RE: PistonHeads Sporting Tour South now open!

[Marco07]

Gallons Per Mile said:

Can't wait to see the results... I want to see if I wasn't stone dead last while being 3 up on a rally stage in a Golf TDI

GPM, I also hope they publish the times. I dare say our 3 up in an 89yr old car on the rally stage will be slower than your Golf!

[will-w]

It was indeed a great event, unfortunately we had to retire from the last leg so didn’t make it back to the results.

Does anyone know when the photographs taken at Brands Hatch will be available, and where from?

[Haltamer]

will-w said:

It was indeed a great event, unfortunately we had to retire from the last leg so didn’t make it back to the results.

Does anyone know when the photographs taken at Brands Hatch will be available, and where from?

If anything like last time, You'll get an email in a few days with details directly from the photographer - I can't wait for the pictures; They provide excellent phone / desktop wallpaper material

[PhotoMandH]

Hello there. I was the photographer at the rally track at Brands, plus a couple sections out on the public road. I also covered the Suffolk one. I'll be putting a selection of pics on my website at some point and everyone should receive a set of proofs via email. Only just finished putting them all together but I might get some out tonight. The email list I got off the organisers doesn't seem quite up to date (defo missing 66 to 72) but hopefully I'll get mt hands on a more comprehensive one.
The rally track was good fun to watch, a fine mix of the cautious, those trying to get fastest and those just wanting a skid. Massively varying conditions too, dry and sunny, wet and rainy plus some hail thrown in too !

[Norbury90]

Were you the chap standing in the middle of the field? You were difficult to spot out there haha.

[will-w]

PhotoMandH said:

Hello there. I was the photographer at the rally track at Brands, plus a couple sections out on the public road. I also covered the Suffolk one. I'll be putting a selection of pics on my website at some point and everyone should receive a set of proofs via email. Only just finished putting them all together but I might get some out tonight. The email list I got off the organisers doesn't seem quite up to date (defo missing 66 to 72) but hopefully I'll get mt hands on a more comprehensive one.
The rally track was good fun to watch, a fine mix of the cautious, those trying to get fastest and those just wanting a skid. Massively varying conditions too, dry and sunny, wet and rainy plus some hail thrown in too !

Marvellous! We can’t wait to see the pictures

[marcusjames]

DGR13 said:

Had good fun in the afternoon with the Alfa Quadrofoligio following us. Really impressed how quickly it caught back up to us when the roads opened up if we had managed to create a gap in the twisty bits. Our car, a Renault Megane and the Alfa all got to test our brakes when a bright orange Audi Q8 decided to reverse out of his drive in front of us!

I was in the Megane. I put the warm brakes to a proper test when the Q8 appeared! I was bracing myself for a Alfa appearing in my boot. You probably didn't see how much space the Q8 driver had in his property to turn around. Christ knows why he felt it appropriate to reverse blindly onto a main road.

Got stopped at some point during the morning by a lady complaining about the speed of some of the cars. She went on to say it was a great road and she'd go at 100mph if she had a nice car!

Was amazed how quick your ST was. I've read reports about them but not seen one on full steam. It gripped so well in the corners. The last run to the A20 was a little hairy trying to keep up with you. I realised how much wider my car was....but clearly thinner than the Alfa.

Your co-driver put others (including mine) to shame

[PhotoMandH]

Norbury90 said:

Were you the chap standing in the middle of the field? You were difficult to spot out there haha.

Yes mate, and feeling like a right pillock too ! God knows what the members of the public driving by thought I was doing ?

[PhotoMandH]

Quick photo update. All proofs sent out but I'm not sure I've sent out to cars 6,7 and 11. And possibly this lot too... Garcia/Simes, the Maynards, Smith/Brough, Brant/Peaccock, the Smiths, Coleman/Wise, Bowman/Ashik, North/Sasano and Stoke/Price. Feel free to drop me a line if you've not received yours.. [e-mail]

[luke2397]

Awesome day out. Particularly enjoyed the convoy back to the hotel with the Jag XK, Chimaera and Golf, I was in the BMW at the back trying my best to keep up! Can definitely agree though Jag and Chimaera providing a lovely soundtrack to chase down. Bring on the next one

[996driver]

We were in the Golf following the Chimera, fantastic sound!

These are a few photos I took, I'll get video loaded this week

https://vw-golf-mk4-tdi.blogspot.com/2019/04/pisto...

[Audi-Ben]

I agree with the comment above for next year. Last years event gave more of a chance to mingle and chat at the halfway point. We were one of the first back and as such didn't really get to see anyone else before leaving again. Trials were great if a bit slippy. Mrs made a good suggestion on the way home. The competitors get two votes on the prettiest car to be awarded at the end. She said it would encourage people to view all the other cars competing. Slips could be handed in at the half way point. Roll on next year! Maybe if it could work logistically and time wise we could meet before completing the trials so we could watch one another. Plus I don't know if Piston heads are tied in to MSV now for the trial section? Goodwood have some lovely areas to congregate plus the track for the trials, just a thought.

[B'stard Child]

Audi-Ben said:

I agree with the comment above for next year. Last years event gave more of a chance to mingle and chat at the halfway point. We were one of the first back and as such didn't really get to see anyone else before leaving again. Trials were great if a bit slippy. Mrs made a good suggestion on the way home. The competitors get two votes on the prettiest car to be awarded at the end. She said it would encourage people to view all the other cars competing. Slips could be handed in at the half way point. Roll on next year! Maybe if it could work logistically and time wise we could meet before completing the trials so we could watch one another.

I agree would be nice to have participant participation but not just for prettiest car but maybe for the "spirit of the event" several people I spoke to said that the 1935 Aston had to be a contender for the "spirit of the event" - they all looked like they were having fun despite running through a shower of hail - they also looked a bit cold too at the end

[Gallons Per Mile]

Marco07 said:

GPM, I also hope they publish the times. I dare say our 3 up in an 89yr old car on the rally stage will be slower than your Golf!

Quite possibly. I'd imagine you care more about your car than I do about mine, it's just the daily shed I was happy to see how sideways I could get it on the rally stage!

I'd love to have a better look around your car by the way, I said hi first thing in the morning when you were parked next to that rather fruity V8 E30 BMW

[Marco07]

Thanks for the interest in our car. Yes, we had a lot of fun despite the freezing cold weather. I think the car and I enjoyed it more than my wife and daughter though. They were like icicles by the end. It’s a long way in an open prewar car but it is fantastic and doesn’t miss a beat.

I am also happy to get it sideways when the flag drops. We certainly managed it on the greasy rally tarmac. No seatbelts of course so my wife nearly fell out so I had to back off.

I think I’d bring a slightly more modern car next year because we were going as fast as we could but there was no way we could have got back before the closing ceremony.

Nice to have met everyone.

David

[willbowles]

Hi all,

Thought I'd add my thanks to the organisers too. Had a great day and only got lost a couple of times. Even managed to miss the very first right turn shortly after leaving the hotel!

We were in the Focus RS, spent a lot of time behind the vintage Aston and then some time with a Caymen GTS, V8 Vantage and the M2. Great fun!

Look forward to the next one.

Does anyone know if PH publish the times for the tests? We were joint fastest for the rally stage with the Caymen.

Will

[BenLowden]

Thank you to everyone who came along on the weekend, what a fantastic day out! The timings from the autotests will be available on the GT Motorsport Club website soon, so we'll share the link once live.

We should be launching the next event on 6th July very soon to, so keep your eyes peeled if you want to get signed up.

[Gallons Per Mile]

luke2397 said:

Awesome day out. Particularly enjoyed the convoy back to the hotel with the Jag XK, Chimaera and Golf, I was in the BMW at the back trying my best to keep up! Can definitely agree though Jag and Chimaera providing a lovely soundtrack to chase down. Bring on the next one

I was driving the Golf. It was a fun drive seeing if I could outrun you a bit! Did your car survive the massive bump when we turned down a right hand fork and the road disappeared?! I was thankful for soft squidgy suspension for that bit and a few of the other ridiculously bumpy roads we managed to find.

[T-195]

Great.

Found this thread 2 days too late.

[luke2397]

Gallons Per Mile said:

I was driving the Golf. It was a fun drive seeing if I could outrun you a bit! Did your car survive the massive bump when we turned down a right hand fork and the road disappeared?! I was thankful for soft squidgy suspension for that bit and a few of the other ridiculously bumpy roads we managed to find.

Keeping up wasn't so much a problem just the road conditions didn't suit my stiffer suspension so much. That fork in the road I massively backed off when I saw your car nearly take off haha. Bit of a heart in mouth moment for me. You also managed to get ahead of me when I missed a turning just before a bridge.