> Yes, I'veB been a race tech official for over a year and over 2 years
> before that being trained but this is my first ever special stage rallyB B
> http://www.qmc.org.uk and it will be on tarmac not gravel (read not forest
tracks).
> I'm also a touch typist and here is the LONG warning.B I don't think
Americans
> do rallying but essentially a tarmac special stage rally involves cars
> completing on pretty much flat roads that are closed to the public.B The
have a
> co-driver or navigator who navigates but given this rally was all special
stage
> and they ran through it several times I guess the driver knew where he was
> going (there were no lady drivers but several lady navigators.B The cars
are
> diverse as I'll detail later and whether classic or modern had engines
classic
> or modern with a certain 200+ bhp from any of the 2000cc cars (yup even the
> classic mini had a 2000cc engine b&b&b&b&).
>
> Some of the rally cars rules are the same as for racing cars, some less
> strict and some more so and some just different, so I'd been swotting up on
the
> rules for some time.B The venue is local www.mira.co.ukB and I arrived in
good
> time.B B The entry list was impressively diverse but I missed nearly all
the
> really interesting cars I wanted to tech and my first car was a pretty tatty
> old red Skoda.B Someone else had already done the tech on the MG Metro 6R4
> which has to be an ugly duckling that grows on you till it clears its throat
> and you hear what I think is one of the all time most beautiful engine
noises.B
> I missed the Triumph TR8 as well which had ditched twin SU carbs for some
> kind of a 4 barrel.B The other MG Metro 6R4 was running a Rover V8 that
sounded
> pretty cammy.B I did manage to tech the Talbot Sunbeam which I forgot
> wouldn't have a Lotus engine in it because it wasn't a Lotus Sunbeam but in
any
> event I think had a 2000cc Vauxhall engine.B Most of the Mk 1 &Mk2 Ford
Escorts
> (rally classics) which were generally still on leaf springs and live axle
> passed me by, including a Gulf Petrol colours RS1600 - very nice.B A pretty
> standard Mk2 came my way but it was nothing special.B Several Minis
including one
> really old one passed me by but a small crowd gathered around the Mini
> Clubman as I checked it and when I came to the engine bay I could see why -
the
> engine was 2000cc in-line Cosworth (course it might have been a Zetec I
don't
> remember) with a Cosworth rear end to go with it.B The Mitsubishi EVOs
passed
> me by but who cares?B I did a number of Euro boxes most of which were
either
> 1600cc or 2000cc and that was it, just 10 cars when I was looking to do 17
> but after 25 last Monday and new to rally cars I was't complaining.
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