Erik West Rallying

Yearly update.....

2012-01-26T20:11:00.000Z

I'm planning lots of things for this year, sadly most of them revolve around my 40th birthday and not rallying. Still if Mini can come back to rallying after a long break there's no reason why I can't......

Will I rally this year? Yes but not 'til much later in the year.

Will it be a stage rally? Not in the UK, no.

Will it be a road rally? If I rally in the UK it will be a road rally.

I have a party at Rock im Park to plan so updates will be as random and the gaps will be as lengthy as ever!! At least I'm still having fun, just without the added excitement of motorsport.....

Still here....

2011-02-20T12:13:00.000Z

I'm still here but just not rallying! Having two young children is keeping me from the stages and, to be brutally honest, I'm enjoying spending as much time as I can with them. Having said that there are moves a foot to venture back into road rallying in the next 2 years.

It's not the first time I've had a break from rallying so rumours of my retirement are untrue. Expect to see myself and Mark (my eldest) out and about on a few events later in the year.....

Exciting developments!!!!!

2010-01-28T14:35:00.003Z

Not much more I can say at present apart from I will need an international licence and should start racking up the frequent flyer miles too!

Late entry into 2010 Dakar!

2010-01-02T22:28:00.003Z

With an astounding stroke of luck and a quick tap on the keyboard I got a last minute entry into this year's Dakar!

Fair enough it's only the virtual version (http://www.virtualrallygame.com/index.php) but it follows the exact route in, pretty much, real time (if required).

Sadly after a bit of help from a 3½ year old I'm way of course and something like 25992 overall..... Tomorrow I'll start my great fight back; oh and keep Mark from switching the computer off!

After a few days of attempting the Dakar I realised that whilst the game was free there were performance aides available for those willing to part with cash. I gave up at that point!!

Happy New Year!

2009-12-26T21:17:00.000Z

After a long break away from blogging (and motorsport) I have returned!

2010 should see me back in harness a couple of times, with child number 2 due on the 5th of Feb it's not realistic to aim for a full season so I'm hoping to do a few events towards the end of the year. Who knows I might even make it back to Jersey....

My first motorsport event will be a trip round the ever disappointing (and wildly over-priced priced!!) Autosport International in January. Even though the show has been shrinking for many years and offers such minimal value for money it is a good place to meet up with friends before the rallying starts seriously again.

I'm trying to spread my motorsport wings again in 2010 and am loooking to compete in road rallying (again) as well as experiencing comp safari/off road rallying. With both the Golf and Jetta now sold I'm left with my trusty Passat which is (fortunately) completely unsuitable for either forms of motorsport so it looks like I'll be navigating/co-driving. As I haven't done a road rally for a good 8 years I should be a novice once again.....

Oh well enough idle waffle I must buckle down to my latest projects (and surf Facebook!) - have a great (and safe) transition into 2010 where ever you are!

Paperclix Jersey Rally.

2009-10-08T13:41:00.004+01:00

Good luck to everyone competing on and organising this year's Jersey Rally.

Since I first did the event with Andy Corner in the Skoda Ford I've always enjoyed my trips to the island. As an event it's challenging and highly rewarding with an excellent social aspect too! If you've never been you are certainly missing out!

I'll be following the event (by any means possible) and expect it to be a very hard fought event, this year's entry really is quality!

Full event information and live results can be found here:~ link

Pentti Airikkala

2009-10-08T12:55:00.008+01:00

Pentti Airikkala 1945 - 2009

I was fortunate to meet Pentti and learn a few valuable lessons from one of the original "Flying Finns". Always friendly, helpful and humorous Pentti was a true gentleman and a rallying expert. Not only did he know how to drive exceptionally fast he also knew how to set a car up to drive exceptionally fast! He views on the Metro 6R4 never cease to make me laugh.

Everytime I write a pacenote I'll think of him, he'll be greatly missed.

RIP Pentti.

I’m still here…..

2009-09-30T13:10:00.002+01:00

As you can see by the lack of updates things have been really quite busy for me just recently with changes aplenty! This, sadly, doesn’t include rallying though, 2009 will be a rallying free year for me.
The most important change is the fact that I’m due to become a father again in February 2010!

I’m certainly not stopping rallying, just having some time off to concentrate on getting fit, being a husband and father as well as having a couple of holidays!!

New sponsor

2009-03-19T13:27:00.002Z

Despite not actually doing any motorsport at all at present I have managed to secure another personal sponsor (at this rate I'll have to invest in a new racesuit!!). German Cars Blog {link} have kindly offered to pay for my on event expenses!

As the name suggests the German Car Blog covers everything about German car manufacturers and tuners. They have even threatened to add a little coverage of my exploits when I finally make it back onto the stages!

Walking freely.

2009-03-19T13:18:00.002Z

I'm now walking without an help amnd undergoing intensive physio to get as much function back into my knee/leg as possible. My latest activities are certainly helping with exercise that's for sure!! Follow the link to my other blog to see just what I now own!

Now that I'm pretty much fully mobile I can now start to plan a start to my 2009 season. There are a few ideas and offers floating about at the moment and once I've completed a few more visits to hospital to see my surgeon and physio I'll concentrate on getting back into rally cars. Until then I'll keep walking to and from my shed.....

Of snow and things.....

2009-02-05T11:13:00.006Z

Finally after lots of reading, internet surfing and question asking I'm ready to start my new pastime. What is it? Well you'll have to wait another 18-19 days to find out. (The time scale gives a clue.....) Ideally I would have liked to have been a lot further down the line already but snow and slower than required deliveries have held me back ~ a broken leg (now on the mend) hasn't helped either.

The snow here has been up to 12½cms deep and has caused a fair bit of chaos, ironically today's snow was a lot less but had a far greater impact than the snow of Sunday/Monday. having lived in a snowy Berlin and a very snowy Regensburg the chaos and disruption caused by the white stuff here is almost beyond belief! I'm pretty astonished that Transport for London gave up on their job and cancelled all buses on Monday ~ a job well done there!

Less rallying, more strange stuff!

2009-01-15T11:03:00.004Z

Thanks to my fractured leg I'm not going to be rallying for quite sometime so I've got to come up with other things to do instead. Some are pretty normal (play computer & Playstation games, surf the 'net, Facebook and MySpace) but others are a little stranger and aimed at forwarding EWR into an area of motorsport I've wanted to try for a while.
More information to follow...............

A couple of clues:-

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

2009-01-02T08:44:00.001Z

Another set back.....

2008-12-23T10:10:00.006Z

On the 22nd November 2008 I managed to slip and fracture both my tibia and fibula bones in my left leg. One month down the line and I still can't put any weight on my leg, nor will I be able to for months to come.
Current recovery time is expected to be between 3 and 5 months for a full recovery, although I expect to be fit enough to rally within 2 months (all being well).
Once again my main mode of transport for Christmas and New Year will be crutches.....

I'd like to thank Diana, Mark, my Mother and Father for all their help over the last few weeks, hopefully my recovery will be swift!

Jersey picture - no comment needed!!

2008-11-04T22:04:00.002Z

Paperclix Jersey Rally 2008

2008-11-01T15:09:00.001Z

Having hoped that delayed flights had used all our bad luck up we were both looking forward to the Paperclix Jersey Rally {link} ~ despite not having done any competitive stage mileage in the car at all. In fact Adrian had only driven the car home and back to set the spotlamps up ~ a distance of approx 7 miles!!
My first sight of the car was as it was unloaded off the trailer just before noise test. It was less imposing than a Metro 6R4 but looked good.
Getting in and out was actually slightly more difficult than the 6R4, strange I know, and was certainly more painful on my (still recovering) left knee. Once inside the Evo was a lot more comfortable and spacious ~ that is until we made our way from the ceremonial start on the Esplanade to stage 1 Le Brun.
The Evo’s jacked-open-throttle ensured we juddered and kangarooed through the road sections with alarming gusto! Even more so than the Metro 6R4 road sections in the Evo are to be endured rather than enjoyed…
Stage 1 was a learning process and passed with little action of interest. The chicane was as tight as described, 1st gear with no heroics. At the end Adrian was under impressed with the new car. From my seat there was a lot less noise and urgency but we still managed a nice bit of opposite lock on a wide 45 right so things couldn’t be too bad.
In service Adrian opted to run stage 2 ALS for the next running of Le Brun. The stage was finished quicker and the brakes were certainly working harder. The stage felt a bit faster to me, Adrian felt that stage 2 ALS had really helped although the car now pushed on a lot, lot more than before.
For stages 3 and 4 Adrian opted to use ALS stage 2 so we headed into the tighter lanes a little unsure of what to expect. Stage 3 was a pleasant surprise, the ALS didn’t present any significant problems and we were pleased with how Adrian hustled the car round the corners before the ALS then launched it off down the straights.
Between stages 3 & 4 Adrian admitted that the Evo did now take a lot of stopping for corners. Sadly this was going to come back and haunt us on stage 4.
Generally stage 4 went well although we suffered excessive understeer at an open hairpin right (caused by the ALS pushing us on). As we entered a flat left that tightened Adrian got off the power which kicked the ALS into life. The resulting surge pushed the front into a bank. The back then hit the bank and instead of fish-tailing us up the road the Evo managed to gain full traction and launch itself up a wall topped with a bank. It was rally over, we were blocking the stage with my side of the car about 1½m in the air.
Nine times out of ten we would have either understeered into the bank or fish-tailed up the road but with our Jersey luck we weren’t so lucky. Needless to say we were very disappointed, even more so when we watched car after car have similar moments but get away with them!
The Evo is now being readied for an extensive test session before we head off into the forests with it. I think the car will really suit not only gravel but also Adrian’s driving style and am looking forward to some enjoyable rallies in 2009!

Aim45

2008-11-01T14:53:00.001Z

I’m proud to announce a new sponsor; German rock band Aim45. Their logo will be appearing on my helmet in the near future, in readiness for the 2009 season.
If you like AOR/light heavy metal then Aim45 are perfect, they sing in English (that’s genuine English not American) and are really good.
Find out more about the band and listen to their music on their MySpace site {here} or their website {here}

Something TOTALLY different ~ German lessons.

2008-10-30T13:59:00.000Z

The rally season may be coming to a close but my German teaching has really taken off! I have lessons on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings for beginners, GCSE and A level. Including holiday and business aspects.
Each term ends with a party and this Christmas term even includes a trip to a Christmas market, mulled wine optional!
If you’re interested in signing up for light hearted, enjoyable (and successful) German lessons send me an e-mail (erikwestrallying [at] googlemail [dot] com).

Recce for the Paperclix Jersey Rally 2008

2008-10-30T13:52:00.000Z

Our recce didn’t start too well as we waited for 3 hours for the fog to lift at Coventry airport before being bussed to Birmingham and an eventual takeoff! Once on the island of Jersey everything turned for the better and we completed the recce quickly and easily.
The stages look really great and we’re looking forward to the rally!

Just like buses!

2008-07-24T13:04:00.003+01:00

It appears good rallies come along just like buses, two at a time!
Having just started to focus on getting everything sorted for the Jersey Rally {link} I get an offer to participate on an event in the United States.
Unfortunately there's not enough time between the events for me to contest them both to the level I'd expect, rushing between the two would leave no time for accurate pacenote preparation for example. Thus I'm committed to the Jersey Rally with the Roofing Rally Team {link} and will have to wait a little longer before making my competition debut on the otherside of the Atlantic.

Final knee operation.

2008-07-22T09:57:00.002+01:00

After the disappointment of not finishing the Armstrong Massey Rally my focus moved to another operation on my knee. The op has {hopefully} removed all the excess material from the quad repair I had in October 2007 (after my Jersey fall). Now I should be able to finish physio and get back to walking, running, crawling and bending my knee once more. I re-start physio in 2 weeks and will hopefully have a good meeting with my surgeon (who's from Stuttgart!!) a week later. Then I can concentrate on regaining fitness in time for my next rally.

Thanks to everyone who wished me well and sent cards, I'm off work for a week but starting to feel a little better each day ~ which must be good!

My next rally really can't come soon enough, being over half way through the season and only having done 1 even is very, very frustrating indeed!

Driffield, the result.

2008-07-10T21:13:00.006+01:00

The Armstrong Massey Rally didn't quite have the desired result but it was still heartening! Tyre problems kept us off the leading pace, we only had tarmac tyres and the venue's muddy nature suited forest M&S tyres far, far better. Those problems resulted a couple of time consuming spins and a general lack of grip on the muddy (and rough) gravel sections.
At lunch we were 3rd overall and expecting to stay there with no chance of moving up and little competition from behind. We reinforced our position and were actually in second overall as stage 7 started. The first 6 runs through the stages had resulted in very rough conditions on the gravel sections forcing Adrian to slow and drive around holes and troughs rather than drive with full commitment. These conditions weren't popular in the car and we were exceptionally happy to be where we were overall!
Sadly stage 7 saw us push the car onto the trailer and head home. The clutch wasn't functioning quite as it should and it was decided that we would be better served by retiring and stripping the car than pushing for a second place trophy and risking damage. Conditions had also resulted in the worst retirement and damage rate I've seen at any single venue rally so we were relieved to still have a fully functioning, virtually undamaged car to push back onto the trailer!!
Our stage time were consistantly far quicker than those using comparable tyres and at points we were astoundingly close to those running with full forest tyres so we're delighted with our performance # which may seem a little strange. The team are also pleased that we still have a car in 1 piece that should be ready for another event once the muck and sludge had been washed off. The two pictures show just how bad conditions were, they were taken by Matthew Rudd of matthewruddphotography.co.uk. Visit his site here to see more of his excellent pictures.

Notice the frontal damage caused by the water and ruts.

Armstrong Massey Rally

2008-07-05T10:48:00.003+01:00

Finally! I'm about to do my first stage rally of 2008 as I head up to the Armstrong Massey Rally in Driffield {link}.
I'm very pleased to be able to get back into the co-driver's seat of the Roofing Rally Team MG Metro 6R4 one more time before my next operation. The run up to the event hasn't been exactly smooth but I'm really looking forward to it.
We competed at Driffield last year and thought the venue was good, hopefully the car is fully sorted now and we can have a good go at setting some very competitive stage times.

EMCOS Stages.

2008-05-20T22:44:00.002+01:00

Below is a top 11 list for Saturday's EMCOS Stages {for more information and a full entry list visit the EMCOS website here}. As can be seen I'm not in the Roofing Rally Team MG Metro 6R4 (car 7). Unfortunately slight complication with my left knee (injured in Jersey) have resulted in me being unable to rally this coming weekend. That's the bad news, the good news is that I'll be fit enough torally next month so will, hopefully, finally get to start my 2008 rally season!

Adrian and Chris have a really good chance of a top 3 placing on Saturday, I'd certainly expect them to be right on the pace from the start, with a victory certainly not being out of the question. The new 6R4 is considerably quicker than the old 2.8 (it's light years faster than the Escort we used on last year's event!!) and should be ideally suited to the stages at Down Ampney. I wish the whole team luck and look forward to hearing how they're getting on through out the day ~ I can't even go and watch because I still can't drive!

1. Gary Le Coadou London / Paul Hollingham Toyota Celica GT4

2.Donald Smith / Robert Smith Subaru Impreza

3. Ian Godney / Gareth Short Subaru Impreza

4. Jim Munden / David Perrott Ford Escort

5. Gareth Hurford-Jones / Rob Smith Ford Escort Cosworth

6. Julian Jones / Stephan Brennan Ford Escort Mk2

7. Adrian Smekss / Chris Neale MG Metro 6R4

8. Mark Ellis / Chris Jones Ford Escort Mk2

77. Ron Aiken / Brian Neale Ford Escort Mk1

9. Tony Hewitt / Emma Hewitt Ford Cosworth

76. Eric Weaver / James Bailey Darrian T9

New helmet design.

2008-05-13T21:56:00.002+01:00

After the EMCOS stages I'll be sporting a new helmet design. Nothing too exotic just a slight alteration to the plain silver design I had last year. Pictures to follow once the helmet is finished.

Only days to go!

2008-05-13T21:53:00.002+01:00

Still no rallying although preparations are in full swing, with a test planned for next week and a rally the following weekend. It seems like an eternity since I last sat in a rally car! There are still a few concerns about getting in and out of the 6R4 but I'm hoping to get the all clear from my physio tomorrow.

2008-05-05T22:28:00.002+01:00

Winning at Wilbarston.

Video from Jersey 2007, Victoria Avenue stage.

2008-04-21T22:17:00.003+01:00

Thanks to JerseySandy for the footage!

EMCOS Stages.

2008-03-30T12:55:00.004+01:00

As you may have read on the Roofing Rally Team blog {link} we're entering the EMCOS Stages {link} at Down Ampney on 24th May. hopefully we'll have better luck than last year where the Escort retired ~ didn't it always!!?! We're hoping to have the new (to us) Metro 6R4 fully set-up to suit Adrian's driving style for the EMCOS. We'll use it as a final systems check before venturing out onto bigger events!
The 2 pictures on this post were taken at Down Ampney last year.

New e-mail address.

2008-03-05T12:08:00.002Z

EWR has another (new) e-mail address:~ erikwestrallying(at)googlemail(dot)com. There are plenty more developments in the pipeline and (hopefully) a couple of new sponsors too!

On the rallying side of things 2008 looks like it could be quite dramatic and enjoyable once the season finally starts! More news to follow once the final details are confirmed.

News.

2008-02-26T12:25:00.004Z

There's nothing spectacular happening at present I'm afraid. We're still working on a rally programme for the Roofing Rally Team and the Metro 6R4. Once that's sorted details will appear on the Roofing Rally Team blog {link}, on here and on my MySpace site {link} too.

Away from competition I'm pleased to be making better than expected progress through physio which is good news (at last!!). I also have finally started to sort my study out at home and now have a new computer ready to work its magic on Roofing Rally Team and Erik West Rallying blogs, press releases, newletters, articles and the like. All I need now is a broadband connection.....

You see the strangest things.....

2008-02-19T15:55:00.004Z

Driving to the shops on Saturday I had an 80s movie moment, coming towards me was the De Lorean featured in the Back to the Future films. After a quick glance I thought nothing more of it until I returned home from my shopping trip to the De Lorean parked next door!

It's not every day that a genuine film star appears next door!

An Evo from the past.

2008-01-30T15:41:00.000Z

Here's a nice picture from Pose Rallying of Adrian Smekss and I at Wilbarston in a Group N Evo. This has to be the most comfortable stage car I have ever rallied in!
The Evo was replaced shortly after this picture was taken by an MG Metro 6R4 which was far more enjoyable and a lot, lot louder!.

Leg update.

2008-01-16T16:38:00.000Z

I'm now brace and plaster free, the first time since falling leaving Jersey A&E on the 13th October last year. Now I really have to concentrate on getting full use of my knee back. The physio and I are really pleased with how things are going!

My first face lift.

2008-01-16T11:19:00.001Z

Not for me but for the Erik West Rallying blog! It’s not a radical face lift, I just think the new look is a little better to read. Hope you like it!

Corner Motor Sport

2008-01-15T12:52:00.000Z

Having co-driven for Andy Corner on many rallies (and having won a few championships with him) it's only fair to guide you to his website. Follow the link here through to the Corner Motor Sport web site.
Andy has set up the Corner Motor Sport web sit in conjunction with his son Dan, who is one of England's fastest and most impressive young rally drivers.

Autosport International & my race suit.

2008-01-14T10:30:00.000Z

Thanks to my injury I was unable to attend Autosport International on the AAT stand, in fact due to my injury there was no AAT (Advanced Autosport Technologies Limited ~ link) stand at the NEC this year! This was a shame as my Erik West Rallying race suit was due to be a star attraction of the stand, being such a cutting edge design AAT were hoping to showcase the suit. Sadly my long recovery period from the Jersey fall prevented it, that accident has really caused a lot of problems!
Currently my race suit is doing far more travelling than me! In the last few weeks it has been all over mainland Britain and even managed a flight to Galway too (the last time I was in Galway was over 15 years ago when three of us went Youth Hostelling round Ireland!).
Expect to see many more race suits from AAT (link) using concepts pioneered on my Klöber (link) and S M Roofing (link) backed Erik West Rallying race suit. The designs for my 2009 suit are already taking shape, once again it will be at the forefront of FIA approved race wear, it should look pretty impressive too!

Exclusive team wear.

2008-01-14T10:28:00.000Z

The final design for Erik West Rallying jackets has just been completed and the first batch is due to be produced before my first event of this 2008 season. I’m co-driving for Adrian Smekss in the Roofing Rally Team MG Metro 6R4 once more and really looking forward to the power and noise of the ex-Group B car!
If you are interested in purchasing a jacket (not sure why you would want one apart from its excellent quality and exclusivity) then please e-mail me ~ erikwestrallying (at) yahoo (dot) co (dot) uk

A nice picture.

2008-01-09T13:29:00.000Z

Whilst posting some pictures on the Roofing Rally Team blog (link) I found this one taken of my side of the car. That's all the excuse I needed to post it on here!

The photo was taken by Pose Rallying (link) at Hixon. unfortunately we didn't finish the event, even more disappointing I ended up going to Stafford General on a body board! luckily they released me the same day.

Final picture from Jersey 2007.

2008-01-05T17:02:00.000Z

Not particularly rally related but a Jersey cow none the less!
The good news is that plans are underway for the 6R4 to be in Jersey again this year!

Happy New Year!

2008-01-02T13:31:00.000Z

Happy New year to you all!
Well, that was 2007 I wonder what 2008 will be like.....

I'm really looking forward to getting back into the Roofing Rally Team {link} MG Metro 6R4 and putting the dreadful 2007 season firmly out of my mind! Complete plans for the 2008 season are being drawn up as I write this, my injury has stopped me developing one idea I had but has given me a few others to follow through the year.
Importantly I'm {hopefully} in the last throws of recovery, having kissed goodbye to my plaster casts (final one pictured below) and hoping to be rid of my brace soon too! Physio is going well, at least they seem very pleased with my progress. I hope to be staggering round work very soon, it all depends on what the hospital say.
With any luck I'll be at the Streetly Motor Club {link} awards night, although there won't be any silverware coming home with me; the first time in many years ~ oh well at least Diana will be happy!

Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year.

2007-12-19T12:32:00.001Z

Well that's all the blogging I have time for in 2007, have a great Christmas and a fantastic New Year. I look forward to meeting you out and about on the stages and in the services areas in 2008!

Leg brace fitted.

2007-12-06T14:46:00.000Z

Well I'm now in a full leg brace made of metal and plastic. It's the final step along the road to recovery, although walking without it is still a fair few weeks away unfortunately.
I'd like to be walking properly and unaided by Autosport International but that might be a little optomistic, we'll see. I certainly intend to be ready for the 2008 rally season of that there is no doubt!

New co-driver website.

2007-11-28T14:49:00.000Z

Co-Driver Search UK is a new and very useful co-driver website. Aimed at finding drivers for co-drivers and co-drivers for drivers it looks like being an excellent resource for anyone competing in British rallying. Naturally I've added my profile to the site, although I'm very happy co-driving for Adrian Smekss in the Roofing Rally Team Metro 6R4.

Co-Driver Search UK

Jersey Rally picture.

2007-11-26T14:31:00.000Z

Here's a picture from the Paperclix Jersey rally (prior to the event start) of a wonderful Escort mark 1 and the stunning Aston Martin GT rally car. As far as I know the Escort finished, the Aston certainly didn't.
When the Aston Martin GT was running it sounded absolutely wonderful, the most impressive car on the event by far. The black marks left by the spinning rear wheels off the start line were also mightily impressive. It is nice to see different cars being rallied, the Aston has to be one of the stranger choices though!

Better net access.

2007-11-22T12:20:00.000Z

At last! I'm able to cope with a trip by car to the office where I can sit and type a few words before having to go and lay down! Updates will be a little more regular now, although with the season over there's not actually too much to write about.....

Sponsorship.

2007-11-22T12:19:00.000Z

Despite being laid up with my leg in the air (still) I’m very pleased to announce that Advanced Autosport Technologies Limited {link} are continuing their sponsorship deal with me. Having supplied the Roofing Rally Team {link} race suits last year and for 2008 they are continuing their product-based sponsorship.
First up is the Monit TC100 trip meter {link}. As already mentioned on this blog I’m very impressed with the new Monit MT100 trip, which has proven to be easy to use and particularly compact. At £29i9.00 + VAT the Monit is exceptional value and is so easy to use I’m not surprised that they are dominating the Australian and New Zealand markets. As with GA races suits, Monit trip meters are a quality level higher than almost everything currently available.
AAT are sorting out a few other deals for me which is fantastic and for which I’m very grateful.

Co-driver supplies.

2007-11-22T12:18:00.000Z

Thanks to my teaching contacts I am now able to offer a wide range of pens, pencils, erasers, note pads, rulers, glue and even footballs. Admittedly I can’t think why a co-driver would need a football but everything else is exceptionally useful. Priced for children rather than the glamorous world of motorsport I think you’ll find the range offer good value. I’ve put together a couple of supply kits that contain everything you should require plus a few spares. Glance through the price list below and I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised. {I’ve not included a football in any of the kits, if you think you’ll need one just e-mail me for a price!} There’s so much available I’ve only given a very brief out line, e-mail with your requirements and I’ll reply with full options and costs. One thing is for sure these prices are hard to beat!

Pencils:~ HB, B or 2B £0.17 each or £0.10 each in a box of 12.
Self-propelling pencils:~ Pen style £2.40 each or £0.28 each for plastic in a pack of 12.
Fibre tip pens:~ (blue, black green or red ink) £0.40 each or £0.25 each in a box of 12.
Biro pens:~ (Papermate; blue, black or red ink) £0.35 each or £0.27 each in a box of 20.
Highlighter pens:~ (blue, green, orange, pink or yellow) £0.75 each.
OHP pens:~ (fine or medium; permanent or washable; pack of 6) £2.15 per pack .
Erasers:~ £0.40 each.
Rulers:~ from £0.22 each depending on spec ~ flexible rulers, curves etc available.
Clipboards:~ Hardboard, A4 £1.10 Plastic, A4 £1.37 Hardboard, A3 width £2.12.
Note pads:~ A4 recycled paper £1.90 each, A5 recycled paper £1.30 each.
Misc:~ Metal pencil sharpener £0.35 each, 13mm diameter stickers (6 varying colours; 140 in a pack) £1.00 per pack, Scissors (plastic handle 105mm blade) £1.20 each, Footballs (regulation size) from £3.50 each.

Road Rally Kit:~ 12 x pencils, 10 biros, 2 x highlighters, 3 erasers, 1 x A4 hardboard clipboard, 1 x A5 notepad and 2 x pencil sharpeners. Kit price £9.75 plus P&P.

Multi-use Stage Rally Kit:~ 6 x pencils, 5 x biros, 8 x fibre tip pens, 1 x OHP pen pack, 5 x highlighters, 2 erasers, 1 x A4 plastic clipboard, 2 x A4 notepad and 1 x pencil sharpener. Kit price £14.00 plus P&P.

Multi-venue Stage Rally Kit:~ 12 x pencils, 5 x biros, 8 x fibre tip pens, 2 x OHP pen packs, 4 x highlighters, 2 erasers, 1 x A4 plastic clipboard, 2 x A4 notepad, 1 x scissors, 13mm sticker pack and 1 x pencil sharpener. Kit price £17.00 plus P&P.

Pictures from Jersey.

2007-11-19T14:09:00.000Z

No pictures of the car as yet, just me on gas & air (great stuff for sending you silly!). The second picture is of Adrian, Margaret, Adam and the S M Roofing guests (whose names I've forgotten, sorry!!) after they helped carry my on a stretcher to the waiting ambulance.The photographs are taken by Jerry from 6R4.info (link) which has a great forum and gallery section. thanks to him for letting me post them here.

Cast number 2.....

2007-11-17T15:33:00.001Z

I’m now on my second full leg cast, which is a good thing! This is a complete cast that covers everything from just above my ankle to almost the top of my thigh. Movement is still nonexistent and I’m still not allowed to put any weight on it. I have to be in this cast for another couple of weeks then I’ll find out what’s next for me along the road to recuperation.

2007; the good and the bad.

2007-11-17T15:24:00.000Z

There’s no doubt that my 2007 motorsport season is over; it’s unlikely that I’ll be walking without crutches before 2008 which stops me hoping into any rally car no matter how keen I may be. So what was good and what was bad for me in 2007?
The good:~ (in no particular order) > I enjoyed every stage mile we completed at speed. > Adrian is driving quicker than ever before. > My son, Mark, enjoys rallying already! It is great to be back in a Metro 6R4. > The new AAT supplied race suit is fantastic. > The Monit trip meter is also fantastic. We (Roofing Rally Team) completed more stage mileage on Jersey than we have ever done before. > 2008 can’t be as bad as 2007! > This blog is up and running ~ injuries and holidays permitting. > I did some more forestry rallying which was fantastic fun, naturally it ended in early retirement but it was enjoyable all the same!
The bad:~ (in no particular order) > As I write this my left leg is fully encased in a cast and I can’t walk without the aid of crutches. > I retired from every rally I contested. A lot of good rally people have passed away this year. > Spurs are having a dreadful start to the football season, as are VfB Stuttgart (not strictly motorsport related but still very disappointing!)! > My new helmet’s intercom is not as good as expected or promised, I certainly won’t recommend it to anyone else ~ the helmet is good, the intercom far less so. > Rallying continues to get more and more expensive. > Some single venue rallies are badly organised and descend into chaos far too quickly (I know how difficult rallies are to organise but every entrant has spent a lot of money getting ready for and entering the event; they really do deserve a good service!). > K37 and fuel chaos ~ finally resolved which will, hopefully, be a good thing.

2007-11-17T15:15:00.000Z

One of the definite positives to come from the Jersey rally is just how fantastic the Monit trip meter fitted to the Roofing Rally Team 6R4 is. Easy to use, in fact exceptionally simple to use the Monit trip is the best I have ever used! Light but stunningly practical there is no better trip available for the clubman. It offers everything you could ever want (including speed, stopwatch and 2 distance readings) and can be calibrated on the move quickly and simply.

I have used trips from virtually every European manufacturer and none come close to the standard offered by the New Zealand made Monit. If you are considering a new trip meter look no further than a Monit, they really are excellent and are as easy to use as a mobile phone. Added to that they are considerable lighter than anything else on offer at present ~ it really is a win win situation when you use a Monit trip! {link}

Ouch!!

2007-11-17T15:14:00.000Z

Here is the reason for the huge delay in updating this blog!
Whilst out spectating on the Grouville stage on Saturday afternoon I managed to stumble and rupture 80% of my left quad tendon. This put me straight into A&E, somewhat ruining the rest of my stay in Jersey. After X-rays and a couple of ultrasounds I was released back into the wild with a full leg splint and a set of crutches with the words of the doctor ringing in my ears:~ “Go straight from the airport to your local hospital!”
I did as instructed and am pleased to report that I was operated on and am now on the road to recovery, although it appears that it might be a longer road than I’d hoped. Having my left leg in a full cast and no Internet access at home (as yet) I’ve been unable to update the blog until today. Hopefully things will improve from now although I’m not due for my next, more manoeuvrable, cast for a couple of weeks…..
Before ending this post I’d really like to thank Suzanne and her son (sorry I don’t know his name) who were a great help whilst I was waiting for the ambulance. Adrian, Jerry, Margaret, Adam and the rest of the SM Roofing guests were great, although I have yet to see all the pictures they took as I was stretchered away…..
Naturally I have to thank everyone at both hospitals I visited (Jersey and New Cross) who were fantastic and really looked after me well. If you feel the need to visit an A&E department Jersey’s is especially impressive!

Paperclix Jersey Rally Result

2007-11-17T15:08:00.000Z

Sorry for the delay in posting, the reason is explained in the posting headed “Ouch!” Anyway back to the 25th Paperclix Jersey Rally {link}. It really was a disappointment for me; we retired the Roofing Rally Team Metro 6R4 at the end of the first day after breaking the rear diff on the spectator stages.
We’d spent quite some time preparing the car for the tight lanes, including removing the front spoiler and the “pigs ears” that attach it. The nature of the stages meant we knew that the bodywork was going to take a bit of a bashing and we accepted this.
Certainly we were off the leaders pace but we were pleased to get a couple of top five stage times. Fears about the hairpins were relatively unfounded; they slowed us considerably but didn’t require any three-point turns thankfully. Unfortunately the nature of the spectator stage meant that our fully loaded rear diff was unable to take the strain and it broke off the start line of the last stage! With no spare we had to pack up at the final service and retire.
It was a disappointing end to an enjoyable event, which had seen us become a firm favourite with the spectators ~ you just can’t beat the sound of a 6R4 being driven hard!

1 day to go!

2007-10-11T14:28:00.000+01:00

Well the recce for Paperclix Jersey Rally is now complete, my notes were written up yesterday during the day. Adrian and I are now completely ready to go. The MG Metro 6R4 arrived on the island late this morning and it is ready for tonight's scrutineering.

The stages are the usual Jersey style ~ tight and twisty. The hairpins are tight but certainly not impossible, especially as we have removed the big front spoiler to (A) prevent damage and (B) reduce the length of the car. We're confident now that we should be able to drive round all the hairpins. The stages on Victoria Avenue tomorrow evening look to be very, very fast and should be tremendous for all the spectators! The weather is set fair with lovely sunshine and warm temperatures so we're expecting this year's rally to be very challenging with speeds quite high.

The trip meter, map light and drinks bags are all fitted and in working order. The trip is a joy to use which makes life so much easier for me!

Sponsor's colour scheme.

2007-10-06T21:46:00.000+01:00

The picture above shows the Roofing Rally Team colour scheme for the 2007 Paperclix Jersey Rally. The week running up to the event sees the final few decals going on prior to numbers and event stickers being stuck on just before scrutineering on the 11th.
I think the scheme works well and looks nice, it will be interesting to see how well it photographs at speed and at night.

My office.

2007-10-06T21:36:00.000+01:00

Here's a quick look at where I'll be sat for the driving part (stage and road miles) of the Paperclix Jersey Rally. Basic but not too bad I think you'll agree. Notice that the dash is the road car version which actually works very well in the hustle and bustle of competition. just out of picture is my new trip meter ~ it is fixed to the door on a hand crafted (thanks Mickey) bracket.
The silver padding is extra sound proofing fitted to help deaden the wail of the 2.5 engine that sits just inches behind our seats. With the new helmets and intercom not being as good as expected we've had to try and lower sound levels by other means.
It will certainly get warm in their, especially in Nomex underwear and a race suit so the wind down windows will be a bonus. Whilst they're not as light as perspex they certainly score higher for practicality!
I'm very keen to get over onto the island now and start focusing on the stages, only a few days 'til we fly out.....

Paperclix Jersey Rally.

2007-10-06T11:07:00.000+01:00

Here's the top 20 for next week's event:~

1 Chris Le Bonniec / Nigel Pallot - Ford Escort WRC

2 Stuart Fossey / Theresa Fossey - Ford Escort Mk II

3 Berian Richards / Russell Davies - Escort Mk II

4 Jeremy Baudains / James Ollivro - Ford Escort Mk II

5 Steve Fleck / Mark Aspinwall - BMW M3

6 Dave Appleby - Mark Milton - Aston Martin V8 GT

7 Paul Cooper / Roger Mallalieu - Ford Focus ½WRC

8 Rob De St Paer / Jeremy Phillips - Escort Mk1

9 Adrian Brown / Alan Frame - Escort Mk1

10 Paul Trebert / John Vaudin - Ford Escort G3

11 Ron Allen / Fiona Scarrett - Ford Escort Mk II

12 Dean Le Bailly / Francis Touzel - Escort Mk1

13 Kevin Rumens / Kay Taylor - Escort Mk II

14 Andy Baker / Lee Burgess - Peugeot 205 GTI

15 Mark Follain / David Powell - Escort Mk1

16 Stephen Leonard / Paul Leonard - Escort Mk1

17 Andy Corner / Ade Camp - Peugeot 205 GTI

18 Adrian Smekss / Erik West - MG Metro 6R4

19 James Hansford / Andrew De La Cour - Ford Escort Mk II

20 Vin Hughes / Jez Harris - Ford Escort Cosworth

Jersey here we come!

2007-10-06T10:12:00.000+01:00

After a nice holiday with my family I'm now fully into preparations for the Paperclix Jersey Rally (link).

The car is virtually ready, only minor items need finishing plus my new trip meter needs fitting.

There's lots of comments on a few forums about how tight some of the hairpins are. We're going to wait until we see the stages before making any comments on how tight or open they are. As Adrian said "if we have to 6 point turn we will, I don't care how slow it is we'll get round somehow!" We fly out on the 9th to look at the stages so we'll know by dinner time what we will have to do. The car comes out to Jersey 2 days later in time for scrutineering. We'll be the only 6R4 on the rally which should mean interest in us is high which is always nice!

Here's a link to a video or two of the 2006 Jersey Rally just to give the flavour of the stages.

Not ideal but....

2007-09-16T16:11:00.000+01:00

Our result on the Thor Hammer Stages wasn't what we'd hoped for. The gearbox broke on stage one (first gear appears to have disintegrated!) forcing us to retire. We did manage to do later stages once the car had checked over in service so it did still prove to be a very useful test session. Our stage times were well on the pace, despite having a broken 'box.
We learnt a fair bit about the car despite our small amount of running. It now handles as Adrian wants, more oversteer than understeer. it brakes exceptionally well and (when the 'box is working properly) accelerates well too.
Whilst its disappointing to have retired it isn't too bad because we now have chance to rebuild the 'box and we still got about 20 miles of competitive mileage under our belts. With one more small shakedown at a private venue we should head to Jersey knowing the car well.

Thor Hammer Stages.

2007-09-14T13:25:00.000+01:00

With a top 20 full of 4 wheel drive, turbo charged cars this weekend's rally looks like being really good fun. We're not too interested in overall position as competitive mileage is far more important for us. With our entry for Jersey confirmed we need to get as used to the car as possible.

It will be interesting to see the difference between the old set-up and the current one, hopefully the car will be a little more responsive in the tight and twisty stuff. The venue may be a lot, lot rougher than Jersey but it should prove useful for gauging acceleration now we've changed step-off gears.

I was looking forward to seeing my parents-in-law spectating on the rally but they have gone to Germany instead, I don't think it was anything I said.....

Picture from the first shakedown.

2007-09-09T16:13:00.000+01:00

Here's a picture of the Roofing Rally Team 6R4 at its first shakedown just before Twyford Wood.

Really useful website.

2007-09-08T09:16:00.000+01:00

Interested in British rallying? Interested in Irish rallying? Interested in World rallying? If you are then BritishRally.co.uk is a website that should be in your favourites.

The site has an excellent forum, classified adverts, a calendar as well as a rally directory. BritishRally.co.uk is used by people involved in all aspects of rallying; be they competitors, club and event officials, marshals, spectators and sponsors. Discussions on the forum cover all aspects of rallying including technical queries, pre and post event information and even photography.

Clink the link and see for your self!

Updates.

2007-09-08T08:22:00.000+01:00

German: First class of the term is on the 17th of September at 19:00. (FFHCA link)
Hedgehogs: They now have 2 snug houses and their own special food. (BHPS link)
Workmen: We are still waiting for them to finish the room!

Fantastic trip meter!

2007-08-28T09:00:00.000+01:00

I've just ordered the best trip meter I've ever had the pleasure to use! It's as easy to use as a mobile phone and exceptionally compact. It out performs all other trips I've seen and used with it's simple menus, light weight and excellent price.

Calibrating it is a dream too, no more measured miles ~ it can be set up on the move usinf any known distance, how revolutionary and co-driver friendly is that?!?

The trip meter will be officially launched in the UK in November but I'm so impressed I've ordered one for the 6R4 already!

WRC ~ a new beginning?

2007-08-25T12:00:00.000+01:00

There are plans announced on almost a weekly basis to revive/restructure/reinvent/rescue the World Rally Championship. I've got an idea that seems reasonably good (to me at least.....):~

Engine:~ 6 cylinder(max) with a capacity of 3500ccm (max). No turbos or traction control. Drive train:~ Mechanical diffs only. Rear wheel drive.

Body shell:~ Production model similar in style to current WRC styles with a minimum length a la current regs.

The rules would allow a manufacturer to use any V6 from their range in any suitable bodyshell ~ a V6 Astra would be allowed as would a V6 Volvo C30. Porsche could also field a team of Caymans and how about a Nissan 350Z or Chrysler Crossfire team?

All bar Suzuki of the current WRC teams could build cars, there are also a very wide range of other manufacturers who have suitable engines and models in their product range including Alfa Romeo, Honda, Toyota, Renault, Lancia, Dodge, Chevrolet, Mercedes, Lexus and BMW.

The howl of V6s, the sideways attitude of rear wheel drive, who could resist?

Peugeot 205 pictures.

2007-08-20T09:01:00.000+01:00

There are some good pictures of Andy Corner and I on the Thame Motor Club site here. Taken by S C Photography (link) they show Andy and I in championship winning form at Oakington in his 1600 Peugeot 205 GTI.

Andy used to get the 205 at some amazing angles of oversteer and always recover for te next bend. For the sheer pleasure of sideways rallying the 205 with Andy is very hard to beat, I loved every second of it!

New residents.

2007-08-17T11:22:00.000+01:00

We've just adopted two small and prickly creatures into the family. There are now two orphaned hedgehogs residing in our garden after the local rescue centre contacted Diana. They're about 700 grams each and seem to have settled in well already, we spent an interested hour or so watching them ramble round the garden and patio searching for food.

My weekend project is to build them a nice little home to keep them warm, dry and safe. They might even keep the beans slug free too!

No mention of event names.

2007-08-17T11:07:00.001+01:00

Why don't I publicise our test events by name and date? One reason mainly, we don't want to attract attention. Once the entry list is published I'm happy to let the whole world know what we're doing until then the whole team prefer to keep things nice and quiet.
This only applies for test and shakedown events, events we're contesting as a normal rally will get full pre and post event coverage.

Next rally approaches.

2007-08-17T10:54:00.000+01:00

An entry has been sent off for our next rally in the 6R4. Having altered the car to suit Adrian's driving style and also to improve its performance I'm keen to see just how dramatic the change will be.

We're rallying at a new venue to all of us which is always a bit more of a challenge, especially as the venue is mixed surface. We're surfing the web to find any footage of the venue so we don't arrive completely unprepared!

Excellent pictures!

2007-08-11T10:07:00.000+01:00

If you follow the Centenary Stages link on 6r4 online website you'll see a selection of excellent pictures of Adrian and I in action. Taken by Malcolm Almond they're really good quality.

Useful 6R4 sites.

2007-08-09T12:35:00.000+01:00

For excellent pictures and information on the Metro 6R4 there are 2 really good websites:~ 6R4 online and 6R4 net. They are both fantastic sources of information etc on all things 6R4, whether it is from the Group B days or last weekend.

If you visit the sites you might even see a picture of two of Adrian and I in action!

Centenary Stages.

2007-08-09T10:21:00.000+01:00

What can I say? How much fun is a 6R4?!! We may have retired on stage 5 but until then it was fantastic being back in a proper ex-Group B rally car. Certainly it was a little disappointing to retire but the positives certainly outweight the negatives. Despite an issue with understeer the handling was still impressive, the power was as impressive as ever although we did bog down coming out of corners more than expected. The 330mm brakes were truly fantastic at stopping the car, braking distances were getting shorter and shorter as Adrian got used to them.

We could probably have trailed round at very slow speed instead of retiring (broken bottom arm) but we opted for the safer option of parking up. There was no point in risking extra damage on what was an extended test session.

Having got the car back to the workshop the team have found that not only was the diff fully loaded (perfect for understeer on tight, twisty and loose stages!!) we were also using the incorrect stepoff gear, it was the road car ratio which is good for top speed but far from great for acceleration.....

The only really disappointing part of the event was how ineffective the intercom was a dealing with the noise of a 2.5 6R4 engine. On the face of it my old Peltor coped far better which is a great disappointment as I sold it many months ago! Oh well.....

Plans are underway for the next event, which can't arrive quick enough if you ask me!

Car 73.

2007-08-01T08:40:00.000+01:00

We've had our seeding for this weekend's event at Twyford Wood:~ we're car 73! Luckily it doesn't mean we're right at the back though as we're actually running 7th on the road.

The mixed surfaces really should prove to be a test for the new car, they should also be tremendous fun for Adrian and I. We've never had good luck at Twyford but hopefully that will all change this weekend. We do have to concentrate more on the car than stage times, it is nearly a year since we rallied a 6R4.....

The car is having a final straight line systems check on Friday before being loaded up and taken to scrutineering.

First event draws near.

2007-07-28T11:03:00.000+01:00

The first event in the new Roofing Rally Team 6R4 draws ever closer! The entry has been sent off, the new wheels have tyres fitted, even the fuel is ready. There's a tremendous feeling of anticipation in the team, the excitement is building daily. There's always extra nerves on the first event in a new car and I certainly don't expect this one to be any different. Whilst we won't be doing much more than a systems check at competitive speed we're certainly not intending on being slow.....

It's nice to know that our entry has arrived in Jersey, here's hoping we get a run on the closed road event. I'm lucky enough to have competed on the Jersey Rally about 5 times and can really recommend not only the stages but the whole event, as well as the island of Jersey itself.

Streetly Motor Club are having a game night this coming Wednesday and have created a virtual stage with a virtual 6R4 for people to drive ~ everywhere I look there are 6R4s! So much so that I even have a very limited run of Roofing Rally Team model 6R4s being made ~ very limited being 5!!

Eastern Bloc fun.

2007-07-20T09:58:00.000+01:00

As I'm preparing to get back into a 6R4 again I got to thinking about other cars I've rallied in and I realised that some of the most fun I've had rallying has been in "unfashionable" Eastern Bloc cars.

I was lucky enough to experience Andy Corner's Skodaford which was great fun despite being a gearbox killer. We managed to win our class in the Heart of England Rally Championship that year but the resounding memory I have was from the Jersey Rally.

On the way to the ceremonial start we stopped for fuel and as we made our out of the tunnel the gearbox broke, we'd not even got to the start and retirement was staring us in the face! The service crew and Andy pulled out all the stops (and the gearbox too) and managed to get us to the start virtually seconds before we were due to leave. Andy was now really fired up and the rain started - could it get any worse? Well yes it could because the interior lights failed as we waited for the start of stage 1..... Those evening stages were the most sideways tarmac miles of my life, truly fantastic fun and crowd pleasing too.

My next brush with Communist automotive technology came in the AWMMC Road Rally Championship after we blew a hole in our Mini's diff. A quick trip into Edgbaston and we had a Russian red Lada for our next event! Whilst it wasn't the fastest it certainly proved to be pretty indestructible, surviving valve bounce all the way up Sweet Lamb's long hills as we did they daylight Eagle Rally. On any white we knew we could take time out of the Escorts, 205s and everything else, the little Lada could cope with the roughest conditions all night long, the seats were comfortable too and what a heater - on full blast we could turn the inside of the car into a sauna in seconds!!!
Neither is on par with a 6R4 but they were great fun to rally and proved to be successful silverware collectors. Rose tinted spectacles probably makes them a little more fun than they really were but I really enjoyed my events in both cars. The fun factor of each car was far greater that its performance but as I rally for enjoyment first and foremost I really didn't care. Not that I'd swap my seat in the 6R4 to get back in either car.....

Workmen and German.

2007-07-14T11:17:00.000+01:00

I wonder if the phrase "urgent" exists in the vocab of workmen..... Judging by the Bohemian look (unfinished!!) to the study/office at home I suspect not! Hopefully it will all be sorted in time for my seasonal closed-road tarmac rally. I'm aiming to have this blog updated regularly from the event either directly or through texts to my wonderful wife.

This eductaional year has drawn to a close and already I'm planning my next year of German evening classes! It's not quite as adreneline filled as motorsport but I enjoy teaching and have done over the many years I've done it. If you have the urge to learn I could probably even do a distance learning course, although I find face-to-face (to quote a Siouxsie and the Banshees song) works better.

Ready to rumble.

2007-07-14T10:58:00.000+01:00

The 6R4 is ready and I finally have my helmet! It's looking good for our first event in the new car. The team are waiting confirmation of entry then there will be information on here and Roofing Rallying's blog (here).

I'm still looking forward to rallying in the new 6R4, it will be interesting to see what differences are noticeable between the 2.5 and our old 2.8 ~ although the Cosworths have dimmed the memories slightly.

A nice photo.

2007-07-06T18:48:00.000+01:00

A nice photo of the Escort, before it broke a driveshaft..... (Copyright EDP Photo News)

First impressions.

2007-07-04T19:09:00.000+01:00

Well, I've seen our new rally car and it looks impressive.

Dodging the rain storms I managed to get a quick picture (below and on the team's site). There is a revised colour scheme planned and a few minor alterations to undertake but basically the car is ready to rally.
I'm looking forward to being in the new car, until you're not in a 6R4 you don't realise just how much you'll miss them! It will be nice to see people's reactions as we motor along in a rallying icon ~ we've always found the fans and public really enjoy seeing the 6R4, even on road sections and when we take it off the trailer!
Preparations are underway for our first rally in the new car, it will only be a small event that we'll use a shakedown and re-acclimatisation session. After that we'll be concentrating on preparing for a closed road event.

Back to the future.

2007-06-30T09:54:00.000+01:00

Great news from Roofing Rally Team! The ever unreliable Escort Cosworths have been replaced by a bright red 2.5 MG Metro 6R4.

Having achieved some of my best results in 6R4s I'm really looking forward to rallying in one again. The new car is beautifully prepared and has been excelently maintained. The team have a few updates they'd like to do to the car before it is rallied in anger. Our main aim is to take it the 6R4 to the Jersey Rally in October and enjoy ourselves on the closed road stages of the island.

It's great to be rallying a 6R4 again, a car that the whole Roofing Rally Team know and understand well. The 6R4 suits Adrian's driving style and we're hoping for a lot more good results on coming events.

Moving time.

2007-06-30T09:39:00.000+01:00

Sorry for the lack of updates! We have been moving at work and the decorators are stopping me updating from home. Everything is gently getting sorted and I should be back to regular posts very shortly.

Shafted, again!

2007-06-21T07:33:00.000+01:00

Well what can I say? After working hard with Adrian to get the best result we could on the Dukeries we were let down by..... you've guessed it..... a driveshaft!
Conditions were damp to be polite and we suffered from a severe lack of traction right up to our retirement on the second running of Sherwood Pines. having said that we were pleased with our performance, especially as this was Adrian's first event on very wet gravel. The pacenotes worked OK and we were really enjoying ourselves which makes the retirement even more frustrating than any of the others this year!
The disappointment of another retirement was tempered by the knowledge that this was our last event in the Escort and that (as of today) a new car will be taking the Escort's place.
I'm looking forward to the new car and can't wait for our first test.

Dukeries Stages car 38.

2007-06-13T18:25:00.000+01:00

The final countdown for the Dukeries is well and truly underway.
There are just a few days left before the start of the rally and I'm looking forward to it, although the weather seems to have thrown a bit of a wobbly! Having watched the safety DVD the stages look really challenging with some wonderful straights and fast sections!
I know there are a lot of people coming watch, mainly from Roofing Rally Team's sponsors although there seem to be quite a few from Adrian's son's (Tommi) school too!. The more the merrier I'm sure, my son (Mark) will be firmly wrapped up at home with his mum and Oma and Opa I'm sure.

Safety notes have arrived.

2007-06-09T09:50:00.000+01:00

I started watching the safety note DVD for the Dukeries last night and was most impressed with the stages we'll be doing. I am really looking forward to seeing the stages at rally speed next weekend. The stages appear to be very challenging, they are quite narrow in places and very fast in others. They should suit the Escort quite well, especially after our test session last weekend.

At last, well nearly!

2007-05-24T20:10:00.000+01:00

Astoundingly I will (or at least should) have my new helmet for the test Adrian and I are doing before the Dukeries. Just when I thought my trusty old Peltor would have to see out another season I got a call saying my new helmet is on its way. Excellent news! Hopefully the extra clarity will cancel out the increased noise in the forest. I know Adrian is still over the moon with his new helmet, I hope I'm similarly impressed. To be fair if the helmet is half as good as my new race suit I'm going to be delighted!
My new suit has drawn complimentary comments even when it's hanging up airing, although when the neighbour mentioned my lovely, bright "space suit" I was a little taken aback! At home the big advantage of the new suit over my old suit is just how light it is, I'm not concerned about hanging it off door frames or wardrobes unlike my heavy old suit.
For more information on race suits click here.

Dukeries here I come!

2007-05-24T19:54:00.000+01:00

As can be read on the Roofing Rally Team blog {here} my next event will be the Rainworth Skoda Dukeries Rally. Based in and around Sherwood forest it should be a great event and I'm really looking forward to it.
Whilst we won't be able to check the pacenotes as we do on other events they will still be far better than an OS map! Adrian is looking forward to watching the DVD to give him a better idea of what we'll be driving along.
We have a test session in Wales booked for the week before the event so hopefully we can set the car up to suit Adrian. It will be nice to finally have a clean, problem free rally and hopefully the test will ensure that's exactly what we get on the Dukeries.

For full event information visit the Rainworth Skoda Dukeries Rally website here. For more information on the Roofing Rally Team click here.

Congratulations!

2007-05-22T15:21:00.000+01:00

Well done to VfB Stuttgart 1893 e.V. who managed to win the Bundesliga despite my support! Good luck to them in the final of the DFB cup (German FA cup) against 1. FC Nürnberg. Follow the cup final on VfB Stuttgart's website here.
Additional congratulations to London Wasps who are now champions of Europe having won the Heineken Cup Final at Twickenham last weekend. Wasps website here.

19.05.2007 @ 15:30

2007-05-16T11:14:00.000+01:00

This has absolutely nothing to do with motorsport or rallying at all.
I'd just like to wish VfB Stuttgart good luck for the final game of this season's Bundesliga. If they win they're champions! As you may have guessed kick off is at 15:30 on the 19th.
Follow the game and the team on their website here.

Maps.

2007-05-14T10:02:00.000+01:00

I started rallying using OS maps on road rallies and even now quite enjoy rallying off maps. However I was up with my parents-in-law last weekend and saw a Victorian era map of their local area. Wow! With every field marked on the map became just difficult to read, being black and white didn't help either. It wasn't quite as difficult to read as the OS map for Jersey but then there wasn't as much habitation around Halsham when Victoria was queen.

Back to the woods...

2007-05-11T09:29:00.000+01:00

My next event is certain to be a forest/gravel rally. Adrian wants to use the Escort for a forest event or two before (hopefully) doing the Jersey Rally.

Having rallied almost exclusively on tarmac for the last 5 years it will be nice to get back into the woods again. We did the Premier Stages last year and thoroughly enjoyed it and am looking forward to more of the same from the next event!

As an aside it looks like I'll be off to Bavaria to collect a helmet and other items sometime next week. The disappointing thing is that it will be a one day trip so I don't get a chance to sample the local brews...

Happy Birthday!

2007-05-09T09:38:00.000+01:00

Happy Birthday to my son Mark who is now one year old!

Next event.

2007-05-08T16:41:00.000+01:00

After the problems at Down Ampney Roofing Rally Team are thinking long and hard about what event they will contest next. There is going to be at least one test session before any event is undertaken and the search for suitable test venues is already underway.

Meanwhile I still have a couple of offers to do a road rally to think about!

A picture from Down Ampney

2007-05-08T16:30:00.000+01:00

Thanks to Aron Brown for this picture of the Roofing Rally Team Escort at the finish of stage 8 ~ ironically the last we completed!

MOMO underwear

2007-05-08T16:03:00.000+01:00

For the Down Ampney rally I was wearing fully FIA approved (8856-2000) nomex underwear made by MOMO. I have the black long johns, pullover and balaclava and was very impressed with their fit and comfort. They were chosen to match the race suit it must be said but I'm really impressed with them. Adrian is also a MOMO convert too.

Our sponsor AAT (link) supplied them and will be happy to discuss anything MOMO related. MOMO quality is cartainly as good as any other manufacturer and supply seems quick too.

Down Ampney result.

2007-05-08T15:52:00.000+01:00

There were 2 good things for me to take from the Owen Development Stages at Down Ampney:~
(A) my race suit is really, really comfortable, light and generally excellent. The time card pocket on the leg worked perfectly ~ I don't think I'll ever be able to rally without one again!
(B) Despite being a gravel car and running in full forest trim at the weekend the Escort was competitive until the clutch broke followed by yet more driveshaft issues.
Until we retired the Roofing Rally Team Escort had been performing well despite its high ride height and soft suspension. The brakes even coped well despite being a bit smaller than is ideal for tarmac.
We had a slow start in the morning and dropped to the tail off the top 10 but once we'd changed tyres and had a lunchtime break Adrian got the car performing as it should and we set about trying to capture 3rd overall. Looking at the times on the event website we weren't far off achieving that, that was until our mechanical gremlins reduced us to frustrated spectating.
We now have a few items to focus on before our next event:~ (1) sort the driveshaft issues (2) find me a helmet (3) get some testing on proper gravel forestry roads.

Ready for Down Ampney.

2007-05-03T11:04:00.000+01:00

Well almost everything is in place for the rally on Saturday.
The car's ready, we've nearly chosen the tyres we want to take and our suits are packed ready for scrutineering. All I need now is a helmet! My trusty open face Peltor is being pressed into service once again, hopefully for the last time.

Next event.

2007-04-25T10:11:00.000+01:00

My next event is the Owen Development Stages at Down Ampney (website). It will be the first outing for any EWR logos! The entry list looks very interesting and there are rumours of a couple more top class drivers filling out the 4wd section so it should be challenging and fun.
I've only ever been to Down Ampney once and that was a very, very unsuccessful event so I'm hoping for better luck this time!

E-mail address.

2007-04-25T09:47:00.000+01:00

EWR now has its own e-mail address. It is:~ erik west rallying (at) yahoo (dot) co (dot) uk ~ naturally there are no spaces in the address!

At last!

2007-04-17T13:17:00.000+01:00

My new tailor-made, fully embroidered race suit has arrived with a nifty Erik West Rallying logo on each arm as well as a large logo on my back.
The suit was supplied by AAT (link) and is one of their top range suits. It has lots of useful features including co-driver pockets and stretch panels here, there and everywhere. The co-driver pockets are excellent! They allow me to store three pens or pencils on my arm and keep our time cards on my leg.
Compared to my old faithful black suit this new suit is exceptional, it is so comfortable and light I can hardly believe it.
As you can seen it even has my name embroidered in large letters on the right leg just in case I forget who I am.....