47 Entries
31 Classified Finishers
9 Finished in our class
Many thanks to Brian for inviting me to co-drive this event with him.
It was far from the tarmac events that I have been used to in the past. This event was a mixture of broken concrete, loose gravel and grass.
There were 15 stages in all, with public road sections between each.
We had 6 stages in the morning before first service. Things were going well until we hit some concrete near the end of stage 3 and damaged the
nearside front wheel and suspension, but we managed to make it through the next 3 OK, and had the wheel and lower wishbone changed during our 30 minute service.
Following the service were 5 more stages, taking us out to Dengie and back. These were very slippery, bumpy stages along grass tracks. We were airborne several times
but survived, without damage, to the next service. The car was quickly checked over and we were off again.
The remaining 4 stages were a repeat of some of the morning stages, ending on the airfield, where we helped the local farmer plough his field after a slightly
ambitious right sent us skidding into the corn. No problems though, we made it back on the road with the minimum of fuss. And apart from the corn in the radiator,
no-one would have been able to tell.
This was a great event and an experience not to be missed, but I am glad I did not take my car on this one. It was very rough and I think it may just have killed it.
We finished 27th over all, and 7th in class