EVENT SIGNS PROMENADE STAGES 2008
We have had a break over summer as there haven’t been any suitable tarmac events which out travelling 200miles plus. In this time the car has had a bit of fettling at the front, new bushes / wishbones / ball joints / rod ends. Has been a lot better but still think there’s a little play in the column / rack (something else to look at. Even so the car was in the best shape it’s ever been. The car had a road outing to the Oulton Park Gold cup as my motor club had a stand and so everyone from the club took their car for display.
This was the biggest event so far for us as it was one of the main qualifying rounds of the Welsh tarmac championship. It was a full entry list of 90 and there were loads of 6R4’s, WRC cars,F2 / S1600’s, Darrians and the mandatory mega Mk2 Escorts. It was also on a Saturday with Scruitineering on the Friday night so Sunday could be a day of rest.!!
FRIDAY – it was absolutely lashing down so started at 5am as I had to be in London for some meetings and this is where my day from hell started. Needed to be in London for 8 and was on track until refueling at Oxford services where the diesel pump wouldn’t work so tried another still didn’t work. Don’t know what the issue was but 25mins later and a lot of swearing at the service guys I got filled up and off I went. I was later about 30mins..!! I planned to leave at 12noon to get back but left at 1 then on the way back got caught in the Friday afternoon traffic still absolutely lashing it down. We aimed to get to scruitineering at 6pm (where I was meeting my Co-Driver) got home about 4 so just a little behind schedule so went to the car to start her up, dead battery.!!! Bugger so had to sort this out then it was do we need fuel ? showing 1/3 full so should be OK. It was still lashing down and the car it fitted with new R888 (road legal so can have a play on the road) mmmmm there are lots of puddles and not much tread.!! So at about 5pm we set off for scruitineering at new Brighton, alls going well even the wiper were working well until half way there splutter splutter.!!! s**t it no fuel as the gauge im sure was empty last time I used her and the needle has been erratic recently. So pull over at a pub and my Brother in law who was following had to go and get some fuel so there was another 30mins lost.!! 6pm we are on our way again. We get to the M53 and it was still raining so 50mph given the tyres and we were making steady progress. Then blue flashing lights not for us but up ahead, CRASH & TRAFFIC JAM. The road had to be closed off to one lane as all other lanes where flooded. So we ended up getting there about 8.30pm and scruitineering closed at but seems a few people where in the same boat. We passed noise OK and then on to scruitineering again passed OK they seem to like the car as never had any issues with the scruitineers. With that done we sign on and get our papers for tomorrow and then it back in the car and drop it at my mates farm down the road as theres no point driving it back home then back again in the morning. Get back at 11pm and load the van up so we are all set for the off in the morning (5am)..!! Eventually get to bed at 1am.
SATURDAY – early start 5am (still pissing down) jump in the van and pick YOZZA from Yozzasport up and away we go to pick up the car. Car starts first time and away we go to the event, get there for 6.30 and my co-driver has got us a service spot all sorted out. We set up the gazebo (well YOZZA’s one as our was crap) and the ground sheet swap the tyres for some new wets on the front and worn inters on the rear. Get changed into our suits go through the stage maps, pressures and torques and ready to go. Bacon butty to absorb the fluid as I just kept wanting to go the toilet and im getting in the zone.
The venue is all of the New Brighton promenade public roads which they shut off so lots of straights and roundabouts but lots of curbs that could really catch you out.!!
STAGE 1&2 (Really wet) 3,2,1 go… we are off and expecting loads of wheel spin but hardly any. The combination of the wets and the grippy surface meant loads of grip. We were on in it from the off with loads of confidence due to the grip levels. Through the 50mph chicane we clipped the passenger wing mirror and ripped it off.! We were trying.! The second stage was just as good and clipped my mirror this time. It was awesome. Co driver goes for a wonder to check the times and comes back saying we are just outside the top 20.!! And the 3rd FWD car……
STAGE 3 & 4 (Still wet but stopped raining).. again we are on it the car was just great, when in the last chicane (the tight one) on the exit there are huge water barrels and the car clips the barrel at the front and pushes us off the road. We get on the curb straight so no bent wheels but the steering is all over the place and we can hear rubbing. GoGoGo Mike’s shouting and we scrap over the flying finish. This wasn’t good and there were lot of fingers pointing at the car, this could be it. Back at service Yozza jumps on the car and we get out, bumper wing and bonnet a bit of a mess but the steering was out too. We patch the car up with tank tape and Yozz sorts the tracking and we go for a drive round the service area, the car seem OK. Quick check round the car and were for the next stage. First few corners we were a bit gingerly but quickly realize the car was fine (90%) and we are back upto full pace again. Wicked we are still in it.!
STAGES 5 – 8 (Drying out) the car was still going great but the wet were now going off so put some inters in the front (should have gone slicks) but the big boy were really putting the power down now in the dry so we are falling back about a second a mile. No major incidents apart from a broken gearbox mount so the R19 one is taking all the strain but a couple of out braking moments and a couple of very entertaining overtaking maneuvers we battle on.
STAGE 9 & 10 (Rain again) but only a covering, get the wets back on.!! These were the longest 2 stages and we know the car was still good so we decide to push again.!! Finish the first one, spot on no mistakes really good stage. Now the last stage (repeat of stage 9) and we are desperate to get back into the top 30 so we go for it, 9 seconds quicker we were just absolutely buzzing over the flying finish.!!!!!! We finished keeping our 100% record.
Unfortunately we just missed the top 30 by finishing 30th overall and 12 in the 2ltr class but after reviewing the results we were the 2FWD car only the Will Onions Escort F2 Maxi beat us as Guy Woodc**ks smacked a curb on the last stage.!!! Every car in front of us was WRC/6R4/or mega Mk2 really where the engines alone cost twice the cost of my car.!!
Really happy with the result and finishing, big thanks must go to Andrew Hughes at Yozzasport as they kept us in the event when we thought it was all over. Plus his Gazebo is a must next purchase.!!
Car is now strip and off to the bodyshop tomorrow for a front end Phase 2 upgrade, with FG bonnet (if I can get one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
Next event is 3 Sisters in 2 weeks time.!!
Some pics from the event.
http://www.cliosport.net/forum/showthread.php?t=356464
Video footage of us throughout the day coming soon…
We have had a break over summer as there haven’t been any suitable tarmac events which out travelling 200miles plus. In this time the car has had a bit of fettling at the front, new bushes / wishbones / ball joints / rod ends. Has been a lot better but still think there’s a little play in the column / rack (something else to look at. Even so the car was in the best shape it’s ever been. The car had a road outing to the Oulton Park Gold cup as my motor club had a stand and so everyone from the club took their car for display.
This was the biggest event so far for us as it was one of the main qualifying rounds of the Welsh tarmac championship. It was a full entry list of 90 and there were loads of 6R4’s, WRC cars,F2 / S1600’s, Darrians and the mandatory mega Mk2 Escorts. It was also on a Saturday with Scruitineering on the Friday night so Sunday could be a day of rest.!!
FRIDAY – it was absolutely lashing down so started at 5am as I had to be in London for some meetings and this is where my day from hell started. Needed to be in London for 8 and was on track until refueling at Oxford services where the diesel pump wouldn’t work so tried another still didn’t work. Don’t know what the issue was but 25mins later and a lot of swearing at the service guys I got filled up and off I went. I was later about 30mins..!! I planned to leave at 12noon to get back but left at 1 then on the way back got caught in the Friday afternoon traffic still absolutely lashing it down. We aimed to get to scruitineering at 6pm (where I was meeting my Co-Driver) got home about 4 so just a little behind schedule so went to the car to start her up, dead battery.!!! Bugger so had to sort this out then it was do we need fuel ? showing 1/3 full so should be OK. It was still lashing down and the car it fitted with new R888 (road legal so can have a play on the road) mmmmm there are lots of puddles and not much tread.!! So at about 5pm we set off for scruitineering at new Brighton, alls going well even the wiper were working well until half way there splutter splutter.!!! s**t it no fuel as the gauge im sure was empty last time I used her and the needle has been erratic recently. So pull over at a pub and my Brother in law who was following had to go and get some fuel so there was another 30mins lost.!! 6pm we are on our way again. We get to the M53 and it was still raining so 50mph given the tyres and we were making steady progress. Then blue flashing lights not for us but up ahead, CRASH & TRAFFIC JAM. The road had to be closed off to one lane as all other lanes where flooded. So we ended up getting there about 8.30pm and scruitineering closed at but seems a few people where in the same boat. We passed noise OK and then on to scruitineering again passed OK they seem to like the car as never had any issues with the scruitineers. With that done we sign on and get our papers for tomorrow and then it back in the car and drop it at my mates farm down the road as theres no point driving it back home then back again in the morning. Get back at 11pm and load the van up so we are all set for the off in the morning (5am)..!! Eventually get to bed at 1am.
SATURDAY – early start 5am (still pissing down) jump in the van and pick YOZZA from Yozzasport up and away we go to pick up the car. Car starts first time and away we go to the event, get there for 6.30 and my co-driver has got us a service spot all sorted out. We set up the gazebo (well YOZZA’s one as our was crap) and the ground sheet swap the tyres for some new wets on the front and worn inters on the rear. Get changed into our suits go through the stage maps, pressures and torques and ready to go. Bacon butty to absorb the fluid as I just kept wanting to go the toilet and im getting in the zone.
The venue is all of the New Brighton promenade public roads which they shut off so lots of straights and roundabouts but lots of curbs that could really catch you out.!!
STAGE 1&2 (Really wet) 3,2,1 go… we are off and expecting loads of wheel spin but hardly any. The combination of the wets and the grippy surface meant loads of grip. We were on in it from the off with loads of confidence due to the grip levels. Through the 50mph chicane we clipped the passenger wing mirror and ripped it off.! We were trying.! The second stage was just as good and clipped my mirror this time. It was awesome. Co driver goes for a wonder to check the times and comes back saying we are just outside the top 20.!! And the 3rd FWD car……
STAGE 3 & 4 (Still wet but stopped raining).. again we are on it the car was just great, when in the last chicane (the tight one) on the exit there are huge water barrels and the car clips the barrel at the front and pushes us off the road. We get on the curb straight so no bent wheels but the steering is all over the place and we can hear rubbing. GoGoGo Mike’s shouting and we scrap over the flying finish. This wasn’t good and there were lot of fingers pointing at the car, this could be it. Back at service Yozza jumps on the car and we get out, bumper wing and bonnet a bit of a mess but the steering was out too. We patch the car up with tank tape and Yozz sorts the tracking and we go for a drive round the service area, the car seem OK. Quick check round the car and were for the next stage. First few corners we were a bit gingerly but quickly realize the car was fine (90%) and we are back upto full pace again. Wicked we are still in it.!
STAGES 5 – 8 (Drying out) the car was still going great but the wet were now going off so put some inters in the front (should have gone slicks) but the big boy were really putting the power down now in the dry so we are falling back about a second a mile. No major incidents apart from a broken gearbox mount so the R19 one is taking all the strain but a couple of out braking moments and a couple of very entertaining overtaking maneuvers we battle on.
STAGE 9 & 10 (Rain again) but only a covering, get the wets back on.!! These were the longest 2 stages and we know the car was still good so we decide to push again.!! Finish the first one, spot on no mistakes really good stage. Now the last stage (repeat of stage 9) and we are desperate to get back into the top 30 so we go for it, 9 seconds quicker we were just absolutely buzzing over the flying finish.!!!!!! We finished keeping our 100% record.
Unfortunately we just missed the top 30 by finishing 30th overall and 12 in the 2ltr class but after reviewing the results we were the 2FWD car only the Will Onions Escort F2 Maxi beat us as Guy Woodc**ks smacked a curb on the last stage.!!! Every car in front of us was WRC/6R4/or mega Mk2 really where the engines alone cost twice the cost of my car.!!
Really happy with the result and finishing, big thanks must go to Andrew Hughes at Yozzasport as they kept us in the event when we thought it was all over. Plus his Gazebo is a must next purchase.!!
Car is now strip and off to the bodyshop tomorrow for a front end Phase 2 upgrade, with FG bonnet (if I can get one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
Next event is 3 Sisters in 2 weeks time.!!
Some pics from the event.
http://www.cliosport.net/forum/showthread.php?t=356464
Video footage of us throughout the day coming soon…
