Last modified: 14/07/2002

No 92 Crew Service Crew

Peugeot 309 GTi 16v George Cooke Michelle Millard Lawrence Fowler

Tomsport International Rally team were out in force at the Carfax stages rally on Sunday 11th June.

The Astra, with Aron and Andy aboard, was out gaining further valuable experience of their car. The Peugeot 309 was out testing various parts / suspension settings and seeing if anything would fall off. Remember last year - this was where the 309 gearbox broke on the first stage, forcing everybody to take an early bath, so the idea was to test here before preparing for the Isle of Man.

Although scrutineering was not until Saturday night, with the rally starting Sunday morning, Aron and Andy decided to travel to the venue (an airfield in Oxfordshire), on Friday afternoon to watch the sprint, and soak up the atmosphere (or drain it from a bottle)

Due to domestic complications, the 309 party left a little later than planned on Saturday afternoon, (as their driver spent an unscheduled morning sitting in Accident & Emergency at the Birmingham Children's Hospital), but everything was ok and the team pulled together in his absence and got food; tools and camping stuff together ready for his return.

They arrived at the venue to find Aron and Andy had already set up camp with barbecue; coffee table and tent in place. Unfortunately the choice of site meant we were all plagued by generator noise until the early hours! Marshals and officials were efficient and friendly and a number mentioned they were regular readers of the >TOMSPORT web page!

We were warned in the drivers briefing that the airfield was being shared for the weekend by the TA who were on manoeuvres - an interesting mix (gives a new meaning to the phrase "tanking it").

The nature of the venue, with 11+ mile stages and with several splits and merges and with cars starting at 30 second intervals, resulted in a number of cars being on the track at the same time and this lead to overtaking of a number of cars per stage to add to the entertainment.

First stage:
In the Peugeot, Michelle, who was on her first ever rally, suffered complete blankness and was unable even to count down the 5 seconds to start (or was this due to her blonde hair)!!! The revving reached a climax and then the map swam in front of her eyes as she was catapulted around the track by George - who luckily worked out where they were supposed to be going!! Aron and Andy completed in a faster time - but returned to the service area with the drivers side mirror missing - and no idea where it had gone!

Second stage
This was the same layout as the first, and Michelle gained a little more confidence and they finished much closer to Aron and Andy's time.

Third stage
As we came off the start line, a Sierra Cosworth came around the corner and just got in front of the Peugeot at the merge. Thinking that the Sierra had considerably more powerful than the Peugeot we expected the Sierra to disappear off at speed. However it was unable or unwilling to speed away and eventually after a number of corners the 309 cut inside on a left hand corner and powered away. While approaching an open right hand corner at speed (too much speed) the 309 drifted wide and firstly brushed a number of traffic cones marking the route, but the fourth cone was hit straight on and disappeared under the front of the car!!!!!! Anybody seen a large traffic cone ???

Aron and Andy again returned to the service area. this time with the another door mirror missing.

Fourth stage
Same stage as stage 3, but this time, on approaching the first merge where we had started on the first lap, the 309 started to destabilise at speed and George had difficulty straightening the car after a fast right hand corner, down near the service area. On trying to turn into the next corner an open left hander that narrowed into a tight stretch of tarmac, only one cars width, the Peugeot failed to turn in and slid sideways into a 6 inch stone curb. The car was thrown into the air by the impact and propelled onto the grass breaking the front r/h wheel, snapping the front suspension and smashing the wheel into the back of the wheel arch! On discovering the car would not drive the very dazed crew abandoned the car and sort refuge off the track as the marshals arrived to slow down other cars and check on the crew. End of rally for 309

Thanks to the marshals for their speedy and prompt attention as usual and to the recovery crew of Bill and Jeremy for safely removing the 309. More information on the these particular volunteers can be found at http://www.amro.org.uk/

Well done Andy and Aron on another successful finish and thanks to Lawrence for single handed assistance with spanners and catering.

"...the map swam in front of her eyes as she was catapulted around the track by George"

"The car was thrown into the air by the impact and propelled onto the grass..."