21st March 2012

MOTOR SPORT: Perfect Parker powers home

FOLLOWING the Rallye Sunseeker the second National Championship motorsport event in two weekends came to Dorset in the form of the Motor Sports Association British Car Trials Championship at Hog Cliff Farm near Maiden Newton.

Organised by the Woolbridge Motor Club the event comprised of two categories; the National event which catered for those contesting the British series and the Clubmans division which was populated by drivers not registered for the national championships, and this included mostly local competitors.

Although in different categories the drivers all competed on the same sections so their scores were directly comparable.

Reigning, and seven times, national champion, Barrie Parker, was determined to repeat his success of last year in his Toyota MR2 sports car.

Competing in Class One for two wheel drive production cars without any ballast (ballast helps to gain grip in slippery conditions) Parker made a positive start in wet conditions.

Prior to the eighth and final test of the first round the multiple champion had amassed 41 penalty points to lead Citroen Saxo pilot Nick Pollitt by four points. However a maximum score of 12 points on the eighth test reduced his advantage to a single point.

During the second round conditions deteriorated further but Parker excelled on the muddy tests only dropping 41 points for the round and building a lead of seven points.

Pollitt remained his nearest challenger and thus the situation remained during the afternoon’s dryer tests with the Japanese machine finally finishing ahead of the French by 15 points.

Class Two of the National event featured front wheel drive production cars (with ballast) and here Colin Read soon ‘got his eye in’ with his effective Volkswagen Golf GTi quickly leaving the Honda Civic driven by Paul Manning and Robert Williams in his wake.

The Clubmans category comprised of two classes. One well supported for front wheel drive machines and the second for sports cars.

The former boasted an entry of 15 drivers. During the slippery first round Weymouth driver Graham Blake displayed his experience at the wheel of a Nissan Micra with total penalties of 53 points a mere brace of points ahead of Volkswagen Golf exponent Paul Johnston who in turn headed James Forsyth by a single point.

The second round of eight tests saw the competition become more intense with Blake and Forsyth equal on 113 penalty points but with Johnston in the lead on 104.

Improved weather conditions brought about a change in the fortunes of some of the competitors in this class.

With amendments to the tests and a drying of the ground Mini Clubman 1275 GT driver Bob Bennetts from Stoke sub Hamdon made his move. With a score of 129 at lunch the Mini exponent had 25 points to make up.

By the end of the third round he was tying with Johnston for the class lead on 166 penalties.

At the end of the trial he had only dropped a further 32 points to take first overall in the two clubman’s classes with a seven point advantage over Johnston, the winner of the front wheel drive class.

The second class in the clubman’s event saw the Austin Nippy of Alistair Stevenson involved in an epic battle with the John York’s MG Midget. The Weymouth drivers enjoyed a day-long encounter with equal scores after the first round; 73 penalty points each.

By the half way stage the MG man had opened up a lead of four but by the conclusion of the third round in drying conditions Stevenson had pulled one back.

Would the eight tests of the final round be enough to steal the advantage?

The answer was yes with the Nippy driver snatching the win by a single point having gained a clean (nil penalties) on the fourth section from the finish.

PICTURE: CHALLENGING | Weymouth’s Alistair Stevenson winning the rear wheel drive class of the Clubman’s event at the wheel of his Austin Nippy.