Neil Micklethwaite

Went to watch this, this weekend.

Excellent Rally all round. £3 to park per stage £4 if you wanted to return. £4 for excellent programme.

McRae was excellent value for money in his RS2000.

Nicky Grist was running down the order ( and arrived just after Martin Whittaker left the stage in his Galaxy ).

Scoobies , Cossies , Lancers , Kas , Daihatsu Aventzo thingies , 6R4s , Audis , Mk2 Escorts , MK1 Escorts, Fiats , Skoda and many more.

The best story heard through the Grapevine was that one Scooby came through the flying finish FAST , did not slow much , hit some kinks and barrel rolled out of the rally whilst he was supposed to be slowing down !!.

Cheers to All Scoobs who waved back ( We were in RB5 and White STi IV )

SDB

I would have loved to have seen the rally, thanks for the info

Was McRae actually included in the competition this year?

If so, how did he do?

Cheers

Simon

Neil Micklethwaite

Simon.

He was running as stage opener ( Car Zero ).

We heard over the radio that he wanted his times logging, Just for a comparison

He was BLOODY quick however and fully committed ( even with his wife sat next to him ).

The young lad who was with us managed to get his programme signed by Colin as he waited to set off on the stage, so big thanks to Colin for making his day.

Maxwell Straker

I remember seeing this event on the TV a couple of years ago when CM was driving a 6R4 as the course car.

He absolutely obliterated everyone but the most amazing fact was that he had one of his mates sat next to him for the rally that had never navigated before and he wasn't calling any of the bends so he was driving on sight.

It is very humbling to see someone drive like this, espcially if you think you can drive a bit yourself.

I will just have be content with beating him on the Playstation instead.........but not on expert level

MarkF

We were at the end of Castle O'er. We did the timing thing where you pick a point and, given that all cars set off on a minute intervals, you can work out who is relative to who. McRae was about 6 seconds up on Brian Lyall! I did think though that in the first stage at Ae he was over-driving the car. It was bloody spectacular though!!
Mark

Neil Micklethwaite

We Did Ae - The Long One and then the Start of Ae ( stage 3 ? ).

Did you queue for a burger at the Car Park at Ae. 29 People to serve - 58 Minutes - We were hungry though.

We were at Junction 12 - Down hill into Left handed Hairpin and McRae was certainly one of the quickest. It certainly is humbling and I have not beat him at CMR 2.0 yet ( only got it yesterday !! )

Really good event

MarkF

Hi Neil. We walked up to the hairpin from the car park (how slippery was the track?!)and continued through the stage to a wooden bridge. We could see them approach, cross and then leave the bridge. The approach was spectacular from the hairpin; virtually flat out for about half a mile on a long, slight right hand bend then suddenly 90 right over the bridge.
Didn't do the burger van cos of the queue (and my need to lose a few pounds round the middle).

RichieC

Are we talking about that incredibly slippy tight left hand hairpin?? Wouldnt have fancied doing that, did you see the view as you came down the hill!!, it was a wall of speccies!

Castle o er, is that the same stage as used on the 1995 Scottish, bad memories, my driver rolled the car over the flying finish and hospitalised himslef....nasty (bright yellow Corsa). The accident was bad enough for Men & Motors to show it for about a year!!

Yep a cracking day, McRae was on fire. I was expecting him to be taking time off Lyall. Rumours are that the Mk2 is worth circa £50,000!! Never seen such a comitted effort.

Regards

Richie

PS How bad was the burger cue!!

PPS How many Scoobs were parked around it, I counted 8 !!. I wasnt in mine, but my mates red Golf.

Neil Micklethwaite

MarkF - Very Slippery and steep !!. I have a beautiful picture of that bit of road ( should have been of McRae but I'm getting used to my Digital Camera !! Managed to Get Lyle's Spoiler and then stopped doing the fast cars )

We started about 200 yards from it and walked up to the previous hairpin.

We watched them rip down the straight to the Bridge, which must have been awesome. Just over the bridge was the start of the third Ae Stage and we walked to it ( seemed like Miles ).

The midges were a bit keen as my Bald head now looks like something written in Braille.

RichieC - The queue was amazing ( I was in SWRT Fleece with SWRT Rucksack and Cap - Moaning ).

You weren't in the Red Golf Rallye were you ? That was a nice sounding/looking car.

Scoobs galore ( only 1 Cozzah ) and the odd legacy on some monster 18" rims.


[This message has been edited by Neil Micklethwaite (edited 09 August 2000).]

Maxwell Straker

Neil,

Its definately worth getting the cheats for CM 2.0, the best one is the cheat for opening all cars.

When entering the name of a new player put in 'ONECAREFULOWNER' and hey presto, 6R4, T16, STRATOS, 3dr COSSIE, COOPER?, INTEGRALE. This gives you a bit of a fighting chance. Mind the T16 though....its a bit pokey.

Neil Micklethwaite

Maxwell - Cheers for the cheat - will try it tonight

MarkF

So Richie, you were in with John Robson(?) when he did the dainty pirouette? On the Scottish this year someone destroyed a Micra in exactly the same way. Is this bend not MSA cautioned?
I saw the RB5 and the STi parked up between the burger van and the stage, by the river. I was parked past the burger van on the side of the road, red MY93 WRX, Technomagnesio wheels.
I know what you mean about those speccies at the hairpin, crazy. There were kids and adults standing on the logs surrounding the hairpin and as for the run off area....what a joke!

RichieC

Neil

Saw ya!!, we were stood behind you, about 6 people back. No wasnt the Ralye, an early GTi.

MarkF,

Yep thats John, but I wasnt in on that occassion (thank christ) Ken had the honours!
The outcome was compressed vertebrae as Johns helmet hit the roof. The bottom of the seat was pushed through, so you can imagine what happened to his spine...hes not the daintiest bloke!!

It is indeed cautioned, but NOT ENOUGH!! Its an attrocious camber, why dont they move the flying finish up the stage 200yds?? The car was totalled and was reshelled.

Saw your car, in fact did u not drive round the front of us at the arrival of Twiglees (RH T Junction off the main road, we were on the verge on the right)....love the wheels to death, and what exhaust setup are you running??.....sweet!

Agood day was indeed had by all!!

Rich

MarkF

Richie, I think I saw the Golf. Red with multi spoke wheels?
Glad you liked the soundtrack. Its a magnex centre (with resonator) and Milltek backbox, plus i've removed the baffle box on the intake pipe from under the wing. Oh and for good measure its got a K&N panel in it.

Neil Micklethwaite

RichieC - Were You Group of three or four - one blond(ish) short haried with Ear ring ?

MarkF - Saw the car - Nice Wheels. ( our RB5 / STi parked next to river - Quite idyllic and all those Rally Cars )

Next time I'll remember to post before event and we can get together for a chat ( whilst waiting for burgers )

Did you see how Mr Grist rolled the Ka on practise on Friday and they rebuilt it over night from a show car driven from Boreham !! I suppose it's knowing/working for the right people.

[This message has been edited by Neil Micklethwaite (edited 10 August 2000).]

RichieC

Neil F
Yeah it was a red Mk2 (but OZ Polaris)
Yours sounds very much like a rally car. Ive got the Magnex centre section (baffled), Magnex backbox (oval). Falkland downpipe and K&N Induction kit. Although Im happy with the noise I was dead impressed by your note! (dunno what mine sounds like from outside cos Im always driving it!).

Neil,
Nope not us. There was just 2 of us, neither with earings or blonde hair!! Never mind eh!!

Neil Micklethwaite

Richie

This chap looked a bit of a 'lad' and his mates too.

RichieC

He he, definately not me then!!

Rich