I wrote this review in my build thread, figured i'd share it on here for folks who might be interested......
VALE OF CLWYD CLASSIC 2015
For me, these events start weeks in advance - New parts, problem snagging, tuning, tweaks....roadside breakdowns!!....and with last year’s suspension failure, I wanted to double and triple check everything so the little car wouldn't let us down (I don't have the luxury of having a 'man' look after my cars like some competitors do). My work clearly paid off, as other than a slight change to the mixture (after previously mentioned misfire issues), the car cruised over to wales (I drive to rallies remember) and set about negotiating the noise test and the dreaded scrutineering. Noise was passed @ 90db and scrutineering was no problem at all (as always) so off to signing on.
Some photo's of Noise test queue and scrutineering
As some of you might have already noticed, I've swapped navigators for this year’s VoCC. This is not due to a fall out or wanting to jump up the leader board, but because my usual nav (and wife) is expecting our first child, so bouncing up and down in a mini thanks to its less than pliant ride didn't seem the best idea. Some months ago I approached Matthew to see if he was at all interested in sitting in with me, and he seemed very keen, so a plan was hatched and we would take on North Wales' finest lanes and test venues together. Looking back, it might have been a good idea for us to have spent some time together in the car, but plans to do a rally on the run up to this event failed to happen due to engine problems with my other car, so the first time we actually sat in the car together was the morning of the 'Clwyd' as we lined up at MC1 awaiting our minute to start.
08.30 (or there abouts - i'm a driver after all!) and we headed off to the first test just down the road. Not my finest spin round Loggerheads carpark, and I've never been a fan of these sort of tests, but we were only a couple of seconds off fastest so a half decent start. Note to self here - sort the handbrake out!!! Really doesn't want to lock the rear wheels on tarmac for some reason (will investigate). Please excuse the less than steady camera work.....and the dodgy gear choice at the end!
Regularity 1 was next and we headed off towards Mold for the start. This 'reg' took in some of my favourite local road rally roads, a few gravel tracks and a couple of fords (the deep wet variety not the car sort). We dropped 11 seconds in total over the 15 or so miles.
Another regularity followed as we made our way over towards Ruthin and the morning coffee stop at Clawdd-Newydd (all very civilised this historic rally lark). Test 2 was before the stop, and a spin round a gravel yard that we've used before. Just checked the times - 51 seconds - equal second just 1 second behind the fastest.
Petrol topped up, we headed off for a well-deserved coffee and catch up with the other crews. We also discovered we were lying 4th overall....yikes!!!
Next we did a regularity up towards Clocaenog Forest and actually missed the turn for the self-start.....I blame the nav!.....but once realised, we quickly found our way to the start, and squeezed past a rather large Volvo to start on our minute...pheeeewwwww! This reg zig zagged through 'cloc' and on up to the windmills at the top for Test 3.
'Windmills' test was great fun and similar to the one we used on the Targa rally a few weeks back. Because of this 'reccie' (of sorts) I knew what to expect, and enjoyed throwing the little car around on the mud and gravel. Our time was 2.05 - 5 seconds slower than fastest time set by a Porsche 911.....not bad really.
Regularity 4 over towards St. Asaph next and a very close call with a post van on a very narrow and slippery moss covered lane.....hit the brakes and just sped up!!!! So I aimed for a very small gap to the side of the now stationary Postman Pat vehicle.......all went quiet as I waited for a crunch and a rock or something to jump out from the verge.....but nothing! We 'just', and I mean 'JUST' got away with it.
Test 4 was at a farm not far from St. Asaph and was a mixture of slimy concrete, gravel, grass, and the contents of cow's intestines all over a concrete yard!!!!! Came round a corner after thinking "mmm....this is quite grippy" and hit a large patch of the digested grass.....wow that is slippery!!!! It was like ice, and saw the little grey clubman fully sideways with me sawing at the helm to get it back straight again....luckily enough I won (the alternative was a trip into the side of a rather sturdy farm building). Robs photo below show the exit from the yard along a lovely long gravel drive.....really was a good drag down there!!!!!! 2.11 was my time here.
Test 5 - a concrete surface in an industrial estate - all went well apart from the dodgy handbrake letting the side down making a 360 around a cone a wide berth approach rather than a nice neat donut (note to self - stop blaming your handbrake, and try learning how to handbrake properly!)
Tests 6&7 - A return to the grass field which last year saw me bag a bottle of bubbly. All was going to plan this time with a very neat and quick test execution... right up until it was time to stop that is! Got carried away and attacked to the finish.....hit the brakes and slid straight over the 'STOP astride' line and even past the finish marshals!!!! If you are going to balls things up, you might as well do it properly. We'd actually beaten the 'bogey time' by 5 full seconds, but launching it over the finish gave me a ten second penalty.....ooops!!! The second of the 2 grass tests didn't go to plan either with slow hairpins round cones thanks to over enthusiastic acceleration (in other words....sitting there wheel spinning) and missed gear changes.
Lunch halt next and a time to fuel up on butties, soup and crisps, check over the car (faultless all day) and calm down a bit.
A handout was given out on leaving lunch to be plotted on our way up the road to test 8 and the spitfire!!!!!
Regularity 5 next over towards the area I grew up in so nice to be on some more really familiar ground….we only dropped 10 seconds on the entire section!!! Test 8 first, then afternoon coffee/cake (did I mention it was civilised) and then Test 9 at the same venue.
These two final tests were used last year and are great fun. They involved a long run up a tarmac drive, then (first time) 90 right into a farm yard slaloming round various cones, buildings and a perfect 360 around a cone (cow muck helped break the back end away this time) then on to gravel, and a perfectly executed hairpin left (I have mucked this up on previous events though!) onto a gravel track under trees to finish. The second run goes up the drive, but then 90 left at the top onto gravel ish track across field, over a bridge, up and hairpin left round a cone, then down to a code board and a 'stop in box' where I stalled!!!! AAARRRRGGGHGHHHHHH!!!!!! 3 maybe 4 seconds lost due to the starter not spinning over when I needed it to!!!! Then on to the finish and the start of the final 'PLOT AND BASH!!!!' regularity.
We set off, Matthew head down muttering directions and general nav stuff to himself while I tried to stay at a steady 18mph up towards Moel Arthur. Before we'd even reached the first time control he'd finished the plotting, double checked it, and made sure I was traveling at the correct speed!!!! Pro or what?
Over the top of Moel Arthur via an en-route paparazzi snap from a high school mate (and fellow road ralliest) we zig zagged the Northern slopes of the Vale of Clwyd, visiting all controls and dropping a mere 12 seconds!!!
All finished (competition wise) we cruised back to the finish venue in Llanferres….job well done!!
Results time - we finished 4th Overall, 2nd in Class M2 behind Demot Carnegie (google him), and 1st Mini, so won the Elvet Pierce Trophy.
This last trophy is fairly special and meaningful to me, Elvet Pierce was a fellow mini enthusiast and a particularly keen rally face within Clwyd Vale back in the heyday of motorsport. More importantly, he was one of my mate’s dads……proud to win your award Mr. P, wherever you are.
More photos to come, but hope you all enjoy
