{"id":1895,"date":"2013-11-07T18:48:06","date_gmt":"2013-11-07T17:48:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.skodarallyblog.com\/?p=1895"},"modified":"2013-11-07T18:48:06","modified_gmt":"2013-11-07T17:48:06","slug":"tempest-2013","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.skodarallyblog.fun\/?p=1895","title":{"rendered":"Tempest 2013"},"content":{"rendered":"

Today was the Tempest Rally 2013. \u00a0It’s an event I’ve done several times before, but this year there would be a change, I’d be navigating for Ricky Aitken, who I’ve known for a few years – he navigates for Gary Hayter in his various cars, and has MOTed my cars on a few occasions. \u00a0When I saw him at the start of Rallye Sunseeker, Ricky said he was looking for a navigator for the Tempest to sit in with him in Gary’s 205, and it went from there.<\/p>\n

We wanted to get to the event as the service area opened as it’s usually best to avoid the scrutineering queue, and usually something or other turns up that you want to sort on the car, so that meant a 5:15 departure from Ebblake Tyres in Verwood. \u00a0Fortunately Ricky had everything ready and loaded with the car on the trailer and the tow car already hitched, it just had to be driven out of the unit and off we went.<\/p>\n

\"Off<\/a>

Off we go…<\/p><\/div>\n

We got to the service area early, but there’s always someone earlier than you, and once unloaded we got set up in the service area, at the end where hopefully there would be plenty of space. \u00a0We got through scrutineering quickly and without any issues, which is always nice, but it’s always a bit more relaxed when it’s not my car that’s being examined!<\/p>\n

\"Good<\/a>

Good to go.<\/p><\/div>\n

Next to us was a Mitsubishi Evo which looked incredible – all carbon fibre, WRC wings, etc. \u00a0It sounded like a race motorbike too. \u00a0Lovely.<\/p>\n

\"Getting<\/a>

Getting ready to go.<\/p><\/div>\n

The service area was getting busy by this time, but we still had a couple of hours before we’d be off (at 9:57), so we made some last minute adjustments including the drivers’ seat position which was a bit far back, and got everything else we thought we’d need into the car. \u00a0The last thing to do was a bit of a discussion about the day’s aim (to finish!) and how far I should go in terms of egging him on or holding him back if I thought he’d gone AWOL. \u00a0We decided on a fairly easy approach, which suited me fine! \u00a0We saw Tony Hawkins in his BMW which he’d mentioned had a misfire on Facebook the night before, and alas it still had it, as well as reverse lights permanently on! \u00a0Always nice to see Tony, and he’s always full of enthusiasm, so I hoped the misfire wouldn’t ruin his day. \u00a0We had a quick chat with the crew in car 59 who were running a 205 but one place in front of us. \u00a0However, theirs was a 1.9 with an MI16 engine and a pair of twin 40s on it, so it probably had twice the power of the bog stock 1600 in our car.<\/p>\n

Soon enough, the service area started to thin out, and it was time for us to go, having triple-checked we weren’t going without the vital stuff (helmet, road book, time cards, pace notes), and off to our first stage, SS21, Warren 1. \u00a0 If you’re wondering, the Tempest is divided up into 2WD and 4WD events, with each event getting first run at at several of the stages, and all our stages were in the 20s. \u00a0Warren is a fair distance from service, so we had a chance to get comfortable and get prepared for the stage, and we got there in good time and got ready to go. \u00a0The weather we’d been promised was miserable, but it was actually fairly bright and not currently raining, so off we went. \u00a0It went pretty well; we certainly didn’t set the world on fire, but this was Ricky’s first time driving in a rally, and only the second time competitively (previously he’d done a sprint), so it was definitely a case of shakedown. \u00a0The car was working OK, which was good, and the notes flowed OK; \u00a0Ricky’s used to “6 fastest” notes, which takes a bit of mental adaptation for me, as I’m used to a 5 or 6 corner being severe, whereas it’s now a 1 or 2 which needs attention, so I’d highlighted them in case I forgot this, but I needn’t have worried; once you get going your brain takes care of the switch quickly, like switching from LHD to RHD and back. \u00a0There were no major dramas, and the car behaved OK, and we seemed to be getting on OK in the car. \u00a0Good stuff.<\/p>\n

Stage 2 was SS22, Pavilion 1, and we only got there in time – there were some delays on the road section due to road works, and while we had some penalty free lateness to use, we’d always rather get there in time, which we just about managed, so it was straight to the start and off we went. \u00a0Pavilion was pretty rough; there are a few places where the stage makes a detour to create a ‘large chicane’, maybe going off into the woods and then back onto the gravel track. \u00a0The first of these was pretty tight, but fortunately the car has an upright handbrake, so it make easy work of it. \u00a0On one of the longer straights we were going pretty well and suddenly there was a HUGE pothole that wasn’t in the notes, and also wasn’t visible until it was too late, and we hit it going pretty much as fast as we could. \u00a0The back of the car flew up into the air, having taken a big hit on the way in. \u00a0Once Rick got the car back in shape, we pressed on, but something was broken. \u00a0The dashboard had broken off!<\/p>\n

The part that covers the clocks and provides the air vent had broken clean off on the impact, and was loose. \u00a0I couldn’t reach it to hold it in place when strapped in, so we carried on through the stage. \u00a0The car seemed otherwise unhurt by this impact, and we carried on. Other bits were rough and each time we hit something else, the dashboard slipped into a more awkward place, but fortunately didn’t stop Ricky from driving the car OK. \u00a0We got to the end of the stage, relieved that nothing else had broken, and Ricky took the now completely detached section and chucked it in the back of the car, as we had to shoot off to SS23, Rushmoor.<\/p>\n

I say shoot off, we had to wait while we got the timecard back from a couple who seemed to be having a bit of a matrimonial dispute! \u00a0Once they’d finished, off we went.<\/p>\n

Rushmoor Arena is next to the service area and gives a good viewpoint to anyone in service as well as general spectators. \u00a0In the past the transitions between tarmac and gravel\/soil have been treacherous, claiming victims of the unwary, so we noted this before the start. \u00a0The other unusual thing about it is that it has merges and splits as you do two laps; this isn’t something that happens on many multi-venue events, but Ricky’s done lots of single-venue events as a navigator so they shouldn’t be too strange. \u00a0Off we went, and fortunately the merge was clear so we were free to go at the first corner with abandon. \u00a0Once again the handbrake did the trick and round we went. \u00a0The transision was much better than in previous years, and the stage hadn’t cut up as much as I remembered in the past, which was good. \u00a0The notes were pretty good, aside from the “split right” actually being a “drive straight on”, but I guess you can’t please everyone…. one person who wouldn’t be pleased was \u00a0the driver of the Mk1 Escort which was now minus a wheel, parked up on one side of the stage. \u00a0We got round the first lap and found the merge thankfully clear (indeed, didn’t see anyone else on the stage aside from the beached Escort), and on the second lap headed off into the woods again for the quick blast over the finish, a near jump through gate posts.<\/p>\n

The drive back to service was short, but there was a bit of a wait as there was a regroup control on the way in – these are designed to get the event’s cars all back in one “lump”, to allow for the slower cars at the back of the field being slower and to get everyone back at one minute intervals. \u00a0During that time we assessed the car (all seemed well aside from this!)…<\/p>\n

\"Not<\/a>

Not the worst part of a car to lose.<\/p><\/div>\n

…and chatted to the others around us about how their day had been going. \u00a0We got a results sheet and while the times weren’t stellar, we were still going and having a good time. \u00a0It would have been foolish to expect anything more, in fact!<\/p>\n

Into service, we checked the car over and there wasn’t really anything to do – everything was as it should be, so we got ourselves ready for the next run, having noted that already there were a few victims – the service area was already thinning out, and quite a few cars hadn’t made it to this point, only a third of the way through the event.<\/p>\n

\"Ricky,<\/a>

Ricky, working hard.<\/p><\/div>\n

Once everything was done, it was time to go, so we set off to SS24<\/p>\n

\"Out<\/a>

Out we go<\/p><\/div>\n

SS24 was Pavilion 2, and it had cut up fairly badly already – the start was quite “washboard”, and despite being only 150M to the first corner, it seemed to take an age to get going – the ground was so rutted and washboarded that the poor Peugeot just couldn’t get us going. \u00a0Fortunately after the first corner it wasn’t as bad, and we made a better stab of it this time; the tight bits were taken well by Ricky, and we knew where the pothole of doom was waiting for us and took appropriate avoiding action. \u00a0About half way through the stage the car felt odd – it just felt very loose and spongey; Both of us noticed it, and initially thought we may have a puncture, but carried on through the rest of the stage. \u00a0One heavy braking point was quite dicey, but at the end of the stage Ricky checked the car over and all was well. \u00a0I’ve had a number of times I’ve been convinced that a car has a puncture, but 90%+ of the time it’s not been the case. \u00a0I’d have to add this into that group as well, although I’ve never felt it as a navigator before!<\/p>\n

SS25 was Ash 1. \u00a0Ash is a stage which I’ve never really enjoyed. \u00a0It’s a long fast run for the first part, and then has a square left at the end of an uphill section that has caught many out in the past, but this year there’s a chicane just before it, so it’s unlikely someone would launch their car into the shrubbery at this point. \u00a0When we got there it was apparent that something wasn’t right; there were lots of cars there at the stage start, so it was clear there had been a delay.<\/p>\n

\"Waiting<\/a>

Waiting for news and Ash 1<\/p><\/div>\n

It later transpired that there had been a couple of fairly big offs, one of which we were warned about as a large black hole had developed on the stage and thrown Julian Wilkes off at considerable speed:<\/p>\n