2023 UK Targa/Road Rallying Thread
Discussion
PaulV said:
Basingstoke MC are running a novices 12-car on April 19th, with a training session for it on the 5th.
Learn how to plot the route, then drive it. Around 40 miles in all
Still room for anyone who fancies a challenge?Learn how to plot the route, then drive it. Around 40 miles in all
Route will be given out before the start to get it all on the map.
Then a 'gentle' drive around to the finish at the pub for tales of derring do.
https://basingstokemotorclub.weebly.com/wosson.htm...
Been a busy couple of weeks for me.
Last Saturday was the Steve Gornell Road Rally, a cracking blast around west Lancashire and southern Cumbria.
I was out with Neil Raven from our club in an MX5.
We learnt the hard way that a standard Mk3 MX5 is just not suitable for fast road rallying on those roads! We spent most of the night with rear of the car bouncing off the road! Had to stop to clear the remains of a drystone wall out of the road on one of the Whites the stones were too large for us to go over, despite the 10 cars in front obviously managing it! (I think the wall had fallen down on its own accord, not rally car related)
Wound up 18th overall, which was a bit of a disappointment, Neil is an absolutely cracking driver.
Tomorrow night is the De Lacy MC Taurus half night Road Rally starting near York and using what should be some familiar roads on maps 100 and 105. Back in the Corsa with my brother, Steve.
Not sure how that’s going to pan out, it could be superb, it might turn into a debacle!
Last Saturday was the Steve Gornell Road Rally, a cracking blast around west Lancashire and southern Cumbria.
I was out with Neil Raven from our club in an MX5.
We learnt the hard way that a standard Mk3 MX5 is just not suitable for fast road rallying on those roads! We spent most of the night with rear of the car bouncing off the road! Had to stop to clear the remains of a drystone wall out of the road on one of the Whites the stones were too large for us to go over, despite the 10 cars in front obviously managing it! (I think the wall had fallen down on its own accord, not rally car related)
Wound up 18th overall, which was a bit of a disappointment, Neil is an absolutely cracking driver.
Tomorrow night is the De Lacy MC Taurus half night Road Rally starting near York and using what should be some familiar roads on maps 100 and 105. Back in the Corsa with my brother, Steve.
Not sure how that’s going to pan out, it could be superb, it might turn into a debacle!
Well, this year's Berwick Classic Rally was pretty eventful for us.
When driving up there on Friday, the trailer broke an axle beam and punctured a tyre. I called up a welder and while going to ATM to get some cash and meet him, the ATM ate my card. So I jerry-rigged the trailer on two wheels and drove slowly up the single carriageway A1 to Berwick but too late for the welder. Sorry to all those I held up!
By the time I got there and met the Nav, it was too late and we were too tired to plot the route, so it was beer and curry time.
Scrutineering on Saturday morning was juggled with trying to source parts and facilities to repair the trailer, and plot the route and many amendments.
All sorted, we started early afternoon and straight into the first tests. On the way out there it felt like the front brakes were binding and the wheel bearings humming. So all road sections were done at 40mph or less.
Next challenge - regularities! Now we haven't done one since 2019, and even then we'd only done two rallies with them. But, now equipped with a trip meter we felt better prepared. And we were doing great until we caught a queue of competitors, stuck behind a couple of general public who were following cyclists on a narrow road. So that scuppered Reg 1!
Onto the next test, on the last 1/2 mile flat out uphill blast to the finish we just about caught our minute man but also wrecked the exhaust. So now the Mini sounded like a tractor at low revs and an R5 Fiesta at high revs!
The next regularity was a bit better but we took a wrong turn which screwed our times.
Much of the Saturday route covered the same area and roads as the Jim Clark rally, so plenty of wonderful (and familiar) roads and scenery.
Back to Berwick for the overnight halt and we were delighted and surprised to find ourselves in 5th place overall and leading our class.
Not far behind were our friends Alan and Gary Ross, same class as us, they are usually up at the front of the field but they'd had one serious screw up on a regularity. Despite them being quicker than us everywhere else, we were still ahead.
Sunday dawned slightly hungover and we were given a load more route instructions for the day's two regularity sections. Plus another 13 tests, all to the south of Berwick.
We tried to pick up the pace a bit but were still dropping time on the tests to the Ross brothers. Reg 3 went fine apart from a small 500m wrong direction. Reg 4 was tougher, with what we thought were conflicting instructions, so we very nearly missed a control and we dropped a lot of time.
By lunch halt we'd moved up into 4th place and still had a small margin over the Rosses in 5th. Sadly we saw them on a forest test planted in the hedge, and we nearly joined them after a surprisingly slippy chicane.
Never one to follow our own advice, we said to each other "just take it easy now". So we went flat out and nearly collected some farm buildings and machinery on the way. At the finish we were surprised but pleased to see Alan and Gary there, they'd extracted the car, got a test maximum and completed the rally.
We ended up in 4th place, winning the class by less than a minute from our pals and picking up the "Spirit of the Rally" trophy for our efforts.
While we were competing, the welder had opened up his workshop on a Sunday and rebuilt the trailer. What a star! I loaded up and headed home, getting back to London at 2am.
Overall the Berwick is a tough event for navigators, the historic section attracts some of the best in the country and only one or two of them put in excellent performances. For us in the Targa section with less real navigation experience, it was a hard weekend. Some crews felt it required too much brain power but they all finished. We did find it challenging at times but that was all part of the enjoyment for us. If we'd been in the historic section, we would have been in the Top 10.
We felt we did OK, third ever event with regularity and learning such skills in your 50s ain't easy! A few photos:
When driving up there on Friday, the trailer broke an axle beam and punctured a tyre. I called up a welder and while going to ATM to get some cash and meet him, the ATM ate my card. So I jerry-rigged the trailer on two wheels and drove slowly up the single carriageway A1 to Berwick but too late for the welder. Sorry to all those I held up!
By the time I got there and met the Nav, it was too late and we were too tired to plot the route, so it was beer and curry time.
Scrutineering on Saturday morning was juggled with trying to source parts and facilities to repair the trailer, and plot the route and many amendments.
All sorted, we started early afternoon and straight into the first tests. On the way out there it felt like the front brakes were binding and the wheel bearings humming. So all road sections were done at 40mph or less.
Next challenge - regularities! Now we haven't done one since 2019, and even then we'd only done two rallies with them. But, now equipped with a trip meter we felt better prepared. And we were doing great until we caught a queue of competitors, stuck behind a couple of general public who were following cyclists on a narrow road. So that scuppered Reg 1!
Onto the next test, on the last 1/2 mile flat out uphill blast to the finish we just about caught our minute man but also wrecked the exhaust. So now the Mini sounded like a tractor at low revs and an R5 Fiesta at high revs!
The next regularity was a bit better but we took a wrong turn which screwed our times.
Much of the Saturday route covered the same area and roads as the Jim Clark rally, so plenty of wonderful (and familiar) roads and scenery.
Back to Berwick for the overnight halt and we were delighted and surprised to find ourselves in 5th place overall and leading our class.
Not far behind were our friends Alan and Gary Ross, same class as us, they are usually up at the front of the field but they'd had one serious screw up on a regularity. Despite them being quicker than us everywhere else, we were still ahead.
Sunday dawned slightly hungover and we were given a load more route instructions for the day's two regularity sections. Plus another 13 tests, all to the south of Berwick.
We tried to pick up the pace a bit but were still dropping time on the tests to the Ross brothers. Reg 3 went fine apart from a small 500m wrong direction. Reg 4 was tougher, with what we thought were conflicting instructions, so we very nearly missed a control and we dropped a lot of time.
By lunch halt we'd moved up into 4th place and still had a small margin over the Rosses in 5th. Sadly we saw them on a forest test planted in the hedge, and we nearly joined them after a surprisingly slippy chicane.
Never one to follow our own advice, we said to each other "just take it easy now". So we went flat out and nearly collected some farm buildings and machinery on the way. At the finish we were surprised but pleased to see Alan and Gary there, they'd extracted the car, got a test maximum and completed the rally.
We ended up in 4th place, winning the class by less than a minute from our pals and picking up the "Spirit of the Rally" trophy for our efforts.
While we were competing, the welder had opened up his workshop on a Sunday and rebuilt the trailer. What a star! I loaded up and headed home, getting back to London at 2am.
Overall the Berwick is a tough event for navigators, the historic section attracts some of the best in the country and only one or two of them put in excellent performances. For us in the Targa section with less real navigation experience, it was a hard weekend. Some crews felt it required too much brain power but they all finished. We did find it challenging at times but that was all part of the enjoyment for us. If we'd been in the historic section, we would have been in the Top 10.
We felt we did OK, third ever event with regularity and learning such skills in your 50s ain't easy! A few photos:
Well done on Pawnbroom just shows perseverance pays off. I loved the Berwick, but haven’t been back since 2011. I must go next year. It was a cracking result for our club, three of the top four, I expect it could have been all four but one seemed to retire. Don’t know why? Darren and Susan in the big Triumph.
Our run on the Taurus was fun, there were a few issues with the it which led to a big bust up at the drivers briefing, but once it starTed it won’t quite well considering it was the clubs first road event.
I ballsed up my maths and ended up with a fail for not waiting an extra minute at a Neutral, but that’s the way it goes sometime. On time we should have been fifth!
The organisers now have the problem of deciding who wins when three people have zero penalties!
Our run on the Taurus was fun, there were a few issues with the it which led to a big bust up at the drivers briefing, but once it starTed it won’t quite well considering it was the clubs first road event.
I ballsed up my maths and ended up with a fail for not waiting an extra minute at a Neutral, but that’s the way it goes sometime. On time we should have been fifth!
The organisers now have the problem of deciding who wins when three people have zero penalties!
velocemitch said:
Well done on Pawnbroom just shows perseverance pays off. I loved the Berwick, but haven’t been back since 2011. I must go next year. It was a cracking result for our club, three of the top four, I expect it could have been all four but one seemed to retire. Don’t know why? Darren and Susan in the big Triumph.
Our run on the Taurus was fun, there were a few issues with the it which led to a big bust up at the drivers briefing, but once it starTed it won’t quite well considering it was the clubs first road event.
I ballsed up my maths and ended up with a fail for not waiting an extra minute at a Neutral, but that’s the way it goes sometime. On time we should have been fifth!
The organisers now have the problem of deciding who wins when three people have zero penalties!
When everyone cleans an event down here, they tie-break with engine capacity! Didn't work well for me the one time I used my Volvo XC70!Our run on the Taurus was fun, there were a few issues with the it which led to a big bust up at the drivers briefing, but once it starTed it won’t quite well considering it was the clubs first road event.
I ballsed up my maths and ended up with a fail for not waiting an extra minute at a Neutral, but that’s the way it goes sometime. On time we should have been fifth!
The organisers now have the problem of deciding who wins when three people have zero penalties!
Darren and Susan - I saw them parked up at the penultimate test with an OK board out, don't know the reason.
And yes - a very good event for Ilkley - well done all!
Progressed off the reserve list to get a run on Rallye east Yorkshire targa early next month.
The navigator is then having another go in the drivers chair, this time on the single venue Northern dales targa in July. I'm just providing the car, he is introducing a first time navigator to the sport.
The navigator is then having another go in the drivers chair, this time on the single venue Northern dales targa in July. I'm just providing the car, he is introducing a first time navigator to the sport.
Wingo said:
Progressed off the reserve list to get a run on Rallye east Yorkshire targa early next month.
The navigator is then having another go in the drivers chair, this time on the single venue Northern dales targa in July. I'm just providing the car, he is introducing a first time navigator to the sport.
Good to see you are getting a run.The navigator is then having another go in the drivers chair, this time on the single venue Northern dales targa in July. I'm just providing the car, he is introducing a first time navigator to the sport.
I’ve got my first appointment with the steering wheel for more than ten years, so it will be interesting!
Hopefully the Alfa won’t would p too badly bashed about!
Bit of an update fo this then, I’ve been a bit busy so not had much chance.
I was a bit concerned that I’d struggle on Rally East Yorkshire, it has a bit of a reputation for being rough and my car wasn’t that good at rough stuff as I remembered it. I also felt I would be hanging back too much concerned about damage having spent a hell of a lot of time restoring the car. It was my first event as a driver for ten years and first time with the young 17 year old Corey Powell-Jones navigating for me, so I wasn't expecting miracles.
All that went right out of the window on the first test!
The Car went well, Young Corey was spot on in the silly seat and we cleaned it! And the next and the next and the next after that too! I think we were both a bit stunned actually!
By Lunchtime we were looking at second in the Historics and close to the top ten overall! Admittedly this was helped massively by about half the field getting a wrong test due to not reading an amendment properly, but Corey got it right and it’s a game played from both sides of the car!
The Afternoon wasn’t quite as good, a missed stop astride cost us 40 seconds, then a puncture on the penultimate test cost us a test maximum so probably about two minutes.
At the finish we were 21st out of 60, 30 moderns, 30 Historics. Taking the class win by a comfortable margin.
Corey confessed he’d had more fun that day in the Alfa than he’d had the weekend before on the Manx Rally in a Historic Mini With Steve Higgins! ( they won the class in that too!)
The car survived without hardly a scratch which amazed me.
Entries in now for the same team on the Ripon motorsports club St Wilfrids HRCR round. This will be Corey’s first regularity event, so it’s going to be interesting to see what he makes of it.
I’ve also unexpectedly got a run on the Norther Dales Targa as a stand in Nav.
Here’s the Alfa looking a bit grubby after the REY..
I was a bit concerned that I’d struggle on Rally East Yorkshire, it has a bit of a reputation for being rough and my car wasn’t that good at rough stuff as I remembered it. I also felt I would be hanging back too much concerned about damage having spent a hell of a lot of time restoring the car. It was my first event as a driver for ten years and first time with the young 17 year old Corey Powell-Jones navigating for me, so I wasn't expecting miracles.
All that went right out of the window on the first test!
The Car went well, Young Corey was spot on in the silly seat and we cleaned it! And the next and the next and the next after that too! I think we were both a bit stunned actually!
By Lunchtime we were looking at second in the Historics and close to the top ten overall! Admittedly this was helped massively by about half the field getting a wrong test due to not reading an amendment properly, but Corey got it right and it’s a game played from both sides of the car!
The Afternoon wasn’t quite as good, a missed stop astride cost us 40 seconds, then a puncture on the penultimate test cost us a test maximum so probably about two minutes.
At the finish we were 21st out of 60, 30 moderns, 30 Historics. Taking the class win by a comfortable margin.
Corey confessed he’d had more fun that day in the Alfa than he’d had the weekend before on the Manx Rally in a Historic Mini With Steve Higgins! ( they won the class in that too!)
The car survived without hardly a scratch which amazed me.
Entries in now for the same team on the Ripon motorsports club St Wilfrids HRCR round. This will be Corey’s first regularity event, so it’s going to be interesting to see what he makes of it.
I’ve also unexpectedly got a run on the Norther Dales Targa as a stand in Nav.
Here’s the Alfa looking a bit grubby after the REY..
Well, my annual summer recess from rallying has been productive... after dragging the Mini back from Berwick and getting it up on axle stands, there's been some work. A lot of rusty bolts needed cut off!
She's back on the road now, plan is for a grass autotest at the end of August, then running course car on the Kent Forestry Targa in September and back into 12 car rallying early October. Targa rallying might include the South Oxfordshire Car Club multi-venue Targa (if they don't require a roll hoop and comp seats / harnesses) or the Rushmoor Targa. Then we will see!
The post-Berwick work has been:
Some pics:
She's back on the road now, plan is for a grass autotest at the end of August, then running course car on the Kent Forestry Targa in September and back into 12 car rallying early October. Targa rallying might include the South Oxfordshire Car Club multi-venue Targa (if they don't require a roll hoop and comp seats / harnesses) or the Rushmoor Targa. Then we will see!
The post-Berwick work has been:
- Strip down and rebuild rear brakes
- Complete new discs, calipers and pads for front brakes
- New exhaust manifold
- Remount co-driver's seat and fit 6 point harness
- Rewire map lights which were intermittent
- Fit wheel stud/nut conversion kit
- Redesign spare wheel / tool kit mounts in boot
- Bleed brakes and cooling system
- New sump guard (extended and strengthened)
Some pics:
Edited by thepawbroon on Thursday 20th July 14:45
I've just had a stormingly awesome couple of days helping out on the Kent Forestry Targa Rally, set up on Friday and Dep Clerk / Course Car today. It was hot, dusty and very busy for the marshals. An excellent event at a brilliant venue, and less than an hour from home too.
Video:
https://youtu.be/CMsiBTq6jK8?feature=shared
Photos:
Video:
https://youtu.be/CMsiBTq6jK8?feature=shared
Photos:
The Kent Forestry Targa always looks like a great event. Keep trying to persuade my driver to head down but with young families it isn't easy. We're lucky that we have the Exmoor 10 minutes from home, similar deal using great roads in the woods.
With October looming and the arrival of darker nights it means things are kicking off again here in the south west.
First 12 car tomorow night then in pretty quick succession Targa in The Dark, Baby Bagger road rally, Exmoor Targa, Harvest Road Rally, hopefully the Bustard Targa then Exmouth Memorial road rally.
What are everyone else's plans?
With October looming and the arrival of darker nights it means things are kicking off again here in the south west.
First 12 car tomorow night then in pretty quick succession Targa in The Dark, Baby Bagger road rally, Exmoor Targa, Harvest Road Rally, hopefully the Bustard Targa then Exmouth Memorial road rally.
What are everyone else's plans?
Got the Ilkley Jubilee out of the way now, so taking my organisers hat off and putting my navigators hat back on.
Monday night a Malton MC 12 Car, in a Corsa, then it’s the Dansport Historic In my Alfa. Another 12 car from DeLacy and I’m intending to enter the John Bloxham Memorial Historic in November.
No rides have come to fruition on Rally of the Tests or Lejog this year, but expect to be out marshalling on RoTT.
Monday night a Malton MC 12 Car, in a Corsa, then it’s the Dansport Historic In my Alfa. Another 12 car from DeLacy and I’m intending to enter the John Bloxham Memorial Historic in November.
No rides have come to fruition on Rally of the Tests or Lejog this year, but expect to be out marshalling on RoTT.
I'm just back from my first 12 Car Rally of this winter season, it was all a bit last-minute changing of plans. This one was Southsea Motor Club, who always put on a good event.
Well, my regular navigator Chas had put in an entry for us last week, but Friday morning his wife tested for Covid which meant he had to withdraw. I spent the morning chasing up some leads for potential replacements, with no luck. So I contacted the chief marshal and signed up for a Passage Control.
Once I got to the start, they asked me to buddy up with a real beginner. Well, it was suggested that we compete as there were plenty of marshals. So with 30 mins till the start, young Luke jumped into my car and I gave him a crash course in navigating with the marked maps.
And he totally smashed it! He grasped calling the bends and junctions really quickly, was calm and collected all the way, kept us on the correct route and only dropped 7 mins over the 46 miles. Great performance for his first time.
It's really refreshing to see young talent still interested in night rallying, Southsea Motor Club are doing a great job developing newcomers.
Another Mini Adventure
Well, my regular navigator Chas had put in an entry for us last week, but Friday morning his wife tested for Covid which meant he had to withdraw. I spent the morning chasing up some leads for potential replacements, with no luck. So I contacted the chief marshal and signed up for a Passage Control.
Once I got to the start, they asked me to buddy up with a real beginner. Well, it was suggested that we compete as there were plenty of marshals. So with 30 mins till the start, young Luke jumped into my car and I gave him a crash course in navigating with the marked maps.
And he totally smashed it! He grasped calling the bends and junctions really quickly, was calm and collected all the way, kept us on the correct route and only dropped 7 mins over the 46 miles. Great performance for his first time.
It's really refreshing to see young talent still interested in night rallying, Southsea Motor Club are doing a great job developing newcomers.
Another Mini Adventure
Edited by thepawbroon on Sunday 8th October 15:23
fttm said:
Good effort Luke , in a non rally part of the country. Hope you signed him up for more ?
Ha ha I wish!He originally entered as a driver, with his girlfriend navigating. But then she became unavailable and they withdrew. It's great to see these young folk (19 years old) giving it a go.
Dansport this weekend. A two day Historic Event, penultimate round of the the HRCR championship. Kicks off with about forty miles of fast stuff in the dark Saturday evening, likely to be around the Strines area west of Sheffield, then a full day of tests and regularities around the Peak District.
I’m Navigating with my Brother driving in my Alfa, it’s his first competitive drive in it for a good number of years, so it will be interesting to see how we fair.
It’s a hell of a good entry, so we won’t be troubling the leaders I know that much!
I’m Navigating with my Brother driving in my Alfa, it’s his first competitive drive in it for a good number of years, so it will be interesting to see how we fair.
It’s a hell of a good entry, so we won’t be troubling the leaders I know that much!
Targa in The Dark last weekend, going really well despite a questionable seeding. Started at 42, running top 15 on the first loop of tests.
Then baulked really badly once we got into the tests in the woods in the dark. Still on a good run but lost minutes. Then we got a puncture on a test around a potato field. Decided to scrap the wheel and change it after the finish. But the wheel but stripped on us and that was that. Such a rubbish way to retire.
Supposed to be out on the Baby Bagger tonight but it got cancelled earlier this week due to lack of entries. Feels like road rallies in the South West might be on the wane again after a few years of buoyant entries across lots of events.
Exmoor Targa next for us, ten minutes up the road, and then hopefully The Bustard.
Then baulked really badly once we got into the tests in the woods in the dark. Still on a good run but lost minutes. Then we got a puncture on a test around a potato field. Decided to scrap the wheel and change it after the finish. But the wheel but stripped on us and that was that. Such a rubbish way to retire.
Supposed to be out on the Baby Bagger tonight but it got cancelled earlier this week due to lack of entries. Feels like road rallies in the South West might be on the wane again after a few years of buoyant entries across lots of events.
Exmoor Targa next for us, ten minutes up the road, and then hopefully The Bustard.
Croydon & District MC's round of the Weald 12 Car series last night, pretty wet and muddy around Godstone. We were doing well, despite some Mal-de-nav, having got all the codes until about 3 miles from the end.
My error driving, I slid wide on a greasy 90R into a ditch. We were towed out by the closer, and I think we got a finish (not even last!).
Great fun and very little damage.
![](https://thumbsnap.com/sc/1t85Uqa7.jpg[/img]</a> <a href="https://thumbsnap.com/pQG9q1mm" Target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[img]https://thumbsnap.com/sc/pQG9q1mm.jpg)
My error driving, I slid wide on a greasy 90R into a ditch. We were towed out by the closer, and I think we got a finish (not even last!).
Great fun and very little damage.
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