Croft Stage Rally - The unexpected and unusual.

[mk1_4dr]

Last Thursday (I think) I got a message from Matt (stealthstylz) asking if I would like to pop along to watch his friend John running his ZR in a stage rally at Croft circuit.

Lets just say I didn't need asking twice.

After a very early start I was at Matts', and after parking the Volvo, we jumped in the freshly painted Hypnotoad, pointed it up the A1 and pressed on.

We actually made it in decent time (including one fairly sketchy moment on the Catterick sliproad) and managed to blag getting parked right next to the enterance gate in the carpark (more important than we would know at the time)

Once parked we went wondering around the pits to collect our 'service passes' while John was in scrutineering with the ZR.

 

Paul Swift (Son of Russ Swift of trick/stunt driving fame) and his IMMACULATE Cosworth powered Mk2. Unfortunately it only lasted 2laps before this steamy end happened right beside Matt and I.

 

Gorgeous roadrally spec Mk2 was parked here all day.

 

Hard driven Mk2 was performing well all day.

 

And another...

 

Sunbeam didn't look as quick or lairy as I was expecting.

 

The ZR. It was quick for an essentially stock 1600 Honda lump, quieter than a road car too.

 

Ex-Challenge cup Maestro was entertainingly rapid.

 

Another competitive Mk2.

 

This guy was a total HERO. Easily the most entertaining driving style on the track, with scandinadian flicks aplenty and lifting a front wheel out of corners.

 

ZR again

 

309 was nice to see out on the track. Chirstmas lights on the rollcage was a nice festive touch.

 

When was the last time you saw one of these? A 323 4WD Turbo. Looked planted and pretty nippy too.

 

Maestro again.

 

Wondering back around to the pit area, and this was parked up. I never thought sebrings would look good on a Sprite. How wrong I was.

 

 

underbonnet shot on a very nice roadspec mk1 in the pits. Twas for sale too.

 

Again, this BMW wasn't as quick or a lairy as I was expecting. Though, they did have an incident of a wheel parting company from the car and later, on some of the quicker bends, it got VERY tail happy and ended up parked on the infield.

 

Unarched and Serck plates. Lovely.

 

Someone needs an anti-dive kit

 

As you can see here, it was quite damp

 

I've been told that this Ka is usually driven to destruction. The chap seemed to be taking it a bit easier, possibly due to the weather, but he was still mixing it with the bigger boys.

 

This is the only shot I got of this quick Seat Cordoba. Probably packing an ABF, which was spitting flames and, again, chasing the bigger and quicker stuff.

 

There was plenty of RWD Escorts as an antidote to some of the slightly more boring FWD stuff. now, don't get me wrong, I don't mind abit of FWD, but theres something special about an old Escort being hammered sideways around a wet track.

 

Johns ZR again

 

Back half of the hero

 

A clearer picture of the 323.

 

And again...

 

And as we walked back past the enterance gate, this pair were crawling in

 

Looking a well used

 

Not Voodoo, but VTEC. (although, now I think about it, I'm not sure if it is a VTEC)

 

The pits, gazebos need not apply.

 

YES! Everyone loves a mossy Volvosaurus.

 

Unexpectedly in the carpark: A MiniMarcos

 

NomNom 6R4

 

This Forrester was actually a WRC chase car underneath the skin. (Im sorry for the shocking pic, I was quite far away in really crap sideways wind and rain)

 

3 cars you wouldn't lump together usually, but it made for an entertaining bit of racing.

 

NOM

 

The Mk1 that the twin webber'd Pinto belonged to

 

And again. NOM

 

Got all arty as the sun set.

 

As darkness fell, it was time to reattach the light pod.

 

And the lineup for the last stage of the day.

 

And back on the trailer.

 

A bloody good day all in all. ZR-Tec boys landing themselves a 3rd in class in 24th overall (out of 70odd entries).

That was after a bit of a hiccup where a lambda bung got blown out of the manifold so they had to take it easy for half a lap (fixed with the ingenious use of a pinto sparkplug) and as far as I can tell, it was the first time they'd been to Croft.

 

Speaking of which, I never knew that Croft was so close to home, and now I do know, I'll be going back at every opportunity.

[Czechered Flag]

I missed the Christmas Stages at Croft due to being on a late shift on the Friday night/Saturday morning. Always a good event, with plenty of entertaining drives. The next rally there will be the Jack Frost Stages on Sunday 20th January, another event i'll have to miss due to a clash of dates with the first round of the new R.A.C Championship.

 

A mate of mine was up at Croft with his camera, and a selection of his photos can be seen here

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set ... 367&type=1

[skattrd]

Great pics Dave.

I need more time and less shite, so I can do something like this myself.

[Alexg]

Great pictures, I love the pink Maestro. Thanks for sharing.