Smeatharpe 2011

[MrJan]

Thought I'd create a shiny new thread for this.

Saturday sees the first Smeatharpe event of the year, entry list can be found here: http://chelmsfordmc.co.uk/Entry/Kynaston11/EntryList.php

Stage info and everything else here: http://shmc.co.uk/2010/kascompetitors.htm

It's the same stuff as usual, minus Steve Furzeland and the obligatory 6R4 which is a shame. Still not sure if I'm going yet, depends on the weather and if I decide to go and look for a new car.

[Allyc85]

I expect I will be up there, just depends on what time I finish work in the morning. The entry looks alright, certainly alot better than a couple weeks ago, it should be good to see a Corrolla WRC blasting around the airfield.

Looking at the the map it seems a shame that they have lost the sharp bend that leads onto the straight with the spectator banking, but hopefully this will give access to the service park for speccys.

[Allyc85]

Well that wernt a bad afternoons entertainment, even if I did manage to turn up just as they were stopping for lunch!! The course car sounded great once they had fixed a problem with the engine not revving past around 6000rpm and there was some nice slides and half spins going on with all the cow sh*t everywhere!

Heres some video I took on my mo-fone..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDmif5lv-Jo

[MrJan]

Apparently they only finished the course car on Thursday night, twas the first time he's been out in it.

Quite enjoyed today, there were some moments of excitement earlier on with the slippery surface and quite a few people got a bit lairy going round the barn.

Got plenty of photos but need to sort through them, first time out with a DSLR so was really just a chance to familiarise myself with the camera.

[Allyc85]

Cool, what camera kit have you got now?

Here is 5 from me..

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5099/5461546958_fbe8dc7f5c_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/allyc85/5461546958/)
Darren Evans Kynaston Stages 2011 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/allyc85/5461546958/) by Allyc85 (http://www.flickr.com/people/allyc85/), on Flickr

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5211/5460932621_094c8f279f_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/allyc85/5460932621/)
Dave Parnell Spins Kynaston Stages 2011 1 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/allyc85/5460932621/) by Allyc85 (http://www.flickr.com/people/allyc85/), on Flickr

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5057/5461535058_131d0c9b64_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/allyc85/5461535058/)
Aston Martin V8 Vantage Kynaston Stages 2011 2 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/allyc85/5461535058/) by Allyc85 (http://www.flickr.com/people/allyc85/), on Flickr

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5254/5460923051_24f21144cf_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/allyc85/5460923051/)
Paul Glanville Kynaston Stages 2011 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/allyc85/5460923051/) by Allyc85 (http://www.flickr.com/people/allyc85/), on Flickr

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5294/5460912743_f065901c9e_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/allyc85/5460912743/)
Kynaston Stages 2011 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/allyc85/5460912743/) by Allyc85 (http://www.flickr.com/people/allyc85/), on Flickr

The rest are here..

http://www.flickr.com/photos/allyc85/sets/72157625968638315/

[MrJan]

Got a refurbed Canon 450D from ebay with whatever lens comes with the kit (think it's a EF 18-55).

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5294/5462598382_f10da3c233_z.jpg

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5212/5461941009_3bae42026e_z.jpg

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5097/5462539234_effd4e873f_z.jpg

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5257/5462030785_296f09bcf2_z.jpg

[Allyc85]

Well it looks like it hasnt taken you long to get the hang of it, great shots :)

[MrJan]

The ability to just keep shooting is something that really helps, it's almost like cheating :D I'm used to taking one photo for each car, my old camera could never process things quick enough and also had an LCD viewfinder so would go blank as soon as you took a photo. With the SLR you get a quick closing of the shutter and then can take another picture straight away, to me that's just an amazing luxury. Lots of photos deleted though, I must have deleted a hundred through the day at least, and then went through the card on the computer 3 seperate times and deleted a whole load more each time.

[MrJan]

Another Smeatharpe this weekend, the Three Counties organised by Bournemouth & District Car Club (they put on some good events, do their sprints at Clay Pigeon and always well run and nicely relaxed).

Entry list online here: http://www.bdcc.org.uk/tcs201125thjuneseeded.pdf

It's the usual stuff, Furzeland in the S8 and Martin England in the Evo will probably be the frontrunners, no doubt chased hard by Mark Ellis as he's usually quick there. Looking forward to it, can't remember the last rally I went to :(

[Allyc85]

Looking forward to any pics or vids as il be busy trying to play golf on sunday lol :D

[MrJan]

Sadly can't do vids anymore, broke that camera on the Wyedean :(

As for the golf thing.....I think the nicest thing that I can say is that I'm disappointed :D ........Golf :rolleyes:

[Allyc85]

Ah its only a hack around some par 3 place near upottery. Nowt serious....unless we play for pints lol

[MrJan]

Not a bad day but hardly thrilling stuff...I even dozed off during the final stage. When we checked at lunch it was the usual Furzeland from England, but I think that it was a bike engined 205 in third or fourth that impressed most. I've seen it up there before and thought that the seeding of 35th was a bit wrong1 Goes like **** as it weighs bugger all, and with what I assume is RWD and stiff suspension it certainly handles well.

I've got some half decent, if largely unspectacular photos that will make their way to Flickr at some point. However as I'm on holiday soon it may be a few weeks before I manage to upload them.

[Allyc85]

Surely it cant be that brilliant for Furzeland to keep on winning with the massive machinery advantage he has?!

[Allyc85]

Next rally up Smeatharpe is the Prima Stages on October the 9th. I read the other day that there is currently only around 24 cars entered, but theyve got some extra milage out of the stages now, so hopefully that will tempt a few more people out!

[Allyc85]

There is a test day at Smeatharpe on the 28th and ive decided to marshall, which looking at the weather right now, is brave!

[MrJan]

Oooff, bet it'll be freezing. I sadly can't make it, I'll be sunning myself in Stockholm :erm:

[Allyc85]

Just found this entertaining onboard from last years Kynaston Stages. Contains bad language!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Gl8I_nLh98&feature=player_embedded

This years Kynaston Auto Services Rally is Feb 18th.

[MrJan]

"Into 90 right, 90 left. Caution, ****"

Interesting onboard, shows that those chicanes are more horrible than I thought, the surface is unbelieveably slippery and co-drivers can have a sense of humour!

[Allyc85]

Ive often seen drivers bitching about the chicanes on BRF and thought they should just bloody get on with it, but you can see how tight and hard to spot they are on that vid!

[Allyc85]

I might head up on Saturday and watch for a bit, though I have just seen this on BRF!




SPECTATORS: the villagers are not happy therefore...

1.) Likely speed cameras will be used on the roads to and from the venue - WATCH your speed!!

2.) We have arranged for spectators to use the banger track and park your car for FREE

3.) If you use the road between the banger track at the airfield and obstruct other road users you might feel the full-force of the law and the milk tanker driver won't be happy.

4.) Be safe - access to the service area is at the far end where the hairpin is.

5.) Near the barn you will see plenty!!

[MrJan]

:up: Always good to keep the locals happy, they could probably ruin the venue if they decided to.

I'll be popping up in the morning and then off to City for the afternoon :)

[Allyc85]

I didnt get up there till around 12.15 and by 12.45 as you probably know it was peeing it down, so with no water proof trousers I left! :dozey: :rolleyes: :D

Furzelands Impreza sounded soo good though :D

[MrJan]

Yeah I saw you running away! I didn't stay for much longer. Was interesting enough from what I saw, one of the stages the split obviously wasn't set up right and people kept missing it, in the end they had to stop the stage for a bit and sort it out.

Think I might have got some half decent pictures but not had a chance to look at them on the computer yet, hopefully will get around to it one evening during the week.

[MrJan]

As promised, not my best ever, only had a handful of stages and the rain meant that I gave up quite easily...also didn't help that I needed a lens in between the two that I currently have :(

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7044/6909254395_6b7686cf77_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrjanyeo/6909254395/)
IMG_4406 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrjanyeo/6909254395/) by Jan Yeo (http://www.flickr.com/people/mrjanyeo/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7053/6909215759_a90a1e868a_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrjanyeo/6909215759/)
IMG_4219 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrjanyeo/6909215759/) by Jan Yeo (http://www.flickr.com/people/mrjanyeo/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7066/6909218659_c1fef5cd36_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrjanyeo/6909218659/)
IMG_4244 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrjanyeo/6909218659/) by Jan Yeo (http://www.flickr.com/people/mrjanyeo/), on Flickr