By Barry Lindsay

The second rally on the Otterburn ranges was the Cheviot rally on 9^th November. The event was the final round of the AS Performance North of England championship and a round of the SG Petch ANECCC championship also. We went to the event knowing we needed points for both championships and really needed the current leader of the north of England championship to hit trouble. It was cold and damp when the sun dawned over the hill. It wasn’t going to dry very quick so I thought wets on the back and cut soft slicks on the front was the best choice. A short road section to the first stage I started to have doubts. There was still water spraying up from the car in front… Into the stage, the grip was good on the majority but a lot of mud was being dragged onto the roads with crews in front doing silly cuts on only slight corners. A short road section, then into SS2 with Barry Armstrong as stage commander.

A better time on this one, it uses parts of the range not used very often and has a narrow bumpy road to finish. Back to service we had almost a 2 min class lead. Stages 3 & 4 were a repeat now slightly dryer in places. Positions stayed much similar for the rest of the day, a brake disc change to stop a vibration being the only problem. Reaching the finish in 15^th O/A and winning the class by 6min. Which got us good SG Petch points but not enough for myself to win the AS Performance. It was enough for Michael though he is North of England champion due to drivers & navigators swapping and getting different points.

By Barry Lindsay

The Pendragon Rally based on Warcop is always a popular event and this year was no different. Entry filled up fast and was a full entry well before the day, plus reserves. Now a single venue rally all on Warcop which leaves the organisers very little time for turn around.

A crisp autumn morning dawned over the hills as crews arrived for the 8.30 start. Peter Taylor & Andrew Roughead lead crews away as Car 1 in the Fiesta and straight into the lead. 8m51 and taking 13 seconds over the 8.4miles.

3^rd Overall after the first stage were Barry & Michael Lindsay in the 106 with 9m 07, despite being held up by a slower car but they shot off at a tricky corner so that released the 106. Geoffrey Harkness & Caroline Lodge got 9m 54 despite a very heavy landing on a cattle grid giving them cause for concern now with a strange rattle or two! Then Pete Johnson navigating Douglas Newbury got 11m34 then James Coxon navigating Craig Johns in the Ka on 11m58. Barrie Thomson & Jerry Hettrick debuted the C2 getting 14m 11 having some brake bias issues then Jon & Kieron Stynes doing their first event on Tar in the 205 got 15m 37.

Stage 2 was run at the same time so crews slotted in on 30sec starts making catching cars the norm, it was a case of deal with it and pass them hoping that they will let you through. Peter & Andrew stopped the clocks on 8m28. Barry & Michael had set off 30seconds behind Barrie & Jerry on their first stage so it was a case of SMC cat and mouse. Just before half way the 106 was on the back bumper of the C2 and as the C2 had Barry’s road car back light in it, nudging it was going to have to be carefully thought out.

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The split was single file so they followed through then it was fast up to the chicane and double width, the 106 was going into the chicane first whether he got his back light back in one piece or 50 bits! But then sheep crossing the road weren’t in the plan… the 106 was alongside the C2, and there was a gap in the sheep they both aimed for. Barry & Michael got 9m 04, Barrie & Jerry got 9m 36.

Geoffrey & Caroline were mixing it with slower cars and being held up, getting 9m57. Jon & Kieron had a better stage 10m 17 followed by Pete on 10m35 then James on 15m 09.

Service followed, then after a delay to recover cars stages 3 & 4 again ran together. Peter & Andrew were again fastest overall and in a comfortable rally lead getting 10m 08. Barry & Michael got 10m 58 slipping back now that the temperature had risen and the tyres were slightly too soft to attack. Geoffrey & Caroline along with Barrie & Jerry both got 11m 52, and then Jon & Kieron along with Douglas & Pete got 12m 53. Craig & James on 13m12.

SS4 Peter got 9m 53, Barry & Michael on 10m 42, Barrie & Jerry 11m22, Geoffrey & Caroline 11m46, Jon & Kieron 11m48, James 12m39 then Pete on 18m26.

Service followed by a long delay which saw almost all the crews waiting in a holding control. Both stages 5 & 6, Peter was fastest and led the event by almost 2min. Barry & Michael had over 4min in hand over the class contenders in 6^th. Barrie & Jerry were having clutch problems and would retire after ss6.

The final two stages were run despite more delays. Peter was now nursing the car with a suspected Diff / Driveshaft fault making a strange noise but were still fastest on every stage. Barry & Michael were also limping home, half way through SS5 the car started to lose power with a high rev misfire. On SS6 though the misfire became a mid-range miss also and they were happy to even finish. Jon & Kieron were dealt a cruel blow when the 205 blew all its water out on the final stage. So they switched off rather than damage the engine.

Results 1^st                          Peter Taylor / Andrew Roughead               Fiesta 1.13.53 7^th (1^st class)      Barry & Michael Lindsay                             106     1.20.02 24^th (5^th Class) Geoffrey Harkness / Caroline Lodge         Corsa  1.26.20 42^nd (7^th Class) Craig Johns / James Coxon                           Ka     1.40.07 43^rd (13^th Class) Douglas Newbury / Pete Johnson           Fiesta   1.40.09

By Barry Lindsay

The first event of the year on Otterburn was the Tyneside Stages, a round of the Reis Tarmac, North of England, Anecc and the Scottish Tarmak championships entries filled up. The event started with a full entry of 90 cars, it’s a first for quite a few years but it was reward to the organizers for keeping the event going through the lean years.

Three Spadeadam crews took part, Peter Taylor with Andrew Roughead took the Border Caravans Fiesta S2400 and were looking for their first Otterburn win. Barry & Michael Lindsay were out in the 106 but were in a tough class with 1600 crews from the Ries and some BRC crews testing for Ulster. Geoffrey & Caroline were in the same class.

Overnight showers had now been replaced with blue sky but the forecast was for more showers for later. Quite a few went for inters for the first loop then changed to slicks. Peter & Andrew were quick right from the word go, 2^nd quickest on the first stage dropping 2 seconds to Damian Cole, tied with him on the second stage then beat him by one on the third to get back to service 1 second behind the leader. Barry & Michael gambled on slicks and it was a good choice. The dry tarmac wasn’t what they wanted dropping 8 seconds to a class contender on the first stage, another second on SS2 then 9 on the third stage after a high speed hairy moment knocked the confidence for a bit. Back to service 2^nd in class was a good start but would need rain quickly.

Geoffrey & Caroline caught a car on the third stage and eventually got passed.

The next loop of stages took the crews over the same three stages and were now dry and everyone on slicks.

Peter & Andrew returned back to service with a 9 second lead of the rally ahead of Cole. Barry & Michael had dropped to third in class in 24^th Overall and Geoffrey & Caroline were 6^th in class in 49^th Overall.

Stages 7 & 8 were majority of stages 1 & 3 so the newcomers to the venue were getting to know where they were. Peter & Andrew beat the bogie on SS7 then extender there lead to 12 seconds on SS8. Barry & Michael still held 3^rd in class but dropped 23 seconds to the class leader.

Stages 9 & 10 were repeats, Peter & Andrew again beat the bogie on SS9 then another 2second on SS10. Barry & Michael pushed on in SS9 but still dropped 6 seconds but a misfire on SS10 dropped them 20 seconds but still held third in class.

Stages 11 & 12 were delayed and as crews qued the sky’s darkened and the heavens opened SS11 was tricky but Barry was confident and with the misfire sorted was hoping to get some time back. But as the 106 flew through the flying finish cars were parked unable to stop the 106 slithered down the grass and back onto the road and proceeded to the stop line. Darren Atkinson / Phil Sandham had had a massive roll through the flying finish and were half way over the field. The stage was stopped so some times were given as notional. But Peter & Andrews time stood with him taking another 2seconds. Stage 12 followed and was wet for the second half. In the dry it’s a flat out on the limiter between chicane sort of stage for the top cars but add a bit of rain it kept them from the bogie time. Peter & Andrew took another second to win the rally by 17 seconds – Well done.

Barry & Michael noticed a vibration on the road section to SS12 so along with the wet took it a little steady. It turned out a front brake disk had crack 6mm wide in it! Geoffrey & Caroline had been held but got to run both stages competitively and in the dry.

There was to be another run over the stages but they were canceled as the event was so far behind time they needed to be off the range.

Result

 

1^st Overall             Peter Taylor   Andrew Roughead                Fiesta S2400

23^rd 3^rd in class     Barry & Michael Lindsay                            Peugeot 106

46^th 8^th in class     Geoffrey Harkness / Caroline Lodge         Vauxhall Corsa