The Motorsports Team at Myerscough College recently performed well in a rally at the Isle of Anglesey Race circuit, North Wales.
Students on the Foundation Degree in Motorsports course recently travelled to Anglesey Race Circuit and were responsible for running a car for driver Bertie Morton and all aspects of maintenance and car set up. After 10 stages, the Myerscough team finished 9th overall and 4th in class by a few seconds.
After the first stage there were no problems with the car, the team switched the front tyres to the back and put a softer compound on the front for better grip as the stage was drying quickly. The second stage was a dry run so the tyres were checked but not changed. The gearbox fluid level was checked and 20L of fuel put in. The third stage was again dry so the normal spanner check was completed. Ten minutes before the car was due to go out it rained again, so tyres were sent to be hand cut to wet,(thanks to Tony from South Shore Tyres for that) and put back on with a couple of minutes to spare. After a wet stage the car returned to a fourth service with no damage, the water level was checked and the tyres switched from front to back again. The fuel level was checked and the car cleaned, ready for the fifth stage.
The rain had slowed to a drizzle, and the track had become a lot more unpredictable, with uneven grip and gravel being thrown onto the tarmac from previous stages. On this stage the tyre pressures were changed to improve the grip as well as the usual spanner checks and a clean of the car. The sixth stage now had standing water so the team went for wets front and rear. They refuelled the car, did spanner checks and sent it back out for the next stage with 10 minutes to spare. No problems for stages seven and eight, the tyres were changed and some fresh rubber was fitted to help with the wet conditions. The ninth stage was now drying, but still wet enough to stay on wet tyres. Spanner checks were done and the bonnet was fixed that had flown open and broken off after the clips had worked loose the previous stage. There were no problems in the final stage as the driver brought the car home.
The driver, Bertie Morton, said:
“On the day I was very happy with car and with the crew. Finishing 9th overall and 4th in class was very credible, this being my first time out in the car since having its new 2.0 Zetec engine fitted, a very satisfactory result.”
Ian Arden, the workshop & competition instructor in Motorsports at Myerscough College, said:
“After staying on site at the circuit, the crew got to know each other better and worked well as a team. The result shows that we are improving with every rally and was the icing on the cake for all of us.”
