Summer Trial 2025 Leg 3 Rally Report

After 366 miles the Summer Trial 2025 returned from its final loop, with victory going to Malcolm Dunderdale and Anita Wickins, in their Renault 8 Gordini after so many close calls with the top step of the podium previously. After a final leg of 82 miles, featuring four regularities and three tests, following on from the 15 competitive sections from the first two legs, the top three were split in the end by just 18 seconds.

The fight was a tight one, that went all the way to the end, with a topsy turvy day that saw a few crews snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. At the midpoint of the final morning, just 5 seconds separated the top three, with the lead still belonging to the Days in the perennial Mini Cooper, that Chris and Claire had so far been imperious in. The best of the morning though had gone to the Woofs, picking up only one second of penalty in the red TR4, leapfrogging the Renault Gordini into second place, just four seconds off first place. With the rest of the field another 17 seconds back, it looked to be a three-way fight for the win as the seemingly decided top three left the time control to contest the final two regularities of the event.

Elsewhere in the field there had been mechanical issues for Richard and Arati De Watts, with a broken throttle cable on their MG B at the third test costing them the chance of a class victory in Class 5, one of the more difficult classes to win with so many MG B’s in the event. Victory in the battle of the MG’s would eventually go to Paul and Phil Wells in their MG B Roadster.

On an event that ramps up the difficulty as it progresses, the final two regularities should have been the most difficult. It would prove to be a combination of some excellent performances and some mistakes on these sections that  would decide the course of the final positions. Firstly, a wrong slot on the third regularity, followed by an early arrival at the subsequent timing point after some red-mist driving, would see the Woof’s quest for the win dissipate, as they picked up 30 seconds of penalty, and would eventually finish in eighth – but with the consolation of a class win in class 4.

The battle was now down to two, Gordini vs Mini, small vs smaller, with one competitive section to go. Consistency is key in this game, and the Mini was starting to pick up a few more seconds. The Gordini had actually pulled back 9 seconds on the Mini in the penultimate reg, putting Malcolm and Anita in the lead – though they wouldn’t know it. They saved their best ‘til last though, smashing the last regularity, with zeros across all four timing points, a clean reg right at the end that would guarantee them their first famous victory.

It still must have come as some surprise though, after Malcolm had finished fourth on the day’s first test, picking up 5 seconds of penalty in the process. Malcolm was of course delighted at the finish, with him and Anita securing their first win on a HERO event, and he had this to say, “After my performance on the first test we shouldn’t even have been in contention, I was hopeless. It was only Anita dragged us back from the brink, she was just brilliant, I was hopeless.” Anita simply added that it was a team effort, coupled with a knowing smile.

It was best of the rest and thoughts of what might have been then, for the rallies long-time leaders Christopher and Claire Day, who would finish in second, with a final gap of ten seconds to the leaders. Chris and Claire were still bubbling at the podium and had these collective thoughts on their second place; “Absolutely brilliant, a great weekend of fun, to share the podium with these crews after a battle that went down to the wire, its brilliant.” 

Third place then for Ken and Sarah Binstead, and another rally podium, which after beginning the day in fifth place showed that consistency is key to securing a result, which Ken alluded to, saying “A weekend with the ups and downs of rallying. We got better as the weekend went on, it’s a fantastic result, but we weren’t expecting it. To get a podium is brilliant stuff.”

In a field that featured a broad breadth of different experience, and cars spread across different eras, it would be two cars from 1968 that would finish in first and second. The weather may not have been especially summery, but it was still another fantastic Summer Trial, and we can’t wait to go again next summer.