Trackrod RALLY YORKSHIRE (North Yorks Forests)
Graham Steggles/Emma Bain Peugeot 205 GTI 16v Car 228
We made it! But went OTL through a silly navigation mistake which I have to take part blame for as well. Olivers, (we were warned that it was slippy) 1st lap, 1st hairpin, flat out and going for it on my 150 year old well worn road rubber and absolute wheel lock up into a couple of barriers leaving us perched precariously on a drop of a few feet. (lets say 10) A marshal told Emma not to get out of that side of the car. (its on video!) No diff and on the grass meant we weren’t going anywhere without some help. The car had to be lifted using Marshals (thanks men)(that’s not sexist, they were all male) and placed back on the track. Off we went again but left the stage in last position with a 3.14 minute deficit.
Into service and a wheel change (Yes, I've got spares, borrowed off Russel and Tina fitted with four hand me down tyres) meant we were back on track for Dalby forest. With a couple of minutes to go we entered the car, but what’s this? No clutch. The pedal was on the bulkhead. Oh no. I hadn’t even touched it. Thinking it was a broken cable we whipped it off to fit another. It turned out that one end had only slipped its mooring in the gearbox and we refitted it. 12 minutes late we headed for the service exit in a panic. We missed the control thinking because we couldn’t see it that it would be on route. It wasn’t. Dalby was held up so we went to try to get our minute from the service exit control but no such luck and we were OTL. We decided to carry on thinking that we may be able to contest it but ultimately it was no use.
So out into the forests for the 1st time just taking it easy not knowing what to expect and believing that it would be very nasty indeed only to find 1/2 way around that it was extremely easy and velocity increased. We came out of Dalby with me having a very red face, a helmet full of sweat and an absolutely massive smile. The same went for the next two stages and we actually made it to York finish. No spins and no offs (in the forests) but a few close ones with the rear slipping into a couple of ditches. All under control don’t you know? Excellent. (air guitar) I can’t work out if I like the forest better than tarmac. Both have their own merits for me and I would like another crack at it. (Premier?) The handling was brilliant on the forest tracks but dangerous on the road. I can only put it down to the rear remoulds as swapping to road rubber stops the rear hanging out through only the slightest of corners. At speed, on the road, rear wheel steering can be induced by a little input from the steering wheel and then going through the corner with the front wheels straight! Worrying at its best. Although I’ve bought 3 remoulds I might have to save for some Michelins. Other people with similar cars and the same tyres have reported no problem so if you have any advice…..contact me. At scrutineering I asked Peugeot Sport if they had any answers but were a bit stuck really and confirmed it may be the tyres. In the Forests it was just what I needed hardly needing the handbrake or left foot as the car naturally turned in with little effort although when on the straight again it did keep going from side to side for a while and if I had let off the throttle I don’t exactly know what would happen. So our 4th rally and a disappointment of OTL that means a 25% failure rate. We are going to have to do better! If I can blame only my navigator, which of course I wouldn’t do, then can I half that to 12.5% failure rate?!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|