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The event attracted a big entry, which together with the conditions, led it to finish well after the sun came down.
The MCC wanted to make the 100th Lands End special and their efforts were rewarded with just over 400 entries plus 3o in the Class R all tarmac event. It was a different Lands End, with the route tuned to cope with more than a hundred extra competitors compared to recent times.
The early sections proved relatively easy, but Eddys Branch Line and Blue Hills took their toll as the event drew to a close.
Continue reading “Late Finish for 100th Lands End”It was back to the old format for this year
There was a significant change to last years Class 0 event which pretty much followed the main trial, just missing out some of the rougher hills, although including Slippery Sam!
This year there was little in common with the main trial apart from the special tests, Fingle and Donkey Trot.
There were a couple of new sections. Bovey Warren was in forestry just opposite the Normans Hump/Clinton Complex and was a nice addition. Then after breakfast Butterdon was an easy section near Wooston Steep.
Donkey Trot was the challenge for the cars, only four going clear, but then there were a lot of failures in the main trial who also did the section.
Neil Bray was one of the Donkey Trot clears but failed to position his Escort correctly in the Millen Lane restart box reducing the tin count to three.
Only one of the Class 0 motorcycles finished the trial.
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Lots of medals but a tough trial for Class Eight
After organisational issues last year the 2024 Exeter was in the safe hands of the genial Pete Batty with Pete Hart as Deputy Clerk of the Course. The team were concerned when a severe storm hit the South West a couple of days before the event, but with a bit of work all was well on the day resulting in a very successful event.
Continue reading “Exeter Trial 2024”Sadly a well known competitor passed away during the event after a medical emergency.
Dave Middleditch had promised a different Lands End and delivered with more sections than usual, four special tests, a handbrake test and passage checks to ensure competitors followed the correct route.
Continue reading “A Different Lands End with an Unhappy Ending”Golds hard to come by on surprisingly competitive Edinburgh.
With most of the events signature sections gone the organisers were saved by the weather on this years Edinburgh Trial. Several months of dry weather ended with a deluge on the early hours of Saturday morning, enlivening the conditions and making Calton and Excelsior particularly competitive.
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Starting out from the soulless M42 Services the 194 starters, with surprisingly few in Classes 1 and 2, diverted along the route amendment up the A38 to the outskirts of Derby before entering Ashbourne on the A52 instead of the usual A515. This confused some of the navigators as they didn’t pick the correct place to re-enter the original route card.
Carsington Water
Robin Barlow was in charge here with a radio link to the first section. With ample parking he was able to despatch competitors according to the number queuing on the road before the access track.
Haven Hill
Veteran Reg Taylor was on the start line on the first section. He managed to remain dry for main trial competitors but had to don his wet weather gear as the Class 0 competitors appeared. With no restart this year and a bone dry section everyone went clear.
Cliff Quarry
It was still dark when the first competitors arrived at Cliff Quarry and later numbers had to cope with the rain that started to fall around 6am. Everyone had to do a restart with the higher classes having to deviate around a tricky corner which was particularly Marlin unfriendly, seven of them failing, including father and son Tony and Hal Branson. Most of the non-deviators in the main trial went clean but the experienced Greg Warren was a notable exception.
The restart area wasn’t very muddy, despite the rain, but it still took numerous class 0 scalps including the two French competitors who produced a very nice Video of their adventure.
Going back to Marlins. Kevin Lindsay was having fuel problems with MGB engined car. He couldn’t fix them and had to retire.
Deep Rake (Class 0 only)
Dawn had broken for competitors in Class 0 when they arrived at Deep Rake where Ford Pop stalwarts Nigel Hilling and David Child were in charge of a compact section, with a restart on some loose stones.
This proved challenging for the less experienced and around a third couldn’t get away. These included Lee Sample who found the clutch wouldn’t bite properly on his Rickman Ranger, which has had a new engine since the Lands End.. He adjusted it after the hill and it didn’t give any more trouble. The trial was notable for the number of restarts for Class 0, with no less than seven on the schedule
Deep Rake Observed Test
This followed the familiar route although there was no water splash this year. Not just because of the dry summer but also because the hole had been filled in. There was a delay towards the end of the trial as a local claiming to be the Land Owner arrived saying the club didn’t have his permission to use the land. Fortunately the MCC officials sorted the situation to allow the trial to continue but it remains to be seen if there are any repercussions.
There were very few penalties on the test but they included the two French competitors, maybe the hadn’t yet come to terms with an MCC route card!
Black Harry
Still within the Deep Rake Quarry complex Black Harry had Trojan stalwarts John Wilton and Steve Potter in charge. They didn’t trouble the MCC results team and this was the second section on of the trial without any failures.
Haydale
Triple Editor Celia Walton was in charge here and had needed her wet weather gear as she had caught the worst of the rain during the sections opening hours. Everyone had to restart but outside of Class 0 there were few penalties.
Calton
With the rain and a restart for everyone competitors knew this was going to be one of the events significant challenges. The deep ruts on the upper reaches have long gone but there is something special about getting away on polished limestone in the wet!
Nobody in Classes 1 or 2 got away from the restart. The Suzuki’s in Class 5 didn’t fare well. Neither did many Marlins or Lieges or in Class 7. These included Julian Lack who had only put his engine back in the car just before the event but had the distributor module come loose just as he was trying to pull away.
Unfortunately many of the failures had problems backing up for a second try and a long queue built up. When it was getting close to getting back to the main road the Chief Official decided to cancel the hill for Class 0 who went straight to breakfast at the Bull I Thorn.
Incline (Classes 0 to 5 only)
The rain had eased when the field went through Buxton, out on the A5004 towards Whalley Bridge, passing the former Old Long Hill section before turning off into the Goyt Forest for a new section called Incline. It was a smoothish forest section. The gradient wasn’t too severe but it kept rising and levelling out which caught out the unwary. Other than Classes 1 and 2 where nobody went clear it only caught out a few in the main trial but Steve Kingstone lost his Gold in his MG Midget.
The section was a challenge for Class 0 and Nev Bowers failed his first hill here. This was the last section for Jacques Veyer in his AHS as he ran out of time and found the following sections closed when he arrived. His colleague Denis Sautery had retired his BMW with a holed tank at breakfast.
Corkscrew (Classes 6,7 and 8 only)
The higher classes tackled the former Jenkins Chapel, reintroduced after many years. Competitors either loved or hated this narrow rocky track but most were appreciative of the section after loosing so many of the other traditional hills.
Alan Spencer was the only class 8 to stop but the section took its toll in 7 and 8 including Matt Facey who had entered his BMW saloon in Class 7 for more of a challenge!
“New” Litton Slack
Competitors could only take sad glances to the left at the “real” section as they tackled the gentle grassy slope of the former escape road which had plenty of grip despite the earlier rain.
Putwell (not for Class 0)
There were the usual two sections. Putwell A was rough again, but there was no restart. Higher up the track came the resurfaced Putwell B with a restart for 6,7 and 8.
The section didn’t have much impact on the results this year although Mike Pearson had to retire when his Dellows alternator failed. The message went back down the section to those waiting and Emma Wall kindly donated her spare so Mike could get to his hotel in Buxton for the evening.
Rakes Head (not for Class 0)
This little section was just up the road from the tea and cake stop at Hollinsclough Village Hall. Classes 6,7 and 8 had to restart. This proved challenging for 6 and 7 but those challenging for premier awards all went clear.
Excelsior
Everyone had to restart and with the box on a sharp corner on slippery limestone rock it was going to be a challenge.
The section certainly took its toll on the score sheet especially in 5, 6 and 7. It was interesting that not only did everyone in Class 4 go clear but they all maintained their clean sheets at this stage of the trial.
This was probably the most challenging section of the trial for Class 0 who had to restart like everyone else. Only three cars (Michael Leete – Beetle, Chris Adney – Morgan and Vic Lockley – Beetle) went clean, leaving Vic and Michael with the only clean sheets. Failing the restart was unfortunate for Neil Bray as it cost him a Tri0 award.
Moneystones (Class 0 only)
Exeter Trial Secretary Tim Keeling was marshalling the start and there was a stony restart to tackle further up the slope. It was dry and most avoided the holes but they still caught out Brian Osborne in his MGB and Vic Lockley who said goodbye to his Blue Hills Tin.
Clough Mine 1 (not for Class 0)
Passing the entrance to the former Clough Wood track the lower classes had a straight run but the higher classes has a restart towards the top. The non-re-starters didn’t have problems but getting away from the box was a problem and the 6,7 results were decimated. It also caught out some of the class eights and Russell Clarke (Troll) and Barry Redmayne in his 4 cylinder Suzuki engined Leige, which now sports SU Carburation, lost their chance of gold.
Dudwood 1 (6,7 and 8 only. No restart)
Nobody in Class Six succeeded and only Dudley Sterry in Class 7 reached the summit. It wasn’t that easy in Class 8 where Simon Oates (Triumph Torum), Brian Partridge (Ridge Cannon) and Bill Moffatt (Troll) all said goodbye to Gold.
Several cars in the lower classes also attempted Dudwood 1. This attracted a WR penalty, presumably meaning wrong route. This counted as a section failure and both David Golightly (Ford Morton & Brett) and Kevin Sharp (Suzuki X90) lost their chances of Gold.
Dudwood 2 (1,2,3,4 and 5 only. No restart)
Previously a Class 0 hill this section started in the farmyard this turned into another run through the trees with the surface turning very loose before the top. This proved a bit much for most in Class 5. Aaron Homewood lost his gold here in his venerable Skoda but the three Beetles in Class 4 went clear and were clean as they went to the final observed test.
Dudwood 3 (Class 0 only)
This new section turned out to be a grassy slope which turned out to be dry with plenty of grip and everyone went clean.
Dudwood Observed Test
After a stop astride and reverse this turned into a long blast along a farm track, an enjoyable way to end the competitive part of the trial. Enjoyable that is unless you were John Arrowsmith (Class 4 Beetle) or Dave Wall (Dellow) who were penalised and lost their gold’s here.
The Finish
Leaving the farm track competitors passed the Cliff Quarry section (Hill 2) on the way to the finish back at Bull I Thorn. Popular opinion was that the organisers had done a grand job to make use of the sections that were available to them. As it stands from the provisional results it looks like Car Triples will go to Dick Bolt and Emma Wall, both in Escorts. Hans Viertel (Beetle) Matt Facey BMW Z3 and Stuart Roach (HRG)
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Lots of Golds on a Dry Lands End
With Easter so late this year Clerk of the Course Bill Rosten caught the nice weather for his first event. With only subtle changes the event ran smoothly although enforcement of the timing regulations caught out a few established competitors.
Plusha was definitely the place to start on this years event, with 96 cars, nearly two thirds of the entry, choosing the first starting point, many of the more northerly competitors choosing to trailer down to the West Country. It wasn’t long before they were on their way back up the A30 for the night run to the Bridgwater accumulation control where Dean Vowden lost his Class Six award when he was penalised for late arrival.
Penalties at Felons Oak and Crook Horn
The first section was the familiar Felons Oak, a nice opener, but the last section on this years event for the venerable Courtney Yandle, who retired his Class Six Beetle after stopping here.
The Crook Horn Special Test was very disappointing for John Wilton in, or should I say on, his Trojan, penalised ORL and loosing his Gold. No such mistake by Nigel Hilling who went on to the Class Two Award, returning to trials after a years enforced break in his 100E engined upright Ford Anglia. Roger Vanstone (Suzuki X90) was another to loose his Gold here. A couple of competitors were penalised for stopping at the flying finish line, including the father and son duo of Peter and James Mountain in their Mk1 Dellow.
Time Issues at Barbrook
A trip over the wilds of Exmoor preceded a holding control at County Gate to regulate arrival at Barbrook where there was a penalty for early arrival. A number of competitors fell foul of this, including Lee Peck in his his Kracken. This was unfortunate as Lee would otherwise have won Gold, which would have been a great ad for the Kracken which he has put into production.
Neither Beggars nor the other sections before the Wilsey Down rest halt caused problems for most although Darracott was cancelled after Ivan Sharrock had the misfortune to turn over in his HRG, the good news was the crew were OK.
Warleggan Restart wasn’t easy
Warleggan came after the break. The higher classes had to restart and this took its toll on the medals, either for not pulling away or in the case of Steve Glasson and Linden Alcock who were penalised for not stopping in their Dellow Mk2’s. None of the three German crews got this far which was a shame considering all the way they had come.
Into Cardinham Woods and Lady Vale which had a restart with a very narrow box, where Paul Brooks lost his gold in his X90. Hoskin was next, in the same complex, with different restarts according to class. These boxes were narrow as well but the marshals must have been lenient as they didn’t record as many fails as was feared.
Bishops Wood
The Bishops Wood test saw Dave Wall loose his gold when he over ran the line as did Trevor Wood in his Suzuki powered Leige.
The Bishops Wood section was just up the track, with a restart after the cross track for the higher clases and just before for the lower category cars. This wasn’t a problem for most but Ian Musgrove in his X90 said goodbye to his gold here. The higher class restart was definitely not Marlin friendly, confirmed by Harry Bounden who lost his gold when he was judged not to have got away.
Blue Hills
Only the two sections at Blue Hills remained where neither Nick Farmer or Neal Vile could cope with the tight corner in their UVA Fugitives, nor could Mike Tucker’s X 90. BH2 had its usual big crowd enjoying the spectacle and saw a handful of competitors loose their golds.
All that remained was the 19 mile run back up the A30 to the finish where a handful of competitors were penalised for late arrival.
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With two sections cancelled, and a returning Litton Slack attempted only by the higher classes, this years Edinburgh was a concentrated affair.
It wasn’t easy though, Excelsior in particular taking its toll on Triples.
It was a fine night when competitors gathered at Tamworth Motorway Services. There was bad news for those in the main trial who were told Bamford was cancelled due to an exposed electricity cable. This left very few “traditional” hills for those in the lower classes who would not be attempting Litton Slack.
Lost Golds at the Cliff Quarry Deviation
The first challenge came early on at Cliff Quarry, with a restart for everyone. That wasn’t the main problem though, that was a truly horrible deviation for the higher classes. This really challenged their steering lock and such luminary’s as Dean Partington, Nick Farmer, Dudley Sterry and Eric Wall all lost their clean sheets here.
Putwell Repaired
After the Black Harry complex came Putwell. The rumour was that Putwell B had received the attention of the Derbyshire road gang. Putwell A was as rough as ever but Putwell B was a bit different, as smooth as the M1! Never mind a couple of years of water erosion and it will be competitive again.
Litton Slack Only for Some
There were two Litton Slacks in the route card. New Litton Slack for Classes 0 to 5 and old Litton Slack for 6, 7 and 8. The section for the Lower Classes could hardly be described as Litton Slack, its just a smooth grassy track, with very little gradient, running along the top of the valley.
The real Litton Slack was a challenge for the higher classes and nobody in 6 or 7 reached the summit. It was a challenge for Class 8 as well and the experienced Dean Partington, Nick Farmer, Dudley Sterry and Eric Wall were the only drivers to go clean. Unfortunately for this quartet they had all flailed Cliff Quarry.
Slippery Stones
Calton and Excelsior are both traditional hills with re-starts on polished stones for everyone except Class 0. They failed more than 50% each and sadly Nicola Butcher lost her triple on Excelsior when all the class fours except James Arrowsmith and Hans Viertel failed to get away.
Motorcyclists to Hospital
The abbreviated Edinburgh finished with Clough Mine and Dudwood. Neither are “classic” sections and Dudwood was cancelled after two of the motorcyclists hurt themselves and required medical attention .
Class 0 had a very similar trial, minus most of the restarts and a couple of the rougher hills, substituted by some gentler stuff.
Triple for Julian
When the provisional results were published it looked as if there wouldn’t be any triples. However, after some time they were amended with particular reference to Classes seven and eight on Litton Slack which meant Julian Lack was awarded a Triple.
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Cold and Dry Conditions but delays for the later numbers
Despite Easter being early this year the Lands End was run in pleasant conditions. This meant some of the sections were very dry and dusty, even Crackington which wasn’t the same section without the usual doctoring.
Early fails at Felons Oak
The restart was in its usual place and the holes were quite deep. There was a lot of grip, perhaps too much for some, and this seemingly innocuous section claimed 38 scalps this year. These included both Steve Potter and John Wilton in their Trojans and the equally experienced Dennis Greenslade (MX5) and Bill Bennett (MG J2).
The section and the rough exit track were too much for Marc Shafer and Tomas Pordzik, who had come across from Bonn in Germany in BMW 318 and Peugeot 305 respectively, and they both retired.
Problems on Beggars
The Crook Horn Special Test was on tarmac with a flying finish. Eventual Best in Class Six Dean Vowden was penalised for over running a line in his Notchback but otherwise this substitute for the nearby section was uneventful for most. It was getting cold now and there was still snow under the hedges on the twisty minor roads leading back to the A39 and a long chilly wait at the Barbrook control.
Beggars Roost has not been very competitive since the restart was dropped, until this year. The big problem was getting away from the start line on some very loose stones. This caused a lot of fails, including Lester Keat and Greg Warren in their class three machines.
Hangmans Hill
With no Rodneys Revenge the inclusion of the real lane at Hangmans Hill was very welcome. New to the Lands End this long section had a restart for all classes. There was more than enough grip in the bone dry conditions so there was little impact on the results. This could have been very different had it been wet. There was more than an hours wait for the later numbers but the queue was in a sunken lane so there was plenty of time to look at the primrose growing in the grassy banks.
Cutliffe Lane and Sutcombe were very Dry
Neither of these well established hills had real teeth list year although Cutliffe Lane took its toll of the less experienced who weren’t going flat out through the gate at the bottom.
Changes on Darracott and Crackington
Both of these famous old hills had their teeth drawn this year. Darracott had the section ends before starting the famous hairpins, which were sporting recent concrete repairs. Although competitors still had the enjoyment of the hairpins it wasn’t the same with them being on the exit track.
After the control on the sands at Widemouth Bay Crackington addded to the disappointment Easing off the line down by the ford competitors built their speed to assault the deep ruts in the fresh mud dumped in trailer loads towards the summit. Only this year there was no mud and without this doctoring the hill had no impact on the results. Lets hope the muck returns next year.
Warleggan
The rest halt at the Wilsey Down cattle market was very welcome. Many competitors taking the opportunity to repair the many punctures incurred on the sharp rocks.
Later numbers had a long wait in the sunshine for their attempt at this rocky section. With no restart the lower classes had a relatively trouble free run. Not so for the yellows and reds who had a tricky restart. This took its toll on medal aspirations, particularly in Class six where Harry Butcher was the last to loose his clean sheet and a gold medal.
Cardingham Woods
Entering the woods from the top it was along way down to the first section, Lady Vale, the only section shared with Class 0. This is a very artificial affair, all about a tight restart, marked out with tape. It always seems a shame that something a bit more natural can’t be found in this complex.
Following the track along the river came Hoskin. Long and steep with different restarts for the lower and higher classes. Most found the necessary grip but the section is a power sapper and many of the cars with a low power to weight ratio failed. This was a particular issue in Class 2 where the gradient proved to much for the Trojans of Steve Potter and John Wilton and Nigel Hilling’s 1171 Anglia.
Bishopwood
Later runners slipped further behind schedule in a long queue on the A30 which was closed near Bodmin. Arriving at the woods the special test came first. Not too much of a problem unless you were Greg Warren who was penalised for over running the line.
The following section is all about the restarts where it crossed the main track. The higher classes had to stop in their usual place, on cobbles, after the cross track. The Blues and Whites had theirs lower down on a loose surface, leading up to the cross track. Positioning was everything and it was essential to stop low down to stand any chance. Many didn’t and paid the price, Alan Selwood, Michael Leete, Paul Allaway and Sam Thompson all loosing their chances of a Gold Medal here. Both of the Trojans failed and one just avoided overturning into the trees.
Blue Hills
Unlike Crackington Blue Hills 1 hadn’t escaped the doctor and there was a veritable lake round the horse-shoe to wet the tyres before the cobbled exit back onto the road. The higher classes had to restart here and this cost Brain Partridge / Lee Peck their Gold Medal in Brians familiar Cannon.
Bluehills 2 may be the MCC’s showcase section but the modifications for this year weren’t universally popular. A vertical stone wall now lines the deviation. This has the benefit of removing the banking, which could act as a launching ramp for spectacular acrobatics However, it has made the track very tight and narrow and a lot of cars scrapped against it, blinded by the setting sun.
Finish and Reflections
There was just a 20 mile run to the finish remaining. Time to reflect on another Lands End. It was surprisingly dry, considering the wet winter. This had made some of the sections easier than usual, compensated by a tricky Beggars and some difficult restarts. The finish at a Brewers Fayre, mixing with families out for lunch, was a questionable finale to an otherwise excellent event. The Lands End isn’t for everyone. Its a trial bigger than the sections and is above all an adventure. A battle of emotional highs and lows, tiredness, fatigue and a feeling of achievement just reaching the finish. Long may it continue.
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Smooth Running Trial, Just the Right Amount of Bite
It had been wet before the event, but was dry on the day, creating ideal conditions. There were some new ideas which worked well, although with some controversy over Run Back penalties on the timed restart. The old favourites were on form. The resurfaced sections at Normans Hump and Simms still took their toll as did a rough Tipley.
Clerk of the Course Tim Whellock introduced the trial by explaining how he had revised the first part of the route to make the transition down to Bovey Woods more interesting. This started with a Special Test within the Haynes Complex. This went down well, especially with car competitors who had a rare chance to see the motorcyclists in action.
Timed Restart at Windwhistle Hill
A concept not seen for a while. Competitors were stopped on a muddy tarmac road, drove into a restart box then restarted on a light signal and given 10 seconds to clear the section ends board which wasn’t that far away. All should have been well. There were certainly plenty of marshals but the provisional results caused controversy when 25% of the entry were shown with Run Back penalties, including eventual Best in Class 1 award winner James Shallcross.
New Underdown Sections
With Meerhay no longer available it was good to have these new forestry sections near Yarcombe, close to where the A30 joins the A303. Class 0 and the main trial shared the rough downhill approach track. The Class 0 section came first, but proved too difficult for quite a few cars, causing a tailback while they reversed out. Unfortunately this prevented cars in the main trial getting to their section and a big queue built up until the Class 0 section was cancelled. The section proved nowhere near as rough as the entrance track and Bill Bennett (MG J2) was its only notable scalp, although it did prove problematic for quite a few of the Suzuki’s in Class 5
Normans Hump
Back on the agenda after a years absence the area around Normans Hump looked very different after all the logging. The surface of the track had changed as well. It wasn’t as rough and stony but there was a layer of mud to contend with. The restart was limited to Classes 3 and 6, taking its toll of both. In Class 3 only Lester Keat (Avenger) and Neil Bray in his ex Tony Underhill Escort went clear. It was a similar story in Class 6, only three of a sizeable entry reaching the summit with Courtney Yandle (Beetle) and Dean Vowden (VW Notchback) going on for Gold.
Clinton
After an easy run so far Class 8 had to restart on Clinton. Although the logging hadn’t affected the track the restart was still a test for the specials and 50% of them didn’t get away, including Dean Partington, Brian Partridge and all the Dellows apart from Eric Wall.
Waterloo
After last year there had been some improvements to the section and it didn’t have much affect on the results of this years trial. Mind you, there were a few competitors that hadn’t got this far. John Plant’s Golf had lost all its power; Barry Clarke had retired the Grotty Chummy; Tim Smith and Chris Maries were both on their way home after strut problems with their very different Toyotas; Matt & Barry Denny were trying to get back to Popham on the train to collect their trailer and pick up their Fugitive after breaking the diff; Mark Rosten-Edwards had broken his Escorts Gearbox in Bovey Woods; Colin Sumner had fuel feed problems with his Beetle…….
Stretes, Core Hill ST, Bulverton Steep and Breakfast
None of these caused any problems, especially with the restart on Bulverton Steep cancelled, although the trial lost Wheelspin Champion Dean Partington before breakfast.
The Mid Trial break was at Crealey Amusement Park, and most people thought it was a much better venue than Exeter Services. MCC President Jonathan Laver was on hand to talk too as many people as possible. Jonathan had started the event in his MGB but retired when he found a newly fitted axle had far to higher ratio.
Tillerton
Only 7 and 8 had to restart on Tillerton. The section is a bit of a shock to newcomers. It looks horrendously rough over the solid rock. But the rises and falls are not too bad and its possible to get up without risking much damage. The problem was that the rock was pretty greasy and it took a fair toll. Roger Bricknell (Vincent) and Josh Moss (Gregory) both lost their clean sheets on the slippery rock. Other notable Class 8’s to be penalised were Eric and David Wall in their Dellows and Carl Talbot in his Special.
In Class 2 Nigel Hilling lost his clean sheet in his side-valve Ford Anglia but Ben Collings romped up in his wonderful Mercedes although he was to miss the final few hills.
Fingle
Chief Official Jeremy Bennett had moved the section start way down the hill compared to usual. This didn’t have any affect on the results but certainly added to competitors enjoyment.
Wooston Steep
Only Class Eight were allowed to assault the long bank this year. All the others had to turn left before the gradient went up, albeit classes 6 and 7 had to restart.
Only five of the Class 8’s reached their section ends board, including Alex Wheeler in his ex Tony Underhill special with the former owner urging him on from the passenger seat. Alex went on to join Nick Farmer and Mike Chatwin to keep clean sheets amongst the specials.
Simms
After pasties and cake at Ilsington Village hall it was time for Simms. The hill was going to be different as the Torbay lads and the Flay family digger had put in a lot of repair work. This really paid off as they had eliminated the worst of the rough stuff without loosing the hills competitiveness. Experience pays!
It was generally reckoned that conditions became tougher as the day went on and the upper part of the hill became more and more slippery.
Class 1 – James Shallcross made a storming climb, the only FWD to reach section ends. James was one of many to pick up one of the unfortunate RB’s on Underdown and had failed Normans Hump. However, the shape of Class 1 started to change when David Haizelden lost his clean sheet failing Simms.
Class 2 – Nobody got a clean so the hill didn’t count in their results. Unfortunately the many spectators were denied the spectacle of Ben Collings Mercedes as he had driven to the finish after Wooston.
Class 3 – Three of the Front Engined RWD saloons made the climb. No surprises that Lester Keat was one of them in his Avenger, David Millar made it with his Escort but Alan Selwood provided the best spectacle for the many spectators, with flames belching from his BMW Estate.
Class 4 – There was a high success rate here, four of the eight survivors going clean with the best performance put up by Nicola Butcher who stormed up late in the gathering gloom when the hill was very slippery.
Class 5 – Only two cleans amongst the sports cars. Phil Tucker in his TR3A and a stormer by Paul Brooks in his Suzuki X90. Simms wasn’t very kind to Mike Warnes who had the prop shaft yoke break on his TR7. Fortunately Mike was carrying a spare and changed it at the bottom of the hill.
Class 6 – I hope Dean Vowden and Alan Treloar don’t mind but the star performance in this class was Courtney Yandle in his Beetle, cleaning Simms and getting a Gold at 85 years young.
Class 7 – 7 and 8 both had a restart but the three cylinder Suzuki engined Lieges of Julian Lack and Mark Endley were up to the challenge, joined only by Nick Gibb’s Marlin
Class 8 – The Specials were up to the challenge of the old hill, most of them storming up and it didn’t seem to matter where you were in the running order in this class.
Tipley
The hill was very rough and slippery this year. With a lot of failures the queue at the preceding Lenda Lane control soon built up. The organisers took the unusual step of persuading competitors who were not on for a medal to miss the hill so that it didn’t have to be cancelled.
Dave Haizelden probably wished he was amongst them as the suspension on his well prepared Golf broke on one of the rough steps and it took a while to get it out of the section. Dave wasn’t the only failure to have problems getting out and its hard to see how Tipley can remain in the event unless things change.
Slippery Sam
The field was very spread out by the time the cars came to Slippery Sam The hill has become very rough at the top and a big problem is looming here. There was plenty of grip however and it was only Class 7 that had a lot of failures, having to re-start along with the Class 8’s.
The End
With some missing Tipley the survivors all made it to The Trecarn in time for the traditional evening meal. The Windwhistle Hill RB issue hadn’t reared its head at this stage and popular opinion was that it was a good event.
The innovations at the start of the event were very welcome and Underdown was a good find. The last few hills became quite challenging for the later runners and Tipley will need some work if its to stay in the event. The organisers had put a lot of work into the event and its clear why The Exeter is so popular.
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Unfortunately a Memorable Event for Rough Sections, PR Issues and Delays.
Rain immediately before the event toughened up a route that had lost many of its traditional sections. This caused delays and some later numbers finished some four hours after scheduled time.
It is becoming more and more problematical for the MCC to run a trial in Derbyshire. Haggside and Hucklow have been lost in recent years. Litton Slack is no more and there are doubts about other favourites. As a result the Edinburgh is a very different trial these days, with an increasing number of sections on private land.
Delays in the Night
After a period of dry weather there was rain during Friday night, making some of the sections quite slippery. Car competitors faced immediate delays when an early number had to be extricated from Haven Hill. This caused a delay which built up and an hours worth of cars were soon backed up at Robin Barlows Carrsington Water Holding Control.
Cliff Quarry was next, new to the MCC but well known to VSCC aficionados. Everyone had to do a restart here, including Class 0. The rain had made this much harder than the organisers probably intended and with no recovery possible. The inevitable failures had a long, difficult, reverse back to the road to the head of the long queue that soon stretched back to the nearby village.
Although it wasn’t shown in the route card classes 7 & 8 had a tricky deviation, with a corner that stopped almost everyone, including eventual best in Class 7 Roger Bricknell, making a welcome return in his Vincent. It was possible though, as Nick Farmer proved on his first outing in his Red Top powered Fugitive. There was no deviation for Class 1 but Ian Cundy will remember this section as he lost his Triple here when the engine on his Golf fluffed.
Rileys Rise was a nice section, a bit rough, and maybe not the same track as has been used previously with that name. It was unfortunate that a PR problem developed towards the end when the local farmer arrived, objecting to the track being used as a section. Things were smoothed over by the Bristol club marshalling the hill and lets hope it doesn’t prevent its use in the future.
Into the Quarry
The Quarry complex was uneventful, apart from those that got soaked in the water at the end of the Special test!
Putwell was just down the road and although not in the quarry it was certainly rough enough. After another long wait car drivers found that Putwell A was full of loose rocks and those with limited ground clearance really suffered This was merely the appetiser for the unbelievably rough Putwell B. Always a rough one it appears that water erosion has made the “valleys” deeper while 4WD drive traffic hasn’t reduced the height of the mountains. While there were some that were OK with the section the majority of car drivers reckoned the section was past its sell by date.
Stuart Harrold was observing driving standards on the exit track and was delighted to report that everyone was behaving.
With all the delays breakfast at Bull I’th Thorn was most welcome, especially the generous portions and friendly service.
Litton wasn’t the Traditional Section
Unfortunately the traditional Litton Slack isn’t available as a section but one was run along the track at the top. With it being so wet the restart was cancelled but it was still necessary to use considerable throttle control in the mud.
Bamford on Form
The wet conditions made Bamfords infamous steps very slippery this year and there were numerous failures. It certainly wasn’t very friendly to Class 5 where the Suzuki X90’s all struggled for grip. Paul Clay was on form in his Ford 10 powered Austin Seven Special, clearing the section on his way to being best in Class 5. The inevitable Bamford delays were exasperated by non-competing traffic and Dudley Sterry received a baulk.
Tricky Restart at Calton
This is of those sections that looks so innocuous from the start line. Twenty years ago it was deep ruts that were the problem. Then they were filled in and it became an easy section for a while. Now everyone except Class 0 has a restart on polished stones and this year the damp made the limestone really slippery. Sadly this cost Dick Bolt his triple when the Cornishman couldn’t stop the back wheels spinning. His only hope was for none of the class to go clean but unfortunately for Dick both Lester Keat in his Avenger and Edward Broom in his Escort got away. This left only John White on for a Triple this year.
Running late at Hollinsclough
By now the delays had spread the field out and cars were arriving in dribs and drabs. This had one benefit as the parking field was out of use as it was too muddy and cars had to park on the limited space on the road.
Rakes Head was a few yards up the road. It isn’t very long but this is a nice little section attempted by everyone apart from Class 0 with a restart for everyone. This took its toll of the lower classes but it also defeated Nick Farmer and Duncan Stephens in Nicks new Fugitive.
Excelsior came next, with a restart scheduled on the slippery cobbles. This proved very tricky and after numerous failures it was cancelled.
Cancelled Clough
Heading East towards Darley Dale there were two sections on the Routecard. One on private Land at Clough Mine and the traditional Clough Wood track.
The Clough Mine section was a very muddy, rutted track, quite long and straight. Ground clearance was the big problem. Classes 6, 7 and 8 had a restart as well. None of the 6’s and 7’s got away, nullifying things for them. It was pretty difficult for Class 8 as well, but it was possible. Local men Dean Partington and Liam Rafferty got away in their Dean constructed cars, joined by veterans Dudley Sterry and Eric Wall.
With a restart for all, delays soon built up on the nearby Clough Wood and Chief Official decided he had to cancel the section.
Quagmire at Dudwood.
The final action was scheduled at Dudwood Farm, with different sections for Class 0 and the main trial. Everything was very muddy and the special test had to be cancelled. The main trial had to tackle the quagmire at Dudwood 2. It looked impossible and it was, for all but one man, Dean Partington, who powered his way to the summit.
Fortunately for John White he was joined by everyone else in class 4 in not getting up this last hill, earning him the one and only Triple for 2012.
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
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