It was a dry Cotswold Clouds this year and most competitors were able to see the top of the majority of the sections. It was a competitive and closely fought event though. Crooked Mustard was on form but the event was decided on Jerrys and the Special Tests.
Crooked Mustard
Despite the dry conditions Mustard was on form this year, entertaining the usual crop of spectators. Most of the Class Eights went clear but otherwise only Scott Aldridge in the Class 7 Smart Roadster got over the rock step and went on to clean the old hill.
Nailsworth Ladder
There were two restarts on the ladder this year, the upper one close to the step for class eight, and a lower one giving a bit of a run at the obstacle. Another favourite with spectators there was plenty of wheels in the air to keep them entertained.
There were quite a few failures, the most significant being Scott Aldridge, the only car outside Class 8 to clear Crooked Mustard. Without the six marks he lost here Scott would have finished on four and won the trial by one point!
Wicked Juniper
Dean Partington lost the trial here. Driving his DP Falcon Dean was penalised for stopping after the restart line, dropping six and would finish on eleven, missing out on the select group who would fight for victory on special test times.
Climperwell
Jerrys
While the lower classes had a straight run 5,6 and 7 had to restart, as did class 8 but their restart was strategically positioned just before tree roots that crossed the track just where the gradient increased.
With a straight run through Sam Holmes had no problems in his Class 4 Beetle.
Both Dean Vowden, in his familair Class 6 Notchback and Joe Browning in the Class 7 Baja Beetle, restarted successfully and went on to clean the section. These three were now all on the five marks they had dropped on Mustard.
However there were a handful of Class Eights clean so far. That situation changed when all but two dropped six marks on the restart. Charlie Merson worked hard, clawing his way a few yards for a five. Ian Moss was the only one to clear the hill after strategically positiioning his Imp engined Lypiatt special well over to the right on the restart.
Ian was now in the lead of the trial with the only clean sheet.
This was to change on the very next hill when Ian dropped eight marks and retired. This left Charlie Merson, Sam Holmes, Dean Vowden and Joe Browning all on five with Charlie in the lead by virtue of test times.
And this was how the event was to finish a few hills later.
In summary this years dry Cotswold Clouds was a closely fought battle across a variety of classes. Although a Class 8 won victory could easily have gone to someone from the lower classes, such was the good job the organisers did with the sections, tyre pressures and restarts.
Links:-
- Cotswold Clouds on the Classic Trials FB Group
- All the Cotswold Clouds Posts on the Classic Trials FB Group
- Videos from Jerrys
- Videos from Crooked Mustard
- More Videos
- Calvin Samuels Photos from Climperwell
- Simon Lewis reports on his Cotswold Clouds
- Mal Jones photos from Merves Swerve
- InCar Videos
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