A Busy Weekend - Part 1 - Brands Hatch Stages

[robertclayson]

Saturday saw an early early and foggy drive down to Brands Hatch for the MGJ Engineering Winter Stages.

So naturally a few pictures! ... Having just uploaded these I seem to be struggling getting the right quality in my output, they are perfect on the screen but once I get them here ...

1 - E-M1X - 100-400




2 - E-M1X - 100-400



3 - E-M1 Mk2 - 40-150



4 - E-M1 Mk2 - 40-150



5 - E-M1X - 100-400



6 - E-M1 Mk2 - 40-150



7 - E-M1X 300f4

[Ian]

Lots of nostlagia for me there!

I tried a Ford Escort RS rally intro course at Brands Hatch but the instructor was very uninspiring and I went away with my confidence completely shot. I've done well at karting and auto-testing for beginners (including driver of the day at a very competitive multi-discipline hospitality event at Silverstone once), and I've tried single-seaters, which I really enjoyed, so I think in another life I'd be on the track rather than the rally stage!

Ian

[Walti]

Looks great, photos look good - love the inside wheel lift on the Escort... I assume they were all on tarmac suspension even though it's a mixed surface?

I will be marshalling on my first closed roads rally for the East Yorkshire Rally next month, looking forwards to the sight of historic rally cars on the road being driven competitively, got the Riponian before that in the forests...

[robertclayson]

Paul, thanks for the comment. The vast majority of the tracks they are tarmac based, most of the mileage is on the circuit. Enjoy your Marshalling!

[DerekC]

Nice set. Always enjoy photographing rallies. STW130R is an ex works Ford rally team car. Reputed to be one of the few with an original shell. Driven in works days by Bjorn Waldegard and Ari Vatanen

[robertclayson]

Thanks Derek. Apart from the Escort you have already spotted, there was an ex Will Sparrow Vauxhall Firenza taking part and MK 1 Escort which did the 72/73 RAC. In the morning the stages used the circuit in the reverse direction which opened other locations to shoot from.

[DerekC]

There is a couple of rallys at Cadwell Park this year, which as Brands uses the circuit in different directions and provides a few different possibilities. Rallycross was very good there, but it seems Mr Palmer is not a fan as it damages his grass. Former RAF airfield Blyton near Gainsborough used to have a couple of rallys per year, but it all stopped when Ginetta bought the circuit. I have to admit I'm more of a fan of forest rallys.

[Walti]

Just reading the Motorsport News report with their photos of the modern machinery (and a couple of Darians) your photos are definitely of a better quality than those published. Did you photograph the other classes?

I see that the winner had a new Fiesta Rally2 the rest of the class being R5 cars…

[robertclayson]

Paul, Thank you, very kind! If it passed me then I probably took a picture! Any one you are interested in? I've just observed I managed to post mainly older cars!

[Scottwin]

Great set Robert, where do they do the off-road section at Brands Hatch?

[robertclayson]

Scott - Copy of the stage maps the off road section is the area to the right of Druids.

[Scottwin]

Thanks Robert