Well this event seemed like it was never going to happen!

The previous year we had blown the engine in Cloggy Main due to lack of oil, so I had decided that we would dry sump the next engine. We built a 1370 cc engine kicking out 85 brake at the wheels the oil pressure was great and we tested at Tristan Dodd's place at Corwen all seemed ok so we decided to compete on the Enville stages at Ty-Croes which was sponsored by OFI and to cut a long story short the dry sump set up was not right and we started using 5 litres of oil per stage. After 6 stages we had white metal on the dipstick and decided to retire before we totalled another engine (That was a sensible decision!!!) so it was back to the drawing board and we had to do a build on the engine as well as adjusting the settings on the pump so again we were off to Corwen for another test this was now October and only half an event all year. This test went really well and we were gaining in confidence all the time so we wrapped it all up and put it back in the box until November the 1st and it was off to Llandudno. Through Scrutineering and check into the hotel for a nice evening in and a couple of shandies!!! We were running 15th on the road at the head of the field as we are only little 1400's,so it was round the Great Orme for a couple of times and then into the forest. We started gingerly.

Stage s 1 & 2 went without incident 57th O/A and 9th in class not really a good start but the engine felt good so we could push a bit in Cloggy!

Stages 3 & 4 We started to move through the field but apart from the very slippery conditions we could not see well through the screen, we do not have the benefit of a heater and although we hastily fitted an electric heater but it was fairly ineffective so I had to keep wiping it before every bend not funny!! After 4: 41st and 4th in class.

Stage 5 Still in cloggy this was our nemesis around 4 miles into this stage we slid wide due to the mud on the outside of a 45 right this put us too wide into the next 45 right and we went down the bank and well off the road into the trees! Ready said that we aren't getting out of here and I tried reverse in the vain hope that we could get out and although we started moving it was no good we were wedged against a tree. I looked to my right and saw 20 to 30 people all coming towards me, they attached a rope to the rear tow eye and started to pull us free, this was all recorded on the Mad productions video unfortunately for us but after about 2½ minutes we were free and with only minimal body damage we were still in the rally although all thoughts of a pot were gone. After 5: 76 O/A 8th in class

Stage 6: was one of consolidation and we had to gather our concentration and get some speed back it was still raining and very slippy and we still had only partial view through the screen but we were happy again just to still be in the event. After 6: 69th but still 8th in Class

Stage 7, 8, and 9 This was Penmachno a fearsome set of stages with sheer drops and shiny slippery slate but we thought we should go for it after all we had had all our bad luck! Hadn't we? Well as it turns out we had and we put in a very creditable set of stage times with 11th O/A on all three stages beating some very good kit moving us up the field to finish 37th O/A and 6th in class We had a great day and if we take out the 2 ½ minutes we sat in the trees then it could have been very different and a pot would have been ours, but it was not to be.

That’s Rallying !!!!!!see you in 2003

Malcolm Hague and Dave Read