Motorsport
I’ve just been sent this by our new friend NeilV555 on YouTube. It includes some fantastic footage featuring us momentarily losing our way on stage 1, evidence of the misfire on the twilight stage and just missing a big tree on the exit to an icy hairpin!
Thanks Neil you’re a star!
Some great video coverage of the 2008 Scottish Borders Hillrally. MuddyMoo stars at about 1’25”, 5’20” and 9’10”.
Joel checks in to time control Photo: Ronnie Webster
With stages that really suit MuddyMoo and Henry’s driving style and with Joel back on the maps in the forest, we were always hoping for a good result on this end of year bash, especially after last year’s disappointment. We had set ourselves a ‘stretch’ target of a top five finish and we weren’t disappointed.
Day 1 dawned as a frosty and cold November morning and even by the time that we had reached the start of stage 1 at about lunch time, the tracks were still completely covered in ice in the exposed areas. Slippery conditions were definitely the order of the day and any thought of heroics on day one were firmly out of the window. Survival was clearly going to be the key to success on this event.
MuddyMoo rolls into service for the final time Photo: Ronnie Webster
Despite the steady start, and an annoying misfire which plagued them for several stages, Joel and Henry found themselves in fourth place before the final stage of the day – a twilight 16 miler! Although the team dropped back to 7th overnight with the misfire finally cured, the team were more than content with the days work.
A layer of snow greeted the early risers on Sunday morning and provided a whole set of new challenges. Ice was tricky enough on the Saturday stages, but at least it was fairly distinguishable from the more grippy gravel sections. With a full coating of snow, the underlying ice was much less predictable and almost impossible to spot. Henry had hoped to push hard on the early stages of day two, but the prevailing conditions suggested that once more a more circumspect approach may be more pragmatic. MuddyMoo’s predictable handling in the slippery, snowy and icy initial corners of the stage allowed the team to gain confidence in the conditions and settle into a good rhythm quickly and set a brace of good times in the opening stages.
Now in sixth place the Friesian crew took a further 40 seconds off their times in each of the re-run final stages, and despite a heroic last lap dash from Niall Meehan in his Tomcat to place him fourth, the Friesian crew did enough to secure the sought after fifth place, a mere two seconds ahead of Robin and Nat Rymell in their Mud Rover.
A very many thanks must go to all our supporters. First of all the Friesian Racing herd; Joel for his excellence in road reading, that gave me the confidence to push on in the tricky conditions. Andrew for his tireless expertise and willingness to get stuck in, no matter what the conditions are like! Sue for her fantastic attention to detail and for always asking the questions that no-one else has picked up on! My mother Ronnie for endlessly cleaning the sponsors names, catering and for gracefully wiping my feet everytime I got back into the saddle! And of course, my father, Nigel for his constant help in building and maintaining MuddyMoo to such a high standard and for his detailed approach to all the event logistics and planning without which I would be lost.
Henry and Joel (L&R) collect their prize from rally director Ian Sykes
Thanks must also go to our sponsors, Allmakes 4×4 for continuing to supply us with the best in Land Rover parts to enable us to maintain our excellent reliablity record with a Super Production car, and to allow us to push the envelope ever further to challenge the expensive specials that dominate the sport. Milner, too, whose remote-reservoir Varidamps have enabled us to move significantly up the pecking order, with the ability to maintain the pace in the rough, as well as contributing to the car’s fantastic poise in the fast stuff!
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