Back on Sunday, 16th March, the South Coast Scramble Club hosted its first meeting of 2025 at Whitcombe in Dorset, which was the Paul Hardy Memorial Scramble. Paul, who many people would have known, was a legend in the art of commentating and had been for many years. and was to be at many events, including some of the major events like the British GP’s alongside fellow commentator and best friend Roger Warren. He had done so up until 2024, but sadly, Paul passed away, and as a mark of respect, the meeting was held in his honour with proceeds in aid of Prostate Cancer.
Race Report and Images by Dave Rich – Feature Image of Kristian Marshall, winner of the Paul Hardy Memorial Trophy 2025 with Paul’s brother Martin Hardy
The commentator for the day was Roger, and he was joined by yet another of Pauls’s fellow commentators in the shape of Robbie Saville, who kept the many spectators who were in attendance entertained not just with the racing but also told some stories and spoke some captions which Paul came out with in the past.
The track was a stubble field and proved to be a bit technical in places, but nevertheless, it was to produce some good racing in all classes.
In the Pre 65 class, there was no stopping the 600 Jawa Cheney with Matt Fry on board as he was to take a clean sweep of wins with Peter Woodhouse on his 500 Cotton having three good results to give him second overall and third overall was to go to the 650 Triumph Metisse of Martin Kemp whereas in the Pre 68 class, this was to produce three different winners with Lee Kelly on a borrowed bike winning the opening race Ben Green on his 500 BSA taking the honours in the second race and winning the last race was Mark Lapham on his 440 BSA B44 and with two other good results for Lapham he was to take the overall from Mike Jones on his 360 Cz and third overall went to the 440 BSA B25 of David Trowbridge. (Race 1 winner Kelly unfortunately didn’t take part in the other two races as he had a bike problem in the memorial race, which took place after the first block of racing)
In the Pre 74 class, it was Tim Dallaway who was back on his old faithful 500 Hickie BSA who was to power away after taking the holeshot and took the win by some twenty-one seconds, with Ross Warner winning the second race with Dallaway taking the last race, but with three second place finishes the overall went to Dan Evans on his 250 Honda who piped Warner by a single point with Dallaway after not the best of second races taking third overall.
In the Twinshock A class, there was some close racing with a real tussle in the opening race between Marcus Feltham on his 490 Maico and Kristian Marshall on a 440 Maico, with them banging bars towards the end of the race, but in the end, Feltham held off Marshall to take the win. In the second race, Marshall didn’t have the best start, but Feltham did, and he was soon to be pressured by the 500 Honda XR of Marcus Clare, who was all over Feltham on the last lap, but Feltham just managed to hold on and took his second win by literally half a second. In the last race, Marshall was to dominate the proceedings from the front and took his first win in this class, but there was a battle royal going on behind him between Keir Tett on his 480 Honda and Feltham, with Tett just taking second by less than half a second. Overall went to Feltham, with Marshall second and third overall went to Clare.
The Twinshock B class saw Richard Tapscott having his first ride on a 400 RM Suzuki, and he seemed to take to it like a duck to water leading the opening race from the off, but soon to be breathing all over him was Dan Ridge on his 490 Maico who really pushed Tapscott on the last lap, but Tapscott held on to take the chequered flag by half a bikes length and in the second race it was nigh on a carbon copy of the opening race with Tapscott beating ridge but in the last race the tables was turned as this time Ridge took the win from Tapscott. Tapscott took the overall from Ridge with Derek Adams on his 540 Honda, taking third overall with a hattrick of third place finishes in each race.
In the Twinshock C class, David White on the 490 Maico won the opening race, with Steve Matthews on his 250 Honda winning the other two races. This gave him the overall lead from the big 600 Husqvarna of William Lester, with third overall going to Jon Broom on his 500 Honda HPF.
Twinshock D class saw a fine display of riding from Jack Courtney on his 490 Maico, who took a clean sweep of wins and took the overall. Craig Ruck, also on a 490 Maico, took second overall, and Ross Gould, on his 250 Honda, took third overall.
In the Twinshock E class there were many riders returning to the sport as well as many having their first competitive ride ever and this was to produce three different winners in the shape of Lee Watts, Dorian Gould and Alan Gray but at the end of the day, it was Watts who took the overall from Gray with Gould third overall.
After the first block of racing, there was a special race, which was the Paul Hardy Memorial Race, which was well supported by many riders. As the gate dropped, it was Kristian Marshall who had the better line coming out of the first corner and shot down into the second corner to take the lead and from that moment, with a clear track in front of him started to ease away at the front and by the end of the second lap had a comfortable lead, but all eyes were on a good battle going on behind him between Matt Wells and Lee Kelly who were having a real tussle as they went into the penultimate lap with Kelly trying every line possible to get pass Wells who just kept shutting the door every time Kelly tried to pass until Kelly got the better traction out of an uphill lefthander which gave him the inside line at the next corner and he moved into second as they went into the last lap, but unfortunately for Kelly his bike which was borrowed started to make a rattling noise and he pulled up. Marshall went on to take the chequered flag, with Wells taking second and third was to go to Keir Tett.
After the Memorial race all riders were to line up in front of the spectators as a mark of respect to Paul where they were to rev their engines before the presentation of the trophy which was presented to Kristian Marshall by Pauls Brother Martin.
Results
