Guideline 25
Trials
1. There are four types of trialling
Production Car Trials
Classic Trials
Sporting Trials
Cross Country
Vehicle Trials
All are separate and distinct from each
other. The type of trial a club wishes to organise depends on the range
of vehicles available to club members. We must assume at this point that
a club organising a trial for the first time must be doing so for the benefit
of the members, consequently it may well be closed to club status.
2. Vehicle requirements
To help clubs to decide which type of trial
to run it may well ne helpful to itemise the styles of vehicle used in
events:
Production Car Trials
Any road going car, front or rear wheel
drive - the company car, family shopping car, rally car, kit car, in fact
almost anything that is safe, roadworthy and has an MoT and uses standard
road tyres, although it may not be taxed or insured if trailered. Sections
should always be non damaging but challenging.
If a car is suitable for
a Treasure Hunt it is suitable for a PCT.
Classic Trials
'Classic' refers to the type of trial not
the vehicle although some older vintage and post-vintage cars to take part.
Any road going car taxed and insured can be used, also specials, buggies,
kit cars, sports cars etc. Sections tend to be quite long; up to half a
mile sometimes. They are usually based on farm tracks and forest trails
with road mileage linking their locations. A typcial one day event will
involve over 50 road miles as well as some 12-15 observed sections. Most
cars have undergone specialist preparation and as some sections are very
rough, underbody protection and suspension modifications are strongly advised.
For pure vintage and Post
Vintage enthusiasts the Vintage Sports
Car Club organises trials which are the original form of Sporting Trial
of the 1920s/30s and are a cross between the Classic and Sporting Trials
of today.
Sporting Trials
Very specialised purpose-built cars built
to the National Trials Car Formula as specified in the MSA Blue Book.
Non-road going cars which the general public usually associate with Car
Trials - bike wheels at the front, car wheels on the rear, fiddle brakes,
and mud - lots of mud!!
3. Venues
You have now decided on the type of trial
your club wants to run. More often than not the first timers will
opt for Production Car Trials because of the ease of organisation and wide
scope of entries.
Whichever type of trial
you decide upon you must now find a suitable venue. This is generally
a stumbling block for most clubs but ask around, talk to club members who
have contact with farmers, talk to farmers and landowners. Wave bottles
of whisky, Dinner Dance tickets, even money. Talk to the contacts
in the appendix to this Guideline for this and
any other problems.
In all cases the landowner's
written consent has to be obtained long before you start to organise the
event itself.
Production Car Trials
A smooth field with as few rocks as possible
- with undulations and if possible some fairly steep areas (45/50 degrees
maximum) and a variety of terrain, long grass, short grass, damp areas,
etc. Easy access to a site is preferable to allow vehicles and trailers.
Classic Trials
Steep rocky or muddy farm tracks, tracks
or sections in woods, forests, green lanes and whites. All sections
are connected by a route along public roads and some of the sections themselves
are on 'County Roads' normally suitable only for the passage of farm vehicles.
As most of the route uses public roads Route
Authorisation from the MSA is required for all Classic Trials.
Sporting Trials
These are similar in venue requirement
to PCTs but more demanding. Steeper and rougher sections are needed
to overcome the phenomenal climbing ability of the vehicles. Woodland,
moorland, as well as fields are often used but a single venue is required
as cars are not suitable for use on public roads.
4. Organisation of events
-
Apply for a date from the MSA at least
2 months before the month in which the event is to be held.
-
Apply for a permit from the MSA not less
than 6 weeks before the event.
-
Apply for route authorisation 3 to 6 months
before the event (Classic Trials only).
-
OFFICIALS - The main officials need to
be nominated long before the event date to enable them to find a venue
and iron out any difficulties well in advance.
-
Clerk of Course - 6 months - to run the
event.
-
Assistant CofC (optional) - 6 months -
to assist the CofC and be able to take over from him if necessary.
-
Secretary - 4 months.
-
Stewards - 2 months - at least one and
not more than 3.
-
Scrutineer - 2 months.
-
Chief Marshal - 2 months - an optional
office whose job is to chase up marshals and ease the load of the Clerk
of Course.
-
Marshals - 1/2 months - PCTs and Sporting
Trials at least 2 per hill, Classics - numbers of marshals required vary
with length of sections as some are very long.
-
Results team - Secretary plus another.
The success of any trial depends
largely on the knowledge, experience and enthusiasm of the Clerk of Course.
Try to appoint all officials well in advance of the trial enabling them
to initiate the necessary forward planning and the distribution of the
regulations in good time, at least 6 weeks before the event.
It is essential that the
sections are laid out according to the driving ability of competitors and
the performance of their cars. If the Clerk of Course and club are
running a trial for the first time the advice of a seasoned trials competitor
may be required. Advice can be obtained from people on the list of
contacts in the appendix.
5. Equipment
PCT & Sporting Trials
Each hill/section will need at least 26
posts usually wood (broom handles are ideal) - to mark out the start and
12 'gates' of the section and a set of numbers from 1 to 12 on card, wooden
or metal tags for each section. To differentiate between left and
right posts it is the current vogue to paint the RH posts red and LH posts
yellow. You need to mark out at least 5 sections for a Club event,
the optimum is 10.
Classics
Sometimes vary from the above requirements.
Classics sometimes have only a start and finish, competitors either 'Clean'
or 'Fail' the section.
Summary
Whichever type of trial you decide to organise
don't stick fast for information and help. The solution to your problem
may only be a telephone call away. Always remember that trials have
been running in some form or another for a century or more and the problem
you have now must have been solved before. If the nominated contacts
cannot answer the problem directly they will know the person who can.
6. Appendix
Where to Learn More About Trialling.
Club Information on how to organise
and run a Production Car Trial - a BTRDA
publication available from Neil Mackay.
Club Information on how to organise
and run a Sporting Trial - a BTRDA
publication available from Julian Fack.
Club Information on how to organise
and run a Classic Trial - an ACTC
publication from ACTC.
Useful contacts for further information
The
Motor Sports Association Ltd
Motor Sports House, Riverside Park,
Coinbrook, Slough, SL3 OHG
Tel: 0 1 753 681 736
The
British Trial & Rally Drivers' Association
Mr. M. J. Stephens, Willow Cottage,
Bradnocks Marsh Lane, Barston, Solihull,
West Midlands B92 OLH
Production Car Trials
Neil Mackay, 53 Parkside Gardens,
Wollaton, Nottingham NG8 2PQ
Sporting Trials
BTRDA:
Roger Bricknell, Rouncivals, 5 Priory Road,
Bodmin, Cornwall PL31 2AF
Julian Fack, Orchard Farm, Shareshill,
Nr. Wolverhampton, Staffs WV10 7LE.
Phone messages: 01426 954208
750MC:
Robin Mannering, 244 Livingstone Road,
Gravesend, Kent DA12 5DP
Classic Trialling:
The Association
of Classic Trials Clubs:
Pat
Toulmin, 4 Briery Lands, Snitterfield,
Stratford on Avon, Warwickshire CV37 OPR
Telephone: 01 789 731332
Simon
Woodall, Dumbleton Brook, Eardiston,
Tenbury Wells, Worcs WR1 5 8JR
Telephone: 01 584 881348
David Aiderson, Beggars Roost, 64 Midland
Road, Oiney, Bucks MK46 4BP
Telephone: 01 234 240707
Mike Furse, 405 Chartridge Lane, Chesham,
Bucks HP5 2SL
Robert Ellis, Competitions Secretary,
The Vintage Sports Car Club Ltd.,
The Old Post Office, West Street,
Chipping Norton, Oxon OX7 5EL
Telephone: 01 608 644777
Fax: 01608 644888
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