Jobfixers Belgian Rally Championship

I'm now contesting the 2020 Jobfixers Belgian Rally Championship, sadly only the virtual one but it's a step in the right direction I suppose. If you're out and about on the virtual stages let me know!

COVID-19

My plans have been altered by COVID-19 - as I suspect everyone's have. I'm staying at home and staying safe; as should everyone else who possibly can!

So from doing very little I'm now doing the Azores DIRT 2.0 Rally plus various other events that come along. I've not got pedals and a wheel in time but it's just a bit of fun!

Other projects are still coming along well and I might even start a Rally Round event after Easter.

Short 2020 season...

Well that was a short season!! A couple of interesting, exciting but highly time consuming projects have just landed in my lap - that's my 2020 season put to bed before it started!

I might get some use out of my shiny new licence but not quite as much as I had planned!

Hmmm....

So here I am sat having had a wonderful family meal and a lovely Kasteel beer thinking:-

"Do I want to be on a road rally tonight?" - shockingly it appears that I'd rather spend quality time with my family instead of meander down damp and treacherous lanes in the pitch black! 

Have I grown old? Undoubtedly, I have also come to appreciate that adrenaline is wonderful but it doesn't feel anywhere near as wonderful as the love of your family! It doesn't open Christmas present in excitement, it doesn't learn to ride a bike and it certainly doesn't ask you questions about common denominators!

Balancing the need for speed and the love of a family is difficult and we all have to choose our proportions - I've discovered mine is less about mud and gears and more about love and tears!

 

2020 season.

What does the 2020 season hold? Well...

In all probability I'm going to do the same amount of events as 2019 but without using the M5! My first event should be in February with my final foray in December. 

I'll be forming a new team in 2020 and we'll probably be quite slow - my days of chasing trophies have passed so I don't mind (the loft is full and my wife wants no more to appear!!). It's going to be a long term partnership so we'll get used to each other and select events that are close to home to start with. We're aiming for fun, experience and then results - although fewer retirements than 2019 is certainly hoped for...

Will I road rally this year? If I do start a road rally I will be properly rested and will have to cross a border to do it. I enjoyed winning the championships I did but that was then and this is now...

Luckily I'll be carrying over some of my sponsors for this season too; where would I be without my Granite Anchor hoodies or my Belgian buns and beer?

Should the right targa car come up for sale then yes it will be coming home with me but am I looking seriously? No, not really. I know what I want and if it magically appears then great, if not I'm not fussed - for the next few years at least.

I'll be out marshalling on events too this year so I might just see you on a stage, section or control!

 

2 targas and 1 road rally

I finished 2019 off with another two targas and one road rally. Unfortunately not one of them was a good result!

The Exmoor Targa was the complete antithesis to the Washingpool - it rained, then rained heavier and then it became a deluge! Awful conditions saw the tracks muddy and water logged which made our first multi-venue targa even harder. 

We settled into a sensible pace and were gaining experience until a fast right threw the Saxo off and into the trees! Luckily all bar a small holly tree were avoided so damage was minimal, ironically the holly tree kept us from vanishing down a steep drop so actually saved us from extra damage. 

We spent 55 minutes trying to extricate ourselves (which we eventually did thanks to a Land Rover and our tow rope) but were able to complete every remaining test within OTL so at least we were still classified as finishers at the end of the event.

Next up was the Bustard targa which was (for the short period we were competing) a great event. The tests were fast and challenging but, above all else, great fun. We caught at least 2 cars on each test (except the tiny autosolo style test) and were gaining confidence as we got used to the muddy conditions. All that came to a sudden end when the Saxo's rear started bouncing like some demented trampoline! 2 exploded rear dampers ended the event early for us.

After a frantic search for parts the Saxo was re-fettled in time to take the start of the Barbara carter road rally. Almost immediately I was struggling to keep on time with the regularity sections, 19 years of retirement, a lack of vari-focal glasses and being far too tired took their toll and we had a large cut-and-run to petrol. The second half of the event had a plot-and-bash section and more tightly plotted route - I chucked in the towel and (for the first time ever) gave up! I've never felt it worthwhile risking damage to a car for no reason and that's what we would have been doing.

Three very disappointing results; to quote Metallica "sad but true".

Getting ready...

 

So, once again, it's time to dust of the clipboard; sharpen the pencils and find my Co-Pilote watch. Next weekend sees me sat next to James Graham (once more - he must be brave) on the Exmoor Targa Rally in his trusty Saxo. 

The Exmoor offers 40 miles of challenging forestry tests in some wonderful scenery and the entry filled up in hours!

Wish me luck, here's hoping the rain stays away!

I'm now a brand ambassador for Granite Anchor Clothing; they're with me as I get back into motorsport which is really great! As an added bonus there's a discount code for all my followers which will drop a nice little 10% reduction on your orders with Granite Anchor. Put ERIK10 in before you check out and away you go; quality, cutting edge Scottish clothing at a bargain price!!

A return to the hot seat - at last!!

I finally got back into the hot seat on the recent Washingpool Farm targa rally! A good run with James Graham in his Saxo saw us a mere 3 seconds off a class trophy. Not bad for a team that hadn't sat in a rally car for a minimum of 10 years each..

More events are planned.

Long time no write...

So...

Currently I'm undertaking no motorsport at all (except for marshalling). There are numerous reasons for this - one is 12 years old and one is 8 years old for a start, naturally there are plenty more too.

One of the plus points of having a 12 year old is that we have been closely looking at Targa rallies and both agree that sometime soon we should venture out and do one together. We marshalled on a couple and have been lucky enough to get the road books to a few as well. Junior is now looking at what is expected from him to see if he really wants to give it a go!

To my mind Targa rallies offer excellent value for money and are a perfect starting point for those more interested in being in the silly seat. It's almost a natural progression from targa to road rally then stage event (particularly as you can start at the tender age of 12 on a Targa event!).

Not only are Targa events a good starting point they (amazingly) work out better value than slot car racing. I know, who would believe plastic toy car racing could prove to be more expensive than full scale rallying. I crunched the numbers, then did them again and concluded that to race slot cars was a huge waste of money - for me at least!

I can buy a Targa legal car and run it for a season for the same cost as a year of slot car racing... I can sit in and feel the adrenaline flow or press a controller and watch a toy zip round a track; no brainer really!!! Don't get me wrong slot car racing can be exciting and provides intense excitement for many but I never got away from the fact that I was driving a little car round and round in 'circles' (some more complex than others...)  whilst needing to spend a lot of money to even become competitive...

I've not missed it so far and can't see me missing it any time soon... If it was better value I guess I'd still be racing but the cost really did reduce the enjoyment to minus figures. Also slot car rallying is just not like the rallying I've done thus I was left with roundy, roundy racing which doesn't interest me any where near as much.