Bloody Chris Harris - more lunacy - To Rally or not to Rally

Andy G · Post by **Andy G** » Thu Feb 28, 2013 10:32 pm

Chris Harris is a hazard to my wallet!

After watching his various purchases with envy; Gt3 (about time Chris) , GT3 RS 4.0 (epic), 599 GTB (SO tempted - if only it had 1 more seat) - and now Rallying..........an itch I've always wanted to scratch.

Having briefly looked at the costs involved previously I was slightly fazed by some of the £0000000 beasts being flung through their paces - then I saw his latest "Driven" in a Shed - a Racing Beamer no less (the longer SE serving member might remember the brief encounter I had with mine, grass testing, and KH shed days) and I thought - Rallying looks like adding another level of challenge, and I can do it without driving to England every second weekend!

So - what my lengthy gibberings are concerned with, are what rally experience does the wealth of lunatics on SE have?

Where to start?

I'm actually not worried about being mega competitive (at the moment) I just really fancy adding another chapter to my racing life, and spending more time doing what I love most, sliding about, going sideways, and getting some more motoring fun back in to my life!

Oh the hours i used to spend playing the Colin McRae games on the PS

PS - is anyone mad enough to fancy getting in the co-driver seat, and reading some pace notes at interesting angles???

woody · Post by **woody** » Thu Feb 28, 2013 10:44 pm

Rallying is good fun. Not sure how busy the EACC forum is now, but I'd be tempted to ask the same on there.

I tried to do it on a budget a decade or so ago, but couldn't quite afford the time or money. Think you will have more success with the latter

allowing you to pay people to look after the car too. You already have the ideal team tow vehicle in the RR and I assume another trailer. Most guys doing rallying pay for the team's accommodation, dinner and a drink. Really. Nav pays half the event costs, plus maybe half fuel. Events are circa £500 IIRC.

Have navigated before... And spannered for a couple of teams... Might be tempted again.

You can hire rally cars per event, probably a good place to get started, but there's often a deposit of several £k.

BARS test is a doodle, ESP as you have done ARDS.

Nike

P.S. My Rally Driver friend Gordon Alexander reckons an Elise would make an awesome Tarmac car. Race shed is caged and has extinguishers? Ride height set to 200mm and you' pretty much there.

Post by **pete** » Thu Feb 28, 2013 10:51 pm

Would love to do it myself but have money and TIME issues. I was watching the Scottish rally on TV recently and did think that there didn't seem to much actually time spent driving considering all the efforts going into getting there....

I look forward to reading about your adventures.

smee · Post by **smee** » Thu Feb 28, 2013 11:20 pm

You'd be best starting off at single location events such as Crail to begin with and work out your routine from there. I know you have a lot of motorsport experience already but an experienced co-driver would be able to keep you right rather than a total novice.
Dates and regs for Ingliston and Crail are here

http://www.dunfermlinecarclub.co.uk/ind ... &Itemid=10

kerryxeg · Post by **kerryxeg** » Thu Feb 28, 2013 11:25 pm

I wondered if they still did single venues - there used to be a series. It was a pretty safe and cheap option to cut your teeth without risking the car too much.

woody · Post by **woody** » Thu Feb 28, 2013 11:27 pm

kerryxeg wrote:I wondered if they still did single venues - there used to be a series. It was a pretty safe and cheap option to cut your teeth without risking the car too much.

EACC were doing a single venue series on the rally roads at Kames (they're much more fun than the sprint track).

ETA: http://www.eastayrshirecc.co.uk/rally_time_trials2

Alistair · Post by **Alistair** » Thu Feb 28, 2013 11:49 pm

Colleague at work used to rally 20 years ago - sure things have changed since then but I'll ask for some advice.

He did spend a LOT of time spannering his Mini though

Cheers

H8OAG · Post by **H8OAG** » Fri Mar 01, 2013 9:09 am

Father G and I did this for many years
1974 - 1989 from memory
Built the cars ourselves and eventually became quit good at it.

Ask me about (Rally God) Penti Arrikkala and me shaking down an HS Chevette in the Scottish Rally on the Chairlift road at Aviemore!!

95 mph around blind bends concentrates the mind....

Ending up doing Castrol Autosport Rounds throughout Britain

As to the cost ?

Rallying is like standing in a shower with a dinner suit on ripping up £20 notes

Happy days and a lot of laughs!!

Do it

I may well dust down my International B licence if you do not get a volunteer

Sanjøy · Post by **Sanjøy** » Fri Mar 01, 2013 10:05 am

The RR has a mud setting...

Scotty C · Post by **Scotty C** » Fri Mar 01, 2013 10:26 am

Father G at the wheel.

Sanjøy · Post by **Sanjøy** » Fri Mar 01, 2013 10:30 am

Is that a blue tooth GPS tracking module on the roof ?

Dominic · Post by **Dominic** » Fri Mar 01, 2013 10:36 am

You'd be best to try and find a car that someone else has built - and poured £ks into. Research the current regs, and future regs for the cars - some used rally cars may be cheap because the seat belts / seats / fire extinguishers or even roll cage are out of date (correct gauge of steel & tube diameter).

Echo the other comments about getting an experienced navigator (I may know some who might be up for it) and doing single venue events to start with (as per Chris Harris).

To be seriously competitive will require a big cheque book, however, I would expect that you would be able to get quite high up the running order using a mildly competitive car, and skill

A few of my pals have taken great pleasure in beating rivals in their 'no expense spared' cars, using £1500 sheds.

A good team of 'rally mechanics' who can get stuck in, and fix problems quickly will be worth a lot!

gambler · Post by **gambler** » Fri Mar 01, 2013 10:37 am

Most of my mates are rallyists and David Bogie, who is current king of the Scottish Rallyists is one of my best mates. He has just bought an ex McRae world rally car and the running cost's of that is pretty eye watering. But the cost of running a Group N car are not too serious. They tend to get through a lot more tyres than a race car and a bit more fuel, Race fuel on Turbo cars. You would spend a lot less time and cost traveling down south every event though. Rallyists often spend a lot more on body repairs too as they do not have gravel traps or crash barriers. One of my mates stuck his car head on into a tree at 115mph last year and they both walked away. Just goes to show how safe modern rally cars are.

They guy who built my car from scratch is an ex WRC mechanic and a walking wikipedia on all things rallying. I could put you in touch if you like

GregR · Post by **GregR** » Fri Mar 01, 2013 11:06 am

Or there's rallycross

Clarkie · Post by **Clarkie** » Fri Mar 01, 2013 11:19 am

Worth having a chat with Dom Snr/Jnr not too far away in Kelso http://www.dombuckleymotorsport.co.uk/default.aspx Mega quick drivers in their own right

Budget no object well it has to be these guys, stunning facilities/engineering http://www.m-sport.co.uk/

Best motosport discipline by far, but as per Mr Boag, it'll be mighty expensive, you will break/bend the car, a good set of on event spanner guys are essential

I did the Scottish Rally Championship in a Vauxhall Nova 89-90 in those days the entry free was £120.00 for a 50 mile forest event think it's £400-500 now for 40 miles

Apart from that it's brilliant and addictive

Scottish Elises