Beverley & District Motor Club

What a difference a week makes. Last week we were basking in 34° of glorious sunshine, this Sunday people were wearing jumpers! Typical British summer I suppose.

The day before was spent trying to cure the strange ‘slow release’ clutch problem. The master and slave cylinder’s were stripped down and checked. These two items had come with the new shell. They looked very new, but were still an unknown quantity. Then the clutch itself was dismantled, everything looked fine. That’s always worrying.

Huddersfield MC specifically run two events on consecutive Sundays in order to accommodate various championships. Last Sunday it was the very popular Larkspeed Championship for clubs. Today brought out the ‘big guns’, BTRDA, ANWCC and, the one I’m competing in, the ‘Fern Furnishings’ ANCC championship. They also use the same venue for both events, so we were back at the BBA Friction Proving Grounds again. Although the tests are different, there are always some similarities which can’t be helped owing to the layout and restrictions of the venue. However, those who competed on last Sundays event had an advantage in knowing the terrain and had done parts of the tests before. I definitely needed this advantage as those Dastardly Darkin Brother’s had brought along their very quick 1071 ’S’ Mini to spoil my chances in Class A. It was to be a cracking battle!

So a new bunch of admirers gathered round the still pristine Heepy for a ‘butchers’. BTRDA high flyer Dave Mosey pointed out the excess weight I was carrying with the sound deadening material still intact. I’d also had a large breakfast Dave!

There was a fairly good entry of 39 including 7 from Loughborough Car Club Youth Squad and their ‘Manager’. They’re all youngsters being coached through road rallies and autotests all over the UK. They had a well stocked service van to cope with any breakage’s during the day. Seems a good way to get young people back into the grass roots of our sport. Notable absentee’s on the day were John Taylor and Shorty. Must be pea picking season for Dave.

The first test was quite different from last Sunday, but two and three were fairly similar. However, number three had been ‘stretched’ to what must’ve been something approaching a quarter of a mile! Folks were talking about cruise control! It certainly took some walking.

For once I wasn’t first to go. That dubious pleasure fell to Dave Goodlad from Knutsford MSC. I got to watch Nick and Paddy Darkin as well before it was my turn. Didn’t do me much good though. A low speed reverse flick left me poorly positioned for the next very close gate. To compound my problems I also flicked from forward to reverse before the wrong gate at another point and had to ‘shuffle’ to get back into position. All in all it was a disaster. Took the wind out of my sails following my win here last week. Strangely it was still good enough to beat two others in my class, but immediately put me 12.6 seconds behind Paddy Darkin. I was mortified! Despite our confrontation at Bolton back in April, where he took the class award from me, I still felt I could beat him on a good day.

Still mad from my mistake I hammered round test two, which is not really conducive to quick times. However, both Darkin’s incurred a 10 second line penalty which immediately gave me back 4.9 seconds on Paddy, and a ray of hope. That second test site was to cause many problems during the rest of the day.

Test three was the turning point of the day. Similar in many ways to last week, there was an extra cone added to the far end. This should only have caught out the inattentive who competed last week. Paddy was not included in those, but still missed that all important extra cone! The resultant penalty of 30 seconds added to the fastest time in class, mine, shoved me right back into the fray! Second chance ‘H’, don’t blow it.

Meanwhile, in Class B, the big engine Mini saloons, there was already a battle going on between Mike Sones and Roger Holder. Paul Swift (Russ’ son) was being left behind by these two. No less than ten, 10 second penalties didn’t help his cause through the day! Lee Matthews from Caernarvonshire & Anglesey MC was just commencing a whitewash (no, it’s not the same as a washout!) in his Class C Nova which ended up with him setting the fastest time on every test in his class! Both the Sergeant’s, Bob and Tim, spoilt their scores early on with a penalty each on the first and second tests in the sports car class. Dave Mosey was setting a storming pace in the Specials class on his way to FTD.

Despite all the attention on Saturday, the clutch was just the same. Someone suggested the hydraulic flexy pipe could be the cause. Still felt like ‘wet mince’ to me.

Feeling like I was still in with a chance, the second run at the tests produced some good times for me. Paddy was chipping away at my advantage, but I was determined not to lose this opportunity. On the second run of the second test I put in the fastest time which even impressed the marshals. However, one of them had spotted a line fault. I almost got away with it as the lady marshal didn’t mark it on my card. She was soon reminded though. I was kicking myself the full threequarters of a mile down to test three. However, whilst queuing for that one I was eventually joined by Paddy and Nick. They too had suffered the same line penalty on test two. That was even after Paddy had warned Nick, following his penalty. You just can’t help some people! Thankfully that was my last penalty of the day.

We only had two runs at the three tests before it was time for lunch. I was leading my class by 5 seconds from Dave Goodlad who was some 8 seconds ahead of Nick Darkin. Paddy was only 1.5 seconds behind in 4th, but could not be discounted. The sun had come out, the sweater was off and I was feeling lucky!

The tests were re-arranged and we were to have three runs at them in the afternoon. I thought I’d be happy to get rid of that awkward first test that gave me so much trouble in the morning. However, it persisted through the afternoon giving Paddy more opportunity to close the gap. The problem was two sets of ‘gates’ very close together and narrow. They were made up with ‘bigfoot’ cones and even clipping the very wide base was enough to warrant a 10 second penalty. Caution seemed the best way through them. It paid off though, as first Nick picked up a penalty on it, then Paddy on the second run.

Whilst queuing for test two, Paddy pulled alongside Heepy to have a chat. Dave Goodlad decided to join in and parked his Mini on the other side. We were all deep in conversation when Nick walked up with a big grin on his face. He said it looked like a scene from the ‘Italian Job’ with the three of us parked up! Hang on a minute lads, I’ve got a great idea!

Test three had really been opened up. It was probably the fastest end-swapping manoeuvre I’ve ever done. Unfortunately my first attempt to swap from flat in second to reverse across a line found me sat alongside it instead. The idea is to whack the steering to the right, accompanied by a sharp tug on the hydraulic handbrake. As the back goes round you have to turn your head to keep an eye on the line you’re heading for. When the car is almost lined up the handbrake is released, the steering straightened up and reverse gear selected. All in less than a second! On this occasion I neglected to straighten the steering so the car moved back through 90° leaving me alongside the line instead of crossing it. Doh! More time lost.

There was some nail-biting going on whilst waiting for the results. At the end of 15 tests I managed to hang on to first in class by a slender 1.5 seconds from Paddy who, to his credit, put in some cracking times after such a dreadful morning. My 10th overall was an excellent finish against such competition and guaranteed a mention in Motoring News. Dave Goodlad pinched third in class from a rather distant Nick Darkin. Mike Sones hammered everyone in Class B as did Lee Matthews in Class C. The Sergeant’s sorted out their differences with Tim taking the combined Classes E & F honours in his Dutton and Dave Mosey continued his steamrollering of the BTRDA championship with another FTD in his Mini Special.

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MSA ANNOUNCES BRITISH SUPER 1600 RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP

British Championship titles will be on offer to drivers, co-drivers and makes of 1600cc rally cars in 2001.

The British Super 1600 Rally Championship to replace the previously-announced British Junior Championship will admit all cars up to 1600cc which are homologated by the international governing body (FIA), including those qualifying for the FIA's new Super 1600 Category for normally-aspirated, front-wheel drive Group A kit cars built to a maximum specification and price.

MSA Director of Major Events Jonathan Ashman explained: "Now that the FIA has published outline sporting and technical regulations for its Super 1600 Championship, the time is right to give the category national support. The new British championship will additionally welcome any homologated car with an engine up to 1600cc, including both Group A and Group N models."

The British Super 1600 Rally Championship will run as part of the seven-round 2001 British Rally Championship which, as previously announced, will be open to World Rally Cars. Highlights from each round will be continue to be broadcast on Channel 4. Additional television coverage will be announced shortly.

Requests for 2001 British Rally Championship regulations should be sent to John Horton Motorsport Management, PO Box 200, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands B75 7TR (tel 0121 378 2828, fax 0121 378 0500, email brc2001@jhmm.co.uk).

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