2017 Season Review

Like the great Nelson Mandela once said “I never lose. I either win or learn.”

2017 was a tough year for BP Rally, but a year of learning and development which has helped to build a stronger team for the future.

The first event of the year was the Somerset Stages rally. Based in Minehead with the cars competing on the nearby forestry tracks, this was the teams’ local event. The crew started very well, leading the class by a considerable margin after the first 3 stages. Then disaster struck when both rear dampers failed, losing all fluid. After limping through stage 4 the team lost a lot of time. With no spares available and therefore no way to fix the ill handling 106, the decision was made to retire in auxiliary service as it was deemed unsafe to continue.

Having had numerous retirements since competing on gravel due to suspension failure, and the car never handling to Bill’s liking, after Somerset it was decided to redevelop the cars suspension. A completely different push rod setup was acquired through Satchell Engineering, a well-known firm based in Cornwall. It would be the first time that their setup had been used on a gravel rally car, so development by the BP Rally team would be required.

After many months of fettling, and most of the years budget spent on the newly acquired suspension, the team felt it would be best to prove the new setup on tarmac, before taking it into the forests…and prove it they did!

An entry was put in to another small local event, the Prima Motorsport rally based on an airfield at Smeatharpe. This was a great opportunity to shakedown the car and iron out any teething issues. With a solid entry in class, the team went into the event with the mentality that they were not trying to get a result, and just to use it as a test, especially in the horrific weather conditions that made the airfield seem like a lake. However, as usual with rally drivers, when the clock counted down and the first stage started, they found themselves to be going very quickly indeed!

At the end of the first stage, Bill and co-driver Charlie Bole, found themselves 3 seconds behind arguably the quickest 1400 driver in the country, Julian Wilkes, in his much more powerful Vauxhall Nova. The new suspension felt like a giant leap forwards in terms on traction and predictability, and the crews confidence built and built. The day continued in a similar fashion, with Bill feeling more confident in the car, and the fantastic pace continuing. After a superb drive, the crew came home 12th overall out of 75 cars in the little 106, beating multiple Subaru Impreza’s and Ford Escorts along the way. The class win was taken by Julian Wilkes, as expected, with Bill coming home a solid 2nd with third in class over 3 minutes behind.

Full of confidence, the team then went to another tarmac event, the Patriot Stages at the infamous Caerwent military proving ground, one of the most challenging venues in British motorsport. Again a fantastic start was made and the team managed to come out of the first stage leading the class by a slender 4 seconds, again beating much more powerful and technically advanced cars in the open 1400 class. The team continued to push on stage two, but unfortunately discovered the thin tightrope that drivers are always walking at Caerwent, with the infamous “killer kerbs”. Bill was coming into a 90 left, and on what appeared to be good clean tarmac left his breaking a little too late. The car locked up and despite best efforts did not make it round the corner, smashing off a rear wheel upon impact with the kerb. And that was that. After just 9 miles of competition, the team were on their way home. Positives were taken though, and the pace showed would have put them on for a top ten finish, out of a total of 85 starters.

So, into the forest! The team got the car back together and then went for a gravel test in mid wales at the old Higgins rallyschool. The test served its purpose, as the team hit a number of issues during the test which needed resolving. The team worked hard to get the car ready for it’s next gravel event just one week later. New parts were made and the car was seeded number 50 out of 110 starters. The team again made a good start on the slippery Forest of Dean stages with the new suspension working excellently on the gravel tests. Despite a big heart in mouth moment after hitting a big compression, the crew were leading the class by 1 and a half minutes at the end of stage 3. The crew made the decision to ease up the pace, and bring home what would have been Bill’s first win on gravel.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t meant to be. On the road section between stages 3 and 4, the 106 had other ideas. There was a rough vibration and then suddenly history repeated itself. For the second year in a row on the Gloucester based event, the front left wheel of the Peugeot departed the vehicle and the team’s rally came to a grinding halt at the side of the road.

The issue was traced back to the wheel studs un-winding themselves, and although the wheel nuts were all tight, the studs fully came out of the hub, causing the wheel to quite literally fall off.

A sour end to what was quite frankly, a sour year.

However, our passion and dedication to this sport we love will not be beaten. Like the great Nelson Mandela once said “I never lose. I either win or learn.” and the team have learnt a lot this year. 2017 has given the team the confidence in the car’s pace, as well as Bill’s ability, and the issues resolved this year will help them to be more reliable and competitive in the next.

2018 will see the team take a step up to compete full time at National level. Back on the tarmac to compete in the Pro-Tyre MSA National Asphalt Championship.

Confidence is high with the aim of dominating the 1400C class, and challenging for the overall 1400 honours against competitors and cars who on paper, should be a lot quicker. Don’t discount the underdog, 2018 could be our year.