MANY people consider motor sport has gone beyond the reach of ordinary people and that you need to spend big bucks to have a fast car to take part. Not so, writes Chris Breen.

In fact there is one affordable branch of the sport, classic-trialling, that isn't about speed and performance but which still provides thrills, genuine pleasure and a stern test of driving ability.

Classic trials pit man and machine against gravel, grease, and gravity and they are not confined to classic vehicles, as the name might imply - it is the event that's classic, not the machinery.

They are called "classic" because such events have been going since the year dot and the format is pretty much as it has always been.

You can enter a classic trial in whatever kind of vehicle you wish be it old, new, expensive, cheap, front or rear-wheel drive, mass-produced or even home made as long as it is road legal, because you have to travel from place to place.

You don't have to have fancy off-road tyres, because they are not allowed, but underbody protection for your engine and gearbox is needed and brake and fuel pipes should be rerouted inside the car because the going can get rough.

Good ground clearance is useful and beefy suspension is a help, but not essential and you will only compete against similarly powered cars in your class.

So welcoming are the events (and the organisers) in fact, that they usually include a competition for any age or type of motorcycle.

You can enter for fun or serious competition; and, in the same event, take part in a club event, or even a national championship.

Most events used to take place in the Midlands and West Country, but now there is a regular annual event, in the north, including the Fell Side Auto Club Northern Classic Trial, in Cumbria, each spring.

This provides a great day's driving experience, mostly in the splendid scenery of the Lake District National Park, and the forests and valleys, near Bassenthwaite Lake.

To learn more about the Northern Classic Trial visit the FSAC website at: www.fsac.flyer.co.uk. You can download the entry forms, or apply by post to: Diane Veevers, Treasurer, FSAC, The Old Mill, Thurstonfield, Carlisle, Cumbria, CA5 6HQ; Tel: 01228 576205; email: diane.veevers@btinternet.com Alternative contact: Irene Willis, Competition Secretary, FSAC, 10, Sumerhill, Carlisle. CA1 2NW. Email: irene@ daffodil.co.uk or telephone 01228 590780.

To learn more about the regulations and the sport in general, visit the National Association of Classic Trials Clubs' informative website at: www.actc.org.uk