We were fortunate to have a Hardy this year. Last years event did not take place for various reasons, and then this year Woolbridge didn’t have people to fill the top positions. ACTC Chairman Simon Woodall worked hard to put a team in place only for the Woolbridge Committee to decide they didn’t want the event run under their banner. Fortunately Simon was able to get the VWOC to lend their support and the Hardy ran under their flag with Tony Young as the principle organiser. With little time in front of them the team couldn’t be too ambitious and ran the event with a short road mileage in the Bridport – Weymouth area. Unfortunately as the VWOC are not affiliated to the ACU this years Hardy had to run without the bikes.
Thirty-Two cars lined up at the Hardy’s familiar Freshwater Holiday Park. They were led away by Adrian Dommett, running as number 0 as he bought along his Ford Special rather than his familiar Wolseley Hornet.
The first two sections at Boarsbarrow took the restarting yellows and reds out of the equation. The gradient was pretty severe, on a loose surface, and there was little chance of getting away on the restarts, especially as the marshals were instructed not to let competitors dig deep holes. Running g first car Adrian Dommett wasn’t even able to get to the restart line on Boarsbarrow 1, but he cleared the wet leaves away for the others.
The hill was a straight climb through trees, across a track and then a little further up a dead end cleared through the bushes. The restart was just before the cross track for classes 6, 7 and 8 and none of them managed to get away, although Adrian Marfell came very close. It was a different storey for the “non-restarters”, provided they had enough momentum, and quite a few got over the track but only Sticker Martin, Tristan White and Keith Saunders (Reliant SS1) got as far as the one.
On the parallel Boarsbarrow 2 only Sticker martin and Keith Saunders came out of the top, although Christopher Symons came close in his Porsche 924, as did Richard Dawe in his Midget. Gary Hobbs and Ian Bailey had problems with the trees in their Sierra’s and Gary left having wiped out both the lights and front bumper.
Adrian Marfell was the only car to clear Knowle Lane before the grassy slopes of a series of sections at Uploders and Pooks Peak. By now Sticker Martin had pulled out a substantial lead and although Tristan White pulled a couple back on the second section at Nicks Pit he ran out a worthy winner.
There was a very friendly atmosphere at the finish. It had been very difficult for the organisers to put the event together and everyone was very appreciative of their efforts, which hopefully have saved the trial for the future.
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