By Mark Talbot

The Jack Frost Stages was our first time ever competing in a car.  Despite years of motorcycle racing the nerves came flooding back days before the event.  The flurry of last minute preparation, issues with the car and then 6″ of snow to top it off whilst trying to load the service car and get the rally car on the trailer.

After a few hours sleep and a 4 o’clock start we made our way towards the A66 with fingers crossed it wouldn’t be closed.  Fortunately it wasn’t and we arrived on time, only to realize how packed the service area was and how difficult it was to find a space.  Pushed for time due to the car not starting after suffering Frost Bite during the night, we managed to be the last car to scrutineering with only seconds to spare.   Continue reading →

By Jon Stynes (Co-driver!)

After an eighteen year wait, it’s 5am on a frosty Sunday morning and we are setting off to the Jack Frost Stages for Kieron’s first rally in the driver’s seat (and dad in the silly seat!). The 205 has been prepared by Barrie Thomson at ALS Performance who is also servicing for the day, so we just have to arrive and have fun.

Kieron being his normal laid back self is showing no nerves, whereas I am slightly anxious to what is going to happen today and still wondering whether it’s too late to swap places! In reality he has only competed in autotests and has been on the road for 3 months mainly driving a 1.1 Metro. So sitting b ehind the wheel of a 200hp rally car is definitely going to be an experience.

Stage one, sitting on the start line, me tightening my harness one more time and Kieron giving it plenty of revs, 5,4 3,2,1, go! and we’re off. I was hoping for a cautious start from Kieron, but no, he was testing the track limits and his own ability straight off. Lap two of the stage saw us in the gravel at the end of the pit straight, but he kept it going and powered off at maximum attack up the back straight, locking the wheels at the the top corner and shunting a tractor tyre out of the way and destroying the front valance on the Pug. Next to go was my door as he attacked the bale chicane. By now I was glad to see the finish line. As we returned to the service area, Kieron’s comment was “don’t worry dad, I was just finding the limits”. I hope he realises it is the driver that does the repairs after the event!

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By Barry Lindsay

After being announced ANECCC Champion and after the hard fought battle of 3 drivers all season I finally got my reward. The Jack Frost Stages were to be the SG Petch Prize drive and after a very interesting conversation was told it wouldn’t be the Evo that I had last year. So for 2016 I was to have the one that Steve Petch himself drove and had a more powerful engine, bigger brakes and a sequential gearbox. WOW that could take some driving I thought… Panic, for a minute. Then they agreed a test during the week before to get me comfortable with the car.

Testing.. Tuesday the week before. Teesside was the venue for the test 10am Myself, Dad & Caroline went over. Caroline was to miss the Jack frost for an important Rescue training course, so as 2^nd placed Co-driver Caroline would get the honor of (have to put up with) quite a few laps of Teesside in the Evo with myself. I didn’t hear any complaints!

Seat fitting took a short while as ‘Short Arse’ wanted the seat forward, then up! Then to top it all when the seat was up & forward the seat belt had been trapped, so the seat was to slacken off again.

Once comfortable instructions were given on how to use the two levers in the middle. One goes back and forth. The other when you pull it the car goes round to face where you come from… Got that. Diff settings, Anti lag not allowed that (hmmm so they say) How to start it!

With Dad strapped in, so he can just see out, we ventured onto the track to warm it up and the tyres then 4 or 5 laps getting the hang of LHD.

Back in for a quick break and let them check some stuff then Caroline was strapped in. Another 4 or 5 laps and was getting the hang of it managing to get it drifting through a 90 left into 90 right over a crest.

Back into the service area Richie wanted us to go back out on new slicks and bed them in, they’ll be what you’re using on Sunday now that you’re up to speed in the car. I said I’d like to do some handbrake practice in the tight twisty go kart infield…Oh not with these.

So 4 steady laps later back in the pits they bolted the old tyres back on. Go and do your infield test! More play time… Handbrake and tight stuff was fun drifting round hairpins etc. but after a while it was time to call it a day before damage was done!.

The day… After an afternoon of snow the day before, getting to the rally looked like it could be fun but I was getting there whatever. Arriving at Croft for the meeting time, the car had been scrutineered so we went and signed on then had a quick look round bits of the track before getting ready. Tyres we had lots of options but settle for an Intermediate that would warm up quickly. First stage, surprised how much grip I had braking for the first two corners but then accelerating hard out of the third in front of the spectators the back came out to quick and we were facing the field a quick hard brake and spin it 360 and we were away now the tyres were warm! The rest of the stage was good, clear track no cars. Turned out to be third fastest only 5 seconds down and “ If Only… we hadn’t spun” Dad was impressed, shaking at the end but I’d been warned. Don’t get used with this.

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By Barry Lindsay,

Grizedale was the final round of the SG Petch ANECCC Championship. Three drivers were separated by 5 points, Steve Bannister, Barry Lindsay & Matt Smith. While in the co-drivers Caroline Lodge was 3^rd behind Louise Rae & Giles Dykes.

In order to improve the Spadeadam pair knew when they entered that it had to be a class win…but then when the entry list went online they knew it was going to be difficult. Top 1600 on the entry list at 25 but the 206 had struggled against Alex Curran / Heather Grisedale in the rapid Corsa this year and they were Scottish 1600 champions down at Grizedale for a fun day!

The event was based in Skelweth Fold for the first time which made the Pre event more compact. The stage format was just the same, 2 Dunnerdale, 2 Grizedale, Service repeat 2 Grizedale, Finish. The previous wet weather had relented for the event and caught some out with a snap of frost, but this prevented the stages cutting up.

Barry & Caroline were on the pace straight away showing they were up for a fight, after the two short stages had a 3 second lead. A quick management service then a road section round Caroline’s old area.

Spadeadam members were also in their own battles after stage 2, Peter Taylor & Andrew Roughead were 2^nd Overall 5 seconds behind in the Focus after a few months concentrating on a new side to the family business. Stuart Egglestone & Brian Hodgson were also getting back into it after crashing as Course car back in July but held a 2 second class lead. Darren Martin & Martin Steele were thinking they had chosen the wrong tyres. Mark Shaw & James Coxon were also finding the conditions tricky in the Sunbeam. Continue reading →

By Phil Jobson,

Having just missed out on a class win on the RAC Championship in 2014, though Arwel Jenkins won the Navigator Class, we decided to have a crack at the BHRC that for 2015 was being run by RAC Motor Club.

Historic rallying divides cars by year of manufacture. Pre-1968 being Category 1; post 1974 Category 3, but Snowy being a Mk1 Escort, we’re in Category 2. Each Category is further divided by engine size and number of cams etc. So in our Category we have C2 for 1968-1974 up to 1600cc; C31601-2000cc (Pinto etc) & C5 for 2000cc twin cams (eg. BDAs).

Following an eventful RAC Rally in 2014 where we finished 22nd despite running in the top twenty until a last stage puncture, Snowy was refettled in time for the first round. The beginning of February, South Wales was still in the grip of winter. Though the Llandeilo start venue was free from ice, the first stage higher up was treacherous. Nevertheless we pushed on as best we could and managed a Class C3 win and 35th overall. A solid start.

The gearbox received attention before the next round Mid Wales Stages. What a pleasure seeing the friendly face of Andy Graham at the foot of Pikes Peak. For those not so familiar, that stage starts uphill through wide open hairpins on perfect gravel surface. Escort country!! This time Arwel made sure I kept pedal to metal, preparation of the Notes was paying off. Although we were still suffering from gearbox maladies, we managed a 2nd in Class and 39th overall.

The gearbox stuck in 3rd for 3 miles on SS3 of the Pirelli, and we had a HUGE moment on SS4 (see You Tube), flat over crest, 50 into square right….. Apart from the laundry bill, this cost us only 55 seconds, and we secured 2nd in C3 and 32nd overall. We were leading C3 in the Championship. Continue reading →

We’re delighted to report that an SMC Member has won The Clubmans Challenge of the British Historic Rally Championship along with Class C3 and finished 9th overall Driver in the BHRC 2015.

“It’s been a superb season, despite an awful Trackrod Rally final round where we picked up two punctures, having to stop and change the second one, and suffering with a steering rack held in by Jubilee Clips for half of the mileage.

“The BDA is being readied to fit over the next couple of months ready for another assault on the BHRC (& possibly the BHRC Tarmac too) in 2016. “

By Barry Lindsay

The ninth round of the SG Petch ANECCC championship was the Hamsterley Rally, moved from its April date after it lost its RAC Championship slot the event moved to September to try and get the stages in harder condition, too stop them cutting up.

The event was a great layout with Service, Scrutineering, rally HQ all just outside Barnard Castle. A 20min road section to stages 1 & 2 which was 15.6 mile with only a breather in between then back to Barnard Castle for a 2.9mile mixed surface Raby Castle Stage. After a service these were repeated and back to the finish by 3pm.

Three Spadeadam crews entered, but Rob Graham & Helen Gibbon withdrew leading up to the event due to farmer Rob having to get harvest in! (Saturday morning was pretty wet so probably could have gone rallying!)

This left John McIlwraith bringing out his Mk2 Escort and bringing in to navigate Ian Jones. They were seeded at 29 and would prove that was too far back as the day went on. Myself with Caroline Lodge ran at 15 in the 206.

We soon discovered possibly the only organizer error of the event along a few others an arrow for later in the event was baffling crews. Caroline soon had us in the right direction (we hoped as now we had 5 other cars following us) Continue reading →