RallyVent 2018

Within the last two weeks of July over 75mm of rain had fallen at our venue. In the first week of August another 30mm came down. RallyVent 2018 was going to be wet and slippery!

Rain on arrival day

33 drivers from seven different Venturer units accepted the challenge. When the first groups arrived the weather was dry. By late evening the rain was falling steadily and the later arrivals had to deal with the wet whilst setting up camp. At least by dawn the next day the weather had cleared.

Road or River?

With many of our Khanacross tracks resembling rivers we had to take a different approach for day one. We started down the back of the farm using a modified test. There were still puddles to negotiate and all the drivers would gain some wet weather driving experience.

The odd marker was knocked over however everyone soon adapted to the conditions and the race was on.
With the first quartet of tests complete we moved onto our “Keep on line” track. There was one large puddle on the last corner. If you kept out you could skirt around even if it upset your racing line. Some thought better of it and charged through the middle.

Most of the modern cars weren’t too phased by the water. The 80’s Suzuki Swift GTi of team four however had older school technology. It conked out after a slight bath in a puddle. That would be the first of a string of recoveries during the weekend!

Leg 2 and the sun!

Day two of RallyVent 2018 dawned clear. Wind the previous day had helped dry the roads a little in a few places. We headed out to our “Saltbush” track to start the morning tests. Drivers had to be mindful of where they positioned their cars. A couple of muddy patches caught some out and the snatch straps were deployed again.

At last the salt flat had dried enough to use for the final leg of the event. Eight more tests followed including a couple of leaders’ runs. The speeds were higher and it was evident that all drivers used their wet weather experience to good effect.

After 23 tests the results were in.

A few recoveries during the weekend meant team four gained a few wrong ways. The Swift GTi proved a soldier coming home in sixth place. Team two had to make a hasty substitution before the event got underway. A dead fuel pump in their Nissan Pulsar caused a swap to a Mazda Eunos. The V6 powered red machine was none too fond of the water either. Team two finished fifth.

Mid Field

Team seven found a few cones and had a recovery in their Mitsubishi Lancer. They took a credible fourth place by event’s end. Team one drove well in their Mitsubishi Mirage. Even with a recovery on test 15 they still finished a solid third.

Runner Up

At the end of day one Team three were in second. After a recovery in Saltbush early on Sunday morning it looked like they’d dropped a place. The team kept up their pace and their yellow Hyundai Lantra soldiered on. By Sunday afternoon Team Three had retained a well driven second outright.

Nailing It!

Over the weekend one team set more fastest times than all the rest. They had a very good run and kept it neat. By the end of the weekend the Mitsubishi Lancer of Team Six had taken the win on RallyVent 2018.

Click Here to Download RallyVent 2018 results

More bang for your buck

Whilst the Venturer only events may be over for the year, there is other motorsport that Venturers can enter. On the 8th of September we are running a Khanacross at our venue. With the cars, licenses and club memberships that Venturers (and leaders) hold, they are eligible to enter. Details can be found by clicking here.

Celebrating 10 years in 2019

Next year will be the celebration of the 10th Ventkhana and 9th RallyVent. 2019 will be a big year to look forward to for Venturer Motorsport.