Towards the end of 2011 Adrian Stewart, whom I had navigated for the last couple of years, on tarmac events in his 1964 Mini Cooper S, told me he was looking for another rally car for 2012. After looking at several options the decision was made to go with a Peugeot 205. I was asked if I would navigate in the 205 for the eight rounds that make up the Scottish Rally Championship and incorporates the Ecosse 205 Challenge. I jumped at the chance and the following notes are a review of our year.
Snowman Rally,
Inverness – February
Car No. 86
Friday evening arrive in Inverness just as the car pulls
into scrutineering, I walk into the garage with helmet and suit in hand to see
my new office for the first time. I am amazed at the number of spectators that
are in the garage watching the cars as they pass through scrutineering. The car
passes no problem and we head off to sign on. Paperwork completed, onto the
hotel to meet the rest of the team.
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2012 Snowman |
We are part of a two car team with Tom and Sue Hynd, and
looked after by Pete Stark, Andy Tong, Duncan Cameron, Martyn Scott and Moray
Stewart.
Tom had spent time with Adrian looking at the stages on DVD
and preparing the notes, which he did for all the events, I just arrive and get
handed the notes ready to go. Thanks Tom.
Saturday morning we head down to the start just as the snow
starts to fall. This is it; we are off competing in our first gravel rally. The
first road section navigated and we arrive at the start of stage 1.
Understandably we were cautious through this stage until we both get used to
being on gravel/snow and to the different notes. Thankfully we get through
okay, many cars don’t, and this was to be the pattern for event. I was looking
forward to the final stage as I had spent several holidays in the area and had
walked most of the stage in the past.
We traversed the long narrow track into the stage start with often sheer
drops down to the valley below. After making it to the uphill hairpin at the
start, we had to take several cuts to get round removing the rear mud flaps in
the process. We head off into the stage everything going well and I am enjoying
flying down the tracks I once walked, until we come to an uphill hairpin in the
middle of the stage where we lost 1st and 2nd gear!
Finally we get get going again, but at a much slower pace as we have only 3rd,
4th and 5th. We get the car to the stage end, despite
number of uphill hairpins and make it back to Inverness to the finish,
delighted that we have finished our first event. Next the Border Counties, and
the first round of the Ecosse 205 Challenge.
Finished 56th
overall and 6th in class.
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2012 Snowman Rally - Stage 6 - with only 3rd and 4th gears! |
Border Counties
Rally, Jedburgh – March
Car No. 135
This is the first of two local rallies for me. I had been to
some of the stages as a spectator in the past, this time I was to be competing.
I travelled over to Jedburgh on the Friday evening where we all meet up with
the guys at the B&B and welcome a third 205 to the group driven by Rollover
Roy McLennan (star of TV) and navigated by Robin Nicholson. Again no problems
at scrutineering or at signing on, notes collected from Tom, so already to
start in the morning. Interestingly while the car was in scrutineering we were
approached by two guys who told us they had built the car.
The Border Counties is the first round of the Ecosse 205
Challenge, more similar cars to compare times against. We arrive at the start
of stage 1, already some of the 205 crews are having problems. Off we go into
the stage, everything working well. Half way through the stage see Roy’s car
off into a ditch. Things continue well for us through to service. We are a long
way off the pace of the Hynds but holding our own with the other 205 crews.
Finding the service van in the tight Hawick carpark a bottom arm was changed,
this to be a regular occurrence throughout the season. Roy and Robin roll in
just before we depart with a very battered looking car after brake failure.
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In main services |
The rest of the rally goes well and we finish third 205
crew. As I am driving back home I receive a call from Tom telling me that I
have a trophy to collect and need to return to Jedburgh. The navigator in the
205 ahead of us was not registered in the 205-challenge so I was promoted to
second 205 navigator and collected my first trophy of the year.
Granite City Rally,
Aberdeen – April
Car No. 145
This is Adrian’s home rally; he had marshalled on some of
the stages in the past. I made the journey up to Aberdeen and on to Thainstone
to meet up with the rest of the team who are all from the Aberdeen area. Again
the car passed through scrutineering without a hitch. Signed on and notes
collected back to Adrian’s for a meal with his family.
Saturday morning we travelled back to the ceremonial start
at Thainstone before having the long road section back south to the start of
stage 1.
Not long into the stage we slide off- fortunately we collide
with a young tree which bumps us back onto the stage. We complete the rest of
the stage and the next stages without any other incidents. We arrive in Eddzell
a place I know well having competed in several classic rallies based there, for
re-group before heading into service. Arriving in service, we need to wait as
both Tom and Roy’s cars are being worked on and there is no room or bodies for
us. Whilst there we find out Tom and Sue had checked into the re-group early
and picked up a 4min. penalty, this pushes them well down the field. Finally we
get into service; again another bottom arm needs changed. We leave service
late, fortunately no penalties. Arriving at the next stage, we are delayed due
to officials being held up at a previous stage due to an accident. As we line
up waiting for our turn to start, David Bogie and the other 4 wheel drive cars
arrive. The rest of the day goes okay, with no other incidents to report.
Finished 69th
overall and 13th in class.
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2012 Granite City Rally - Stage 1
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Jim Clark Reivers
Rally, Duns – June
Car No. 177
This is my home rally and the only tarmac round of the
championship. Adrian and I had successfully completed the Historic rally on the
Saturday winning our class for the third successive year.
As Adrian and I were still finishing the Historic event,
Maxi as the 205 has been christened was taken to scrutineering by some dodgy
looking characters from Doug Niven Cars. Presumably they managed to blag their
way through, as we did receive our start ticket.
Knowing the local roads, and being able to hurl down them
flat out is a great experience, one that I hope I will be able to repeat for
several years to come. The rally for us went pretty much without incident,
though we did lose a stage due to one of the Land Rovers demolishing a gas pipe
in Eccles!
Finished 50th
overall and 6th in class.
Scottish Rally,
Dumfries - June
Car No. 95
Arriving after the rest of the team, I needed to find my way
around the maze of streets in Dumfries to scrutineering and signing on. Adrian
and Maxi had already been through the process, so to get the start ticket I
needed to get my rally suit and helmet scrutineered, and sign on. Finally we
meet up with the rest of the crew at a Chinese restaurant, in the middle of
Dumfries, where the creased bonnet of the service van was explained- Sue having
driven in to the back of a Tonka truck! (may want to take this part out!)
This rally was memorable as we found our self trading seconds
with Scott Peacock and another 205 challenge competitor. Unfortunately we lose
the battle by 1.5 seconds, losing time on the short spectator stage, where Maxi
just wouldn’t get going after the water splash.
Finished 58th
overall and 9th in class.
Speyside Stages,
Elgin – August
Car No. 71
Part of the Speyside stages is run through a local park. I
accidentally came across this several years ago when on a holiday with my
family, spending the morning spectating with my son as the rest of the family
went off shopping. I was looking forward to the first stage through the park,
even though the 205 regulations meant that we needed to run on gravel tyres.
We had a TV crew in service as Roy was being filmed for Alba
TV, this was one of the rare occasions when he finished the rally.
The hurl around the park was fantastic, and the good news
was we got to do it again, before heading off to change the well worn tyres we
selected for the tarmac to new gravel tyres for the rest of the day.
Arriving in service I remembered being there before with a
classic rally, where we turned out not to be too popular as the 360 and 180’s
around cones dug up the newly gravelled yard.
Again this event without major incidents leaving us in a
strong position in both the 205 and Scottish championships with 2 rounds to go.
Finished 54th
overall and 11th in class.
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2012 Speyside rally - Stage 1 |
Merrick Stages,
Wigtown – August
Car No. 87
I made it over to Wigtown on the Thursday evening, so
managed to take part in the local pub quiz with the Hynd’s, Adrian and Pete
from our service crew, as well as the shakedown on the Friday morning.
During the shakedown I sat with Adrian and Tom, as well as
Tom sitting in with Adrian to see if we could find some extra speed somewhere.
We had a good morning, and hopefully were going to take some of the
improvements into the rally.
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2012 Merrick Stages |
The first stages went well, arriving back into the queue
prior to service we discovered a punctured tyre, this was not to be the last
flat of the day, thankfully we only had a short run left to service.
Five miles into the longest stage of the event, we picked up
another puncture. The decision was made to carry on; driving on the flat until
eventually we had to stop to change it. This was our first under pressure wheel
change, and it did not go well. Both jumping out of the car fighting with belts
and intercom leads, we eventually get to the back of the car releasing the
spare wheel, jack and brace. Adrian took on the role of jacking up the car while
I tried to find the correct socket on the brace to slacken off the wheel. The
car rolled forward several times falling off the jack before we finally got it
changed, losing precious time. Eventually we climb back into the car and get
going again tying to make up some of the time lost when we are stopped in stage
due to another 205 having a huge off and blocking the stage. Luckily for us
when we arrive back at service we are given a nominal time, so the time lost
with the wheel change drama was lost.
This event had been Adrian’s best of the year. This could be
put down to what was learnt at the shakedown or the copious quantities of Red
Bull and jelly babies he had consumed.
On arriving home, it was discovered we had the best
improvement on seeding, which came with and added bonus of a free entry into
the final event the McRae Stages.
Finished 34th
overall and 6th in class.
Colin McRae Forest
Stages, Aberfeldy – October
Car No. 61
This is the final event of the Scottish and 205 Championships.
Our aim was to beat Callum Atkinson and Kevin Mathers to finish above them in
the 205 championship. We had been
in a season long battle with them for third place.
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2012 McRae our final Rally of the year! |
Callum was seeded directly behind us for this event, so we
were able to keep a close eye on each other. Again we dosed Adrian up with Red
Bull and jelly babies before heading into the stages. A few minor spins and a
lucky escape saw us dropping some time to Callum. It was not until I saw a You
Tube clip did I see how lucky we had been. We had gone off at the same point
Jimmy McRae had several years earlier, he ended up in the trees and out of the
rally; again we luckily bounced back onto the stage and survived to finish the
rally.
Arriving at second service, we caught up with Roy who again had
managed to roll his 205, this time caught on video and to discover that Callum
had gone off and was out of the rally. Pressure off, just need to get to the
finish.
Finishing the event, we are a member of a very select few
who managed to complete all 8 rallies. Adrian finished 4th in class
in the Scottish championship and the 205 championship while I managed 3rd
in both championships. I would like to thank Adrian for the opportunity of
navigating in the Scottish Rally Championship, Tom, Sue, Duncan, Andy, Pete,
Martyn, Alex, Moray, Kevin and Gary for their help. A big thank you to my
family for allowing me to go and play.
Finished 26th
overall and 6th in class.
