Press trial

The annual “Wayzgoose” or printers frolic, took place on November 26th in its traditional form of a light-hearted motor-cycle trial in the back-woods of the Brands Hatch circuit. Supported principally by the motor cycle world, it was a chance for journalists and members of the trade and industry to have a go at trials riding, and traditionally everyone talked manufacturers and dealers into lending them suitable trials motorcycles. Motor Sport was represented by the Continental Correspondent, who borrowed a factory Greeves powered by a 175-c.c. Puch engine. Other firms who supported the event were Cotton Motorcycles, BSA Motorcycles, Suzuki (GB) Ltd. and many dealers such as Comerfords of Thames Ditton, and Vic Camp, while members of the staff of Duckhams, Castrol, Champion, Dunlop, British Leyland and Shell-Mex B.P. all took part, Keith Ballisat, the racing manager of Shell being seen to do some “ace” riding on a Bultaco, while D. S. J. of Motor Sport was lying on his car in the mud, having fallen off his borrowed Greeves!

Part of the regulations for entering is that “you only win once” and a handicap system ensures that the riding bears little resemblance to the results. The Best Performance Trophy was given to Robin Miller of Motorcycle News, while Alan Zafer of British Leyland won the Trade Barons Trophy, the more remarkable as he was learning to ride a motorcycle for the first time five minutes before the start in the Brands Hatch paddock. It was all good clean (muddy?) fun and many people expressed disappointment that there were not more members of the motor racing press taking part. Next December perhaps for the Grand Prix reporters? [I wish there was a prize for the slowest sidecar competitor.—Ed.