Whitey
05-01-2007, 09:15 PM
Farrant Brakes Away !
Glenn Farrant has overcome Brake failure mid-event to win back to back rounds in the Hyundai NSW Excel Rally Series.
The Hastings Valley Rally featured 8 competitive stages over 110km, consisted of a loop of four stages, repeated twice. Road conditions were excellent after rain earlier in the week settled most of the dust. The Hyundai Excel Series competition was hot as usual.
Stage 1, a blast down the Cawarra Access Road, Glenn Farrant set a cracking pace to be 3 seconds per km quicker than the following pack, led by David White 31 seconds in arrears, Mick Gillett third, 5 seconds further back. The Roberts brothers, suffering an electrical short which was causing the engine to cut out, were nearly a minute behind. Andrei Artimonov with his wife as stand in Codriver, DNF’d after a minor off road excursion where a stick holed their radiator.
Stage 2, a new stage, saw the four remaining Excels cover the 5km stage separated by 10 just seconds. This was followed by the longest stage of the loop. Stage 3 was blitzed by Crazy Dave Roberts, covering the 29 km 34 seconds better than Farrant who suffered a brake failure near the end of the stage. Mick Gillett was a further 5 seconds back followed by David White was another 12 seconds in arrears after a couple of “moments” and being slowed by dust from a limping Hyundai Lantra, also with Brake failure.
SS4 the Timbertown stage, was also a short stage. Gillett won it by 3 seconds from Crazy Dave. There was a further 30 seconds back to Farrant ambling thru the stage with no brakes and another 10 seconds back to Whitey.
This took competitors to the only service break of the event where Farrant led by 9 seconds from Roberts. Gillett was a further 29 seconds down followed by White at the rear, now 1 min 18 seconds from the lead. The service break was pretty busy for a couple of crews, Farrant replaced a split brake line, Dave Roberts went hunting for an electrical problem which turned out to be a broken battery clamp shorting on a the battery terminal and also a sump guard which was down to 3 bolts which required some attention.
Stage 5, most competitors were affected by dust in spite of recent rain, Dave Roberts pulled out a blinder to take the overall Excel Series lead by 1 second over Farrant, who had a big scare when braking heavily into a RGL. The car snapped sideways under heavy braking due to air in the brake system. Sadly Crazy Dave would also retire before tackling the next stage with fuel flooding out of three holes in his petrol tank.
Stage 6, another run along the Queens Lake. Mick Gillett set his second stage fastest time for the event.
Stage 7, another run on the longest stage of the event. The Excels were all evenly matched. The three cars separated by just 7 seconds over the 29km.
Stage 8 the final run on the Timbertown stage to the finish, Mick Gillett set another fastest time, however Farrant had paced himself to win the event by 27 seconds to Gillett with daylight to Whitey in third 1 minute 33 seconds behind.
After three rounds, the series is being led thru consistency by Mick Gillett with David White second and Glenn Farrant third.
The next round of the Hyundai NSW Excel Rally Series will be held in Coffs Harbour on September 2.
Glenn Farrant has overcome Brake failure mid-event to win back to back rounds in the Hyundai NSW Excel Rally Series.
The Hastings Valley Rally featured 8 competitive stages over 110km, consisted of a loop of four stages, repeated twice. Road conditions were excellent after rain earlier in the week settled most of the dust. The Hyundai Excel Series competition was hot as usual.
Stage 1, a blast down the Cawarra Access Road, Glenn Farrant set a cracking pace to be 3 seconds per km quicker than the following pack, led by David White 31 seconds in arrears, Mick Gillett third, 5 seconds further back. The Roberts brothers, suffering an electrical short which was causing the engine to cut out, were nearly a minute behind. Andrei Artimonov with his wife as stand in Codriver, DNF’d after a minor off road excursion where a stick holed their radiator.
Stage 2, a new stage, saw the four remaining Excels cover the 5km stage separated by 10 just seconds. This was followed by the longest stage of the loop. Stage 3 was blitzed by Crazy Dave Roberts, covering the 29 km 34 seconds better than Farrant who suffered a brake failure near the end of the stage. Mick Gillett was a further 5 seconds back followed by David White was another 12 seconds in arrears after a couple of “moments” and being slowed by dust from a limping Hyundai Lantra, also with Brake failure.
SS4 the Timbertown stage, was also a short stage. Gillett won it by 3 seconds from Crazy Dave. There was a further 30 seconds back to Farrant ambling thru the stage with no brakes and another 10 seconds back to Whitey.
This took competitors to the only service break of the event where Farrant led by 9 seconds from Roberts. Gillett was a further 29 seconds down followed by White at the rear, now 1 min 18 seconds from the lead. The service break was pretty busy for a couple of crews, Farrant replaced a split brake line, Dave Roberts went hunting for an electrical problem which turned out to be a broken battery clamp shorting on a the battery terminal and also a sump guard which was down to 3 bolts which required some attention.
Stage 5, most competitors were affected by dust in spite of recent rain, Dave Roberts pulled out a blinder to take the overall Excel Series lead by 1 second over Farrant, who had a big scare when braking heavily into a RGL. The car snapped sideways under heavy braking due to air in the brake system. Sadly Crazy Dave would also retire before tackling the next stage with fuel flooding out of three holes in his petrol tank.
Stage 6, another run along the Queens Lake. Mick Gillett set his second stage fastest time for the event.
Stage 7, another run on the longest stage of the event. The Excels were all evenly matched. The three cars separated by just 7 seconds over the 29km.
Stage 8 the final run on the Timbertown stage to the finish, Mick Gillett set another fastest time, however Farrant had paced himself to win the event by 27 seconds to Gillett with daylight to Whitey in third 1 minute 33 seconds behind.
After three rounds, the series is being led thru consistency by Mick Gillett with David White second and Glenn Farrant third.
The next round of the Hyundai NSW Excel Rally Series will be held in Coffs Harbour on September 2.