By Andy Westgarth

That’s the weekend at the Tyneside stages, held over the Otterburn ranges finished. I would like to start by saying a big thank you to Darren Riley for sitting in with me and giving great directions through the stages. I would also like to say thank you to John Goff and his team for the servicing.

I have to say that was the most fun I’ve had behind the wheel of the Skoda Felicia. We started the day with some lucky escapes in stage 1&2. Doing some off road driving, then the clutch started to slip in stage 3, nothing could be done to fix the clutch issue, but managed to drive around the problem for the rest of the day. Stages 4, 5 & 6 went well, beating my own times we had already set earlier. After service we went out to do stages 7, 8 & 9 which again went well until stage 9, when we started getting a knocking noise from the passenger front corner. Then coming into a chicane the brakes went. Continue reading →

By Barry Lindsay,

The Dmack Stages was round 7 of the SG Petch ANECCC championship and this year a round of the BTRDA. The event attracted a massive 130 crews. A good turn out of Spadeadam members at the event both competing and marshalling. Members were running the service area controls as well as the finish of stage 1 and instage junctions.

The first stage was GlenDue in Kershope, Late entry Rory Young & Allan Cathers ran with 130 but were running in the top ten. There new R5+ car, 4^th fastest time of 7m 20 was a good start. Peter Taylor & Andrew Roughead were first of the Smc crews on the road, seeded at 19 but then on the day moved up to 4^th car on the road, loose dusty conditions cost them alittle on the first stage 7m 24. Rob Graham & Helen Gibbon were next quickest of the SMC crews getting 7m 49 in the Mk1 Escort, Darren Martin / Martin Steele got 8m02 in the Evo. Phil & Caroline Jobson got 8m09 in there Mk1 Escort. Barry & Michael Lindsay got 8m13 in the 206 but had opted for soft compound and the hot, dusty conditions they were the wrong choice.

Mark Shaw / James Coxon were next in the Sunbeam getting 8m22, followed by Mike Martin / Kyle Gass in the Evo getting 10m43.

Stage 2 followed straight on. Peter & Andrew were fastest overall with 4m52 on a stage which caught out several top crews all hitting the same rock. Rory & Allan got 5m06. Darren & Martin got 5m24 the same time as Barry & Michael who went better on the stage which was mainly in tree’s and the surface damper. Phil & Caroline were just behind on 5m26, then Mark & James on 5m40. Rob & Helen followed with 5m52 then Mike & Kyle on 6m51.

A quick road side management service on the way to the Newcastleton Stage. Continue reading →

By Barry Lindsay,

Jim Clark returned to the forests in 2015 following 2014’s accidents to give the organisers time to adapt for a return to roads in 2016. I heard the route was using the forests similar to a Border Counties Rally of 2007. Infact the stages turned out to be the same. The event had good and bad memories, was a good fun & competitive day but also a one we rolled on. Back in 2007 we ran 2^nd car on the road behind George Macdonald and ahead of Carl Tuer. It was one of the first events to run under 1600’s at the front of the main pack but was a great day.

In 2015 though the event didn’t live up to expectations.. Running car 40 which was 3^rd 1600 the first two stages were wet & misty and had dug up quite bad. Caroline & Myself dropped 20sec to the class leader on SS1 with 8m26. Peter Taylor & Andrew Roughead got 7m12 with Focus dropping 10 seconds to Faulkner on 7m02. Rory Young & Allan Cathers had there first event in a new Fiesta R5. 7m 16 was 5^th fastest a great start. That was Ogre Hill crews now headed to Rooken along side the forest drive. The start line was so bad I opted to start in the loose rather than risk getting stuck sitting on the sumpguard the ruts were so deep. The stage was little better in places the sandy surface was like being in a toboggan run in some corners. Chicaines were a mass of dug up rocks. 7m16 was our time which dropped another 26sec to class leader. Peter had upped his pace getting 6m00 which was 2^nd fastest. Rory & Allan got 6m23 8^th fastest. Continue reading →

By Phil Jobson,

A fellow club member told me rallying was meant to follow the cricket season.  RAC 2013 taught me why that should be! Snowy (my immaculate newly built Ford Escort Mk1 Class C3 Historic rally car) left an icy road in Craik forest; an unscheduled flight pirouetting across a 50m ravine and landing upright on the far bank.

However, after a busy season helping my Welsh navigator, Arwel Jenkins, to win Class C3 in the RAC Championship, I’ve learned a lot about how tyres help one stick to the road. We use soft compound DMack gravel tyres, and we’ve found that lower tyre pressures provide better stability and this engenders confidence.

This was all critical on the recent Red Kites Stages, the first round of the British Historic Rally Championship. Although the start in Llandovery was clear of frost and snow, the first stage in Crychan was gripped in ice. Category 1 and up to 1600cc cars tackled the stages first, so there were patches where the frost had broken up and some of the apexes offered decent grip.

As long as we maintained smooth momentum over the icy patches, we could attack the rest. Although we struggled with gear selection all day – nothing changes there then – we set reasonably competitive times and saw others fall by the wayside or go off.

The second Crychan stage was cancelled as the long uphill approach was impassable through ice. A cracking stage in Caeo followed, and was relatively clear, although we had to watch for ice in the shaded sections. Crychan 1&2 were repeated, though a treacherous longer run in to Crychan 2 reduced stage length to only 2.5 miles. But what a stage! Wide open fast uphill drifts made for lots of sideways fun.

We were surprised to see Peter Smith (supposedly a Class C3) Opel Kadett set fastest time, taking about 20 seconds off BDA Escorts. By the time we tackled the final stage, we were up to 35th overall and safely second in Class. Only after the event have we learned that we have been awarded maximum Class points in the BHRC, and Peter Smith is accredited with points in Class D5. So it seems we won our Class. Thanks once again to Richard Clark for building a solid car and looking after us on the event. A day only made better with free meals on the way home!

By Barry Lindsay

At the Xmas stages I was introduced to Richie Windress from SG Petch Motorsport. At the time I hadn’t won the championship, but he asked if you do win, have you driven a 4wd before? Have you driven a LHD before? When I said No and No, he said ‘Were going to need a test before the rally then’ but was probably thinking I hope he doesn’t win !!!!

Well after winning the ANECCC Championship, the test was arranged. 10am on the Tuesday before the Jack Frost we arrived at Teesside Autodrome. The SG Petch Wagon along with covered trailer and the team unloaded while myself and John Richardson (my co-driver for the event) went round the circuit with the track manager.

Seat fitting & belt tightening followed by what everything does.. Intercoms connected then we’re ready.

A lap to warm everything then increase the pace was the plan. Onto the track 1^st, 2^nd, brake for a hairpin and cold brakes there is just a solid pedal. Couple of tight corners then a long straight, 2^nd 5^th as it shudders but pulls away. Hmmm this isn’t going to well!!! Still no brakes and the tyres weren’t gripping as we started the second lap but tried to push abit more. Then it warmed up as we started our 3^rd lap and pushed that’s when I thought yes this is good… 4 or 5 more laps then John suggested a break to let tyres cool.

Back in the pits, a couple of changes were made the main one lifting my seat so I was on top it. The quickest lap had been a 55. The next run I was more comfortable with it and started to find its limits in braking and pushing as much speed through the corners times had dropped to 50 ish before another break. Tyres were suffering and quite warm. With dad now strapped in, I had enough fuel for 5 laps and the tyres would do the same. Another push more seat time and times were down to 48’s and with a set of destroyed tyres it was time to pack up.

Continue reading →