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.
Subaru Impreza GC8 WRX RA 1997
Producing approx 265BHP and 330ff/lb torque
4.4 limited slip plated diffs
Tarmac Prodrive WRC 40MM Bilstien adjustable
Gravel 50mm DMS coilovers 2 way adjustable
Tarmac 355mm rotors with 6 pot AP Racing callipers
Vertical hydraulic handbrake with electronic RWD cut out.
AP racing clutch pressure plate and 4 paddle clutch plate
Carbon fibre dash and foot wells
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