Sporting Trials

About Sporting Trials

The MEC Club started with the organising of Sporting Trials over 50 years ago. Trials (aka Mudplugs) involve driving a custom built trials car over rough and rugged terrain, over a pre-set marked course, without striking laid out markers defining the route of the section. Sporting Trials are a friendly but highly competitive sport with a strong emphasis on the family, with many father & daughters and father & sons competing together, helped by the fact that 2 drivers can use the same car. Sporting Trials are probably one of cheapest forms of motorsport to get into, and offer the opportunity for drivers to get the feel of how to handle a car from the age of 10 years, with adult supervision.

Sporting Trials are generally held on farmland and in quarries in the Dublin / Wicklow area and events take place during the Autumn / Winter months, between September and April.

The cars are usually home built within set technical parameters. The most common cars are based on the Volkswagen Beetle, although when the car is finished only the engine, gearbox and axle is original Beetle. Quite a few other cars would have motorcycle engines. The majority of beginners would start by buying a second-hand car from another driver, although some may want to buy a new car from one of the small number of experts who build cars for sale.

If you are interested in becoming involved the best way is to come out to a few events and speak to officials and competitors, who will all be very pleased to give you any help or advice they can. Alternatively you can contact the club by e-mail from the Contact Us button on the Home page, or contact Motorsport Ireland, the governing body of all Irish Motorsport at phone 01 677 5628.

Car SPECS

The specifications for the Sporting Trials vehicles are detailed in Appendix 88 of the MotorSport Ireland Yearbook HERE

If there are any rule changes to the yearbook these can be found on the MI website also HERE.

Recent News

SPORTING Trials Events

Upcoming Events:
11/01/2025Freeman Cup Sporting Trial

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