The first outing for the TMC following an intensive build, we approached Driffield with a great deal of excitement anticipation and nerves. We ended taking the TMC virtually untested to the event with just a handful of road miles on the clock and no off-road miles at all.

Having spent the majority of Friday afternoon finishing the racer, whilst Ben sorted out the (limited) spares kit, we eventually set off on the long drive and arrived just after midnight. A long journey and we had to pitch tents and try and get some sleep before a 6:30 am Start!

After a cold night we surfaced, ready and raring to go. The first challenge - scrutineering, this is the point at which an MSA Affiliated Scrutineer decides if the vehicle is safe and complies to the required regulations, our entire weekend in the hands of Robbo. With one small detail (the label for the transmission selector missing) to resolve we passed and were ready to race.



Final checks of the car, application of the sponsors stickers (Matador Tyres) and we were ready to race. Sitting on the start line waiting for the green light seemed to last for ever with both of our minds racing about what is about to happen. Our main concern being the suspension, with no time to test we had all of the adjustments on the shock absorbers set to their middle setting. How would it react? We had no idea.



As the lights went green Ben hit the throttle and we launched off into the first lap. Taking it at a steady pace it soon transpired that all was well with the set up and Ben instantly started to get to grips with the TMC and began to push a little harder. As we progressed through the stage we started to relax and begin to enjoy ourselves, as the end of the stage came into sight I couldn't resist a celebratory"YES!" at completing the first lap.

As we rolled into the service area, it was action stations as we started to check every detail of the car for damage and found none!

  

The next run was more relaxed and Ben began to increase the pace and start to really get a feel for the car and the conditions. The main challenge at Driffield had to have been the weather and the mud! A number of substantial water splashes and the kind of mud that sticks like glue made for some challenging moments. As is often the way I got the majority of the soakings (such is the life of the navigator!) but Ben was not exempt and in fact managed to give himself a face full of muddy water on more than one occasion! The lap times decreased steadily throughout the day and we soon learned the limits of our nominally configured suspension as the rear began to hop around, making the washboard sections particularly challenging. Our only real problem, if we can call it that, was with the windscreen washers and wipers, the wipers, needing a little adjustment and the washers needing a design re-think!

  



Finishing our seven runs on Saturday was a great feeling and left us filled with confidence and feeling relaxed, a more thorough check over of the vehicle revealed a split CV boot on the rear. We had no spares so packed it full of grease and hoped it would hold out on Sunday. We later learned that Keith Lewis had uncharacteristically put his racer on it's roof due to a seized CV, so this became a calculated risk.

The most important agenda item at this stage was to find somewhere warm for dinner and the Railway Inn in Driffield proved just the place for a pint and a Steak before an early(ish) night and a well needed sleep.

Sunday was to see us do six runs, and all going well complete our first event in the TMC and out first Championship event.

During driver briefing we were informed of a slight change to the course between junction 13 and 14, after discussion with Ben we both thought we new where this was. The first run of the day proved different, however, as a wrong turn resulted in us turning round and trying to re-establish the right course, as Mr Lewis thundered past we soon worked out the correct route and continued. At this stage it was a job to keep Ben calm as he began a damage limitation exercise, but he kept his head to bring us in only slightly short of our previous times. On completion of the lap we turned round and headed straight out again for the second run of the day. A good solid run finished with a very large impact at the end of the stage. Where the ground had started to dig out the back of the car kicked up and came down extremely hard.

As we entered service we noticed a nasty rattling noise from the back and leapt out to find the source. It transpired that the heavy landing had caused the blades to shatter on one of our cooling fans, we would have to continue with just one fan.

The final four laps proved relatively uneventful, but none the less each run got us closer to our goal, a finish. As we went out on the last run it seemed to be filled with more tension that the first, having got this far, were we going to make it to the end?

We completed the last lap in a good solid time, with celebrations on our minds, we were left with trying to find out how we were placed, we had heard mixed reports throughout the weekend ranging from 5th to 17th and so to find out we were 6th and second in class was absolutely fantastic!

A great weekend, leaves us 6th in the Championship and full of optimism for the coming rounds, we now have time to get the suspension tested and set up correctly and can see about pushing for that elusive event victory.

A special thanks goes out to the volunteers who organised and made the event possible, Matador Tyres, for their sponsorship and of course our loyal supporters, and service crew (in no particular order)Vicky, Kate, Paul H, Paul G, Matt, Ray, Sue, Steve N. And last, but not least thanks to Matt Burley Media for taking some awesome pictures and recording some fantastic on-board footage. keep watching the gallery.