Summer Trial 2025 – Leg 1 Rally Report

The Summer Trial, HERO-ERA’s annual three-day summer rally, began this afternoon in the market town of Shrewsbury. After the glorious weather of the past few weeks, it was perhaps fate that this summer event began under cloudier skies than we have been accustomed to of late, with warnings of storms for the weekend. This would do little to dampen the spirits of the 82-strong entry though, highlighting the perennial popularity of this rally, whatever the weather.

The event is aimed at novice and intermediate crews, offering up a taster of multi-day rallying, and attracts a good mixture of experienced and inexperienced entrants alike. One of the most experienced in the field, and first away today, is former HERO-ERA Cup champion Paul Crosby, competing in the oldest car in the field, a 1939 MG TB Supercharged, alongside champion navigator Pete Johnson. Paul is adamant that he is here to shakedown the MG ahead of other events, but they will be a formidable pair, nonetheless.

For the second year in a row the rally is taking place in the borderlands of England and North Wales, though a smidge further south than last year’s event. This is familiar rallying territory, and the first day was conducted over 72 miles, taking in four regularities and three tests, two at the Rednal Kart Circuit, and one on what is left of the airfield of the former RAF Condover. With the rally starting at 2pm, it would be an afternoon of quickfire action to get all of the scheduled competition in, though as tradition dictates, the first day is one to bed the competitors in, with the difficulty level increasing as the weekend progresses.

The first regularity took place just three miles into the day, closely followed by two tests at Rednal and then a second regularity just a few miles after that. There certainly wasn’t time to catch a breath, though plenty of drivers had to catch a slide on the tight turns of the Rednal circuit, which is also a former RAF airfield. The tarmac was slippery in places, and Jason Reay, navigated by Rachel Miller, pushed his Healey 3000 MK2 into one slide too many, spinning completely towards the end of their second circulation of the track. Others meant business as well, Christopher Day kicking out the back end of the Mini Cooper, a style shared by Ken Binstead in his Healey 3000. Dick Baines, with last minute navigator stand in Miles Fieldhouse, was also pushing his Mini hard through the turns, with fuel spewing from the filler cap on the tighter radii. Best times on the test though would go to Chris and Claire Day, though their time of a minute on the second test was equalled by Antony Ross and Harriet Ross in the number 50 Alfa Romeo 1750 Spider. Incidentally, the Day’s were also quickest when the Summer Trial visited Rednal on the 2024 event.

Another regularity on the lanes followed, finishing at a time control at the Old Hand and Diamond Inn, the original local of Clerk of the Course Guy Woodcock, who grew up in this area. Today it was only coffee on offer for the crews, though Keith Davis and Henry Carr would have been better ensuring their car had had a drink, realising too late that the Peugeot 205 was low on juice. By this point though they had already begun the regularity that started immediately after the TC, and they were forced to search for fuel, relying on their Joker to claw some time back.

The third regularity was run over the Long Mountain, with some climbing, as well as a tricky crossing of the busy A458, that would cost time for those who were unlucky enough to encounter traffic on the road between Welshpool and Shrewsbury. There were a number of perfect scores though, David Westaway and Roger Smith being the first of these, as well as Peter and Janet Fletcher in car 10, Dick Baines and Miles Fieldhouse in car 11 and Ed Linton and John Youd in car 12. Nigel and Sally Woof were also in the zero club in car 27, as well as father and son James and Archie Holt, with Archie driving the BMW.

The fourth regularity followed shortly afterwards, as the route began to get closer to Shrewsbury again, and once this was complete the final test of the day would round out the competitive sections of leg 1. The surface of this final test was broken and loose, a far cry from its origins as an airfield perimeter track. The speed was high in places, and a slot right along the final straight of the test was catching some crews out, with spectacular lock ups on the gravel and rocks as navigators and drivers saw the turn somewhat too late. The Day’s were fastest again, putting in a time of one minute, 5 or more seconds faster than anyone else managed on the short test.

With the final act of the day complete, there were just a few miles of transit to finish the loop back where it began, with the timekeepers setting to work to compile the days results. Leading the field overnight are Paul Crosby and Pete Johnson in the MG TB, with 13 seconds of penalty. Four seconds behind them are Malcolm Dunderdale and Anita Wickins, after a good day in the pocket-sized Gordini, scoring well on the regularities, but suffering on the tests by virtue of being in the same class as the hard charging Day’s, who finish the day third overall, a couple of seconds behind the petite Renault.

Tomorrow is the only full day of rallying, with a 165-mile loop, that includes seven regularities and one test, as the Summer Trial heads into leg number two.