PH Rally Report - Race 1

Team ToTec has a great start, but with a big scare. PH rally driver Donald Smith reports...

By Oli S / Friday, 18 April 2008 / Loading comments

April 12, Down Ampney 'Get It Sideways Rally'

Team ToTec driver Donald Smith writes: 'Start of new season for the ToTec Rally team and we entered the Down Ampney “Get It Sideways Rally” as a good shakedown event to test new bits for the season. This rally is based just north of Swindon and uses some old airfield roads. The roads are concrete but covered in mud, silage and cow muck. Now then imagine these roads and add water well the results in a very slippery surface.

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'As usual with first rally of season always last minute things to do so night before sees me out at midnight in dark and rain with the signwriter putting new stickers on the car including the new pistonheads branding!

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'Get up in the morning and not raining but still very wet. Get through scrutineering and off into first stage which is just over 5 miles long. Decide to run intermediates and off we go and I say that literally!!

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'The stage is VERY slippery and grip levels are varying massively, about third of way into stage we come to a left turn covered in wet mud I am on the brakes but it aint happening and off we go but manage to keep it away from tress. Back onto road and onto the fastest part of stage with a straight about 800m long into hairpin right. We are up to flat in 5th down this single lane wet bumpy road. I start to brake and oh dear we lock up and start getting a bit sideways so off the brakes and back on but again no grip, by this time I am realizing that we are running out of road before the corner so I am just trying to keep car under control and pointing in right direction. Then decide no way going to make corner and start selecting the softest thing to hit with options of massive round hay bales, a fence and a pallet standing upright so decide to take the pallet out which we do and of course I don't want to damage myself so I do it with co-drivers side (sorry Marcus). In end nowhere near as bad as I thought it would be when locking up in 5th on a narrow wet road!

'So we get round the stage in one piece, phew, and only smashed side light and dent in front wing. Stage 2 is same layout and I take it a bit easier and improve stage time by massive 30+ seconds.

'Into following stages and now starting to get the hang of using new vertical hydraulic handbrake that we have spent loads of time fitting and setting up. Must admit that in first stage I grabbed the standard handbrake and used that. I was cursing myself - after all that time and money and I pull the wrong lever! I think it was just my natural instinct which caused it. Anyway once I got the hang of it - it was awesome. Drive into corner, turn in, get to apex quick, pull on vertical handbrake, rear-end comes round, back on the power, nice power slide, and gone. When it was all coming together it was a great feeling and I am sure much quicker than the previous understeer!!

'This rally is open to all cars but overall result is for 2 wheel drives. The entry in 4 wheel drive is not so large but we had a few Subaru’s and Ford’s and in fact a few Land Rover Discovery's and a Freelander which would have been interesting to see going sideways.

'So after 3 stages we have a look at times to check how it is going and we are leading the rally. The roads are now drying out with a bit of sun and wind so traction is becoming better and in next stage we are beaten by a trick Saxo. It's a great little car with a works Peugeot engine and some clever suspension modification all done by owner and driver Andy Gwynne. So we give it a push and see if we can hold him off and manage to do so, winning the remaining stages and taking the win and first in class.

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'Great start to the year and car in one piece. Now need to get anti-lag working as losing time coming out of corners waiting for boost to get back up. Looking to enter EMCOS stages in May at same venue but up against Metro 6R4’s and WRC cars so looking forward to seeing how close we can get to them.

'Also we had an in car camera fitted for first few stages so should get some good footage with the offs and will get them onto pistonheads.com.'

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