2012 Gold Star Final
Event Report
Duncan Stephens won the BTRDA Sporting trials gold star on Saturday by winning the final in North Cornwall, regaining the title he last won in 2006. Stephens competed with his sixth different passenger of the year, and used local farmer James Tancock's brawn to bounce them to the Gold Star in extremely tough conditions.
Landowner Roland Uglow led after the first round of ten hills which almost immediately saw engines revving to their maximum by a single point from Julian Fack. Uglow slipped back to sixth by the end of the day as conditions deteriorated and making a couple of mistakes.
By the end of the second round Stephens had taken the lead in his Crossle with some hard attacking of hills with plenty of speed. Multiple British champion Ian Bell, who has yet to win the Gold Star, had the best round to move up from fifth to second.
The third and final round saw the lead change back and forth between Stephens and Bell both driving absolutely flat out asking everything of their engines and cars trying to gain points off each other, but it was Stephens who managed to win the Gold Star by three points from Bell.
Julian Fack's head gasket failed at the end of the trial but he managed to secure third place from reigning British champion Thomas Bricknell. Top Northern Ireland competitor was Simon Gracey who drove superbly defying his lack of experience to finish fifth overall. Outgoing Gold Star champion John Fack finished in twelfth position struggling to live with the high revving Honda engines that filled the top eleven places.
Double South West champion Josh Veale finished seventh overall and top live axle, beating his father by three points.
The Silver Star saw an equally close contest between Pat Henson, Jason Daniel and Arthur Carroll. Henson took an early lead and after two rounds was twelve points up, but a couple of mistakes let Daniel and Carroll close within three points finishing in this order. Having previously finished runner up in the Silver Star three years ago having run out of fuel on the last hill Henson was pleased to finally win the title. Daniel's was hoping to win the Silver Star on his birthday, but had to be content with second overall.
GOLD STAR
1 Duncan Stephens/James Tancock, Crossle 48points
2 Ian Bell/Russ Sharp, Hamilton,51points
3 Julian Fack/Meg Marrion, Crossle, 58points
4 Tom Bricknell/Sara Dyer, Crossle, 60points
5 Simon Gracey/Alan Flack, Crossle, 62points
6 Roland Uglow/Laura Wilks, Crossle, 72points
7 Josh Veale/James Washer, Sherpa, 73points
8 Ian Veale/Beth Carroll, Sherpa IRS, 76points
9 Andrew Bell/Eric Hamilton, Hamilton, 80points
10 Peter McKinney/John McKinney, Crossle, 83points
SILVER STAR
1 Pat Henson/Stuart Hancey, Facksimile, 120points
2 Jason Daniel/Richard Bolt, Concord, 123points
3 Arthur Carroll/Rebecca Lodge, Sherpa, 125points
4 Lindsay Burke/David Hamilton, Hamilton, 137points
5 Paul Price/Kate Kirk, CAP, 142points
