Twenty four crews gathered at the start of the inaugural HERO Summer Trial supported by Mann Filters on Thursday 24th July in the grounds of the Abbey Hotel, Great Malvern Worcester. Despite doubts about the weather and thoughts of the heavy rain that occurred during the same period in 2007, this was to be the first of three relatively fine days.
Documentation and scrutineering had taken place the day before when crews had the opportunity for a visit and tour of the famous Morgan factory located less than ten minutes from the start. A number of crews took the tour and returned to the hotel with an assortment of Morgan regalia purchased during the visit.
Day one started in good weather with a driving test at the Three Counties Showground, a seven minute drive from the start. The test utilised the grid iron layout of access roads within the site with straight sections followed by 90 degree corners � severe penalties being imposed for cutting the corners. Howard Warren and Paul Tomlinson in the Porsche 911 and Graham Walker and Sean Toohey in the Lotus Elan throwing down the gauntlet from the start by taking equal honours.
Two regularities starting in the Vale of Evesham took the crews to a brief halt at Stowe school before the first of two tests at the Motor Heritage Centre at Gaydon. Whilst the crews were having lunch and a look around the museum subtle changes being made to the test managed to catch out several of the crews when they started the afternoon leg.
Two more regularities after lunch gave Howard Warren and Paul Tomlinson the chance to show that they were just as good at regularities as they were on the tests with a total regularity penalty for the day of only 6 seconds; the only crew to be under ten seconds regularity penalties for day one. Although four other crews (Ken Lowes & Diana Dobson, Stephen Lord & Kimberley Porter, James Mann & Trina Walsh, Chris & Sarah Paveley) were all under thirty seconds.
Day one finished with a second test at the Three Counties showground with the honours going to Graham Walker and Sean Toohey who beat the Porsche of Warren and Tomlinson by one second. However Howard Warren and Paul Tomlinson had taken the overall lead at the end of day one.
Kai Knickmann the Managing Director of Mann-Filters had persuaded his wife Claudia that it would be a good idea to enter their MGB GT,
and despite being total novices they quickly became enthusiastic competitors ending the day in fourteenth place (eventually climbing up the leader board and finishing the event just outside the top ten). Day one had seen problems with the MG PA of Giuseppe & Gianandrea Redaelli and the Lotus Cortina of Chris Howell & Chris Lines, both crews having dropped out of medal contention.
Sunshine once again greeted the crews as they started day two with a short drive to the first of two tests at the world famous Shelsley Walsh Hill-climb. Permission had been granted for the event to use the hill as a test, with strategically placed stop astride lines ensuring that the average speed was kept within the criteria for a driving test. Nevertheless a great deal of pleasure was had by all the crews as was shown by the broad grins on their faces when the cars were escorted in convoy from the top of the hill. Entrants on the touring trial where given the opportunity to drive in convoy along the halloed tarmac behind a course car.
After a brief stop at the main control at Knighton the crews headed into the first of three regularities in traditional Welsh road-rally territory; the third of which taking crews through the Elan valley. During the lunch halt at Devil�s Bridge a number of crews asked where the organisers had found such roads and could they be shown them on a map (the event having used a tulip road book to define the route) only to be told that there was more in store for them in the afternoon.
George & Margaret Melville (Alvis Speed 25) & Fred & Liz Winter (Volvo 144) experienced mechanical problems during the morning which dropped them out of medal contention. Fred and Liz where able to continue the next day following the fitting of parts delivered to the hotel by Duncan Stonier, a member of the Volvo team regularly entered in Le Jog.
The afternoon leg started with two tests at the Motorsport centre at
Pontrhydfendigaid, with one crew asking how the organisers had managed to find a circuit behind someone�s house! Rain during the day making the service extremely slippery with several crews discovering what happens when water gets onto tarmac where sheep have done what comes naturally! The first of the three afternoon regularities took crews along Abergwesyn and the infamous Devil�s Staircase before a return to the Abbey Hotel and a well earned rest.
Overall victory on the day two tests went to
Graham Walker & Sean Toohey in the Elan. Stephen Lord & Kimberley Porter (Austin Healey 3000 Mk llA ) had taken overall honours on the Thursday regularities, being three seconds ahead of Warren and Tomlinson, the only two crews to be under 30 seconds penalties on the day two regularities. However, the deficit on both tests and regularities had not been reduced enough to take the overall position away from Warren and Tomlinson, who ended day two as they had began, in first place.
Day three was another fine day, with the first of two regularities following a short drive out of Malvern. Top performers on the first of the day�s regularities going to Bill & Kathy Jiggins (Alvis 12/60) who accumulated only 2 seconds penalties. Howard Warren and Paul Tomlinson took honours on the second regularity beating Colin MacKenzie & Richard Dresner (Lea Francis TT Hyper) by two seconds � the only two crews to be under ten seconds penalties on the second regularity.
A short stop at Clyro was followed by an excellent lunch at the Clytha Arms between Abergavenny and Raglan where a number of spectators watched the crews start the afternoon regularity from the end of the pub car park. Honours on the third regularity once again going to Warren and Tomlinson who along with James Mann & Trina Walsh (Derby Bentley 4�) where the only crews to achieve zero penalties on the last regularity.
Crews were due to visit a main control at the Three Choirs Vineyard in Newent,
Gloucester but a serious traffic accident before the crews arrived resulted in the air ambulance having to use the vineyard drive as a landing pad � trapping the marshals in the vineyard (it�s a hard life for a marshal) and preventing access to the control. Fortunately the course officials were on hand and were able to issue a reroute which allowed the crews to be directed to the final test at the Three Counties Showground without too much delay. Graham Walker & Sean Toohey took fastest time on the final test by beating Howard Warren & Paul Tomlinson by four seconds. Unfortunately a five second test penalty pushed them to second place on the test.
The Porsche of Sharon Sheargold & Rossilyn Curl had succumbed to mechanical problems on the final day and despite the valiant efforts of Chris Paverley (Car 6) the car was unable to continue and the crew were forced to retire prior to the last test.
First overall went to Howard Warren and Paul Tomlinson � Howard collecting the Test Pilot�s trophy (best performance on tests) and Paul the Stop Watcher�s cup (best performance on regularities) showing that they justly deserved the overall awards.
Highest placed novice - Patrick Hanafin & Frank Haughton (
Daimler V8) 13th Overall
All the crews said that the mix of tests and roads had made the event enjoyable and challenging. Fears that the roads would be crowded in the middle of summer had proved to be unfounded as the crews had not experienced delays or problems. Many said they would be back next year and everyone felt that the format was ideal for crews looking for more than a single day event but not necessarily wanting to devote a full week to competition.
The event will take place between 16th and 18th July 2009 to avoid clashing with the Silverstone Classic and subject to final confirmation will once again have driving tests at Shelsley Walsh.
Images copyright Harriet Wood & Peter Nedin
