TRIALS SCENE EXTRA
Originally published in Restart, the ACTC magazine.
Back to the Trials Scene index page.
LANDS END TRIAL 2002
I'm sure I'm not the only reader who gets halfway through a trials report in either Restart or Triple and starts wondering if the author was in the same trial or another completely different one that happened to have the same name, was run on the same day, used the same sections, but for which everything else was different. So I'll put you out of your misery immediately by stating that this report is written by a Class 7 driver, running about mid-way through the car classes, who ended up with a Silver and was very pleased about it.
One of the questionable joys of MCC trialling is that, even before you set off, you know what award, if any, you OUGHT to get. Even if you can't remember every detail of every section a quick comparison between the Route Book and the 'crib sheet' from previous trials - you do keep a 'crib sheet', don't you? - will generally reveal where you ought to clean and where you're likely to fail. Thus, for us, an Exeter which includes restarts on Tillerton, Wooston and Simms is rarely likely to produce an Award whereas Golds are theoretically possible on both the Lands End and the Edinburgh as we've seen the top of every section on one recent event or another. It's just that we don't seem to be able to see them all on the same event.
But, with all Roger Ugalde's prior statements, this year's Lands End was clearly going to be different so when the Route Book arrived it was subject to much closer scrutiny than normal. The first three sections were all well-known, we'd done Riverton on a previous ACTC event and didn't anticipate any problems, Sutcombe always requires care although we haven't failed for years, and Darracott and Crackington looked easier than normal, so we should arrive at Wilsey Down still 'clean'. But that was clearly where the 'fun' was going to start. I'd never driven Warleggan but had walked it some years ago - it should be straightforward without a restart. Hoskin is, well, Hoskin although there was a crumb of comfort in the separate restarts for Yellow and Red. Bishops Wood was completely unknown to me and restarts for Yellow/Red cars only generally means a tricky section. I also knew it was used by Camel Vale, and ACTC regulars all know what that means! Blue Hills 1 has never given us a problem and we know how to clean Blue Hills 2 even if we don't do it every year. So it seemed that Hoskin and Bishops Wood would probably be the Class 7 deciders.
There was an added twist that after doing quite a lot of work to the car during 2001, we'd had a pretty poor start to the year with an indifferent performance on the Exeter, a non-start on the Clee Hills, and a disastrous day on the Cotswold Clouds. The night run passed uneventfully although it was COLD and the hood went up at the Route Check near Shepton Mallet. Felons Oak was dispatched without problems although the 'crib sheet' states "Don't treat lightly" - we never do. Stoney Street was much rougher than normal and I was pleased that we'd left the tyres at road pressure. Beggars Roost was straightforward and, with the sun coming up, we crossed Exmoor to Riverton to be greeted with a long queue of cars. But once the section was cleared the queue started moving quite quickly and most seemed to enjoy the ascent - just enough potential to keep you alert, but no real moments. Sutcombe was OK. Darracott was a positive delight with no restart and road pressures in the tyres. The Bude Special Test was completed without failure but with a pretty dismal time. Crackington looked positively pre-war from the start line but got a bit more rutted higher up, so we arrived at Wilsey Down still 'clean' - it was all going according to plan so far.
There was quite a wait in warm sunshine at Warleggan before a climb during which I regretted letting so much air out of the tyres. We crested the exit onto the tarmac road to the unmistakable hissing of a puncture but were soon on our way to Hoskin where we inched our way forward in the queue watching car after car fail until Jonathan Williamson shot off the line in the Cream Cracker PB, blower screaming, to disappear up the hill. The sound of a whistle told us all that he was clean and away. He was followed by Gerald Burridge in his MG, another whistle, Bill Bennett in the J2, and a third whistle. It was a stirring sight, gentlemen, and your 'triple' of Golds was well-deserved. We, of course, were not so lucky stopping in a less-than-perfect spot on the restart and going no further.
We spent a ?pleasant half-hour in the Bodmin ATS having the puncture repaired - no point in driving past a tyre depot with a flat tyre is there? - then off to the real unknown - the special test and section in Bishops Wood. We did enjoy the Bishops Wood section so please excuse the indulgence of describing it in detail for those who didn't compete. It started on a firm stone road with an immediate hairpin left onto a muddy, rutted, slightly-curving, track climbing through the trees. Keeping the power on, and an eagle eye out for the restart boards, we were suddenly confronted with a rapidly-steepening gradient. Foot down we accelerated up the incline and in less time than it will take you to read this the bonnet was pointing skywards and the track was disappearing beneath us. We crested the brow onto a stony cross-track to see 'our' muddy track continuing ahead of us and the restart boards placed right at the base of the short, steep, incline out of the cross-track. What was clever about the setting of the section was that it was immediately apparent what you should do, but you had just a split second to decide if common sense should prevail or whether there was a catch. We slammed on the brakes and trickled across the road to place our front wheels just into the restart box. Having regained our composure, there was just enough time to study the mud mountain directly in front of our eyes before we were waved on our way. Lots of revs, dump the clutch, floor the throttle, and the Marlin clambered her way out of the box, over the top of the incline, and away. We had enjoyed ourselves!
So that left just the two Blue Hills sections between us and a Silver and as we descended the lane towards them I realised that totally by chance rather than judgement (honestly!) we'd had a final stroke of luck. Right in front of us was Simon Woodall in his Class 8 buggy and in front of him was John Hammill in another Class 7 Marlin - we'd have a chance to see just how both of them managed the Blue Hills 2 restart before we had to tackle it ourselves. Blue Hills 1 passed without problems except for the necessity to keep reminding yourself that the Section Ends is halfway up Blue Hills 2 and so we arrived at the short queue for the final section. I think all the 'lower classes' in front of John failed and this gave us plenty of time to study the way ahead. John was away and parked high-and-left in the restart box - "That's not right" we thought to ourselves and I'm afraid we were correct as John polished yet another Cornish rock before experiencing the doubtful pleasures of the Carlyon winch. Simon then gave an exemplary display of exactly where to stop and how to get cleanly away. We knew what we had to do, but could we do it? However many times you've been there before, it's always a shock when you realise just how steep Blue Hills is, but we managed to balance speed and control to place the car exactly where we wanted it on the restart. Silver or Bronze? It was all down to the next few seconds. The flag dropped and we were away so easily that I actually had time to consider our assault on the final corners where we had failed so spectacularly in 2000. Round the left-hander, not too fast, get the angle right, then foot down and away over the top. It was two very happy triallers who drove into the Bay Hotel a short while later.
So just a final word of thanks to the two Rogers. To Roger Stanbury who has put up with sitting alongside me through several years of MCC trialling and to Roger Ugalde for master-minding a very excellent event. As he said to me later that evening "It's still the Lands End, isn't it?". Yes Roger, it most certainly was.
|