Tour Of Cornwall 2006

Summary: 

Our first rally for six months, so both Mick and I were feeling a bit rusty. It’s our first rally in this years championship, and we really want a good result to help us on our way to fulfilling our ambition of winning the B9 category this year.We have two stages on Friday evening in the dark before the car goes into parc ferme, and then a further fourteen on Saturday.The weather turns out perfect for Friday evening, dry and cool, and we take the stages fairly cautiously but both feel happy with our early performance. Results back at main control show that we are leading our class and lying 37th overall. Not a bad start!Friday night it rains heavily, so on Saturday morning we go out on cut tyres to cope with the standing water.The first pair of stages go well with us taking an 11th fastest time on stage 4.The next two stages and we are really getting into the groove, and I’m feeling ‘back at home’ in the car, and looking forward in anticipation to a good result.

But rallying is rallying, and as we’ve learned before – anything can happen – and on the next stage, leading our class by a full minute, the most unlikely thing happens – a front wheel bearing hub breaks and we’re out – frustrating or what!, but we must look forward to the next rally on The Isle of Man on 5th/6th May. We know we can win – and I can’t wait !!!

 I’ve said this before, but - we really enjoyed this rally despite the non-finish, as we worked well as a team and were producing some superb stage times.We were leading our class by a minute – not a second!, and the second in class was a rapid Vauxhall PRM Tigre with a Honda Blackbird engine in the back!We attracted a lot of attention – not only with our performance in the mini, but also with our girls – Sam and Claire – in their Brosis Motorsport cat suits!!The next rally – The Manx National – is better suited to the mini on the narrow twisty lanes of the Isle of Man, so all being well - we will do well and score some healthy points for the championship. 

Stage by Stage 

Special Stages 1 & 2   Bocconoc  2.3miles.

With the cool dry weather we decided to go out on our TA tyres. Country estate stage. We start off the line okay, the lights are good and the first bend is a long left hander – very fast, and I need to settle down and concentrate. Some very tight and tricky parts – took it fairly easy to bed ourselves in. Long straight towards the end – flat out and followed by a tight chicane – then flying finish. I feel quite pleased, although I know we will need to go quicker.

We drive round for the second run through the same stage, which seemed to flow better with the car starting to feel familiar again. The stage went well, although still cautious – there’s a long way to go to the end of the rally.

As we went over the flying finish – the alternator light comes on – oh no!! – we’ve had this before on the Jim Clark, when the alternator failed – and put us out of the rally. We radio our service crew, switch off all non essential electrics and continue towards the night halt. Our crew radio back, meet us, rapidly investigate the problem and replace the ruined drive belt. All’s well and we continue without loss of road time.

Special Stages 3 & 4  Bocconoc  2.5 miles.                          

These stages are a reverse of last nights stages. With it having rained overnight we opt for cut TA’s. Glorious sunshine although still wet under trees. We set off and are struggling to put the power down – very slippery – have to be very cautious in the braking areas.We handbrake nicely round a hairpin adjacent to a big spectator gathering – phew!, the tyres are beginning to warm up and offer more grip. The pace notes are working okay – although not as good as our own. The car is handling great and drifting nicely in control round tighter bends. A very fast uphill climb over the flying finish.Stage 4 is a second run through and we are more confident this run, pushing the car a bit harder, the car and tyres great, correct tyre choice (cut TA20’s front and TA00’s back). Going a ‘little’ too fast into that hairpin and ‘slightly’ overcook the handbrake! trying to turn the car in, so we don’t understeer wide. But all well. We carry more speed into the uphill climb to the finish – a lot better this run – Mick good on the notes.                                                                        

Special Stages 5 & 6   Penhale  2.4 miles.

We change tyres in service before these stages to moulded slicks, as the tarmac is now drying fast. We set off, bright sunshine, very fast stage. Mick finding it hard to keep up on the notes, and so  having to be very cautious over the blind crests.Second half of stage takes us through the army camp with big kerbs – but lots of grip on these tyres. Sleeping policemen over flying finish causes a bit of excitement.Stage 6 goes much better with Mick now up to speed on the notes. Stage goes a lot faster –  much better – feels much more how it should do.We progress to a refuelling point at ‘Vospers’ the  rally main sponsor’s premises, where our service  crew are waiting.  

Special Stage 7   Portreath  8.8 miles.  

Very fast open airfield stage with splits and merges as we are to do two laps.We set off and the car feeling good, held off a car coming round on his second lap as me merged, and soon let a Metro 6R4 pass us going into an hairpin, so as not to hold him up, then use his lines and momentum to help us go as fast as the car will take us. We go into a very fast open right hander, and the car suddenly drifts across the tarmac and into the grass and I can do nothing to prevent it. Feels like we may have a puncture. Out of the grass and we continue as quickly as possible with a view to completing the stage and then changing the wheel. About two miles further on and the steering feels very strange as I try to turn a tight bend. We have to stop now to change it. I dash to get the spare wheel, whilst Mick gets out the wheel brace, but when I get round the front and see it – it ain’t flat!!The wheel is at a strange angle, and when I get down and look underneath I can see that the hub itself is broken in two!! This is as far as we go. We radio our crew, who organise to collect us.