Tag: John Reeves

Yorkshire Dales wins for Stephen Kingstone and Julian Lack

Ilkley toughened up their event this year with deviations and restarts for the higher classes

Julian Lack pipped Paul Merson on special test times in their DP Wasp battle for the best car. Photo in Seans Wood by Gary Plimer Motorsport. You can find more of Garys work on his FB Page where you can contact him for copies

Start

The entry contained six cars that have emerged from Dean Partingtons workshop. Five finished in the top 10, including the winner, and the sixth was 11th

There was nice weather for the start on the Pateley Bridge Show Ground, which held for the rest of the day. There was plenty of space for van and trailer parking, and some stunning views to take in while waiting to start.

Watergate

ACTC bike regular Stephen Kingstone edges his 350 Matchless through the ford at the start of Watergate 1. Stephen went clear on the event to pip John Reeves for best motorcycle. Derek Walter was third. Photo by Gary Plimer Motorsport. You can find more of Garys work on his FB Page where you can contact him for copies

The scenic Watergate 1 is a familiar Yorkshire Dales fixture. Most experienced competitors took it in their stride, but it still took its toll on the unwary. The bottom needs an enthusiastic attack as it becomes very slippery as water from the splash gets carried up the hill. This caught out a few cars, including past event and class winner Mark Busfield in his HSTA spec car running in Class 5 and Derek Reynolds in his X90.

Having got past that comes a restart on rock for the higher classes at the six marker.

The final challenge was a deviation on grass at the very top, with the higher classes having a second deviation at the one. These summit deviations appeared on several sections throughout the trial, part of this year’s plan to toughen the event up a bit. It succeeded, and the experienced Mark Hobbs, John Early, and Karen Warren all dropped a single mark here.

Having made the sharp turn in the Watergate 2 Bomb Hole Brian Colman applies the power to clean the section. Brian was 7th overall and 2nd in Class 7 in his Dutton Phaeton. Photo by Mark Strong

Watergate 2 was different this year. Rather than the usual fearsome drop into the bomb hole, there was some PCT-style wiggling on grass followed by a gentle descent preceding the full-blooded blast to the top of the section. This all proved too much for the MCC’s Andy Kennett. The diff on his Class 0 Vincent Kit Car blew asunder, ending his trial on what was his class’s first section.

Dry Gill

The last cars in the field wait for their turn on Dry Gill 1 with its intimidating restart on the steep slope. Photo by Mark Stone

The restart for classes 7 and 8 on Dry Gill 1 was on the steepest part of the slope. A fail to get away cost 9 marks, and it cost a number of restarts that penalty, including John Early, who retired his Liège a few sections later. Getting off the start was no guarantee of a clean though, as there was a steep hump at the five that was to prove significant.

Sam Lindsay failed here, although he was relieved to make the start at all after problems with his Zetec-engined rail.

Simon Woodall was another victim of the hump, making a guest appearance in Lee Pecks’ Kraken, his first outing in a front-engined car.

Simon Oates was the most significant failure. Had he gone clean here, he would have been equal with Julian Lack on hill scores but would have picked up the overall event win as he was ahead on the special tests.

Dry Gill 2 was a twisty affair, in and out of a gully with a tricky restart for 6, 7, and 8. There were some notable failures to get away, including Dean Partington, Jack Selwood, and Charlie Merson in Class 8. These were to be the only six marks Charlie lost during the event.

The section also had a big impact on the Motorcycle result, with reigning Pouncey League Champion John Reeves losing his only marks on the event here.

Strid Wood

Nick Symons, seen here on Strid Wood 1 in his Singer Chamois, was one of several competitors who made the long journey from the West Country to compete on the event. Photo Mark Strong

Strid Wood 1 incorporated the familiar deep gully, but this was preceded by some tight PCT-style turns marked out on a grass bank. This wasn’t a problem for the higher classes, but some of the saloons and sports cars bottomed out on one of the humps. Fails here included Mark Hobbs (Escort), Lucy Moore (MX5), and Derek Reynolds in his X90.

The higher car classes had a tricky restart on a turn on Strid Wood 2. Here Mark Strong captures Jack Selwood failing to get away.

Traditionally, the restart on Strid Wood 2 has been on the 90th right onto the cross-track. This year, it had been moved down amongst the bracken and marked out with poles on a curve. This restart proved a problem for a couple of the Dean Partington cars, as neither Jack Selwood nor Kieran Bartlett, in his DP Sports, got away.

Strid Wood 3 was cancelled for cars as one of the later running motorcyclists needed medical attention and was waiting for an ambulance to arrive.

Hawpike

Dave Sargeant cleaning Hawpike 1 in his Class 4 Beetle, set against a stunning Yorkshire background. Photo Steve Waddington
Richard and Tegen Madden at the top of Hawpike 2 having made the long journey from Cornwall with their Husqvarna powered outfit. Photo Claire Raven

Neither of the two observed Hawpike Sections had a significant impact on the results but couldn’t be taken for granted.

Hawpike 1 was very boggy in its higher reaches and cars needed momentum to get through the mire.

After coming back through the farmyard Hawpike 2 had some different grassy twists and turns on the lower reaches. It was also the first restart off the day for the lower car classes and claimed its fair share of victims.

The Highwood Farm timed test followed after a scenic trip across the Hawpike ridge.

This was a glorious long thrash with no reversing and a friendly farmer at the end to help pump up your tyres.

Sadly, Dellow Register Chair Andrew Isherwood had to retire his original Mk1 here with back axle issues. Fortunately, Andrew was able to limp back to the Bolton Abbey campsite where his motorhome and trailer were parked. 

Ellers

John Ramsden on what proved to be an unsuccessful attempt to climb the new deviation on Ellers after the class 7 and 8 restart
Dean Partington and Charlie Merson were the only restarters to clean the new deviation on Ellers

Ellers comes just after the former infamous Peels Wood sections and is usually a rather benign section. Not this year. It had been spiced up towards the end with a sharp 90 right up into the woods with a restart right on the turn for the higher classes. This proved a tough one, and only Dean Partington, Charlie Merson, and Iain Daniels went clean amongst the restarters. Most of those who didn’t have a restart had troubles here as well, and only Simon Knight in his Mk2 Dellow running in Class 5 went clear.

The lunch halt was a few miles up the road, with some excellent cuisine on offer.

Norton Selwood had to wait a while for his lunch as his Beetle started to misfire. The problem was soon diagnosed. The linkage to the nearside carburettor on the flat four had become disconnected, soon remedied with the help of a 6mm nut from John Ramsden’s toolbox.

Sword Point

Class 2 winner David Golightly tackles the path between the trees on Sword Point 1. Photo Lucy Moore

The Sword Point sections are in a wood with some very substantial trees to hit for the unwary. The first one had a tree rooty restart at the six, which proved tricky. However, some of the saloons and sports cars in the lower classes found the lower reaches slippery, and there were quite a few 10s.

The second Sword Point section had a deeply rutted straight track leading to the summit.

This wasn’t a problem for those that had the ground clearance and the power, but the problem was getting to the track, through the tight turns around the trees after the start line. Brian Colman (Dutton Phaeton) was one of many that found the turns impossibly tight so he couldn’t get to the track and dropped eight. This was a shame as Brian was leading the event after Ellers, having only dropped two after the difficult restart.

Seans Wood

John and Sam Roberts in their Mk1 Dellow. One of four examples of the marque on the event. Photo by Gary Plimer Motorsport. You can find more of Garys work on his FB Page where you can contact him for copies

The first of two sections in Seans Wood had a steep rise immediately after the start line, effectively making it a restart and there were a number of failures, including a couple in 7 and 8 who had to start a little further up.

The second section in the woods had a restart for all classes which was cleaned by all but one competitor.

Brimham Lodge

A Yorkshire Dales staple this is very much a weather dependant section on muddy grass and with this years dry conditions only challenged a couple of competitors.

Highfield Farm Special Test

Paul Merson had to avoid the Chickens on the Highfield Farm Special Test. Video by Charlie Merson

West Wood

Only a few miles from the finish there were two sections at West Wood, the first only for solo motorcycles.

A problem for some on the second hill was the turn off the road with the section start on a steep bank that was effectively a challenging restart.

For those that got going there were some tight turns amongst the trees, but very little gradient until the short, sharp bank at the end where it was very easy to pick up a three.

The Finish

Back at Patley Bridge, the sun was still shining as competitors signed off and packed up to go home. Despite the dry conditions, the new deviations and restarts had made it quite a tough trial, especially for full-bodied cars in the lower classes, where the many tight turns and ground clearance issues produced some high scores but hopefully not too much damage. So well done to Sam Holmes for getting his Class 4 Beetle into the top 10.

Now the most northerly Classic Trial on the calendar, the Yorkshire Dales has its own unique character, held at an ideal date, to give visiting competitors a wonderful opportunity to see Yorkshire at its best.

Finally a special mention to all the marshals and officials who were unfailingly friendly and helpful.

InCar with Michael Leete and Christine Bird in their Dellow

Results

BikeStephen KingstoneMatchless0
ADavid LawsonRoyal Enfield33
B1Derek WalterYamaha XT22510
B2John ReevesKTM Freeride9
B3Nigel ThompsonContessa 4 Ride19
CJohn KennyBeta Enduro10
DRichard & Tegan MaddernHusqvarna16
XTim PittBeta X Trainer6
CarJulian LackDP Wasp3
2David GolightlyMorton & Brett20
3Mark HobbsFord Escort48
4Sam HolmsVW Beetle9
5Simon KnightDellow Mk2b28
6Karen WarrenVW Beetle24
7Simon OatesLiege8
8Paul MersonDP Wasp3

Links:-

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 BTW you can subscribe and get new posts as a newsletter.

Exmoor Clouds wins for John Reeves and Jon Moores

Richard Maddern was best outfit on a very muddy day.

Vince Feeney captures Bike winner John Reeves peering through the gloom on Ski Slope

This years Exmoor Clouds turned out to be a tough trial. Perhaps a little tougher than Paul Merson and his team had intended, as rain before the event made the long, steep, forest sections muddier than expected.

After picking up points on the first two hills John Reeves scored a run of cleans, punctuated by an eight on Vinegar Hill, to be best solo. Vinegar Hill was cleanable though, as demonstrated by Richard Sparks in B2 and Leon Youlton and Mark Bowden in B1.

Car winner Jon Moores restarting his CMR Ford on Vinegar Hill (Captured from a Norton Selwood Video)

In the cars Jon Moores put in a dominant performance in his CMR Ford, getting to the two on Periton Hill, which has yet to be climbed on four wheels. Dave Haizelden, having a run in Class Eight with the Deere Special, also got to the two but had picked up quite a few marks earlier in the trial.

The Suzuki engine in John Early’s Leige is now behaving itself after a long development period, and John was 2nd overall and best in Class 7.

The leading car positions were well spread among the classes. Matt Facey was 3rd in his family crewed BMW E30 in Class 3, Jack Selwood 4th in his 1300 Beetle and Ian Facey 5th in Class Five.

ACTC Motorcycle Coordinator Andy Beveridge on Water Run, the only D1 outfit, meaning the chair can be detached from the bike (Photo by Vince Feeney)

Results:-

SoloJohn Reeves KTM Freeride21
OutfitRichard Maddern & Tegen MaddernHusqvarna11
CarJon MooresCMR Ford10
AStephen KingstoneBSA Bantam44.5
B1Dan WelburnHonda TLR 20027
B2Les FoyScorpa R-Ride24
1James ShallcrossPeugeot 20545
2Steve HillFord Model A42.5
3Matt FaceyBMW E3017.5
4Jack SelwoodVW Beetle19.5
5Ian FaceyBMW Z320.5
6Karen WarrenVW Beetle45.5
7John EarleyLeige15.5
8Emma WallTroll28
90Brian HampsonSuzuki X9039.5

Videos by Norton Selwood & Paul Merson

Pinn Quarry
Ski Slope
Steep Lane
Luxborough Lawns
Vinegar Hill
Lena’s
Periton Hill
Slade Lane
North Hawkwell

InCar with Steven Price 1300 Beetle

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 BTW you can subscribe and get new posts as a newsletter

John Reeves goes Clean to win Tarka

Richard Maddern and Christopher Barnicoat were best Outfit

Tarka winner and last years Pouncey League Champion John Reeves on Badgers Last Stand. Photo by Margaret Critchlow

North Devon Motor Clubs Chris Barham and his team had worked hard to put on a trial with a challenging mix of sections with surfaces ranging from rocks to mud.

The leading solos went clean until Holdridge Stream, the tenth section which was bypassed by the outfits, where John Reeves was the only clean. John maintained this lead to take the win over Andy Foot and Andrew Kearns.

Best Outfit Richard Maddern and Christopher Barnicoat concentrate as they surmount a bump on Badgers Last Stand. Photo by Margaret Critchlow
O/AJohn Reeves0
ASteve Kingstone34
B1Ian Thompson18
B2Andy Foot2
B3Byron Williams15
D2Richard Maddern &
Christopher Barnicoat		14
XRobert Williams32

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 BTW you can subscribe and get new posts as a newsletter

Dean Cleans Clee

Dean Partington, Paul Merson and Ian Facey had clean sheets. As did John Reeves and Hayden Edmonds on two wheels.

Clive Green captures Motorcycle winner John Reeves as he negotiates the early morning gloom of Harton Wood on his KTM Freeride

This was a well planned and executed event with every class having a chance of an overall win. Classes two, five and eight all featured in the top four and this was achieved with the only one restart each for classes 5, 6 and 7.

It was unusual for Class 8 not to have any restarts, but with a couple of exclusive sections they did not have an easy trial, unless you had a DP machine, of course. The Falcon in Dean’s hands and the two Wasps of Paul Merson and Julian Lack filling the first three places in the class!

They were challenged by Ian Facey in his familiar BMW Z3, who finished third overall with a clean sheet, and David Golightly in his delightful Ford Model T-based Morton and Brett board racer, who dropped one to finish fourth overall.

John Reeves was best solo motorcycle.

The Ford 1172 side valve Class 2 cars of Andrew Isherwood (Dellow Mk1) and Roger Ashby (Coats Orthoptera) about to start on the South West Loop. The Class Eight cars behind will set out on the loop to the North East. Photo by The Squirrel

There were some significant route changes compared to the last few years with no Abdon Liberty or Hungerford Steps, where there was too much work required to scrape the crown between the deep ruts.

These were replaced by sections in two complexes on private land, and the return of the Clee’s infamous figure-of-eight loops. The changes worked, and without the inevitable delays at Hungerford and sending the entry out on different loops, even the later numbers finished on time.

New Forest Complex near The Goggin

The Owen Motoring Club ran the three new sections
Peter Ashford and Tom Jones on High Cullis in Peters recently acquired Dellow Mk2. As permitted on the Clee they shared the drive on the private land sections and finished second in a well supported Classs Two. Photo by the Owen Motoring Club

While the bikes and higher car classes set out north on the A49, the lower car classes went to the nearby Forest Complex. These muddy sections proved challenging, and only David Golightly in his Class 2 Model T-based board racer, Sam Holmes in his Class 4 Beetle, and Ian Facey with the BMW Z3 emerged without penalty.

Harton Wood and Heywood Common

Stuart Holton grappling with the mud on Harton Wood. Photo by Clive Green
Braving the cold without a hat David Golightly exits Heywood Common in his Model T based Board Racer. David finished fourth overall. Photo by Andy Brady

Coats Farm Test

Simon Oates on the Special Test. Simon finished second in Class 7

Although the event had a long way to go, this test was to decide the trial for both two and four wheels. Pouncey League champion John Reeves pipped Hayden Edmonds by a second and a half. They were to finish with clean sheets, and John’s time would give him the bike win. They weren’t the fastest, though; that honour went to Ali Haigh on his Honda 4Ride, but he was to pick up five points at Meadowley Wood.

Dean Partington was the fastest car which was important as it would give him the overall win on the trial.

Coats Wood

InCar on Coats Wood with Michael Leete and Christine Bird in their Class 7 Dellow Mk1

The section was different this year as Clerk of the Course Simon Woodall had not been able to obtain permission to exit through the wood so the section ended after turning through the gate towards the top of the slope. Only motorcycles and 6, 7, 8 attempted this section which was very muddy. The lighter bikes with small engines all went clean but it was a different story for the heavier machines.

Class Eight all used their power to weight to go clean, but all in class six, and the majority of class seven, either floundered in the mud at the start or spun out when it got very slippy towards the top.

Longville

Having been spared Coats Wood the lower car classes attempted Longville, with a restart for Class five. The section proved straightforward with only a couple of failures.

Easthope 1

Liam James and Becky Giles in the Ridge Cannon campaigned for so many years by Brian Partridge. Photo by Clive Green

There seemed to be a lot more grip on this familiar hill this year, but nevertheless it requires a full-blooded attack off the line and quite a few floundered in the mud at the bottom having failed to realise this. There was a surprise at the top as well, as the section ended by turning right instead of the more usual left.

Majors Leap/Ippikins Rock

Staying in the woodland, the bikes and Class Eight went off to Majors Leap. This proved a challenging section, and Mark Hobbs (Troll) and Ian Davis (VW Buggy) lost their clean sheets here.

The other cars tackled Ippikins Rock with its sharp right hand hairpin. This proved not to be Beetle friendly and quite a few of them were penalised.

Harley Bank 1 & 2

Harley Bank 1 was attempted by bikes and cars in 7 and 8. Like Easthope 1 it seemed to have a lot of grip this year and most stormed up the section although the deviation for bikes in B and cars in Class Eight was more of a problem.

Meadowley Wood

Class 6 winner Karen Warren stopped at the five on Meadowley Wood, as did most of the Beetles. Photo by Matthew Boyce who also took some Videos

Meadowley, one of the Clee’s feature hills, has been in use since 1948. Its tree roots and deep ruts are always challenging, but this year’s conditions were particularly difficult due to the local hunt disturbing the track a few days prior.

Classes 0, 1, 2 and 90 were allowed to give the section a miss. A handful of bikes got up OK but it was a different story for the saloon and sports cars. Only Ian Facey made it to the top. His BMW Z3 seemingly gliding over the rough bits so tuned was his suspension to the hill. Ian was to go clean on all the sections and finish third overall. The others all struggled and several of the Beetles suffered body damage when they scraped their wings against the bank.

Some of the class eights were successful as was John Early and Simon Oates in their Leiges in Class Seven.

Hillside

There were three Austin Sevens taking part. One each in Classes 2, 5 and 7. Clive Green was at Hillside to capture Mark Gregg, the man behind the Edinburgh Trial, in his Reliant engined Class Five car which still carries the side numbers from the Lands End
Ian Davis and Kevin Roberts on Hillside

There were two sections on private land at the Hillside complex. They were quite muddy, and the first one proved too much for almost all the lower car classes except for the Beetles of Dave Sargeant and class four winner Sam Holmes.

Fred Spaven gave up the battle against the Clees muddy sections here. His Royal Enfield Charging Bullet proving far too heavy for all the goo. Fred built the bike for the Lands End and the Clee was his first one day trial on the machine. He reckoned it could have made it round the 80 mile route but diverted for a precautionary charge at Much Wenlock.

Oak Dingle

The bikes and the specials in Class Eight had to follow a winding route through the trees. It wasn’t a problem for the bikes, but about half the Eights couldn’t quite make it out the top of their section and dropped two. Julian Lack was one to fail here in his ex-Mike Chatwin DP Wasp, losing his clean sheet and second overall.

All the other cars had a run up a straight rutted track which proved more difficult than it looked, stopping all in Classes six and seven who had to restart and half of those that didn’t. David Golightly couldn’t quite get to the top, dropping his solitary mark of the day in his Model T based Morton and Brett board racer. Neverless this was more than enough for fourth overall.

This was the last section for the lower car classes who had done the southern route first but the bikes and higher car classes had an 18 mile run for their sections in the new forest.

Cundalls Rise

Only attempted by the bikes and Classes Seven and Eight this short, sharp section was described as very steep initially then grass. The very steep bit defeated three of the bikes, the remainder came out the top.

Tom Hunt was the only Class Seven to go clean in his Leige. Most of the others floundered in the mud at the bottom or on the very steep bit for a 10 or eleven. The exception was John Early, who got to the eight, which was good enough for him to pip Simon Oates for the class win.

The Goggin and High Cullis followed. Both excellent sections requiring determined attempts but neither had a significant impact on the results.

The Finish

Everyone was back at the Squirrel before Four o’clock as there had been very few delays, probably helped by Hungerford Steps being left out. All in all a successful and popular trial with the only blemish being the body damage to some of the saloons on Meadowley.

Best Bike Overall – John Reeves (KTM Freeride) 0

Class Winners

A Joe Stollery (Indian Woodsman) 21
B1 Mark Wills (Beta Alp) 23
B2 Hayden Edmunds (Beta XTrainer) 0
B3 Ali Haigh (Honda 4Ride) 3
C John Kenny (13)

Best Car Overall – Dean Partington (DP Falcon) 0

Class Winners

1 Nigel Whiten (Ford Ka) 61
2 David Golightly (Ford T) 1
3 Simon Fairbanks (BMW 318is)54
4 Sam Holmes (VW Beetle) 5
5 Ian Facey (BMW Z3) 0
6 Karen Warren (VW Beetle) 23
7 John Early (Leige) 12
8 Paul Merson (DP Wasp) 0
90 David Slade (Suzuki X90) 18
0 Jonathan Ward (Morris Bullnose Oxford) 76

Links:-

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

Camel Classic ends 2024 ACTC Year

There was a strong Class Eight Entry but Mark Seward and Patrick Keat had the lowest score of the day on their outfit.

ACTC Pouncey League Winner John Reeves negotiating the slippery leaves on Clinnick on his way to an emphatic Solo win Photo by Paul Jones

Camel Vale Motor Club had a full entry for their popular, season ending Camel Classic. In line with club tradition the Index of Performance is used to calculate the overall results. So it was Matt Facey in his familiar E30 BMW who went home with the Dave Keat Trophy as overall car winner.

ACTC points are awarded on total scores rather than Index and the lowest car score of the day was achieved by Keelan Hancock in the family Buggy, heading a field of 23 Class Eight specials.

In the motorcycle classes Mark Seward and Patrick Keat only dropped four marks all day on their outfit to win the Wadham Stringer Trophy.

Solo winner was John Reeves, the only motorcycle to clean the penultimate section, Hellings. This ensured his win over Mark Courtney who dropped ten here. This topped off a successful season for John, assuring him as winner of the ACTC Pouncey League for solo motorcycles.

Continue reading “Camel Classic ends 2024 ACTC Year”

Tamar Clean Sheets for John Reeves and Duncan Stephens

The restart on New Langleys decided the trial

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.

Norton Selwood’s Videos from The Quarry
Continue reading “Tamar Clean Sheets for John Reeves and Duncan Stephens”

Slippery Clee Hills

Dean Partington only dropped one mark to win the car class. However Dean could only claim victory on the last section as until then Matt Facey had been clean. John Reeves was best bike with a clean sheet on his KTM

Colin Gwyer captures Matt Facey giving his BMW some air at the top of Longville. Matt was clean and in the lead when he arrived at the last section but spun to a stop on the slippery mud and it was Dean Partington who was best car with one mark lost on Oak Dingle.

It had been very wet in the week leading up to the trial, but it was dry when competitors set off from The Squirrel in Ludlow after completing the Clees very efficient administration. After many years in the hands of the Midland Automobile Club the reigns had been transferred to the Midland Manor Motor Club. However the old team were still at the helm in the form of Simon Woodall, Pat Toulmin and crew. Pat was using the Spotify App to keep competitors up to speed before, during and after the event and this was very successful.

Continue reading “Slippery Clee Hills”

Tough Tamar

Jack Selwood strengthened his position in the Wheelspin Trophy over Dean Partington who moves up to second place eight points behind the car he bought back into the sport.

Paul Jones captures Henry Hoggart on Tanks Terror. Henry was passengered by Norton Selwood the force behind the ACTC FB Group and Instagram.

This was a challenging Tamar Trial, especially for the cars, where even the most hardened competitors struggled on the new woodland sections towards the end of the trial.

Kevin Miller was third bike overall and would have won if he had not failed the first observed test. Kevin is the Admin of the FB Group “Long Distance Trials, LDT’s, South UK Lightweight Bikes” Photo by Paul Jones

Motorcycle competitors had some bike only routes and sections that were difficult enough to ensure there were no clean sheets. The classic lanes that started the morning didn’t prove too challenging but then came the Solo only section at Ladye Park where three was the lowest score. John Luckett dropped four here and was the only bike to clean the grassy Tanks Terror but had the misfortune to retire later.

Continue reading “Tough Tamar”

New Sections for the Tarka

Not quite as much mud as last year

Overall winner Ryan Woodward. Photo by Paul Morris Motorsport Photography

Clerk of the Course Chris Barham Reports :-

After the challenges of 2021’s Tarka Trial, I tried my best to make this years trial a more enjoyable event with a range of sections rideable even if the weather gods decided to drop copious amounts of rain on us.   True to form it rained! Solidly for the best part of the morning in fact. The trial though, went smoothly without any sections becoming mud baths. 

Continue reading “New Sections for the Tarka”