2018 Camel Classic

At the start, our Arkley-MG and Troll of Terry and Bob Hart look very clean

I missed out on my fix of motorsport this year and, determined put that right, I have bought the Arkley-MG Midget that Ray Goodright campaigned for many years. More about that little car later as a Vintage Thing.

I have entered the Exeter Trial and the long-distance classic trials are really my favourite. However, it seemed a good idea to enter a local one-day trial beforehand to get used to the car, especially if I could persuade Adrian Booth to be my passenger.

The event we plumped for was the Camel Classic, run by the Camel Vale Motor Club, on 2^nd December 2018. This is run under ACTC rules and eligible for MCC members. The class structure is the same so we were running in Class 7. The format is not like an MCC trial, despite some of the hills being familiar to us. The sections are marked out with numbered poles starting with 12 at the bottom and 1 at the top. Getting the furthest up the hill incurs the lowest score.

This year they had a particularly good turn out with a full entry of 71. There were 28 bikes and sidecars starting from the Borough Arms at Wenford Bridge near Bodmin and we were number 30, second car off at 0924 hrs after the V8 Marlin of Gareth and Aidan White.

The very smart Shopland of Paul Merson and Nick Sherrin

Scrutineering revealed a rather frayed throttle cable on the Arkley so Age quickly sorted that while I signed on. 

Grogley Moor was the first hill, followed by Hustyn. It soon became apparent that I needed to give it more beans. We had a restart on Grogley Moor but didn’t get much further and should have made more of having a clear charge up Hustyn.

There was a group of sections in the woods around Hustyn. Chestnut Rise had no restart so we managed a 6 but Mine Shaft was very sticky and we only scored a 10. Jab and Left Hook was a bit easier (5) and Pump House Climb was our second-best result with a 2.

Lovely 1275cc Cannon of Ryan Eamer and Clare Tooth

Then disaster struck on the special test on the way out of the woods.

The Hustyn Special Test was a quick blast around a loop of cones and we had to end up astride line C but when I stomped on the brakes the pedal went straight down to the floor and we slithered over the line.

Cautiously driving towards the metalled road, I found that there were no brakes at all on the front offside.

Fortunately, Age had developed the car with split circuit braking but when he looked under the bonnet and I pressed the brake pedal he could see a great squirt of brake fluid. We had burst the nearside front flexihose.

I have never managed this before although Age said he had and with this car. Luckily not only had he packed some brake fluid but he also had a spare hose to cater for such an eventuality.

I thought we were going to have to retire but he said “You’re not going home yet!” and with the loan of some spanners he fitted the hose and we bleed the brakes.

I drove very cautiously after that but the pedal felt fine and I quickly regained confidence in our little car.

Awaiting our turn at Shellwood

Polmorla was difficult though. It starts in someone’s farm yard and loops up the hill behind the barns. We only got an 11 there but Ray and Hannah Ferguson in a Liege managed a 4. Bleddy good going.

Marlins of Steven Ball, Roger Hoskin and Mark Kessell

We were up to the mark on Heligan and not too shabby with our time on the special test straight after but made a mess of Shellwood. We didn’t twig that the restart was for Class 8 only so recorded a 10. However, we got off the restart and managed to get quite high up – maybe as far as 5?

In the Glyn Valley, we should have done better on both Penkestle 1 and 2 and as for Where’s there’s a hedge we barely got off the start line.

In the Glyn Valley, getting ready for Penkestle

Laneskin is an old friend. It features on the Land’s End and is a long blast up a forestry track with a big ditch on the right-hand side. One of the Class 8 drivers advised me to go down to 6psi on the back tyres. In the end we went down to 10psi. there had been some delay and I didn’t want to make anyone else wait too long while we released more air.

In reversing down from the restart box, a very smart green Marlin had become wedged in the drainage ditch and it took several crews to pull the car out on the steep and slippery slope. Fortunately, we ended up not having to reverse down Laneskin. We got away from the restart alright and I was keeping our momentum up when someone shouted keep right. I thought this referred to the sharp right-hand bend at the very top but then saw the course veered up the bank on the right. I just carried on but hesitated just a little bit and we didn’t clear the final ridge and had to hauled up by the marshals on our towing strap – once Age had got out and I had the throttle buried, of course.

UVA Fugitive of Alan Black and Andy Brown and the VW Buggy of Martyn and Annabel Harry

Ant Hill was another rather forgettable performance and then we were on the final section – Warleggan.

Warleggan has been our bête noir for years with the Allard. The restart has always been in the worst place and only once did we ever get away.

On the Camel Classic the restart box was on the right-hand bend and I am happy to say that we got away and cleared the hill but – my goodness! – it was rough at the top!

Age was wincing beside me. I was keen to keep rolling at a reasonable lick and might have been able to be a little gentler. However, the cautious approach had not done us any favours earlier in the trial and we somehow avoided getting a puncture on the rocks, although the side wall on the offside rear tyre showed some splits when we got home. I think we were running 12psi by then, in deference to the sharp rocks.

Overall, I pleased to finish. That day was the first time I had driven the car and we made considerable improvements as the day went on. Despite the wet conditions we kept the hood down. It makes visibility so much better.

During the celebratory slap up binge in The Borough Arms afterwards, it occurred to us that we hadn’t taken anything out of the front tyres. That might have helped me chose my line and keep to it. The car worked well and I got plenty of practise reversing down the sections.

I had a great time and thought the whole trial was very well organised. As a shake down for the 2019 Exeter it was ideal. I can see me doing more one day trials and the Camel Classic is literally on my doorstep.

Let's face it - there's plenty of room for improvement....