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Roskirk
Stages
8th March '09
A phone call from Phill Harrison resulted in me
co-driving for Craig Gibson on the Roskirk Stages at
Three Sisters in a Micra F1000.
This again was a new discipline for me involving "Splits
and Merges". On arriving at Three Sisters I
wondered how they could run a stage event at such a
small venue.
Competing with us was Craig's brother Alistair (Stretch)
navigated by Phill Harrison, so after a few words from
the "maestro" on how things worked. I felt quite
confident.
Over the first two stages the brothers were very close,
a couple of seconds in Craig's favour. On the
third stage we were equal third Formula 1000, 15 seconds
up on Alistair. Phill reckoned that we had had a flyer,
- I don't know! Before the fifth stage, the
heavens opened- rain, hail stones and sleet. Craig
decided to stay on "slickish" tyres which I thought was
not a very good idea. Rounding a corner at speed
the Micra hit a "toblerone" shaped barrier which vaulted
the car onto two wheels. Luckily we came back
down. The first thing that came into my mind was
"I hope my mum wasn't watching" (which she was!)
We managed to finish the stage but the Micra was a bit
of a mess. Luckily Alistair had brought his
Ramsport's mates with him to service, so with their
professionalism they had the little Micra sorted in no
time.
We finished the rally in a very ill-handling car in 33rd
Overall and 10th F1000. Unfortunately, Alistair's
Micra seized up as he was starting to set some good
times.
F1000 is an excellent championship and ideal for someone
like me who is starting off like a co-driver. It
was en enjoyable experience and I hope I did a good
enough job to be asked again.
Thanks to Phill for showing me how it's done, the
Ramsport lads for servicing and to Craig for asking me
to sit with him.
All the best
Dafydd Gwynedd
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