MGJ Engineering Brands Hatch Winter Stages - 31st January 2016

[Suze]

I know this has been popular with a few on here before, and some have competed (hi BertMk2!) so....



Chelmsford Motor Club are pleased to be returning to Brands Hatch on Sunday 31st January 2016 for the MGJ Engineering Winter Stages.

The rally will be Round 5 of the Motorsport News Circuit Rally Championship.

Regs are available at http://brandshatchstages.co.uk/

Entries open at 9.00am on Friday 27th November.

[BertMk2]

Well we hope to be back out for this one - we've been sidelined for most of this year with engine problems (or more realistically - lack of cash problems!).

[chunder]

It seems Palmer is realising he can make a buck out of this rallying lark huh. All that cash for a time when you are doing nothing else, everyones a winner!

MSV are running a sort of mini series at Oulton, Cadwell and Brands for all the race/rally wallers who don't like proper single venue rallying lol!

Seriously, they are putting some backing into it aren't they? Good idea.

I went to Dukeries and it was a bit over cautious with the speccy areas and marshalling, but they were no doubt trying to impress and not take any chances.

SAFE speccy rallying is the future no doubt, but it really is a poor relation to the real thing, a very poor one.

[BertMk2]

Originally Posted by chunder

It seems Palmer is realising he can make a buck out of this rallying lark huh. All that cash for a time when you are doing nothing else, everyones a winner!

MSV are running a sort of mini series at Oulton, Cadwell and Brands for all the race/rally wallers who don't like proper single venue rallying lol!

Seriously, they are putting some backing into it aren't they? Good idea.

I went to Dukeries and it was a bit over cautious with the speccy areas and marshalling, but they were no doubt trying to impress and not take any chances.

SAFE speccy rallying is the future no doubt, but it really is a poor relation to the real thing, a very poor one.

There is an MSVR run rally championship that is circuit based - so Brands (round 5?), Cadwell, Oulton, Snetterton, Rockingham - probably missed a couple. Circuit based rallies are good fun - it's a fairly relaxed day and there's good spectator access - a lot of the events we do are on MOD land and there is no spectator access at all so these events are a chance for family and friends to come and watch.

As you say it's also a nice little earner for the circuits when there's nothing else happening so it's a win-win really.

[BertMk2]

Entry in

[chunder]

The odd thig is that it hasnt happened sooner!

There was a decent crowd at Donington, and Oulton.

I doubt MSV will sponsor events at Rockoingham or Croft, they are nothing to do with Palmer and he usually looks after nothing but how own!

Am coming down and a mate is coming down too, he's never been to Brands before lol!

[Suze]

It was Jan 2011 CMC first returned to Brands, after various events in the early 90s. For the first time I hope to be competing rather than in the commentary box having been there for all the winter and summer events from 2011 to date.

[BertMk2]

The entry for this is looking strong - it seems that being part of a championship has attracted some of the 'big boys' to the event. There's certainly some very quick cars on that entry list, those Darrians will take some beating (even by the WRC's).

[snowen250]

this is my only rally of the year, and I cant wait! Great way to spend a nice warm day in January Glad to see it back. It is amazing how hard it appears to be to take Graham Hill bend in reverse!

[chunder]

Bert

At Donington the Darrians were quick, but so were the Millngton non Mk2's! By that I mean an Escort by name only, sure you know what I mean.

[BertMk2]

Originally Posted by snowen250

this is my only rally of the year, and I cant wait! Great way to spend a nice warm day in January Glad to see it back. It is amazing how hard it appears to be to take Graham Hill bend in reverse!

Graham Hill always seems to be quite slippy. Has to be said I think going the 'wrong' way around the circuit is more fun - Clearways is definitely better backwards and the run from Druids up to Paddock is good fun too (you really feel the compression when you get to the bottom of the dip and start to climb back up).

Originally Posted by chunder

Bert

At Donington the Darrians were quick, but so were the Millngton non Mk2's! By that I mean an Escort by name only, sure you know what I mean.

Yep - those Millington engined beasts are very quick. We've got reasonable power in our car (or at least will have when the engine is back together!) but we can't live with them - we're giving away 60-70bhp to a lot of the 2 litre cars so god only knows how much the 2.5's have on us! Add in the monster brakes and super fandango suspension those boys have and we're in big trouble. The last time we did Brands we finished in the top ten - realistically I don't think that's achievable this time given the strength of that entry list.

If it's dry I'd expect one of the Darrians or big banger Escorts to win, if it's wet the WRC's might take it but it'll be close.

[chunder]

I think a well driven Gp4 spec lightweight tar Mk2 could still get top ten, but you would need a spanking BDA/G or a highly tuned Vauxhall to get there.

The thing I did notice with these boys was they could all damn drive!

A lot of rich toffs buy WRC cars and always have done and can't drive them for toffee, and they don't work properly unless you drive them properly. These newer Mk2 lads are clearly well off, but can at least pedal.

A top end Millington is perhaps 330hp, and you are talking 200k for the whole build with boxes, suspension, labour. They are no proper Escorts sadly, but they still look and sound great!

[Suze]

80 paid entries now, 4 paid reserves, 22 potential entries (once paid they'll go onto the entry list). Not bad in a few days!

http://chelmsfordmc.co.uk/Entry/MGJBHWS16/EntryList.php

[justracing]

Great news that this event is back to chase away the winter blues, can't wait!

[justracing]

Originally Posted by BertMk2

Entry in

Just printed off the seeded entry list, can't find you listed. Spoke with you a couple of years ago at this event, is the Escort still orange?

[BertMk2]

Originally Posted by justracing

Just printed off the seeded entry list, can't find you listed. Spoke with you a couple of years ago at this event, is the Escort still orange?

Yep, still orange We're seeded 37th - hope we can make progress from there but it's a very strong entry (certainly the strongest for this event so far). We've not competed since March last year (when we damaged the engine) so we'll be rusty to start with (getting my excuses in early ). Really just hoping for a clean, reliable run - just had to buy new helmets/intercom/HANS so funds are tight!

[justracing]

Originally Posted by BertMk2

Yep, still orange We're seeded 37th - hope we can make progress from there but it's a very strong entry (certainly the strongest for this event so far). We've not competed since March last year (when we damaged the engine) so we'll be rusty to start with (getting my excuses in early ). Really just hoping for a clean, reliable run - just had to buy new helmets/intercom/HANS so funds are tight!

Great stuff, I always prefer to take an interest in the small privateer guys, hats off to you and good luck for the event. Hopefully I'll stop by and say hello Sunday week, fingers crossed for a fine day otherwise the WRC cars and scoobies will run and away and hide.
I've started to take an interest in rally cars in recent years since the first event at BH and I am staggered by the amount of money some people are prepared to spend, £25k for a Millington engine! plus another huge lump for the sequential box and transmission, it's beyond belief. Great to watch though

[BertMk2]

Originally Posted by justracing

Great stuff, I always prefer to take an interest in the small privateer guys, hats off to you and good luck for the event. Hopefully I'll stop by and say hello Sunday week,

Pop over any time we're in service - assuming we're not looking stressed and frantically trying to fix something! (then again if it's something technical the chances of me fixing it are pretty much zero - I'll just be keeping an eye on the clock whilst Martin and the other guys sort it out!).

Originally Posted by justracing

fingers crossed for a fine day otherwise the WRC cars and scoobies will run and away and hide.

Not sure - the Darrians are real weapons on an event like Brands, they'll be tough to beat whatever the weather. If it's dry then as you say it'll really be game on - there are some phenomenally quick cars on that entry list. Hopefully it will either be properly wet or totally dry - makes tyre choice easy!

Originally Posted by justracing

I've started to take an interest in rally cars in recent years since the first event at BH and I am staggered by the amount of money some people are prepared to spend, £25k for a Millington engine! plus another huge lump for the sequential box and transmission, it's beyond belief. Great to watch though

Yep, to some extent it's a chequebook sport (as is any form of motorsport). Having said that there are some very quick 'cheap' cars out there - look out for the Newton brothers in their 1400 Nova (car 36) especially if it's wet, that thing is rapid. We've got a sequential box in the Escort but the engine is way down on power compared with the front runners in the class - we're giving away 80+bhp to cars like the 306 Maxi and some of the other Escorts. Our car is also heavy, our brakes aren't top notch, suspension is average, the tyres will be "the best of a bad bunch". We've had some top ten finishes over the years but I can't see that happening on this event - there are just too many quick cars out there (last time we did this event we were seeded 26 this time we're 37 so there's at least 11 more crews that should be quicker than us!).

At the end of the day it's just a hobby and we're there to have fun - which is easy in a Mk2 Escort

[justracing]

Is there any way of following the live timings other than a smart phone which I do not possess?

[BertMk2]

Originally Posted by justracing

Is there any way of following the live timings other than a smart phone which I do not possess?

Not that I know of - general standings and quickest stage time will obviously be handled by the commentator (possibly Andrew Coley? He's done it before). Printed copies of the stage times will be posted in rally HQ (either in one of the hospitality suites or the kentagon probably).

[justracing]

Originally Posted by BertMk2

Not that I know of - general standings and quickest stage time will obviously be handled by the commentator (possibly Andrew Coley? He's done it before). Printed copies of the stage times will be posted in rally HQ (either in one of the hospitality suites or the kentagon probably).

Many thanks, have a good one.

[Suze]

There will be live timings going out on a results website as per previous years, I'd expect them to be on http://www.vola-racing.com/rallypro/nicholls/ but that's something I'll be able to confirm nearer the time.

[justracing]

Originally Posted by Suze

There will be live timings going out on a results website as per previous years, I'd expect them to be on http://www.vola-racing.com/rallypro/nicholls/ but that's something I'll be able to confirm nearer the time.

Thanks for that info. Good luck for the event.

[tbtstt]

Just looking at the stage maps for the event...

http://www.brandshatch.co.uk/media/4...ams_v1_msa.pdf

...would I be correct in assuming that spectating will be restricted to between the Kentagon and Clark Curve?

[BertMk2]

Originally Posted by tbtstt

Just looking at the stage maps for the event...

http://www.brandshatch.co.uk/media/4...ams_v1_msa.pdf

...would I be correct in assuming that spectating will be restricted to between the Kentagon and Clark Curve?

I wouldn't have thought so - usually you can get anywhere except the outer paddock. Up by the Kentagon the stage goes onto/off the circuit through the access gate and then down into the outer paddock so there's no pedestrian access that way (although there might be a manned crossing point that can be used between stages?). Walking the other way around the circuit you can get up to Druids (and the inside of Druids has been open in the past), South Bank and the spectator area at Paddock is open as well as some viewing on the 'rally school' section.