Golden Springs Car Trial

Event Report

Reigning British champion and 2014 BTRDA champion Mark Hoppe won his local Woolbridge Motor Club's Golden Springs Car Trial, the opening round of the national championships. Hoppe was stressed right from the start with an overheating engine in his Saxo, and withstood massive pressure from fellow local Nick Cleal to win the event for the third successive year in its fiftieth year of running.

Cleal lead Hoppe by a single point at lunch, and with one hill to go, were tied on points, but Hoppe scored one less point to win the class and event outright. Andy Webb completed the podium with a fantastic drive, just four points further back in his Alfa Romeo. Reigning South West champion Dave Robinson won the rear wheel drive class to finish in fourth place, ahead of Wayne Grimshaw who was chasing South West association allrounders points. Gemma Weeks made her debut at national level sharing her dad's Hillman Imp to finish third in class and top lady. Meanwhile former champion Nick Pollitt debuted a Vauxhall Corsa, and after a steady start had a much better afternoon to climb to eighth overall. Jim Forsyth won the clubmans section ahead of Jack Elliott who was sharing Hoppe's second Saxo.

Woolbridge Motor Club
34 starters
MSA, BTRDA, ASWMC championships

Mark Hoppe, Citroen Saxo, 75.1%
Nick Cleal, Citroen Saxo, 76.8%
Andy Webb, Alfa Romeo 145, 83.6%
Dave Robinson, Reliant SS1, 96%
Wayne Grimshaw, Vauxhall Nova, 100%
Nigel Weeks, Hillman Imp, 116.2%
Dave Atkins, Citroen Saxo, 126.7%
Nick Pollitt, Vauxhall Corsa, 138.3%
Shawn Franklin, Ford KA, 140%
John Wadsworth, Ford Ka, 163.7%