You have stumbled on a delightful box of tricks, Classic Trials & other perverse stuff from Michael Leete. MCC ACTC and other trials. VW Beetles, Dellows, Marlins, or even Suzuki X90's
It was a Groves family day with Emma winning her Class in her Beetle
Simon Groves and Luke Butler, happy to win Camel Vales Presidents Trial. Photo by Vince Feeney
Without any action since 2022, Calvin Moores and his Camel team had a lot of work in Bonyalva Woods, near Hessenford in Cornwall, to prepare for this year’s Presidents Trial. The sections looked pretty dry in the week leading up to the event, but overnight rain resulted in a challenging, muddy trial.
Duncan Stephens had a good run in the morning and, along with Simon Groves, only dropped points on the Washington section, both going to lunch on four.
The situation changed during the afternoon with Duncan dropping eight on Firebreak, allowing Roger Teagle to get by into second place.
The lower classes struggled with the muddy conditions and Andrew Rippon was the best car outside Class Eight on 60 marks compared to Simons 15.
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Matt Facey and Richard Maddern take premier IOP awards.
Camel Vale stalwart Alan Keat looked as if he was heading for a win in the well supported Outfit class until he dropped two on the infamous Clinnick and it was Richard Maddern who took home the Wadham Stringer Trophy. (Photo Carnkie Camera Club)
By tradition the Camels Premier Trophies are awarded on Index of Performance.
For the bikes the Wadham Stringer Trophy went to an outfit on a very muddy event. Richard Maddern dropped only two marks on the event, the lowest motorcycle score on the event. This was two better than Camel MC stalwart Alan Keat on four.
Mark Wills won the B1 Class for smaller engines Bikes (Photo Carnkie Camera Club)
Matt Tilley was the best solo, dropping six, followed by John Reeves who had become unbeatable in the Pouncey League before the event.
Duncan Stephens had the lowest ACTC points counting score for the cars in a Class Eight dominated event (Photo Paul Jones)
In the cars Matt Facey took home the Dave Keat Trophy with the lowest score on index in his familiar class 3 family crewed BMW E30.
Matt dropped 40 on the event but it was Class Eights who dominated the ACTC championship scores on the hills, headed by Duncan Stephens on 13, followed by a further nine class mates before John Early just entered the top ten on 35.
Karen Warren had already clinched the Crackington Trophy before the Camel (Photo Carnkie Camera Club)
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This years Exmoor trial proved a little easier than Clerk of the Course Chris Barham would have liked although the two sections in the Holdridge woodland proved too much for all but a few.
The car entry was dominated by Class Eight and a particularly strong Beetle entry spread across classes Four and Six.
Competitive sections kicked off at Porte Farm with three sections. The second of these proved particularly challenging. Most of the solos and all the outfits went clean, but it was a different story when the cars came along.
Outside of Class Eight 0nly Keith Sanders (Reliant Scimitar SS), Ray Ferguson and John Early (Lieges) and Brian Hampson in his X90 emerged from the complex with clean sheets.
The second section at Porte Farm shattered the dream of a clean sheet for most competitors. (VidCap from Steven Price)
The middle part of the trial was mostly smooth sailing, but then came High Bray, the usual highlight of the Exmoor Trial.
Steven Price on the resurfaced High Bray (Photo by Peter Browne)Vince Feeney captured Andy Beveridge on High Bray. Most of the outfits were based on Enduro chassis in Class D2. Andy was in D1 meaning the chair can be detached.
There was a solo bike-only section called Walscott just before High Bray, which stopped all of the smaller-engined Class B bikes. Then came the famous hill itself. The section looked very different this year. The local authority had resurfaced it as part of a byway improvement program. It still stopped a few bikes, but all the cars sailed up.
There were two sections in the Holdridge woodland, and these were to prove decisive for the cars. Only Duncan Stephens, Paul Merson, and Arnie Martin emerged clean, all in rear-engined Class Eights.
Ray Ferguson dominated Class 7, dropping only four marks and finishing fourth overall, passengered on this occasion by experienced trailer and fellow Liege owner Trevor Wood. Photo by Vince Feeney on Floyds Bank
Floyds Bank was the penultimate section and proved as competitive as ever, providing entertainment for the usual spectators. It didn’t stop the three leading Class Eights, and they were to finish the event with clean sheets. That meant the overall results would be decided by the time of the only special test. Dean Partington had been fastest there, but he had dropped points on the observed sections. That meant the win went to Duncan Stephens, followed by Paul Merson and Arnie Martin.
Neil O’Connor was fastest of the two Solos on zero marks. Steve Urell and Julie Williams were the best of a well supported class of outfits.
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Camel Vale had ACTC Championship status for the Car Classes in their second annual Bodmin Heights Trial.
Building on last years inaugural event the trial used some of the clubs single venue locations, adding some new sections. This involved clearing new routes, challenging the Simon Groves and Ben Tonkin led teams road building skills.
Last years event was for Cars and Outfits. This year Solos were added and Ross Hancock came out on top on the only Class C entry.
Richard Maddern on his way to win the well supported Outfit Class. Photo by Vince Feeney
Richard Maddern was best outfit in a well supported Class D2, only dropping 9 marks. Gareth Andrew had the same score on the hills, the win going to Richard on test times.
Duncan Stephens overcame the challenging muddy sections to win the appropriately named Mudlark Trophy in his Fugitive. It was definitely a day for rear engined Class Eights with ACTC Chair Dave Haizelden second in the family Deere Special and Dan Keat third.
Interestingly although Duncan has won many events in the various trials disciplines this was his first win on a Camel Vale event.
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Duncan Stephens successfully restarting on New Langleys under the eagle eye of Launceston Vice Chair Andrew Rippon
Launceston and North Cornwall Motor club had a strong entry for this years Tamar. It was especially good to see seven outfits to take the start at The Proper Ansome Cafe in Launceston. They were rewarded by a closely fought trial in the muddy conditions.
John Reeves was best Solo with a clean sheet. Matt Tilley came second after dropping five marks between the two wheels only Harts section and Kings Langleys.
Steve Urell and Julie Williams had a narrow outfit win, just one mark better than Andy and Kayleigh Seward.
The car classes were a battle between Class Eight and Matt Facey in his Class Three BBMW E30. Matt dropped his four marks early in the trial and it was three Class Eights who arrived at New Langleys, the penultimate section, with clean sheets.
Norton Selwoods Videos from new Langleys
Neither Roger Hancock or Tom Jones got off the restart, picking up four marks but Duncan Stephens was successful to finish with a clean sheet and win the trial.
Tristan was best Solo while Chris passengered Richard Maddern to a Sidecar Win. In the Cars Matt Facey came home in front of Duncan Stephens and Tom Jones
What no Mud! Solo winner Tristan Barnicoat on Penhale Climb, one of the few sections to escape the full effects of the recent wet weather. Photo by Vince Feeney
Torbay organisers Dave Haizelden and Keith Sanders like a tough trial and everyone knows this is what the event is all about. This year more than lived up to expectations with the wet conditions ensuring that grip and ground clearance were at a premium.
There were ten clean sheets spread across four classes. Duncan was fastest in his Fugitive from Joe Browning in his Baja.
Long Term Dellow Trialler Richard Andrews looks on while marshalling the restart as Duncan Stephens claws the air on Nailsworth Ladder on his way to winning the Cotswold Clouds. Photo by Calvin Samuel
Stroud attracted their usual full entry for this years Cotswold Clouds which was held in unseasonable dry conditions, resulting in a number of clean sheets.
Ben Tonkin and family on their way to their Tamar victory (Photo by Duncan Stephens)
Ben Tonkin won Launceston’s Tamar Classic Trial on Sunday, returning in his 1600 VW Beetle with 2 year old son George passengering for the first time. It was a very close scoring day that saw the lead change multiple times on the last hill.
Hat Trick of ACTC wins for Duncan Stephens who pipped Philip Thomas on Test Times
Philip Thomas only dropped one mark but lost out to Duncan Stephens for the overall win on Special Test Times Photo by Bryan HuntContinue reading “Mechanics Trial”
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With Stuart Bartlett in the passengers seat of his UVA Fugitive Duncan had a day long battle Keith Sanders in his Reliant Scimitar SS. At the end of the day these were the only cars with single digit scores, the win going to Duncan on six with Keith on nine.
Apart from Duncan and Keith the remainder of the entry attracted some high scores on what was reckoned to be a tough event with some very steep sections.
The motorcycles had a strong class X entry. Ian Thompson was the best Solo amongst the regular classes
Classical Gas 