Brands Hatch Stage rally 19th January - tomorrow!

[notax]

I just thought I’d post a link to this:

http://brandshatchstages.co.uk

If you like watching cars sliding all over the place, this is an event for you. Very wide range of entrants from modern WRC cars, to classic Ferrari 308s, Mk2 Escorts and us in my BMW M3 Compact:



As well as the main circuit, which we drive in both directions, including pit lane, we also slide around the special rally stage. Great event if you fancy something different...

Feel free to say hello if you see us.

[fat80b]

I'll be there too.

Having driven in this event for the last 2 years, tomorrow I will be navigating in Car 70, a 2.0 redtop powered Vauxhall Chevette.

Looks like it will be cold and slightly wet to start with which is always good fun round the rally stage.

Obligatory in car video from a couple of years ago :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hk9oAKDvPQ&t=...

[Pericoloso]

I've spectated at this a few times.

I'll come along tomorrow ,if it's not chucking it down.

I'm a fair weather spectator nowadays ,not paying to get soaked and miserable.

The possibility of rain seems to have receded a bit since yesterday ,so looking positive.

Hope you other 2 have a good day.... and

The 3 team 308s don't seem to be entered this year though.

Edited by Pericoloso on Friday 18th January 17:03

[notax]

Thanks for the in-car, you look much faster around the rally stage bit than I am, probably the least favourite part of any event I enter! It hasn’t been a lucky venue for us, 3 DNFs and some big damage too. Bit concerned to see you have lights on - as it’s only 45 stage miles I hoped we wouldn’t need spots - not wired up to my new car yet... Pop over and say hello if you get a chance Good luck

[Pericoloso]

What happened notax ?

Only 1 stage and car on trailer at lunchbreak....



Here's one of the other fella's Chevette too.





I only stayed to end of SS5 ,highly unlikely I was ever going to stay all day.

[notax]

Thanks for posting the pics, sorry we didn’t catch up. Nightmare day for us. My usual nav had a nasty accident so a friend stood in at last minute. Had a novice service guy too. Unfortunately it wasn’t easy to get the nav licence at the venue and we almost ran out of time. Only had a couple of minutes to change tyres and in the rush a flat one was fitted! Rears were way too high as well.

Got to start with 20secs left, couldn’t be tighter. Then with 2 secs on countdown it was spotted that nav hadn’t done his helmet up! Couldn’t start, he couldn’t do it himself so I had to unbuckle. Very slow as result. Would have improved a lot but in service found a wheel bearing had collapsed too! Real shame, but that’s rallying sometimes...

Hope your day much better!

[fat80b]

notax said:

Hope your day much better!

We spoke to you at scrutineering when you were hunting for the MSA official - sounds like you had a challenging day.


We did OK, Was nice and slippy to start with on the slicks but we got into the groove and the stages were good as ever. The Chelmsford MC organising crew are always spot on and this event always runs smoothly.


We were improving all day and by stage 8 we had got to 41st overall. Had a misfire appear half way round Stage 8 and we had to retire with half a lap to go...... so finished on a bit of a downer but overall a really good day.


Here's the in car from Stage 7 where we finally passed the Peugeot that we had caught on the 3 previous stages.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugwkRvOqfpk&in...

[notax]

Excellent, thanks for posting sounds good 👍 Brands has consistently been my unluckiest venue - fingers crossed for next time...

[thepawbroon]

Sorry to hear neither of you finished, NoTax we did briefly meet (I was the one that said "the Clerk of the Course is that guy" when you were looking to get the co-driver's licence).

I had a good weekend - on Friday I helped with the set up, lifting a lot of cones - and on Saturday I was shadowing the Clerk of the Course as part of my learning / training - I'm intending on applying for a Clerk of the Course licence one day. Lucky we got to see quite a lot of action from the control room, usually rally control is away from the action.

[BenLowden]

Shame to read about your issues notax, hope you manage to have a more successful outing next time! I popped down and really enjoyed it, will be a regular now I know it's on. I do love an Escort Few pics: