Brake failure and car sickness nearly de-rails journalist’s international challenge
Journalist Tom Cary’s challenge to become an international co-driver within five events nearly ended when a break disc sheered at high speed on the UTS Cheviot Stages Rally north west of Newcastle on Sunday (25 October).
The fearsome switchback tarmac test on the military rangers of Otterburn provided a roller coaster ride which ultimately made the Daily Telegraph sports journalist violently ill. Sheer good luck plus the skilled driving of ProSpeed boss Olly Marshall, substitute driver for SkySports’ Tony Jardine for one event, saved the campaign from being de-railed.
The team now just need one more signature for Cary to become a fully qualified international navigator in time for Rally Scotland in November.
Castrol ProSpeed boss Marshall said “We were lucky the break disc sheered on a relatively straight piece of road as we were at high speed. There was an almighty judder then a machine gun noise as the disc exploded. After that I used the handbrake to slow the car and crawl through the last 12 miles of the first stage.”
With one hundred competitive stage miles of the wet narrow switchback tracks as savage in contour as the scenery, Tom Cary began to feel ill. The Daily Telegraph man explained: “It doesn’t help your navigation and pace note calling when the sickness comes on suddenly. The motion of the car was far more violent over the crests and falls of Otterburn than the first two forest stage rallies I have finished. I should have heeded the early warnings when the pace notes didn’t match the road early on, then we just missed a cow.”
Cary was violently ill after Special Stage Eight, controlling his stomach till the end of the gruelling 16 miles until asking Olly Marshall to stop, losing the team two minutes in the process. In a staff role reversal for the Castrol ProSpeed team, usual driver Tony Jardine, made the long trip north after all when the A1GP Sky Sports live programme he was due to work on was cancelled, and he acted as team manager, Olly Marshall’s usual role. “I didn’t want to ask the organisers to change drivers yet again but rather felt Tom would benefit overall from Olly’s previous experience as a top driver. What’s more, I learned a lot being outside the car trying to organise matters, for example, I was relieved that the special soft tarmac tyres Kumho organised worked so well in the damp, it was good to get the feedback for a change instead of giving it.”
Marshall, who had not competed in anger since 2005 felt somewhat nervous and rusty before leaving his substitute drive and sought advice from a ProSpeed customer and Cheviot Winner, Andy Fenwick. Unfortunately the tips from the man who bought a winning ProSpeed Skoda Octavia could not be used. “I just couldn’t put the advice into pictures. It is very different when you are out there to put it into perspective - it’s such a daunting place.”
Marshall continued – “We have to give great credit to Tom today given the vicious terrain. It was horrible out there, like a fairground ride gone wrong, it was certainly a shock to my system and Tom’s stomach. Despite this, he hung in there calling the notes valiantly as he grimly held on until he was violently ill at the end of Special Stage Eight. His reward is finishing 48th overall and second in class claiming his penultimate signature towards his international licence.”
However, the cause of the sheered brake disc on Stage One is still unclear. McLaren automotive development engineer Andy Beale, who works in his spare time for the team explained: “It looks like there may have been a small defect between the disc brake and the mounting bell itself. It is very unusual so we will be inspecting the parts in detail back at the workshop to ensure it doesn’t happen again. The extra loads of tarmac rallying certainly put that component under a great of stress.”
The relieved Castrol ProSpeed Team have two short weeks before their final upgrade signature seeking event, the Tempest Rally based in Aldershot (07 November).
