Author: Spadeadam Motor Club

Tyneside Stages 2012

/ Spadeadam Motor Club

By Barry Lindsay

It was that time of year when the crews head to Otterburn for the first of three visits, the Tyneside organised by Alnwick DCC & Berwick DMC. This year a round of the National Tarmac championship as well as the North of England and ANECCC championships meant an entry of 66 crews. Peter Taylor & Andrew Roughead were the best seeded of the SMC crews but had to withdraw due to work. Barry & Michael Lindsay were seeded at 25 in the 106, Geoffrey Harkness & Caroline Lodge were at 47 in the Corsa.

Scrutineering and Recce were on the Saturday and the event the day after, Caroline wasn’t available for the Recce so Barry with nephew Martyn tackled the recce to note chicanes and gravel before marking the other set of notes the next day.

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Castrol Edge Search for a Rally Star

/ Spadeadam Motor Club

By Barry Lindsay

Castrol Edge & Motorsport News ran a competition to find a rally star. The competition was advertised in Motorsport News and they were looking for someone who had achieved outstanding results beyond what would be expected of them. They must also go to great lengths to do as much as they can for their Motor Club and generally promote rallying. When it was announced I thought I could have a chance at that.. I needed the backing of the Club then I needed to write my motorsport CV. With all paper work submitted I awaited a phone call.

Weeks later and no call came so I had admitted the fact that I hadn’t made the final. Then I got the call “Would you be able to get to Castle Combe for the final, we’ve had 100’s of entries and it had taken longer than thought to find the final six?” Sure I would.

The 6 finalists would go head to head with the winner getting a day’s testing in a Fiesta R2 then a ‘works’ drive in the R2 on the Cambrian Rally in October. The event was only notified in the final instructions before that it only said ‘A National Rally’ I had imagined either pushing it to the limit over the yumps and bumps of Otterburn on the Cheviot or venturing into the woods for Grizedale or the Galloway Hills both events I had done but that now wasn’t going to happen.

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Operation Finish Line

/ Spadeadam Motor Club

By Dave Coleman

After a run of 4 first stage retirements out of the last 5 rallies, the plan for Greystoke was to get to the end! We arrived at Greystoke to be greeted by sunshine and dusty conditions, highly unexpected after the recent weather but it was a nice change to do an event where it wasn’t raining.

Young Kyle was sitting next to me, eager also to get some stage miles under his belt after his co driving début at the Border Counties ended in a ditch only 5 miles into the first stage.

So the plan was; go steady and keep it on the track. Whilst feeling low in confidence in a massively under powered car (54bhp) it was ‘great’ to see we had a Subaru running in the mid 20’s slot in behind us at 30 sec interval. We weren’t far into stage before he appeared in the mirror, hunting us down. So I pulled in as soon as I could so’s not to hold him up. After that we went through the stage with no problems, and getting the feel for the super smooth track.

Dave Coleman / Kyle Gass

Stage 2 was longer at 6.3 miles and felt good, we were still behaving and keeping the car neat and tidy. The split junction was tricky – through a chicane into hairpin left and immediate square right.  Not sure I got it right all day but certainly made a couple of spectators move. Continue reading →

The Disorganised Organiser – Pt 2.

/ Spadeadam Motor Club

By David Love

Where was I, oh yes, three weeks until the rally and starting on the Goodie Bags.  The Stage Commanders meeting would be held on the following Sunday so on the Wednesday night I got together with Chris Walker and Les Bellingham to make up the stage packs containing over 300 arrows, 400 plastic signs, 350 tabards and 12 kilometres of safety tape between seven stages.  We make a list of the equipment going to each stage so that the S C’s know what they’re getting even if they don’t collect the equipment at the meeting.

 Friday the 13th was the first closing date for entries with the 20th being the closing date for late entries.  If any rally organiser is honest he will admit to accepting entries up to close of scrutineering as very few rallies are getting maximum entries.  After the first closing date for entries we have a better idea of entry numbers for each event and can decide the highest competitor number in each event and if I’ve guessed correctly I’ll have ordered enough rally plates, numbers, etc, if not mild panic will ensue.  Although most people talk about the Pirelli International Rally we do run five separate rallies each with its own competition number range.  The International Rally starts at 1, the Tour of Cumbria, which runs behind the International, starts at 51 followed by the Land Rover Rally at 91.  The Historic Rally starts at 101 with the Challenge Rally at 201. To complicate things further the International uses WRC type door plates and large hi-vis numbers and the other rallies which run under a National Permit use the larger traditional door plates and smaller hi-vis numbers.

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…….Wants Me For A Sunbeam?

/ Spadeadam Motor Club

By Clive Alcock

Even before becoming a member, I’d always found Spadeadam Motor Club and its members proving the most helpful and enthusiastic on events; the most rallying-focused of our local clubs. So when, over three years ago now, ‘Grendel’ the Group 2 SAAB went back across the sea to Sweden to be replaced with a lighter, quicker car more obedient to the tiller, less phased by the laws of physics, it wasn’t long before signing-up.

The ‘barn-find’ Sunbeam 1600 ti (with an ‘RAC’ registration which its Coventry vendor never mentioned; made my cheque-signing hand twitch) taking its place is a Scots-built car first registered by his dad’s Dundee dealership, then campaigned on Royal Deeside under Balmoral Garage colours. Its old-fashioned pushrod engine (built by Mike Stewart) fundamentally tough, gutsy and reliable; handling fantastic; but cursed with their standard design fault of a pair of spitting twin webers sited above the exhaust manifold. Why a Pendragon premier in chilly August gave us no problem; but its first Pirelli outing (2011) in one of those belting Aprils now taking the place of summer – and run with a Scot in the left hand seat (medic Steven Brown from Highland Car club) – was cursed with fuel vaporisation in the heat. Removing one headlamp for airflow giving only half a solution, and why we could only cough, gasp and splutter our way round Kielder to second in class; in what most folk assume a Sunbeam Lotus. Expect more by way of BHP.

Pirelli 2011

Interspersed with a brace of punctures for good measure, 2011’s still our toughest and most difficult rally ever; but at least I could maintain my long tradition of driving the car home afterwards. Continue reading →

Rally Results (July 2012)

/ Spadeadam Motor Club

The Scottish Rally, James McWhir was the only member to finish in 51st (7th in class) navigating Mike Hunter in the Lada Samara. Rory Young & Allan Cathers had a dramatic end on a jump / dip then a corner with a fire break. Darren Martin & Martin Steele retired with a slipping clutch.

The Greystoke Stages saw Darren Martin / Martin Steele with new clutch finish 22nd OA (10th in class) while the repaired Skoda of David Coleman & Kyle Gass finished 43rd (6th in class). Clive Alcock’s Sunbeam retired with a fire in the carburettor.

Rally Results (June 2012)

/ Spadeadam Motor Club

Jim Clark International Peter Taylor was showing his tarmac pace in the Clio. Up as high as 3rd Overall on Saturday before crashing out on Sunday. Jim Clark National Barrie Thomson & Jerry Hettrick finished 37th (5th in class)

Phil Jobson & Caroline Lodge retired with Gearbox problems. Rory Young & Allan Cathers retired with electrical problems. On the Reivers Rory & Allan retired with Mechanical problems.

At the Severn Valley Jonathan & Caroline Lodge were both Navigating in the SAAB team. Caroline getting 7th OA (1st in class) with Steve Higgins. While Jonathan was 17th OA (9th in class). Turnbull Trophy at Albermarle, Peter Taylor took outright honours by winning in his Clio. Given the very tricky conditions and very wet at times, the win was deserved. Geoffrey Harkness & Caroline Lodgi took their second class win in a row & 21st Overall. Richard & Simon Clark were just behind in 22nd Overall in a Subaru. Barry & Michael Lindsay retired with a broken driveshaft.

Treasure Hunt (7th of June 2012)

/ Spadeadam Motor Club

By Barry Lindsay

This year’s event started from Surrone House, Hotel in Gretna run by our organisers and last year’s winners John & Christine Ross. Nine crews turned out on another wet summers night. (Must be a record… nine crews not a wet summer’s night!) Crews headed off at there own pace with 49 questions to answer and no time limit (other than darkness)

Out of Gretna passed the Gretna Green anvil and the Courtship Maze then past Corries Mill then into Longtown for the hairdressers for the gossip. Round by Netherby, Easton, Blackrigg then back to the finish at Skitby via Broomhills little red tractor.

 With my nephews on school holiday they were permitted to do their first SMC treasure hunt… It may not be their main aim in life but let’s say they are as driven to win as I am!! There’s no place for second.. Up to the night they were both going together with Geoffrey & Yvonne. But then Graham decided his Grandad & Uncle might be a better option. Now we had a problem…. That’s when it got serious as we left Gretna. Things were going well (or we thought) have answers in all of the boxes. However leaving Blackrigg there was two clues and we got neither.

 Graham & Martyn had both been out of the cars looking, even pretending to find it. Some people even phoning home for their Roman numerals or to find out how old Caroline was!! However even Caroline got this one wrong, she is a lot older than she says she is!!!

 Thanks to John & Christine for a well thought out devious treasure hunt, great fun.

Results

1st    Michael & Barry Lindsay & Graham Petry           40pts

2nd   Geoffrey Harkness, Yvonne & Martyn Petry       38.5pts

3rd    Bob Harrison & Family                                           37pts

4th    Neil Thomlinson & Paul Scott                               34.5pts

5th    Chris & Sue Titley                                                    31pts

6th    Dave Love & Mark Taylor                                     29pts

7th    Neil & Zach Varah                                                 28.5pts

8th    Joe, Heather & Sharon Thomlinson                  27.5pts

9th     Caroline & Jonathan Lodge                                25pts

Jubilee Autotest

/ Spadeadam Motor Club

With Pirelli doing some engineering on their production line. Neil Varah had looked into and arranged the use of the workers carpark during the shut down. The event was organised for the evening of the bank holiday Tuesday. 6 tests were planned but due to a lower turn out this was expanded to 8 tests.

It was a wet summer evening ( There’s been a few this year!) Barry opened the first test with 1m 06 with Nigel just behind in 1m 13, then Simon on 1m20. For the re-run Barry slightly slower on 1m07 followed by Geoffrey on 1m08 then Nigel on 1m09 then Neil V and Neil T on 1m11.

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Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad

/ Spadeadam Motor Club

By Caroline Lodge

Jim Clark Rally 2012

I was really pleased when Phil asked me to navigate for him this year and  was really looking forward to this rally. After a nasty hiccough before we set off to scrutineering,  (Thanks Barry for your help that day). We got sorted and got ready for a couple of laps of Duns on the Friday night, before the ‘proper stages’ the next day. Duns was a blast and we were both laughing when we got to the stop line. Snowy was running and handling well and we set a good time on our first run.

John Ross and Neil Thomlinson – our service crew came to say hello before our second run, this was held up by drunk locals having a fight and a woman going into labour! The second run was just as much fun, and we went to park ferme. (after changing a wheel due to a puncture we’d picked up on the road section). The we were off to our very nice digs in Jedburgh, the ‘boys’ went in search of food and dined on whatever the local Turkish place had left – goat burger anyone?

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