Before Start

As usual, there were dramas even before the start, for some.

Simon Robson had replaced the new gearbox that broke on Bamford with one re-built from various bits and pieces that were laying around the garage. He also replaced the CWP and all the brake slave cylinders, finishing all this just hours before he had to leave for the start.

Peter Mountain had lots of trouble with his Dellow Mk1 during the week. The diff was very noisy and ne of the cylinders was running very rich. Fortunately Peter managed to get everything fixed, with lots of help from various experts.

Start

Fred Gregory was the first car in Class 0 to leave the Cirencester start, after drama on the journey from home when he had a puncture. With three spare wheels, it shouldn't have been a problem, but his Rickman Ranger has locking wheel nuts and the key broke during the change. So Fred couldn’t afford any punctures in the other three wheels! 

Simon Robson had found oil leaking from his newly replaced gearbox and had to borrow Simon Groves diff oil.

Haynes

Most competitors arrived early and many had taken the direct route permitted in the road book. Scruitineering was very efficient, but it was very dark in the car park and John Parsons had the misfortune to fall over a kerb, breaking a tooth amongst other things in the process. 

Colin Sumner was having electrical problems with his Beetle. Despite changing almost everything it wouldn’t run properly. Colin limped around the first few sections, but running at the back of the field, he was in constant danger of being overtaken by the back marker and he retired.

Meerhay 

It was nice to see Meerhay re-introduced as the first hill after being rested since 1992. It’s a long climb, prone to developing a queue, necessitating a holding control on the approach. Ross Nuten and some of the other Falcons were delayed here as a Reliant Scimitar was stuck on the hill. No, it wasn’t Dave Nash’s new car, but the standard V6 machine driven by Reliant restoration expert David Womack who retired soon afterwards. Ross has replaced the notoriously smoky engine in his Mk2 Dellow with a super new lump he sourced on Ebay. Bill Rosten stormed up but had to stop at the top to change a fan belt. The Imp was soon fixed and Bill went on to a gold.

Gatcombe Lane 

Used even by Class 0, there were no problems.

Normans Hump

Into Bovey Woods for the usual two well known sections. Normans Hump was first. Classes 1, 2 and 5 only did the first bit, diverting left in the restart area where classes 7 and 8 had to stop, just before the steep bit starts. The others had to do the full hill but without a stop. 

Pete Barr struggled in his class 4 Beetle but went on to clean the hill for gold. The upper reaches were a problem for many of the class 7’s, who couldn’t build enough speed after their re-start. None of the Liege’s had enough power here, even the supercharged version of John Sawle. Simon Robson was one of many who came so close to the top but couldn’t quire reach it. Neil Bray was penalised for a run-back which didn’t please him and fellow Falcon Ian Davis broke a driveshaft, which he managed to change, while observing a number of Marlins fail the hill through not building enough momentum after their re-start.

Clinton Bottom

Tim Whellock had chosen the shorter version of Clinton this year, with a restart for the higher classes, positioned on a steepish slope. MCC secretary Peter Lawley was delighted to clean the section in the ex-Ron Butcher Beetle as was Simon Robson in his Liege. Neil Bray failed and while Ross Nuten got away from the restart OK he lost grip a few yards up the hill. 

Martin Allen had the misfortune to break the diff on the ex Mike Young Racecorp and wasn’t carrying a spare. Unbelievably a friendly local farmer not only towed him to his house but also leant him a diff and helped him change it. 

Most of the non restarters got up without to many problems although Tristan White failed when his engine cut out. Clinton also saw the end of Dennis Greenslades Exeter when he retired the NSU 1000.

Waterloo

After last years problems when the class 0’s used the escape road as their section they were diverted elsewhere. For the main trial the bottom corner was there as ever to trap the un-wary and multiple National PCT champion Barrie Parker lost his clean sheet in the big Audi 80. 

Neil Bray cleaned the section at the expense of a puncture and blocked the exit road as he didn’t have a club hammer for knock off wheels and had to adjust the brakes before he could get Primrose going.

Plyford and Higher Rill

These were both smooth easy climbs, even class 0. They saw the end of Greg Warren’s Exeter when he retired whis Ford Anglia Estate with mechanical problems.

Bulverton Steep

The only restart for the lower classes was in this wooded complex near Sidmouth. Adrian Dommett failed when he didn’t stop. Hopefully he didn’t blame a very cold looking Michael Collins making his debut as a trials passenger in the Wolesley Hornet. Ian Moss was reported as not getting off the start line in 3 attempts but was shown cleaning the hill for gold in the results.

Exeter

The compulsory rest halt gave the opportunity for competitors to catch up with each other and compare results. Derek Reynolds was still going after fixing a broken throttle cable, two punctures and a broken exhaust. Stuart Harrold and Chris Phillips were finding their Trolls engine down on power. They got off both Clinton and Normans Hump restarts but couldn't come out the top of either. Pete Barr reported charging problems but went on to gold

Tillerton Steep

The lower classes had their first run at Clinton for a couple of years. They found the hill pretty much as before with some big rocky bumps that needed a lot of care to avoid damaging the car. There was no tyre pressure check here which was a shame as it was to be a crucial hill for the higher classes. 

John Parsons and Keith Oakes had been going well but both lost their clean sheets on the restart, which is all about positioning. Neil Bray and Dave Nash stopped as well. Peter Mountain struggled, got going but was given a runback and David Foreshew retired with transmission problems 

The problem for the lower classes was that not having to stop they could attack the fearsome rocks in the restart area as fast as they wanted or their cars would stand. It was to much for Colin Perryman’s lovely BMW when the rear suspension turrets collapsed and it looks as if the shell is a write-off. Simon Groves took things uncharacteristically easy but still incurred some damage when he scrapped the Escorts wings against the rocks.

Fingle

Peter Manning and Keith Pettit had lucky escapes after failing to go into the car park to let the tyres down, but still stormed up on 20 psi. Although the hill itself wasn’t too difficult the spectacular setting meant there were many photographers in evidence, to inspire the competitors who got to the top. When they got there they found snow in the hedgerows.

Wooston Steep

Stuart Tucker and Classical Gas Contributor John Salter were the first car, in the Billy Goat Gruff and couldn’t get off the restart as it was very slippery with loose stuff. The restart was to cause problems and Simon Robson was one of many not to get away. Mike Pearson had been clean until Wooston. They restarted OK, but with low revs, and failed on the steep slope. David Bache was just behind in his similar car on the same pressures. He gave it more revs and cleaned the hill.

The lower classes didn’t have too many problems with their route apart from a very overgrown exit track.

Simms

There was some snow on the route from Wooston to Simms but it had changed to rain by the time the mid runners arrived at the famous old hill. 

As usual the section was thronged with spectators who saw a fair selection of the non-restarting lower classes get to the top. A spectating Mark Rosten-Edwards said the Cornish Escorts just flew up like it was the A30 but in class 7 the Liege’s didn’t have enough puff to cope with the restart, although John Sawle’s blown one clearly had more grunt than the rest. John Parsons route up the right made the crowd step back but Mark thought the class 8’s should have their own restart higher up. Certainly Simms wasn’t class 7 friendly this year and both Andrew Brown and Keith Oakes failed above the A boards. 

Neil and Jade Bray were delighted to go clean in Primrose but Simms was to be unkind to Falcons Dellows and Mike Pearson, Ross Nuten and Peter Mountain all stopped just short of section ends. In class Five Peter Manning choose the right hand of Simms and believed this strategy paid off even though he failed a cars length from the top. Keith Pettit did exactly the same thing but Mike Warnes showed it was possible for a sports car and went on to gold in his TR7. 

Wheelspin Champion Ian Davis compounded his Bovey Woods problems when a petrol pipe failed on Simms and he had his first retirement since 1991.

Tipley

There was no rest for competitors as Tipley waited just across the road with a very tough restart for the higher classes. This proved a tough proposition and a queue soon developed as car after car couldn’t get away. Simon Robson proved it was possible when he succeeded in getting his Liege off the restart, crediting his success to bouncer Matt. Fellow Class 7 driver Keith Oakes also went clean but at the expense of a puncture on the following road section. Barrie Parker got the big Audi well stuck on a section he considered to be very rough and choose to back out rather than try to go to the top.

Slippery Sam

There was a restart for Class 8 only on the final hill. Other than that class 7 had the same sections as the reds. Ross failed the restart and fellow Dellow driver Mark Worsfeld had the ex-Potter super-charged car seized its 1172 motor and he retired.  Interestingly Mark had his cars set up by David Thomas who races a Capri in the same championship as Neil Bray. It’s a very small world.

Afterwards

Most competitors enjoyed the evening manifestation at the Trecarn, although President Ron Butcher lost his battle with the PA and some thought the new owners had taken portion control to far. The trial wasn’t over for Ross Nuten. Leaving the Trecarn on the Sunday Ross discovered a major weld on the rear A frame had broken. He and Maureen managed to bodge a repair for the drive home to Hertfordshire.