907 replies to this topic

[keefr22]

Fingers crossed again!

Can't fault your determination, I probably would have thrown that hammer...!!

[DEPS]

Well done Dave. If effort is the key to success, you should do very well!

[minispaniard]

a great finish for our favourite Mini crew!

 

1st in class and, I believe, a trophy for fastest time in Test 7... superb!!

 

well done!!

 

www.rallyroots.com

[keefr22]

a great finish for our favourite Mini crew!
 
1st in class and, I believe, a trophy for fastest time in Test 7... superb!!
 
well done!!
 
www.rallyroots.com

Excellent!! Really well done Dave, congrats to both of you!! That determination really did pay off!

Edited by keefr22, 06 September 2014 - 09:35 PM.

[rally1380]

Well that was a week of highs and lows!!!!

 

Obviously it all started a few days back with the valve issue forcing last minute head change...what i didn't admit at the time was i used the head gasket that was on the engine rather than source a new one - which i didn't have time for in all honesty.  So part of me was expecting the gasket to fail and cause a premature end to our event, but the engine faired rather more better than other parts of the car!!!!

 

The morning sections went quite well - I managed to do a wrong test (but neither of us noticed until the results!) and we also failed to see a small road off to our right on one of the regularity sections so wandered up the wrong road and got a wrong approach (2min 30sec penalty) at a time control!  Other than that all very good.

 

The afternoon was all going really well too - was fast through the forest test above Rhuallt and then the 'regularity' section through Clocaenog forest was simply awesome!!!  Even though a regularity section, it was run a high (for reg sections) speeds so you got to put your foot down on the gravel and managed to catch a Volvo and a TR4.

 

Then came the Clocaenog tests!!!!  First one was a good thrash through, cleanly round a cone slalomn and a fast downhill approach intot he finish - all good!

 

Test 2 was much of the same but a bit longer - kept my foot well and truely in and must have set a decent time. Then came into the finish 'stop astride' line and on stopping the nut on the end of the tie bar popped off with the outer bush and the wheel got forced back into the arch and pulled the cv joint out!!!  I limped to the time marshal thinking it was a puncture but his face said different!!!!

 

So, you know how when you watch rallying on TV and back in the day Colin Mcrae would fix his wrecked car with a ratchet strap and tiewraps.....this was how i felt as I got out to inspect the damage.  First job, jack car up and wheel off to inspect the damage as the hub was at a very weird angle.  Didn't look too bad and a wriggle of the driveshaft (after touching hot brake disc with arm!!!!!  ) saw the cv back together.  Next up the tie bar.....I legged it up to the finish line and straight away found the purple poly outer bush and the domed washer....then after a car had gone by i found the nut....thank f**k!!!!  So a swift tie bar relocaction (it had popped out good and proper!) was next and once the wheel was on I threw all the tools in the boot (loose!!!!) and disappeared down the road to try and make up time and get to our next Main Control before being OTL.

 

Just managed to get there in time (with wheel wobbling all over the place!!!!) and then got sent straight out to do the last 2 regularity sections....the main thing was we were still in the rally, but 2nd in class at this point.

 

The last sections flew by as i was still buzzing from our 'great escape' with the tiebar.  Dropped a couple of minutes due to wrong slots and trying to work out the plot and bash but all in all we did ok.

 

We finished 1st in our class and picked up a fastest test award in the form of a bottle of very nice Champagne (already drank!).  The photo below shows our awards with the pesky valve that started all the drama - thought it was a nice contrast!!!  Second photo is of the finish after a long day rallying.  Action shots i'm sure will be on their way.

 

 

 

 

 

And P.S......

 

Cheers for the support guys....much appreciated and glad someone is reading this otherwise i might aswell talk to myself.

[keefr22]

Abolutely brilliant stuff Dave - more true Mini adventures!! Glad to see the true spirit of club rallying is alive & kicking!! I once hit a telegraph pole on a night event & pushed the wing back into the tyre - fixed it by tying the towrope to the front bumper & said telegraph pole & reversing quickly away! But that was easy compared to fixing a tiebar by the roadside like that - great work!!

Congrats on a tremendous result again - & say congrats to the missus too!!

What a nice line up of cars there is in that last pic too!

K

[rally1380]

Cheers Keith......it truely was a challenge. And if you ever want to do an event like this which has heaps of forestry mileage....look no further.  The event must have used mile after mile of 'white' roads too so no wonder the suspension fell apart!!!

Edited by rally1380, 07 September 2014 - 09:13 PM.

[keefr22]

I'd absolutely love to do that event Dave, but I think it would be too much for me now, health wise. Maybe I'll navigate for my son one year, maybe I could manage that...!!

[rally1380]

[rally1380]

[rally1380]

[rally1380]

[keefr22]

 Great stuff!  

[w.murfitt]

I posted up my images from the Coed Cwm stages last night :) well done mate :)

[DEPS]

Brilliant! Well done. Can't believe you even got to the event let alone get a class win. Liking the photos too!