Summer Trial 2026
*Prologue starts the 2026 rally with 5 regularities
*Wonderful first day route with remote roads and great scenery
*Jo and Pete Johnson hop over from Isle of Man to take early lead
A bumper entry of over 80 cars gathered in the historic city of Durham on Thursday evening at the Radisson Blu Hotel on the side of the river xxxxx just in time for the start of the Durham Half Marathon as thousands of runners lined the route to begin their own race though the ancient city.
Inspired by the competition, the Summer Trial crews set of on Friday morning literally under the shadow of Durham Cathedral (1093) driving out west of the city for the first couple of regularities before heading towards Derwent Reservoir, one of the highlights of the day together with climb up and over the moors, deeper into the Pennine National Park.
The roads were a mix of undulating narrow lanes under the trees, some with testing hairpins and then long stretches over the hills punctuated by junctions, some sudden and almost hidden, but in general the lovely remote roads were quiet as they made for great driving.
Jo and Pete Johnson arrived over from the Isle of Man in their Porsche 924S and after five regularities have taken an early lead by one second from Tm Lawrence and Riichard Lambley in a BMW 325I.
Jo Johnson said; “ “There were no tests. We wanted some tests to find out where we might be tomorrow, as usually on the first day it's nice to position yourself. It was a longer day than we thought was it was going to be, but it was lovely. We were mainly zeros and ones, although we did have a two!”
Fifth place navigator Mike Cochrane who is sitting beside John Lomas in their Volkswagen Golf GTi said of the roads; “They seemed really good, and then when we got over the moors, and they were still great as there was nobody on them! I thought Friday night was going to be a nightmare, we thought we're bound to catch it somewhere, but we didn’t, the roads were great and a cracking route for the Prologue.”
The other big story was Golden Roamer and HERO Challenge protagonist, Harry Baines is not here to navigate his father Dick on an event they have won in the past. Dick explained why; “He is at the farm working away on harvest duty. Harvest has come a month early so he working up and down the fields with ten men trying to get it all in.” Not to be short changed in the navigator’s seat, Dick has persuaded the record breaking LeJog Gold Medal winner and ace navigator, Iain Tullie to call the shots instead of Harry from the hot seat.
Iain described the first time he had crewed with Dick in the Mini Cooper as a “good start. I had a coupe of wrong slots, one was corrected very quickly but we did find a couple of tractors which held us up. We tumbled down the order a bit, but after that we got into the groove.”
Ken and Sarah Binstead are another winning crew to make a good start, lying third overall in their Austin Healey 3000 with defending Sunner Trial champions Anita Wickens and Malcolm Dunderdale fifth, but on the same penalty time as the Binsteads of nine seconds. Malcolm and Anita are in the excitingTriumph TR8.
It was quite a remarkable afternoon for teams scoring zero penalties on regularities. As well as the Johnsons and the Binsteads, young Irishmen Cathal and Eoin Boland scored a zero in their 1959 MGA Twin Cam. On his return to the sport, Paul Wignall with Phil Savage navigating their Alfa Romeo did the same on the fourth regularity. The Batchelors in their TR4 and the Topps in their Volvo, were also zero penalties on regularity four.
But the Summer Trial is also an Introductory level event which has helped new competitors on up the ranks after start up rallies such as the Novice Trial and Rally for the Ages. There are at least two starter crews on Summer Trial who are heading for the Peking to Paris Motor Challenge in 2028, and they are out on this rally starting to learn all about their new chosen sport.
Over from the USA are Wei Wei and Melissa So in the HERO-ERA Arrive Drive MGB and in at the deep end on their very first rally, but they are not last and are learning fast!
Stephen Wright and Jane Evans are equally on a steep learning curve in their 1962 Austin Healey 3000 Mk2 after a first event on Novice Trial. Their Healey was even in trouble at scrutineering!
Stephen Wright commented; “We have signed up for all sorts of events including the Peking to Paris. Brave or mad, who knows? But here we are with the car that didn’t get past scrutineering initially! We think it was just a fuse, a couple of tail lights and the wipers were not working. This morning it wouldn't start, however the mechanics were great and after that all was okay.”
Jane was asked if she was a little bit nervous given the steep learning curve and the events ahead?
“Yes, a little bit. I only did the Novice Trial, so I've got to navigate today and learn all the tulips and all the rest of the road book, so, I've had a lot to learn today. But there are a lot of helpful people around, we got help this morning and I think we've found somebody who's going to help us to look through the timing.”
Stephen; “I think I know a little bit what to expect, having done the Novice Trial, but you know, clearly it's a massive learning curve, but we are looking forward to it. Doing more events, and doing longer events, and sort of get getting into it, as they say!”
Young rallyists Dannie Siddle and Dom Easterbrook have literally rushed to Durham and to get their Ford Escort Mexico prepared in time. They arrived with one heck of a good looking rally car, the Escort just right for Summer Trial.
Dannie; “We've just got it out the garage, we’ve been trying to get it ready for the rally in time, so all in a bit of a rush. We had to meet Dad to run down to the garage to get the tyres changed them then a test and spin, the whole thing. But thankfully, we got it here.
There is some last-minute prep going on as well, we just opened the road book for the first time, but then we like to wing it! I just got my navigator Dom off the train as well, Dom has just graduated!”
Dom said; “I just graduated a day ago and came literally straight to the rally. I graduated in Computer Science at Bath University.”
Dannie, “That's why he's my navigator, the numbers guy.”
Dom; “The last time I rallied I had a couple slip-ups. Just a couple of really big detours, but I just wanted to see a different view. Yeah, we got penalties, but sometimes we're are a bit worried, as on the day, are we going to remember what to do? But I blame Dannie, he can't keep an instruction in his head for longer than 10 seconds.”
ends