Dukeries Rally 2011

[Pillock]

So I dragged my smelly ass out of bed at the crack of dawn yesterday and relocated it in Blidworth Woods for Stage 1 of the Dukeries Rally. Third year I've been down, it's nice and relaxed with a good mix of entires. Slightly less variation in the entries this year as you'll see from the pics - last year there were a few Sunbeams, Cossehs and more 205s than this year which was dominated by the "rare" Mk2 Escort, Nova, Rover 200 (seems an odd but popular choice of rally car) and then Subarus in the higher classes. It's nice to be able to walk the forest between cars, the marshalls do a fantastic job and will move you if you're stood somewhere really dumb but one the whole you can do your own thing. I did manage to take a fist-sized boulder to the BO11OX as I crouched a couple of feet off the track to get a photo of an Evo, which reminds you that "motorsport is dangerous"

 

Anyway. You'll be wanting some pictures then! Have a special Autoshite-themed set. Apologies for the quality of some of these, I was mucking around with a couple of new manual-focus lenses so a few are a little blurred....

 

Protons seem quite popular every year and do well

 

 

 

An odd choice? There were a few E30s in but this chap seemed to by enjoying himself in an E36.

 

 

OOOPS!

 

 

 

 

 

Especially for Pete-M... a Mk2 Scrote Selection (and this is probably less than a fifth of those entered)

(the photographer on the inside of the corner made a sharp exit as the car flattened the peg in front of him)

Most expensive garden ornament of evAr.

 

Bored of Mk2s? Have this. Was 100% GORGEOUS.

 

This B-plate Mk4-shelled Escort appeared to be RWD from the way it exited this corner

 

[tonedepear]

 

 

My 1st spitfire's numberplate was WEE ###K.

 

http://mingebagcitroens.blogspot.com/2011/05/2-1972-triumph-spitfire-iii.html

[ashmicro]

GR8 pics. The MG driver was singing "You picked a fine time to leave me loose-wheel"

 

The Mk4 Escort will be a Gartrac or the like, colloquially known as a G4. Quite a few of them on the rallycross circuits here in NI.

 

You must have a pretty good camera, those shots are top-notch.

[Pete-M]

POO 505R was a legendary Mk2 in the day, that reg is a nice touch it isn't not original.

 

Hmm, I wonder if I can get a good plate for mine. That's an idea.

[Pillock]

The camera is pretty cruddy to be fair - Pentax K110D. I think most if not all of those were with the standard 18-55 lens, I took out a Sigma 35-70mm too and a really really old 20mm fixed f2 lens - both manual focus. Not really used to them, and stuff was happening quite fast so I got a lot of crap shots. The WRC-spec cars at the end were on the 20mm lens as it copes better in low light but I've got a lot to learn!

 

Pete, POO-D has been there every year, and indeed it was the presence of that on the back of a trailer going south down the A1 as I headed to Harrogate on Friday that reminded me that the rally was on. My friend is in the club although not out in his Nova this weekend, I can ask about the originiality of that car.

 

The MG owner hadn't realised that the halfshaft had come adrift and did about 300 yards with a much-widened track, only coming to a halt when the wheel smacked into the bank. Didn't appear to do too much damage if any, they got the shaft back in in a couple of minutes but then struggled to secure it.

[Rod/b]

POO is an Essex rego and more than likely means that the car wearing it (if original) came out of Ford AVO in Aveley. WIN.

 

Although an R plate might be a bit late for AVO...

[M'coli]

It could have come from Boreham too, but pukka ex-works cars must be very rare.

 

The BMW compact is an interesting one: I had heard of someone developing a BM 3-series for rallying which used a LHD Avenger quick rack rather than the power steering it came with, but I don't know if it was this one.

[Rod/b]

It could have come from Boreham too, but pukka ex-works cars must be very rare.

 

The BMW compact is an interesting one: I had heard of someone developing a BM 3-series for rallying which used a LHD Avenger quick rack rather than the power steering it came with, but I don't know if it was this one.

 

Could just be registered Warley HO too I guess...