NEW SEASON, NEW SPONSORS
MCLACHLANS ON THE PACE - AT LEAST SOME THINGS DON'T CHANGE!
Spring Stages , Oakington, 13th April 2003
Having moved up to the expert class in the 205 Challenge, Rich and Mat McLachlan expected the competition in the 2003 season to be tough. Much of the winter break was therefore spent ensuring their car was at peak performance for the forthcoming season. The result of which was to increase the power of the car by over 30%, which was needed for the first event of the season, the SCCON Spring Stages Rally at Oakington airfield.
Early on the un-seasonally hot April Sunday morning, the competitors lined up for what would turn out to be the most closely contested 205 challenge event to date. With over 68 miles of fast sweeping bends, twisty technical sections, and over forty-five 205 Challenge teams competing, both driver and co-driver needed to be on top form to contest this speed and precision oriented event.
Nerves were high as Rich and Mat waited on the start line having just acquired a spare set of maps to replace those lost 3 minutes before! The final few seconds before the start of the first stage rushed by and with the green light the competition was underway. A rapid start was made, twisting through the first few corners finding the grip of the new tyres and entering the first of the 100 mph sweeping bends only to be stopped due to a dangerous accident ahead.
Ian Winstanley had pushed too hard, too early, and ended up on his side with petrol leaking onto the tarmac. Fortunately only minor damage to the car resulted, but the stage cancellation enabled Winstanley to end the day 2nd in the 205 Challenge.
With this standard of commitment set, the competition was bound to be high as Rich and Mat contested the remaining stages of the day. Committed but controlled driving was needed and with every second counting, getting the fastest lines through corners was imperative. Stage by stage broken wing mirrors and barrel marks on the panels attested to the narrow margins for error whilst driving around the fast chicanes. Seconds counted as crews switched seconds and places throughout the day, with fastest stage time points awarded to the fastest five cars through each stage.
Rich and Mat put in a credible performance despite intermittent brake problems and gear selection problems during the final stages. Losing less than a second per mile to the fastest 205, and gaining several fastest stage points in the process, Rich and Mat were satisfied with their performance, finishing 7th 205 and even beating one of the 205 1.9 scholarship cars.
Mat Barker, runner up in the 205 challenge in 2002, really set the cat amongst the pigeons by finishing 3rd overall in his 1.9 205GTI overcoming much more highly powered and engineered machinery including a 206 Super Cup car, Darrians, Cosworths, and a brace of Metro 6R4s.
With the first round gone, attention now focuses on the next event, the Duckworth Landrover Tour of Lincs on 17th May. Preparations are already underway to solve the mechanical gremlins and make further inroads on the leaderboard.
Many thanks to Eddie Clough and Tom Peddle, our invaluable service crew for the event.
