Tour of Epynt 2014

Good to hear you went in the end!

After a long afternoon on the bikes the day before we decided on a lazy day on Epynt and basically stayed between junctions 2 and 4 on stages 1,3,5 and 6. Strangly though for some reason one of the radio marshalls told us prior to stage 5 that it was to be the last of the day due to medical cover getting too low! Even weirder was that he had told someone we were speaking to on stage 3, not to go back to his car for too long as there was to be a quick switch around of the stages!!

Hope all the crews involved in the various accidents make a swift recovery, never good to see the air ambulance being used so much and not know what is going on.

Any way, it was a bloody nice day and the pace at the front was superb, with some other great and entertaining performances in the rest of the field. No pics from me, decided not to take the camera and watch for a change :)

Small selection of pics now up http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrjanyeo/s ... 165896503/

Cracking day up on the ranges. Cant quite believe that Cole beat Simpson.

But with driving like this, easy to see. This is stage 7, on board the Damian Cole.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaumramccaM

Steve

Very nice. Only the number of chicanes is ruining the show a bit. I understand they are there for safety but at least some are pretty useless in my opinion. Anyway it's same story here in CZ with some famous roads flooded by chicanes...

By the way does anyone know more about the Millington S2500 Protons or the engines? I'm not familiar with their engines although I understand they are highly rated in UK. Thanks for any information.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mirek

Very nice. Only the number of chicanes is ruining the show a bit. I understand they are there for safety but at least some are pretty useless in my opinion. Anyway it's same story here in CZ with some famous roads flooded by chicanes...

By the way does anyone know more about the Millington S2500 Protons or the engines? I'm not familiar with their engines although I understand they are highly rated in UK. Thanks for any information.

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Yep bloody health and safty gone mad again. The WRC cars were beating the stage boogie times, so hence the bales of hay scattered all around the place.

By all accounts, the Fiesta accident was caused by the chicane, weather the driver forgot it was there coming over a blind crest. But he locked up to miss it, and found a huge rock instead.

Steve

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mirek

Very nice. Only the number of chicanes is ruining the show a bit. I understand they are there for safety but at least some are pretty useless in my opinion. Anyway it's same story here in CZ with some famous roads flooded by chicanes...

By the way does anyone know more about the Millington S2500 Protons or the engines? I'm not familiar with their engines although I understand they are highly rated in UK. Thanks for any information.

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The stages are already pretty difficult, without the chicanes they would be frighteningly quick. I know two blokes that live near me who have had massive offs at Epynt, this was one of them http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36CdgBe_z0I The other one had an off at about 125mph and ended up with a broken back. Epynt is a terrifying place so it's really not surprising that they try to slow it down. This is another nasty one http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQekvD2Z7Fk The driver, Lyndon Barton, has had a few nasty ones on Epynt, including the worst crash that I've ever seen.

Millington are becoming extremely popular over here at the minute, mostly being used in Escorts and Darrianas but also in the car that Colin McRae was designing prior to his death. These days if you hear an Escort with a sequential box it's more than likely to have a Millington engine in it, Ken Block has one in his MK2. Their website is worth a look http://www.millingtonengines.co.uk/sale ... gines.html

Essentially you're talking about 2.5l of grunt for about £25,000 before you think about fitting it!

Thanks, quite expensive toy, I have to say. But if it's good than why not :)

From a spectators point of view the chicanes are horrible. I know from speaking with Damian Cole, that most drivers hate them as well. But we all respect why they have to be there.
As Mr Jan said. Epynt is some of the toughest tarmac around. Scary fast, bling crests, big drops, and no room for error. Hence why the place has such a reputation.

Also knowing Damian, I know some of the arguments that are caused, if a chicain is there for one person, hit by someone else. Then everybody else straight lines it, flat out in 6th. Theres a good few seconds to gain there.

Steve

And depending on the organising club; there has quite often been chicanes before Devil's/Deer's Leap.... Depending on the direction of the stage.
I remember a big accident back in 2003; when a white 205 landed, and the driver hurt his back and couldn't steer the car straight. Ended on the grass, and barrel rolling for hundreds of metres. A sickening sight.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by AndyRAC

And depending on the organising club; there has quite often been chicanes before Devil's/Deer's Leap.... Depending on the direction of the stage.
I remember a big accident back in 2003; when a white 205 landed, and the driver hurt his back and couldn't steer the car straight. Ended on the grass, and barrel rolling for hundreds of metres. A sickening sight.

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There was one 20yard after Devil's this year. Which is what caused the Fiesta to crash. Ok I know its supposed to be in the pace notes, but it was blind until you crested Devil's, then there's a bail of hay in the way. 2 huge black marks, where he had locked up

2 years ago, I cant remember which event, but the bail was on top of Devils, so it was easily spotted.


Steve