We had super trialing conditions for the Allen. It had rained quite a bit in the week preceding the trial, so the ground was nice and muddy. However, it was dry on the day and the sun even came out for a while, so Arnold Lane was spared the soaking he received on last years wet event.
Arnold was alongside Mike Pearson in the Dellow Rep that was trailered down the M4 to the start, just off Junction 17. Mindful of the fearsome ruts on Burledge Mike was trying some different tyres with a higher profile in an attempt to generate precious ground clearance. John Parsons was our other class eight competitor in the familiar Westfield, with Keith Harris in charge of the bouncing department.
There were a whole gaggle of Falcons running line astern earlier in the field, headed by Triple winner, and Crackington cup contender, Murray MacDonald. The now familiar Red Beetle is not short of ground clearance, even though Murray has lowered and ballasted the front a little after some scary moments when the car threatened to turn base over apex when reversing down some of the horror hills on the Kyrle and Exmoor Clouds.
Both Falcon Skodas were running well after their successful Edinburgh. I don’t believe they had any mechanical changes but Simon seemed a bit reticent to talk about his carburettor so you never know. Matt had returned from his American trip and was alongside Simon while Martin Sheppard was bouncing for Neil. Team Falcon was completed by Fred Gregory/Pete Stafford (Dutton Melos) and Michael Leete/Mike Hayward (VW 1302 S).
The sections started with Tog Hill, presenting no problems since the fearsome bump was levelled a few years ago. That was more than can be said for Bitton Lane. The hill would be easy enough if it wasn’t for the re-start. A tricky affair, positioned on a corner with a noticeable increase in gradient. The surface is really tricky, consisting of compacted pebbles that become more and more polished with the passage of cars. It’s quite muddy just before the re-start line and it’s quite difficult to position your car. You tend to lose all traction when slowing as you approach the line. Then you are so busy trying to get to the line itself that you don’t have a chance to position the car. That’s what happened to most of us. J.P. got away OK and Fred took time to find some traction and thought he may have slipped back in the process, but the marshals couldn’t see through the smoke enough to notice! Neil came up to the line pretty fast, looked at the polished stones and decided the mud on the right was a better bet. The only problem was that’s where the marshals were standing. Fortunately they moved in time, Neil’s wheel’s bit into the rock underneath the mud and the Skoda pulled away easily.
Big Uplands was next on the agenda. This has been used on the Allen for many years. Most hills get rougher over the years but Big Uplands is an exception. The deep rut on the right of the lower slopes is nothing like as fearsome as it was a few years ago. It’s quite a straightforward hill for the girls in classes’ one to five, but us men have to re-start just before the 90 left. After this there’s a rough bit before the hill exits on the main road.. JP got away OK and so did Michael Leete, the first time in the five times he has competed in this event. Poor Mike Pearson was not so lucky when the Dellow Rep slipped back as he let the clutch out.
Guys Hill came next. This is the one that Mike Pearson was telling us about in his article about the legal status of trials hills in the November magazine. The girls didn’t have to re-start so they all cleaned it OK. Things were different in the mens classes. They had an extremely difficult re-start on the polished stones between the tree roots and all the Falcons in six, seven and eight failed to get away. This was the norm, most six, sevens and eight’s couldn’t restart and only a select few achieved a clean. In class six Graham Brasier went clear in his 130 hp VW based Bitza and so did Nigel Allen in his Beetle. (By the way I think Graham Brasier is a nice, friendly guy. I just don’t think his car should be in class six. I have heard through the grapevine he is now selling this machine and migrating to class four). All but one class seven failed. The exception being Julian Dommett in his 1172 cc, sidevalve engined Dellow Mk1. Is that man a good driver or what. In class eight it was only Antony Young who went clear in his buggy. All the Cannons, Trolls and GVS’s either failing to re-start or grinding to an immediate halt. The Mill Lane special test was nothing special but the approach lane was decidedly interesting with some very deep ruts cut out by either tractors or four wheel drives. They were OK in a properly prepared trials car but pity the poor beginner driving a standard car in his first event.
Elwell was the final offering before lunch. Everyone remembers last year when it was very wet and muddy and it was so difficult to get across the field at the end. The surprise was at the bottom this year. The farmer had built a concrete hump just before the water splash. It’s hard to know why, maybe it’s a culvert or something. Anyway it was a challenge for anyone without plenty of ground clearance. The Falcons had become split up by now. Murray and Neil were together, Simon was a few cars back, followed some way behind by Michael and Fred who had stopped for petrol. There was quite a queue when they arrived, waiting for Philip Roberts and his dead Escort to be towed out. The halfshaft had moved on the bearing and they had lost drive. Later on Mike Hayward saw Philip and told him about the autocross trick of putting a blob of weld just behind the bearing. Murray and Neil got away OK but there was another delay when Simon got his Skoda stuck firmly on the hump and had to be towed off. The marshal at the foot of the hill had warned Simon about the severity of the hump. He tried to ease the Czech wonder climber over slowly, fearful of damaging the petrol tank. Unfortunately it bottomed out with all four wheels in the air Next time Simon go faster and fly over it like the rest of us!
Then it was off to Chew Valley lake for a rest halt beside the reservoir. Unfortunately the cafe was closed this year so it was sandwiches from home rather than Cumberland sausages. Strode was next, approached up a watery lane. The hill is all about a re-start that I thought was easy, but caught Fred Gregory unawares, the other Falcons going clear. Travers was pretty straightforward for the girls and they all went clear. Some of the men had problems on the usual tree rooty re-start, supervised by Jim Travers himself, and both Mike Pearson and Michael Leete failed. They got off the line OK but couldn’t build enough speed and spun to a halt on the roots a few yards further on.
Up until now Mike had not been having a good day but that was to change on Burledge. This is one of the Allens guaranteed “stoppers”. It starts on a rocky track, with a huge bump a few yards from the line where a water pipe has been culveted. After a 45 degree right hand bend the horror of Burledge comes into view, a dead straight rutted track about a hundred yards long. And when I say ruts I mean r-u-t-s. They really are deep and it takes a combination of ground clearance and momentum to get you through.
Mike had searched around at home to find some really high profile KUMO rubberware which he pumped up really hard. He eased the Dellow over the culvert and around the corner to the class eight re-start. Pulling away Mike applied the power just right and with Arnold’s assistance found the grip to cruise out the top. JP had a re-start as well but frankly stood no chance in the low slung Westfield and failed at the two.
Fred and Michael joined the girls on this section and were allowed a straight climb. Michael was pleased with his two but Fred had started to experience problems a few hills earlier and had to drop back from the start line to tinker with the electric’s. (This took a bit of time because although he is a really nice guy Fred is to automobile electric’s what the late Cyril Smith is to hang-gliding). Once Pete Stafford and Fred got going they did quite well, but with the Dutton on comparatively small wheels they ran out of ground clearance at the three. Our two giraffes in class four did well. Neil got a one and Murray stormed out of the top wondering what all the fuss was about, but the low slung Robson Skoda stopped at four.
Murray’s triumph was short lived as he failed to get out of the sump on the infamous Nanny Hurns special test. It was pretty greasy this year and if you applied the power too soon you understeered into the tress. Neil Bray and Michael Leete experienced the same fate but Fred, Mike and JP all popped out without any problems. Simon did very well to come out with the Skoda. Competitors are allowed to inspect Nanny Hurns before making their runs and Simon had seen a few abortive attempts. So it was right down on pressures at the back and the front wheel that would be on the outside round the tricky corner. Then gently, but not to slow, into the sump. Get the front wheels onto the slope and half straightened, then apply the power. It worked!
Mill Lane, Little Uplands and John Walker concluded the trial. None of them were very difficult but boy were they good fun. Long, wet and rough enough without being car breakers. The Allen certainly boasts some enjoyable hills, there isn’t a make-weight amongst them. So it was back to the finish to conclude an enjoyable day and compare notes.
Murray and Michael had trouble free runs in their Beetles and so did Neil. Simon had the misfortune to damage a front wing when he had a collision with a car in a passing place on a single track road. Fred had to keep fiddling with his electric’s to keep the Dutton going. Mike Pearson had a puncture on the road section before John Walker. Finally JP’s Westfield started to make clunking noises from the diff after the Elwell Hump. John carried on but thinks he may have chipped a tooth on the crown wheel. Results wise John was our only award winner, coming third in a well-supported class eight. But I think I can speak for everybody in saying what a great day we all had. Roll on the next Allen Trial.
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