Tom Cave is set to contest the most iconic rally in the history of the sport next week, when he competes in the 2010 Rallye Automobile Monte-Carlo. The event will be the youngster’s biggest challenge yet, since it is widely regarded as the most technical and daunting event in rallying but the 18 year-old is unfazed by the rally’s fearsome reputation.
The Rallye Automobile Monte-Carlo is one of the oldest events in any rallying calendar and this year, features as the opener to the Intercontinental Rally Challenge. Tom will be heading for Valence in France, the location for the start of the event, with his outstanding eighth place finish on last year’s finale, Rally of Scotland, fresh in his mind. He will be using the same Group N Ford Fiesta ST that he used in 2009, since with the challenges of the Monte, switching to his new car for next week could have proved one new step too many for the youngster, who will again be partnered by experienced co-driver Craig Parry.
Monte Carlo throws up a raft of challenges for drivers, not least of which is the possibility of facing dry asphalt, snow and sheet ice all in the same stage. Therefore, information and tyre choice are crucial to finishing the event, let alone success.
It is not uncommon for drivers to face a stage of say 30Km in length, with 25Km of dry, smooth tarmac and 5Km of sheet ice, sometimes up or down hills to add to the drama. Knowing where this ice is is crucial and that’s why the Monte is one of a few events to allow each competing car a Safety Crew, which drives the course several hours before the competing crew and reports back on the conditions.
Performing the task for Tom and Craig next week will be Simon Hughes, partnered by Claire Mole. Simon and Claire used to compete in the car Tom used in 2009 and will be using next week, so they will know exactly the information they need to relay back to Tom and Craig before the start of each stage. Commenting on the prospect, Tom said; “I think the chance to do the Monte Carlo Rally, at the age of just 18, is amazing. It’s an incredibly rare opportunity and I feel privileged to be able to compete on the most iconic event in rallying.
“It will be a massive challenge but one I am determined to rise to. I’m lucky that I have a fantastic team of people to support me; Craig in the car with me, Simon and Claire in the gravel car, my Father as Team Manager and the Davies MotorSport team running the car.
“We’re using the Fiesta as I’m familiar with it and won’t need to learn it but we are hoping to get a short test in the week before the event, just so I can get my game-face back on, as I won’t have driven it since Rally of Scotland in November last year.
“I’ve also been working with Craig to tighten up my pace note system and will be spending some time with Nicky Grist [former WRC co-driver] prior to the event, to work on my notes even further and pick up as many tips for this event as possible.”
While the conditions will create a new challenge for Tom, so will the format of the event. Tom has been used to what has widely been adopted as the standard format for modern rallying; a ceremonial start or superspecial stage on Thursday evening, followed by three days of action, mainly during daylight with the finish on Sunday afternoon. However, the Monte has a reputation for innovation and this year’s itinerary is no different.
The event begins with a prologue on Tuesday 19 January, to determine the running order for the start of the event. Wednesday 20 Jan sees a fairly traditional day of rallying based around Valence, with four stages contested with a further six on Thursday 21 Jan. However, it is Friday 22 January that sees the usual format change, with the car leaving Valance and tackling a single stage on their way to Monaco.
Here they spend a minimum of 3.5 hours before leaving the principality at around 6pm to tackle four stages in darkness, in two pairs of two stages. The first of these two pairs features a run over the legendry Col de Turini, fittingly perhaps the most famous location in all of rallying and a huge challenge in daylight, let alone at 11.30 at night. Commenting, Tom said; “The format is definitely very different to what I’m used to. The prologue to determine the start order could work well for us. If we get a decent result, then a higher road position would be useful, as any ice on the stages will probably polish as the cars go over and become worse for the later cars. oHowever, “I think, if ever there was an event where the target is simply to get to the finish, then this is it. The challenges I am likely to face next week will be like nothing I’ve come across before. I’ve driven on tarmac, snow and ice before but never on the same set of tyres and never on the same stage. If I can say that I conquered Rally Monte Carlo at the age of 18, then I will be very happy.”
While the event officially finishes at 02.30hrs on Saturday 23 January, the prize giving will be held at 11.00hrs later that day, to give the crews a chance to catch up on some rest following what will prove to be, for younger drivers at least, the most gruelling event of their careers.
The event will also been shown extensively on Eurosport, with every stage covered live on either Eurosport or Eurosport2. Go to ircseries.com for more information and exact times.
