06/05/2025
CAR #33 RACE REPORT - Chelsea Hopkins & Connor Clark
Location: Binegar Quarry, Somerset
Conditions: Blistering heatwave, dust-choked quarry bowl, flying rocks
Car: Bert – freshly prepped, first time out
Hoping I got all the bits in the right order here... photo from -Action.com Sports Photography
Binegar Quarry doesn’t mess around. It’s steep, rocky, and shaped like a coliseum. In the middle of a heatwave, the place felt like a furnace filled with gravel and adrenaline. Dust poured off every corner, and the crowd loomed above, watching like gods over mortals. Round 1 of Dirt Nationals was here, and Bert (on loan from BeecroftsTyres Ltd ) was finally getting his first proper run. Fresh livery by Positive Perception.
We arrived, passed scrutineering without drama, and set off for a look-see lap. I’ve co-driven at Binegar a few times before, so the layout wasn’t totally new - but this was my first time in the driver’s seat, and Bert is a different animal entirely. Confident on the rocks, responsive in the tight stuff. Everything felt promising.
Connor Clark, in the co-driver seat, was already proving to be the best kind of right-hand (left hand?) man - sharp with the info, calm as a monk, and ready for anything. Dinner was spaghetti bolognese, beef supplied by Hanks’ Meat & Game - solid start.
We kicked off the morning with bacon and sausage (also from Hank's), then hit the three-hour open qualifying. Didn’t take long for gremlins to show up - a fuel pump failed, popped a fuse, and we were out of action before posting a time. No quali time meant starting from the back in Heat 1. Hello, dust.
In the chaos, Connor stayed steady and clear on calls, keeping me focused while we hot-swapped fuses mid-run. Despite needing a tow back after the car conked out again, we managed 4th in class - a decent save, all things considered.
Back in the pits, we bypassed the bad pump and reset the starter to its proper position. Zako, our behind-the-scenes wizard, got to work rewiring and diagnosing the fuse issues like he was defusing a bomb. Calm, methodical, and quietly essential.
In Heat 2, we headed out hopeful - only for disaster to strike a few laps in. The steering felt off, followed by a bang bang under the car. I pulled us out of the line and Connor jumped out without missing a beat. Diagnosis? Front driver's control arm had separated from the chassis. Bolt gone.
What followed was textbook bush mechanics: ratchet straps, a ratchet handle jammed in place, and a slow, careful return to the pits. Connor never panicked - just got on with it like he’s done this a hundred times.
Evening repairs were a team effort:
Jack Knibbs sorted a proper earth for the working fuel pump.
Dan & Paul Barriball (car 116) gave us a replacement bolt.
Andy Beecroft’s team loaned us red loctite.
Jack Bould added tack welds to the remaining bolts.
Zako was under and over the car checking all was OK for the morning. Cool under pressure, thinking five steps ahead. Dinner was chicken curry - and we got some sleep, ready to reset.
Course was reversed Sunday, bringing some new challenges and fresh confidence. Zako was up early again, rewiring the pumps, installing an inline fuse for easier swaps, and tidying up the full setup with surgical precision.
Heat 3 – Déjà Bolt:
Everything seemed perfect until it wasn’t - the tack weld on the radius arm bolt gave way, and off we went to do another trail-side fix. Same issue, new solution. Ratchet strap and handle, back to the pits, regroup. This time, Raymond & Reece (car 503) provided a longer bolt that went clean through the arm and chassis. Zako welded it in solid - huge thanks to Terry Furlong and team Kirkby Signs Ltd for the use of their welder. Connor and I rolled back out, still fighting.
Heat 4 – Finally, a Proper Run:
We launched clean and stayed clean. The car held together, fuel system worked flawlessly, and we crossed the line 3rd in class. Connor was ice in the hot seat - on pace, clear with notes, and always one step ahead on terrain. We came off the track grinning. Bert finally showed what we could do.
Heat 5 – Mifires and Misfortune:
Final heat was 1 hour + 1 lap. We were flying, loving the layout, and carving through until halfway, when something felt… wrong. Misfiring, then stalling. We limped around a full lap, making calls and trying to ignore the misfire. At the base of the steepest hill, we stopped.
Right next to us? Harry and Callum in car 666. Legends. They jumped in and helped diagnose a vacuum issue in a weird spot. Their quick fix got us up the hill. A few corners later - stalled again. Zako got on the radio, cool as ever, and talked us through another workaround. Got a few metres - stalled again. Final climb saw us stall three times before limping across the finish line. Bert earned every second of that lap.
This wasn’t a clean weekend - but it was a real one. We came into it treating it as a test, and we leave it knowing where Bert’s strong and what needs fixing. We finished 5th out of 7 in class, but considering we were ‘just testing’? That’s a victory.
A massive shout-out to Connor Clark - my co-driver, calm as a cucumber. His info was bang on, his vibe was contagious, and he never once let the chaos get the better of us.
And to Zako, the unsung hero who rewired, welded, debugged, and kept the whole thing rolling when it could’ve easily ended Saturday morning. You don’t win anything without people like Zako in your corner.
Also huge thanks to:
Andy Beecroft’s team BeecroftsTyres Ltd
Paul & Dan Barriball (car 116)
Harry & Callum (car 666)
Raymond & Reece (car 503)
Jack Knibbs
Jack Bould
Terry Furlong & crew
And, always, our sponsors: 4x4Tyres.co.uk BeecroftsTyres Ltd Ultra Radiance Alive Tuning Hanks’ Meat & Game Proceed Property Limited Dean Radio Punchline Gloucester Overkill Magazine zendonews.com, TANKWISE and Brian Clark & Co.
Round 1 down. Bert’s blooded. We’re just getting started.
