler" and to lend support to his Beta team-mate Brown.

Nearer to home, Shane Lovatt was a clear winner of the BSSA's Alan Brown Trophy timed and observation trial in Hanham Mills, inside the City of Bristol boundary.

He was the first of 35 starters to complete the seven-lap event, and he lost fewer marks in the half-dozen sections than runner-up Paul Manning.

In spite of the wet and blustery conditions, some high terminal speeds were recorded in the National Sprint Association's quarter-mile championship meeting at Westonzoyland, near Bridgwater.

Andy Lodge was fastest in the racing class, but his terminal speed was lower than that of Plymouth's Keith Parnell.

Barry Varndell, winner of the Super Street class, was quickest in the Road Legal class.

A total of 12 class winners recorded speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour.

Farrington Gurney Hill climb ace Alan Jolley won the 1300cc event in the NHCA's final meeting of the year at Hartland Quay in North Devon on Sunday, but Bideford's Paul Jeffrey won the overall title. He gained marginal wins over 2007 title holder Paul Jarrett in the 750cc and fastest 10 events on the steep 700-yard climb, which features five bends.