TAL Motorsport Stages (Hixon)
Driver: Aron Brown
Navigator: Andrew Mitchell
Vehicle: Vauxhall Astra GTE
Seeded: ?
Finished: Retired SS4
Confidence was high for the TAL Motorsport Stages as the Astra had actually finished its last rally at Sweet Lamb, and with a small entry at Hixon if we ever had the chance to get a class award it was now.
After a few last minute tasks on the car such as getting the new sump guard brackets to fit on Friday evening we eventually left for Hixon at 5am on Saturday morning. On arrival at the venue the Jamie & Stu took the Astra through noise and scrutineering whilst Aron & Andy took the van and Jamie’s Vectra to the service area to obtain a good pitch. This didn’t prove too difficult as we were the first to arrive!
The Astra passed its safety checks whilst Aron and Andy duly signed on and waited for the drivers briefing which was something to do with the chicanes being tight??!!. Back at service Jamie and Stu gave the car its “pre flight” checks and we awaited our due time for SS1.
We soon joined the queue for the start of the rally which gave Aron and Andy time to discuss how to tackle the maps, Aron had always been happy with the way Andy called the road ahead, however it had been a while since he had competed on a single venue rally with splits and merges, therefore it was agreed that Andy would ensure these were given plenty of warning!
Our run through the first stage was not too bad and we were about 5th in class a bit of hesitation at a split and merge caused a few naughty words to be used, I think one rhymed with “Scallops!” And loosing the N/S door mirror on the first chicane, what were they saying about the chicanes again?!
SS2 was a re-run of SS1 and we seemed to be quicker, Andy seemed to enjoy himself as the yahoo’s and laughter through the intercom egged Aron on (or was that just my driving?!), a wheel in the air moment as the rear wheel dropped in the field on the exit to the hairpin at the end of the stage added to the excitement, and we had now lost the O/S mirror!
SS3 was a different story, about 2 miles in to the stage the car didn’t seem to want to go where Aron was pointing it, and the Astra was pulling to the left under acceleration and the rear was snapping away under braking this caused a few trips in to the straw bales and nearly in to the field, we decide to drive slowly to the end of the stage and assess the problem in service.
At service Stu soon found the problem, the O/S wishbone bracket had broken, and not having the right equipment to make a “safe” repair it was decided it was sensible not to continue.
My thanks as always go to all the boys, Andy for Co-Driving, Jamie & Stu for servicing. Thanks to Cannock & District Motor Club for a well run event, commiserations to fellow SMC members Ade Smekks and Erik West for an unfortunate incident, without which could well have been challenging for the lead.
Aron Brown
