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Bernie Schreiber laid out the Expert Only Trial. rode it and won it. By Cosgrove Gilmore Photos by Len Weed LITTLEROCK, CA, DEC. 8 Trialmaster Bernie Schreiber mastered his own Expert Only Trial - and then some. He beat brand new SoCal Number One Andre Plouffe by 45 markers. The Expert Only was born last year after the future world champion returned home from Europe. He asked his club, Valley Observed Trials Enthusiasts, to 8 apply'for a spot on the 1979 ATA calendar. By selecting the sections himself he felt he could give the local line-followers a feel of overseas competition. The trial was originally scheduled for October 15, but the Forest Service bumped that. date because of fire V.O.T.E. hazard fears. So rescheduled for the day before the 10th annual El Trial de Espana. While entries for the first EOT were low, thoSe who competed expressed enthusiasm for the effort and the section philosophy behind it. Perhaps in future years the year-end doubleheader will lure an increasing number of outof.area section hounds to southern California. V.O.T.E.'s last ATA trial, the Trick or Treat, nicked winner Schreiber for 96 points in 39 sections . as Expert riders recorded just 19 cleans. Bernie's score at his own trial dropped to 67.5 points for 48 rides'. Runner·up Andre Plouffe was making his first stan since learning he would carry the American Trials Association's Number One plate during 1980. Another V.O.T.E. rider, Scou Head, needed to finish no higher than seventh to clinch the Number Two plate behind Andre. But Scou, ranked eighth in the nation this year, watched his runnerup ranking ooze out of his grasp as easily as the oil flowed out of his rock·damaged engine. However, the day wasn't a total loss for Head. He retained third spot on the ATA points table, behind Marland Whaley, to clinch a trip overseas with Plouffe from EI Trial de Espana funds. Trialmaster Schreiber's goal was to de-emphasize the "tricky five" or "easy/ impossible" section philosphy that is , New ATA Champ Andre Plouffe took a second at UttIerock. pan of many American trials.. As a result, many of his secti'ons were intentionany much wider than those usually seen in SoCal footing tests. The plan was simple - eliminate "little pin" turns. Use the natural terrain rather than forcing one line. Some· times the real challenge overseas is the pre· ride detective work selecting from Another several possible lines. European touch was the section ribboning. The ribboning also de· activated SoCal's "imaginary line" rule between section stakes. The Experts rode the 16-secuon loop three times. The six most demanding sections were deleted from the Suppon class riders' score cards. Wellie wearers again had the advantage as nine of the 16 sections were wet. The trial drew just 10 Expert starters and six Support entrants. Only seven SoCal Experts appeared. Oli. Thordarson, Bruce Davis and ATA president·elect Mau Pritchard joined V.O.T.E.'s four Expert entrants. Rounding out the dance card were Dan Suffin (Nonhern California) and Colorado riders Curt Comer and Bill Burgener. The Support class showed entrants from Colorado, Arizona and nonhern California. Curt Comer, fourth in the nation in 1978, had second place locked up until he ran out of inner tubes. Despite fiving four consecutive sections on the second loop while riding with a flat, he still turned in a card within nine points of Schreiber. But another flat OIl the final lap left him irrevocably deflated - a DNF. Curt has only been back in the country for a few months now after spending a half year in England competing. If he doesn't return to Britain next year he could well be the darkhorse favorite for the national championship. Bill BurgenerJ twice Colorado state champion, had an off day as did state· mate Pete Rudnick in the Suppon class. Along for the thousand mile journey were Comer's dad - Cun, Sr., a national senior rider - and Mr. Ute Cup, Bill Brokaw. Bill, a former SoCal champion, has been Colorado's top trials organizer for the past decade. Another viewer was Honda's Enduro Coordinator, Bob Nickelsen. Bob, a two time National Senior trials cham· pion, sat out the '79 campaign to go c10ckwatching weekends. Arizona was represented by Babe Sarver. The Babe didn't hit any home runs but did make a hit with the eyeballers. He was riding a brand new SWM trials mount. And one of Babe's C.A.T. c1ubmates brought along his Honda trials- hack to spectate. That gentleman sports what has to be one of the world's great names for feet-up fanciers - Roger Footiu. The nonhern Calfiornia delegation included Dan "I just love to come down here and get really knackered" Suffin. He grabbed foutth place.