Links:-
Through the Night
12 Motorcycles and 36 Cars left the start at Bridgwater for the first section at Catsash, with a restart this year. Like most of the sections during the night it didn’t stop many but they were all long and enjoyable. There was some concern if the delays at County Gate (see main trial report) would result in time penalties, but these were confined to the main trial.
Slippery Sherwood
Come the dawn Sherwood was slippery at the start with a big hole further up. This caught out Nev Bowers on his first Lands End in his Suzuki X90 and John Turner lost his tin with his only fail on the event.
Hackmarsh was a new Section
Hackmarsh was a new section, approached down the track the main trial use to get to Darracott. The junction was where the Hobbs Choice Special Test used to be, Class 0 going straight on where the main trial went left. It was a very nice section, categorised as 8 for roughness in the route card. There were a lot of small loose rocks but it wasn’t to bad if you took things steadily. A couple of lower slung cars struggled and needed a tow but most competitors really enjoyed the section.
Laneskin was Cancelled
After a welcome breakfast at Wilsey Down things toughened up at Cardinham. The new section in Laneskin Wood was cancelled after early numbers got stuck on the upper reaches and the Chief Official decided to halt proceedings to keep the event running on time. The Laneskin Junction Special test ran though, this was very tight and the experienced Mike Oakins (Liege) and Vic Lockley (VW Beetle) were both penalised, costing mike his Tin.
Tape Touched at Silver Lead Mine
There was only one section in Cardinham woods this year, the familiar Silver Lead Mine with a chicane just after the start defined by tape. Up until now a lot of cars still had clean sheets but this changed with a whole host of penalties for either stopping on the chicane or touching the tape.
Bishops Wood was Tough
Bishops Wood was to prove the toughest challenge on the trial. It wasn’t rough but the final part of the section was quite muddy and only eight cars carried sufficient momentum to reach the section ends board.
Alternative Blue Hills
Only Blue Hills remained, with a choice of the old tarmac hill with a restart on the sharp left hander or a run up with the new section but leaving out the artificial bit at the top. The choices were about equal and as it turned out the Old Hill restart was probably more difficult than the rough track. There were quite a few failures on both but fortunately nobody was denied a tin by making the wrong decision.
ts all Over!
All that was left was the long road run back up to signing off at the Fraddon Premier Inn. No results of course, they took a few days to come through when they showed just how tough the final part of the trial was for Class 0. Only David Richards in his Liege ad Michael Leete in his Beetle were clean with a further 11 Copper’s awarded.
We have been publishing stuff about Classic Trials on the Web since 1995 and always appreciate feedback. Comments, Corrections, Criticism & Concerns are all welcome. You can leave a comment to have your say here on this web site or our Social Media
Classical Gas 