Prep

We had a pretty frantic prep leading up to this one. The car runs a fairly big engine and left the UK with a new turbo supposedly fully mapped, however, on arrival in Barbados the engine seemed slow, very slow, dog slow. A bit of digging later and it appears the smaller E1 turbo has been put on the car as the replacement not the later E3, so with the smaller turbo and wrong map the car was going backwards.

Photo courtesy of MattD

In steps Jason King aka TPSRetard… upgrades to the GEMS and two days of mapping and coil/plug fuckeries later we’re nearly firing properly. Still a minor misfire and lack of (consistent) boost in 4th and 5th but a world of improvement for the rally.

The previous week on King of the Hill the car experienced *major* brake knock back, something which appears to be a theme with these early Evos but was much much worse on this one. This means you have to tap up the brakes with your left foot a couple of times to get the pressure before nailing them through the floor with your right. On nearly every corner…something that requires a lot of thought to drive around!

(King of the Hill vids:
Atwell#1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hb7uz7V1dzs
Atwell#3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Buw9NcMDZy8
Finlayson #3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuhMNi0QH14)

Photo courtesy of Tarik

We upped the (pace) notes this year from simple the easy/medium/fast/flat style to more descriptive, just allowing a higher degree of description to enable a bit more attack, still not 100% aggressive, but a damn site more than 2007.

Sol Rally Barbados

Anyways, Stage 1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uw_y_8wHiKY), a tentative start to see how the car is responding and 21st overall. No major issues, nicely through the jump, major brake knockback throughout and cruise over the oil patch through the esses. Just getting a feel for how the car is going to be for the rest of the rally.

Stage 2, Dark Hole (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Om90wr0KCK0. Lawd I hate this stage. I *never* get it right and just cannot click with it. Awful run through, tap the bank after a big cut, wrong gear pretty much everywhere and just a stage I’d like to forget. I mean Roberts went quicker. *rolls eyes* I wanted to knee myself in the nuts after that stage.

Back to Canefield for SS3 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CgP_-4Yjhw) and a good run, we record a 3.29 (despite the rallytime giving us a 3.39) and 12th overall. Just learning to deal with the knockback.

Photo courtesy of JustBajan

Another shitey run through Dark Hole for SS4 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0_pyDXFLSk), and then onto road service. The horrendous service accident with Stockdale shocking and shaking everyone, thank heavens he got instant attention and excellent medical care, hope to see him back very, very soon. While I realise accidents like that can happen anywhere I really do think chase cars and on-road servicing needs to be looked at as it’s not the solution.

Anyways, back onto stage, running a little late and have to say I’m not overly worried that the final Dark Hole is cancelled as I’m haemoraging time through that one and wishing to punch myself after each run through.

Lunch break is reached with no major dramas after SS5 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6swPNQYDI3E), just the excessive knockback and minorly down on boost in 4th and 5th, oh and 3rd and 5th gear starting to crunch a little too (another theme on standard early Evos).

The afternoon is off to Sailor Gulley SS7 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqW06XWmnl4) and back through Canefield (reverse) SS8 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXX6o-XGO_c).

Sailor Gulley runs SS9 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvlZCsQ5ujE) are quicker than last year but with the odd hiccup, I cut the left hander on the second set of esses to receive major cussing from Atwell for tapping the rock on the apex. The agressiveness of the front diff (Kaaz 1.5) nearly catches me out at the hairpin (once it grips, it just fkin goes where it’s pointing) but again, generally, all straightforward.

My final run through Canefield SS10 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iPs7xmB0e0) is cut short as we come across a stranded Lochan at the hairpin meaning a drive-thru and we’ll pick up the penatly on that later.

Photo courtesy of Tarik

So, it’s that lovely time of the year when I get to sit alongside Atwell at night. Strap up, sit down, shut the fuck up and hold to fuck on. And oh yes do we have lights this year, the 4x 55w gas discharge kit from Hids4U.co.uk bringing daylight to us. Awesome piece of kit and such a damn difference to last year’s halogens. Got lights? Oh yes.

First one is Sailor Gulley SS11 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZqtIaGSm0I), and it’s a mess. Atwell isn’t comfortable with the car, the excessive brake knock back knocking *him* back, we’re off the road twice, he then taps the same rock I hit the previous run (and got cussed for) and then taps the bank on the final corner. This Flying Bajan aint happy. Last year he put over 7s on me *at night*, this year he’s a second behind. I may have pushed a bit more than last year but it’s a measure of how uncomfortable that run was.

Quick check on arriving at SS12 and there’s a chunk missing from the front left Dymag - two hits in the same place seem to be too much for it so it’s a quick frantic wheel change before SS12. SS12 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Efp4D73daLM) Atwell runs much better, the run through Sailor Gulley clearly telling him how he needed to drive the car. Still tentative on brakes due to the knock back (and still setting them on fire) but despite the seconds lost through this the rest of it is very neat, very commited and nets 6th overall ahead of Perez. Not bad for an old clubman Group A…

Feeling a lot better about things it’s back for overnight service. Hopes for an early night are dashed when Atwell spots a dead front left CV joint meaning the driveshaft needs to come out. And then I get a call the RB server is down and needs work… 4 hours sleep and we’re over to Bushy Park for 7am.

Overnight we’re ahead of Watty in the group with Hill off over the horizon in the distance. The gap between ourselves and Watty is not great, 15s or so and given the issues it’s going to be hard work to keep ahead of him tomorrow as we likely can’t push as much. Still, we’ll see what happens as you never know what can occur in a rally.

Day 2

Day 2 sees an interesting start, lounging around the inevitable 1st stage delay (James) Betts gets under the car and says “er, you guys want to know something?” … “Is it bad?” .. “Yes.” … “Then no”. Betts has spotted a cracked rear sub frame… We go about trying to find a crew with a welding gear, run through SS13 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNa6pUOT8W4), speedometer off the clock, pinned off the scale past 180 to the right. Lovely. Finish stage find some welding gear but noone about who can weld… we race back off to Bushy Park, more welding gear found, welder found, but welding gear locked in truck with no key.. arghghg, back out on stage and Martin steps in for Stewarts Hill.

Photo courtesy of Tarik

SS14 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_yP-q6LQKs A good run but still feeling in the grip on the new roads so lots of time left. Along the main straight we notice smoke coming out of the bonnet and inside cockpit. Oh shite. Oil pressure still good, so not engine, boost still okay so not turbo. Finish stage, pop bonnet, oil everywhere, engine a little tappety. Rally dun. Start getting ready to drink rum. Then I notice the the dipstick is loose, could it be?

Pop dipstick back, Watkins kindly heroically giving us a quart of oil. And we’re off again… presumably the higher reliance on engine braking popping out the dipstick.. to Bushy Park to get the subframe welded… some welding later, some rushing about later and we’re checking in for SS15, on time, with no penalties - just a little rushed and out of sorts!

Quicker run through Kendall SS15 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgLmmLfZ8ps), loving the high speed stuff. The speedo needle looks like it’s going to snap off, engine clearly none the worse. Atwell up Stewarts Hill SS16 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qFO0dSoqnY) sends it off the road twice (yet still posts the same time!), the next Stewarts Hill cancelled sadly but onto Malvern and Kendall SS17 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKe4xWqji7c) (the right way). Sadly the welds on the subframe don’t hold up meaning the bumpy stuff is a little tentative but overall no dramas.

First time through Malvern we have the first fast right (approaching the duck pond) as flat and get within millimetres of the wall on the exit, hairy, not sure many came through quicker than that but next time it was *not* flat.

By this point Watty has us, we work out through times he’s 20s down the road so we just run at 90% through Kendall SS19 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzIoyQ_aSxE), Kendall SS21 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqNpGMOMFNg), Malvern SS22 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMvAtmO32WQ and Malvern SS24 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bcr_jdSjjJE) to nurse to finish.

Photo courtesy of JustJ Photos

Bushy Park (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LNEn76ZiLM) has Atwell vs Brodie, I told Atwell to do what he wants as we’ve finished, Atwell opting to save the car over the jump after seeing car after car killing itself and probably feeling a little guilty for the offs and wheel tappings in the previous stages!

On final results we’re 14th overall and 3rd in class. Looking at our time penalty (which shouldn’t be there) and the wrong time through Canefield we’re less than 10s off Watty not the 20+ we thought. Would this have changed our approach to the last stages? Not sure, but perhaps if we had to push for those 10s we wouldn’t have finished at all, and given the driving, (and the 5s Watty put on us through the cancelled Kendall) it’s the right result. And then we forget Armstrong can drop from overall results but still figure in Group so he nets 2nd and pushes us to 4th, but again, given how he drove (and jumped!) - the right result.

Post Rally

Well, for the first rally in the car we have to be pleased - 14th overall with the number of WRC cars and talent out there is pretty good and we couldn’t push 100% due to car issues. With the car back in England it will either be sold(!) or, time for some big APs up front with floating rotors, an E3 turbo with 20g wheel (and mapped for it), a dogkit and look at ways of strengthening the rear subframe so it can handle launches. With those done, the car could be pushed 100% and would be *significantly* quicker. Quietly, but extremely confident for the future really. The other cars around us are a lot nearer their max than we are, we have miles to go to be 100% so to get this result is hugely confidence inspiring.

From a personal note, I’m still not 100% happy with the note system I went for this year. The difficulty being it’s not descriptive enough for me. For example, we’re using a
right 6 flat - 300 - 2 right opens into 3 left don’t cut
style note. My issue is that I want more description, ie. is the ‘right 6 flat’ a slight kink, a long sweeping right, etc. While we can add ‘early apex’ ‘late apex’ etc I want to find a pace note system that gives you not just the speed of the corner but the curvature/length/style (now I’m actually finally taking the information in, I want more, More, MORE). Will have to have a dig around, this was only my 9th rally (and sixth actually using pace notes) and I’m still trying to figure out the best system for me.

Thanks

I would thank my sponsors but I didn’t have any *rattles begging tin for 2009*

Major thanks to Atwell for workshop space and pace note patience. Immense, unlimited, awesome thanks to Jason King/TPS Retard for his mapping and work on the car, without which, we wouldn’t have been anywhere remotely near where we finished - if able to finish at all. Thanks to the Rally Barbados comittee for the best Rally Barbados yet, massive thanks to the marshalls who did a sterling job as ever, thanks to the photographers - you’re the ones who keep our sponsors and egos happy, if you’ve got any night shots please shout, and thanks to the lone crazy Scottish flag waving person - makes you feel a little bit like Colin McRae must have felt every corner, you are all heros

Full stage playlist:-
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=A03B37EB46D442FC