Friday the Thirteenth

Now that I'm free from working for the MSA, I'm allowed to compete on motor sport events and having been given permission to play on the roads, it was decided that I should be gently introduced to having fun without the need of a roll cage! The first opportunity to do so was to compete in the Weald MC/Sevenoaks DMC 12 car rally on Friday 13th November (not a date I would have picked but there you go). The weather was drizzly and cold - exactly how I was feeling at the time, but the anticipation of testing my newly acquired little Mini Cooper round the country lanes overcame the cold symptoms. Rob got to work wiring his map reading light into the interior light and filling the door pockets with pencils, clipboards and maps. I left him to it.

We signed on at the start venue and discovered that unfortunately, due to his reputation as an experienced co-driver, we were seeded at car 2! Naively I shrugged and thought "No Problem - we'll be storming". After a short wait at the start, we were given the countdown and sped off into the darkness. Fortunately, for me the only thing I had to do was drive and look out for code boards - easier said than done. What with the weather and it being the end of autumn, the slippery leaves and mud weren't giving me an easy drive.

With full concentration I weaved my way through, trying to listen to Rob calling out numerous corners in degrees, whilst looking out for boards, small creatures deciding to commit suicide, trees that wanted to lean over just that bit further to look at the headlights and houses that jumped out at us ('cause that's what they do best). I thought we were doing really well - we'd overtaken car number 1 and seemed to be checking in just a fraction early at the checkpoints. I breathed a sigh of relief when I was told we didn't get penalised for being there too early - only if we're too late.

The rules of the game were, as I gathered whilst I squinted my eyes to focus on the bends, to get to each checkpoint within your time otherwise you clock up minutes as penalties. Whilst plotting the route from various types of navigation i.e. map references, herringbones, etc. (completely over my head), you drive to the next point looking out for code boards. These boards usually have a couple of letters on and when you spot them the letters are to be noted on your sheet of paper. It is better to have more minutes put on your time than to miss a board…we missed a board.

I found it amazing that we didn't go down a road twice because they all appeared to be exactly the same. Mind you, if you've got another car up your bottom, because you get those who are dab hands at the game doing this, you're not really gazing out of the window playing 'I Spy'.

As usual (so I gather) the rally finished at a pub to relax, chat and hear the results of what went on out there. We weren't last and we weren't in the top 3 (mind you, if we hadn't missed the board we would have been) but 5th is a good place in my book for a complete beginner with a "rusty" expert sitting alongside. It's certainly good medicine for a cold.

I would highly recommend competing in any of the 12 car rallies as it gives you a certain degree of 'buzz', it's cheap to enter (£5), and it's immense fun. It also gives you the chance to get chatting with members of your own and other local clubs and it's a great way of finding out what you can do in your own car. I'm definitely going to do more in the future and with a bit of luck I'll get the hang of concentrating AND keeping my eyes open at the same time!