After almost 18 months on the sidelines, we made a long-awaited return to the competitive scene this weekend by competing on the Bovington Stages Rally, held on the vast expanses of the MoD's tank testing facility at Bovington in Dorset.
It didn't go exactly according to plan. The lads had been burning the midnight oil all week trying to sort a brake problem in the car, even going so far as to trailer it down to South Wales on Thursday afternoon to a fellow competitor's unit to try and sort it. They thought they'd got the problem licked, only to find when they started the event that the brakes were marginal at best. Not ideal when the stages were made up of loops of the wide, fast and undulating perimiter roads around the site.
The great thing about rallying (at least at Clubman level) is the at times astonishing levels of camaraderie. We've been competing since 2004 with this car, and have made so many friends in the sport. As a result of that we inevitably end up pitching our service areas all together, pooling knowledge, tools and spare parts (as well as filthy jokes, banter and general jocularity, but that's another story). So it was no surprise that the car was surrounded by willing hands in an attempt to sort the problem out. This time, however, it was to no avail.
Eventually the inevitable happened and the brakes failed altogether approaching a chicane marked out with concrete bollards. Dean managed to almost miss them all, but caught the car on the last one, annihilating the passenger's door and bending the sill. Here's a pic of the partially-repaired damage:
Oops. Isn't tank tape wonderful?
Once the car was back in the service area it was apparent that we weren't going to be able to continue. The problem was eventually traced to a faulty brand-new just-fitted bias-braking pedal box. Not good news, especially for the guy Dean bought it off....as he'll find out tomorrow.
Despite this, we had a great weekend. As I've already mentioned, we tend to service together in groups on events like this, so we could direct our efforts into ensuring our friends finished.
Dean's old co-driver Toby Sutton was making a welcome return to the left-hand seat after a four-year gap, in this spotlessly-clean Peugeot 205GTi belonging to Brian Harris.
Despite never having even met before saturday, they bonded straight away and took the immaculately-prepared 2-litre S16-powered car to the finish a very impressive 27th overall. Not bad, especially since the engine came out of a road car with 100,000m on the clock and hasn't even been rebuilt.
I've posted pics of this car before on here.
Father and son crew Andy and Alex Reid's 205 Maxi-bodied GTi, again with 16V 2-litre power set some quick times in the Saturday morning runs, but unfortunately a snapped driveshaft on the startline put them out of contention this time. They did however complete six stages today in the Trophy rally, which a lot of events now run for competitors who manage to get their cars fixed in time to compete....this saves them wasting their entry fee altogether and gives them a chance to do some much-needed testing.
The last of the four-car Gung-Ho Plus collective this weekend was this stunning Darrian crewed by Steve and Mike O'Leary. The car features Honda S2000 running gear mounted midships and shoving 275bhp through the rear tyres. Steve and Mike and their service crew moved heaven and earth to keep us in the event as well as looking after their own car, so it's testimony to their skills that after 10 stages and 80 miles they came home as outright winners.
Thankyou guys. And congratulations on a worthy and hard-fought victory. Plenty of beer flowing at their base in South Wales tonight!!!!
With a two-month gap now until their next rally (the TSH Stages held at RAF Portreath in Cornwall in mid-May) Dean and Gary are intent on a total brake rebuild including new bigger calipers and a professional setup. And another door. ;D
Anyway...pics. I didn't take that many as we were a bit busy on Saturday and I'd only taken my little pocket compact down so they're not up to my usual par. But enjoy them anyway. Those of you on my Facebook can see these along with a few shots of grown men being imbeciles. ;D
It's a Fiberfab FT Bonito.
It's a Starlet. With wheels, despite what that sign says.
A brace of Pugs enjoying the sunshine.
This Aston gives me a stiffy every time I clap eyes on it.
Scott Barnes' incredible 190bhp Pug 106. Driven to and from the event! No trailer queen!!!
Gorgeous Mk2 in works Allied Polymer colour scheme.
Quick unarched Sunbeam running Ford Zetec power.
And lastly....here's the new Gung-Ho service barge. The 1985 Ford Cargo we'd been using was getting a bit long in the tooth and has been pensioned off to a new life in the country. This is the replacement, a 1998 312 Sprinter that's been in motosport for most of lits life, hence has only done 159000m. Not as enigmatic (or roomy) as the old Big Red Bus was, but uses half the fuel whilst going twice as fast. The 2.9 litre turbocharged five-pot diesels in these are the stuff of legend, and this one's no exception. Pulls like a biatch. Just need to signwrite it now.......
It didn't go exactly according to plan. The lads had been burning the midnight oil all week trying to sort a brake problem in the car, even going so far as to trailer it down to South Wales on Thursday afternoon to a fellow competitor's unit to try and sort it. They thought they'd got the problem licked, only to find when they started the event that the brakes were marginal at best. Not ideal when the stages were made up of loops of the wide, fast and undulating perimiter roads around the site.
The great thing about rallying (at least at Clubman level) is the at times astonishing levels of camaraderie. We've been competing since 2004 with this car, and have made so many friends in the sport. As a result of that we inevitably end up pitching our service areas all together, pooling knowledge, tools and spare parts (as well as filthy jokes, banter and general jocularity, but that's another story). So it was no surprise that the car was surrounded by willing hands in an attempt to sort the problem out. This time, however, it was to no avail.
Eventually the inevitable happened and the brakes failed altogether approaching a chicane marked out with concrete bollards. Dean managed to almost miss them all, but caught the car on the last one, annihilating the passenger's door and bending the sill. Here's a pic of the partially-repaired damage:
Oops. Isn't tank tape wonderful?
Once the car was back in the service area it was apparent that we weren't going to be able to continue. The problem was eventually traced to a faulty brand-new just-fitted bias-braking pedal box. Not good news, especially for the guy Dean bought it off....as he'll find out tomorrow.
Despite this, we had a great weekend. As I've already mentioned, we tend to service together in groups on events like this, so we could direct our efforts into ensuring our friends finished.
Dean's old co-driver Toby Sutton was making a welcome return to the left-hand seat after a four-year gap, in this spotlessly-clean Peugeot 205GTi belonging to Brian Harris.
Despite never having even met before saturday, they bonded straight away and took the immaculately-prepared 2-litre S16-powered car to the finish a very impressive 27th overall. Not bad, especially since the engine came out of a road car with 100,000m on the clock and hasn't even been rebuilt.
I've posted pics of this car before on here.
Father and son crew Andy and Alex Reid's 205 Maxi-bodied GTi, again with 16V 2-litre power set some quick times in the Saturday morning runs, but unfortunately a snapped driveshaft on the startline put them out of contention this time. They did however complete six stages today in the Trophy rally, which a lot of events now run for competitors who manage to get their cars fixed in time to compete....this saves them wasting their entry fee altogether and gives them a chance to do some much-needed testing.
The last of the four-car Gung-Ho Plus collective this weekend was this stunning Darrian crewed by Steve and Mike O'Leary. The car features Honda S2000 running gear mounted midships and shoving 275bhp through the rear tyres. Steve and Mike and their service crew moved heaven and earth to keep us in the event as well as looking after their own car, so it's testimony to their skills that after 10 stages and 80 miles they came home as outright winners.
Thankyou guys. And congratulations on a worthy and hard-fought victory. Plenty of beer flowing at their base in South Wales tonight!!!!
With a two-month gap now until their next rally (the TSH Stages held at RAF Portreath in Cornwall in mid-May) Dean and Gary are intent on a total brake rebuild including new bigger calipers and a professional setup. And another door. ;D
Anyway...pics. I didn't take that many as we were a bit busy on Saturday and I'd only taken my little pocket compact down so they're not up to my usual par. But enjoy them anyway. Those of you on my Facebook can see these along with a few shots of grown men being imbeciles. ;D
It's a Fiberfab FT Bonito.
It's a Starlet. With wheels, despite what that sign says.
A brace of Pugs enjoying the sunshine.
This Aston gives me a stiffy every time I clap eyes on it.
Scott Barnes' incredible 190bhp Pug 106. Driven to and from the event! No trailer queen!!!
Gorgeous Mk2 in works Allied Polymer colour scheme.
Quick unarched Sunbeam running Ford Zetec power.
And lastly....here's the new Gung-Ho service barge. The 1985 Ford Cargo we'd been using was getting a bit long in the tooth and has been pensioned off to a new life in the country. This is the replacement, a 1998 312 Sprinter that's been in motosport for most of lits life, hence has only done 159000m. Not as enigmatic (or roomy) as the old Big Red Bus was, but uses half the fuel whilst going twice as fast. The 2.9 litre turbocharged five-pot diesels in these are the stuff of legend, and this one's no exception. Pulls like a biatch. Just need to signwrite it now.......
