NEWS

Read Jack Bonds write up from the event 

Following a driver swap from their usual format at the Welsh, Jack Bond found himself back in the driver’s seat for the weekend. The pressure was on — after all, Lucy had only dropped points on one hill at the Welsh, earning herself a 1st Class Award. Unfortunately, Jack didn’t manage to take home any awards this time, but he was quick to joke that the move to Class 1C might be to blame.

The team’s base for the weekend was the AirBnB flat above the Royal Oak in Gretton — an ideal location, with just a short stroll to sign-on and scrutineering at Martyn and Rose Quilter’s beautiful Elms Farm. The venue offered everything a competitor could ask for: a smooth and efficient scrutineering setup, bacon butties and coffee in the morning, and beer and burgers waiting at the finish.

The first hill of the day was Gunward, led by Richard Baxter’s Chrysler with John Wiseman navigating from the back seat — an entertaining sight as the duo found their rhythm. The Chrysler led a trail of Austin 7 Chummys, looking for all the world like a mother duck followed by her brood. Gunward was cleared without much drama before the group tackled Wayward, where Rob Hubbard’s layout proved delightfully tricky. Jack and team scored a respectable 7¾ — one of the better results of the day until James B-E managed to clear the hill in his “mighty” Chummy as the conditions began to improve.

Next up was Papermill, where Jack’s team scored 120 out of a possible 135. Watching others attack the hill with plenty of wheelspin and understeer, Jack tried a gentler approach, only to score an equally unremarkable 10 — proof that sometimes caution doesn’t pay off!

A lunchtime rain shower greeted competitors at Farmcote, where a stop-and-restart section caused havoc. Having just watched Will Marsh and Wilf demonstrate how it should be done, Jack’s attempt ended in a complete standstill. From there, the wet conditions continued to challenge everyone across the remaining hills, including Hawling One, Langley Rush, and Bonds Crossing — where an ambitious leap landed the Chummy’s nose squarely on marker 23. The day finished on a positive note, however, with a clean at Marsh’s Cut.

Back at Elms Farm, competitors enjoyed burgers, beer, and results. Jack echoed Rob’s thanks to all the landowners, marshals, setup teams, and the VSCC office staff for their hard work and dedication. Events like these, he noted, simply wouldn’t happen without such passionate volunteers.

He also thanked Rob and Tim for organising such a successful and popular trial — one that regularly fills to capacity. Jack encouraged anyone who misses out on an entry to get involved through marshalling or helping behind the scenes to keep the sport thriving.

Finally, Jack reminded everyone about the ongoing Working Group discussions around Class 1B/C, urging members to share their ideas with the team at TSC@vscc.co.uk.

See you all in the Lakes!