FIVE OF ONE, A DOZEN OF THE OTHER
Staffordshire & Shropshire Land Rover Club & Wormhough 4x4 Club join forces to hold their own open CCV trials
This was the first CCV of the year for the Staffs & Shrops Land Rover Club and run very much as a fact-finding mission. Held at a venue new to them but well known to the members of the Wormhough 4x4 Club, who partnered with them for this event, the trial would be different for each club.
S&S, a long established Land Rover club run traditional trials with 12 gates, while Wormhough 4x4 Club, a relatively new club, open to all 4x4s, run their trails events with only five gates.
Bob Whetton and myself set the sections out. It was a mixture of the normal ALRC 12-gate systems of trial sections and the fivegate system used by the Wormhough 4x4 Club. The aim was to drive six sections of 12 gates in the morning and six sections of five gates in the afternoon.
Sunday started bright and sunny with 11 competitors, six from S&S and five from Wormhough. One of the Wormhough competitors had entered a single-seat special with four-wheel steer, lockers and fiddle brakes, but all the other vehicles were what you would call standard spec CCV motors along the lines of those you normally see at S&S club events.
The first of the 12 gate sections caught out most drivers as they got stuck on gate six, and one of the Wormhough drivers did go a little awry getting stuck on gate nine. However, a couple did manage to clear the section. On section two it was again gate six that was beating the majority of the drivers, and just a couple managed to get through it and on to clear the section. The curse of gate six struck again on section three, when nobody managed to get beyond gate six. The remaining sections – four, five and six – everyone cleared and managed a low score. With the first six sections completed it was off to the clubhouse for tea and coffee provided by the landowners, and once fed and watered everyone returned outside to take on the six sections of the fivegate system.
To give the S&S drivers the opportunity to see how it worked, the Wormhough drivers went first. Not very successfully as it turned out as they all failed at gate five. Time for the S&S drivers to have a go. Martin Smith climbed out through gate five with great gusto and was so proud of his achievement he missed gate four completely. Section seven was down by the river. When setting it out, Bob must have thought everyone had a sat nav as it was
STAFFORDSHIRE & SHROPSHIRE LAND ROVER CLUB
The Staffordshire & Shropshire Land Rover Club, a long-established club founded in 1964, is a member of the Association of Land Rover Clubs (ALRC) and holds events under the ALRC rules. It also holds open events a couple of times a year where NON-ALRC clubs and non-land Rovers can enter, its May Day Bank Holiday Interclub being one such event. For those that want to learn more about S&S LRC, visit saslrc.co.uk, or join in the banter on their Facebook page. WORMHOUGH 4X4 CLUB Wormhough 4x4 Club is a small, friendly club near Ruston Spencer in Staffordshire. It is Msa-recognised and run trials events under MSA regulations and permits, catering for all types and makes of 4x4. The club prides itself on friendly but fierce competition, with trials held every month as well as weekly club night meetings. Details of all their events and information on the club and its activities can be found at wormhough.co.uk and on their Facebook page. somewhat mind-boggling as to which gate followed which.
Surprisingly, everyone must have got used to the Wormhough five-gate system as nobody got lost, and most cleared the section. Sections nine and ten were also entertaining with mixed scores, from clears to high. But as time was now getting on for 4.30 pm it was decided not to do the last couple of sections so it was back to the clubhouse for a quick cuppa and prize giving.
When the results where declared, first overall went to Wormhough driver Andy Jackson in a modified 4x4. First ALRC standard Land Rover was Alex Skidmore from S&S; Martin Skidmore from S&S went second and Russ Chadwick from Wormhough third. There were only two points between overall winner Andy Jackson in a modified trails 4x4 and Alex Skidmore in a standard ALRC Land Rover.
The aim of the day was to see if the clubs could encourage people to come out and compete, and it succeeded. People also came to marshal and watch. S&S will be returning to Wormhough Farm later in the year for a family fun and games event, and in October for a CCV Trial.