Torbay Trial 2025 Entries Open

Torbay Motor Club LogoEntries are now open for the 2025 Torbay Trial, this year running on Sunday 16th March.

2025 Torbay Trial Regulations (CARS)
2025 Torbay Trial Regulations (BIKES)

2025 Torbay Trial Online Entry

“Conditions permitting we hope to have three new Sections this year along with the popular classics like Simms and Tipley.

We expect to put on another tough event and will again do our best to balance this across the Classes to give each Class a fair crack at the Overall positions. This will include Scoring Relief on some Sections based on Class and/or wheel size (e.g. cars running 13″ wheels).

This event is often fully subscribed before the closing date so if you are thinking of entering then best not to leave it too long.

If you are not planning to compete but can help to Marshal, then please contact Dave Haizelden Clerk of Course – 07841 860121.”

Start Venue : Exeter Court Hotel, Kennford, Exeter EX6 7UX

2024 ACTC Championships Awards Evening

Tickets are now available for the ACTC Awards Evening, one of the few opportunities triallers get to sit in the same room without leaving at one minute intervals!

This year’s ACTC Awards Evening will be on Saturday the 15th of March 2025, once again the night before the Torbay Trial. The venue will again be at the popular Padbrook Park Hotel at Cullompton and we plan to have a fun evening looking back over the 2024 season and congratulating those that will pick up the silverware.

Ticket sales must close on Friday 21st February 2025 so that final numbers and Menu Choices can be passed to the Hotel. Plenty of accomodation is available but you please must book this yourselves.

If you’re planning to come along then best not to delay, you can book using the following link :

ACTC Awards Evening Booking Form

Launceston Trial 2025 Entries Open

Launceston & North Cornwall Motor ClubEntries are now open for the 2025 Launceston Trial, running on Sunday 2nd March.

2025 Launceston Trial Online Entry
2025 Launceston Trial Regulations
2025 Launceston Trial Entry Form [DOCX]

“We are pleased to open entries for the single venue Launceston Trial, its 39th running on Sunday 2nd March 2025 at Lew & Eatscott Woods (between Launceston & Okehampton). The event has been well supported in recent years so we hope many of you can join us this year for a relaxed day of trialling with plenty of sections on offer for all classes.

We are looking at approx. 18 hills for all with the bikes having a selection of their own sections as well. Note the additional classes than on a normal classic for the motorcycle classes, catering for the variety of ages and machines we have had in recent years.

We hope a good number of you can join us. Of course, if you are unable to enter, offers of marshalling, as ever, would be greatly received.”

Venue : Lew Woods, Lewdown, Devon, EX20 4NY

2024 Final Championship Tables

Here are the final championship tables for 2024. Congratulations to all the winners.

2024 Championship Tables

CARS – National Championship Winners
2024 Wheelspin League : Paul Merson
2024 Crackington League : Simon Oates
2024 Navigators League : Alice Warren Carter

MOTORCYCLES – National Championship Winners
2024 Pouncy League Overall : John Reeves
2024 Pouncy League Class : Kathryn Martin
2024 Red Rose League : Andy Beveridge

March Hare Trial 2025 Entries Open

Entries are now open for the 2025 March Hare Trial, to be held on Sunday 2nd March.

2025 March Hare Trial Regulations (CARS)
2025 March Hare Trial Regulations (BIKES)

2025 March Hare Trial Online Entry

2025 March Hare Trial Entry List

The challenging conditions underfoot from last year’s March Hare have lead to some changes for this year, as we become a round of the ACTC championship for the first time. No more grass sections, no more Rosie’s Bog and a split route to allow Kineton to run at every 2 minutes should lead to much fewer delays. The aim is definately to finish on time this year after two successive late ones! We plan to run the event to a similar format as the last year with the entry open to both cars and motorcycles, including 12 sections and 2 tests. We’ve taken out the problematic Battlescombe and Viaduct from last year and found a historic section not used since the Guy Fawkes in the 60s along with a new hard stony section that I hope will give a good restart opportunity.

Starting at Porky’s Diner at Honeybourne near Evesham and finishing at The Amberley Inn on Minchinhampton Common, the 79 mile route will again include many of the historic sections once used by the Colmore & Guy Fawkes Trials, including; Kineton, Postlip, Fry’s Quarry and Saintbury, the intention is again to make it an entry level trial where even beginners will see the top of many of the sections, but there might be something to test class 8 in the quarry.

The Falcon MC equivalent of a Triple Award for three gold medals in a row is in action and five competitors are ‘on a Cotswold Stone’ – let’s see if they can go clean again and pick up the award.

Trailer parking is available at the finish in Nailsworth, and a proposed route to follow from there to the start at Honeybourne will be provided.

For car entrants an RS Clubman competition licence is required for both driver & passenger – for motorcycle entrants an ACU licence is required – please ensure you read the event regulations carefully.

The organising team looks forward to receiving your entry. If you are unable to enter, please consider volunteering to marshal by contacting the event secretary with your offer to help.

For marshaling offers/enquiries contact the event secretary: [email protected]

Start Venue : Porky’s Diner, Weston Road, Honeybourne, Evesham, WR11 7QF

Exmoor Trial 2025 Entries Open

Regs are now available for the 2025 Exmoor Trial, to be held on Sunday 9th of February.

2025 Exmoor Trial Regs (CARS)
2025 Exmoor Trial Regs (BIKES)

Entries are open and must be done online :

Online Entry
Current Entry List

“Welcome to the 2025 Exmoor Trial which all began in 1948. As normal we cater for 2, 3 and 4 wheeled vehicles, young and old and those in between. Also beginners are encouraged to enter as are the very experienced. Whatever you ride/drive we hope you enter and have an enjoyable day. If you prefer you are always welcome to observe/marshal.”

Start Venue : Exmoor Farmers Market, Kentisbury, Barnstaple, EX31 4NW

Cotswold Clouds Trial 2025 Entries Open

Stroud & District Motor ClubEntries are now open for the 2025 Cotswold Clouds Trial, to be held on Sunday 2nd February.

2025 Cotswold Clouds Trial Regulations

2025 Cotswold Clouds Trial Online Entry

“On Sunday 2nd February 2025 we welcome you to join us, as we have done since 1963, for our annual Cotswold Clouds Classic Trial. Over the years many competitors and spectators have enjoyed the Cotswold Hills and this year will hopefully be no exception.

Although some of the sections may provide more of a challenge than others, the clerks of the course do not wish to make all hills stoppers for any of the 9 classes, giving all the chance to successfully climb some hills during the day. The Clouds, winner of the ACTC Trial of the Year award in 2016, remains a successful and popular trial attracting a full entry for many years. The organising team of Paul Watson, Gary Browning, Kieran Yarwood, Peter Hayward and Suzanne Burns look forward to receiving your entries, so please complete the online entry form as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. We will keep you updated with entries via our website and the Club’s Facebook page.

The excellent facilities at Fromebridge Mill will again be the start venue as in previous years. Tea, coffee and hot food will be available as usual. Trailer parking will be available at Fromebridge Mill. If you’re not planning to compete this year, please consider offering your services as a Marshal. These offers are so very much appreciated and we literally couldn’t do it without you!

We look forward to seeing you on the hills. The Organising team

Start Venue : Fromebridge Mill, Fromebridge Lane, Gloucester, GL2 7PD

Clee Hills Trial 2025 Entries Open

Entries are now open for the 2025 Clee Hills Trial, taking place on Sunday 19th January.

Online Entry – Cars
Online Entry – Bikes

2025 Clee Hills Trial Regulations (Cars)
2025 Clee Hills Trial Regulations (Bikes)

“75 Miles in the finest Shropshire countryside with a total of 13/14 sections run by the Midland Manor Motor Club.

The not very popular Coats Wood is out this time round, and a new group of three sections should offer some excitement.

The start and finish are at “The Squirrel” in Ludlow and with a Travelodge next door and a petrol station on site what more convenient start could there be.

As always, marshals are needed and a note to Adrian Tucker-Peake [email protected] will reserve you a slot.

More info including entry list available on the event website at http://cleehillstrial.info/

Start Venue : The Squirrel, Foldgate Lane, Ludlow, SY8 1LP

2025 ACTC Championships Entry Form

ACTC

Click here to use our online entry system.

The 2025 ACTC Championship will soon be upon us, we have held 2024 prices for all championships and for printed Restart magazines.

Cars : £10 (£4 for Navigator)      Bikes : £5

Printed copies of Restart magazine is £12.

Enter online here (payment by Paypal or card).

If you would rather send your entry in by post then download the form below.

ACTC Entry Form 2025 (PDF)

ACTC Entry Form 2025 (DOC)

Please email or post your entry form to Claire Tonkin – [email protected], postal address is on the form. You can pay by online transfer, or cheque.

Hill Reversing Guide

ACTC TRIALS DRIVING – HILL REVERSING GUIDE – ‘BRAKING IT DOWN’

As we state and recognise, motorsport can be dangerous and in our specialism it is often the case that for a car driver having made an ‘almost successful’ climb, the task of safely and confidently reversing his steed back down a slippery, uneven and twisting track when perhaps surrounded by marshals, spectators, trees and banks, can prove daunting. Whilst the car can be relatively stable under power on the ascent, it can prove wayward under the influence of gravity and any loss of control.

ACTC Committee here propose guidelines that may be offered to competitors in the form of best practice to follow, though of course they are not mandatory. It is not possible to allow for every scenario and vehicle type, but the following is the reversing process to adopt in typical trialling circumstances.

These guidelines aim to accommodate the different behaviour of ‘Older’ cars (likely to have a 4 wheel handbrake and no steering column lock) and the more ‘Modern’ ones (likely to have servo brakes and power steering for example). We can ‘Brake Down’ the principles here through the summary A.B.S. – in this case Awareness, Braking and Steering.

1. Preparation

Awareness:

  • ensure you have good side and rear visibility around your car from the driver’s seat
  • ensure the reversing light is powerful and aligned for any night-time action
  • brief your passenger if a novice, on procedure for hill failures and exit routes

Braking:

  • give your footbrake and handbrake good firm ‘function’ tests both before and during the trial in safe places, such as at controls and waiting in queues
  • consider installing a hydraulic handbrake – more powerful and reassuring, and there’s plenty of advice out there

Steering:

  • wrap a yellow tape band around the steering wheel rim at the straight ahead spot

2. Stopped on a Section

Awareness:

  • listen to the marshals’ instructions
  • take a good look around and behind you for any obstacles or people, check mirrors
  • keep your passenger seated in the car unless otherwise instructed

Braking (Older) :

  • apply the handbrake firmly
  • switch off the engine and engage reverse gear

Braking (Modern) :

  • apply both footbrake AND handbrake firmly
  • leave the engine running in forward gear and press the clutch pedal down

Steering:

  • check your front wheels are facing ahead using the rim tape and marshal guidance

3. Reversing Down

Awareness:

  • have your passenger and marshals guide you
  • STOP and take a breather if it is long and twisty, recover and then continue

Braking (Older) :

  • release the handbrake and keep off the footbrake
  • use the compression of the dead engine to allow a steady descent

Braking (Modern) :

  • lightly release both brakes to let the car creep back
  • pulse the footbrake about 2 times / second to keep slip under control
  • when the car is steady, shift to use handbrake only, to regain your steering keep the clutch down, in gear, with the engine running
  • if you run wide, STOP, shunt forward and try again

Steering:

  • try to keep all wheels in the ruts around bends
  • DON’T let the car sweep round sideways across a steep hill
  • keep the car pointing uphill until it’s safe to turn around

Once you are safely back down, thank any parties who may have helped you, take a breath and maybe ‘uncrick’ your neck! Above all, practice these guidelines perhaps at a single venue trial where experts can advise, take…your…time and be safe!

Adrian Tucker-Peake