Ilkley and District Motor Club claimed eight in a row when they won the Larkspeed League. Since its inception in 1972 when Shell sponsored the league and since 1990 when Larkspeed took over the Ilkley club has won the championship an unprecedented 15 times.

This year's championship con-sisted of four stage rallies, four autotests, a road rally and a PCT and took competitors all round Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and Derbyshire. Ilkley came out on top again beating York and Sporting Escorts into second and third place respectively.

The prize presentation took place at the Parkside Hotel, Pontefract, where team captain Richard Wood picked up the trophy from Alan Larkin, head of Larkspeed.

Thorpe wins round

Dan Thorpe won the final scoring round of the the Yorkshire Centre ACU trials championship at Ughill, Sheffield, on Sunday, beating East Keswick brothers Ben and Dan Hem-ingway and youth starlet Mika Vesterinen.

The latter trio rode for Yeadon and Guiseley Motor Club while new Brit-ish Clubman champion Chris Pearson headed a strong Bradford MC contingent with Dan Farrer also scoring for Bradford.

Guiseley electrician James Noble somehow managed to switch from expert category to youth results, a feat in which he played no part at all but will be the butt of clubroom jokes on Wednesday at the Yeadon and Guiseley meeting at Guiseley.

James Dabill continued his hot form to finish seventh overall, ahead of Farrer and seven down on another Yeadon and Guiseley runner in the form of Skipton's Aran Drachenberg. Boyd Webster took the novice class from local ace Dave Knaggs and Bradford's Tony Wilson.

Andrew Carter and Andy Tales were placed fourth in fifth in the Intermediate class but only two penalties kept Carter in front of the Ilkley heating engineer.

Yorkshire Centre secretary Sue Smith will now work out the championship winners in time for the an-nual dinner and dance. Rawdon's Mark Forster missed the clubman premier by just three penalties and eventually finished runner-up to Sheffield's Chris Clarke.

Kettlewell sets standard

Mick Kettlewell set the standard at Home Farm on Sunday where Horsforth Motor Club staged the sev-enth round of their novice and beginners trials for 97 competitors.

Cleckheaton teenager Ben Hillam matched many of the adults riders with overall fourth place against novice and over 40 riders on the harder course.

The club laid out a ten section course in the dense woodland covering four laps with easier section markings for the clubmen and youth easy course contenders.

Jackie Baxter Trophy

John Lampkin's GP Beta team rider Ian Austermuhle won the Jackie Baxter Trophy at Harwood Dale.

At Reeth Gavin Lowther won the Richmond MC youth Mintex Trophy Trial in what was the final youth contest of the season.

Top national ladies championship contenders Kathryn Wardle and Becca Rennison finished second and third in the Class B easy course behind Danny Gamble.

Diary Dates

Tonight: Thursday - Craven MC club night, The Cross Keys, Skipton, (8.30pm); Spen Valley MC club night.

Sunday: Ilkley DMC Group main road trial, Pool Mills Social Club, Pool, (10.30am); Yorkshire Classic MCC trial, Branshaw Quarry, (10.30am); Hull Auto Club, trial, Hollins Farm, Rosedale, (11am); Pickering DMC easy trial, Yatt's Farm, Newton, (11am); Spen Valley MC trial, Upper Green Farm, Allerton, (11am); Ilkley DMC members under eight party, Pool Mills Social Club, Pool,(2pm).

Monday: Airedale and Pennine MC club night, The Rock and Heifer, Thornton, (8.30pm).