EPYNT. Wow!!!

Well all I can say is what an experience doing The Welsh on Epynt Sun 6th May 2007.

It is 12.30pm Saturday 5th May and I am waiting for Carwyn to arrive for us to go and do the recce for the rally. I get a text saying I’m not far away caught up in traffic (nothing new there for him!!).

Sure enough 5 mins later round the corner comes this white nova with the biggest spots you’ve ever seen and I think oh my god !!. As Carwyn pulls up I can’t help but laugh. As we make our way up to the ranges to do signing on for the recce I notice some familiar faces Damian Cole, Craig Drew & also Den Golding . Well we are car 29 colour code blue for our convoy going over the stages and at this time I was not sure what to expect. Carwyn has great delight in knowing I will probably throw up once I’ve been over them but I even managed to surprise myself. So eventually managed to get Carwyn in the car and ready to go (as usual doing what he does best wandering and talking).

I get the notes out and off we start SS1 Dixies 15.5 mile stage starts on Big crest and all I can see in front of me is this huge jump with Double !! and I thought oh no, anyway we travel on amending quite a lot of the notes. After covering all the stages 1st time round there is a little break (mine being a tiddle stop ) I asked Carwyn where the toilets are and I get back that building at the end, so as I proceed I try one door locked so go round the other side and door open ha at last as I make my way in I’m followed by a well known voice who covers my eyes and says don’t look … ( That scary man Mr Cole) mind you I did promise not to admit I had been in a shed with him.. As I make my way out I looked to my left and just blurted out whoops sorry and ran out as there was a couple of blokes (well I need not say no more)…

Anyway back to it Round 2 of going over the stages again by this time it was quite hot and the only air conditioning we had were the windows.
Eventually we finish recce and feel happy with our notes with Carwyn adding you got some work to do later.

We make our way back to Brecon to meet up with our Service Crew and wait for the car to go through scruitineering, but the scruitineer picks up that there are no stickers on bonnet for the cut off point etc (oops they are on old bonnet !!) so after asking around no-one had any spare so last resort was trip to Morrisons and felt tip pens.
After a vote between myself, service boys and Charles (carwyn’s dad) we decide Carwyn should do the honours and show us his artwork. (All I can say is I don’t think Art was at the top of the list !!) And I can’t repeat what the scruitineer said when he saw it but it got us through, so while the boys load the car back onto trailer and head back home off we set to Signing on in Brecon itself.
Once there we make our way up three flights of steps and eventually sign on, get pack , check info and set off back for Carwyn’s Mum & Dad’s.

Well I think on the way home Carwyn was on a mission or getting practice in for the rally tomorrow and that’s all I will say on that. ( I was thinking had we entered in wrong car??)
And yes Carwyn even though I had my head down looking at the notes I was watching the speedo (need I say anymore).

Sunday 6th May

Its 6.ooam and off we go heading for Brecon to meet up with the car , sadly carwyn is not too happy as it is raining. But as we get closer to Brecon it is starting to get clearer and puts a slight smile on his face.
After a brief conversation with Damian on tyre choice wet or dry we get to where the service boys are and get all settled into car to make way to the start in town with our start time being 07.59. So off we set leaving Brecon behind and head for the ranges to SS1 dixies stopping off at management on route just to double check everything is all ok and off we go.
I still wasn’t 100 % sure what to expect but just thought to myself come on girl you can do this. At arrival helmets on belts tightened and then its countdown 5,4,3,2,1 Go !! well being my 1st tarmac event I didn’t take too long getting to grip with the pace and notes and all seems well Carwyn pushing as hard as the car will go then after going through the German village and through a chicane and then there was this loud pop and with this Carwyn shouts we got puncture as the stage was long and road section 10miles we had no choice but to pull over and replace tyre ( which lost us a lot of time).
We rejoin rally and give it all we got then make our way to service both of us not happy knowing we lost quite a bit of time (result after SS1 7th in class). Back into 1st service and the boys replace tyre, check all over car and then its time for us to make our way to SS2, again

all set 5,4,3,2,1 GO!!
And boy did we go for it in that one both very pleased with the result and carrying onto 3, another good run then make our way to 4 on route Carwyn says something isn’t quite right so we check into arrival at SS4 then Carwyn pulls over and lifts bonnet up ( At this time I didn’t know if we were carrying on or not) problem was a belt slipping so Carwyn manages to solve problem and off we go through SS4 and get to end for 2nd service.
Once there boys check the problem all seems ok and off we set for SS5, SS6 & SS7 again brilliant runs through 5 & 6 with the results showing us moving from 7th to 3rd in class and upto 19th O/A, but sadly at the start of SS7 the belt snapped and we end up going OTL.

Options are either pack up and go home or enter Trophy rally so after a few talks with myself , Carwyn and Mr & Mrs Harries we decide to enter trophy rally after all we were using this rally as a test for the Red Dragon in a couple of weeks.
So car gets re-scruitineered and we are signed back on and then wait for a time to start back again. While in service I bump into a lot of the Gang from the forest Mr Willetts, Mr & Mrs Gunter (oh and the bow-wow), Craig Drew’s mum & dad also brother Paul was there in the distance. I have couple of words with Mr Cole about how our day is going and then go back to prepare for last remaining stages. Car all ready and off we set behind a nice MG Metro and behind us is a MK2 escort so just 3 in the trophy rally, so we do 8,9 & 10 fairly happy but car popping quite bad now so at the end of 10 we decide to call it a day.

What with the Dragon in 2 weeks it is more important to have car ready for that.

So overall my 1st experience on Epynt very enjoyable and I got to give it to Carwyn whatever he is driving on tarmac, forest gravel etc.. boy does he know how to drive. ( shame we had problems as I’m sure we could have been in the top 15 O/A but it was not meant to be.)

I would just like to say thank you to Carwyn for a really enjoyable day, the service boys but don’t even ask me to spell their names who as always do a great job, Mr Cole for his advice and guidance before the event and Mr Willetts for all his help and to Russ Otway of 90 right photography as always for sending me some brilliant pictures and lastly but not least to all Carwyn and my sponsors for their help and support.

Next event Red Dragon 19th May 2007
WATCH THIS SPACE!! Last year carwyn won the 1400’s so hopefully luck will be on our side and have a repeat performance.

Karen (sports bra) Watts

Red Kite Stages 2007

Thanks to my husband Martin sticking his nose in I ended up with a phonecall off Paul W saying he had found a driver for doing the Red Kite & Wyedean with. I was a little puzzled as I didn’t recall asking anyone to sort me a drive out but as it ended up I could’nt had a better day on the Red Kite.

I teamed up with a lad called Carwyn Harries who drives a Suzuki Ignis bright yellow can’t be missed.

It was only a week and half before event so didn’t know if we would get entry in, but after a phonecall to entries secretary it was all sorted and a couple of phonecalls to Carwyn that was it we were doing Red kite in a weeks time. Considering I had only briefly met Carwyn at the Plains Rally I was a little nervous. So off I set on the Saturday on my own down to Llandovery to meet up with Carwyn at 3pm. Along the way dad rings and says I’ll meet you at Brecon and come down with you, good old dad it was nice to have company, meet up with dad stop for lunch which cost me!!,

Carwyn rings and says I am a bit behind will ring when getting closer. Well 5.15pm and Carwyn pulls up and we have 10mins to do noise and get to scruitineering , which we just managed to do, back to trailer park and off we go to sign on, all done check times and that was it off I set back home.

Sunday.

Setting off early I travel back down to Llandovery, passing Neil Henderson on the way. Meet up with the team and meet everyone, managed to go and say hi to Paul W, Craig D, Cliffy S and a few other familiar faces, and then that’s it in the car and off we go, approaching first stage and considering I had not done a rally with Carwyn before I was a little nervous but just kept thinking what martin kept saying to me ‘ you can do it’ , Helmets on and off we go bit shaky on notes to start but got into them pretty quick , just one problem was having to shout as Carwyn was saying he could’nt hear me so by the time we had done 3 stages and got back to service my voice was going. At service we decided that we could’nt go on with the intercoms my helmet being stilo and Carwyn peltor so I borrowed a peltor for the remaining stages , well at least he could hear me but his mike did’nt work but not too much of a problem by afternoon was really beginning to enjoy myself and when we finished the last stage I was ready for more.

Final Result.

We finished 13th O/A and 1st in class and also 2nd 2WD car finishing just seconds behind a 2ltr Escort MK2 so both very pleased.

Wyedean Stages 2007

After a good result on the Red Kite I was looking forward to partnering up with Carwyn again for my local event. In the week leading up to the Wyedean, we had the Press Day on the Tuesday, nice to see so many people and I end up helping Mr Willetts helping people in the cars, then Paul comes over and says if I can I’ll get you a ride with John Lloyd in the Focus WRC, and all I can say is WOW!! What an experience.

Thanks must go to Ernie, Sally, Elaine and Jan for making sure everyone was fed and watered , and to the Marshalls and Radio crews and not forgetting the lovely Mr P Gunter .

Best highlight for my personally on the Press Day was getting my dad in the Ford Focus with John Lloyd with a little force he got in.

On the Thursday I have to go and collect the awards from our supplier and couldn’t believe it when I opened the curtains that everything was white GREAT! Not.

Myself and Martin set off and make our way to collect awards, roads aren’t too bad.
Pick up awards and we head back for Chepstow and take them to the racecourse and meet up with everyone else who are helping set up Thursday Afternoon/Evening, van unloaded and back to Yard and eventually Home.

Friday morning and I can’t believe it forecast was rain and coming down is snow and more snow and at lunchtime snow still coming strong, phonecall off Carwyn saying bad news I don’t think I will be able to come up for rally can’t get trailer, service vehicle etc out . Naturally I was disappointed but it can’t be help.
So after sorting Luke & Chloe off I set attempting to get to Chepstow to do Signing on well from Bream to Lydney via Parkend & Whitecroft I give up counting the number of vehicles stuck or abandoned but eventually I am on the A48 and on my way.
On my arrival to the Racecourse I was actually surprised to see quite a few rally cars already arrived. Then my mobile rings and it is Carwyn saying we are on our way so with a smile on my face I go and help Kay with Signing On.

Eventually Carwyn arrives and off we go to do Noise & Scruitineering and eventually we are the last ones to sign on so off I set home and the Team make their way to the B + B.
At home I expect to see Martin, but instead get a call of f him to say don’t know what time I will be home we are out in the stages.
After going through rally stuff I must of dropped off and when my alarm clock went off at 5.45 I then only find out that Martin, John B and Phil T have had no sleep as they have been out in the stages all night.

I meet up with Carwyn and Team in the Service area and get myself prepared when a familiar figure comes walking over to me and its my old driver Liz so we have quick chat and that’s it time for us to make our way to start, not knowing what to expect due to conditions but was looking forward to it, SS1 at the end we look at each other. The tarmac was icy and being second car on road there was still a lot of the white stuff around, anyway up we travel to the Forest for SS2 and there is a little hold up, then all clear so Ian Evans starts and then it was us all we could see was white, white and more white, 54321 and off we go well at least I thought we did even though we were on Snowtyres the car was struggling for grip but fairplay to Carwyn we managed to get out of the stage with just a few slides, but not sure if we enjoyed it or not.

SS3 and same again not much track showing by this we were starting to get into it but still hard on the white stuff but again we finished and went into management, lads done what they could and then onto SS4 Off we went and some places were not too bad and others just white but again Carwyn drove as best as he could giving the conditions and we did get to the finish and make it back to Service.

On arrival we could see the Service boys looking at front of car and it wasn’t until we got out that we saw the damaged ‘I didn’t realise snow could do so much damage’ On one of the straights in Speech House we got onto the soft snow and hit some snow which had been ploughed up but didn’t feel anything but looking at picture shown the damage to the front of the car was enough for us to decide time to call it a day.

I was disappointed as it was my second Wyedean and still not crossed the finish line but hopefully third time lucky next year.

Obviously with the day ending in such a sad day there isn’t a lot more to say apart from myself and carwyn and all the team are thinking of David’s family and friends at this very sad time.