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BRC Rally Barbados 2003,
Island Wide,
June 7 & 8, 2003
 
Index
Intro Page 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 Team Report
 
Team Report: Paul Rees (WAL) & Sean Lucas (CDN)
 

Rally Barbados was always going to be a challenging event for the truly international Team RallyMarshal crew of Welshman living in England, Paul Rees and Canadian living in Barbados, Sean Lucas and also a rally of firsts. That is first time together in the car, first time on pacenotes, first time on a multivenue tarmac event and first time competitive driving at night. Obviously the other challenges of slippery roads, lethal roads when wet and coping with the heat would also figure.

Following an enjoyable weekend at Vaucluse then team settled into the pacenoting on the Monday - a new experience as Paul had never made pacenotes before. Throughout the week, further runs on some of the stages highlighted a few issues but nothing too bad and confidence in the notes was quite high by the end of the week. The car was given a good spanner check and cleandown during the week as well with the only issue seeming to be a steady oil leak that wasn't getting any worse or better. Rather than cause further issues we decided to live with it and carry a litre in the car for emergencies.

We got to the start at Simpson Motors early and set up - had a wander around but didn't seem to need to calm the nerves too much but running car 84 we were well down the start list. Up to the start and off to Canefield for the first stage. Getting hot and sweaty in Nomex, even by the first transit section was a little worrying but we had 3 litre 'Camelbaks' in the car filled with water and ice so at least there was a cool drink to hand. Arrived at Canefield and found the stage was cancelled so off to Four Hills then Darkhole and a very steady run trying to adjust to notes and being overly cautious. Back to Canefield and a much better run through due to confidence in notes but struck by the sheer numbers of spectators at the Esses enough to comment to Sean "bloody hell".

Onto stage 5 - Sailor Gully and a faster run through to the hairpin then the car starts to miss slightly pulling up the hill. Seems to clear a little then takes the square left and car starts to really miss - looks at the gauges at everything seems ok but shades of the engine blowing bigtime at the shakedown event came to mind. As we go up the hill we start to slow down then the car cuts out - on a tight blind section in front of the men and motors camerawoman. Just out and try to get the car moved but not going anywhere off the road. Off with the bonnet and checks everything and all seems fine. Then notice fuel pump is not clicking… Just back in car - switch to other pump and prime the carbs and broom…. Jumps back out and puts bonnet on and away we go again. Lost around 4 minutes but hey - that's rallying. Sean and myself decide that we'll take the time and not a DNF so that we can be an overall finisher.

The rest of the morning stages go smoothly with progressively quicker times through them and a little rain thrown into the mix makes some of them interesting. However a cow decides to wander out onto the road in front of us on SS6 so took a risk with the gap and luckily the cow kept walking.. Would have been a messy beefburger otherwise! With a dry road on Darkhole SS9 the later runners including ourselves had a huge advantage over the people first on the road as the stage dried out. Into lunchtime service and a spannercheck for the car and we decide to fit the lampod just in case theres a delay or we get little or no service time later on.

Off to Brighton-Colleton stage as SS10 and as we approach the arrival control it starts to rain. A fair bit of a wait ensues and the road gets wetter and the car steams up a little. Off the start and the car feels OK on the bumpy sections - not too slippery then hairpin right and suddenly no grip! As this was the first run we are taking our time a bit then onto a long straight and flat right, short section then another right over crest then 3rd gear left at Drax Hall… Oh shit, were going way too fast as the car locks a wheel over the crest, unsettling the car and making it skate and understeer on the road with the complete lack of turn-in and grip... Concrete wall on outside and far too much speed. Now do I tweak the handbrake and maybe make it, maybe go into the field/wall side on and roll if we do that or try to miss the wall and go into the field. I opt for the latter in the split second it takes and we miss the wall (by inches), clear a small ditch and go 30m into the field across the deeply ploughed furrows. Seans OK, Im OK so restart the car and 1st gear gives me wheelspin, Reverse gives me wheelspin.. Suddenly theres spectators around the car - Roger Skeete on my side pushing me and lots of other faces too. The car edges forwards and over one mound, then another back to the road as I nail the throttle.. Lots of toots, cheers and a scared and relieved driver and codriver gets back on stage. Slowly does it for the rest of the stage and the rest of the loop then service area.

Out onto the stages at night - this is the first time we've rallied at night ever and the lights actually do a bloody good job - should do as theres 400watts of Cibie power lighting up the roads with the lampod being nearly as big as the car! Through the loop with more speed than before as now have dry roads and more confidence. A little backed off at Drax Hall but otherwise neat and tidy and an enjoyable set of stages. I like this night stage idea… Service again and back out and now Im enjoying myself. Pushing hard through all the stages as now have confidence in the notes and the car and really enjoying the night stages. Back to Bushy Park and a long long wait before we can get on circuit. Not my favourite part of the event - run it like a tarmac stage and include it in the event with a split and a merge for next year please with proper included timing for the cars going onto stage rather than a long queue. Finished all without incident so off to park the car overnight.

Sunday morning dawns and the car is readied at Simpson Motors again. The only jobs we have is to topup the oil - a constant issue as were leaking some oil, remove the lampod and to clean the car off a little. Weather looks consistant so decide to see what difference swapping to supersoft A032R tyres will make instead of the A048s but decide to do this at first service as I wanted to feel the difference on the stages and a triple loop of 3 stages allows this. Off to Canefield and a slowish run through the stage but steady to get me back into it. Then off to Darkhole - downhill… Find the stage is cancelled due to the zero car going off so phew - only 2 runs of the locally known 'Iceland' stage downhill. Then to Sailor Gully - the scene of our timeloss yesterday. Steady run again and back to service where we swap the tyres.

Out again and what a difference the tyres make. Id been braking from the last crest on vaucluse corner to get the car slowed down on the first run - I try it on this run and the car brakes so well that I have to accelerate to the corner. The corner speeds don't feel that different but seem to be braking later so making up time there. Darkhole downhill now taken quite easy on the tricky bits but some speed through the faster sections and enjoying sailor gully but cocked the hairpin up as the handbrakes not working very well. Third run of the morning and coming through Canefield it starts to rain so a lot slower through the initial part of the stage but starts to dry out so push on a bit. Darkhole seems dry so attack down the first section and then slowly does it through the tricky sections and back on the power for the run to the finish. Onto Sailor Gully and we're now behind a Proton. Pushing on through the stage with lots of confidence in the car we get to around a mile from the finish and see the Proton in front of us so that's makes us go quicker round the last part of the stage and over the jump. Then rain starts to fall and we're rapidly closing in on the Proton so back off slightly as Im not going to have a stupid accident here. Back to lunch service and nothing amiss but now lots of confidence in the car.

Paul Rees & Winston ThompsonAt service myself and Winston Thomson get talking and bantering and with my new found confidence I make a bet with him that if he starts at 30 seconds behind me and catches me on the Colleton to Brighton stage (his favourite) I would buy him beers all night.. He agrees so off to Malvern - the first stage of the final afternoons 6 stages and a decent run through without any major problems. Kept it flat over the final 2 corners and the car got a little skittish but confidence now there.

Transit section to Colleton-Brighton and Winstons waiting at the ATC for me and books in behind me.. Now its real and Im suddenly wishing I hadn't made the bet as I thought he could certainly catch me. Being a real tight git with my wallet I really didn't want to have to buy beers all night and I couldn't live down the bantering and pressure from Winston so head into gear, pressure on and into the stage. I do have the confidence from the 2 previous stages where we'd driven well but this is something else. I now have the determination to go quickly and the pressure from behind. Taking corners much quicker than before - bearing in mind I had confidence in my notes but hadn't driven this stage in this direction before - and everything working well so pushing on and on. Close call with the kerb on the exit of Kendal corner and a couple of crests with cutrock on the outside scaring me but slowish through Drax Hall and the Proton is ahead of me again - in the distance but certainly there so I keep my foot in. Round the hairpin and onto the bumpy roads and Im still going strong - checking the Mirrors for Winston as surely hes near now but cant see him so more confidence. Round the square right and the last half mile to the finish and catching the Proton quickly now. See him brake for the bump just before the last corner and I keep it flat - car compresses and rear wheels leave the ground the car twists a little in the air but lands safely with my foot still kept in and round the last corner, flying finish and stop….. Sean lets out a Phew - his first of the rally and I know I've driven my best stage of the event. Winston didn't catch us and we took 25 secs out of the car in front. Awesome stage!

Team @ MalvernOnto Stewarts Hill and service and back to Malvern for a final runthrough at speed. Then Kendal stage again and just after Kendal corner it starts to rain… not too bad but roads a little greasy so cars sliding a little more. Then see the Lintons have hit a wall and roads are now pretty wet so slows right down for the smooth road section. Now aiming for a finish on the event so not doing anything silly so a time 30 seconds slower than the previous stage through there. Last stage of the event is Stewarts Hill and a very slow run tooting and waving at the marshals as I wanted a finish now. Transit section back to Vaucluse was interesting with the road blocked by spectator cars but lots of tooting and usage of bankings and we got there in the end. Handed in timecards and the realisation that Ive finished the event is immense. Line the car up to do the Superspecial and Simon Wallis and myself line up together and decide to give the crowd a bit of fun. Off the line and were both trying to keep it even - get to the first hairpin and we're neck and neck and the same at the finish line. Im trying to get the car sideways on the loose surface as much as possible to have some fun but not wanting to break the car now. Coming up to the finish and Simon just gets in front but its not a problem as Ive been having fun!

The teams goal for the event was to finish. We could have knocked 5 and a half mins or so off the overall finish time by taking the DNFs on offer for SS5 and SS10 but decided not too as it didn't matter anyways as we finished and can say we started and finished every stage - a la a UK event. Thoroughly enjoyed the rally - want to come back next year - with different tyres and different goals as we've now got a finish under our belt.

The team would like to thank Barbadian Stephen Kelly for his work servicing the car for the team all weekend. His efforts made our lives a lot easier during the short times available for service. We would also like to thank Alex Cole and Cole Construction for the use of their truck as a service van over the weekend. Further thanks go to team sponsors Red Kite Education and Dynamic IS for supporting the team and to all the organisers and marshals for giving their time freely and making the event such a success.

 
 
Index
Intro Page 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 Team Report
 
 
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