1968 UAC Boxing Day Trial

Buggy Best at Boxing Day Trial

This report and pictures by Esler Crawford first appeared in MotorWeek dated 4th January 1969.

Robert Woodside’s new Beach Buggy made its debut with a vengeance in the Ulster Automobile Club’s traditional Boxing Day Trial. Despite apparently suffering from post-Christmas day muzziness which made him clout a pylon and lose a lot of marks on the first ascent of the observed hill Woodside took the Buggy to its first test win in fine style and in those tests where things really “clicked” completely demolished the opposition. Nevertheless, driving 850 Minis, Harold Hagan and Billy Morrison did very well to take second and third places in general classification.

On a bright clear morning, but with a touch of frost, with snow on higher ground to add a seasonal touch to the motoring the field of 50 cars set off from Standard Telephones and Cables Ltd at Newtownabbey to attempt a not-too-strenuous course about forty miles in length with. eight driving tests and two observed sections.

The first test was just a couple of miles away at Carntall where Ken Shields got off to a demoralising start by incurring a failure in his Volkswagen. However he did not let this put him off and drove at his best form for the rest of the event.

The course then went across the M1 at G1engormley to the second test at Roughfort Quarry. This was a really fast scorch round the quarry, but no-one managed to do themselves any harm although Roger Cree gave a few spectators a bit of a thrill when his Sprite got a bit out of line and took a dive at them.

FROST HELPED

This test was immediately followed by the first observed section which was a climb up a rough field but as luck would have it the frost had come to the rescue of the cars and a rock-hard surface there were plenty of penalty free runs right to the top of the hill.

In spite of this Woodside’s Buggy, with the eyes of the large crowd riveted on it, made a boob and spun to a halt losing a precious four marks while Beach Buggy distributor Robert McBurney could scarcely hide his frustration. But worse was to follow, for in the fourth test at Kilgreel a pylon penalty added a further ten marks to Woodside’s score.

Through Templepatrick the route now went to test five at Donegore Hill hear Parkgate where conditions were really treacherous with an inch of snow and ice on the T-junction where the test was sited but Ken Shields made good use of VW traction to take fastest time.

Test six and seven were in the shadow of Carnearney Forest and by now Woodside had really got into his stride and in test six took no less than 3.6 seconds off second best man Shields.

BLACK ICE

Test eight was at Priest’s Town just off the Doagh-Antrim road and here black ice nearly caught out Thompson Glass’s Hayrake which over-slid round a pylon and nearly contacted a very substantial wall. By this time Harold Hagan’s driving of a “bog” standard 850 Mini, which he had borrowed at three a.m. that same morning when his own Midget had broken a drive shaft, was beginning to be noticed and he was fastest in this test.

Test nine was a repeat of test three back in Roughfort Quarry and with his confidence well buoyed-up by setting fastest time, Reggie McSpadden managed to considerably modify the rear of his VW against a steel pillar after getting more than a little crossed-up. However the stoical McSpadden carried blithely on with the rear wheel executing the most fantastic wobble due to a bent drive shaft.

Finally came a repeat of the observed section which was a little more difficult this time as spinning wheels had made conditions rather more greasy. Nevertheless it was still ‘cleanable’ and especially praiseworthy were the efforts of Neville Johnston, Dennis McKeag, Paddy Hamilton and Lee Lucas in Toyota Corolla, Escort Twin Cam, Cortina G.T. and Viva G.T. respectively — not really cars which one would consider ideal for this type of going but this quartet all showed excellent throttle control while energetic bouncing by back seat passengers helped to maintain traction.

SURPRISED WINNER

This time Robert Woodside made no mistakes and the Beach Buggy just romped up and much to the surprise of Woodside himself he was duly announced the winner when the results were announced a couple of hours later.

Class winners included Harold Hagan in his first drive in a Mini for a long time while relative newcomer Trevor Fleming did well to win the Cooper S class from such experts as Ron Mullen and David Grant; David McCullough won the Imp class but novice Sam Morrison showed promise in taking second place while Derek Boyd celebrated the disappearance of Robert Woodside by being declared the winner of the VW glass from Reggie McSpadden.

In the “conventional” saloon class Lee Lucas as usual drove very neatly and this enabled him to beat the more powerful Escort G.T. of Dennis McKeag. Robert Woodside of course took the sports car class with Roger Cree beating brother Ian, troubled by a too-high first gear in his Midget, in third place by a single mark.

General Classification:

1. R. J. Woodside (Beach Buggy) 312.6;
2. W. H. Hagan (BMC Mini) 319.6;
3. W. T. Morrison (BMC Mini) 321.8.

Class 2 : (FWD saloons up to 1000 c.c.) 1st., W. H. Hagan (BMC Mini) 319.6; 2nd., W. T. Morrison (BMC Mini) 321.8; 3rd., J. K. McNinch (BMC Mini) 354.4.

Class 3 (FWD saloons over 1000 c.c.) 1st., T. Fleming (BMC Cooper S) 329.0; 2nd., R. Mullen (BMC Cooper S) 331.4; 3rd., W. D. C. Grant (BMC Cooper S) 354.8.

Class 4 (Rear engined cars up to 1000 c.c.) 1st., D. J. McCullough (Sunbeam Imp) 357.8; 2nd., S. J. Morrison (Imp) 422.4.

Class 5 (Rear engined cars over 1000 c.c.) 1st., D. D. Boyd (VW 1500) 339.4; 2nd., J. R. McSpadden (VW 1500) 350.0; 3rd., W. K. Shields (VW 1500) 360.2.

Class 6 (Front engined rear Wheel drive Saloons) — 1st., E. A Lucas (Viva G.T.) 348.6; 2nd., D. McKeag (Escort Twin Cam) 360.4; 3rd., N. Johnston (Toyota Corolla) 392.6.

Class 7 (Sports cars and specials) — 1st., R. J. Woodside (Beach Buggy) 312.6; 2nd., G. R. Cree (A.H. Sprite) 322.6; 3rd., I. Woodside (M.G. Midget) 323.6.