Balcairn – Banks Peninsula Branch

Jared Dacombe confident in the direction chosen, driver Gordon Dacombe has his doubts.

RALLY SNIPPETS

s George Kear in his MG based Covid Special.

s Vaughan Morrison was easy to spot in his bright Austin 7.

THE BALCAIRN 2020

Banks Peninsula Branch Words Michael Williams, Photos John McDonald

In the spirit of looking back, I have before me the results of the 1997 Balcairn Trial. There were 31 entrants, and only one Austin 7 Special. The winner was George Calder in a Fiat 501, with Peter Croft in an MG J2 second and Warner Mauger in the dreaded A7 third, closely followed by a flock of Pidgeons in a Bugatti Brescia and a Fiat 509. The Good Old Days.

This year history repeated itself, albeit in a somewhat modified form, as there were four Covid Specials competing. A Covid Special is a vehicle/thing that has been cobbled together by a bored vintagent from bits and pieces found lurking in dark corners of the garage. One of them was an MG Special, put together by George Kear. It had bits of a PA, of a J2, a Morris 10 and lots of George Kear innovation, and it looked great. So it’s a distant cousin of the J2 of Peter Croft, although I’m sure Peter the purist will deny any family connection. But aren’t all MGs Morris Specials? The other Covid Specials were Warwick Marshall’s Mostly Ford, and the two minimalistic Model As of Bob and Dave Molyneux. They looked great, they sounded great, the crowd loved them, but with no weight over the back wheels. their progress was minimal.

The course this year was ideal, not too wet, not too dry, and the organisers aimed for stages that required minimum towing, so for the first time in some years we were able to complete six stages. The winner from last year did not compete, so the perennial favourites, Messieurs Hyde, Govan, Rose, Dacombe and Co were feeling confident, and there were more spectators than usual to offer advice.

In general terms all stages were similar in that if you were an early runner you scored well. On very wet or very dry years it’s usually too easy or too hard, but this year was, like little bear’s porridge, just right. So on stage one, when the first two entrants got maximum points, the organisers were slightly concerned, but as the course got cut up the scores went down, and many didn’t make the first hill, let alone the dreaded final right hander.

Stage two suited the lighter cars, and became nicely muddy at the top, but varying lines and some judicious bouncing meant high scores for many. Giles Gill in the Morgan three wheeler, and thus one wheel drive, got to 17 and was overcome with joy, while Mike Ludecke, in his Ford