Welcome to the first newsletter of 2010! Happy new year to one and all! Whilst most people have been enjoying the quiet period of Christmas and New Year we at Ti Motorsport have been busy planning the year ahead. We have a lot of exciting projects on the go and 2010 looks set to be a ‘rally’ busy season! From modifying a 106 rallye which will shortly be travelling to Bosnia to helping James Shallcross with the ongoing developments of his Trials 205 and much much more we have plenty of news in this months newsletter. The new rally season will shortly be underway and we also have a number of cars for hire, so if you feel like trying something different then please drop us a line and let us see what we can arrange! Thanks for reading
Dave
The James Shallcross case book James and his intrepid Peugeot 205 have been busy on the trials scene recently with yet another second in class award to add to his name on the; 2010 Clee Hills Trial I had a great day on last years Clee Hills and made sure my entry was in early for this year to make sure we wouldn’t miss out. Last minute dramas were kept to a somewhat physical argument with my home printer debating whether or not it had run out of ink. It won, so I had to make a detour into work on the way to Craven Arms to print our scrutineering card. We breezed through scrutineering after some inspections of our brake bias valve and pipework. In addition to the standard cable operated system we now have a hydraulic handbrake, the fitting of which required a bias valve to stop the rear brakes locking every time the footbrake was pressed. The words “brake bias” raised some eyebrows but clarification that this adjustable bias was front to rear and not side to side alleviated the concern. Flounders Folly was our first test. My brain wasn't quite in gear and I went a little too slow, loosing chance I had to gain some momentum and we ended up at the 5 marker! I then suggested that my navigator slap me around the face before the first section of the next trial to wake me up and remind me that I’m about to do a trials section not just a nice drive around the countryside. My mood didn’t improve after the Longville Special Test – which we failed. This was a timed test up a gravel track, you could not see much past the start line and from the sounds of previous cars it didn’t seem like too much of a problem. We set off from A at a good pace and got round the corner to see that line B was on a short steep nip just before the end of the track. I should have backed up a lot further behind B before trying to make it to C, 3 attempts later we finally made it. Another section learned! But at least we were not alone as over half of class 7 and 8 also failed. One of the test was Castle Hill - a find of a great "mcc style" hill from the archives by Simon Woodall. The hill was last trialed in 1949 and the locals were out spectating and seemed to be enjoying seeing the cars go up. Ratlinghope was a regularity test - 7.5mph for 1/8 mile. My maths wasn’t quick enough to work out how long it should have taken, also we didnt think to get a stopwatch going. We did it in 41 seconds and then discovered we were supposed to do it in 60!
Once into the Priors Holt forest the competition continued. On Priors Halt 1 we sucked the last gasps of air from our front wheels and sent the 205 into battle, coming away with the same score as our closest rival. Priors Holt 2 proved to be easier although the surface actually looked less grippy with some snow remaining on the less used left hand tracks, we made it out the top and along some long mud tracks through the forest. Priors Holt 3 was a short sharp bumpy blast but cannot be taken too quickly, another one cleaned. The final section of the day was Strefford Wood 3 - fearsome ruts in grass and clay at the start and then a little used forest clearing track with stumps, holes, mud, grass, ruts, everything!. By Dave’s reckoning we were 8 points behind him before this section, he got up to 8 and stopped there to winde us up, knowing that we would have to clean the section to beat him. Full attack, we got past the 8 and disappeared out of sight still going. Dave looked slightly worried and said to Nick Farmer “he won’t make it, will he???” We did make it some way further up this very bumpy and slippy track, unfortunately we got a puncture and the rim was just spinning in the tyre just before the 5. It was the longest single run at full chat I have ever done and the section markers carried on out of sight! A really enjoyable section to finish a superb days trialing. All in all, an excellent trial, no delays and plenty of spectators too! Roll on 2011.
Bosnia beckons – George Nickson prepares for the road trip of a lifetime! In September 2009 George waved good bye to his job of nine years and embarked on a dream trip to the Eastern Bloc countries. Instead of living out of a bag he chose to find a base in each country and from there explore the region intimately.. Within a week of arriving in Sarajevo George was hooked and decided that he had to stay as long as he could. After spending time volunteering for an organization in Srebrenica and with their commitment to helping with his visa application and offer of a job for 2010, all his plans changed. The tourist visa for EU members was for three months and once he had completed this period George accepted the offer to travel to Torino, Italy by car in Mid December. The estimated 14 hour journey took 24 hours through, fog, snow, ice, blizzards and the infamous Bora wind. They battled against closed motorways, the application of snow chains in temperatures of -5, rogue snow-ploughs and long periods of driving with minimal visibility. It was an epic voyage and the vehicle, a Renault Scenic, was brilliant. This journey was a source of inspiration for our intrepid travel and he began formulating a plan to travel back to Bosnia by road. No luggage restrictions, a vehicle to navigate the Balkans in and most importantly it would be the trip of a lifetime driving across Europe. After long and careful deliberation on what car to use, and taking into account the budgetary constraints, George settled on preparing his trusty 106 rallye for the journey ahead. Why the 106? The simple fact is I’ve never gripped a steering wheel quite like the one this car has. The feedback and involvement is so intoxicating that no other car I’ve driven comes anywhere near it. However when George went to see his trusty steed he found it in quite a state! Heavy snowfall had seeped through the sunroof seal as it melted, leaving a pool of water a few inches deep in the drivers footwell. In addition, the seats, seat belts and door trim were covered in mould! And thus the decision to strip the car, fit a roll cage and make some of the modifications he’d always dreamed of…George decided that the Rallye was the car for the voyage. The route for the trip has not been decided on yet but with friends to visit near Nice, Torino and Rome it is sure to be the adventure of a lifetime!
KCB Safari Rally – 2-4 April 2010 African Rally Championship/ Kenyan National Rally Championship
An exciting opportunity for 2010 is the Safari Rally in April. Although it has the same title as the East African Classic this event is primarily for modern cars and counts as a round of the FIA African Rally Championship. Featuring over 250 kilometers of special stages around Nairobi this three day long event represents a combination of classic stages from the era of the WRC in Africa with a value for money experience that is comparable with competing in the U.K. We have already negotiated favorable rates on accommodation and entry fees with the organizers and have taken the decision to ship our trusty MG ZR 1800 out to Kenya, where it will be based for the next 12 months. The car is eligible to run in the competitive two wheel drive category where it will go head to head with an assortment of well driven VW Golf’s and Toyota Levins. We can also arrange for a tourist safari to be added onto your trip, making the whole experience more appealing for the whole family. A possible itinerary would be as follows; Arrive on Wednesday 31 March Recce Thursday, Friday Ceremonial start on Friday, along with spectator stage Rally Saturday – Sunday Party Sunday night Tourist Safari from Monday to Wednesday Fly home Wednesday night.
For 2010 Ti Motorsport has a selection of cars available for hire around the globe – here we look at the cars and the championships that they would be suitable for; Citroen C2R2 – Class A6 British Rally Challenge - www.rallybrcchallenge.co.uk Eight rallies, with the best six results to count, the championship begins in Wales before heading north to Carlisle. Round three is the tarmac Jim Clark Rally. Both the Isle of Man and Ulster rallies count as double headers and the season ends in Yorkshire on the Trackrod Rally. The British Rally championship support series has grown in prestige and numbers in recent seasons and for 2010 is the home of the Fiesta Sport Challenge and C2R2cup, thus ensuring that these evenly matched cars enjoy strong intra marquee battles as well as fighting for overall positions. MG ZR 1.4L – Class B9 BTRDA Rally Series - www.btrdarally.co.uk/ Seven events with the best five scores to count, spread fairly evenly around the U.K, the BTRDA Rally First series offers excellent value for money rallying in reasonably priced cars. And with the added bonus of running ahead of the ‘big boys’ on the road this is certainly worth considering for those on a tight budget. The season begins with the very popular Wyedean Forest Rally in February and then heads to Somerset in April, Wales for the Plains in May, Nottingham for the Dukeries in June and then back to Wales for the final three rallies of the year, the Quinton, Woodpecker and Cambrian The MG ZR also has its own one make series, the MG ZR Rally Challenge, which sees upwards of a dozen of these similar spec cars in action. And if the competition on the stages is not enough of an attraction, the camaraderie and craic surrounding the events is top quality too!
Peugeot 504 Coupe V6 Historic Rally Championship - www.hrcr.co.uk/MSA_BHRC_Championship_2010 The Historic Rally Championship is one of the most popular series in the U.K and has grown from strength to strength recently. Attracting a wide range of awesome machines including the rumbling Peugeot 504 Coupe as well as t he sexy Lancia Stratos and many others, the series is also a haven for a lot of Ford Escorts! Featuring eight rounds, including a couple on tarmac the series is recognised for not only its slick running but also for a level of camaraderie not found elsewhere in British rallying. The car is also eligible for the new for 2010 Rallye International du Moroc which takes place in early October. Starting from Marrakech on the 9th of October and taking in over 3000 kilometres of primarily gravel roads across the country. The surviving cars return to Marrakech on 16th October. Along the route the crews will stay in top quality accommodation and the spirit of this event is not dissimilar to the Classic Safari Rally. Citroen Saxo Stock Hatch 750 Motor Club - www.750mc.co.uk The 750 Motorclub Stock Hatch series is one of the most competitive and best value for money race series in the U.K. Created for small ‘hot hatches’ of no more than 1600cc and running on control tyres the series is run over 14 rounds with weekends alternating between double and triple headers, offering drivers brilliant track time! Ti Motorsports has a full spec Saxo for hire. Built for the 2009 season but only competed in two races this car was built to the limit of the rules and has over 120bhp! Running on Leda adjustable suspension and using Mintex brake pads this little pocket rocket is great value for money!