The Kyrle Trial started from its normal Monmouth services on the A40 on Sunday 29th March. With the clock change, it was an early start for all but with the gorgeous sunshine no-one seemed to mind. The preceding weeks had been very dry, so Paul Bartleman and his team had to find some new initiatives to stop everyone. Only half the hills employed pressure restrictions and ten sections had restarts for different classes. Alan Keat was debuting a new 1303 Beetle, having stopped using his Dad’s tired Gold beetle.
After a short journey competitors found the first two sections, Griffins Grove and Widow Maker. Julian Lack was the only person to have trouble on the grippy, sandy service on the first section, probably running out of power in the little Liege. Further into the woods was Widow Maker, which had a restart (for 7&8) and small deviation half way up. This section was much longer than the first and caught a few on the restart. Whilst easy enough in the dry both sections would be very different in the wet.
Three miles further up the road and Pillbox and Goldsmiths. Pillbox has a good run at the rutted ninety right followed by a steep climb. Tim Smith retired his powerful Corolla with a broken differential here, and Simon Groves engine was playing up stopping him for a six. The1300 Beetles really struggled with the gradient, as did sporting trial expert Duncan Stephens who was debuting a Nova, which proved to be vastly over geared for the conditions. Goldsmiths was just round the corner with a restart for all but class one. This saw the retirement of previous event winner Keith Sanders, and Brian Alexander’s Suzuki, who burnt out his clutch.
Next was Ropers….very different to last year in the wet, but still slippery on the man-made bank. With it been so dry Paul had put an artificial bend at the top. Adrian Marfell was first on, and the only person to climb the hill under the watchful eyes of multiple PCT Champion Bill Moffatt who was nursing a badly bruised leg at the bottom, having been hit two weeks previously by a car at a Car Trial. All classes achieved a range of scores, with James Shallcross learning from the rest of the class and beating them all by four points. After driving along the bottom field next was the “Alfa” special test up the concrete road. Long run to line B, all over, all behind, short run to C. This was power sapping as it was a deceptively steep roadway. Fastest unsurprisingly was Ade Marfell and Dean Partington with 17seconds…Paul must have known something when naming the test!
Jack, Jill and Pludds were next, all stalwarts of the Kyrle. The first few cars found deep leaf mould and were not able to climb Jack, but things quickly improved as the ruts were cleared. Only seven cars cleaned Jack outside classes 7 & 8, including none of class three which was quite surprising. Straight back down to the bottom, and onto Jill which had a restart half way for seven and eight. Again this proved very hard for eight, with Dudley climbing furthest with two. Things had improved when class 7 arrived late on with four climbing. Tubby would have but had a close shave with a tree up the top on the steep bit whilst out of the ruts, followed by a wheelie for Dave Cook’s camera. Tubby couldn’t see the camera through the floor so thought he best stop, but would Harvey who had just wheelied all the way up Jack. Simon Groves unfortunately rolled his Escort at the bottom, reversing down. Both he and Emma were very shaken but fine, although Emma wasn’t very keen to continue, the Escort came back fighting though, as ever!! Simon later admitted it was driver error having got flustered coming off Jack. Two weeks later on Camel Vales President’s trial on Easter Monday no-one could believe how straight Simon had got the roof (with a lot of help from numerous tubs of filler)!! Pludds restart caught all front-engined class 7, with the rear engined (Tubby, Andrew Rippon and Derek Tyler) all getting away. Ian Moss commented on the start that the restart was very strange this year. Only four got off in class eight, and Dave Hazlelden showed class one how it should be done taking the class lead back.
A short trip to Sallowvallets which suited the upper classes despite their restart, incorporated in a deviation round a tree halfway up, which two competitors missed out completely! The results apparently show the section worsening as cars passed round the deviation, until the powerful type four Beetles arrived at the end of the field which sailed up.
Five miles down the road, and an easy wrong slot into the forest again was Blue Bell. A short little bank of the start, onto a flat section then a long steep finish with different restarts. Tubby didn’t read that bit and stopped at the wrong line, costing him the class and a shot at overall. Oops, another IF ONLY for the book!! Only Terry Coventry and Peter Mountain in class eight got off their restart, which won Terry the class in his immaculate V8 Marlin, which won him the ACTC championship so much many years ago. The lower classes restart still enabled them to reach the upper reaches of the section. Blue Bell also saw Timothy & Samantha Withey roll their Imp. Having climbed the hill, apparently he tried to turn round, which resulted in two rolls, only been stopped by a tree half way down the section. Both were okay, but very shaken. The Imp was worse for wear though.
Just down the forest was Barty’s Bank, which had a bend round a tree and some soft ground just after on a slight camber. Those that didn’t climb this ended up with fours and fives. Yet more forestry track took competitors to Snompers, with a restart for all but class one just after the first damp bank, which was also on an adverse camber which caught a lot of the field out. A tree nicely sprayed red so you could see it was fast approaching if you didn’t get it right. Arnie took a decisive class lead here, while Ryan Tonkin and Tony Young continued there Beetle tussle. Dave Haizleden was left very puzzled having just dropped a six when Mike Collins drove straight up as if the whole section was tarmac, unfortunately filmed just for Dave to remember!
The lunch halt followed at a picnic area, with an hour scheduled, which for later numbers was nearer half due to a the only small hold up at the bottom of Jack. Bravo special test was next where Ade thrashed everyone again to win the TC Longford trophy. This was shortly followed by a new section called Frans Frolic. Starting on a gravel track faced with a short steep bank which was wet, then dried out as it got flatter further up and easier. Generally about half of each class climbed this, but it suited the Escorts better, with only two stopping.
Next was Waterworks, with a natural chicane at the ten and then a ninety left up a bank at the four. Not to be rushed early on as it was quite bumpy at the first bends. Ryan and Tony continued their battle and were the only class 4 to climb. Arnie stopped while Lester Keat (Avenger), Groover, Tony Underhill and Dave Miller showed him how it should be done. Just back towards the road was the old favourite Point and Press. This year starting on the straight it really was power sapping stuff. Dick Bolt got all crossed up and had a worrying few moments back off, while Dave Hazledean flew up to regain the class lead from James Shallcross on test times.
Four miles down the road was High Hope. Having been introduced last year in wet conditions, grip wasn’t an issue this year, with a restart for all, just through the gateway. The entire field climbed this with no trouble.
Five miles back to the centre of Ross on Wye and the clubs headquarters to sign off ended another successful Kyrle and supper put on by the ladies within the club. Paul had managed to extract points off everyone despite the condition in his last year as Clerk of Course. Who is going to take over this the tough mantel of Ade and Paul? With only 55miles, 16sections and 2 special tests, this has to be one of the most compact trials in the calendar, but how many miles are on tarmac?!
Who had done what during the day? Running classes together and seeding them reduces the chance of running order making too much difference to the results. Gary Browning and Alan Keat (who was debuting a new 1303 Beetle) only dropped one mark on Ropers, so special tests decided the Kryle Trophy to Gary by 2.2 seconds, running right at the back of the field. Third overall and winning class seven was Andrew Rippon who dropped his three on Ropers too. Next were two more Beetle’s, but this time little ones in the hands of Ryan Tonkin and Tony Young on six each, dropping different marks on Ropers and Sallowvallets. Also on six was Arnie, but he had a maximum on the second special test but he dominated the class with the next been on twenty-one. Seventh overall was that old Marlin master Terry Coventy on twelve delightedly beating the local knowledge of Ade on eighteen. Harvey had a good day, having taken some ballast out to tie with Tubby for eighth overall and beating him by 0.1 on the tests, dropping twelve also. Lester Keat completed the top ten another point back. Dave Haizleden won class one by two seconds having dropped twenty-seven points, to a disappointed and delighted James Shallcross. Peter Jones won a closely contested class five with Geoff Stone five marks behind, and Adrian Dommett beat Bill Bennett in class two.
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