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Paul and Zara Crane had a narrow win in the familiar Shopland Mk2 from Tom Walker and Tom Jones who were also in Class Eight. Guy Winsor was best Solo
North Devon Motor Club had good weather for the Exmoor Trial starting near Barnstable. It proved a tough trial for the lower car classes and only Class Eight came out with scores under twenty.
Continue reading “Narrow Exmoor Win for Paul Merson”Dave Middleditch reports on his first experience as a Sidecar Passenger
Last year we spent the week of October half term visiting sections for the Land’s End. As my services were no longer required, it was a full week of surfing at Croyde, but I noticed that the Tarka Trial takes place on the last Sunday. As a car driver, that’s not an option…. or is it? I passengered for Andy Abraham in a very last minute pairing for the Edinburgh ’22, so gave him a call to see if he’d like to come all the way down for the Tarka and I’d passenger for him on the KTM 660 Outfit. He agreed, so after a Saturday spent mostly in the pub avoiding the rain, so arrived at the start in Bideford as first bike away, and with me having had precisely zero experience of riding a Chair! £20 ACU licence obtained and a borrowed set of boots and helmet from Andy, and we were on our way.
Continue reading “Tarka first Timer in a Chair”
Class Eight was a dual between two very different cars. Jack Selwood was in the historic DP Ford, a lightweight Front Engined RWD with 1500 pre-crossflow power. Roger Teagle had his rear engined UVA Fugitive with a two litre motor.
The two were neck and neck all day but it was Jack who found the extra grip on a leafy Holdridge Hill where he got to the four.
This wasn’t the best performance on Holdridge Hill though. Phillip Thomas climbed one mark further than Jack in his Melos but lost the overall win after dropping ten on High Bray.
There were three Solo clean sheets, Colin Nichols taking the win on the tests. Martin Keswick/Josh Cook just pipped Steve Urell/Julie Williams for the Outfit award.
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Not quite as much mud as last year
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”The honours went to Josh Moss and Ryan Eamer, both from trialling families
This years Exmoor was a challenging event with Class Eight filling the first five places amongst the cars.
High Bray was particularly challenging. The right hand side of the track was significantly eroded so there was a considerable camber tending to pull those on three or four wheels towards the bank.
Amongst the restarters all the Class Eight cars were successful but none of the Class Sevens went clean.
Floyds Bank was another tough section. Clerk of the Course Chris Barham found the old section with the ruts had gone so had to mark out a new track. Josh Moss and Paul Merson were the only cleans amongst the 6, 7 and 8’s after which the difficult bit at the bottom was bypassed which allowed the lower classes to at least see section ends even though none of them got there!
Ryan Eamer only dropped three marks on his 350 BSA to score his second win from riding two ACTC trials.
Steve Urel and Julie Williams were best outfit.
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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
Peter Browne tackled a very wet Tarka Trial on his Triumph Metisse
Having enjoyed a gloriously sunny Tamar Trial a few weeks before, my brother Neil and I decided to enter the Tarka on our 650 Triumph Metisses. I was conscious that the weather forecast for the 31st was not good but took comfort from the fact that the forecast is very often wrong but in this instance that did not prove to be the case.
It was already raining heavily when I woke at 4.30am and continued as I loaded my bike onto the trailer and headed off on already flooded roads to collect my brother and his machine.
By the time we reached Bideford we had seen so much rain and passed through so many floods it was clear that we would not be having an easy day and were beginning to doubt the wisdom of using such heavy machines but we had already passed the point of no return.
The first four sections were in the Tapeley Park Estate woods and were predictably very slippery on the wet leaves and tree roots and gave me the first taste of what would prove to be much pushing throughout the day. I did manage one clean but it was a good deal later in the day before I managed another.
Riding with my brother Neil and our friend Andy Petherick on his 350 BSA we left the woods for a few miles of road work to section 5, Stony Cross.
This was a loose stony climb in a narrow lane with what looked like a stream running down it which lubricated the stones very effectively.
A few miles further on was Section 6 which started as a partly submerged farm lane with the water becoming increasingly deeper until the tractor wheel tracks disappeared leaving you to guess or discover where they were as the water continued to deepen with it eventually coming over the top of my boots with my feet on the footrests. I remember my brother saying he was fearful that it would reach his handlebars at one point.
We then made our way to Stoodleigh Woods where there were four sections in the woods. I have no memory of the first which was Georges Bank, possibly due to trauma or more likely senile decay.
The remaining three were firstly a steep slippery climb, then a leafy climb with a tight deviation at the top and finally a climb on a track through a stream with a tight turn at the top.
I felt I should have managed the last of these at least but failed to do so and had the opportunity to further practice my pushing instead.
After a lunch stop at Rogers Garage in South Molton we rode to Holdridge Woods where there were another four sections, reduced to three due to the weather.
The first started in a stream and exited up a slippery bank and the remaining two were on such slippery mud that I was exhausted by the time I had wrestled the Metisse to the start board and achieved little more than that.
Section 15, High Bray was next. This is a regularly used hill with rocky slabs and steps and is notoriously slippery.
There was a restart for all classes and this was certainly a stopper for the Metisse. I had help from many Marshalls during the day but would particularly thank the Marshal that helped on High Bray for his assistance and patience whilst I straightened the bike enough to be able to continue.
Next were two sections near Stoke Rivers. The first was a bog with a steep climb out which had been affected by the previous nights rain and the second was a steep grassy climb which it was actually quite fun to see how far it was possible to get up on the Metisse but even more difficult to come back down.
Section 18, Snapper was a narrow lane with a tight bend and rock steps on the bend which I approached too cautiously and stopped on one of the rocks.
A few miles further on was the final section, Kings Cott and this was a wet stony lane which I was hugely relieved to clean mostly because it meant I did not have to manhandle the Metisse which by now appeared to have more than doubled in weight.
This only left the special test at Pristacott to complete and this was the normal start on line A, then stop astride B and finish astride line C except that this was in a lane with deep puddles of course, which did increase the sensation of speed. I did the test with my visor open and as a consequence coated the inside of my helmet and visor with muddy water and had to ride to the finish at Tapeley Park with it open.
I was hugely relieved to finally get to the finish after what proved to be an exhausting event and am much impressed with the way my Metisse survived the many attempts to break it during the day.
It is very much to the credit of the North Devon Motor Club that they were able to still run the Tarka Trial despite the appalling weather of the previous night.
The road route was very well chosen and took in some excellent North Devon lanes and scenery and the Route Card worked well with only a few exceptions and that may not have been the fault of the Card.
Having had good weather for many of the recent ACTC Trials it is inevitable that at some point this would change and this was that event. Let’s hope we do not get another like it too soon or I may need to buy a modern machine.
Results and links to come. So keep checking back
Comments, Corrections, Criticism & Concerns are all welcome. You can leave a comment to have your say or tell us about your trial.
It was Charlie Merson in his Ford Special doing the winning this time, not Paul in the Shopland, who had to settle for second
Chris Barham and his team worked hard to get this years Exmoor Trial on the road, rescheduling because of Covid and having to battle all the issues running an event at this difficult time involves. They were rewarded by an excellent entry of 60 to do battle with the dry sections in North Devon.
Continue reading “Merson Victorious on the Exmoor Trial”Andy Petherick and Paul Merson take the top honours.
Continue reading “Exmoor Trial”
Premier awards went to Steve Urell, Adrian Wade and Paul Merson.
North Devon MC’s Tarqa Trial was an ACTC Championship qualifier for motorcycles only but attracted a disappointing entry of 34. This comprised four outfits, sixteen solos and thirteen cars.
The route was sensitive to the needs of the different categories. There was a total of 22 sections and included six solo only sections. There were also two unique to the three and four wheel brigade, including Riverton, well known to Lands End competitors.
Adrian Wade was best solo, dropping 12 marks, two better than John Lukett. David White also only dropped 12 but competing in Class X wasn’t eligible for best overall.
There were four outfits taking part. Steve Urell claimed premier outfit but both Geoff Westcott and Richard Maddern retired.
On four wheels Paul Merton was a familiar winner in his special followed by Ray Ferguson in Class Seven.
Chris Barham Reports:-
Over all a really good day. Wet start but sunny finish. Fantastic days sport with so many varied sections. From slippery field hill climbs, Classic sections and rocky lanes. Road miles minimal with plenty of green lanes mixed in.
From a bikers side the easiest section near the end caught so many points it was funny as. and that was the atmosphere through out the day, plenty of laughs and good will.
Many competitors will know the work that goes into a trial, weeks of route planning, official paper work with ACU, MSA, highways department ,private land owners and residents on route. Hedge cutting and section clearing. All of which is appreciated on the day but why are we not getting the numbers? The future of The Tarka is in jeopardy! Which is a real shame.
Ride with Martin Keswick and Josh Cook
Results and more stuff to come
Comments, Corrections, Criticism & Concerns are all welcome:-
Ed Nikel reports on his Exmoor Trial
We have just returned from North Devon having competed in this years Exmoor Trial in my Dellow. It was this trial that introduced us, my brother Richard (Dick) and myself, to classic trials, first as a spectator then as a competitor, let me explain….
Our cousin, another Richard, who lived in Bideford was looking for a car to compete in PCT’s and trials. Dicks old Imp (Denis) was available, so was dispatched down to North Devon to start a new life as a trials car. It was called Denis the menace having been painted red and black!!!. For several years Dick and I would make an annual pilgrimage to Exmoor and spectate and support Richard and Denis.
Fast forward a couple of years another Richard (Tompkins) influenced me to prepare a car for trials, naturally an Imp, and our first trial had to be the Exmoor trial, which also happens to be a favourite of mine.
Up to date now, Saturday 27th saw us trailering the Dellow down to the farm at Bideford, picking up a parking ticket from jobs worth Bideford warden—– empty car park, car and trailer taking up two spaces but we only bought one ticket instead of two!! ‘How does he sleep at night’?
Sunday morning we were of to Barnstaple for scrutineering, which is across town from the start. Our first panic, the radiator cap was missing! A friendly scrute was dispatched home to find his spare. Fortunately, the cap was found ledged down the side of the rad, so use of the pliers to tighten and secure it in place.
Scrutineering passed, then off to Cedars Hotel to sign in and sample the welcoming bacon cobs, and a chance to catch up with Les Newell the new owner of my buggy who was entering his first trial and coincidentally also lived in Bideford.
Onto the trial and the first sections, Snapper1 and Snapper2. A slippery access track up into the woods with a hairpin right then upto the start of the section. No restart so straight onto Snapper 2 for our first restart. No problems so far.
Out of the woods and onto Riverton via Tordown special test, which was completed not particularly, quickly but clean. Riverton was its rough slippery self; we were only the fourth car so the restart was not to badly cut up and we went clean.
Lee Moor special test was completed then into Huntstone1. A bit of a wait while the bikes had their goes at the hill. The restart on the steepest section of the hill, just after the start, was cleaned, having watched the previous cars come to grief, we kept to the left and had no trouble.
Straight onto Huntstone 2, a grassy track with a 90 right upto the restart and then no further, still our first failure and 6 points.
High Bray again caught up with the bikes. This is a right hand hairpin upto the restart on a rock slab, then a rough rocky climb with a deep gulley on the right track up to the top. We managed a 4 and after dropping back to the hairpin took a run at it and was able to clear the section in front of lots of spectators.
Higher Molland, A grassy rutted track with slippery restart. Then into another woods for Jimmy’s Hill. This is a straight drag up a shale, stone track, very steep though. Worst so far for us, we couldn’t even reach the restart 8pts here. How does Dudley Sterry do it. He cleaned it when many people barely got of the start line!!
Still in the same woods onto Badgers Hill and Rodneys Revenge. The first a right hand turn onto the hill and a straight drag up. We managed 4 here. Reversed down hill and straight onto the start for Rodneys. Left hand hairpin up to the restart, again a stopper 5pts, a run at the hill and we were on our way for the 20mile run up to Lynton and Beggars Roost. We had our first and only puncture while travelling to the section. The restart was on the right, a bit lower than last years Lands End, but was no problem, back to clean again.
Next Scoresdown with a restart for all classes. A tarred road but washed out sections and deep potholes. We were clean so onto the last section, Floyds Bank a short section at right angle to the road grassy, slippery and overlooking Breedon and the Staghunters Inn for the finish and signing off.
To cap the day of we were most surprised to see the provisional results have given us 2nd in class!
Thanks to all the organisers and marshals from NDMC for an excellent trial and a thoroughly enjoyable days trialling with the bonus of the stunning Exmoor scenery. We will be definitely be back again next year and I would highly recommend that you make the trip and give it a try yourself next year.
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 