The Austin 7 Club in Victoria has celebrated a significant milestone with the 75th running of the John Pryce Trial.

The milestone Observed Section Trial (OST) event attracted a field of 16 cars and drivers, while the rain largely held off.

OST Chairperson and Austin 7 Club Competition Secretary Jason Stock said occasional light showers combined with already saturated sections created ideal conditions for the mud trials competition.

Cooper Schweiger and navigator Alicia Randall emerged victorious, taking home the coveted John Pryce Trophy, while Jake Filsell claimed the Crazy Craig Hansen Best Presented Car award.

The event also featured a number of competitions within the competition, including a teams event and the Best Presented Car award, both unique to the John Pryce Trial.

The event honours the legacy of the late John Pryce, who introduced the sport of mud trials to Australia after arriving from England in 1950.

The first trial was held on the second Sunday of August that year at Park Orchards and was originally known as the Park Orchards Trial before later becoming the John Pryce Memorial Trial.

“The tradition of holding the event on the second Sunday of August continues today, although the trial has moved between several properties over the years, with Lilydale hosting the event in recent times,” Stock added.

“The cars competing have also evolved considerably.

“While the original competitors were road-registered Austin 7s that were driven to and between sections, today’s cars are highly specialised machines built specifically for observed section trials.”

Pryce was also a co-founder of CAMS, now Motorsport Australia, alongside fellow members of the Austin 7 Club.

Observed Section Trials are generally held every two weeks from late April or early May through to the first weekend of October, with 12 trials held across the season.

A typical trial features around 10 sections, each containing a start line and 10 scoring gates.

Competitors must negotiate the gates without hitting them, rolling backwards or coming to a complete stop.

For gates one to nine, a car only needs to break the line, while the final gate must be fully traversed.

Drivers also have three seconds to overcome an obstacle before the attempt is deemed a failure and the score from the previous gate is recorded.

To enquire further about the offerings of the Austin 7 Club, head to the club’s website.