Classical Gas is an independent web site and is not affiliated
to any of the clubs or organisers of the events featured. Words and Pictures
by Michael unless attributed otherwise. Michael is a proud member of the MCC,
ACTC, Dellow Register , Herts VW Club, CTCRC and Falcon but does not represent their
views nor the views of any other organisers or clubs.
Regs are published for
the Hardy Classic Trial on 16 November and The
Allen Trial on 30 November
Microsoft will no longer support MSN
Groups from February 2009. My plan is to migrate all the data (all
messages and pictures) from
The Classical Gas Message Board into another system so you can
continue to use the service as you have done for the last ten years and
hopefully it will be better.
Click here for the latest News
11 Oct 2008
Neil Bray was the third car to attempt Litton Slack
It was a cold and wet Edinburgh for the later
numbers, causing problems at Litton Slack and especially the final section
at Moneystones which finished off many triple hopes.
3 Oct 2008
David Dye won the MGCC Midland
Centre's Autumn Trial at Burton Dassett in his Austin Seven
Red Flags, Safety Cars, problems with the Results. The
Group 1 race had it all. Neil managed to stay clear of all the drama to
pick up a well deserved class win after having to change the Fiesta'
gearbox overnight. David Howard won overall with Jim McLoughlin coming
second, doing his championship chances no harm at all.
7 Aug 2008
The autumn trials season is
nearly upon us. Holsworthy have published the regs for their
Taw and Torridge Trial on 21st September.
Unfortunately the Exe Valley will not take
place on 14 September.
Regs are also available for the MGCC Midland
Centre Trial at Burton Dassett on 28 September.
Click Here
It was an excellent Donington meeting,
with exciting, good, clean, racing, despite small grids. Steve Primett
had a straightforward win in Post Historic when Neil slipped down the
field after his first lap lead and David Howard retired with gearbox
problem. Jim McLoughlin won the Group 1 race after a race long door
handle to door handle with Roger Stanford. This was a really exciting
race with battles all the way through the field.
31 Jul 2008
Spectators line the road outside the
local, as cars cruise by leaving
Harpenden Common
last night after another wonderful "Classics on the Common".
The event was well supported by
Falcons, who had a fair selection of trials cars and
other treasures from their garages.
Click here for more pictures.
It's Classics on the Common
Wednesday (30 July) next week. The best free show on earth! As
usual cars are not allowed on the common before 16.00. If you want to
park together you have to arrive together. So Falcons, Gassers and
Friends are invited to travel in convoy from Markyate Truck Stop,
meeting up from 15.00 and leaving 15.45. Remember if you haven't got an
advance ticket you will not be able to park on the common itself. If you
are coming in your daily driver the Classical Gas recommends parking at
Harpenden railway station.
When the rain came down just before the Group 1 race
Neil and the team were hoping for a laurel wreath as an extra birthday
present! It wasn't to be. Neil did hold the lead during the middle of the
race but a mistake at the complex dropped him back to third behind Jim
McLoughlin and Mark Fowler and thats how it finished. Both Jim and Post
Historic winner Steve Primett drove inch perfect while most around them
went spinning on the slippery surface.
Mike Hayward, organiser of Falcons
Diamond Celebration run, talking to Lotus Mk2 owner Nigel Halliday. The
car was a genuine "barn find" and returned to Tewin Water for the first
time since 1950 when it was driven at a Falcon Speed Trial by Colin
Chapman.
Click here for more pictures.
4 Jul 2008
The regs for the MCC Edinburgh
Trial on 4th October are published. Not got yours? Probably like me you
get the MCC stuff electronically so you won't get the regs through the
post.
Click here immediately, where you can download all the stuff to
enter the Classical Gas Favourite Trial. It's worth it for Bamford Clogh
alone!
It's Falcon's Diamond Celebration Tour
coming up on Sunday 29 June. It starts from where Falcon gots its name.
The Crown and Falcon Inn at
Puckeridge, just off the A10 at Ware in Hertfordshire. The tour will
pass many venues used by the club over the years, including Tewin Water,
where Falcon ran its first Speed Trial in 1950 where there will be
demonstration of a Lotus Mk II that ran in the event.
Click here for more details and an entry form.
Neil had an excellent Post Historic race,
climbing from his eighth place on the grid to third overall and a class
win. Steve Primett won with Tim Fish second in a Chevrolet Camaro. The
challenge from the mighty Jaguar XJ12's faded after they came together
again to the detriment of the bodywork of both cars. In Group 1 Neil had
a steady race, maintaining his eighth place starting position to the
flag.
7 May 2008
The ACTC Dinner Dance and
Annual Awards will be held on Saturday 14 June at Padbrook Park
Cullompton. Tickets are available, overnight accommodation (at the
discounted price) is still available providing people book before the 14
May (after this date the standard room rate applies). For further
details please contact either Tina Allaway or Giles Greenslade.
Click here for contact
information
6 May 2008
Michael Hopprich sent
me this interesting link to
The Internet Movie Cars
Database. It's a searchable database of movies and TV shows that a
particular make of car has appeared in, and its even got Dellows! Don't
go there unless you have plenty of time as its pretty addictive! Have
added to The Links page.
2 May 2008
Exeter Trial organiser Tim
Whellock won the Windwhistle Motor Club Bovey Down Trial on 27 April.
Click here for a short report and enjoy this Video Playlist
29 Apr 2008
Neil using his Autocross experience at
Snetterton on Sunday.
Pole sitter Brian Stevens had a narrow
win in a closely fought PHTC race, coming over the line just in front
of Nigel Garrett. David Howard had dominated the early stages of the
race, despite a poor start. However, Brian slowly closed the gap until
they had a coming together at the chicane, resulting in David spinning
off. Neil finished seventh, dropping back a couple of places after he
to spun at the chicane.
Brian Stevens won a rain influenced Group
1 race from Roger Stanford’s BMW after challengers Jim McLouglin, Mark
Fowler and David Howard fell out or fell back. Neil was the only starter
in his class, finishing seventh overall after overtaking faster cars
when the rain came down.
25 Apr 2008
Adrian Marfell,pictured by
Dave Cook, on his way to winning the Kyrle Trial last
Sunday. Click Here for the Report
22 Apr 2008
Falcon have published regs for the Spring
fever Autotest at Kensworth on 18 May. More information, map and
download links on The Falcon page.
Only 8 entries left for the
4th Windwhistle Motor Club Bovey Down Trial
on Sunday 27 April. 32 entries received and only 40 can be accepted due
to the constraints of the venue. Closing date is next Wednesday 23rd
13 Apr 2008
Lydden report started - An
excellent meeting, organised by Rod Birley (usually seen behind the
wheel of a WRC Escort) under the auspices of BARC South East. The CTCRC
had five of the seven races on this wonderful clubmans day. Neil did
well, finishing 5th in Post Historic but an excursion onto the grass and
a blown exhaust gasket took away his chances in Group 1.
Windwhistle Motor Club's working party in
the woods last Saturday preparing the venue for the 4th single venue
clubsport classic trial on Sunday 27th April
Anne Whellock tells me
that "22 entries have already been received so as we can only
accept 40 we are already over half full. So if any MCC, Holsworthy,
Camel Vale, CBCCC, Minehead or Woolbridge members want to come along
they had better get their skates on. Alternatively we can offer
membership of Windwhistle. Catering van and mobile loo on site all day"Click Here for more information or email Secretary of the Meeting
Anne Whellock
1 Apr
2008
Can
competitors who received ACTC trophies last year return them to Tina
Allaway at the Kyrle Trial? If they are not competing on the Kyrle
please could they arrange for someone to pick up/deliver their trophy to
Tina. There are
also 2 missing bike trophies, if anyone has them tucked away please can
they be returned to Tina.
Strouds Mechanics Trial is on 30 March.
Carl Talbot tells me that as its the weekend after the Lands End
the organisers have agreed that anyone who has entered but cannot
compete due post Lands End malaise [vehicular or personal] will receive
a full refund of their entry fee if the trial secretary is notified.
Entries close Fri 21st March.
Ross & DMC Kyrle
Trial is on 20 April. Stuart Harrold says the entry list
is about 50% full already. There will be some
new hills and there won't be as many ruts!
Anne Whellock reports entries are coming
in nicely for Windwhistle's Bovey Downs Trial
on 27 April. This is a single venue Classic Trial held within the woods
containing Normans Hump and Clinton. have a go at them in the daylight!
4 Mar 2008
June Blakeley will be running the Cancer
Research Race for Life on 1st June. As you will read on her page this is
a very special mission for June.
John Blakeley
scrutinises Robin Barlows Dellow at the start of the
Northern trial. It was Robin's first trial since 1969 and it was shame it
had to end with a broken back axle. Click
Here for The Northern Trial Report
20 Feb 2008
Click on the arrow to see Simon Groves
and Emma Robilliard storming Widow Hause on
Saturdays Northern Trial. Come the
results it was Beetles all the way. Giles Greenslade winning overall
with Nicola Wainwright coming second.
Murray Montgomery-Smith
mounts the step on Nailsworth Ladder in his Marlin during last
Sundays Cotswold Clouds (picture by John Salter). Adrian Dommett was best
overall in his Wolseley Hornet.
It was
Class Seven all the way on Sunday's Exmoor Trial, overall victory going
to Ray Goodright in his Arkley. Last years class 8 winner,
Ed
Nikel retired with a broken diff.Simon Groves
was 3rd in class 3 which was won by Sticker Martin.
Dave Haizelden, with Adrian Dommett in the hot
seat, retired, leaving Mike Collins to win class 1.
Nicola Wainwright won class 4.
Click Here for Full Results
Video by
tinleggstommy
30 January 2008 - Finally published an
Exeter Report
29 Jan 2008
Clee Hills
report amended to show that Allez 'Oop was an observed section for
all classes. Thanks to Brian Osborn for raising the query and to Pat Toulmin and Stuart Harrold for their help in resolving things.
Christmas Quiz Q2 - The passenger in
Hutchison's Allard is Bill Boddy. The question certainly caused
considerable debate and provided some new knowledge for Allard
specialist Nigel Brown who posed the question.
Christmas Quiz Q3 - The picture was
published as part of Bill Boddy's write up on the 1981 Exeter. It was
captioned as Bovey but I think we are all now certain that it was the
hill now known as Normans Hump. Well done to Adrian Dommett for the
first correct answer and especially to John Lees and John Salter for all
their research and analysis.
Now, before we all embark on The Exeter
how about another challenge. Dave Halley from The Dellow Register had a
couple of pictures arrive over Christmas and would love to know who,
where and when. There are no other clues so we may be defeated on this
one!
Click Here if you can help
31 Dec 2007
The regs for the Exmoor Trial on 27
January are published. If you haven't received them by email from the
ACTC you
candownload the
regs and
entry form.
Falcon's, please note that clubnights are
now at
Dunstable Rugby Club from 8.15pm, starting Wednesday 2nd January.
Updated 2008 Dates and Committee on The Falcon
Page.
24 Dec 2007
Christmas Quiz Q3 - A bit more up-to-date
this time. This picture was taken on my first MCC trial (I was a
passenger). The main question is what is the section?
Click Here to Post your answer
24 Dec 2007
Christmas Quiz Q2 - No prizes this time.
The question is who is the person nearest the
camera. It would be fun if you can identify the car, driver and event!
Click Here to Post your answers
24 Dec 2007
Christmas Quiz Q1
- The answer is that the Allard Driver on Swansong Hill on the
1946 Liverpool MC Jeans Cup Trial was
The Lady Mary Grosvenor. Winners
are Nigel Brown and David Alderson.
Click Here for more information
The Classical Gas recommendation is
to go to Wooston Steep, especially if you want
to take pictures. It's competitive for the higher classes and there
won't be so many people as at Simms. Fingle is
a wonderful setting but isn't so much of a challenge.
18 Dec 2007
Emma Robilliard won a very wet Camel
Classic Trial in her Class 4 Beetle on the 9th December. It poured with
rain all day and one of the three new sections in the woods had to be
cancelled. It seemed the conditions may have made the feared Clinnick
easier though. Perhaps the rain washed some of
the mud down the hill as seven Escorts cleaned the section and some even
came out of the top, something that has never been achieved before. The
Camel continued with its index system to decide the awards for the event,
with ACTC awards being decided without this applied. A new
innovation was applied this year. Some of the markers
were moved down some of the Camels very steep hills after classes
6,7 and 8 had passed to give the lower classes a chance.
Click Here for the full results on the ACTC site.
The Camel was the last ACTC round of the
year. Well done to
Wheelspin champion Adrian Dommett and Bill Bennett who won the
Crackington. A clean sweep for Class Two!
Preparations are underway for Falcon's
March Hare Classic Trial on 9th March. Here Mike Pearson and John
Parsons are at work clearing a very large fallen tree
from one of the sections.More Pictures and a
Video
The first one day
Classic of the new year is the Clee
Hills on Sunday 20 January in wonderful
Shropshire. The Classical Gas Editorial team have not missed this one
since it restarted some twelve or more years ago. For the last three
years we have really enjoyed ourselves marshalling but will be back to
driving this time. However, its a great event
to marshal on and Adrian Tucker-Peake would love to have you help out.
If you can help drop Adrian an email on adrian.tpeake@tiscali.co.uk
8 Dec 2007
There is now a small prize at stake for
our Christmas Quiz for anyone who can name the driver and post it on the
Classical Gas Message Board. Here is another picture that may help. Same
place, same time, you can see the photographer in the other picture.
Click Here for more information and to post your answers.
28 November 2007 - Adrian Dommett
(pictured on the left by Dave Cook) won The
Allen Trial on Sunday, with one of several clean sheets, victory being
awarded on special test times.
Full Results are available at the
ACTC and
Bristol MC
sites. While you are on the ACTC
site download your 2008 membership form. The modest sub is worth the
money just for the excellent club magazine that pops through your
letterbox.