Fun at Forty

Some people may remember me from the late 70's as one of those young chaps trying to compete in the type of car which really wasn't up to much. VW Beetles had their quirks but were reliable and fairly easy to repair. Having found that Trials suited my driving style and the car that is what I did until one fateful day at Dorking when I tripped the car up during a Gymkhana, bent the body and caused terminal damage to the engine.

This resulted in the car getting a new and greatly improved engine, straightened bodywork, roll cages, sump guard etc. ready for Stage Rallying.

Toward the first event I met the lady who was to become my wife, the purse strings tightened and the motor sport had to go. The Beetle and Land Rover were sold in preference for a 'bog' Vauxhall Astra. Other interests came and went. Others remained as an addition to the family meant changes in outlook and priorities.

On the plus side promotion and reasonable pay rises and bonuses meant a little more cash was available to enable past interests to be reborn starting with being a passenger in a VW Buggy on Classic Trials. More recently an opportunity arose to purchase a Fiat 126 for my wife, a car with the engine in the right place but too good to use for motorsport. A short time later however an opportunity arose to buy another at an advantageous price to use for spares or whatever. Needless to say this is now my Trials car, hence I have now re-joined SCC.

As you may have noted from paragraph one I was around in the 70's, and as a result in April this year I passed the milestone where life is supposed to begin. The present from my family and wife was a 'MAD' day at Brands Hatch.

'MAD' is an acronym for 'Multi-Activity Day', during a four-hour period you have the opportunity to partake in 6 forms of Motor Sport, mainly with an 'off-road' theme.

Briefing began at 09:00. We arrived at 08:15, giving plenty of time to sign on and for the butterflies to get well and truly going. At the briefing information is given about safety. What you and can't do, what the sessions consist of and the number of people in the group. In our case 9, rather than the maximum of twelve.

Event 1, Karting

The group was split into two, giving sub-groups of 4 and 5. Each group had one 'practice lap' then it was straight into a 5 lap race around a track a little over two Karts in width. Thus in order to pass you had to drive like 'Michael' and force your way through. The winners of each of the first 2 races had a second race, as did the losers, then a race off. Needless to say I was not in the top few. I went from my first race straight into the losers final! Unfortunately due to my 'Michael' tactics the chain had become dislodged and the steering damaged, resulting in the chain parting company with the Kart during the second race, with me becoming DNF. What a dreadful start to the day, however it did get the adrenaline flowing!

Event 2, Quad Bikes

Potentially the least exciting event. Two wheel drive quads around a slalom of 6 posts, clockwise around a bollard, then between markers around the field to the left, stopping in a 'box'. 2 practice laps followed by 2 timed, selecting what you believe to be the better time.

This wasn't as easy as you may think. These things have an automatic clutch and no differential. As a result you are not sure when the clutch is going to bite and when you use too much gas it tries to go straight on. Once the third practice lap was completed the technique was a little more refined. Keeping the throttle slightly open rather than shutting it keeps the clutch engaged. Moving your body weight toward the front helps the understeer. Moving your body to the inside of the corner keeps all the wheels on the ground, with perhaps a hint of oversteer. Both timed runs were good. The second being marginally better than the first.

Event 3, Pilots

Similar in some respects to the Quads. However you sit in these with all the controls on the 'wheel'. This seems a little daunting, but is really a piece of cake. The course consisted of a straight blast off the line, over a jump 'flat out' then between markers around a field, and again stopping in a 'box'. Once more 2 practice laps followed by 2 timed, selecting what you believe to be the best lap.

This one is fun, you are strapped in with a full harness, your hands pass through retaining loops and you can brace your feet against the floor, I found the 'speedboat approach' of being relaxed and slightly floppy more comfortable. The driving style here is similar to the Quads, keeping the throttle slightly open to keep the clutch engaged, however you cannot move your body around so driving technique is everything.

Leaving the start line for the first time and heading toward the jump at full throttle you wonder whether to back off, but once over the jump you soon realize how absorbing the suspension is and how tolerant these things are. Round the field for the first time, understeer threatens due to the lack of differential. However this can easily turn to oversteer. The second run seemed a bit better, choosing a wider but faster line attempting to keep the thing going in the right direction with twitchy steering due to the rough surface. The first timed run was better still, understeering a little more, but one recovered holding a little oversteer. The second timed run was a different story. The jump and first corner were fine. However I pushed a little to far around the field and kept the throttle wide open, which resulted in too much oversteer, culminating in a spin. With insufficient momentum to end up facing the right way, any attempt to recover resulted in understeer away from the correct route. No prizes as to which time I chose!

Event 4, 4x4 Land Rover Discovery

Off into the undergrowth for this one with a demonstration run in a top of the range TDI Discovery around a very small section of the off-road course, then one run at a slightly larger section.

A different attitude and approach is required here, driving very slowly in 1st. gear low ratio, into a muddy dip, up a slope to the right, not too much throttle through fear of wheel spin. Over the top and down into a watery hollow well up to the top of the bonnet, out the other side and stopping on the next peak to wait for the vehicle in front to clear the way. No breaking here, just turn off the ignition leaving the car in gear! Section clear, start off by just starting the engine whilst still in gear and trickle away, sharp turn to the left around a tree holding back on the throttle to prevent the car easing away to the outside of the turn and into a tree. Up a steeper incline now, running away to the right with a deep rut, steep bank to the left, oops, did I feel wheel spin? Just push the Transfer Gear Stick to the left to engage 'diff lock' and off we go. Over the top, release the 'diff lock' and run down the other side of the climb back into the water. Round to the right and across another angled climb through close undergrowth, then to the left and out of the section.

No timing here just a statement as to how well the section was driven.

Event 5, Sporting Trials

Out onto the edge of nearby woodland for this one. Funny vehicles these Sporting Trials cars. Thirteen inch Michelin radials on the back, motor cycle wheels and tyres on the front, no hand or foot brakes as we know them, just two large levers coming out of the floor called fiddle brakes, also a funny bobble thinly on the steering wheel.

One demonstration run, two scored runs scoring a maximum of 12 and a minimum of 0 for a clear run, the better score chosen. Off on the demo run, this is a precise sport, loads of lock available but only effective if used with the fiddle brakes. These operate individually on the rear wheels rather like a tank helping the steering and reducing wheel spin allowing the other wheel to grip. This guy makes it look easy with minimum throttle to prevent wheel spin, spinning the wheel with the bobble, jiggling the 'fiddle brakes' missing the markers by fractions of an inch and up the final climb.

My first go, away from the start line through the 12 marker, down a dip through 11 and 10, left through 9 then sharp to the right, oops caught the 8 marker, not enough fiddle break and throttle, never mind cleared the rest.

My second go, ok through 12,11,10,9, care through the 8, over an inch to spare this time, back down into the dip through 7, sharp left getting close to the 6, a little bit more left fiddle and a touch more gas gets it through. Wind on right hand lock and hard on the fiddle to get through 5, then a touch to the left steady on the gas through 4 then a degree more throttle up the last incline through 3,2,1, no problem, clear run.

Event 6, Escort Cosworth Rally Car

Been looking forward to this all day. Question, is it front or four-wheel drive? Look under the front, no drive shafts, it's a 220 hp rear wheel drive car, potential for plenty of oversteer here.

No demo run, just four practice and one timed run. The first run under strict instruction pointing out the rough bits, braking points, gearchange points etc.etc.etc. Instructor holds a 'kill switch' in his hand in case you get a little too eager.

Run one, gently of the start line, can accelerate here if I want and change into second, mind the rough stuff to the left. First 90 right, brake late, change down, turn in accelerate gently uphill. Only a short spurt to the next corner 90 left, brake, turn in, accelerate and up into second and head for the next corner. 90 left, brake, change down, turn in and accelerate gently downhill to the next turn. More open left hand turn, a little more momentum. No need to brake so hard, as still in first gear. Ease on the throttle through the corner. Short hop to the next open left, just gently through here with another short hop to a right and left then a quick squirt, into second, brake, turn in to the next corner. Tighter right into long uphill section, heavier throttle possible here, into second, keep the throttle going, brake, into first and turn in to the next corner. Round an open loop left and back down the hill, gently in first as a nasty right left can unbalance the car, gentle throttle possible toward the final corner. 90 right, onto the gas and over the finish line.

Run two, drove like an 'old granny'; kept using engine braking instead of that thing called a pedal on the floor. Keen on the throttle though in a straight line, got into second as told to, lovely noise these things produce. Fairly tame run, the last downhill though feels like driving on ice, but flooring the throttle toward the finish line gets the adrenaline going.

Run three, more keen now, think I'm getting the hang of this, how wrong could I be? Hard off the start line, into second, hard on the brakes for turn one, down into first, turn in, hard on the throttle. Oops, back end's a bit loose; off the throttle to control turn 2. Turn in, round the bend, hard on the throttle, into second, hard on the throttle, oh look, turn 3. Brake hard and change down. Turn left and down hill, still a bit loose, easy with the throttle to get more control to turn 4. Too hard through turn 4, got the back end real loose, but somehow managed to hold it through 5 and 6. More the lucky way the pendulum went than my driving style, but by the time I got to the right and uphill, I didn't have it under control and got loads of sideways before climbing the hill and thought I missed a gear! It was that b****rd with the 'kill switch'. Never mind, got it back together up the hill and round the top, gently down the hill and a really hard squirt across the finish line.

A little lecture now about using a bit more of a subtle throttle, an on-off style does not suit front engined rear wheel drive cars. Could get away with that in my Beetle though (memories, memories).

Run 4 was much better, even more stick off the start line and very quickly into second, braking really late and down into first. Held well through turn one and accelerated then braked hard to 2, accelerating hard out and nearly into second before it's straight. Up to 3 braking hard and down into first, round the turn and a squirt followed by a feathered throttle toward 4. Accelerating through 4, getting a controlled pendulum this time through the next complex so much so that I could get into second before the right and up the hill. Braking hard and changing down before taking that turn and then some serious throttle in first and second up the hill. Subtle brakes and change down round the top curve and a gentle throttle on the downhill, through the zigzag, hard round the last right a full gas over the line. That felt good, the instructor thought so too.

Now for the timed run. Again hard off the start line, second, accelerate hard, brake late and hard. Turn the corner and accelerate early but gently, into second and a quick squirt, hard on the brakes and into first. Turn the corner easing on the gas, then hard, into second, still hard. Brake late and hard, into first, feather the throttle through the next corner, down the hill, round the next bend. Back on the gas and into second, easy on the gas, brake, back into first and through the complex keeping the pendulum working easing on the gas ready for the change up and spurt to the right and uphill. Brake again and change down, not too much gas round the bend, then flat out first, second, up the hill. Brake gently and change down for the top curve and down the hill. A bit more comfortable through the zigzags and the final 'pedal to the metal' out of the last turn and over the line.

Target 58 seconds. Me - 62 not bad eh?

Dead good fun that. With a bit of hindsight perhaps I could now do the whole run in second gear. No chance now, must just put some money together so I can go back to the Rally School.

Oh well, there are always more PCT's to look forward to in the Fiat.