I won at a rally day
05-18-2008, 11:28 PM
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I won at a rally day
For my forthcoming birthday Jo bought me a rally day at Brands Hatch. Now this was both a very cool present from her 
and some what daunting as we know the chief instructoir there, he's the chap we do the rally marshalling with, and given the amount of marshalling and therefore conversations / discussions we do I ought to know my way around a rally car a tiny bit better than Joe Public.
So we get down to Brands about mid morning and it's wet and grimey - horrible for a track day, but abolutely awesome for a rally day - proper WRC type conditions make it seem only the more real.
So after much mickey taking by the staff given the fact that JC is going to be teaching me and they new I was going to get a harder time of it compared to their usual punters I was on my sarcastic back foot with a bit of anxiety. Being told "You have to win, convincingly" really put me at ease - NOT!
So what is the format - ignoring the usual briefing, safety etc as this is the usual we have all seen and heard before but this time with a rally twist I shall move onto the car.
A Peugot 206 group N -esque spec car. They were all made for a Peugot one make series and cup. 1600cc, 6 speed short ratio box so a top speed of 95mph but this is all about the acceleration with a handbrake feeding directly into the hydraulic system.
The time is spent on 2 stages - one is 0.7km long and the other is 0.5km. The aim i sto have the fastest time over the two stages. You get lots of tuition, or in my case shoutings at by the instructor and they are with you 1-2-1 for the whole event.
My favourite comment thrown at me was either....
- it felt like it was pointing right given the handbrake was fully being applied at the time
or
[quote]Don't look at me, look at the ****ing road you dozy tart![quote]
Anyway we did the stints and it may sound a little arrogant but seeing as the only other guy in my session had already turned round and said I sound as though I know what I am doing, all the instructors said I had to win my a dedcissive margin. Great
So here are some pics...
It may not look much but it was great fun and I was absolutley loving it. What it is making me think is that I prefer the one at a time type events e.g. just me on a stage or timed run etc rather than the full on everyone-out-al-at-the-same-time type affairs.
So the results, well I've already said I've won but by how much?
The students get scored out of 10 and the instructors hope to see a good person get 8+ out of ten on 5 disciplines. I got 8 1/2 on all but one where I scored 7 1/2 so I was chuffed with that.
And the times?
Well given the state of the surface we were never going to get the same kind of speeds that we would in the dry. Not an excuse just a comment.
So the other chap got a combined time over the 2 stages of 191.3s (with a couple of extra attempts at the 2nd stage) and me - a total time of 120.0s. OVER 70 seconds faster!!! and this was my first time driving a rally car / stage.
I am well chuffed it was that decisive a victory - the other blokes family who were all in attendance were not impresed.
and some what daunting as we know the chief instructoir there, he's the chap we do the rally marshalling with, and given the amount of marshalling and therefore conversations / discussions we do I ought to know my way around a rally car a tiny bit better than Joe Public.So we get down to Brands about mid morning and it's wet and grimey - horrible for a track day, but abolutely awesome for a rally day - proper WRC type conditions make it seem only the more real.
So after much mickey taking by the staff given the fact that JC is going to be teaching me and they new I was going to get a harder time of it compared to their usual punters I was on my sarcastic back foot with a bit of anxiety. Being told "You have to win, convincingly" really put me at ease - NOT!
So what is the format - ignoring the usual briefing, safety etc as this is the usual we have all seen and heard before but this time with a rally twist I shall move onto the car.
A Peugot 206 group N -esque spec car. They were all made for a Peugot one make series and cup. 1600cc, 6 speed short ratio box so a top speed of 95mph but this is all about the acceleration with a handbrake feeding directly into the hydraulic system.
The time is spent on 2 stages - one is 0.7km long and the other is 0.5km. The aim i sto have the fastest time over the two stages. You get lots of tuition, or in my case shoutings at by the instructor and they are with you 1-2-1 for the whole event.
My favourite comment thrown at me was either....
Why are you steering left when I said right you dozy ****
- it felt like it was pointing right given the handbrake was fully being applied at the timeor
[quote]Don't look at me, look at the ****ing road you dozy tart![quote]
Anyway we did the stints and it may sound a little arrogant but seeing as the only other guy in my session had already turned round and said I sound as though I know what I am doing, all the instructors said I had to win my a dedcissive margin. Great
So here are some pics...
It may not look much but it was great fun and I was absolutley loving it. What it is making me think is that I prefer the one at a time type events e.g. just me on a stage or timed run etc rather than the full on everyone-out-al-at-the-same-time type affairs.
So the results, well I've already said I've won but by how much?
The students get scored out of 10 and the instructors hope to see a good person get 8+ out of ten on 5 disciplines. I got 8 1/2 on all but one where I scored 7 1/2 so I was chuffed with that.
And the times?
Well given the state of the surface we were never going to get the same kind of speeds that we would in the dry. Not an excuse just a comment.
So the other chap got a combined time over the 2 stages of 191.3s (with a couple of extra attempts at the 2nd stage) and me - a total time of 120.0s. OVER 70 seconds faster!!! and this was my first time driving a rally car / stage.
I am well chuffed it was that decisive a victory - the other blokes family who were all in attendance were not impresed.
05-19-2008, 12:01 AM
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Steven it really was and definitely worth doing.
To give an idea of how wet it was the Ferraris that were racing on the Indy circuit looked like this - just check the spray...
To give an idea of how wet it was the Ferraris that were racing on the Indy circuit looked like this - just check the spray...
at the rude instructor, I don't know why but that technique works quite well with me!
05-19-2008, 01:03 AM
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Good writeup Kelk. 
I've got a rally experience at Silverstone to book. This reminds me I need to do it. I think it's a similar thing, but using fiestas. My issue is that i'm a RWD track driver so it should be a big learning experience for me
I've got a rally experience at Silverstone to book. This reminds me I need to do it. I think it's a similar thing, but using fiestas. My issue is that i'm a RWD track driver so it should be a big learning experience for me
05-19-2008, 01:47 AM
#6
That's not rude; it's a lot more direct than namby-pamby.
Well done, Chris; that's not a bad achievement.
See, now that's what I mean about a well-spent track day; you can learn far more & have much more fun in a crappy Pug 206 than a few minutes posing in a Lamborrari that the owner himslef is scared of.
Well done, Chris; that's not a bad achievement.
See, now that's what I mean about a well-spent track day; you can learn far more & have much more fun in a crappy Pug 206 than a few minutes posing in a Lamborrari that the owner himslef is scared of.
05-19-2008, 02:12 AM
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Don't get me wrong, JC isn't rude with everyone else - just loud. I got the special treatment but I can heartily recommend the guys at Brands for this. Cracking entertainment and good value for money.
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05-19-2008, 03:00 AM
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Yep - but as he sayd with Jo he's restrained due to the way they communicate. With me he says he can just keep hitting me with stuff and I'll soak it all up. Truly unfair if you ask me!
