8 Tavern crews entered... hopefully we can make it 9 if I get the log book sorted with the MSA...
Plus Tavern on the start line, at this rate we'll have most of the club out on this event
booked at 13:40.....
I've gone over it enough now so I think it's ok...
Oh Ar*e!
It'd my own fault, I didn't want to send off an Entry until I knew the car was ready, including the MoT and I had the log book back from the MSA.
Yesterday morning they showed 11places left, Steve Conner rang me yesterday afternoon to say there was only 5 places left (Thanks Steve) but unfortunately I was on my way to Bournemouth ... just got back now to send of entry and see it is full with 4 reserves already
I'll send in an Entry anyway and keep my fingers crossed...
If not it will be Caerwent in June with no shakedown.....
Well done EMCOS, permission from the MSA to increase the entries by 10 (and we were 10th reserve) so that's now 9 Tavern crews entered and accepted (out of 75 Entries) for the EMCOS stages!!
Bring on the 24th May
That's great news! I did not know a club could get an entension to number of entries.
So you have now got 4 weeks to finish off - is it nearly ready Nick?
Just need to get some more miles on the engine, cover a couple of holes on the front firewall and change the Oil..
So far driving it on the road I am really pleased with it.
Good to see you got your entry in Nick. The provisionally seeded entry list is now on the EMCOS website for all to see.
My guess is there may well be a few changes to the seeding order before it is finalised! I'm happy with 19 though.
Seeded entry on EMCOS website. www.emcos.co.uk
Is 9 entries on the same rally a Tavern record?
I think it might be 10?
Must be the highest for many a year I should think.
Are we marshalling too?
as ready as we'll ever be....
If it stays as per BBCs current forecast we'll be on dunlop moulded sticks!!!
if not then inters/wets or yoko a021s
I think I'm all ready now - the Astra has been checked over, tyres sorted, fuel cans filled etc. Service van all loaded up.I'm taking mediums and soft moulded slicks as these seem best for this venue, it is always slippery with gravel,cowsh!t and the water splash, even on a dry day, when there's plenty of dust as well! If it is wet I'll probably have super softs on the front.
Hope all goes well with the Escort on its maiden outing Nick.
Looks like most of Tavern will be at this one!
Good luck with the new car tomorrow Nick and Steve and of course good luck to all the other Taver crews.
Sorry but I won't be there. I am hopefully getting my replacement struts from Bilstein tomorrow and I ned to get them in the car and get it all ready for next weekend.
Have a good one everyone.
Thanks... just back from scrutineering, we saw Gary & Will...
Went through very quickly and all ok !
Looking forward but I am a little nervous !
Well our objective for the EMCOS stages was to give the car a test/shakedown ahead of Caerwent.... and that we achived, a few problems found but easily rectified before caerwent (famous last words....) We completed six stages and decided to call it a day for various reasons but also allowed us to take the car home in one piece .... (I'll update the technical thread with car progress)
quick summary....
SS1 - took some time to get the feel of it, the car handling much better than before.
SS2 - 30+ secs quicker, getting the feel of the brakes and steering better
SS3 - slow as concerned about rear suspension.
SS4 - bit moreconfident in car and took 58secs off of SS3 time
SS5&6- Slow but we were ready to go home!
Stage layouts were very good, lots of variation but very rough, (well on my tarmac suspension it felt it!!) Lots of gravel and dust around and this made me cautious on braking resulting in breaking far too early and probably loosing 20-30 secs a stage. Also with a combination of the low gearing (we reguarly ran out of speed), too loose LSD, more power and low grip on the concrete getting traction out of the corners / chicance was difficult (reguarly lighting up the rear !)
Overall I'm confident that the car is much quicker and better handling than before, just need the driver to get up to the same standard !
You didnt miss much by going early Nick.Stage 7 was cancelled due to the TR8 going off heavily and due to a lengthy wait for a ambulance(not serious i think)they only ran 1 more stage before they ran out of time.
We put a rod through the block on stage 4 OUCH!
Jim and Dave did the same on stage 3 Bigger OUCH(brand new engine)
Nick Chapman won class B
Dale Lovegrove and Nick Baker 2nd class B
Gary and Will 3rd class B(they think,saw them in services on M4 just before their trailer tyre exploded on motorway as they overtook us!)
Steve Conner 3rd class C
Both Simon Munden and Phil Wilkinson finished i think but we didnt stay for the results so i stand to be corrected on any of the above.