Learn to drive like a champ – for £3,495
Last updated 19:24, Thursday, 07 February 2008
FOR THE would-be rally drivers out there, Rally Torque is introducing a limited number of rally ‘taster days’ so they can get behind the wheel and see if they have what it takes.
The experience is based on driving three championship-winning rally cars – the legendary Ford Escort MK1, a classic Porsche 911 and a modern Subaru Impreza WRX, all with 0-60 mph acceleration speeds of less than six seconds.
Tuition is to be given by experts like Martin Rowe, the former British Rally Champion, and will be held at the Walters Arena Motorsport Complex, the UK’s premier gravel test venue half an hour from Cardiff and is one of the stages use on the WRC Rally Wales GB.
Divided into three sessions, each day is limited to 12 drivers who will experience full-on power slides and rally techniques but there is a bit of sting in the tail as the cost of the Taster Day is £3,495 inc VAT. I am not sure if that is per person but to find out more visit www.rallytorque.com
On Sunday, three local rally crews will be heading to the Lightwater Valley near Ripon not to play on the swings and water chute, or even the roundabout but to start the Riponian Rally, the opening round of the North Historic Rally Championship.
The Lamplugh father and son pairing of Richard and Edwin Cook will be out to post a good result and the young crew of Kris Hall from Crackenthorpe with Ella Flynn on the maps will want to continue their class winning ways, while Carlisle driver, Paul Drinkall is teamed up with Orpington co-driver Roy brown.
I will also be out to give support to a member of the 4 Square PR team as Amanda Cornforth is to compete in her Ford Ka with her dad in the co-driving hot seat.
The rally will use stages in the Hemsley and Sutton Bank areas with central servicing at Thirsk Auction Mart for which I do not have grid references but for those with sat nav the postcodes are HG4 3HT and YO7 3AB respectively.
March 1 sees one of the most popular rallies taking place, the Malcolm Wilson Rally which is a must not just for locals but crews clamouring for entries from throughout the UK.
Based in Cockermouth as usual, the one-day event uses the classic stages such as Grisedale and Wythop and with a very tight route for maximum stage miles and minimum road miles it is a fast and furious rally, usually with the added challenge of snow.
If it all runs to plan, the pressure to go flat out from the off will see some really spectacular sideways action one the very technical and testing forest stages.
It will also result in a high attrition rate with some crews letting the red mist take them into the undergrowth.
In all the many years it has been run it has always enjoyed an oversubscribed entry so it is wise to get the regs now by logging on to www.malcolmwilson.co.uk
Using some of the same forest stages is the well-established Lakeland Trial which takes place next Saturday for which I will be heading to Sandale for the famous uphill test on what is shown on the maps as a road but is one which very few cars end even some of the sporting trial cars that enter can’t cope with as it get very rutted and very, very muddy.
But it has great spectator value and as Channel 5 have recently had a programme on sporting car trials, the wires and web sites have been humming, so why not go to watch?
The best man to talk to is Mike Pockcock of the Fellside Club on 01228 400377.
Finally M-Sport BP Ford Abu Dhabi and Stobart Motorsport teams will be well into the Udderholm Swedish Rally as you read this and thankfully latest reports indicate there is snow.
Which will make the stages and the super special at Karlstad for more interesting; the rally ends on Sunday.
