Woodbridge Stages 2008

This time next week many of us will be getting ready for the Stage Rally at Woodbridge.
The organising team have been working hard for the second year to put on another Chelmsford Motor Club stage rally, which I’m sure will be as good if not better than last year. With a maximum entry of 70, and currently 67 showing on the Entry List, over a week to go, so may even be a full entry.
This weekend is liklely to be a busy weekend for many, as I know at least 4 cars still to have the engines back in over the next few days. The replacement Escort engine is due later today, so that should be in tomorrow, and the cylinder head on the Nova came straight off after last weeks 12 car. It's a completely standard engine, probably done thousands of miles, quite a few rallies, so a few burnt out valves could have been expected, and hoping to get that back together over the weekend.
Many CMC crews entered, including 4 cars from my family including sister and niece. Even our dad at "86" is rumoured to be attending so long as there isn’t a maximum age limit !
Best of luck to all, see you next week.
Ed

I'm with you Ed - cannot wait.

My preparation is hopefully not going to be as hectic as yours - new door squares !

With 14 cars in my class I'm under a certain pressure to perform. I asked for about number 40 so TC has put me at 28 !!!!!

last chance guys, if you are thinking of coming to marshal you will need a pass an i am trying to get them all sorted this w-end as i am very busy next week.07747603722 or johnconboy@live.com we have got a good number but we could do with a few more. regs John

I am sooo excited can't wait until Sat. Not sure that we are going to like being in the middle of the bunch but will have a go!

Its really nice to see so many CMC and WAC crews out on this event - looking forward to the craic and a family affair too I see with Grandad coming ...

Glad that I made it to Sat well enough to compete - thanks TC for letting me wait and see.

Had a fantastic day - car was going well apart from loss of power on stages 1 & 2 but once fixed we were enjoying it. Maybe had too much fun on one stage and lost it a couple times - sorry to make you shake Louise. Then we lost a bit of the car! Whilst in the budlia we turned a corner to see another car across the route we had to either hit them or go into the bushes! I opted for the bushes and totally ripped my bumper to shreds, drove over it too - damn should have gone for the other car - would have been softer!

We finished which is the main thing. The others in our little 'team' did well - shame about lee but the rest finished. Well done to Pete/Richard 3rd overall, Scott/Aron 2nd in class and Richard/Irene (parents) 3rd in class dispite an incident also involving a tree.

Oh well not to much to do before next event - Dad has some straightening to do, i have got to build yet another bumper and I need to find some bhp from somewhere!!!

Thanks to all the organisers, marshals and uncle Ed for sponsoring the event and for his hospitality. Well Done CMC

I like the "I" bit on building or should I say rebuilding your fibreglass bumper, I think your Dad will take you up on that offer? At least we have managed to get all the bits back so I do hope you are good at doing jigsaws Blondie and Blonder?

googled woodbridge and found this – how funny!
http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=88288

Well done CMC great event. A big thanks must go to all the marshals, without you we would not be able to compete. Also I must say thanks to the Hutton Kitchens - Ed for all the hospitality yesterday. Team Essex said thank you.

"Dick" is happy to have come home with a trophy dispite our little off.
Thanks to Keith Lane, Ricardo Bonneair, The Old Git,Uncle Albert but to name a few for getting us back out to do the last stage.

Roll on "Valentines Stages" 2009 at Woodbridge

Many thanks to all of you at CMC for a very enjoyable day, just a shame the driver (me!!) decided to find some of the scenery and damage the car, thanks to the marshalls and recovery for doing a very swift job of recovering us and clearing the stage. Still we managed to get out again and finish, we will definatly be back for the next one and hopefully avoid the buddliea!!!

Many thanks to Ian Barnard for the loan of the tracking gauges, it was soooo far out after our off that it would have destroyed my spare driveshaft as well!!!

Also if anyone has any pictures of us please email them to dobinthedonkey@hotmail.com

Rob
Car 36

Tony Clements again choose the perfect weekend for the weather and planned a smooth running event. A massive thanks to all the organising team, marshals and competitors for making this the success it clearly was.
For us, a fairly long week preparing the two cars, from putting in a new engine in one, and cylinder head on the other, then most nights getting the final bits sorted and up to Woodbridge on Friday. Good first stage, but delaminating rear tyres on stage 2 caused a high speed spin and then some new rear slicks for stage 3 got the handling back again. Baulked on stage 4, then a steady pace for the afternoon, and suprisly no major dramas or problems.
Ben also struggled with tyres early on having a few too many moments, including loosing the rear bumper and wing mirror. New tyres at lunchtime kept him a bit more on the track, and an excellent result and finish for a road rally car initially costing £600 3 years ago, and still with it's origonal standard engine.
All the family finished, with Richard and Irene just missing out on a top ten finish by one place following an incident with a tree left in the track by an incident involving the previous car, but a class award none the less.
Even got a kiss from little sister when presenting her the award at the presentation.
Very enjoyable weekend, can't wait to do it all again soon…….

Plenty of photos to be seen at http://lisakavaney.fotopic.net more being added all the time

Busted!
http://lisakavaney.fotopic.net/p54221691.html

Forgot about that bit of cross country. Whilst watching Tony / Paul in my mirror, completly messed up the line and went way off into the grassy bit...

Thanks to all the organising team and marshals, wow did you pre booked that weather ? No delays on SS1 this we knew was going to be a well run event. Shame the section on SS1 was cancelled as I loved it, tight, technical and under a loose surface but with some safety issues it sounded like the right choice. I had only planned a day’s testing/tuition with Eliot from 3d motor sport in preparation of next week’s bulldog rally the challenges penultimate event, but got a bit more than I had wished for
We took it easy on the first few stages and still managed to have a few moments,decidied to considerate on lines and braking after lunch and was getting much better times and maybe with that knowledge pushed a bit too hard. on SS6 the long straight into a fast left with tree on the outside. I kept tight to the right along the straight looking for a better line in to the corner but carried a bit too much speed which washed us out to the right and straight over the battle damaged tree with stump poking up (I don’t think I was the first to hit it ? LOL) the stump seemed to launched us into the air and we rolled 2.5 times landing on the roof !!,blooming eke that sound expensive I thought !! scrambled out of the car and was soon having a full medical by the paramedic, a very polite, competent and professional guy, thanks mate. I was ok but Eliot had a bit of pain in his neck, he soon had a neck brace on and strapped to a spine board and taken to Ipswich A&E for a ex-ray, thankfully all was ok and then let out within the hour.
Thanks to the great recovery crews who not only got the car onto the trailer (only 1 front wheel left) but then proceeded to strap in down and hook it on to the car, thanks !
I have already pre booked for next year, well done everyone

Well done to all the finishers and to Rob Sartain car 38

Robert car 47

www.redz-racing.co.uk

hi my daughter decided to loose her phone so if one has been handed in help me by getting in touch [ black samsung]

we had a great day apart from a few suspension hickups and a few slow cars [fiesta and a cossy] but they both now know to look into their mirrors , but i dont understand who complained or why about changing the format after ss1 and cutting a little bit out i thought this sort of layout was great as you drive what you see as well as what you navvy tells you and it splits the men from the boys

this is not your average air field with big open spaces this is slightly risky driving hoping no one is around the corner having a picnic but no one tells you to go flatout would like to see them back in next year with maybe a little gravel on the back of the air field

i think the whole day went well slightly long lunch but then at least the marshalls got lunch too and we get to see them
certainly book next year if you will have us
we only broke 1 tree cheers to all well done
might need to book the icecream van if you keep ordering sun each year

I have been asked to post this up by someone who has pictures from the rally on Saturday.

He has photo's of nearly every car in the rally and would be happy to send them over and or do prints( for a small fee to cover his print/ paper costs and postage).
He can be contacted at the e-mail address below

mumblebumpearce@hotmail.co.uk

Thanks

Rob