Mini Tempest Stages

Longcross – 30^th April 2003

Report by Julz Coulter.

The Thame entry for this one was 2 cars:-

	Car 3 Dick Mauger / Andrew Street - Escort RS BDA
	Car 42 Julz Coulter / Jason Hutson - Opel Kaddet 1600 SR

The event attracted 63 Entries - 10 in class E (Four wheel drive), 15 in class D (above 2000cc), 20 in class C (1601cc up to 2000cc), 13 in class B (1401cc up to 1600cc) and 8 in class A (up to 1401cc).

Julz and Jason as ever in class B in the trusty Opel Kaddet 1600SR, with Dick Mauger hopefully in his newly improved WRC Escort Cosworth running in Class E at no 3

Loncross holds a bit of a jinx for Jason and me. We’ve yet to complete 2 consecutive stages without losing a wheel or blowing the engine. Last time we crawled over the finish line of SS1 to the car collapsing and being OTL by a minute, so I felt the pressure to not let the service crew down as well.

We decided to use the tyre test day kindly organized and set up by Pete Wood (with the help of Andy Cadle, Eddie Haynes and Neal Cuss - thanks guys) to iron out a few problems but I was slightly miffed that the new plated LSD I’d ordered 6 weeks previous hadn’t arrived; still we managed many laps in which we identified:-

• Our rear wheel lock up on braking problem- (twisted pedal box giving us 75%+ braking to the rear)

• A gear linkage problem meaning I struggled to reach 3rd or 1st on sharp left handed bends

• A few ignition lead faults

• Weakened wiring connectors

And was able to set up the new adjustable front suspension mounts enabling us to increase the front cambers etc. reducing tyre roll.

Dick and Cathy Mauger and some others had commented that the car was looking good and quick although I had convinced myself they were just being polite but Dick put himself forward by saying he thought we’d be up for a top twenty finish! I could only hope….

This gave me a boost and 2 weeks in which to rebuild the pedal box; Fit the LSD without removing the box (Wrong!), and adjust all the other problems. The LSD was picked up the Tuesday night before the event, had to have new bearings (just in case) meaning I got the box back Wednesday evening. The tyre delivery delayed to Thursday morning didn’t arrive and to cut a long story short meant a drive to Rhayader in Wales to pick them up. Everything was finally fitted Saturday evening after burning the midnight oil several nights but the car hadn’t been tested! 

Dick, on the other hand, decided to settle for not running the Cossy as he wasn’t able to complete the cars alterations before the event and his BDA Escort revved too high for the straights at Longcross, he’d have to pullout.

The Sunday morning set the mood of the day. We’d already lost an hour due to the clocks going forward. Jason arrived 10 minutes later than our leaving time. The service crew all overslept, bar 1 and Jason then sent us the wrong way of junction 11 of the M25 and got us lost. We all arrived together at Longcross to see Andy Street (Dick Mauger’s navigator) suited and booted looking for Dick whoops! We broke the news to Andy to find Dick had changed his mind Saturday night and was already there with his 2 litre BDA Mk II Escort, and was trying to stop a bit of a misfire problem!

We parked up set up next door to Dick and Cathy and sailed through sound and scrutineering. Dicks misfire had only appeared after washing the car and after blowing out the ECU ran fine again. We set to prepping the car, bolting on the sump guard everything was well but still hadn’t tested the new parts and settings

SS1 we watched Dick as he came past the service area and looked very quick and smooth, we headed for the line. Jason was his normal 1st stage white pasty self but this time with me nervous to the car’s performance, would we finish!!! We agreed we’d settle for one good stage time and getting to the end.

We pulled off the line a little cautious of breaking a driveshaft. No wheel spin at all and away she flew. We braked hard for the first bus stop, brakes seemed fine, and the new tyres and diff gripped like nothing I’ve ever driven. That settled the nerves and we pilled up the 4 in 1, jumped clean out of the top by about a foot. Straight back on the power past an unhealthy Mk II Astra No 34 with no front suspension and crunched in the curb and trees at the top of the down ramp. We ran the rest of the stage no problems to top it off the service crew greeted us with all smiles

Times:- Us 8:07, 33rd fastest time, 1 second off 1st in class. Dick 7:56, 25th fastest time.

The course was very tight and twisty and the weather seemed to be improving from dry to sunny. SS2 ran the same course. Confidence was up so we let rip a bit and was surprised to find we took 17 seconds out of our first time, overtaking two cars. Dick improved by 18 seconds, the rest of the field looked quick, but the course was taking its toll with 5 retirements already. We moved up to 1st in class by 7 seconds.

Times:- Us 7:50, 1st in class by 7 sec’s, 21st fastest time. Dick 7:38 17th fastest time.

SS3 ran smoothly, but we got held up twice by slower cars. Weather was warming up nicely, as were our tyres. No problems all round except mirrors folding back with the wind pressure - we took fastest in class again increasing our lead by 11 seconds over 2nd

Times:- Us 8:08, 25th fastest time, 1st in class by 18sec’s. Dick 7:49 15th fastest time.

SS 4 came a nasty surprise on the time sheet - we found that Stuart and Theresa Fossey (a name even I know) were listed in class C but were actually running in a Talbot Sunbeam in our class but at no: 4.

They were actually winning our class. Gutted! We’d have to check what was going on or if it was a typo. Then after watching Dick negotiate a particularly tricky part of the course directly in front of the service area, a rather immaculate Evo 6 lost control and spun of into some rather large blocks of tank testing concrete Ouch! The crew was fine but car was no longer pretty and blocked the stage canceling SS4.

SS5 enter the Prozac and bit more aggression after merging out directly with a Subaru it was head down for a quick time. Although behind us he wasn’t hooting to come past but I kept watching for him in the mirror so much that I didn’t see the tyre in the middle of the snake. I caught sight of the Scooby in the mirror and steered back to avoid him to put us in a very tricky line with a brick manhole and so into some very sideways moments both ways but just managing to hold on. The Scooby passed us with ease and all we lost was time and a large chunk of rear tyre. We pressed back on re-caught yes Re-caught the Scooby and was tight behind him when he turned of at the split we estimated losing about 5 seconds with the moment and holdups

Dick unusually suffers from jumping out of the 4 in 1 and engine hits and bends his steering Rack but is quickly given a replacement by Ian Rix car 20

Times:- Us 6:33, 20th fastest time, now 2nd in class by just over a minute (if time sheet correct). Dick 6:29, 15th fastest.

SS6 suns beaming stage ran smooth caught and passed Escort Mk2 stage - we felt slow but no problems

Times:-  Us 6:24, joint 15th fastest time, still 2nd in class to Fossey’s 7th overall. Dick 6:24, joint 15th fastest time 6th in class.

SS7 disaster confirmed Stuart Fossey is in a 1600 and entered for class B our car now becomes depressed and cuts out. We pull up on stage and get restarted, but conks out a further 3 times, getting home with a stage maximum costing us 4 minutes game over.

Times:- Us 10:36 last-stage max. losing 3minute 50secs. Dick 6:45 14th fastest time 6th in class 13 overall.

Service crew can’t find fault and come to conclusion new fuel pump not running well.

SS 8 our aim to just get round. The car now has either got full power or is spluttering to a halt with no power causes it to drift of corners and tight bends, becoming a nightmare but at least Dicks still going well

Times:- Us 8:17 4th from last due to losing 1minute 30 sec’s. Dick 6:46 17th fastest time finished 12 overall 6th in class.

Then came the surprise we checked in to get ours and Dicks times to find the Fossey’s had retired on SS7 and we had dropped back only two places in class to 3rd and 27th overall, still our best result. Without our little fuel problem we would have been 1st in class 14th overall it’s a big word - IF