Dazzer Posted October 24, 2012 Report Share Posted October 24, 2012 10 Nov see's us trying to master the Hexham historic for the third year running. This is a good old fashioned night road rally with that lovely period touch of hand drawn tulips by the very friendly Clerk of the Course Ed Graham. Year one we managed 4th, Year two we managed 7th... this year we should be 10th if the pattern continues! Big offs x 2 last year, which demonstrates for us anyway the difficulty of night rallies, the off road excursion on route took a posse of very helpful locals 10 mins to pull us back onto the road... and only two cars passed us in that time. To demonstrate to my wife/navigator this year that it was tyres last year that caused us to go off road, I removed the SP85s this weekend and fitted some brand new e marked snow tyres which had one of these lovely new EU reg stickers on them giving them one of the best 'wet' stopping distances in class. I felt a road test was in order to instil confidence in the new rubber. Navigator on board I blasted up the muddy deluged country lane next to our house and promptly slid off the road onto the verge.... Navigator duly impressed we are now ready for Hexham 2012. Do not believe whatever is printed on these new tyre labels, it's all made up. Cheers Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TorontoTim Posted October 24, 2012 Report Share Posted October 24, 2012 Ha! Good story...and all the best for the Hexham. I'm thinking the key phrase is "in class" - I've always found snow tyres to be bollocks on smooth tarmac - too little rubber on the road and those big blocks move around too much. They're especially bad under braking in the damp, in my opinion. However, rallies over here tend to be 80+% on gravel (or actual snow in January/February) and my Vredestein Snow+ are great on there - I just have to be careful on the other 20% ;-) Still, I DO love a night rally - have fun Dazzer and keep it on the black stuff!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Dazzer Posted October 24, 2012 Author Report Share Posted October 24, 2012 Thanks Tim I've also got some Vredestein Snow+ on our DKW, a far superior tyre. You're definitely right about the lack of tread on the road with these new snow tyres... Let's hope it snows! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TR24178 Posted October 24, 2012 Report Share Posted October 24, 2012 (edited) 10 Nov see's us trying to master the Hexham historic for the third year running. This is a good old fashioned night road rally with that lovely period touch of hand drawn tulips by the very friendly Clerk of the Course Ed Graham. Year one we managed 4th, Year two we managed 7th... this year we should be 10th if the pattern continues! Big offs x 2 last year, which demonstrates for us anyway the difficulty of night rallies, the off road excursion on route took a posse of very helpful locals 10 mins to pull us back onto the road... and only two cars passed us in that time. To demonstrate to my wife/navigator this year that it was tyres last year that caused us to go off road, I removed the SP85s this weekend and fitted some brand new e marked snow tyres which had one of these lovely new EU reg stickers on them giving them one of the best 'wet' stopping distances in class. I felt a road test was in order to instil confidence in the new rubber. Navigator on board I blasted up the muddy deluged country lane next to our house and promptly slid off the road onto the verge.... Navigator duly impressed we are now ready for Hexham 2012. Do not believe whatever is printed on these new tyre labels, it's all made up. Cheers Those little offs always happen when we want to prove a point!! I am always very nervous testing rally cars, on a private road or down the lanes, I am sure you will get on better with them when you get the feel of them after a few miles of the competitive route, first they will be warm and you will know much better how they feel when the adrenalin is flowing your senses will be much sharper! Good Luck on The Hexham John Worthing Edited October 24, 2012 by TR24178 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Dazzer Posted October 26, 2012 Author Report Share Posted October 26, 2012 Thanks John I think the adrenaline might be the problem. Lets hope it snows! Darren Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Dazzer Posted November 12, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 12, 2012 (edited) Just a note to say once again what a superb night event this was. Night rallying nostalgia at its best. Well done to Ed and the team. Highly entertaining, first three TCs to the second, the rest to the minute with plenty of code boards many on extremely slippery whites. 30mph average might not sound fast but trust me it was flat out, hairpin mania with cars running on the same minute. Wrong slotted twice and followed by the very helpful Marsden Garstang Cortina, we promptly got stuck up to the axles in mud whilst the Cortina died behind us with a flat battery! They helped us get traction by sitting on the Triumph boot and the Cortina was then push started, great team work we lost 4 minutes on this section and then we plotted a grid reference incorrectly and ended up an almost vertical white with the Triumph bottoming out on the deep tractor ruts, lost another 6 minutes here. However we didn't disgrace the Triumph brand and despite thick fog in parts, a closed gate, hairy moments and some dubious timing we came in on the minute or the next minute on numerous other sections. We managed 3rd overall, our best result yet. Oh yes and we managed to get airborne at one particularly interesting set of road works... Yes the instructions said CAUTION and the road works had multiple chevrons and a further RAMP sign and CAUTION board, but with the adrenaline flowing and the skywards pointing main beam not illuminating the size of the ramp I didn't bother to drop our speed much below 50 which launched us on a beautiful arcing trajectory with only the raised scream of the straight six drowning out the expletives uttered by the navigator before we crashed back to terra firma. A great spot for photography but alas no one had twigged this would be the case. The 2000 performed faultlessly although the winter Falken tyres might as well have been skis for all the grip they offered. Back to SP85 gravel tyres next year. Well done to the Mini Cooper S of Tyson Harrison and the rapid Volvo PV544 of humphrey & Humphrey 1st and 2nd respectively. ENTRY LIST 1. P. Tyson / N.Harrison Mini Cooper S Milnthorpe H2/H4 2. D. Marsden / M.Garstang Ford Cortina GT Lancaster H2/H4 3. A. Blake / R. Blake Lancia Fulvia Heads Nook H2/H4 4. D.Everritt / Susan Dixon Triumph 2000 Nunwick H2/H4 5. P. Humphrey / D. Humphrey Volvo PV 544 Dunbar H2/H4 6. P. Jones / A. Longstaff Ford Cortina MK1 Kirkby in Cleveland H2/H4 7. A.McAlpine / R. Adams Mini Cooper S Hexhamshire H2/H4 8. N.Cardale / P.Littlefield Ford Anglia Castleside H2/H4 9. G.Eland / T.B.A. Alfa Romeo GTV Wallsend H2/H4 10. C.Dawson/ R.Dixon Hillman Imp Canonbie H1/H3 11. Sally Ann Hewitt / Mark Lewis Mini Clubman Washington H1/H3 12. J. Nicholson / A.Magee Ford Escort MK2 Durham H1/H3 13. I.Guthrie / G.Couser Volvo Amazon West Allotment ?/? Edited November 12, 2012 by Dazzer Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TorontoTim Posted November 12, 2012 Report Share Posted November 12, 2012 Sounds like a blast!! Great result too. Just think, if' you'd had a bit more grip... ;-) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TR24178 Posted November 13, 2012 Report Share Posted November 13, 2012 (edited) Dazzer, I am glad you got on with Dave 'Harry' Marsden, he's a great guy known him for years, I suspect he was using kumho gravel tyres, he's been collecting my old 13" stage tyres for about 5 years now, where did Harry finish? Edited November 13, 2012 by TR24178 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Dazzer Posted November 13, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 13, 2012 It was a blast Tim, cant understand why its not more popular, I can only put it down to marketing and location. John, Yes, We'd previously marshalled on a Yorkshire event and seen Dave in his Cortina but our last event the Doonhamer was the first event we'd been on with Dave 'Harry' and he was using your Kumho's then. Really throws that GT about and I was glad to be following him in the same minute on a number of the stages on the Hexham as he kept us well on pace. It was our error later on that led him up the wrong slot. 'Harry' came 5th but only because I think they missed a tricky control on a loop early on? We've used Kumhos which are great but mostly SP85s and some Pirelli GMs from Charlie Taylor. The big Triumph handles better with G5 soft rubber on the front but everyone seems to use G4 mediums. Cheers Darren Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Nigel 628 Posted November 14, 2012 Report Share Posted November 14, 2012 Another good result Dazzer; you and Susan have made a name for yourselves in road rallying in the last two years, including a nice photo of your 'well driven' T2000 in the current 'Old Stager'! Sorry I haven't seen much of you this year; one way and another I have hardly been out much but I'm hoping to be back in the race next year. Nigel Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Dazzer Posted November 14, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 14, 2012 Hi Nigel Look forward to seeing you out and about next year. Thank you for the kind comments I think it's more luck on my part with Susan's navigating saving the day! We've been really busy with launching a new food/snack business and the 2000 has suffered, no catastrophic breakdown but the piston slap and crank case compression are now terminal. I should take the engine out and refresh but money and time are in short supply. I have considered putting the money into the DKW engine seats and harnesses + MOT as thats all it needs but would it be competitive? Not a clue. It's certainly not as quick, but then DKW had plenty of success in the 50s on some of the toughest events. I took the DKW engine out last week... six nuts and bolts. lifted it out by hand and plonked it on the bench! So we'll be out next year in one car or the other. Cheers Darren Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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