Manx Rally - Car 89, 63rd and 3rd in class
Trevor was co-driven by Rick Spurgeon on this event
There is nothing to compare with a trip to the Isle of Man, especially when you are competing on the Manx National Rally. The timing always seems to coincide with the FA Cup Final and half of Lancashire embarking on a weekend stag party. Add a dash of sea swell and you can imagine the usual messy outcome. Not for us in 1997, the perversities of the Isle of Man Steam Packet Co booking system meant the outward journey for the team took place at 1.30am and the only activity on the boat seemed to be fellow competitors trying to sleep, dreaming of the 120 miles of tarmac stages to come!
Trevor commented, “Being a tarmac event, using narrow walled lanes with often high banks, a degree of prudence is needed, if you go off there's nowhere to go, you're going to hit something very hard. Also the all tarmac event imposes greater stresses and strains on both the suspension and transmission, if you leave the ground there's no wheel slippage when you come down.”
With these thoughts in mind the best approach to the Manx Rally is always try hard but be wary at the same time. Apart from adjustment of the tie bar bushes to eliminate braking difficulties the event passed smoothly, the pace notes (provided by the rally organisers, as practicing was forbidden) worked well and a creditable finish achieved.
Trevor was co-driven by Rick Spurgeon on this event
There is nothing to compare with a trip to the Isle of Man, especially when you are competing on the Manx National Rally. The timing always seems to coincide with the FA Cup Final and half of Lancashire embarking on a weekend stag party. Add a dash of sea swell and you can imagine the usual messy outcome. Not for us in 1997, the perversities of the Isle of Man Steam Packet Co booking system meant the outward journey for the team took place at 1.30am and the only activity on the boat seemed to be fellow competitors trying to sleep, dreaming of the 120 miles of tarmac stages to come!
Trevor commented, “Being a tarmac event, using narrow walled lanes with often high banks, a degree of prudence is needed, if you go off there's nowhere to go, you're going to hit something very hard. Also the all tarmac event imposes greater stresses and strains on both the suspension and transmission, if you leave the ground there's no wheel slippage when you come down.”
With these thoughts in mind the best approach to the Manx Rally is always try hard but be wary at the same time. Apart from adjustment of the tie bar bushes to eliminate braking difficulties the event passed smoothly, the pace notes (provided by the rally organisers, as practicing was forbidden) worked well and a creditable finish achieved.
| manx_1997_rogers_ramblings.docx |
| manx_regs_1997.pdf |
| manx_1997__entry_results_and_stage_times.docx |