Has rallying been written off for this year? Is there any chance of seeing some stage action? How will this pandemic change the way rallying events are organised?

These have been just some of the questions I’ve been asking myself since the beginning of the year.

Back in August, we started to see that clubman motorsport events were starting to once again accept entries. There was finally some hope that enjoyment from this wonderful sport could once again become a reality. Now I love sharing photos of us rallying, as I’m sure you do too, but there’s only so much reminiscing you can do before depression kicks in. The withdrawal symptoms were starting to show, especially as the social side to rallying also had to take a back seat. The laughs and giggles with great friends have been truly missed.

In October last year we competed in the Phoenix Stages, at Fulbeck airfield near Grantham, in my mk2 Escort. The day was fraught with running problems with the car just not running right all day. The boys in service tried everything to get us back out, and help was also provided by the service crews of other competitors. Sadly though, the cause was not found and it was decided to retire from the event after stage four.

When the Harold Palin Stages entries went live, I was keen to get back to the venue and hopefully get a finish. Fulbeck is a challenging venue, with most of the surface being concrete, but with sections at the start and finish being loose gravel. If it’s a dry day, the dust can become a real problem for driver visibility and trust has to be put into your co-driver reading the notes.

As the Escort is still having a heart transplant, it was decided to bring out our other car! Drum roll please…

Yes, it’s a Rover 200. A 1400 and front wheel drive, not what I’m used to. The engine is standard, except for a cone air filter and MG ZR160 gearbox. Now, I have had some practice time in this car, although I’ve never driven it on a timed rally stage. In February we attended Race Retro, at Stoneleigh Park in Warwickshire, where I spent most of Saturday bouncing off hay bails due to the wet and slippery conditions. However, by Sunday I had it mastered thanks to some pointers from the more experienced in our circle of friends.

The future of rallying is changing. With contactless time controls and web-based results uploaded via your own phone being just a few measures to ensure everyone’s safety. We are also restricted to three service crew members and one service vehicle per entry to keep the number of bodies on site to a minimum. Sadly, spectators are no longer allowed at this venue.

I am all fired up with excitement now, and ready to finally compete on our first stage rally of 2020. Roll on the 4^th October, where I’ll be taking over our social media to bring you updates throughout the day. Stay tuned!