BCCC Round 3 Forrest Lodge.

Dumfries and Galloway is a rain lashed, rural peninsular on the south-western tip of Scotland.
Its famed for a long history of forestry, horse-husbandry and cattle rearing, indeed, it even has it’s own cow breed. D and G has also been the scene of an unfair amount of fighting.
Everyone from the Norse, the Saxons and the Scots themselves have seen fit to give the locals a real kicking. When not picking on the indigenous, they’ve been beating each other up instead.
You’d expect after such a history for the residents to be wary and protective, but they still prove to be open and welcoming. The cows on the other hand can be a little ‘assertive’ and ‘grouchy’.
Anyhoo, it’s the humans that run the joint, not the bovines, so it was with open arms and a little amusement that the locals welcomed the Britpart British Cross Country Championship to the Forrest Lodge Estate for its annual pilgrimage North o’ the border.

When in these parts, the usual venue is the tremendously fast (and tremendously hairy) forests of Castle O’er. Everyone knows what to expect there and comes prepared. Only a few in the Championship had visited this venue before, so it was gonna be one steep learning curve for many concerned!
Two things were guaranteed though; firstly it was midge season (anything organic was likely to get eaten alive!) and secondly was the potential battle between the no.1 and no.3 pug-a-likes of Richard Kershaw and Tim Dilworth. Both have a round a piece under their belts and both are capable of taking the Championship overall. Richard has the history; Tim wants his piece of it.
There are plenty of other fast drivers in the mix two ready to snatch a victory. Maybe we should feel guilty, because yet a again an epic struggle was being brought the locals doorstep. At least this time it should provide better spectating!

Friday morning and the air was thick with the scent of pine and clouds of midges - really thick with clouds of midges. Like, chowder thick. I was getting eaten alive so pestered the people to let me hide in car whilst they busied themselves with breakfast. This was readily solved however they decided that they have to leave a window open to give ‘doggie some air’. Thanks, chumps. Now I was trapped in an enclosed box with the little demons. Suffice to say by the time they finished filling themselves on whatever they eat my rearwards pelt resembled a surface map of the moon but with more fur. I itched, badly. However, it was quite amusing watching assorted people waving their hands, flailing the arms and slapping themselves into near unconsciousness in a heroic, if fruitless, attempt to ward off the biters. I guess some highlight is better than no highlight at all.

As the morning wore on the clouds of last night broke and we were treated to moments of sunshine as well as the warmth, and by midday it was ‘really very pleasant, thank you very much’. Things were looking up; even the midges were being kept at bay by a light, yet persistent breeze. The rustling of trees sounded like an appreciative murmur to my insect nibbled ears. As the people layed into the course with their usual gusto (trying to catch up the early arrivers who were already walking the course!) I went sniffing for squirrel, mice and other assorted small rodents. I found none, so went sniffing tyres instead.
The course was mainly set on the usual Cat 1 which, as usual, would be of variable grip if it continued drying. It started down hill, sweeping through the trees before hitting a rough water crossing which was likely to cause some ‘entertainment’ (for a given value of ‘entertain’, anyway). From here it levelled out, threaded through some farmy-type buildings on hard concrete before pounding off up the cat 1 and through a sharp and contrived chicane.
More long Cat1 followed, before a hard right which would be hit with terrifying speed. This was soon followed by another hard right over a bridge not much wider than a race-car and immediately by a hard left – this will test precision (as well as the civil engineering capabilities of the marshal team!). From here the course felt all uphill, long drags up Cat 1, with long and deep ditches either side which promised to swallow a car whole if the track was left. Then came ‘post 10+’, a hideously gnarly kilometre of unending rock bottomed, wet, cross gullies and slippery mud. It was an object lesson in brutality in an otherwise smooth and flowing course. Once out of that section is was on again with the Cat 1. Where the harvesters and forwarders had been through yamping trees out, the track was again covered in mud, but this time it was tacky and offered a surprising amount of grip in the dry.
Towards the end, the track dived down to the left and flowed in a fast right around a huge bank of gravel before a torturous right hand hairpin over a bank of the same gravel. The track then swung left through a quarry before the final blisteringly fast run down to the stop line. Getting ‘post 10+’ and the quarry correct could prove to be crucial over the weekend.
Having said that, the entire course was going to be very unforgiving of mistakes wherever you were. Yes, it was going to be hair-raisingly quick, but only if your car, your bottle, and your skill permitted. It was set to be a corker! Well, the racing was, how folk would fair midge-wise was an entirely different matter!

Saturday morning proved to be light and breezy, there was a thin skimming of cloud and only a light sprinkling of midges. The marshals this time were parked half a mile from the service park so the usual prowl around Xtreme OrganiX wasn’t going to happen. I had to settle with a Dentastix instead, which bluntly, isn’t the same as thick sliced bacon, or sausages. Still beggers can’t be choosers.
The marshals and officials were making moves to disperse and I did the obligatory and slipped the lead, leaving the people and the Landcruiser for the day. I sneaked through the woods and parked myself under a shady bower near the start line.

Richard Kershaw and Graham Broadbent brought the red, no.1 Pug-a-like up the to the line and it sat at idle, running smoothly with its usual spluttering growl. The seconds ticked by. As the last petals on the timing lights went out, the car hunkered down at the rear as the slack in its muscles was taken up. Green light. Loose gravel simply vomited from all four corners and the car launched. With the slight downhill and Richards non-shortage of horsepower the car simply rocketed from the line and in the briefest of moments was gone from sight, with only it’s distinctive roar and an expanding cloud of dust to tell you it was ever here. 8 minutes and forty seconds later he stopped the clock and had set the benchmark for the run. How was he going to fair?

The answer was simple – quite well, thanks. Second off the line was Dan Lofthouse and Johnny Koonja in the no.2 LD4 Proto. Dan had a clean run and finished eight seconds behind Richard and claim second on the form list. The bellowing Mattseratti of Martin Gould and Simon Kerfoot were seven seconds slower again and took third. It was looking like a being a good day for the NORC lads! Ian Rochelle and Rob Pugh didn’t have quite such a clean time of things in the howling Millington powered Mattersatti, but despite their struggles claimed fourth spot with a 9.12. But what of the expected tussle between Kershaw and Dilworth? Tim and made a strong start with Anthony Brinkman in the ballast seat but the scooby powered pug-a-like picked up a couple of punctures. Despite this, Tim compensated for the upset handling and still threw the car around the course and clattered over the finish line with a hard-fought 9.19. Given the circumstances it was a strong effort, but it would leave him with a near-insurmountable mountain to climb to get back up the top. It wasn’t impossible but it was going to be a challenge.
Richard would also understand that challenge, and the vagaries of racing, so he wouldn’t rest until the race had reached its conclusion; he wouldn’t risk his position.

Just to reinforce his philosophy, Richard set about putting more distance between himself and everyone else and his second run was as smooth as his first. Again he took fastest run time, this time with a, 8.36. Tim had a trouble free run and was better able to get his eye in. He took the second fastest time of the run, only six seconds behind Tim and moved up one place in the standings, however 45 seconds still stood between himself and Richard. Richard again put the fastest lap on run 3, cutting his previous lap by 5 seconds but this time Tim brought the No.3 car home only one second behind. Tim gained another place in table and sat third for the start of run 4, 15 seconds behind the hard-charging Lofthouse / Koonja partnership. The fastest times on run 4 followed the order of the top three, Richard with an 8.31, Dan with a 8.32, and Tim with an 8.33.
Sitting 18 seconds behind Tim at this point were Martin and Simon. Martin was driving the venerable Mattseratti with his usual flair, seemingly not troubled by the threatening ditches that hugged the course in many places. A series of strong performances had kept Ian Rochelle in a well-earned fifth spot and he was sitting 10 seconds back from Martin by this point. The little black and silver Mattseratti was keeping together and the motor was on its usual wailing, flame-throwing form – if things kept up this way, Ian could see another strong finish to better this seventh spot in Radnor.

Run 5 proved to be a bit of a ‘giant-killer’. One of Martins propshafts let go part way around the lap and it promptly did the ‘anti-Midas’ thing and turned everything it touched to wreckage, including various bits of car underside, including the gearbox casing. Dan was next car on the course and he made the decision to stop and pull Martin back to service. For his efforts, Dan was rewarded with a notional time, luckily based on his time from the previous lap – which gave him fastest time on run 5, however, his efforts had also seen his gearbox eat a significant number of significant internals. It had started with reverse letting go, but the resulting shrapnel proceeded to consume all it touched, bringing Dans challenge to an end for this weekend. Martin and Simon faired slightly better and could continue, even if they were languishing near the bottom end of the top twenty. One run, two front runners down, one for good.
For Tim however, the run 5 saw him claw back three seconds from Richard as he achieved his first fastest time for the round but the gap between them still stood at 45 seconds, with more than a third of the runs of the weekend already completed.

Run six saw Tim digging deep again and once more he was rewarded with the fastest run time (an 8.32), taking a sizeable 13 seconds out from Richards lead. Ian brought the Mattsi home 4 seconds behind Richard. Husband and wife team of Justin and Louise Birchall were having a strong day and had nailed the screaming M3 powered Pug-a-like convincingly into fourth spot. Justin has been good spectator sport since he bought his current steed and finally it looks like he is setting the times many believed he was capable off. What he lacks in long years of experience he makes up for with a contagious, boyish enthusiasm and determination, and like I said, he can be spectacular to watch.

I heard Tim set off on his seventh run, and waited patiently for him to come past my location. I heard him roar into the final quarry and I heard something go ‘bang’ before he came clattering past at an odd angle; something clearly wasn’t well. Then one of his wheels came past and serenely keeled over, kicking up a little cloud of dust. In any other situation it would have been comical, but it could prove to be devastating to Tims performance. I heard him come to halt down the track, and I jogged down, fearing the worst. Sure, he’d stopped, but at least he’d crossed the line and got a time – now the question would be the amount of damage the Pug-a-like had sustained in making the line. I looked on with bated breath as the car was towed off-stage by the dog friendly Difflock recovery crew.
Richard faired better on his run and set second fastest time, with Ian driving like demon to deliver a fastest time and move up one position to take second spot.

Run eight was to be the last one of the day and the world, well, that it of the world interested in the event, watched on.
Tim and Anthony worked quickly and thoroughly and had the No.3. back on track. As a just reward for their efforts Tim nailed a spectacular 8.37. The bar for this run was set. Ian set out with his usual flare (no pun intended!) and in an astonishing display of consistency delivered another 8.50, making him the most repeatable driver of the event so far. It may have seemed that Richard had been given some breathing space with Tims issues on the previous run, but he wasn’t going to get complacent and set out with the bit between his teeth. His smooth style is usually rewarded with speed and reliability, but this time he collected punctures early on and had to fight his now obstinate Pug-a-like around the majority of the course. He haemorrhaged time and stopped the clock after a painful 10.32. He had driven the best race he could but his collection of flats had knocked him down to third. Ian had taken second place, and as the day ended, Tim had achieved what many had thought was a near impossible task and now sat at the head of the table. Say what you like, but in my book, that was a cracking effort!

Justin and Louise and worked hard and driven well and held their deserved fourth spot overnight, however he would have to keep an eye on James Webb who was now sitting in fifth in his R4 Milner. Another Milner filled the next slot on the table, this time the R5 of Alan Wilkinson who had been making steady progress and avoiding trouble – it was nice to see him nearer the pointy end of the league! Alan was another who wouldn’t rest easy however as Colin Gould was only five seconds behind him with the Wildcat 200 (which also made him the highest place car running live axles).

As night fell, some made their way into the local town for food and drink, whilst the hardcore visited the XoX stand in the service area and withstood the inevitable onslaught of the midges, who like the people were out for a feed and a drink. The service was full of people wrapped in shemaghs or smelling of skin conditioner or weapons-grade insect repellent. Some looked like they had a major dose of chicken pocks.
Before I got eaten alive again, I returned back to the owners for a proper meal and a chance to get away from the biters. I needed the rest too, today had been a rollercoaster of emotion and I couldn’t see any reason why tomorrow would be any different!

The first run of Sunday kicked off under dry, bright skies, and there must have been something in the water.
First out the blocks was the blue and yellow Pug-a-like of Tim and Anthony and it took them only a eight and half minutes to bring the car to the finish line. I think, with the hassles of yesterday Tim wanted as much real estate between himself and anybody else as he possibly could.
Richard and Graham put in a fabulously smooth looking drive but it was lacking in pace – their 8.59, by any standard was a quick time, but it wasn’t on par with the bar they had set yesterday; a bar that Tim had more than equalled. Having said that Ian and Rob had a disturbed run in the Mattsi and it allowed Richard to regain second place in the table. Second fastest time of the run (8.43) went to Chris Hammond (sans usual co-driver Amanda) who had been having a mare of things yesterday and was languishing in 15th spot before the overnight break. Third fastest time (8.51) went to the Gould / Kerfoot partnership. Whilst they were now up to 11th overall following yesterdays woes, they were proving that they could still punch way over their weight – the fighting spirit hadn’t left them. Justin and Louise however hadn’t faired so well on run 9 and a painful 11.43 saw them loose a place in the standings. Their lose however, was James Webbs gain and he moved up into forth – a fair reward for him quietly doing his quiet thing.

Run ten saw another superb run by Tim, but Richard had got his eye in and his head together and answered Tims supreme 8.32 with an equally good 8.38.
The pair were separated by 54 seconds. If all things were equal it was a huge gap, but as yesterday ably demonstrated, that gap was less time than a ‘minor mechanical’ could cost. All was still to play for. Ian had refound his form from yesterday and his 8.53 was only three seconds out from his mean time yesterday (ladies and gentlemen, Mr Consistent has entered the building!) and further consolidated his third spot on the listings. Just to add some perspective here, whilst Ian was 36 seconds behind Richard (what was I saying about minor mechanicals?) he was over seven minutes ahead of James in fourth. Ian had a realistic shot at second spot – not earned by seemingly faster drivers dropping out, but earned simply and honestly by being outrageously fast. His Mattsi looks like it’s doing 100mph when its stood still – imagine how it looks when it is actually doing a ton-up down a gravel track. It’s got the visuals, it’s got the soundtrack, its also got some talent behind the wheel. In fact the top three were all cinematic stuff, and we were being given a story to match.

Tim was out on his next run and I was watching the clock. As 8.30 ticked passed and I could still hear the no.3 pug-a-like barking and howling in the quarry. He roared passed me with a flat tyre slapping the ground and took an 8.52; I was beginning to wish I’d kept my muzzle shut about them minor mechanicals!
By the time 8.30 passed on Richards run he had already showered me with gravel and dust – he was going to claw some serious time back on this run. His 8.37 reduced the gap to first to 31 seconds. I moved further back into the trees, otherwise I was gonna be hacking a lung up in the Landcrusier all the way home. That would undoubtedly mean a trip to the vets and bluntly, I’ve been there way to often over the last year.

As the rest of the cars came passed I realised that I couldn’t see a damn thing from my new vantage point (but it wasn’t a dusty) so I made another move in time for run 12. This time it was clean run for Tim and he took fastest time of run. This time it was Richard who lost out and he stopped the clock with a time 14 seconds slower than Tims. It was Dans turn to suffer a puncture this time and he dropped over thirty seconds back from Richard. He still had sufficient breathing space back to James in fourth mind you, but that doesn’t stop you feeling for the guy! Chris Hammond put in yet another strong performance and now was sitting in sixth spot, breathing heavily down Colin Goulds neck in fifth, but it was a big breath as fifth spot was some three and half minutes away. Still, as meteoric rises up the leader board go, Chris’s was up there with the best of them!

Run thirteen was the last run of the day and first out the blocks again were Tim and Anthony. My nerves were in tatters. They stopped the clock with a 8.53. My tattered nerves were now in tatters, I could here Richards v6 bellowing through the forest and echoing around the quarry. From the sounds of it he exited the quarry in a long drift on full throttle. He roared passed carrying very good speed and crossed the line a full twenty seconds less than Tim to steal an 8.33. After two days hard competition, both suffering from wrecked tyres 25 seconds was all that separated the two of them. It was a very well earned victory for Tim, and it was an equally well earned second spot for Richard and Graham.
At times it would have been easy for either one of these two teams to give-up hope of winning the round and just consolidate their position, but both kept digging deep, both kept a firm eye on the top spot. Both earned to win, Tim just happened to get there first! What a contest – thank you both, it was a privilege to watch.

Ian and Ron struggled with a puncture on the last run, but with the gap they’d built between themselves and James Webb in fourth, they took a very deserving 3rd overall - a podium position in a fair fight. Ian looked a little pleased and hopefully this season will see the continuing rise of the four-pot Mattsi. Ian currently wears an 8 on the side of his car – I can well see that being a smaller number next year.
The same could be said for Mr Webb if his form continues – the quiet man quietly making his way up the seedings.
Colin Gould brought his yellow Wildcat home in fifth overall (yay for the live axled car!) and he was able to use the horsepower and bomb-proof build of the car to maintain a good gap between himself and the hard-charging Chris Hammond in sixth.

As the dust settled, the marshalls set about the course, stripping it added furniture and signage and hunting for springs, shocks, drive shafts, bits of gearbox internal and the other detritus typically dropped by the competitors. Make no bones about it, this is a hard, hard sport. In track racing, you usually have to fall off the track to do some significant harm to the car, but in this sport the track itself will administer a thorough drubbing if you’re not prepared.
Fall off the track and it can just get worse. Sometimes, falling off the track can be an improvement! No, it’s a tough sport in an unforgiving arena (seriously, a WRC car would be going home in a box, or variety of boxes), but even with this we still see some blindingly close racing. Of all the daft things you could be doing at the weekend, this is one of the less sane, but I’ll tell you what, I’m bloody glad these guys do it, because it’s just gobsmacking.

Don’t believe me?

Come along and have a look for yourselves!

Thanks to Debbie Difflock for the candid shots.

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