Competition Roundup

If you do an event other than as a competitor, we also want to hear from you! Marshals, mechanics and support crew, this means YOU. Remember, other club members might like to talk to you to get a general feeling for an event. Often non-competitors see more than those in the cars!

Roger Binyon
came second overall in the first round of the ACSMC Tarmac Rally Championship at Avon Park in his DAM 4100. He says that the class-based championship makes for great excitement in the paddock, with the winners of the larger classes racing down to find out how those in the smaller classes are getting on. The scoring system sounds like a great success. His rallycross career continues to be thwarted, this time with the trailer expiring at Leicester Forest East on the way to Croft. His next outing will be to Lydden on Easter Monday, and then Millbrook on May 4th. He is also looking to repeat his triumph at Abingdon's CAR-nival stages on June 14th, the event that he won last year

John Blaber/Alan Jamieson
are now rebuilding the 1.9 205 GTi from GpN+ to a more competitive GpA spec. Particularly under the spotlight is the gearing - a new crown wheel and pinion will make all the difference. All these new bits will be hung from a new shell with a fully welded in cage.

Neil Boxall
is fresh back from Portugal having been pilot for the Mitsubishi motorhome. While Tommi crashed out, Richard Burns managed 4th which puts Mitsubishi joint first with Toyota and Burns third in the WRC drivers championship.

Simon Catling
is looking forward to another visit to Epynt after last year's good run with Mark Straker.

Chrissie Chorley/Vanessa Linley
didn't take Ness's Nova on the PCT because they were out organising an all-female rally. (Monday night will be Sexist Joke Night...) The event was called the Regis Classic Tour and basically took in all the towns called "Regis" - Bognor Regis, Lyme Regis, Salcombe Regis... Annie Roden was the Clerk of the Course, Chrissie took Wug's usual role to drive her around, and Ness was marshalling with Pauline Walton. The event raised £5,000 for Breakthrough, the breast cancer charity.

Neil Cloughley/Robert Pike
are practising their chip-eating technique in preparation for the Monteburg rally sprint.

Colin Early/Colin Hutchings
took the Darian to 13th overall and fifth in class at Avon Park. The new chip has made for a more tractable engine. The next area to work on seems to be the front suspension - the dive under braking rests the body work on the front wheels, which can make turning corners a bit awkward.

Ian Glenister
is avoiding the seductive delights of the UK motorway system by refusing to go to the Granite City, but will be out on the Manx National for the following round of the Lada Challenge.

Ellya Gold
has launched himself into cyberspace with his very own web site at http://come.to/teamspirit. (Note for cybernerds, this is the correct address, "to" is Tonga!) Ian Harden had hurt his back, so Joe White took the hot seat for Avon Park. They had a clean run to finish 22nd overall and 10th in class. Next outing for the clubman GpA 309 is Longcross on April 19th. If you go and marshal you could see them in action...

Joe Hoyles/Mark Harman
are nearly ready to debut their Pinto-engined MkII Escort. Sadly it won't be finished in time for Goodwood, but I'm assured it's nearly there...

Dave Jacobs
used the Brooklands demonstration runs for a little test session before Millbrook and seemed to be going quite well. The run as course car on Avon Park was less good news as the Metro 6R4 ate its gearbox - but not before Dave had seen 127mph in top.

Tony Jardine
is preparing a nice little surprise for the rally world as he is persuading the sports editor of one of the major national tabloids to navigate for him for the rest of the season.

Justin Northage
was the only SCC member to get a good start on the Vauxhall Rally of Wales, in the Cotcomp-prepared N3 Astra GSi. He then fell foul of a flat tyre which through a combination of driving on it and then changing it cost him seven minutes. On day 2 he hit a rock and bent the beam, so he drove sideways for three stages. Despite finding left hand drive extremely difficult to get used to (I can tell you that as a navigator in a LHD car you sometimes get jolly close to the edge!) he picked up the pace later on to finish 31st overall and 7th in class.

Sue Orchard/Graham Morris
have signed the turquoise 1400cc Metro up for the Belgium Open championship this year. Having missed the Boucles de Spa(m), they joined in for the 2nd round, the Circuit of Ardennes. Driving at over 100mph through some great scenery (I hope they weren't looking at the scenery at the same time), they were doing well until the engine expired at the flying finish of SS12. Fortunately, this was just 100yds from their hotel, leading to the quickest retirement ever recorded. Interested in going to Belgium? The remaining rounds are Haute Fagnes (11-12 Apr), Wallonie (16-17 May), Ypres (27-28 Jun), Flanders (12-13 Sept), Lotto Bianche (3-4 Oct) and the Condroz (23-25 Oct). Looks like a great season, I feel very envious.

Richard Phillipson/Catherine Phillipson
have started the season in fine, budget-demolishing style with the Malcolm Wilson and the Vauxhall International. The Malcolm Wilson gave them a good chance to get used to Brian Paterson's pace note system and rewarded them with 6th in class and 14th F2. The Vauxhall was far from easy, as a total failure of the front dampers made them do 25 miles in a rallying spacehopper. A complete change of the Astra's front suspension was required, giving them lateness penalties as welll. Punctures, catching people and a broken driveshaft added to the total 10 minutes they lost, but they still came 33rd overall and 9th in class.

James Potter
has apparently now thrown an old bag out of the back of his car, I don't know where she intends to live now. Competition plans are still being made.

Russell Pratt
enjoyed his day out at Brooklands and is now looking forward to his first rally.

Mark Shoosmith/Chris Morford
are contesting the BTRDA championship this year in the Mazda. The article on page 23 gives more details...

Dick Slaughter/Geoff Dearing
were last seen heading North for the Granite City, as the second round of the Mintex Championship. More news next time.

Vanessa Steele/Ian Smallridge
are hoping to be out at Goodwood on April 11th to debut the shiny red 106. Given her history of three-day eventing, we can assume that uncontrolled speed doesn't frighten her...

Ian Torkington/Colin Hutchings
are doing the Llangollen-based Astra Stages on Easter Saturday, 11th April.

Michael Weeks
made a solo appearance in the ancestral Mini on the Xenogamy PCT at Dunstable (Colin and Judith were organising the event). Sharing the car with Richard Phillipson he took the 1st Southern award and came 6th in class and 24th overall.

Richard Worts
had a bad start to his Vauxhall Rally of Wales when he had an RTA in the hotel car park, reversing his Corsa into the car park wall. On the first two stages he had a fuel pump problem, and later on that day he was down to gears 1, 3 and 4 - ok for Ness's Nova, but not so great in a six-speed box. The second day was smoother with only one puncture, although he did need to nurse the engine as he had over-revved it on the first day. He finished 3rd in A6 and 27th overall.