Thursday 17th April 2008

PH Rally Team Is Go!

PistonHeads supports an amateur rally team for 2008...

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Smith (left) and Bond

For 2008 PistonHeads has decided to support the amateur Totec Rally Team as they embark on a number of tarmac and gravel rally events in South West England and Wales. This really is entry-level rallying, with a yearly budget of around £6,000, and it is up to driver Donald Smith to raise the cash and get the car to each event. Each event costs between £185 and £400, and this year the team will be using a Subaru Impreza.

He started competing in New Zealand on the great gravel roads and is now venturing out on a mix of single event stage events and gravel rallies in England and Wales. For each event we have asked Donlad to keep a diary of how it went and we will publish it on PH. He will be co-driven by Marcus Bond who jumps in the co-driver seat after being a potent driver himself in the British Rally Championship some years ago in a Honda Civic. At some point this season we even hope to get one of the PistonHeads team in the co-drivers seat to see just how difficult it is.

It has been a race against time to get the car ready for the first rally last weekend, the Down Ampney rally based just north of Swindon. This is a single event venue run on an old airfield and is a good shakedown event for the team. Since last year the team has fitted a vertical hydraulic handbrake with a micro switch that when you pull the handbrake the drive to the rear wheels is cut off via electronic centre diff. This enables the rear wheels to be locked up whilst the front wheels keep driving and the plan is to get you around tight corners quicker. Before the rally the team haven’t even had a chance to try it so the first tight corner in the rally was always going to be interesting as it would be fast or a big spin.

They have also taken on sponsorship from BP Ultimate 102 and have remapped the car to run on the new 102 octane fuel which has delivered an extra 25BHP. For the rest of year the team is planning to take on the EMCOS stages at Down Ampney in May, Abingdon Stages June, on to the Gravel at Swansea Bay in July, something in Wales August & Sept then Tempest Rally in Oct . They will also be at the Rally Day at Castle Coombe in Sept.  

So if any PistonHeaders see the car out and about – it will feature the PH logo - please go and say hello or give them a wave in a stage.

Look out for last weekend’s race report tommorow.

Car Spec 

Subaru Impreza GC8 WRX RA  1997

Engine

Closed deck block

WRC crankshaft

Steel conrods

Forged pistons

Group N baffled Sump

VF 28 Turbo

34mm Restrictor

Producing approx 265BHP and 330ff/lb torque

Transmission

5 Speed Modena Dogbox

Electronic centre diff

4.4 limited slip plated diffs

Suspension

Tarmac  Prodrive WRC 40MM Bilstien adjustable

Gravel  50mm DMS coilovers 2 way adjustable

Brakes

Tarmac    355mm rotors with 6 pot AP Racing callipers

Vertical hydraulic handbrake with electronic RWD cut out.

Clutch

AP racing clutch pressure plate and 4 paddle clutch plate

ECU

Motec M48

Lubricants

Castrol Edge engine oil

Interior

Multi point cage

Sparco seats and belts

Peltor intercom helmets

Terratrip

Carbon fibre dash and foot wells

[Northern-Loop]

Rah have to love Rally - Whens the next race dates; I'll like to go along and get some footage!

[Ranger 6]

Saw the guys at Down Ampney - good result! Fastest overall time, but 4wd cars were only able to get class awards.

Are you doing any tarmac events? The Craven rally at Longcross in May is a good event.

See you on the Tempest - and possibly Abingdon too

[Nic Jones]

What championship are they doing?

I might see them on the Somerset Stages on the 26th April as i'm competing on it.

Edit: D'oh, just seen the events they're planning to do.

Edited by Nic Jones on Thursday 17th April 11:11

[Porlock]

And I Might see them on the 26th, but they all hope not to see me as I'm Safety Officer for the Somerset and will have the Doctor with me!!

Sorry you couldn't get a competitive ride Nic !! (lol) Remember that Co-Drivers seat in the 205 was used by me with it's previous owner. Have a good event.

Dave

[Donman]

Was keen on entering Somerset Stages but work comitments mean i can not do it this year maybe in 09. looking to get entry in for EMCOS this week though and then Abingdon before a change to gravel spec and then some gravel rallies.

Cheers

Don

[Asterix]

Excellent stuff

Best of luck to the boys

[Nic Jones]

Porlock said:

And I Might see them on the 26th, but they all hope not to see me as I'm Safety Officer for the Somerset and will have the Doctor with me!!

Sorry you couldn't get a competitive ride Nic !! (lol) Remember that Co-Drivers seat in the 205 was used by me with it's previous owner. Have a good event.

Dave

I hope to not have to see you either if that's ok! (At least until the bar in the evening.... )

The car doesn't have a particularly happy history on the Somerset, I believe Mr How broke it on the first stage last year. and I remember seeing yourself and Nikki breaking a driveshaft on the hairpin on Croydon a few years back!

Should be a laugh, I'm not too bothered how we do, (a finish would be great given our recent history!) but i'm desperate to get to at least Porlock to have a crack at it in anger!

See you on the 26th

[Nic Jones]

Good luck Don, we looked at doing the Down Ampney event as well but a lack of funds and worries about breaking the car before next weekend put us off.

May see you on the EMCOS though.

[flattotheboards]

Good luck!

[BigMansZetec]

Would be good if someone could publish a list of events the team is doing. There is a few rallies up here on the Shropshire/Wales borders, so would be good to know if they will be contesting them?

[Porlock]

As of last night (Wed) we have 131 entries!! with a week to go. I think that after the Wyedean its one of the best supported BTRDA Events this year. With about 40 local crews, thats good.

Anyone want to marshal.

Go to: www.somersetstagesrally.co.uk

Entries include several WRC cars and of course Andy Burton in his Peugout Cosworth.

Dave

[K50 DEL]

Porlock said:

As of last night (Wed) we have 131 entries!! with a week to go. I think that after the Wyedean its one of the best supported BTRDA Events this year. With about 40 local crews, thats good.

Anyone want to marshal.

Go to: www.somersetstagesrally.co.uk

Entries include several WRC cars and of course Andy Burton in his Peugout Cosworth.

Dave

Sadly I'm at work so will be missing Somerset for the first time in 5 years, my usual seat in the Corsa being taken by another Bath MC member.

Good luck to all those competing, I'll be following on Tynemouth.

[Porlock]

OOps almost forgot.

Good luck Don. I have seen Pistonhead stickers on Hillclimb cars so it's nice that your redressing the balance, and having a sticker on a Rally Car.

Next year try to arrange your work to allow you to do the Somerset.

Dave

[Ranger 6]

Porlock said:

...I'm Safety Officer for the Somerset...

Give Mr Henness a shout when you see him then, he'll know my call sign

[Graebob]

Needs more pics

[Vakavandring]

ahh!!

how do i become a driver or a mechanic for this team?....or at least does anybody have connections to becoming a rally mechanic???

if you see this, i would love to get an e-mail

[e-mail]

[anonymous-user]

Are you allowed to use 102RON fuel on a rally? The MSA Blue book spec for pump fuel is Max 100RON.

[Ranger 6]

I can't remember the exact wording but yes you can run 102, there was an amendment to the blue book last year which mentioned something to do with organisers discretion.

It came after a couple of high profile exclusions which highlighted the issue and that everyone was running it anyway.

[anonymous-user]

OK, thanks. I'll have to check my blue book again.

[Donman]

Yes you can use 102 fuel as lomng as organsiers don't have a problem with it. MSA did not handle it very well last year. A lot of top cars are built to run on 102 an it is high cost to change to lower Octane and componenet life is also reduced so does the opposite of saving money if they have to use lower octane than 102 an also 102 is FIA global standard.