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I just realised that I never wrote an update for the end of the year. Championship results; 1st overall Welsh Autosolo Championship, 1st overall South West Autosolo Championship (for the third year), 1st in class, 4th overall BTRDA Autosolo Championship, 1st overall Premier Rally Targa...

The class break on Autosolos and Targas is normally at 1400 so you'll be down a little on power, but I've seen 1 litre Micras win Autosolos! As you need to do little to the car to start competing, just make sure that the main components work and it's fully road legal. Then get out there, seat...

You'll only be on a test for 60 to 90 seconds and braking from relatively low speeds. If an Autosolo is set out to comply with the Blue Book then you're not going to need the handbrake, driving a turn is usually way faster than handbraking, if it's not too tight, momentum is king. You WILL be...

These Lombard shoes. Dirty after the Javalin's Jumbo Targa Rally on Sunday.

I wouldn't bother uprating the brakes at this stage, just make sure they work properly. Autosolos aren't hard on brakes, decent standard pads will be fine. I'd focus on suspension as you mentioned, going a little lower and stiffer. This is where the compromises start, you probably wouldn't want...

I use a suction mount on the windscreen for Autosolos and Sprints. For the first time I was picked up on the Great Western Sprint at Castle Combe as I didn't have a further restraint with the suction mount. Some fishing line attached to the passenger sun visor and mount did the trick.

I must admit that the first word which came to mind after competing at the Great Western Sprint at Castle Combe on Saturday was "bored". One practice run in the morning, no timed runs until after 3pm for us. Only two timed runs. A total of around 10 miles for £135. At least there was good 4G...

Yes, get out there and start competing in some disciplines with the car as it is. Autosolos, Autotests, 12 Cars, Targa Rallies, ... You'll find out what you like. You might enjoy uprating cars, but I'd start driving on events and then determine what you want to upgrade. Diving in and pulling...

I fit a K&N or similar as it works out cheaper in the long run than paper filters. Purely cost for me, nothing else. However I ALWAYS fit paper filters to my Targa/road rally car as it resists the flow of water way better than a foam/grid filter if I hit water hard. May not be an issue for you.

The first ever round of Bristol Motor Club Clio Cup is tomorrow - the Great Western Sprint at Castle Combe. There are six cars out, I'm in car 455. It looks like I have the honour of being the first car on track for the Championship, at least for Practice. No idea if this is seeded, if so it...

Wethersfield will suit the Clio very well. It's relatively smooth. The surface varies from clean tarmac to some broken concrete with mud/gravel on top. Many people take out standard road cars. There's the odd tight bit and some buildings/posts to hit, but they'll be cautioned. There's one test...

If you're stripping it out then you won't be able to use it for Autosolos, and many other events. Some Autosolos (not many) do have a "highly modified" class, but you'll end up against some serious kit there, and the class doesn't count for overall results. Autotest classes vary, but again I'd...

I have a few pairs of shoes but I use the Lonsdale shoes mentioned the most. Not the ones in the pictures, a "stripe" down the side, available in a wide range of colours. £25 from Sports Direct. I went for all black. A rolled heel, not too thick sole (they get better every time I wear them)...

I'm at car 6 in my Rover, the first of the 1400cc cars. I think my results at rougher/loser venues (Debden) have pushed me up the running order, Wethersfield is more of a power venue. You're at 39? My 172 will be having some exercise tomorrow at Castle Combe in the first ever round of the...

Autosolo at Mitcheldean done. TBH the steering was way better than I remembered on relatively tight tests, it wasn't an issue on the day. I'll focus on other areas for improvement. Lifting rear wheels and losing rear end grip appears to be an area for focus, waiting to see the pictures. I...

Good find. That could reduce the amount of steering wheel spinning I have to do. I'd like to try a car with this quick rack. I've asked Pure if they could do anything about the lightness of the steering as well.

Nice thinking, a possibility. Has anybody done this to a Clio? I expect most would just go for purely EPAS or a manual rack if they're making changes, not a hybrid.

This would be ideal but I don't believe the Clio has a PAS ECU or any other control, but I'd be happy to be proven wrong. Could the mechanical side of the Clio PAS provide lighter steering? I've already blown one pump on an event (Demon Tweek's car park won't rust!).

This is where the compromises start, maybe trading front end grip for lighter steering. I think I'll stick with grip :-) My other competition cars, running the same tyres and a "grip" set up have much lighter steering, hence how I know I can be more precise in positioning the car with lighter...

You're right Callum, at more open venues such as Kemble, Barton Stacey or Smeatharpe then the speed of steering is less of an issue. Won't be a problem at Castle Combe on 25th for the Great Western Sprint, where I'll probably be bored as a lot of the time I'll just be sitting there flat out...

All set up by KTEC to generate grip. I don't want to lose traction by changing the geometry. I'm limited to 1a tyres and normally run PS3s on Team Dynamics Pro Race 1.2 wheels which are the lightest I could find, in fact wheel spin is easier with them. How would stickier tyres make the steering...

Thanks for the valuable, considered comments :-) I can't position the Clio as precisely as I can when driving other cars with lighter steering. It's due to the rack being relatively slow and the speed of turning the wheel. I'm losing tenths on a test, huge when the top four are normally split...

I compete in Autosolos (and other events) which can entail a lot of wheel spinning. Compared to my other cars, the 172's steering is on the heavy side. Unlikely, but I had to ask - is there any way to make the standard steering a little lighter? Everything was replaced around a year ago (after...

Only a couple of clicks or related to speed of wheel rotation? Is the regularity of the clicks related to road speed? Is it only when you're braking or can you hear it without the brakes being applied? Do you still have pad material? I've experienced similar with something getting stuck in the...

I'm out in the Bristol MC Clio Cup Championship as well this year. This series is supposed to encourage newcomers to compete and provide competitive, low cost competition for more seasoned competitors. The more standard the better, as long as the cars are safe. The last thing we want is for...

My problem was very simple, as they all are when you find them. The connector to the rear light itself wasn't pushed together fully so it was losing contact over bumps. Pushed the connector fully home and all fixed.

Resolved. It was the injector in cylinder 3, then the injector went down in 4 as well! Could the injectors be clogging where the car has been standing for two months? The two injectors nearest the fuel entry to the fuel rail have stopped working. Still waiting for four new injectors plus I'll...

Thanks all, some used injectors obtained for further diagnosis. Time is my next obstacle, ideally I need to fix this in one session.