Interested to find out what an actual PCT Championship course was like, Steve Thompson, Sam Collins and Andy Watkins made their way down the M3 to the MoD proving grounds at Hungry Hill, near Fleet in Hampshire.

Steve and Sam were double driving Steve’s Manta whilst Andy had the trusty (cheapest car in motorsport??) Ibiza out. Chris Judge’s name was on the entry list but he didn’t materialise.

Weather was remarkably good, considering how awful it had been the day before. After signing on, scrutineering was a formality, a quick check to see the battery was secure and that we did have some brake fluid, plus the word that there might be random spot checks on tyre pressures during the day.

Bearing in mind most of the machinery was either in the MOT failure or MG  categories (why do MGs do so well at these events?), Steve’s ‘shiny’ Manta certainly raised a few eyebrows. And no wonder, the deeply rutted and pot-holed Hill 1 brought worrying grinding and scraping from underneath both of the cars. The other hills comprised of steep, deeply-rutted tracks with plenty of loose stones and rocks that were thrown up by the wheels; or very tight, slippery, woodland tracks of mud and leaves that particularly caught the Manta out.

Although some of the entrants had modified their suspension, a chat with the CofC revealed the majority of the vehicles were running in standard trim. This was not going to be a non-damaging event! Sure enough, the AX ahead of me sustained damage and was forced to remove the whole of its front trim. Various other vehicles were regularly depositing bits en route, especially the big Vauxhall estate which lost all of its rear bumpers and valances, finally having to secure them back by means of ropes slung across the roof!

Steve and Sam were having a pretty bad time in the Manta. In fact, on the only test that either Sam or he managed to clean all day, Steve managed to beach the car at the top when he stopped to get his card signed! 

The "You’ve been framed" moment however, goes to Sam. One of the marshals kindly gave Sam a push at the start as he’d become bogged down (obviously forgetting the Manta is rwd) and Sam kindly repaid him by spraying him from head to toe with the contents of the woodland floor!

It was decided wisely to retire the Manta after 10 or so of the 20 climbs, but the Ibiza pushed on and was able to finish all 20 climbs and appeared to be relatively unscathed. However we had not excelled, my score of 73 was a fair way behind the leaders in my class who were sub-30. But the Ibiza did finish and a number of the other cars in my class did not!

I count myself lucky that I was able to drive home afterwards though, (most of the cars had arrived on trailers), and think that maybe I’ll stick to the ‘B19 standard’ PCTs for the time being.