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Get You And Your Mini Into Rallying......


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#1 rally1380

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Posted 04 April 2013 - 08:40 PM

I've got a build thread going following my Historic clubman rally car build and many people have commented on how they'd love to give rallying a go but don't really know where to start.

This isn't a 'Let's go and pretend to be Colin Mcrae in the forests' story on a mini-scule budget, but more a way that anyone can take his or her car and have a bash at some grass roots motorsport...and have an awesome laugh doing so!

Road Rallying!!!!!!!

Road Rallying is divided into two main types - normal Road Rallying held on open roads at night and Historic Road Rallying which is held on open roads but during the day and usually at much much lower speeds and involves regularity sections where the crew has to maintain average speeds (more on that later).

To do a road rally you don't need to do that much to you car in all honesty. People do go mega overboard (me included) with 'prepping' a car, but to be honest if it's reliable and in good working order then other than a sump guard you could probably go out and have a nights fun. One thing to consider is that road rallies tend to be rough in places so any low cars will find they will be wandering why their exhaust has fallen off or why the brake or fuel pipes have a hole in them....if you don't run the lines inside....protect them!!!

More indepth car prep can come later in this thread as other people join in, i just wanted to give you a few tips on how to get into it from a fellow beginners point of view.

The most important part of rallying is the navigation. Not many drivers will agree....they think POWWWWEEEERRRR is the the most important thing.....but if you get lost or miss a control then you may loose the rally. Paddy Hopkirk wouldn't have won the Monte if it wasn't for Henry Lidden.

I've put together a few pic's of the navigator's tools of the trade that you or whoever reads the maps for you will need to read maps in the dead of night.

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First up.....the Map light magnifier. This one is the awesome Don Barrow DB8 magnifier which we won on the Tour of Cheshire for winning our class (again thanks to good navigation) As the name suggests.....it lights up and magnifies the map making map reading at night easier. There other brands out there, but Don's product is the original and the best. I'm not just saying that because we won it and got it for free....we already have one of his magnifiers and used it to win a class 1st and 2nd.

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The Maps....whatever rally you enter you'll need a map (sometimes more than one to make things more complicated). The organisers will tell you which map number to buy for that years event.....note number in top right corner

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The Romer.....looks like just a bit of plastic but its soooo much more. Well designed it'll help you plot maps quickly.

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Others....Clipboards, 2B pencils, rubbers, highlighter pens, pencil sharpener, pencil clips so you've always got a pencil to hand, and also club membership cards and if doing national events - a licence.

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Other things to consider........you'll need a light inside the car so you can plot your route...like this one

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And a clock set to 'Rally Time' so you know where to be when.....but timing will come with time (no pun intended) as we are still very much learning the ropes so timing is second to the navigation at the mo.

There are far more experienced rally peeps on here than me, so fingers crossed they can add to this thread also because if it wasn't for the advice they gave, we wouldn't have done so well so soon....so thankyou Peter and Si.

http://www.donbarrow.co.uk

http://www.thebasicroamer.co.uk

#2 iwatkins

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Posted 04 April 2013 - 09:02 PM

Read with great interest, looking forward to more.

Used to do the Autoglym sponsored Mencap rally in Dorset each year which was a daylight navigation rally (no timing), usually with a lunchtime stop at the Haynes museum and a big party in the evening. Not run now it seems.

Cheers

Ian

#3 Da11yn

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Posted 04 April 2013 - 09:14 PM

Great post.

Probably worth a mention that if anyone is interested in getting involved in any form of motor sport the first port of call is to get in contact with your local car club. As they are always looking for marshals or happy to have spectators at events and this allows you to get a first hand appreciation of what the particular discipline involves.

For more information on your local club and types of motor sport you can get involved in click on the below.

http://www.gomotorsport.net

If anyone is in the Leicestershire area, I can personally recommend Loughborough car club as they host a series of evening 12 car navigation rallies and autotests every couple of weeks throughout the year and are only £20 a time.

#4 Cooperman

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Posted 04 April 2013 - 10:37 PM

Good to see this encouragement from you Dave. You are right that some do go overboard with preparation and also right in stressing how important the navigator is. When is your next event?

#5 surfblue63

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Posted 05 April 2013 - 01:41 AM

Excellent post.

There is a lot of info on this web site. You will also find some previous rally routes for both novice and expert competitors on the Rally Format page.

http://www.northumbe...co.uk/index.htm

The next event is planned for Saturday the 23rd of November 2013.

Edited by surfblue63, 05 April 2013 - 01:41 AM.


#6 rally1380

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Posted 05 April 2013 - 08:27 AM

Good to see this encouragement from you Dave. You are right that some do go overboard with preparation and also right in stressing how important the navigator is. When is your next event?


We'd like to do The AutoMark rally run by Clwyd Vale MC in a month or so but have promised to get rid of one of my projects before we enter another rally so gotta pull my finger out and get rid of that...Any one want a 69 Beetle???? Ha Ha.

Failing that i'm more looking towards the summer and doing more of the HRCR events seeing as they are part of Knutsford and District MC championship.

#7 littlemissmagic

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Posted 05 April 2013 - 02:06 PM

Someone was literally telling my dad about this yesterday. Something about the road rally with 12 cars? My dad only half told me lol.

Brilliant read, Thanks :)

I've been wanting to get into rallying for ages now and as soon as my mini is back on the road this is what I'm hoping to do.
I did the silverstone rally school for my 21st birthday and was great fun but couldn't help thinking how much better it would be in the mini :D

Edited by littlemissmagic, 05 April 2013 - 02:07 PM.


#8 mini*mad

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Posted 05 April 2013 - 03:11 PM

Forgive me if I'm wrong littlemissmagic but wouldn't your rally prepped evo be more up to the job ;)
Haha!

#9 littlemissmagic

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Posted 05 April 2013 - 03:24 PM

Yeah but its no mini :)
The evo IS a complete rally car, but the clutch needs changing and few other bits and pieces.

And most importantly it was my mini that made me want to rally in the first place so I want to start in that, then move to the evo later. Start small :D


Also I have a question about the road rallying - do you need a rally/race license?

#10 cal844

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Posted 05 April 2013 - 04:16 PM

Yeah but its no mini :)
The evo IS a complete rally car, but the clutch needs changing and few other bits and pieces.

And most importantly it was my mini that made me want to rally in the first place so I want to start in that, then move to the evo later. Start small :D


Also I have a question about the road rallying - do you need a rally/race license?


id expect you would, i cant really say as im a short oval motorsport fan ;)

#11 minisi35

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Posted 05 April 2013 - 04:27 PM

i will add a bit tommorrow if i may

#12 rally1380

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Posted 05 April 2013 - 05:24 PM

Yeah but its no mini :)
The evo IS a complete rally car, but the clutch needs changing and few other bits and pieces.

And most importantly it was my mini that made me want to rally in the first place so I want to start in that, then move to the evo later. Start small :D


Also I have a question about the road rallying - do you need a rally/race license?


Yes you do need a licence for nation events.....a Non Race Nation B one. But for club only events you only need to join the club running the rally.

And as for the evo...you can't use that for road rallying i'm affraid anyway as its got a turbo. There are subaru's competing but they are naturally asp, They are bringing in new rules that allow turbo's but only on under 1400cc i think and thats not for a couple of year......i'm such a geek!

Anyway....nice to have someone else on board....welcome

#13 rally1380

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Posted 05 April 2013 - 05:27 PM

i will add a bit tommorrow if i may


Yup...more the merrier Si and i was hoping you would write a line or two or more.

I hope this will turn into more of a 'every one has there say' kinda thread so anyone who fancies a bash at rallying can have a read and learn something.....hopefully?????

#14 rally1380

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Posted 08 April 2013 - 07:21 PM

Ok, so you've decided that you want to have a go at rallying as the thought of flying down a country lane at 2am is far more fun than throwing up on a street corner after a night on the beers and a bad kebab!

First up......go and have a spectate and familiarise yourself with the format and the other competitors and ask them questions if you have any. Most crews will happily have a chat about their cars or what events they do etc. But if they have their heads down and are plotting the route don't knock on the window for a chat because you might not be too popular.

There are loads of events out there to go and have a look at and probably if you look hard enough they are on most weekends too. Good website so see an events calendar would be the ANWCC website if your here in the north west, but other areas have their own championships. The ANWCC championship covers anywhere from Mid wales up to Preston and over to Sheffield. Go along and have a look at the cars as they'll all be on show before the start....usually in a car park...usually with a bunch of local boy racers drooling over a MK2 Escort, and if you are very lucky....a Burger Van so you can get your beef fix for the night and a cup of coffee.

At the start the organisers will usually have spectator info that they'll sell you for a couple of quid. This will tell you where they would prefer you to be and tell you which approach roads to use. This is kinda important as you don't want to be innocently driving the wrong way down what is a live rally route. There is no legal reason why you can't...it is an open road after all and the rally cars have no more of a right to be there than you.....but they will be driving quickly!

So you've found your way to an 'approved' speccy point and high on caffine and the taste of a dirty burger, you make sure you've parked well out of the way and settle down to a night of motorsport. Course cars arrive first (as with any event) and then a few minutes later the Experts will fly through. These are the seasoned guys who know what they are doing and are in cars worth alot of money!!!! Impressive to watch a mk2 escort give it the beans round a switchback hairpin junction.

We spectated on last years Border100 and the first speccy point was at such a junction and it was packed with spectators!!!!! I think the last stage rally i went to had fewer speccies....i couldn't believe it. Everyone cheering the cars through....some had come straight from the local pub mind you so i think they had the beer jackets warming their spirits!!!

Next up was a wood yard and by now it was raining and snowing....bad times!!!! But the wood yard was an awesome complex around sheds and piles of tree trunks all stacked up. Was like a proper little special stage in the middle of the night. Slippy gravelly mud saw the Escorts sideways all the way round and as they disappeared off into the darkness another would arrive and blast through...great stuff!!!!

If you're not too sure about events in your area, have a search for your local motorclub and drop them an email or (old fashioned i know) give them a call or go to a meeting and have a chat. They'll point you in the right direction and they may even run nav. run's, or scatter rallies, or 12 cars...but more on them later.

Cheers for reading...anyone bored yet?

#15 keefr22

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Posted 08 April 2013 - 08:01 PM

Cheers for reading...anyone bored yet?


Nope - you're bringing back some good memories of the 1970's for me (yep, I'm old)

One thing I would say for anyone contemplating competing - beware the burger vans!! I lost a good placing for my mate on a Cilwendeg when navigating for him one year after becoming violently ill after eating a bad burger from one at the start! Never been travel sick before or after that, so it was definitely the 'beef fix'...!!




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