So here we are then a new year, on behalf of the club Happy New Year and let’s hope it’s a good one. I’m normally a fairly optimistic person but much of the news at the moment seems to be recycled from 2022, ah well it’s got to get better.
A little bit of disappointment in that we had to cancel the Ron Beer Sporting trial in December, with the sudden drop of in temperatures many of the roads were reduced to a skating rink, the road up to the field at Ashleigh is steep and narrow and the last thing we needed was cars and trailers stuck, frustrating when we have a decent entry but safety has to come first.
Later on in the newsletter you can read Simon Oates coverage of his entry in the Camel Classic road trial, I was his latest victim as passenger in the Liege which was a very enjoyable day, I won’t spoil it for you but just to say I only had to remind him a couple of times as to which way up I like my trials cars (wheels below us).
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MCC Exeter Trial
I’m sure most of you are aware but the Exeter Trial takes place on the 6th/7th of January. Richard Simpson and I will be marshalling at Fingle Hill and I know there is a contingent of committee members who will also be at Simms Hill, so well done everyone, good luck to all those competing and let’s hope the weather is suitably considerate. (Whatever that is).
Committee meeting
As we haven’t had a committee meeting for some time I thought it a good idea to remind you of when the next meeting is.
February the 16th at 7.30pm at Tresmeer Village Hall.
All are welcome, the bar will be open, and as it’s February we might even have the heating on.
Chairman’s Chat
I have informed the last meeting that after over serving the club for over 40 years as a committee member and having served as chair for two separate stints, as competition secretary, newsletter editor, social secretary, membership secretary and having officiated in many ways on events and for the club I now wish to step back. Andy Prosser is also standing down so there will be a vacancy for both chairperson and secretary at the AGM.
The club is currently in a very healthy situation with a wide range of youth and experience on the committee and plenty of enthusiasm. I hope the next chairperson is able to build on this in the future.
On a lighter note I saw a post in a group I belong to on Facebook due to my activity on rallying during the 1970s and 1980s. I hope it is not too close to the truth!
Nostradamus in Motorsport 2023 – I have adapted this from Tom Wilkinson’s post on the Golden Years of Rallying Facebook group.
January
MSUK appoint Paul Gascoigne as trials manager. He immediately introduces a rule that no Trials Formula sections should deviate from a straight line.
MSUK organises a new committee to encourage young people into motorsport. The criteria stipulate that only people with at least 30 years motorsport experience are qualified to sit on it.
February
Paul Gascoigne redecorates his office at a cost of £147k.
Hexham 12-car rally oversubscribed with entries.
As part of their strategy of encouraging younger people into motorsport, MSUK introduce a new trials championship, combining technology with low cost.
Buy On Line Low Overall Cost Kitcar Scheme, There was uproar in Motorsport News when they used the acronym.
MSUK in pursuit of a green agenda, introduce a rule that marshals can only use EVs to attend events in.
March
Pictures appear of Paul Gascoigne in his office, dressed in his dressing gown and slippers, fishing rod and unopened bag of fish and chips on his desk and surrounded by empty cans of Stella Artois. He denies having a party. Keith Sanders denies being in attendance.
MSUK introduce a new rule of all class 5 cars to be equipped with a 17mm restrictor. MSPORT create a new company specialising in only exporting class 5 cars, both new and used.
April
Paul Gascoigne resigns. He wants to pursue other interests and spend more time with his family.
An engine building company in the Orkneys, Magnificent Original Race Engines, sponsors the low cost trials championship. Motorsport News runs the front page headline, MORE BOLLOCKS.
May
MSUK appoint Katie Hopkins as trials manager. She appoints Nigel Farage as her deputy saying “There is no place in UK Motorsport for Geordie accents”.
Nigel introduces a license fee for marshals at £185 stating that this will stimulate growth in motorsport, ensure we get the right people officiating on events and encourage younger people to enter the sport.
The Four Turnings Sporting Trial is won by John and Jerome Fack in an MSR with an average speed of 59mph. “It was a great event” said the Facks “as all sections were dead straight”.
June
Launceston and North Cornwall Motor Club events are oversubscribed but all are cancelled because of the lack of marshals.
Nigel Farage resigns, stating that he wants to pursue other interests and spend more time with his family.
July
Katie Hopkins resigns stating that she wants to pursue other interests and spend more time with her family.
MSUK hold an internal crisis meeting about the state of the trials division. Dave Richards is in attendance, and when made aware of the extent of the problem, he utters “What is a trial?”
On the basis of a personal reference, Nigel Cowling is appointed trials manager.
August
Nigel Cowling repeals all trials regulations introduced this year. MSUK are swamped by requests from marshals for a refund of their marshalling licence fees.
The Launceston and North Cornwall Motor Club Testing Trial has to amend its section plans and re-introduce deviations from a straightline.
September
BTRDA changes Trials Formula tyre regulations to come into line with ACTC This enables all 15 inch diameter tyres that conforms to the tyre tread rile to be used.
Previously cancelled Sporting Trials are reinstated and immediately swamped with entries and offers to marshal. The first one is won by Andy Prosser with John Turner.
October
Due to no events having run due to lack of entries the new low cost championship is cancelled.
Motorsport News announces it as “ NO MORE BOLLOCKS”.
John Turner and Andy Prosser still high after the previous win last month, enter the Tamar Trial in a Citroen 2CV, despite not being able to pronounce escargot.
November
The 2CV retires on only the thirteenth section of the Tamar Trial. The power of the car destroyed all their tyres after only twelve sections, and due to the new rule about maximum of 10 tyres per event, they ran out of tyres. “Gutted” was John’s reply when interviewed.
The Tamar Trial is won by Bob Blackman in a Hillman Imp. “It is great to win in a proper car for a change” he said after the event.
December
MSUK are swamped by applications for clubman’s licenses after the announcement of licence for life scheme.
All license fees are scrapped for 2024, along with permit fees and all other charges.
Greenpeace immediately plan a number of protests about the growth of motorsport.
Fleetwood Mac re-release a single in support of motorsport- “Oh Well”.
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Once again roving reporter Simon Oates has been out and about on the…
Camel Vale Motor Club Ltd’s CAMEL CLASSIC TRIAL on Sunday 4th December.
After a successful ALLEN Trial on 27th November (Class 7 win & 2nd overall), I was lucky enough to get a late entry spot after applying on line Tuesday 29th morning. The navigator spot was filled by John Turner for the first time in a Liege. I decided to trailer to the start at The Borough Arms, Dunmere, Bodmin, just as well as it was b…dy cold and the heated seats were definitely welcome.
The car was quickly taken off the trailer and straps in the car boot. I start the car up and it sounds like 2 cylinders out of 3 are firing but after 10 seconds all is well again. Scrutineering completed and a few forms signed and we were the first Class 7 car out to tackle the course. Sometimes being first can be an advantage, other times not, in the end it’s in the lap of the Trial gods. We were running number 41 and left at 9.18am with 2 minute intervals between cars. With John’s excellent navigating directions and experience, it didn’t take long to the first section Hustyn (1) which was worrying as we watched Brian & Kirsty Andrew reversing down after getting to a 3. The engine on the Beetle was spluttering and a bit down on power. We set up on the start line and went for it through the trees on the slippery track with a right turn at the summit. All the way up without much of a problem, which settled the nerves a bit!
On to Chestnut Rise (2) where we had a bit of a wait with problems for another Beetle with engine misfire etc. This ended with Karen and Greg Warren retiring their car, only to see Greg later marshalling the special test at Helligan. The section was a deeply rutted track up through the woods which we only got to a 4, diffed out the back axle and promptly deeply dented the silencer and knocked an exhaust joint which made the car sound like it had a proper engine. After reversing down we continued 200m to Hustyn Path (3b) which was an offset climb with restart for all which caused a few problems throughout the field.
We managed to clear it and on to Jab & Left Hook (4) with another restart ably marshalled by the Robinsons. Slippery track with a deviation to the left with a restart on a steep bit of clay with tree roots (thanks David R!) which proved challenging but passable by us!! We then followed the arrows and somehow nearly ended in section 2 the wrong way with 3 other cars (arrow missing) but eventually moved on to Pump House Climb (5) which was a fairly straight steep climb through the trees where we got to the 1. On reversing down we went 100m to a T junction and confirmed with earlier cars which way to go (not on instructions or marked) and drove on to Pheasant Pluckers Son (6) where the son? (a pleasant chap!) was waiting to start us off. A short run to a slippery restart before crossing a lane, up a track then sharp left to a dead end and another clear. On to the Hustyn Special Test which was completed in a decent (for us) 17.16 secs.
After leaving the woods and some road miles we moved on to Penkestle 1 (7) which proved to be a tricky little bugger, right track then left up a clay valley where the left throws us across to the right of the valley and we struggle for grip but somehow we see the 1 marker and reverse down (handbrake on and reverse safely). On to a bit of a queue at Penkestle 2 (8) where we watched the cars in front attack the section with varying degrees of success. Nigel Cowling who was marshalling the section asked if I recognised the Singer Chamois behind me in Class 7.
It was one that he had owned and I had moved around for him – I couldn’t believe it was the same car as the owner Nick Symons has transformed it and continues to fettle it for trialling – beautiful. On to the section and a restart where we came down into the section. Very slippery even though I tried to ease it off the line I got nowhere. None of the class 7 cars cleared the section but Class 8 only had one failure. Just proves if you stop in the right place there’s a chance of getting away or is it they’re so much better than Class 7? Clinnick (9) called as the next challenge with a fair queue of cars waiting to attack the notorious hill. Dave Haizelden and Dee Champion went past in their Reliant SS1 totally elated as I think it was the first time he had cleared the hill in that car! Matt Facey following in his Z3 also managing to get a clear.
The next clear was the Beetle of Garry & Alison Eamer who powered up – superb! Our turn came and the little car kept its footing all the way and powered? to the top, quite a surprise to us and the first time John Turner had made the top even as a passenger. Back to the main road and on to Laneskin Woods’ Where There’s a Hedge (10a) that we had to climb and complete the restart. All completed successfully and on to Laneskin (11) that was waiting for us. We drove up to the restart, pulled gently away only to power through a right deviation and the clay to the finish. The classes before us didn’t have the deviation and some no restart.
On to Ant Hill (12) which only had a restart for Class 8 which helped our success to clear the hill. A few more road miles to the second special test and last two sections held at Helligan. A long cold queue was caused by both the test and following hill had to be cleared before the next car could continue. My target for the Helligan Test was to complete in under 14 seconds. It was a complete failure with losing grip and time on the corners and then knocking the finishing cone as I went astride the finish line – 30 seconds added to the time, 45.34, not very close to target then.
Helligan 1 (13) had been observed while in the queue and it seemed the cars that started gently over the first bump and then powered up the hill did quite well. That was our intention and it proved to be effective and we cleared the hill. Only one hill left which was Helligan Zero (14) up around the first left bend, look forward to position for the next right bend up a clay bank and it was that easy except I probably didn’t get the power down early enough to clear the clay bank. In a video on facebook it appeared that we were so close to getting up, but no cigar. Sections completed, we made our way back to the Borough Arms for a swift pint (non-alcoholic) and packet of crisps!
The titanic battle between Steve Urell & Julie Williams versus Alan & Patrick Keat in the D1 bike and chairs battle was eventually won by Steve & Julie by a couple of points after they managed a clear of Clinnick.
Overall, the route book, route markers, sections etc were superb and we look forward to next year’s event and praise the organisers, land owners / managers and most of all the brilliant marshals throughout the trial. A big THANK YOU, all your efforts and time are much appreciated.
Provisional Results
Richard Maddern (Husqvarna WR250 Class B2) Wadham Stringer Trophy
James Shallcross & Mike Greenwood (Peugeot 205 Class 1) – John Kessell Trophy.
Matt Facey & Craig Allen (BMW Z3 Class 5) – Dave Keat Trophy
Simon Oates and John Turner (Liege 993cc Class 7) Class Win
Camel Classic Photos
Whatja mean chaos?
You don’t see many V8 Skodas, very well shoehorned.
For Sale, yes still available Dellow Mk2b, fully trials prepared, supercharged 100E rebuilt engine, rebuilt rear axle with uprated half shafts, various other goodies and a quantity of spares £15,750 contact J.T. 07971 249783 or email billjan299@gmail.com
Tailpiece…………………
I recently read a very interesting article in the Launceston Life magazine all about the time Charles Dickens made a trip to Cornwall in 1842, it seemed he was gathering inspiration for the story “Christmas Carol”. He was particularly in search of “dreary and desolate” areas and after visiting the West of the county it was recommended he visited King Arthur’s Castle at Tintagel, described as incomparably dreary and a place of fine “wreckin scenery”.
To be honest in 1842 I would have thought much of my beloved county would have qualified for the description, many people lived a meagre life, poverty and sickness was not far away and few people would have had a proper education. Fast forward 180 years and if Dickens were able to time travel he would barely recognised the place. No longer do we rely on horse and cart for transport , we have electricity, wifi, good sanitation, and running water (not just through the roof), all the accoutrements of modern living, we even have university education. There are some who say we have taken the “education” element just a tad too far, it now appears that we have even taught man’s best friend to read.
All for this month J.T. please send your contributions billjan299@gmail.com