TRIAL REPORT


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MCC - Exeter Trial
6th/7th January 2006

After years of stability, there has been a complete change-around in the Clerks of the Course for the three main MCC trials over the last few years. Roger Ugalde took over the Lands End in 2002, Ian Bates took over the Edinburgh in 2004, and Tim Whellock was the new Clerk of the Course for the Exeter in 2006. That this was likely to be an extra tough event for Class 7 was not immediately apparent when the Route Card arrived - more-or-less the same sections with more-or-less the same restarts, in more-or-less the same order, and with the 'blanket' tyre pressure limit of 10psi which seems to be becoming the standard for MCC events.

But, oh how we were lulled into a false sense of security as we set off from the Haynes Motor Museum at Sparkford after a typically tedious night run. The historic Meerhay (All Marlins clean) had been re-introduced into the route after several years of being 'rested' and Gatcombe Lane (All Marlins clean) presented no problems to anyone, as usual. But the two sections in Bovey Woods - Normans Hump (10 Marlin cleans, 15 Marlin fails) and Clinton (12 Marlin cleans, 13 Marlin fails) - were about to change all that. There was some post-event debate as to whether the two restarts were in the same places as last year but, whatever, they were most certainly on the upper slopes of both sections and not placed nicely on the cross tracks as was normal for Class 7 up to 2004. Most of us left the restarts without problem but just didn't have either the grunt or the grip to get out of the top of the sections, and only 8 Marlins left Bovey Woods still with a clean sheet.

There was an enormous hole just around the first tight right-hander of Waterloo (20 Marlin cleans, 4 Marlin fails) and those of us who took the corner too gently just fell into it and there was no escape. Those who attacked the corner with a bit more 'go' probably didn't even realise quite how deep the hole had got as they bounced-and-banged their way out of it and up the section. Waterloo has been so easy (for Class 7) for so many years that I didn't even realise that it had the potential to be a 'stopper' but I won't make that mistake again. Plyford and Higher Rill (All Marlins clean on both) were easy and the restart on Bulverton Steep (21 Marlin cleans, 3 Marlin fails) was straightforward once you'd actually got off the start line - which looked horrendously dug-out but was actually quite grippy. I bet David Prowse is kicking-himself for his 'RB' on Bulverton dropping him from a Silver to a Bronze.

The Exeter used to be a trial-of-two-halves for Class 7 - easy(ish) up to the lunch stop at Exeter Services then the three 'killer' sections of Tillerton, Wooston and Simms in quick succession through the afternoon, relieved only by the enjoyable and easy climb of Fingle. Then Tipley, with a restart, got added making it potentially four 'killer' sections depending on where the restart was placed. So those of us who'd dropped at least two sections in the morning set off from Exeter in sombre mood. We got the measure of the restart on Tillerton (9 Marlin cleans, 14 Marlin fails) a few years ago but, as we approached the 'box', it was immediately apparent that it had been set-out much tighter than previous years. I stopped as near the top line as I dared but it was obviously not quite far enough as we spun the wheels and smoked our way off the restart with a lot of bouncing, in retrospect our best result of the day. Fingle (22 Marlin cleans, 1 Marlin fail) passed without a problem but, as we were approaching the start line on Wooston Steep (5 Marlin cleans, 18 Marlin fails) I realised that we had lost about half the accelerator pedal travel - not good on a section that requires maximum commitment. Luckily we were able to pull-over and let those behind us pass as I got under the bonnet and re-tightened the throttle cable linkage restoring full movement. It didn't really make any difference as we were about to repeat our performance on Normans Hump and Clinton - off the restart OK but just not enough power to get going before the really steep bit of the Steep. I suppose I should take some consolation that many failures didn't even leave the restart.

I've never really enjoyed the enforced tea stop at Ilsington Parish Hall as I'm normally too wound-up about attempting Simms but this year I was too depressed to care, so it was quite pleasant. There was a very short queue for Simms (6 Marlin cleans, 17 Marlin fails) which gave us just enough time to compose ourselves and analyse what one could see of the re-sited restart box. I'm not sure whether it mattered exactly where you stopped because we shot out of the box, admittedly getting a little sideways just around the corner which probably cost us a bit of speed, up the lower part of the slope, over the step after which I could lift-off for a bit more grip but then, like so many others, we ground to a halt well above the 'A' boards and what seemed like a mere car's length from the Section Ends boards. The Tipley (7 Marlin cleans, 14 Marlin fails) restart had been fiendishly set-out and I thought we'd stopped high enough to give ourselves a chance but, as soon as I tried to ease-off the line, we just slipped back down the slab with the wheels revolving forwards. I burst out laughing (well it was better than seeing a grown man cry). It was still daylight when we reached Slippery Sam (All Marlins clean), after a pleasant detour to Teignmouth and across the bridge to Shaldon, and thence to the Trecarn to drown our sorrows.

I'm writing this whilst the results are still Provisional, so revisions may be in order in due course, but it was unquestionably an ultra-tough trial for Class 7 with only 10 Awards (of all 'colours') and 28 Finishers. I think that Tim Whellock had seriously over-estimated the skill of the average, and I stress average, Class 7 driver when he gave us virtually the same trial as Class 8, but I sincerely hope that he won't be tempted to do that again. Anyway, my sincere congratulations to the five heroes named below who all deserve a special mention: Bryan Phipps for winning the Class (no mean feat against all the Top Men); Pete Hart for getting a Gold in a B-Series engined car and for beating Andrew Martin on the special test times; Dean Vowden for coming out of 'retirement' and only failing Wooston where his early number probably counted against him; Howard Stephens for a stunning performance on all the 'power' hills; and David Prowse, another early number at Wooston, who must regret his RB on Bulverton. Well done, gentlemen!.

There were 32 Marlins listed in the Entries, 30 in Class 7 and 2 in Class 0, and the final awards tally was:

  • Gold: 2 - Bryan Phipps (who also won Class 7) and Peter Hart.
  • Silver: 2 - Dean Vowden (Failed Wooston) and Howard Stephens (Ran Back on Tipley).
  • Bronze: 1 - David Prowse (Ran Back on Bulverton Steep, Failed Wooston).
  • Finishers: 16 + 1 Class O Award.
  • Retired: 4.
  • Non-Starters: 6.

Results:

Photographs:


This page updated 27 January 2006
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