Archived content. No warranty is made as to current accuracy. Content may contain URLs that were valid when originally published, but now link to sites or pages that no longer exist.

Roger Albert Clark Rally 2006

After another late night, this time because of an overstretched restaurant that promised us a table for 9:00PM but when we took up our table then told us that food would not be available for another hour.  Our food actually arrived at 10:25 PM.  Service, what service?

Actually we are in a good frame of mind today, determined to put yesterday's errors behind us and enjoy the rest of the event.  Everything looks better in the daylight and we follow the cars out to Kershope again.  The stage has dried out amazingly since last night.  Sure, in some places there is still water running down the track but now it's a trickle compared to the river of last night. I start to enjoy the flowing forest stages and can only imagine the speeds attained by the top crews.  The downside of this job is that you never get to see the competitors in action.

Team Chaos?  Oh, no not again.  Last year Mad Mick and Andy Morgan had left the stage in a very spectacular fashion.  This year they were sat meekly by the side of the track only about half a mile from the point of last year's demise and when asked what the problem was this time the answer came back "ventilated engine block"  OK, fair enough, so not going any further then?

Another laid back retiree was Ray Bellm.  We came across him parked up neatly off the stage and when I approached him he was sitting patiently for his service crew.  When they arrived they cajoled him into the service barge like some fragile old lady - "come on Ray, you'll be warmer and more comfortable in here..."  Though I still want to know what sort of magazines his mechanic had been reading.  I never did get sight of them.

Penultimate stage today is Pundershaw 2, almost nineteen miles of "killer Keilder".  This is a fantastic stage with long flowing straights and good quality surface.  You would never think that all those cars had been through here.  Almost before we know it, we have closed the last forest stage on the 2006 R.A.C. Rally.  All those clocks, checksheets, timing gear and PC boards are tucked into the vehicle.  All the marshals close their posts and we make our way out onto the main road for the run back to Croft.

We actually arrive at Croft in good time and ARE able to watch some of the competitors around the circuit before it gets completely dark and senses are bombarded by the noise of high-revving engines and sweeps of high-powered lighting.  We sweep the service area to make sure that no-one is left behind and we close the last stage with a low speed jaunt around the circuit.  All that is left now is the run back to Harrogate and the finish.

A special note must be made of the prize-giving.  This is the first time I have seen a packed house rise as one to give a standing ovation to someone who was not the winner.  It says a lot for the sportsmanship of this crowd that they stand to recognise Jeremy Easson who would have won, if only...

A special mention for Jimmy McRae who with a last minute entry conquered all and not to forget "God" Steve Bannister who came first in the Open event for the third time in a row...

An Alternative view...

Is it really Monday already, the last day dawns and today is the sting in the tail, Kielder, or as it was always known by competing crews on the RAC “Killer Kielder”. This is an often used format and will sort the men from the boys…apologies to our lady co-drivers out there. Today brings us 5 forest stages and then two stages back at Croft. After clearing up at Carlisle we make our way to the service areas at Kielder to help the closing crew check for retirements, or those crews running well behind schedule. There are three service areas here and they are strung out over a couple of miles so we position ourselves in the furthermost one. Time for a drink and sit and watch them working on the cars. Here we have a chat with car 63, a Peugeot, which arrives without an exhaust and flapping bodywork. The bodywork has come adrift because the bush on the bottom suspension arm has gone and allows the front wheel to move backwards under braking and smash into the wing!! 

As the competitors from the official service stop leave to go into Bewshaugh 2, the front runners are coming in here to change tyres and fill with fuel before the long Pundershaw stage.(This is a combined stage of the mornings Roughside and Pundershaw stage) I am a little surprised to see Steve Perez and Jimmy McRae both in here so after a scramble for the camera I manage these few shots of Jimmy before he speeds away to the stage…

Little did we think that he would be the eventual winner, because Jeremy Easson was leading substantially going into the woods. But fate was to deal him a bitter blow later in the day.

This service area clear we make our way to service area B and here I am shocked to see the  Lancia coming in on the end of a tow rope…here we also see car 134, the Toyota who is struggling against OTL to get back on the road…they leave close to the limit. This gives me a chance to ask what went wrong with the Lancia, to be asked, “would you like a list! The final straw was petrol coming out of the tank as quickly as it was going in” Apparently the tank guard had been pushed against the tank(?) and made a hole….this was a valiant effort though guys, see you again next year.

Finally check the last service area at North Abutment and liaise with John to confirm that all numbers match and its back to Harrogate to set the finish.

Back at the finish I find out that Jimmy is the winner. This is such cruel luck for Jeremy Easson who has led the event for some time. At the end of the Pundershaw stage apparently he and Jimmy had shaken hands, with Jimmy   congratulating him on his win, knowing that with only two stages at Croft to go, it was unlikely that he could make up a 19 second deficit.

 Oh how cruel fate can be, the throttle cable went on Eassons car handing the lead to Jimmy…..so it was Jimmy McRae, who up to a week before the event didn’t even have an entry in the event, who was crowned the winner of the 2006 Roger Albert Clark Rally. At the prizegiving it was Easson who got a standing ovation for his exceptional driving over the last three days. This was not to take anything from Jimmy but just the appreciation of the other competitors.  

That’s it for another year then. We have had three days of exciting friendly motorsport. We would love to see you again so please come and join us in 2007, don’t forget we are a week earlier next year and watch this space for news of the 2007 event and thank you for supporting us again this year. TTFN

Posted Sunday 19^th November 2006

Behind the field and off up to Scotland.  As we prepare to leave Carlisle we switch on the 81 set and the management radio to listen to what is happening ahead of us.  We are only able to listen as we seem to have a problem on the management set where we can hear clearly what everyone else is saying but no one can hear us.  Either that or it's that "special" set that was earmarked for the Kall Kwik C of C so that he couldn't influence the smooth running of that event...

News soon starts to come in that the threatened winter weather has arrived in the Forest of Ae where they have had up to four inches of snow overnight.  In places, the snow is so bad that marshals in 2 wheel drive vehicles can't get to their posts.  So that should be fun then...

The scenery as we drive into the Forest of Ae is spectacular.  A dusting of snow on the hills against the blue morning sky.  The trees carrying a pure white frosting that unfortunately is matched by snow and underlying ice on the forest roads.  When we arrive virtually the whole field has gone into the stage and we are behind the back markers.  Already we are hearing that a number of competitors are off in here.  We follow the last car into the forest only too aware that the front runners are almost ready to start the stage again for the second time and that it is up to us to quickly clear the stage for the second running, making sure that any stranded competitors are either moved to a place of safety or pulled clear of the forest.  The track through the stage has now been largely cleared of snow but there is still underlying ice on some of the more exposed sections of the stage and mud in the sheltered areas.  Unbeknown to me I lose the rear number plate from my vehicle in one such muddy corner but an icy corner is my undoing.  A long left into sharp right and I lose the back end.  The next thing I know we are thrown ignominiously into a deep ditch on the right of the track and we are on our side.  I try low ratio 4 wheel drive but to little effect.  I can rock the vehicle backwards and forwards but cannot climb out of the ditch.  OK, so we are stuck.  I don't know what damage I have done to the vehicle our radios don't work and there is no phone signal!  Soon spectators arrive and proffer advice, except for one kind soul who takes lots of pictures and asks casually if I'm going to put this incident in my blog..  Thanks for that!  And where are the promised pictures?

Luckily another course car, who also has my rear number plate, arrives and with a small tug on a tow rope I'm back on the road.  No one is hurt and there seems to be little damage to the vehicle so we're off again.  There are still five other cars to be pulled out of similar ditches before we reach the finish of the stage.

At this distance, the rest of the day is a blur of quality stages and rapid route instructions until we reach the penultimate stage of the day, Kershope.  All is wet and dark as the rain lashes down and the stage in places is like a river of mud.  With standard lights and tyres I'm glad to be through here, away from Ash Park and back to Carlisle.  Tomorrow has to be better... and I didn't mention forgetting to close my window as we hit the water splash in Heathall did I?

An Alternative view...

Yesterday was the Kall Kwik Rally , which had been run as a part of the Roger Albert Clark Rally.  All those who took part loved the stages and the organisation of the event.  After packing up the finish venue we had a long run across to Greystoke Forest to collect the stage equipment, which was destined to spend the next few days in the back of the vehicle.  At Carlisle a quick check to see that Steve and John are back and it’s back to the hotel for a shower and a lovely night sleep. It was a miserable start to the day, as the main field left here at 7am with the course closer following. 

By 9am, a beautiful bright sunny morning had finally settled over Carlisle. There has been lots of talk about the weather today. Those of you who followed us last year will have been as pleased as we were to know that there was no fog this year…hooray!  All talk this year was of snow, the forecast had said that there would be snow in Scotland overnight.  It wasn’t long before this was confirmed when I took a call from Steve and John in the closing vehicle they tell me that they have heard on the rally radio that there is  snow in Ae the first stage of the day. Let’s hope that tyre choices have been correct.

My heart goes out to those of you who slept out last night in the true tradition of the RAC of old. (I know some of you did as I saw the tents on the way into the hairpin at Ae!!!!)

The plan today is to follow the clubman rally to the start of the Heathhall stage and meet with Steve and John and hand the 14 starters to them to follow at the back of the main field and then be available to meet them and assist them should they need it. As I sit in the car writing this I can see the competitors in the Clubman rally assembling. Here are a few pictures of them waiting at the start.

So we follow the cars from Carlisle on to the motorway heading north, when I hear that the closer has been pulled from a ditch on Ae the crew are fine…thank goodness for that as I cannot get them on the telephone. As we cross into Scotland we can see snow on the tops of the fells and mountains. We are following car 137 and stop with them in a lay-by whilst they wait for the service crew so that they can get something from them. After a 10minute stop we are on the way again and onto Dumfries. As we arrive at the ATC for the Heathhall stage we count the crews, all accounted for, it reminds of the famous line from the Falklands War, “…I counted them all out and counted them all back”

It is here that we meet Steve and John in the closer and follow them to the service halt. I check that they are both okay after their problem in Ae, they are both a bit shaken but otherwise fine. I arrange that we will meet them at the end of Ae and then back to Dumfries, before going to Castle Oer and Twiglees.

Paul drives us to Ae and we see a few cars coming out of the end of the stage before going into the start of the stage to see Steve and John. In this picture you cannot see the snow just a very foreboding heavy sky…a sign of things to come later in the day perhaps? Trust me the snow was there as this picture of the local fauna proves...

I am told that there were snowmen in Ae, no, not the marshals but ones that they had made. Has anyone got any pictures? If you have, then let’s have them for inclusion on the site.

The day is progressing nicely although we can see that the weather is about change with a bit of a vengeance. More of that later.

Having made our way to the end of Castle Oer, we have a little bit of time to kill before the closing car emerges from the stage so we have chance to have a chat with the Rally Manager. I know that there is no such luxury for Steve and John who are busy in the stage behind us clearing up stragglers and collecting the all important paperwork, which the results team need to have in case they need to clear up timing anomalies. We are lucky to see a few cars from the stage onto the road section. The service crews are here and across the road I can see the Stratos of Steve Perez just leaving, that beautiful Ferrari engine roaring and bellowing away up the hill into the distance, as they set off for Kershope. We are here in time to catch the cars at the end of the field. In my opinion though this includes some of the most interesting vehicles of the event and I make no apologies of my admiration for the Mini and the beautifully turned out but apparently very fragile Lancia Fulvia…oh how this takes me back to the glorious days of the RAC and this for me epitomises the spirit of this Roger Albert Clark Rally.

Steve and John arrive, no problems so off they go to Twiglees and we relocate to the passage control at the end of the stage for them to meet us again. By the time they arrive at the PC it is raining heavily and the wind has got up. Due to the pressure of the event they have lost some time and we agree that we will set off for the Kershope and Ash Park stages together so that we close both stages together to save time and save the marshals being stood in this awful weather any longer than necessary. It is important that we keep in contact through all this but communication is almost impossible as the phone has no coverage here and the management frequency radio in their vehicle has stopped working.

So we are frantically trying to make up time now on a long road section and John and I are trying to collate the numbers of vehicles still running ahead of us. As we approach the stages we agree that they will close Kershope and we will close down Ash Park. At the start of Ash Park, we meet Bruce and Richard who are going to clear the equipment from the stage, after we have been through. This is a dirty but very necessary job. I count the last few cars into the stage and confirm the numbers with the safety radio network and follow the last competitor into the stage….it’s a lovely stage but very slippery with all the rain.

Check with Steve and John that they are okay and we set off on the road section back to Carlisle and a warm meal and a bed. The meal came eventually after a two hour wait, the only gripe we had with the hotel!! Bed was very welcome but an all too short night before back to the start for 7am and a bacon sandwich for breakfast….we will see you in the morning.

Posted Saturday 18^th November 2006

Saturday dawned clear and bright and we were blessed with a clear blue sky over Harrogate as the cars lined up at the Yorkshire Event Centre to tackle the fist two spectator stages which would be the prologue to the meat of the day in the North Yorkshire Forests.