Jersey Rally 2002

25^th/26^th October 2002

Report by Peter Wood.

Thame had three crews over for this two-day, 27 stage, closed-road rally.

	Simon Mauger & Brian Cammack in Dick’s Belgium Cosworth (but newly fitted with mega trick gearbox allowing handbrakes - it switches the centre diff. to FWD to allow locking the back wheels!).
	Dick Mauger & Andrew Street in the all-new WRC Escort on Dick's 20th visit to the event (has been there for every running of the event).
	Andy Corner & Erik West over for Andy's 5th visit to the event in the trusty 205.

The teams arrived on Thursday (including TMC service crew of Henry Whitfield, Julz, Eddie and Simon Clark).

Thursday night saw the boys out on the town. A small fight broke out in one club, so Julz used his martial arts practice and experience as a bouncer to grab one of the pugilists in a headlock and escort off the premises. Once outside he released the guy and warned him to go away or the police would be involved. Unfortunately the guy turned out to be one of the Club bouncers! Oops!

Scrutineering was at 12:30 on Friday, with first six stages in the dark from 17:00.

Dick was in trouble from arriving on the island with lack of fuel pressure, and retired on SS1.

Andy found that the brakes were useless on the night roads and had to use the handbrake, which lead to some interesting driving lines! A force 8 gale was blowing horizontal spray and sand at the car, making the wipers next to useless.

SS4 and off into a field, as the alternative was hitting a large Oak tree, 100 metres later back out through the hedge (over large ditch!) and back on stage. Still up to 22nd overall after SS6.

Deglazed the discs and pads with a grinder (!) and storming until SS10, when came upon a Mini which had hit a wall hard and blocked the stage. The 4 crews there picked it up and off we go again, having dropped 2 minutes. Still going well and up to 14th overall and leading class by 1 ½ minutes. SS21 and disaster when drive shaft broke - up to 10th at this stage and leading class by 4 minutes. Game over.

Simon’s first event since winning Abingdon outright in June, and first co-drive for Brian in the Cosworth. Brian said that he couldn’t breathe until the car was in 2nd gear! Event was headed by Escort Cossy, and lots of local crews with local knowledge (local shop for local people).

SS2 caught ex-Gwyndaff Evans F2 Escort that wouldn’t pull over, and followed him off the road. This loosened the Lamp pods, and flapped in the wind and swung round into Simon’s eyes! Lamp pod fell off later in stage, so down to headlamps only.

Fitted 150-Watt bulbs, but bad illumination given as reason why they missed the breaking point for straw chicane! Simon dropped two gears but still hit both sides at 120mph, and used a local’s front garden in a huge tank slapper. Estimate that these woes cost them 2minutes on Friday night, so pleased to find that they were 5th overall and 2:17 off lead at SS6.

SS7 and four of top 5 crews within 2s of each other. On SS10 the leading Cosworth blew a differential, and second placed had a major “off” with substantial bodywork damage. Now trailing leader by 1:30.

SS11 and up to 3rd overall. After SS14 were only 29 seconds off the lead and catching at 7 seconds a stage. In service after SS17 had equalled the leader (i.e. taken almost 10s a stage). By stage 20 had built a 21 second lead, but disaster on SS21 when the cam belt broke.

Jersey Rally 2002

25th/26th October 2002

25^th/26^th October 2002