75th Tamar Trial 2022 (in memory of Pete Cooper)

Early morning start at Proper Ansome Cafe, Launceston. the bikes have already gone and the Class 8s are assembling to start. Simon Oates' Liege is in the foreground.

This was the first trail for me in ages. During a very busy summer, I hadn't competed since the 2022 Land's End. Bouncing Graham Beddoe was in the Balkans for two weeks immediate beforehand and I was away to my elderly mother's for a few days beforehand. I aimed to get all preparation complete the week before but a late route alteration came too late for me to print out the full route card and we went off piste a couple of times. Fortunately, we soon got back on track and didn't actually run over any marshals.

Early morning sunshine warns the Rickman Ranger of Team Robson, Nigel and Nicola Martin-Oakley's Saab 96, Kent Crashby's Coates Orthoptera and Greg Warren in his Escort

After signing on at the Proper Ansome Cafe in Launceston, we soon went of course with the first route amendment but had sufficient local knowledge to work out where we ought to be.

The lovely Zetec powered MG J2 of Jon and Calvin Moores and the class winning Dutton of Phil and Francis Thomas

The first section, Tresallack, was a Special Test 1 of a type we’d not encountered before. We had to start off from Line A, go forward to Line R and stop astride it and then restart without rolling back to stop astride Line B. We had to do this in a target time of 25 seconds. Anything below or over that time would be taken down and used against and added to our second special test time.

Josh Moss and Phil Tucker in the Imp-powered 1200cc Cannon next to Simon's Liege

We didn’t have a very accurate watch but decided to proceed as normal, for normally our progress is quite gentlemanly on special tests. Then we’d dawdle a bit and pounce on Line B just as the 25 seconds were nearly up. In the event we were three seconds over and the second special test was cancelled.

The first two observed sections were overlaid each other in a wood near Horsebridge. Starsky was a tight loop with some roots and steps and Hutch had a tricky restart, which we failed. Graham said “Stop!” at one point but then laughed and said “No! Don’t!” His Launceston and North Cornwall Motor Club hat had been snagged by a bramble and pulled off his head. We left it dangling as a route marker for the next competitor.

Barretts Mill and Danescombe were both long winding sunken lanes, quite stony and with restarts on bends that we managed to do properly. Graham in particular likes these long winding country lanes.

I must apologise to John Turner and Simon Riddell for launching my car at them on Tank’s Terror. I messed up completely by following the most clearly defined wheel tracks to the right of the markers. We should have kept left of the markers. I couldn’t understand why the marshals were standing in our way. Anyway, we didn’t get anywhere near them. John and Simon can run quite quickly.

We turned around, went down the hill and then discovered how slippery the escape route was. The last time I tried Tanks Terror, the escape route was the section but we had terrific wheel spin and bogged down a few times. Only by going diagonally across the grass instead of straight uphill could we make much progress.

As we pumped up our tyres, Brian Andrew in his Beetle cleared the section so it could be done.

On the way to Lew Wood, the country really looked at its best. Lew Wood 1 was a wriggly climb through the trees with some massive tree roots. They looked like wooden versions of the rock steps at Angel Steps but we got up okay.

Lew Wood 2 was another nadgery climb through the trees with a restart just for the Class 8s. The final marker was sneakily positioned, however. We got to the top of the climb and had to negotiate a right hand 90 degree bend and the end of section was beyond this. I got caught out as I slowed too much to read the route and we stopped. The marshals were obviously poised to catch us out.

Lee Quarry wasn’t far away from Lew Down and the terrain was very similar to Lew Down. Our restart was lower than for the Class 8s but we couldn’t get away.

Rumour had it that Angel Steps had been graded and was almost as smooth as a tarmacked road. Consequently, the organisers had set a minimum tyre pressure of 18psi. However, start line marshal Adrian Booth said it was still very slippery and by the time we got there our limit had been reduced to 14psi. The steps might have been reduced but the restart was on a very steep and slippery spot and we couldn’t get away. We couldn’t even get away when we tried a restart so had to come all the way back down again.

Park Impossible was also a restart where we couldn’t get any traction off the like. It can be done, though, as the Thomases and Simon Oates proved. We just weren’t in their league.

On the way into Launceston, we had some car trouble. After slowing right down for some young horse riders, the engine developed a misfire. I suspected fuel vaporisation, despite using super unleaded. Coming up Roydon Road out of town, the car backfired loudly and we had to stop we were struggling so much. The moment passed but I wondered if we might have problems after lunch.

The blown X90 of Brian Hampson and Dave Turner put in some good climbs

At the lunch stop at Tresmeer village hall, we spoke to Liam Hartley who was bouncing for Duncan Stephens in the UVA Fugitive. He said they’d only dropped five marks so far. On Angel Steps, Duncan started in second and just floored it.

When I caught up with Adrian later in the week, he expressed surprise that any engines lasted the trial after being on full song for so long on the restart at Angel Steps. Then they did it all again on Park Impossible. I want to be able to drive home afterwards but that’s the level of competition we’re up against on an event like this.

We also heard that James Shallcross had cleared Park Impossible. This was the first time for a front wheel-drive car – ever!

Lunch stop conflab at Tresmeer Village hall

Scarsick special test was cancelled so our next section was New Langleys. There was a big queue here and the approach to the bottom gate was down a field at an angle of nearly forty-five degrees. We watched a few Class 8s being towed up by the tractor winch and then joined the queue in the field where the section began. The view of the restarts from here was pretty good as well. Only Josh Moss in the Imp-powered Cannon got away from the Class 8 restart.

We await our turn at New Langleys behind Simon Oates and the Thomases in their Duttom

Phil Thomas was the only class 7 to clear the section although we managed to get away from the restart and struggled up to get a 2. That was probably our best performance with a restart that we put in all day.

Trevilla was on the other side of the farmhouse from New Langleys in a little quarry. The Arkley-MG doesn’t have a long bonnet but I couldn’t see where we were going on the steep climb and tight turns. I stalled the car on a turn and we only got a 10.

Next was Crackington with a restart but that was too much for us to get away. We got up with a run up.

In the queue for Trehole 1

Trehole 1 and 2 were only another mile away. The first one was a straight blast up without any minimum tyre pressures. We discussed this at some length with Team Robson in the Rickman Ranger. They went down to 5psi. I went down to 8psi, which was the lowest indicated on my tyre pressure gauge. We both managed to get up to the Class 8 restart!

The Hancock brothers give us something to aim for with their climb in their buggy

Graham said how about changing up to second once we were under way? I didn’t feel confident enough that the car wouldn’t bog down.

The final section of the day had a minimum pressure of 14psi. Matt said he had no chance and, sure enough, Team Robson couldn’t get around the first tree at the beginning of the slope. He said the Ranger does better on stony surfaces.

Spectators' car park at Trehole 2

Trehole 2 was the combination of two sections from previous years. We toiled up a slope, looped round a tree and then went back down the hill to a gateway. Then we had to turn sharp right and follow the curve of the hedge up to a ridge in a small quarry. We ground to a halt just below the ridge but hung around with everyone else to see some great climbs.

L to R, Shopland of Paul Merson and Nick Sherrin, UVA Fugitive of Duncan Stephens and Liam Hartley, the Selwoods' Culm Valley Lash Up and the Gruffalo of Stewart Green and Mel Oliver.

Brian Andrew in his Beetle made it look easy. He won the Saloon Cup on the day. James Shallcross also stormed the section which turned sharp right over the ridge and then wriggled up and down through some bushes. If I’d have got that far, I probably wouldn’t have been able to work out where to go.

We’d only got back on to the black top when the car conked out again. Brian and Kirsty Andrew stopped and offered us some clean fuel but we had plenty in the tank and carbs. Eventually, it burst into life again and we set off for the Frog and Bucket to sign off.

The weather turned so foul we put the hood up. The car behaved itself in the storm, although it still made the odd pop and was a little hesitant on part throttle.

We were glad to get to the hostelry of the Frog and Bucket. Team Robson were already looking forward to the Exeter and I caught up with Pat Shaw who was in his first event with his hiked MX5. 

Pat Shaw at the start. Jill Sanders had Covid so her boy, Ross, stepped in 

I also had a discussion with Lester Keat over Ford rear axles and two- piece uprated driveshafts. I haven't had to look at mine since the axles been back together but he's had bearing issues and was investigating shimming them up. 

I was sorry to hear Roger Ashby broke the gearbox in his Coates Orthoptera (Vintage Thing No.155) on Crackington. He was a non-finisher and so was Greg Warren in his Escort. 

It's a shame we don't get enough time to speak to each other. I've known some of these people for years.

Jjames Shallcross wasn't showing off, he was simply giving a masterclass.

After the event, I checked all the fuel filters and bought a new air filter as the old one was disintegrating. The hesitancy has gone and it hasn’t backfired since so roll on the Exeter Trial in January.

I get more excited about the Exeter than Christmas and New Year combined.