Classic trials: the perfect cheap and cheerful motorsport

The stages themselves also come in many and varied forms, from deep-rutted, muddy climbs through dense, root-riddled forests to near-vertical jaunts up byways covered in loose rocks.

Event organisers will add an additional crumb of difficulty by implementing a ‘restart’. This means driving so far up a section, stopping and then starting again. Restarts are often placed on roots or in swamp-like parts of the hill in a Dick Dastardly-esque ploy to make it even more challenging – of which I was cruelly reminded on my first outing in more than two years recently, with my VW Beetle-based buggy.

Our first climb of the Torbay Trial featured a tricky restart on a leafstricken hill running through some woods. Thankfully, a good bit of clutch control – and some bouncing to gain more traction (a common sight) – got us to the top. We accrued only a small number of points over the next few sections and it wasn’t until the infamous Tipley climb where our luck started to wane.

This time, a restart proved too challenging and, even with lots of wheelspin and bouncing, we gave up in a plume of smoke.

Restarts can often be a dealbreaker on a classic trial, and after our unfortunate efforts on Tipley, we started to rack up points as we ticked off more sections.

We regained some confidence on Simms, a well-known section that challenges even the best-prepared and most regular competitors. I judged the restart well and managed to pull away on the slippery rock without any drama, but more points were added to our scorecard after a silly error saw me stall while trying to deftly manoeuvre up to a restart. Another section caught me out for being too heavy-footed.

The last few climbs of the day were thoroughly entertaining, with a final run up through a wooded area to conclude the trial.

I ended up finishing towards the back of class 8, but the result did not detract from what had been a rewarding – and refreshingly low-pressure – day of motorsport.

Classic trials are truly unique in their nature, testing not only the ability of the driver and passenger, but the car as well. If you have a robust set of wheels lying around – and a willingness to get yourself covered in mud – it might well be the motorsport for you.

How to get involved

Association of Classic Trials Clubs (ACTC) chairman Dave Haizelden offers some top tips on how to enter the sport.

What does the average trial cost?

“Your average event costs around £50 to enter and it’s £20 for the insurance. With fuel costs, it’s a couple of hundred pounds in total.”