Great Bustard

Sorry for the delay, the run up to the event was very frantic ! Running two rally cars means a lot of pre event event prep work, and its taken until now to catch-up with things.... anyway here we go...

We got the start nice and early as Lizzie (my new Nav) was helping with the Endurance Road Rally Championship (ERRC) signing on stand. We were first through scrutineering which went fine luckily, its never a process I enjoy until I get the little sticker and the paperwork signed.

A lot of waiting around until the event started at 14.30, but from there on it was all go till 5.30am the next day !

The first very short test at the cattle yard was a good wake up call, and good to settle the nerves. then it was off into the real event. The day leg had tests at a mixture of venues from large airfields (Henstridge), short farm tracks and of the infamous Worthy Farm (Glastonbury Festival site). Worthy Farm was the last test before the rest halt at ~7.30pm so just as the sun was setting. During the afternoon we also had a short bit of regularity over the Salisbury Plain roads which were good fun, just not so much fun having to average 22.5mph..... Anyway the tests were going well and at the rest halt we were lying about 5th overall, back out into the dark to continue the 'day'' leg which ran until 1am which was the night rest point. During the next leg we got to play in the woods with some great tests in the forests, making up minutes seemed to be the order of the day at times with us making up mins on others on both airfield and forest tests.

Anyway on the end of the day leg, we were lying 4th overall, but with still a long way to go, with a load more regularity sections, road rally sections on both the lanes and the forests and then one final run around worthy farm. It was all going great until we had to book in to a control early, which gave us a VERY big penalty. By the end of the event, this penalty (1 hour added to our time) dropped us from 4th to 9th overall.

So all that hard work, excellent navving by Lizzie and general risking of the car (one moment the car felt like it was about to going end over end !!!) and we get done over, and dropped down the order. However as they say 'that's rallying'.....

The tests were fantastic, even Worthy Farm which last time I was there ('08) when it was very rough, was great fun. I had a great laugh with Lizzie who worked really hard to keep my a) on the right track and b) calm when I needed to be and to push on in the right places - Top work Lizzie - thanks :)

This is the strange thing with competitive motorsport looking at the entry list and the fact that it was Lizzie and my first Enduro together we both agreed that a top ten result would be great at the start, yet we left feeling down as we 'only' finished 9th overall and 4th in class - something less than 24hrs before we would have taken with both hands gladly. I guess that it is the nature of competition, especially when at the end of the day leg the others in the top 4 are viewing as potential competitors for the win !!!!


Looking back at the test times we were 4th overall on the selectives and our test times ranged from fastest overall to just outside of the top ten. Our Worthy Farm times were slower, however this was all part of a keen strategy to ensure we didn't get any punctures and we got to the end. Worthy Farm has a reputation of killing cars and tyres, we could have been quicker still but at the risk of the car. It was pleasing to set a joint fastest selective time, and to be beating both of the Turners on a number of tests :)

However we will be back hopefully.... the car seemed to survive the event well, although I haven't jet washed it yet (I can't face the smell of the mud/poo from Worthy Farm) the car did fantastically well is still working well as my road car the moment (the Eunos has no working brakes atm !) Lizzie is up for navving on the Bullnose, but that is just soooo far away (September) hopefully amongst a new job (Assistant Direct of CLEAPSS) and hopefully a house move, I can fit in a few events between now and then. The next one being the May Chelmsford MC Gymkhana @ Debden.

You can see event pics further down this page......