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...and so we find ourselves at the end of a season and the end of the 2003 year for our rallying antics. After the relatively short season in 2002, brought to an early end after an accident at Abingdon in the first half of the year, 2003 was a lot more involving in comparison. We started our first forest event - and finished our first forest event, too (the Woodpecker Rally, pictured left). We returned to old favourites (Abingdon) and attended new ones too (Hixon). We had our good days (any one where we made it to the end, to be honest!)... and we had our bad - retirements from the Dukeries and Caerwent. |
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We packed quite a few events in this year, determined to make a better run of things than with 2002. From a driver's point of view, I feel happier now that I've finally ventured into the forests. One thing I now realise is that when you compete on a forest event and make it through to the end, you come away feeling like you've achieved a lot more than on a single venue tarmac rally. Irrespective of position, I came away feeling very happy and fulfilled. Losing a well-paid job to redundancy at the end of the year put a bit of a downer on things, but I wasn't going to let that stop us from finishing the year and seeing a complete season through. And it highlights a point I've been making for yonks - if you've got the chance to do it, just go ahead and do it because you never know when you'll never have the chance any more. And then, ofcourse, there's the Heart of England championship. A class win was a welcome prize after the year's exploits, even if it was handed to us by 'default' due to the two crews ahead of us winning other awards. |
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Service Engineer & General Dogsbody,
Trevor Allen, summed the year up thus :- |
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| Big Dan, Navigator Extraordinaire, has kindly put together the following article... |
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"As we sit here in the off-season, I thought I’d reflect on the great year that we had in the sport last year. Our first full season since the steep learning curve and the abortive attempt that was 2002, saw the team’s final table with Started 8, Finished 6, with one unfortunate DNS. Our first foray into the forests ended in disappointment after 2 stages of the Dukeries, although it did make us more determined to enter another multi-venue event sooner rather than later. We did and we loved it! On a personal level, I have learnt a number of lessons. In no particular order... Do not, under any circumstances, hold a warm up stag weekend the night before an event. Motion sickness didn’t care that it was a single venue rally and that we were hardened Forestry types with a finish under our belts. The pint after pint of Carling Extra Cold and the large doner kebab made for an unpleasant experience for 2 12 mile stages. (Sorry Dan) |
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Multi-venue events are much harder work for the co driver. In between stages, the driver just relaxes and potters along, but my job involves getting to the right place at the right time using a map and tulip diagrams, sorting out the paperwork and juggling another set of maps and tulips for the stage itself. The scale of map in the forest shows no detail whatsoever apart from the major corners, which tend to be junctions in the stage. 2 miles of 2nd gear bends show as a straight line following the contours of a hill. Not especially useful. I for one can’t wait to try out route (pace) notes. It’ll be a big challenge, but at least I’ll be able to give some clue as to the way ahead. Dan sometimes thinks we’re in a touring car race and has to be calmed down when we catch people up. I, on the other hand, use the horn too much, but then no one gives way to a 205, no matter how quick you are. They seem to think that they have just passed us moments before and therefore should just ignore us – despite all the hand waving, swerving and horn tooting! Getting to the venue, scrutineering, signing on and documentation all take far longer than you would have thought possible. Event organisers don’t allow for crews travelling some distance from their event, without them taking a day off from work. Dan is a very quick, smooth and most importantly neat driver. The 1.9 205 isn’t very powerful compared to others in its class, but our results have shown that we are competitive even with our power and weight (me) handicap. Moment of the season for me was the starting ramp of the Woodpecker. A proper affair with a microphone stuck inside the car for Dan’s comments and a cheering crowd of what seemed like hundreds, but in reality were only about 8 (6 of whom we had brought with us) and a dog. Our season progressed very well and we finished first in class in the Heart of England Championship and collected a clutch of trophies from the club. I’m proud of the team’s success last year and although we will only be able to tackle a couple of events this season I’m looking forward to the challenge. I’d just like to thank all those in the team and everyone that has helped us make it happen, but particularly to Dan for allowing me to do something I’ve wanted to do since I spectated on the Fram Welsh Rally of ’88. " |
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There are, of course, many people to thank. From me personally, thanks go to everyone in the team
who have helped out, plus a few non-team members who have paid an active interest - Tim Wyatt and
Mark Brown included. Those involved in rallying know just how much personal time, money, effort and early
mornings go into this sport without any financial payback whatsoever. But we do come out of it
richer for our experiences and the friendship and fun we have because of it. Also to thank are all the active members of Streetly Motor Club who have steered me along this path over time, and whose advice and help along the way has kept us focused on what's important, and what's not. With anything in life, it is always the experience of others who have been doing it for a lot longer than you that's the hardest thing to find. With SMC, I found a small bunch of friendly guys and girls willing to let someone into the fold without any social or cliquey bullshit - rally enthusiasts through and through. Guys, we have a small club but it's a brilliant club - let's keep it that way! Naturally we couldn't have done it without our sponsors - Paul Bunch of Perspective-i, Erik & Alan West of Advanced Autosport Technologies (AAT) and particularly Andy Baker, Steve, Brad, Will and Darren at AB Motorsport in Leamington, who's endless advice and work on the car has most definately been the key to our successes. No-one will ever have a bad word to say about the person to whom they trust their car, naturally, but with this bunch it really must be said - what they don't know about rallying (particularly 205's) isn't worth knowing. Full stop; end of discussion. Steve knows quite a bit about crashing too :-) Finally, and most importantly, a short but sweet and heart-felt thanks to my family for their support. It's not easy to play partner to a chap who wants to spend a fair portion of his weekends in airfields and forests, and for her patience and understanding, I thank Becky with all my heart. And while this is all getting melodramatic and mushy enough, which I'd rather it didn't, I can't go the whole year without just one final word of thanks to my father, rest his soul, without who's 'help' I really wouldn't have ended up down this path at all. I know I'd gladly trade it all for him to still be with us. Unfortunately, I also know he wouldn't hear a word of it. xxx
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