TRIALS

If you like the Badminton Horse Trials, but you’re a bit worried about getting on an unpredictable horse (not to mention the expense of keeping it), then car trials could well be for you!

They can be broken down into Sporting Trials (for purpose-built competition cars), Car Trials (for production road cars) and Classic Trials (which, despite its name, allows newer cars to compete alongside the older machinery). The MSA, the MSA British Sporting Trial Championship and the MSA British Car Trial Championship.

Speed is not the be-all and end-all in a sport that requires finesse, judgment and a finely-tuned throttle foot.

Trials are one of the oldest forms of motor sport, and are an ancestor of hill climbs, sprints, rallies and autotests. They were extremely prestigious in the 1920s and 1930s, being contested by works teams from the major car manufacturers. Today it is a purely amateur sport.

Drivers are allowed to carry passengers as ‘moving ballast’, and on Sporting Trials it can be helpful if your passenger is keen on gymnastics, as the cars frequently wave their front wheels spectacularly high in the air, as they fight for grip to complete the climb of a muddy hill.

Where do the events take place?
All over the country. They’re held on hilly land, with the idea being to keep going, however steep the inclines.

How do the events work?
Competitors take part in a series of tests, in twisty courses marked out by poles, the object being to get the furthest up each gradient without stopping or hitting the course markers. Points are lost depending on where you stop or which course marker you hit – get right to the top without stopping and you ‘clean’ a section, i.e. score no penalties. The crew with the lowest score over the whole event is the overall winner.

Classic Trials also include non-competitive sections on the public road in between the tests.

Passengers are used as ballast (and for navigation in Classic Trials). In the lightweight Sporting Trials cars, passengers can shift their weight around by leaning in different directions - a bit like sidecar racing.

So how do I start?
You’ll need to join a club to get a valid club membership card to enter club trials and then an MSA Clubmans Licence to enter interclub trials at regional and national events. For Classic Trials, you will need a full driving licence.

The BTRDA is a good club for starters, as they organise many trials. However, for information on classic trials you need to go to the ACTC. Go to GO FIND CLUBS for information on clubs in your area.

Before you enter an event, go to some meetings to chat with some of the competitors. Most of them will be happy to talk and give you advice.

But what can I compete in?
Sporting Trials cars are two-wheel-drive machines that are specially built for competition. Very lightweight, they produce around 100bhp. ‘Fiddle’ brakes, operated by levers in the cockpit, transfer the torque between wheels, and therefore act as a manual form of traction control. You can usually pick a car up for around £2500 - Sporting Trials has details of cars for sale.

For Car Trials or Classic Trials, your road car is ideal. Very little, if any, modification is needed, although it will probably be useful to make sure there’s a carwash available on the way home!

Equipment Required
No helmets or racewear are required, although as trials tend to take place over the winter months, warm and waterproof clothing is advisable, especially for Sporting Trials.