Getting Started- Historic

While many areas of motorsport are seeing a declining entry lists the historic branches of the sport are booming, whether if be racing, speed, stage rallying or classic rallies. Now classic road events have been on the go for some years now. The idea started with the MSA's “Golden Fifty” event and then we had Philip Young's Classic Marathons and then the HERO events but there are a host of club run events throughout the country that are getting full entry lists.

Well you may well have read the reports on the epic historic rallies that appear from time to time and thought “I'd like to do that but it's too costly and will take half my annual leave.” Then help is at hand. Throughout the UK local motor clubs run historic rallies under the Motor Sports Association regulations, which are either one, or two days and a typical entry fee for a one-day event is £75, which includes all the food as well!

The North of England and Scotland Classic Rally Organisers (NESCRO) are a group of twelve clubs who run some really excellent events in the north of England and Scotland. This year they have some 21 events listed in their events brochure. The clubs are fortunate in that the main organisers have years of rally organising experience and many of national or international events under their belts. Most of the events are open to cars built before 1975 but several now include classes for more modern cars up to 1981.

Every event has it's own character and some are relatively gentle touring events over some interested roads while others are more competitive being based on perhaps twenty special tests in a compact route given by tulip diagrams. Broadly there are two types of historic road rally, those that are purely competing over the special tests on private land or those that involve navigational and/or regularity sections on the public road.

In order to compete you firstly need a car and just about any classic will fit the bill. The entry list is usually divided into classes split by age at 1959, 1968 and 1975 and then by engine size at 1500cc. You can do most events in a completely standard car but given that you will be pushing on a bit in places a good service and check before each event is a good idea. If you are getting serious then a roll over bar is a good idea while on some events the organisers might suggest that a sump guard is advised. Full harness seats belts are also a good idea.

What car could you use? Well just about any model can be used. For the overall results perhaps an Escort RS2000 Mk 1 is the best bet and you will be up against quick Minis and MG Midgets on the tests. On the more road rally type events then the actually car is less important to the folk inside it so a slower car with a good navigators can still do well. However as there are period and class awards as well you are competing against cars of similar age and type. Indeed some events like the Cumbria Classic Caper have an index of Performance Award based on class improvement which in theory any car can win.

We will take the special test event first as most of the NESCRO events are of this type. These involve a normal “tulip” (ball and arrow) type road book, which will take you between the venues for the special tests. These tests can take several forms. An autotest is where you are required to follow a route through some cones as quickly as possible. There may be stop astride lines and the odd bit or reversing. You get time penalties for hitting cones or not following the correct route. Autotests will normally take place in car parks or on smooth grass.

Historic special tests are more open, over private roads or similar with perhaps some small manoeuvres to slow you down. The maximum average speed for a historic special test is 30 mph but you will have to go very quickly to get near the bogey time for the test. Again it is a matter of doing the test quickly and correctly.

The organisers may throw in some other tests such as a trial section where you have to get as far up a marked route on a grassy slope as possible or some type of slow speed manoeuvrability contest such are parking accurately between two posts.

The more navigational type of event does require some navigational skill on the half of the navigator. Many motor clubs do run courses at club nights to get you started. Basically it amounts to the navigator interpreting the route presentation in the road book on the map and then the car has to complete that section of the route in the required time.

These events might also include some regularity sections where you are asked to proceed at a given average speed (less than 30 mph) for a whole, or part of a section. The location of the time controls is not given so a good stop watch and perhaps an additional odometer is helpful.

Now let's look at how you can get involved. Firstly you need to be a member of a motor club that runs such events. You can check out your local ones via the MSA's web site or if you live in the north full details of the NESCRO events are on their web site. NESCRO will have a stand at Race Retro.

A couple of months before the event the regulations and entry forms will be posted to you. Do read them fully and complete the form correctly. All the information requested is important and it is the bane of every entry secretary's life to get incomplete forms sent in! As well as the entry fee you can pay for extra meals if there are more than two in your crew and the option to pay an additional insurance fee. This is because some insurers are reluctant to provide cover on the highway while you are competing. The extra fee covers you on the public road sections of the event. It is always best to consult your insurers first. Some brokers include such cover, others will for a small fee and others will not, hence the need for the MSA cover.

A few days before the event you will get a set of final instructions and an entry list. This will give you all the additional information about the event including your report time at the start venue. Again read this carefully and if you are not sure check with the organisers. A little plea here! Organisers are all volunteers and work during the day, so if you have a query ring them between say 7 and 9 in the evening.

On the day of the event make sure you give yourself enough time to get to the start, particularly if you are unfamiliar with the area. Most events start at 10.00 but you will have to be there an hour before your due start time. The first thing you do is to “sign on” on the official MSA indemnity form. You will then be given your rally pack which would typically include a road book, special test book, road time card, special test time cards, rally plates and your meal tickets.

Before the event the MSA scrutineer will check your car and he will be looking to see that the car is true to its period (only period modifications are allowed) and that the car is safe. Scrutineers are very helpful and may suggest a few things to be done before the next event.

Having affixed your rally plates on the front and rear of the car you can go for your coffee and study the contents of the road books. It can be a good idea to have the local OS map as this can help you locate the test venues.

The entry list is usually seeded on ability so you will be near the end and it gives you time to look at the other cars and chat to fellow competitors who will happily give you plenty of tips. Cars will set off at one or two-minute intervals so make sure you are ready and everything in place before you joins the queue to the start marshal.

The start marshal will sign your time card and add the correct time and off you go! The road section timing on special test events is usually very gentle and plays no place in the results. When you reach the first test get out the car and watch the cars in front of you doing it and get your navigator to check that they are doing the test correctly!

Initially it is the best bet to concentrate on doing the test correctly than to go for outright speed. Getting a good rapour with your navigator is important so she/he can tell you the directions from the road book. At the start of the test you get a time on the test time card and then another time at the finish. It's always a good plan to check these times before leaving the test. Keep a record of your time for each test.

Then there will be another road section to next test and that will be the pattern for the day with lunch and tea stops thrown in. Very often the organisers will have up to date results sheets for you at these halts so you can see how you are getting on. It's always a good idea to keep a check on your times and those of your nearest rivals as you go through the day so that you can raise any queries with the results team as soon as possible.

The end of the event will usually be at a hotel where food and enthusiastic discussion of the how the day went will be the order of the day. While you eat the organisers will produce provisional results and once these are posted you will have 30 minutes to check them. After that they are declared final and the awards will be presented. You might not win anything on your first event but you will have made many new friends and will be eagerly awaiting your next historic rally!