Smooth Running Exeter Trial

The Night started Dry but the rain set in during the early hours. The organisers were on the ball, made a few on the fly changes and the weather didn’t dampen the competitors spirits

Competitors experienced rain on the way to the start and some even got a taste of heavy snow but that cleared before the start.

Unsurprisingly with the Covid pandemic still raging there were quite a few non starters at Sparkford, there being no multiple start night run this year.

The route started with its familiar route through Yeovil to the Tarmac Section and test at Windwhistle Hill, the only section shared between the main Trial and Class 0.

Dave Cook pictures John Turner easeing his Dellow out the top of Underdown. John was one of three Dellow owners taking advantage of the recent reclassification, moving standard Dellows from Class 7 to Class 2 . Last time the Exeter ran John entered Class 0, which used Redscrip just across the road.

After Underdown and the Musbury Control the main trial crossed the Seaton tramway tracks and ascended ascended the hill to Gatcombe, a rather innocuous section usually reserved for Class 0.

Next came Hangman’s Stone and Bovey Woods, home of Normans Hump and Clinton, the later in the safe hands of a Falcon Motor Club group led by Keith Oakes.

The teams experienced rain during setup but it was dry when the first competitors arrived. However the rain came back just after four and the section was quite muddy for later numbers.

There was no Waterloo this year so the route went via Streets, the Core Hill Special Test and Passaford Lane before running along the coast at Sidmouth before the breakfast halt at Crealey Park. Jason Byron, was debuting his 1300 Reliant Rialto and enjoyed the first few sections but had to retire before Crealey after his axle casing blew apart.

Paul and Mike jones giving their Class 6 Beetles a rest at the Crealey Park Breakfast Halt (Photo by David Malin). A few years it looked as if Class 6 was fading away….

After the rest halt should have been Kingswell, a muddy private track well known to Torbay competitors. Its not so easy to include a section like this on an MCC event and it was cancelled for fear of delays, just it had been on the last Exeter.

Tillerton was its usual rocky self with a restart planned for the higher classes.

The rain, mud, tyre smoke, marshals in their wet weather gear. Tom Moore captures the atmosphere as Michael Hopkins and Andy Kennett climb Tillerton. Sadly their car no longer bears its familiar name on its bonnet in deference to the MCC hierarchy. Andy is a recent convert to the sport but enlivens Social Media with his many contributions.

The restart was cancelled after a few cars had gone through but not before Lee Sample had the diff let go on his Rickman Ranger.

Lee Sample hard at work changing the diff broken on Tillerton. Unfortunately the course closing car went by before he finished. Earlier local club mate Dexter Blain had the same issue on Clinton. Both are looking for 4 planet diffs if anyone can help.

Everyone turned left at Wooston Steep rather than tackle the higher reaches

Andrew Trenoweth was at Wooston Steep to capture Josh Hassell’s Pink Pather. The car went well during the event but succumbed to engine issues on the long drive back to Wales the next day.

Then there was Simms

Duncan Stephens was at Simms and treats us to some great video clips. Click Here for more Simms Videos

The reason Simms ran so smoothly. Chief Official Dave Haizelden had assembled a team of marshals that read like the top ten on an ACTC event.
William Pixley on Simms. William published some great “OnBike” videos of the event. Photo by Peter Browne

Simms didn’t bear its teeth this year and the majority of competitors crested the summit, some for the first time in their trials career. But less than a mile away……

The other side of Ilsington village Class 0’s Donkey Trot bared its teeth and no competitors were able to clean the section this year. This is InCar with Stuart Palmer in his Austin 7

Just a few more sections to the finish at the Passage House Hotel alongside the River Teign. In the evening Nicola Butcher and Dave Craddock were awarded their triples covering consecutive events back to the 2019 Edinburgh.

This years Exeter competitors were pretty universal in judging this a successful event, perhaps the best MCC trial for years. A high standard set for the future

Links:-

Final ResultsDownload

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