MGCC Autosolo

I've never done an autotest before so when I heard about the MGCC's autosolo I thought it sounded spot on as there is no reversing. My car is pretty hard to see out the back off due to the bucket seats so forwards only suits me great. As you were allowed dual entries I asked Niall to come up to have a spin too. He built most of the car so really it's about time he got a run in it.

The first test we were to do was Test 2 and it was pretty complex. For a couple of people who had never autotested before it was very difficult just trying to remember where we were going, never mind concentrate on trying to drive the car. Once we had our heads round the correct route it became very clear very quickly that traction was going to be our biggest barrier to quick times. We weren't that bothered though as we were only there to race each other.

During the day we both got a few penalties and a few failed tests but it was great craic. The weather stayed good so that makes any motor sport day much more enjoyable. My nice new Quatrac tyres didn't enjoy the day much though and they were pretty torn up by the end, I'd say they are down to half their tread depth already.

Unbelievably in the final results we both finished up with the exact same total time, a joint 7th in class!

There were some real nice cars there on the day, I'm a big fan of the Sebring body kit on a MGB GT.

Suz Graham's video of me:



And Pete Moore's video of the event:


Costs:
Entry fee £17
Petrol £23, it wasn't all used.

Ballynahinch Autumn Lanes Rally 2011

Saturday past (12th November) saw the second running of the Ballynahinch Autumn Lanes rally. It was a good event last year but it was even better this time round. BADMC had managed to reduced the road mileage and found a lot of new venues. Most of this years lanes were new and less autotesty than last time. Those were the only 2 issues that let the event down previously so with both having been worked on it turned out to be a great rally.

I have been out in the Nova a lot this last month so I was feeling very comfortable and was able to push pretty hard right from the off. The new tests were good proper lanes tests that I could get my teeth into, and not too many 180's round cones which really kill my times. As well as that the tests were well set up and most of the cones were taped to show which way round to go so we were clean all day and I really enjoyed all the tests. We did get a bit caught out though with there being no lunch halt. The tests were well scheduled so we only had a couple of minutes to wait at each so there was no chance to eat until things got held up a bit due to a faulty clock on the last loop.

I had installed a steering wheel knob for the first time to see if it would help me steer through the tight sections more quickly, but I couldn't really get into the way of using it. Normally when coming out of a tight section I loosen my grip and let the steering wheel slip through my fingers to straighten the wheels, but with the knob on I can't do that very easily. I found myself changing between my normal "quarter to three" grip and using the steering knob much too often, sometimes in the middle of corners, and it was just making thing more awkward. I can see the benefits of the steering knob though I think I'll persevere a bit longer and see if I can get used to it.
Andy Hughes had replaced his 106 for a 306 GTI before the rally so I was really pleased to see that we weren't too far behind his times considering he has twice the power, and due to a Quaife ATB diff, twice the grip. Having said that it was his first time in the car so I'm sure hes not fully up to speed yet. I think that traction is one of the things that is holding me back most so I will have to look into getting an uprated diff for myself. There is currently a used one on eBay that I've my eye on so I will see how the auction goes.

I had the GoPro in for all the tests so I will try get the footage uploaded soon.

Costs
Entry fee: £65
Club membership: £10
Petrol: £25 to fill the tank before the start.

Ballynahinch Motor Club
Results
Peespeed's Photos
Neillpics Photos

Circuit Retro 2011 - In-Car Videos

I'm finally starting to get my head around video editing so hopefully there should be a lot of videos going up on YouTube over the next few weeks.

This is the in-car from the Tollymore Forest, it was one of the best of the rally. The full stage was used later in the day for the Down Rally but we only got to use a small section of it.

Circuit Retro 2011

Another full weekend of motorsport, that's 2 in 3 weekends, October has been a great month.

This time it was the Circuit Retro, organised by the UAC, which for the first time were running a class for modern cars. Andy Hughes had asked me to sit with him as his regular navigator was unavailable and I jumped at the chance. My Nova isn't ready for a 3 day lanes rally so sitting with Andy is the next best thing. He had sources a short ratio gearbox from a 1300cc 106 Rallye for his 1400cc XSi 106 and was excited about how much quicker it made the car. Unfortunately it was the new gear box that let us down. After just 2 tests the gearbox started to whine and had trouble selecting gears. We battled on for another few tests and then decided to pull out and head back to Tandragee to investigate.

It didn't take long to find the problem. This is the bolt hole where the gearbox mount joins to the gearbox.

So with the rallye gearbox being scrap we started swapping it out for the old reliable GTI 'box that had come out just the week before. With some guidance from Mark, Andy's friendly local mechanic, and the use of his lift we had the broken 'box out and the good one back in by 20:30 and were ready to tackle Saturday and Sundays tests.

And what tests they were! The first 2 tests were part of stages from the Down Rally, Tollymore and Castlewellan. Getting the chance to experience those stages was brilliant, I've never seen a forest stage from the inside and they were well worth the early start. From there we spent the rest of the day doing 9 tests on the stages in Slieve Gullion Forest Park. The GTI gearbox was geared too long for the Gullion tests as they were mostly uphill but we still enjoyed the hoke.

On Sunday we did several tests on our way down to Kirkistown race circuit, the best of which was Dunleath Farm. I hadn't a clue where we were going but Andy knew the test as he had set it up in previous years and we set a great time. The Kirkistown test were a chance to stretch the cars legs with some longer tests and they where the best of the weekend. There are enough tests at Kirkistown for it to host a whole lanes rally within its grounds so I hope that is something that can be organised in the future, I for one would be very keen to go back.

From talking to people at the end everyone really enjoyed the event and the UAC did a great job of running it. The weather was about as bad as it gets and still the marshals stood out in it and I didn't hear any of them complain about it. Hopefully I can support the event again next year and get my own car out. I was very impressed with Andy's driving and I'd have to admit that it felt like he is quicker than me, much more attacking and confident, I really enjoyed sitting in with him, he's good craic too. I had the Go Pro in for most of the tests so I'll link to the videos when I get them edited down.

Ciaran


Circuit Retro
Graham Curry's Photos
Peespeed's Photos

Erne Safari 2011

The final result wasn't what I had hoped for but I had a good time none the less. It took me a few sections to shake off the rust from not having done a nav rally for what seems like a long time, but once I got back into the way of driving again it was really good. The Passat isn't the most suitable car but it performed well. The route wasn't overly tight so the Passat's size didn't cause any problems.

The main issue on the night was a lack of lights and that's an area I hope to have a look into before the next event in Cookstown on the 25th March. I just couldn't see far enough up the road to feel safe about trying to push on to get back on our minute. Some conventional uprated bulbs will be a good start, but I also have a HID kit that came with the Passat that I could refit.

Other issues that don't have such an easy fix are the brakes and the suspension. I could feel on a couple of occasions that the brakes were getting too warm so I had to look after them for a few miles until they cooled again. This was possibly only a problem due to there being no relaxed section on the rally so the car didn't get its usual half distance break to cool down. On the suspension side there were no real issues, I just felt that the car was sprung a bit soft for what I was asking it to do, I had to be careful of the sump and the front bumper was grounded out a few times.

As can be see from the results link below we were classed as DNF, which is very disappointing and not actually correct. Unfortunately just after TCH I got distracted, didn't notice a corner coming up and took the "safe" option of going a few meters through an open gate into a field. The field turned out to be very wet and we got stuck for the rest of the rally. Thankfully a local farmer towed us out and there was no harm done. We went to the finish at the hotel to hand in our time card and then went home. There was no point staying as we wouldn't be getting any trophies on this occasion. We were due to finish at TCJ so we had visited more than two thirds of the controls and should have been classes as finishers but the regulations weren't followed correctly. I've sent an email about it so I hope to get it sorted out, class 2 is going to be very competitive this year so we need all the points we can get.

Erne Safari Results:
http://www.enniskillenmotorclub.co.uk/es11/ESResults2011.pdf

CMC Donaldson Fuels Rally regs and entry form:
http://www.anicc.org.uk/Resources/Documents/Regulations%20permit11.pdf
http://www.anicc.org.uk/Resources/Documents/Entry%20Form11.pdf

Not the Boxing Day Rally 2010 +33 days

Well that was unexpected. It all came together at the last minute but I found myself navigating on last Saturdays "Not the Boxing Day" rally. I hadn't intended doing any navigating this year but as it's been a while since I've been out on an event I took the opportunity to guide Denis Bell round. Denis is a gentleman driver and as he delighted in telling me he is now in his 7th decade of competitive motorsport. He had managed to borrow his wife's car for the day and as it had to be returned at 6pm to do the shopping run we weren't going to be setting the stages alight.

The event itself is of a format that has become quite popular in NI over the last few years and involves using private lanes and yards for timed tests. Some are like mini rally stages and others are like open autotests. There is no restriction on cars or licences so its open to everyone and I can see more events like it springing up and being very popular in future.

Denis and I had a great day. We didn't make any mistakes, didn't do any damage and got on well in the car. Denis has plenty of stories about rallying in the old days and from his time selling Toyota's he has been lucky enough to meet a good few of the driving legends that I will only ever get to see on video. It was really interesting to get the chance to talk to someone from a different generation who has the same interests as I do.

Our "rally" car for the day:

Queuing for Test 2:

Start line of Test 2:

Interesting double car transporter:

Tour of the Mournes 2011

Tonight was supposed to be the first round of the Northern Ireland Navigation Rally Championship with the Tour of the Mournes rally organised by Rathfriland Motor Club, but unfortunately due to the bad weather during the crucial weeks leading up to the event it has had to be called off, which is a great shame. The Tour of the Mournes is one of my favourite navs of the year because the weather is unpredictable, but this time it is that very variable that has forced it to be called off. With the event route being up in the mountains, in January, the grip level is constantly changing and for me it just adds an extra bit of excitement to the driving.

I competed a couple of years ago in an old Passat estate that had been bought for £100 to do the Scally Rally and it was brilliant fun. The big car was a bit of a handful and getting stopped at a few junctions on the ice was a real test of my ability, but we got round to the finish with no damage and a respectable score which earned Neil and myself a trophy for 3rd in class.

I hope that the bad weather doesn't become an annual event and the Tour of the Mournes returns again in 2012.

MSA 'Go Rallying' starter pack

I would like to be in a position to do some stage rallies next year, nothing fancy, just whatever the cheapest tarmac events turn out to be. So the first thing I'll need will be the correct competition licence. This year I have a "Non-Race National B" so to do any stage rallying I will need to upgrade to a "Rally National B Stage". Unlike my current licence this one can't just be applied for, I will need to pass a test. This is known as the BARS test and so far as I can tell it involves a written test on safety and then a practical test where I will have to show an examiner that I can control a rally car safely and I wont be a danger to anyone on a special stage. The BARS test can only be taken at a MSA approved rally school and there is only one in NI.

Before I can take the BARS test I need to buy a 'Go Rallying' pack from the MSA. The pack cost £57 and for that high price I was expecting it to contain some useful items or information that would help me get started in motorsport, but unfortunately I was left disappointed.

'Go Rallying' pack contents:

Information letter,
Form to apply for the "Stage Rally National B" licence,
Go Rallying & First Aid in Motorsport CD,
Interactive year book DVD,
Blue book/Yearbook,
Demon Tweeks catalogue,

List of approved rally school,
Notes for filling out the licence form,
Return envelope.

Of all that only the form to apply for my licence and the CD/DVDs are useful. The form and the videos could be put on the internet and it would do away with the need for a starter pack altogether and save every new competitor £57. For an organisation that should be trying to encourage people to get involved in motorsport this seems like a very poor introduction. They should be trying to take barriers out of the way not putting them up. Unfortunately it looks like the MSA are taking advantage of their monopoly position and ripping off competitors right from the very start of their motorsport careers. Motorsport is an expensive enough hobby, without the governing body adding to it.



MSA 'Go Rallying' starter pack:
http://shop.msauk.org/product_details.asp?id=4073

Paper work

My plan for this year is to compete in some Hill Climb and Sprint events as well as the full Northern Ireland Navigation rally championship, and as it's January it's time to renew my competition licence. There are many different grades of licence and I think it's a bit confusing so I'll try and make it as simple as possible.

To start Navigation rallies no competition licence is needed for the beginners class, but you will need to be a member of each club. Joining the individual clubs can get a bit costly and if your doing the full season then it's actually cheaper to get a "Non-Race Clubman" licence. You will need a competition licence in the future if you get a taste for Navigation rallying and want to move up to the higher classes.

As I am aiming to compete in Hill Climb and Sprint events, which are classified as "Speed" events I will need to upgrade to the next level which is the "Non-Race National B" licence. To my knowledge this should cover me for all Hill's and Sprints in Northern Ireland. The licence will also allow me to compete as a navigator on Stage Rallies, should any opportunities come up.

See here for the MSA competition licence application form, including prices:
http://www.msauk.org/uploadedfiles/msa_forms/2011_Initial_Application_Form.pdf

and see here (page 17) for a list of what licences are required for each type of event:
http://www.msauk.org/uploadedfiles/msa_forms/bluebooks/11/124-141%20Comps%20-%20Licences.pdf

New year, new project.

Well as it’s the start of a new year it seems like a good time to take on a new project. I plan to use this blog as a way to archive my adventures in motorsport. I hope to post up photos and video from the events I compete in and the events I help to organise as well as updates and modifications to my rally car.

Motorsport is a difficult hobby to get started in so hopefully this blog will show people how I’m going about getting started and it might ease their own entry into the sport.