Longmoor Loco 2010

[BertMk2]

Well the regs are out for this now, anyone interested needs to get a shift on with their entry - the regs came out yesterday and half the places were filled by yesterday evening! Probably be full by the end of today or tomorrow at the latest I'd have thought.

[Suze]

I think there were 11 places left as of lunch time today. Unfortunately we've decided we can't afford Longmoor, Brands and Goodwood on top of the other events we're doing so giving this one a miss Shame as really enjoyed it last year!

[BertMk2]

Sorry to hear that Suze - Longmoor is always good fun and the absence of the 4wd's means that the playing field is a bit more equal (even more so if it's icy as it negates the big power cars advantage too). Having said that I'm pretty sure we won't be doing all 3 either - they're just too close together (especially considering we've got to get new wheels ).

[Suze]

Yep you're right, a 2WD event is a bonus. As we're doing the Endurance Championship that takes priority, the first round is 19th / 20th Feb and we'll need 9 new tyres between us, so that's a reasonably big bill to start on top of everything else!

It is a shame there are 3, good tarmac events so close together. Just having just had these bills in, and Longmoor being the first, something had to give!

[BertMk2]

Still go for Longmoor, the weather had threatened to intervene but it looks like the ice is clearing. Looking forward to this

[BertMk2]

Cracking day at Longmoor yesterday Very slippy early on (hence our close encounter with a lamp post ) but the grip picked up throughout the day. Seriously good drive by Simon Mauger in his Escort - winning by over a minute at Longmoor is a mighty impressive feat (and that's 2 in a row at Longmoor for him now).

Should also add a big thank you to the organisers for going to Longmoor and clearing ice and snow from the venue so it the rally could go ahead - and to the marshals for standing out in the cold all day so we could throw our cars about

[Suze]

Where did you finish? I've not seen a full set of results yet. Sounds another good event, sorry to have missed it!

[BertMk2]

12th overall so pretty happy with that - although the lamp post incident and a half spin later on cost us a top ten (but I guess everyone has their "if" moments!). Parts of the morning stages were starting to cut up quite badly by stage 4 and there were some big holes appearing - we managed to take a 6 inch chunk out of one of our wheels too (brand new wheel - it's done all of 4 miles and it's now scrap ).

Looking forward to Brands in a month!

[Circuitmarshal]

Bit slow off the mark with this!!
I was watching you as start line radio in the morning and then hidden away on post two for the second half.
Think you result was good for your seeding, you weren't the only ones to get cought out but at least you finished and had fun which is what that event is about.
You were quite good to watch around through the buildings.
Never been so warm at Longmoor it was a heat wave this year - OK it was damp but above Zero degrees!!
I did have a wander around the service area but we don't get a lot of time first thing so missed you, you drove out just as I drove in towards service and never got back in the short time I had.
Think you ought to service for Suze at Goodwood or even marshal you know you want too!!

[BertMk2]

Originally Posted by Circuitmarshal

Bit slow off the mark with this!!
I was watching you as start line radio in the morning and then hidden away on post two for the second half.

I wondered where you were lurking

Originally Posted by Circuitmarshal

Think you result was good for your seeding, you weren't the only ones to get cought out but at least you finished and had fun which is what that event is about.

Yeah, we were pleased with the result but it could have been better if it weren't for the lamp post incident and a half spin two stages from home - we would have been comfortably top ten. I'm not sure why we were seeded so low - we've been top ten the last two years at Longmoor so starting at 47 was a bit harsh we thought. It also meant we did catch quite a bit of traffic although people did get out of our way quite well this year (I didn't have to use the horn at all!)

Originally Posted by Circuitmarshal

You were quite good to watch around through the buildings.
Never been so warm at Longmoor it was a heat wave this year - OK it was damp but above Zero degrees!!

There may not have been so much ice but it was still bloody slippy through those buildings! The bigger problem this year was the potholes - by the end of the morning there were some massive holes and to be honest I think we had the car set too low really for Longmoor, the sump guard took a pounding and I'm amazed we only broke one wheel.

Originally Posted by Circuitmarshal

I did have a wander around the service area but we don't get a lot of time first thing so missed you, you drove out just as I drove in towards service and never got back in the short time I had.
Think you ought to service for Suze at Goodwood or even marshal you know you want too!!

I guess that was us heading off to noise and scrutineering? That was all pretty rushed after the chaos getting into the venue. I may be there on the 12th but I might be at Lydden - not entirely sure yet (need to find out exactly what's going on at Lydden).

[Circuitmarshal]

Never mind Lydden have a day out in the New National Park!!
With your seeding I must admit I was looking for the once a year runners down that low, thinking you had had to pull out, even Maurice May was seeded at 30 thought you would have been above him.
I did notice no wheels laying under cars this year from hitting kerbs, everyone choosing other things to have a go at, those short posts marking the edge of the grass it would seem were quite solid a few lost the battle with those.
Ah well, next year no snow or standing water and a top 5 to prove a point!!

[Suze]

Someone from our motorclub retired on the last stage after hitting a pothole and breaking something....

Come to Goodwood everyone

[Circuitmarshal]

Originally Posted by Suze

Come to Goodwood everyone

As the lady says!!

Entry to the circuit is FREE catering prices, er ? but there is a retail park within about a mile of the circuit.
Sat Feb 12th www.southdownsstages.co.uk

[BertMk2]

Originally Posted by Suze

Someone from our motorclub retired on the last stage after hitting a pothole and breaking something....

The afternoon stages weren't as "holey" as the morning ones so I'm surprised about that, there was only one real monster and that was in the loose section through the wood coming off the skid pan. We hit it the first time through but I added a "keep right" to the notes and after that we were fine. I think that this years was the worst it's been for cutting up though, there were holes appearing all over the place (seems odd to talk about tarmac stages cutting up - that's normally a forest problem).

There seemed to be quite a few retirments where people had broken oil coolers by going nose first into things - we skillfully avoided that fate by hitting the lamp post sideways Driveshafts seemed to be the other problem (particularly for the fwd cars).

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