Tag: 8 January 2022

Smooth Running Exeter Trial

The Night started Dry but the rain set in during the early hours. The organisers were on the ball, made a few on the fly changes and the weather didn’t dampen the competitors spirits

Competitors experienced rain on the way to the start and some even got a taste of heavy snow but that cleared before the start.

Unsurprisingly with the Covid pandemic still raging there were quite a few non starters at Sparkford, there being no multiple start night run this year.

The route started with its familiar route through Yeovil to the Tarmac Section and test at Windwhistle Hill, the only section shared between the main Trial and Class 0.

Dave Cook pictures John Turner easeing his Dellow out the top of Underdown. John was one of three Dellow owners taking advantage of the recent reclassification, moving standard Dellows from Class 7 to Class 2 . Last time the Exeter ran John entered Class 0, which used Redscrip just across the road.

After Underdown and the Musbury Control the main trial crossed the Seaton tramway tracks and ascended ascended the hill to Gatcombe, a rather innocuous section usually reserved for Class 0.

Next came Hangman’s Stone and Bovey Woods, home of Normans Hump and Clinton, the later in the safe hands of a Falcon Motor Club group led by Keith Oakes.

The teams experienced rain during setup but it was dry when the first competitors arrived. However the rain came back just after four and the section was quite muddy for later numbers.

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