A Rally-sprint is a non MSA event incorporating elements of Autocross, Autotests and Special Stage Rallying.

A Special Stage is set-up on a grass field using marker cones. The track can loop-back on itself to increase its length, it can also be used in either direction. Unlike Autocross cars start singly. All timed runs are added together (cumulative, like a stage rallying). Penalties for hitting markers are also cumulative. If the track becomes rutted or damaged changes can be made to the layout between timed runs without impacting the overall result. No practice is allowed. Competitors are given the opportunity of a convoy run at non-competitive speed to familiarise themselves with the track layout and ‘bed down’ the new surface.

DeLado Motor Club, Burnham-on-Crouch, Essex.
 
The DeLado Motor Club was created a few years ago as a Rally School to introduce juniors and adults to rallying in a safe and controlled environment. The club has 30 members and runs a 7 round Rally-Sprint Championship for, juniors driving 1400cc production rally cars and adults driving 2WD modified production rally cars up to 2500cc. To keep costs down a MOT is not required.

DELADO Motor Club       http://www.rally-world.com/delado/
DELADO Blog                 http://deladorally.blogspot.com/
 
Autocross and Rally-Sprints 2011.

The plan was to do the two 2 day Wickford/GBMC Autocross events plus as many DeLado Rally-Sprints as I could fit in. Except it didn’t work out like that.

The two day Wickford/GBMC MSA Championship Autocross (22nd May) was

deferred until August due to the organisers not being able to secure the Braintree venue. Another two day Home Counties Championship event was planned for September.

The delayed start to the Autocross season did give me the opportunity to shakedown my newly rebuilt car at DeLado.  http://sites.google.com/site/ginettag32/g32-rebuild-2011

I had brake issues throughout DeLado round one and handling issues during round two. The car was working better for round three but I got lost in my own dust and took a short-cut resulting in a maximum stage time. I only managed two stages of round 4 before my Ginetta suffered an embarrassing suspension failure.

Marshalling.

Despite car and driver issues I was really enjoying Rally-Sprints and unsure if I wanted to risk my car (and new windscreen) doing an Autocross. To compromise I decided to attend the MSA Wickford/GBMC Autocross as a Marshall. The event revived my enthusiasm for Autocross and I enjoyed marshalling.

More Rally-Sprints and a cancelled Autocross.

I was on-form for DeLado Rally-Sprint round five, finishing 3rd overall, and round six, finishing 2nd overall. For full results see http://deladorally.blogspot.com/

The two day Home Counties Autocross should have been the highlight of my season but Wickford/GBMC didn’t get enough entries for the Saturday event, so they decided to run Sunday only for a £75 entry fee. I was prepared to pay the fee but others were not, so the Sunday event was also cancelled.

Autocross entry fees are now a major issue. A DeLado Rally-Sprint costs £35 per event, Essex 4x4 Club £30 and NASA (Concord) Autograss about £24.

I think the MSA National Autocross Championship can soldier on for a few more years. But in the South-east we now don’t have enough drivers willing to pay the MSA premium.

If it wasn’t for the superb DeLado Rally-Sprints I would be in the process of converting the Ginetta back to Sprint/Hillclimb spec for 2012 and planning a NASA Autograss car build.

The good news is Wickford Auto Club are running Autotests again. Next year I plan to do a full season of Rally-Sprints and Grass Autotests.

As for Autocross, I guess having canceled an event during 2011 WAC/GBMC will less inclined to run an event during 2012. Hopefully they will go ahead with the two day MSA National event. In hindsight I should have entered the first Autocross in August when I had the opportunity.