Hillclimb - Supermoto stars at Barbon (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Hillclimb - Supermoto stars at Barbon

4:41pm Saturday 23rd July 2011 in Sport

THE STARS of Supermoto inject their high-octane skills into the 51st Percy Duff Barbon Motorcycle Hill Climb at Barbon Manor, near Kirkby Lonsdale, this Saturday, July 23..

With their very specialist and very fast bikes, the big crowd can expect some thrilling riding from current British Supermoto Champion and last year’s winner Craig Venske, from South Africa, riding the D3 KTM.

Venske runs out of the Kendal-based D3 KTM racing team stable, run and raced by Holme’s Neil Crayston, who will also compete himself, along with their other team rider Ben Stafford, the current British Supermoto 250 cc champion.

Another big name this year taking partwill be seven-times British Supermoto Champion Christian Iddon, riding the Dave Clarke Racing Husaberg.

Christian rides in the British Supersport Championship these days, but his outstanding talent will make him a major threat for honours.

Kendal’s ex-World Superbike racer Dean Ellison also rides a bike for J&L Motorcycles from Carlisle, for whom he now works.

Locally-based Silicone Engineering Honda Supermoto team, who race at British and World level hope to be there and their riders of Matt Winstanley, Sami Salstola and youngster Malachi Mitchell-homas will certainly be ones to watch both on the course and in the paddock with their massive truck.

Matt was a close second last year, while last year’s third Kiaran Hankin is back on his specially-built Husaberg engined flat-track type replica.

Local riders to watch are Kendal’s Simon Walker, Morecambe’s father-and-son team of Karl Geary senior and junior and also D3 Racing’s Keith Barnes and ex Grass Tracker turned TT rider Scott Wilson.

In the parkland setting of Barbon Manor, the usual two practice runs are followed by three timed runs as the action builds to end the day with the fastest riders’ shootout as the leading 15 riders go head-to-head in a knockout, culminating in a top three shootout.

Gates open at 9am and there are children’s quad rides, an inflatable enclosure and bouncy castle.

Entrance is £8 for adults and children under-6 £2,with a family entrance of two adults and two children of £20(includes programme).

There is free parking and the meeting is signed from J36 of the M6, a mile up the road from Devil’s Bridge.