Mercian Trial - Coventry & Warwickshire

Date: 18th November 2007

The Mercian Trial was the first sporting trial that Coventry and Warwickshire Motor Club have organised and saw the inaugural inter-association team sporting trial.

Thirty competitors arrived in very cold and wet conditions with seven association teams represented. Simon Kingsley took an early lead after the first round, but was quickly overtaken by John Fack who never looked like being beaten thereafter. Fack gradually opened out a big lead to win the trial from Richard Gowen who had recruited son, Andy, into the passenger seat. Just one point behind was Steve Courts with Kingsley slipping to fourth. Stephen Barnes followed up his third, from last week, with fifth in totally contrasting conditions, just ahead of fellow Kent driver Stuart Beare who was competing for the first time in seven months. Alan Ede in his debut year, and first event in wet conditions had an excellent seventh overall using all the Kincraft's power.

Teams of three drivers were limited to a maximum of two past event winners. The associations represented were West Midlands who had fielded three strong teams, South East with two, South West and North one each. The North were soon eliminated with the retirement of Dave Martin with driveshaft failure. With John Fack dominating the event, it was other team members Dave Rance and Julian Fack who were struggling with a lack of power forcing the West Midland Gliders team to settle for second.

Just six marks behind were the South East team of Stuart Beare, Stephen Barnes and Ian Veale. Veale had been expected to challenge for the top individual places but was struggling to find grip in his recently developed independent rear suspension car. However, with two competitors in the top three overall it was the Loton Climbers representing the West Midlands who ended up clear winners twenty six marks up on the Gliders. The team been made up of Gowen who achieved his best result ever in second, and Courts just behind in third and Pete Fensom eighth. The winning team were presented the trophy by West Midlands association secretary John Arnold.  

1 John Fack (Crosslé) 84; 2 Richard Gowen (Facksimile) 117; 3 Steve Courts (Facksimile) 118; 4 Simon Kingsley (Crosslé) 122; 5 Stephen Barnes (Sherpa) 123; 6 Stuart Beare (Sherpa) 133; 7 Alan Ede (Kincraft) 139; 8 Peter Fensom (Crosslé) 142; 9 Jerome Fack (SRB) 149; 10 Paul Faulkner (Sherpa) 150

INTER-ASSOCIATION Results:

1 AWMMC Loton Climbers (Steve Courts, Pete Fensom, Richard Gowen) 377marks; 2 AWMMC Gliders (John Fack, Julian Fack, David Rance) 403marks; 3 ASEMC (Ian Veale, Stuart Beare, Stephen Barnes) 409marks; 4 ASWMC (Jerome Fack, Alan Ede, Ian Rodman) 447marks; 5 AWMMC Shelsley Climbers (Antony Lane, Dave Oliver, George Watson) 472marks; 6 ASEMC 2 (Monty Peters, Paul Faulkner, John Ridley) 527marks; 7 ANCC (David Martin, Simon Kinsgsley, Mark Milne) RTD