Proper Preperation Prevents Poor Performance
Something Rich did try to tell Dave before the Rough Tough Preston!
Preston Road Rally - 6th December 2003
Having wrecked the 205 Challenge Rally car in Dalby forest, Rich and Mat had to withdraw their entry from the Preston Road Rally. However all was not lost as Dave Leadbetter conveniently split up with his girlfriend leaving him in need of a navigator. Rich jumped at the chance to still compete - even in the wrong seat.
The Preston is a tough event and the slogan "to finish first, first you have to finish" is very applicable to Rich who has tried the Preston four times with DNFs on each occasion. Dave on the other hand has competed twice before in an Skoda and an Astra with a 100% finish record, so Rich was hoping to see the Preston breakfast for the first time!
Rich gave Dave a list of essential things to do to his 205 to Preston proof the car, and as it was already undergoing various works some of these were added to the list. Notably the exhaust recommendations were not heeded!
The Preston makes use of an excellent full colour road book containing photocopies of OS Maps (reproduced with permission) with the sections marked on with additional information by Adrian Gladwin (CoC).
With each section timed very competitively, it can be a make or break event, and Dave's 205 lasted only 1km into the 1st section before the exhaust departed company with the car. This breaks Rich's earliest finish by a considerable margin.
Dave carried on to the end of the secion, the lack of exhaust doing nothing for nerves and performance and set a time in the middle of the field. Due to the potential PR disaster that would have occured had the team continued, Dave pulled over and waited until the closing car arrived carrying the remains of the exhaust system - thanks Tom!
With the help of a marshal's Subaru to drive over the exhaust to straighten it, the system was manhandled back on the car, but only sufficiently to drive on surfaced roads, so the rest of the Preston was not going to be possible. The map below shows the dismal 2003 Preston attempt.
After a spot of spectating, Rich and Dave headed home. With hindsight Dave would have put the exhaust on properly and Rich would have found a car to drive instead of navigate, but then that's Rallying!
With 2004 be that elusive win or 6 DNFs in a row!
