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.
At
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!
Onto
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.
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