2022 UK Targa/Road Rallying Thread

[thepawbroon]

thepawbroon said:

Good luck!


I'm out driving on the Chin Memorial 20/20 Navigational Rally on Saturday night, first time competing in Kent. By reputation the rallies there are fun but challenging, so we are in for a night of it. 80odd miles and up to 20 controls!

Now this was an excellent rally - like I predicted it was non-stop, especially for the navigator... pretty decent roads for driving too, down in Kent.

As Non-Experts, we got all the navigation and control map refs on our start minute, so Chas managed to plot about a section ahead at each time control. He could then read the roads to me, just as well as I think I would have struggled to keep on time (and indeed on the road) if it had been blind. As it was, we missed 2 codes and dropped 8 minutes, placing us 11th o/a and 2nd in Class.

Wee pic from the evening:

[FactoryBacked]

Anyone been out and about recently?

Road rally, Targa and 12 car season has just kicked off again here in the South West so got a busy run in to the end of the year, out most weeks.

Second year of navigating for me after usually being on the other side of the car. Novice driver so learning together. Starting to enjoy the challenge of it recently rather than being super anxious about plotting etc. I'm prepping better for each event and we're finding some flow and stringing some decent sections together. Even waiting for our due time at the odd control now!

Did the Baby Bagger 2 last weekend, second in class on the Ilfracombe Targa the weekend before. Got the Exmoor Targa at the end of the month then Exmouth Memorial Road Rally, Harvest Road Rally and a 12 car each month until April too.

[velocemitch]

It’s been a while, I thought this thread had died!
Mines been a fairly poor year so far, after the White Rose, I did the Cotswold HRCR event in the Astra with David Crooks, which went OK, But we struggled to get decent times on the tests and I along with most others cocked up the last Reg.
The DeLacy Targa got canned because Catterick was busy training Ukrainians. This also massively affected the Ilkley Jubilee, meaning I had to find a new main test venue with about six weeks to go before the event! ( I did..... but see later!)
I had rides lined up for the Gremlin and the St Wilfrids, but both fell through at short notice, One the evening before! which was Annoying. Then I had the massive frustration of having to postpone the Ilkley Jubilee when a certain person chose to die two days beforehand! That was a very tough decision, but the right one I believe.
On a happier note had a really good run out on the Clitheronian, first night rally for a while, really enjoyed that.
This Friday is the first of the DeLacy 12 Cars, so hoping to replicate the last one with a win. I expect Henry Carr might think otherwise though!
This will be the first time for 7 years I haven’t done either Rally of the Tests or Le Jog..... not been the best year for rallying for me!

[PaulV]

Similar to others, the nav'ing season has restarted for me.

Baby Bagger 2 last weekend, Exmoor targa in two weeks.

Cotswold 12-car championship restarted, club 12-car 2 weeks ago, loads more in the area (Newbury/Basingstoke) if I can get a pass.

Luckily have been doing targas over the summer, Chivenor, Ystra, Hatsford, Venta Siluram, and Kent forestry to keep me going waiting for the nights to close in.

Seems to be a bit of a problem with low entries in some cases, not sure why that is though.

[thepawbroon]

Now that I've nearly got Mull out of my system, it's time to get back into the 12 Cars.

The Weald MC Championship has already started on 7 Oct - I missed the first round but will be driving on the second round this Friday - which is Croydon & District MC. The plan is to do the rest of the series with Chas Davies on the maps, we will marshal the last round and see how the points go.

Looking ahead, I'm marshalling on the London to Brighton Veteran Run so will miss the Rushmoor Targa, I'm hoping to also do the Christmas Targa at STANTA on 28 Dec, and potentially this tough-looking event....

https://www.rallyrevival.co.uk/venues

[velocemitch]

I fancy that rally revival event too, some good roads in that area and the sort of format I like.
Our run on last Friday’s de Lacy 12 car was fun. The young organiser ( just 16 which I think is brilliant) had been given a brief to make it tricky to plot so a novice ( who don’t have to do it plot and bash) could win.
He certainly succeeded! It was damned hard work with full PnB instructions, herringbones etc ten NAMs to plot on map references and over 30 route checKs!
We managed to miss 11 of the codeboards!! But everyone else missed even more of them!
We ended up third, behind two ‘novices’

[mat205125]

Do plenty of people do these events in 100% stock cars?

[thepawbroon]

mat205125 said:

Do plenty of people do these events in 100% stock cars?

In 12 car rallies - yes probably half the field, most of the result depends on the navigator, and not the car nor driver. One of the most successful guys uses a Skoda Superb estate.

A lot of folk make some subtle modifications to help strength and reliability (sump guards, better suspension and brake pads etc) and spotlights are a big help. I have used a Volvo XC70, a Suzuki Ignis and a Mini Cooper 5dr (all totally standard) in the past. Now I've got a Mini Cooper R50 which has some preps - raised suspension, sumpguard, Koni shocks, spotlights...


For Targa rallies yes it is possible, there are always a few bog standard cars, but they are often a little tougher on the car. If you have a car already I'm sure many would offer advice on suitability and recommended mods.

[velocemitch]

mat205125 said:

Do plenty of people do these events in 100% stock cars?

I won a navigational scatter in my Skoda Yeti once.
Mind you I did have one of countries top navigators that night!

That same guy, proving he could drive too, won a Targa in his bog standard Suzuki Alto !

[thepawbroon]

A wee post-Mull Rally poem:

It's gone five days since we crossed the line
I really should be feeling fine
Everything hurts from my hair to my shoes
I've really got the post-Mull Blues
The only way to cure this pain
Is to get back in a car again
No, not Mull, and not so far
I'll be driving the Mini in a local 12 car

[thepawbroon]

It was the Croydon & District MC's 12 car rally, starting at Westerham (Kent) and finishing at Godstone (Surrey). 50 miles, most roads were soaking wet and covered in leaves, so it was a challenge for both driver and navigator.

We finished 3rd expert and 6th overall (they combine classes for results there) which was good. Got all the route checks but spent a few minutes up the wrong road twice.

And they had an official photographer!

Edited by thepawbroon on Saturday 22 October 19:23

[Cyder]

Kept my hand in over the summer with a couple of Targas on the Twyford and at Caerwent where we had some decent results in the old mini.

Then back in the road rally ZR for the Baby Bagger 2 where after nearly 8 months of not being in the car together we only went and won it, and by some margin on the wonderful ones of North Devon.

2 events left for me this season I think, the Harvest in South Devon and then the Exmouth at the end of November.

[PaulV]

Cyder said:

Kept my hand in over the summer with a couple of Targas on the Twyford and at Caerwent where we had some decent results in the old mini.

Then back in the road rally ZR for the Baby Bagger 2 where after nearly 8 months of not being in the car together we only went and won it, and by some margin on the wonderful ones of North Devon.

2 events left for me this season I think, the Harvest in South Devon and then the Exmouth at the end of November.

Well done on the Baby Bagger, we were happy just to finish not last.
Caerwent was great fun, am looking forwards to the Exmoor next weekend.
Have signed up for the Preston, that should be interesting.

[FactoryBacked]

Did a 12 car last Friday, great route around mid Devon. Full entry, loads of marshalls, great route.

Annoyingly, I missed an LWR early on so we got hit with a big penalty. Clean other than that and dropping 3 minutes on the final plot and bash section, despite a wrong slot that I'd earned the driver about.

Can't wait for the Exmoor on Saturday, only just up the road from home so a relaxed start to the day.

[thepawbroon]

FactoryBacked said:

Did a 12 car last Friday, great route around mid Devon. Full entry, loads of marshalls, great route.

Annoyingly, I missed an LWR early on so we got hit with a big penalty. Clean other than that and dropping 3 minutes on the final plot and bash section, despite a wrong slot that I'd earned the driver about.

Can't wait for the Exmoor on Saturday, only just up the road from home so a relaxed start to the day.

Good luck on Exmoor, one day I'll venture that far south west for an event!

Back to it this Friday with a Southsea Motor Club 12 car, way down near Portsmouth. Great roads and usually great organisation down there.

[Ranger 6]

thepawbroon said:

A wee post-Mull Rally poem:

It's gone five days since we crossed the line
I really should be feeling fine
Everything hurts from my hair to my shoes
I've really got the post-Mull Blues
The only way to cure this pain
Is to get back in a car again
No, not Mull, and not so far
I'll be driving the Mini in a local 12 car

Only too familiar

[ShampooEfficient]

Life has got in the way over the last couple of years but MrsSE and I are looking at an overnight road rally in a few weeks.

The only thing is we would need Interclub licences - am I right in thinking that it would be £69 each and they would expire on 31/12/22?

If so thats a lot of money to add to the bill for a single event, as I don't think we are off work for any more this year...

[velocemitch]

ShampooEfficient said:

Life has got in the way over the last couple of years but MrsSE and I are looking at an overnight road rally in a few weeks.

The only thing is we would need Interclub licences - am I right in thinking that it would be £69 each and they would expire on 31/12/22?

If so thats a lot of money to add to the bill for a single event, as I don't think we are off work for any more this year...

If it’s on an interclub permit and most road rallies are, then unfortunately yes. I don’t think MSUK do part year licences, or allow you to have one for the following year if you buy late in one year, like a lot of clubs do, with membership.
You will also need a club membership if you haven’t already.
As you say, it’s a big expense for just one event.

Which one were you thinking of?

[thepawbroon]

3rd place on the Southsea MC 12 car last night, a tough 65 mile route. Two sections of nav caused us some challenges, so we missed 3 code boards, got one wrong direction approach at a control, and had to cut and run one section (i.e. opening the clue envelope early and finding the control map ref).

The best bit, for anyone that knows Goodwood, was a complex route around the gravely viewpoint car park at the top of the racecourse.

I've started recording the routes on Strava, so we can spot where we went wrong.

All great fun!

A couple of weekends off now, the next is Sevenoaks & DMC on 18 Nov.

[ShampooEfficient]

velocemitch said:

If it’s on an interclub permit and most road rallies are, then unfortunately yes. I don’t think MSUK do part year licences, or allow you to have one for the following year if you buy late in one year, like a lot of clubs do, with membership.
You will also need a club membership if you haven’t already.
As you say, it’s a big expense for just one event.

Which one were you thinking of?

Beaver Rally, I forget which club.

We have decided to be sensible and not spend all the money this year and instead add it to next uers kitty where hopefully we can get a few more in.