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.

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By Geoffrey Harkness

Having missed the Pendragon rally, and the next event being several weeks away it was decide that a sprint would keep the wheels on the car turning. An entry was sent and to boost the spectator numbers Caroline entered as well. So now I had someone to warm the tyres for me without wearing too much tread off. Well that was the idea, but great ideas don’t always work out.

We arrived at Kames and with plenty of time before practice Barry would remove the passenger seat, blow the tyres up and get the car scrutineered.

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By Caroline Lodge

After my crack at driving in a sprint earlier in the year, nothing much more had been mentioned about me getting behind the wheel again, so I started to relax a bit. That was until Geoffrey started talking about me having another go and entering the Kames Classic Sprint in October. I’d competed (in the navigator’s seat) at Kames earlier in the year. So the venue wasn’t a complete mystery.

After a bit of persuasion/nagging I said ‘yes’, and Geoffrey put the entry in before I could change my mind.

To be honest, with the Mull Rally fast approaching and various other things going on I hadn’t had much time to think about the event. Except, that is, until certain people decided to torment me about it. I did however have a look on the site and printed off a track plan so I had an idea of which bits were being used.

Geoffrey, Bill, Barry and I set off on a rotten Sunday Morning, ‘Oh great a little twisty track in the rain’, was one of my thoughts but there’s nowt you can do about the weather, so I just had to get on with it. We walked the course, under our umbrellas, and chatted to the marshal who was digging trenches in an attempt to drain the water off the track!

Above: Caroline Lodge tames the Corsa through the running water

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