WEST Knapton speedster Stuart Mills enjoyed podium places in the two-day motorcycle sprint event held by the Port Talbot Motor Cycle Racing Club and National Hill Climb Association in the grounds of Margam Park, South Wales.

The 50 competitors firstly took to the Rally Stage, which is used by the World Rally Championships, with Mills finishing second in the 1300cc class on his Suzuki TL1000s, behind Ben Wilkins, of Lincolnshire, with Sam Matthewman, of Wiggington, York, third.

Wilkins won the second day’s race, too, while Matthewman upped his game on his TL1000s to take second place, leaving Mills a close third.

All three riders broke the existing class record, which gained them extra points in the NHCA class championship. They also gained a place in the top 10 run-off for overall championship points, as the only non supermotos. Matthewman took fourth overall, Wilkins fifth and Mills sixth.

Mills’ next outings is at Loton Park Hill Climb, near Shrewsbury, for a non-championship round on Easter Sunday.

The May Bank Holiday weekend of April 30 and May 1 sees the Festival of Speed Hill Climb at Oliver’s Mount, Scarborough.

Meanwhile, 17-year-old Matt Maynard, from Carlton, achieved what he has promised these last few months when producing a ride of quality and consistency to win Thirsk DMC’s trial on Sunday.

Held at the Long Plain Farm venue, 100 riders battled over a four-lap, ten-section course.

Maynard proved superb on the almost vertical climb and left turn of section three – the only rider to record a clean on his first lap.

Runner-up Simon Kershaw, from Scarborough, matched it on his second lap but had lost five marks on the relatively easy section two to put him out of the running.

Wombleton’s Shane Monkman held it together to beat off Dave Archer for the Intermediate award by just two marks.

Kirkbymoorside brothers Dan and Jack Peace clinched the Youth ‘A’ and ‘B’ classes respectively, Jack taking the win on most cleans rule from the ever-present Nikita Smith from Fryupdale.