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Date: 3rd October 2009
Event: Harold Palin Memorial Rally
Location: Manby Motorplex Airfield, Manby
Number of entries: 62
Pete / John Seeded: 16th Overall Result: 12th Overall and 4th in Class
Liam / Andy Seeded: 56nd Overall Result: 25th Overall and 5th in Class

Written by Pete
This was the first event with the new engine in the Escort. The first stage went well until almost at the end when the dashboard was smoking from a fuse which I pulled out to get us to the end of the stage. The fuse fed the radiator cooling fan so when we stopped the engine temp was very high. After a bit of hasty re-wiring we were out again but the engine was running very hot and not at its best.
After a longer break the engine cooled and the car started to reveal its new potential, a very fast 108mph down the long straight was 13mph faster than the previous engine !

We had a very fast SS8 attempting to improve our class position, but it ended with us sliding into the chicane at the end of the service area, hitting a tyre, then a bail and a stone bank. On investigation it was found that this impact
had damaged the steering rack and took away our chance of moving up in class. We held our own until the end
and reduced the gap to 11 seconds in class.

With the new engine now running better it has the potential for some improved results, the next outing being the Premier Stages in November.

Written by Liam
After a slow stage one, Andy and Liam knew they had to push hard for the remaining 9 stages. Which they did ! Andy started to get confidence in the brakes and was learning how the car handled. I was pushing Andy hard. Shouting at him, telling him to keep it flat and telling him that he can take the corner faster, after the first 2 or 3 stages he started to listen or replied "my foot is flat!!".

We managed to clip the same tyre on the first 6 stages, but that was down to the very tight chicane.

On one stage another 205 in front of us managed to clip a lorry tyre and put in into our path, we clipped it and it put us onto two wheels and we went cone bowling!! We managed to catch the 205 up and overtake him on a hairpin right, which we took wide and this put us into some tyres and let him back in front. We managed to catch him up again and almost hit him when he braked early whilst we were still accelerating.

Apart from that there was no major problems to speak of, we managed to keep the car going all day and stayed consistant at 5th in class, apart from stage 3 when we slipped to 6th. Date: 15th and 16th August 2009
Event: Richard Burns Memorial Rally
Location: RAF Marham, Kings Lynn, Norfolk.
Number of entries: 31 in Class C (2 litre 2wd cars) and 91 in total
Pete / John Seeded: 41st Overall and 12th in Class C Result: 19th Overall and 11th in Class
Liam / Clive Seeded: 52nd Overall and 20th in Class C Result: 20th Overall and 12th in Class