The Torbay team, led as usual by David Haizelden and Keith Sanders, missed the easing of Covid restrictions by one day. This meant car competitors were not allowed passengers and would have to navigate their own way around the route, just like the motorcyclists!
David and Keith sensibly made other changes, forgoing many of the usual classic hills so not to attract unwanted spectators.They also started and finished the event on private land to avoid an indoor gathering.
The event started in woodland, just off the A30 west of Exeter.
The first group of sections were here, three for Cars, five for Solos and four for the excellent entry of six Outfits. This was to be be dominated by a battle between Leon Torres and Alan Wear who won the class by 1 point.
The leading solos and outfits emerged from the woods clear but the only car to do so was Dean Partington in his familiar DP Wasp, despite Class Eight having the first two of their many restarts.
The familiar sections of Coombehead Copse and Coombehead Creek are usually a battle against mud. Not this year as with the recent dry weather they were very dry and didn’t claim as many victims as usual.
Nicks Nip saw most of Class 8 fall foul of their restart.
Only Paul Merson, Dean Vowden and Duncan Stephens amongst the specials cleaned the section. Dean was debuting his Lonsee Special, based around a Notchback engine and Duncan was out for the first time in the UVA Fugitive previously campaigned by Nick Farmer.
With no Simms this year competitors tackled Penhale Climb before the only two traditional Lanes on the event, Tipley and Narracombe, familiar to Class 0 competitors as Donkey Trot on the Exeter.
The Class Eight restart here defeated all of the specials and proved challenging for those having a straight run at the hill.
It was possible though and was cleaned by Jack Selwood (Reliant Scimitar) and James Shallcross (VW Golf) both vehicles more familiar in the hands of Clerk of the Course Dave Haizelden. In Class 7 the modified production cars of Nick Aldridge (Smart) and Paul Watson went clear. Paul was out for the first time in his newly rebuilt Imp/VW built many years ago by Philip Mitchell.
The only other cars to clean Narracombe were Nicola Butcher driving the only Beetle on the event, Phil Parker in the only Escort and Brian Alexander in a well supported Class 90.
Back in the woods where the event started all the cars lost points.
Duncan Stephens and Dean Vowden went into the woods equal but Duncan took the Class 8 victory after dropping one less mark than Dean on Money for Nothing.
Jack Selwood had dropped only two before the final sections and was to loose only one more to end the event on three and winning the event overall.
There were seven clean sheets amongst the Solos, the win going to Tristan Barnicoat (GasGas)
Links:-
- Photos by Paul Morris Photography
- Torbay Trial on the Classic Trials FB Group
- Rough/Tough Poll and Comments/
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