THE National Car Trials Championship, promoted by the British Trials and Rally Drivers’ Association, was book-ended by events organised by the south Dorset-based Woolbridge Motor Club.

The series started at Hogcliff Farm near Maiden Newton in March and culminated at a new venue south west of Crewkerne.

The series has taken competitors to Derbyshire, the Isle of Anglesey and to Kent and saw the finals event run by Woolbridge with a level of enthusiasm and professionalism which attracted numerous accolades at the end of a day which presented competitors with eight challenging sections which they would tackle a total of four times.

The event comprised of two categories, the national event which catered for those contesting the British series and the Clubmans’ division, which was populated mostly by local competitors.

Early morning dew brought about a number of high scores during the first round but as the grass dried and the drivers became more familiar with the tests the penalties reduced and this was the case for Jim Forsyth in his Citroen Saxo who took an early lead which he was not to relinquish in the front-wheel-drive division of the Clubmans’ event.

The Bournemouth driver amassed 38 penalties during the first round prior to reducing his totals in subsequent rounds with scores of 28, 29 and 21.

Such was Forsyth’s performance that he took the overall honours in the Clubmans’ category leaving the class win to Blandford’s Dave Hiscock who completed the day four points ahead of John Kirby from Maiden Newton. Both campaigned Citroen Saxos.

In the two-wheel-drive (with no ballast) class the competition was fierce and again featured the trials car of the moment, the Citroen Saxo. Chard driver Graham Cleal showed a clean pair of heals to his challengers to take the class win eight points ahead of Dev Atkins who secured the award for the best performance by a Woolbridge member.

Dave Atkins claimed the Best Novice award with a total of 160 penalties with Peugeot 106 interloper Jeremy Searle taking second in the category nine points adrift of the novice winner.

Three cars started in the rear-wheel-drive class but only Sion Risiart completed the day in his Dutton Phaeton following the retirement of Weymouth drivers John York (MG Midget) and Alastair Stevenson (Austin Nippy) with a broken half shaft and a detached wheel respectively.

Previous MSA British and BTRDA Car Trials champion Mark Hoppé sought to defend his title competing in the national two-wheel-drive (no ballast) class with his 1600cc Citroen Saxo.

The Sherborne driver trailed class leader Henry Kitching by five points at the completion of the first round with the Vauxhall Corsa pilot increasing the margin by three, 16 and one point after each of the subsequent rounds.

With such an emphatic performance Kitching took overall victory in the national category and the 2016 championship with Hoppé claiming the class.

Six times BTRDA Trials champion Steve Courts took his Hillman Imp to the top award in the rear-wheel-drive (national) class finishing 12 points ahead of his nearest challenger and fellow Imp exponent double champion Dave Oliver.