Like last year the field was split and went on two separate loops. Classes 0 to Five tackled the Western loop first, embarking on a long detour around The Long Mynd because of the treacherous conditions. Ratlinghope came first, a special test, then a section which was cleaned by everyone. A long descent followed, crossing a road to the farm at the foot of Gattens Gamble.
There was a new section this year, the route turning left at the tank to Phils Folly. This was new section on an old coach road that is now privately owned. The section started on a level rutted track, hair-pinning right where the gradient started up a muddy tree lined track. Unfortunately Jeff Buchanan couldn’t get his ex Dennis Greenslade Reliant round the corner, neither could David Bowlas who was following in his Midget. Extracting the cars took so long that the section had to be cancelled.
By the time the higher classes came along in the afternoon the farmer had scrapped the mud off the hairpin and there was plenty of traction. The problem was getting round the hairpin. Regrettably there were problems at the top of the section and the exit road, making it rather to hairy for comfort and it was necessary to cancel it again. Gattens Gamble was cleaned by most of the field but Derek Reynolds found his DAF’s drive belts struggled with the steep gradient at the start. The views at the top were as magnificent as ever.
After a straightforward Walkmill came Adstone for the lower classes, who descended what was to be Medicot for six, seven and eight in the afternoon. Adstone was not a problem but the descent of Medicot certainly was. The track has really suffered at the hands of 4×4 traffic and the right hand rut was very, very deep. This caused major problems as cars were leaning so far they were practically on their side. Some suffered damage, including Colin Perryman whose BMW ended up with damaged doors and rear quarter panel.
Ian Davis was the first class eight in the afternoon and described the ascent of Medicot as a nightmare. After a delay waiting for some trail bikes Ian hit a root, throwing the front of his buggy so high in the air it came out of the ruts and beached on the left hand bank. Ian managed to reverse a few yards and get going as there was plenty of traction. Delays built up, causing the section to be cancelled for classes six and seven but not before Stuart Harrold deranged his steering on the same root that caused a problem for Ian Davis.
The route round its way up the hills to the historic Allez ‘Oop, first used in 1939 and featured in C.A.N. Mays book Wheelspin. It was grass in those days but has a hard surface now. It was covered in snow and a delightful climb to the summit with its magnificent views where the class three and four competitors waited for each other and a had a snowball fight! Most of the entry got to the summit, but it wasn’t a class one friendly hill and three of them got a six.
The Harton Wood special test was all about time but the challenge at the Longville test was actually re-starting after the reverse. After last year most of the experienced competitors were ready for Longville and backed right down to make sure they cleaned the section, rather than worry about the time. Not Tristan White. He and Emma Flay risked a modest reverse and gave the Escort a blast. They made it in a huge cloud of rubber smoke but the time it took was probably as much as backing right down!
Ippikins Rock couldn’t be used this year because of logging, so the lower classes tackled Easthope 1 and 2. One was the section new for last year, two was new for this. It wasn’t very long, just a short blast up a gully and a sharp right turn up the bank. This was the events stopper and nobody was successful. Simon Woodall and Mick Workman were the most successful, both reaching the two. Overall winner Adrian Marfell scored four, the only marks he was to drop all day.
After Much Wenlock came The Jenny Wind, an old cable railway incline. This was slippery in the morning for the higher classes and only Andrew Martin in his Dutton Melos reached the summit. Fellow class seven driver Tony Branson didn’t get that far in Jonathan Toulmins Marlin which suffered a persistent misfire all day. Conditions had improved in the afternoon and there were some cleans. Adrian Marfell and Adrian Dommett reached the summit, So did Harvey Waters and the amazing Dave Haizelden in his Golf. The first time a Front Wheel Drive has achieved that distinction.
Harley Bank saw problems for Dick Bolt when the UJ on the end of his prop-shaft broke, possibly weakened when he broke his CWP on Simms. Fortunately Dick has a two piece shaft on his Escort and carries a spare, so he was able to change it and drive back to the finish although he had to retire. The higher classes had a different section too last year and Ian Davis couldn’t get across the frosty grass on the lower reaches, dropping six. Fellow Buggy driver Simon Woodall did well here, only losing two marks which gave him the class win.
Hungerford was the last section on the Eastern loop for the lower classes and is another to have suffered badly from 4×4 traffic. There were ground clearance problems, both on the section and the exit road, where even some of the class eights had to be towed out. Simon Groves was a little late in arriving at Hungerford, having had no less than four punctures. Because of the penalties on the Clee, for slipping back down the field, his fellow competitors let him back to his place at the head of the class. Simon duly let his tyres down, only to ground out his diff at the six, and had to reverse back down. Seeing this his classmates duly pumped their tyres up to give more ground clearance and cleaned the hill!
The higher classes had to tackle Meadowley, another historic Clee section, but again one that has suffered severe erosion. There was a tree root across the track, followed by a huge hole and that was as far as most competitors got. There were exceptions of course. Two of the flyweights came out the top and March Hare winner Andy Curtis did exceptionally well to get to the two, benefiting from the increased ground clearance he has generated by fitting dropped spindles to the front, even though it gives the buggy a pronounced nose up stance.
Despite the problems caused by the conditions, all the competitors signed off in daylight, and first man home Ian Davis was back at The Craven Arms by 2.30. This years Clee was more difficult than usual, both the snow and 4×4 damage taking their toll. It was still a success though. Beautiful views, historic sections and six different classes in the top ten, all a tribute to Jonathan Toulmin and his team.
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