35th Launceston Trial

A sense of occasion at the start after 100 years of motorsport organised by the Launceston and North Cornwall Motor Club

The Launceston and North Cornwall Motor Club put on another challenging trial again with the 35^th Launceston Classic trial on the 30^th May. Last year it was postponed due to bad weather and the club did a great job in squeezing the 34^th trial in just before the national lockdown occurred.

After the Pop Trial and the President’s Trial, the LNCMC took us back to Lew Wood and Eastcott Down where they had cunningly fashioned some really nadgery sections to make up for the dry conditions. They managed to find some mud but pressure washing the car off later that sunny evening took much less time than usual.

We’ve almost got used to the paperless signing on but this was my first trial with a bouncer. Bouncers, you’ve been missed! Take a bow for that daring young man on the trapeze, roll bar and windscreen frame, Mr Graham Beddoe.

During the winter lockdown, I’d given the Arkley-MG a make-over. I strengthened the bonnet and repaired a load of cracks. This extended to making new power bulges in the bonnet for the I made new hot air outlets in the side to allow hot air out and made new cover panels for the vents. I welded a patch on the side of the bulkhead just below the windscreen frame and attended to some cracks that were just appearing at the front of the chassis.

The most recent innovation on the Arkley-MG was a bigger steering wheel. It’s actually a standard Midget wheel of 15-inch diameter. So far, I’d been using an aftermarket one of 13 inches. It was a chance remark by Dave Ball on the President’s Trial that made a penny drop. I’d been getting terrific bump steer when reversing down section. Not all of them are straight through blasts. Also, occasionally I’d been bounced off course when going up by stumps and rocks. I felt I wasn’t reacting quickly enough as a wheelman.  

Dave Balls' Beetle as the bikes get away

There were many familiar faces at the wood yard start in Lew Woods. 37 bikes and sidecars had entered along with 26 cars, although the cars featured quite a few non-starters.

I immediately set about changing my best rear tyres for ones that had already had the trialling equivalent of a Viking burial on sections like Angel Steps. Fortunately, I know a friendly tyre necromancer although the damage to the sidewalls on the covers mean I think their resurrection could be short lived. It quickly became apparent that the fancy hydraulic jack was a bit tired. It lifted the car but not quite enough for the wheel to clear the deck. We got around it by using some bits of timber to make a taller foot for the jack but re-vitalising the pump for the jack will be the next job on the car.

The Mountain Goat of Paul Gillo is world famous in Cornwall but unfortunately retired on Rip and Roar 2.

The first section, Zak’s Track, was incredibly twisty and set the tone for the trial. The Short One is an old friend and we didn’t get very far. Fern Alley had a restart that stopped us but we got up Up and Back although turning around at the top was tricky and I spatted the helpful marshals with mud. Sorry guys! I’m glad I turned around, though, because the return route was very steep coming down.

Clerk of Course, Nigel Cowling, had promised us a nice drive in the country and we had this getting to Eastcott where we had an easier restart and Enjoy the View, also with a restart with Adrian Booth in charge.

The engine bay of the Coates Orthoptera, just to prove it was a sidevalave 1172cc engine. Roger Ashby did some great climbs with this device and nearly won the event outright.

After the Special Test and a rather gentlemanly performance of 21 seconds dead, we got up Section 7, Darren’s Dash, but failed the restart on Tunnel Run. We stopped in a really good place but then slid into the rut on the handbrake whilst stopped! Ryan Tonkin in Class 8 was the one to get away here, so it wasn’t too much of a disgrace.

We got further up Rip and Roar than we have ever done before and even got above the restart line but only just!

Charlie Merson got a clean on Up Over and Across with Paul Merson bouncing in their Ford Special

Through the Trees was okay although a very sharp left-hand bend came up a bit suddenly. Fortunately, the Arkley-MG has no front overhang and the wheel just climbed a way up the bank.

Section 11, Stumps R Us is another old friend and we managed to clear this one, although we nearly ran over Nigel Cowling on the turn out (he gets around don’t he?).

There was no butty van for lunch so we foraged for nuts and berries. No, we didn’t, I had brought apples and bananas.

Team Robson were in their usual ebullient form and made a cracking climb on the final hill 

Roger Ashby was doing well in the Coates Orthoptera with Pete Brown bouncing and Team Robson were having a grand day out in their Rickman Ranger, although Matt said he was digging holes and polishing sappy roots for his fellow competitors.

The general feeling was that the dry conditions were helping everyone get some really good climbs in.

After lunch we started off with Section 12, The Esses, which made people dizzy just thinking about it. Simon’s Folly had an impossible restart and Section 14, Tried & Tested, was trying and testing and a variation of Section 4 Up and Back, fortunately without a restart.

We cleaned Sections 15-17 although, when pulling hard from very low revs, there was an occasional knocking sound as if there was a tired gearbox mount or the prop was winding up at a funny angle.

Many of these sections were very rough and highlighted the amount of work the laying out team had put in.

Everybody say Cherry Bomb! Gareth White and Mark James at the start in their Class 8 V8 Marlin

On Rip and Roar 2, Gareth White had become beached on a stump, which caused some delay. He said he lost a handbrake mount getting out. We made the restart line and nearly got away but then slithered sideways.

Section 19, Norman’s Stump, was a variation of Section 10, Through the Trees, and this time I was prepared for the sharp left turn.

The final section Up Over and Across was similar to Stumps R Us. The start line was in a place that would have been a non-starter in the conditions that February brings but on the day we had our best performance ever on this section, coming within a gnat’s crotchet of clearing it even with a restart. It was very stumpy at the top and I had to trade more beans for more stumps, if you catch my drift.

I am convinced that Graham’s bouncing gave us important bunny hops over roots and stumps on Up and Back and Up and Over and Across where we had restarts. He also shouted out left at just the right time on The Esses!

The larger steering wheel helps tremendously and gives the Arkley-MG a much more vintage feel. Size matters. Oo, er missus, titter ye not.

Dave Ball cleaned the final section in some style

The next event for me will be as bouncer for Binky in the Candidi Provocatores Allard on the John Aley Trial on 26^th June and then the Heritage Trial on 4^th July.