Just a very quick thank you to all of you who submitted items for the newsletter in 2013. Without you, there wouldn’t be a newsletter at all. The website wouldn’t be half as interesting without your input of photos, videos, etc. too.
As always, if you think there are things that you would like to see in the newsletter, or something you don’t think works, please drop me a line (contact).
Grizedale – Barry & Michael Lindsay finished 12th Overall, 2nd in class. Darren Martin with Dan Hurst (replacing the injured Martin Steele) finished just 1 sec behind in 13th Overall (9th in class). James Coxon was navigating Mark Shaw and finished 14th (3rd in class). Mark Goodfellow & Kyle Gass brought the hired Subaru home in 28th Overall (14th in class)
Christmas Stages – Barry & Michael Lindsay finished 12th Overall and won the class. Geoffrey Harkness & Caroline Lodge finished 33rd Overall 5th in class. Peter Taylor retired while battling for the lead with a throttle body motor failure.
By Barry Lindsay
The annual Xmas event always attracts a good entry and with 90 crews lined up to start the 50 mile event on Croft Racetrack and side roads. The event was the first round of the AS Performance North of England Tarmacadam championship. SMC members at the event were, Peter Taylor with Jack Morton in the Focus WRC at 3. Barry & Michael Lindsay in the 106 at 15, and Geoffrey Harkness & Caroline Lodge at 61.
Following the overnight gales the morning dawned dry and quite calm. The track was cold & damp as crews took to the start. Geoffrey & Caroline were in trouble before the event started. Whilst at Scrutineering they checked the fire extinguisher pull cable and the handle came off. With a new one fitted and the scruitineer happy they made the start.
Stage one Peter got 7m50 (5th Overall) while Barry & Michael were really happy with the 106 running on wets on the drying greasy track getting 8m07 (16sec class lead) then Geoffrey & Caroline also on wets got 8m 50.
Peter Taylor
By Barry Lindsay
The final round of the SG Petch ANECCC championship, The Grizedale Stages based in Coniston with 40 miles in Grizedale Forest. I was in with a mathematical chance of winning the championship and after already clinching the North of England Tarmacadam could I get the double.. To win the championship all I had to do was get maximum points and have neither Steve Bannister or Richard Cook get any points. For some reason neither of them entered this round, now all I had to do was get maximum points.. With Peter Stephenson entered in his Focus then also John Bainbridge & Darren Martin both in 4wd cars could also get into the equation.
Stage 1 & 2 ran at the small Dunnerdale stage. Stage 1 We had a good go, and despite a couple of little moments got 3m01. Continue reading
Galloway Hills – Darren Martin & Martin Steele finished 25th 18th in class on there first forest outing in there new evo. Mark Galloway & Pete Johnson Retired with gearbox / diff problems.
RAC – Jonathon Lodge navigated Jim Valentine to 26th Overall (2nd in class) Phil Jobson retired the newly built Mk1 after rolling in Craik. Darren Martin & Martin Steele retired from the Clubman rally with gear selection problems, in order to take part in the Return Challenge and finished 7th Overall (4th in class).
Malton – Phil Jobson & James McWhir finished 31st Overall (2nd in class)
Thank you to everyone who turned out to help marshal on the Roger Albert Clark rally. Another top class effort by all, making a great job of running the Florida stage aswell as the End of leg service halt on Saturday Night and the restart Sunday morning.
Thank you all once again, the 2014 event is 28-30 November. Please put it in your diaries it’s a different weekend.
(Image © David Ambridge / Spadeadam Motor Club 2013 – Used with permission)
Mull – Peter Taylor finished 2nd Overall (2nd in class), Caroline Lodge finished 31st Overall (4th in class)
Cheviot – Barry & Michael Lindsay finished 8th Overall (1st in class) Peter Taylor Retired – ( Well Off SS4 !! )
By Helen Gibbon
The Indoor autotest is famous, or maybe infamous, in the Spadeadam calendar. It’s a combination of Richard Thomson’s excellent courses, Skitby’s amazingly slippery floor and a remote control Mini that refuses to go where you want it to. I’ve been a “spectator” at this club night many times and have always managed to avoid taking part, but this time I thought to myself, “well, how hard can it be?”. If you look at the results below, you’ll see how hard I found it! Continue reading
By Barry Lindsay
The Cheviot rally was the final round of the North of England Tarmac championship. Six crews went to the Otterburn based event with a chance of taking the title. SMC’s Barry & Michael Lindsay armed with their 106 were in the mix. The 106 crew trailed Durham’s Chris Anderson & Chris Thurling by one point. So the calculations were with a lot of permutations but basically SMC crew had to finish ahead of Durham Crew. Simples…. If they both crashed out…. Then whoever was best of the 4 would be champion.
Recce was two runs over the stages, Barry was happy with the wet stages and with his nephew Graham reading and altering the notes everything was ready for the showdown.
As the sun rose on the morning, it then disappeared again. What is happening, the hill beside service was disappearing into fog! Yes!!
First two stages saw Barry & Michael return to service 10th Overall and 18 seconds ahead of rival, going to plan so far. Peter Taylor & Paul Hughes were the only other SMC crew at the event were in 2nd Overall, 7 seconds behind Leader Damian Cole.
Peter Taylor
By Nigel Harkness
After not competing in any rallies or sprints for about seven years, but having retained my MSA license and having a race suit and helmet, I decided it was about time I got some use out of them. After asking Geoffrey if I could use the Corsa, (which I have a half share in, but he’s been using it and maintaining it for the last seven years), he said yes, but he was going to do the Pendragon rally first. So there was a nervous wait incase Warcop did it’s worst.
Thankfully the car (and Geoffrey & Caroline) returned in one piece, so an entry form was hastily filled in and sent off for Wigton MC’s last sprint of the year at Kames. With everything organized the day before, (and half the neighborhood coming to see why there was a rally car sat in our drive), Helen and I set off early Sunday morning to Kames.
We eventually arrived at a cold and soggy Kames. After signing on & scrutineering, all that was left to do was get suited and booted and wait for first practice run.
I think I’ve only done about 3miles in the car in the last 7 years, so this was going to be interesting! First run was slightly damp, so the cautious approach was taken, but I managed to get round in one piece, with a bit of a rusty 109.20. My “pit crew /team boss/ tyre advisor” said I needed to go faster! Next practice run and the track starting to dry out, a 104.72 was posted. Again, “Go faster!” were Helen’s words of wisdom.
Going Forwards… Good!
Spadeadam Motor Club 
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