Not what you expect to be speeding towards your horses at 3am...

Meowy Catkin

Meowy Catkin

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... a lost rally car!

Yes at 3am, a lost rally car (who thought that they were on the right track judging by the speed they were going) came down the driveway, through yard, through the ford and up to the horse's field.

The lights and revving woke me up and through the window I could see them speed up to the field, when they suddenly realised that there was a closed gate and with four nosey ponies looking at them. They turned around and sped away again. There are huge marks from where they braked and it's pretty lucky that they didn't hit the gate.

Lord knows why they didn't realise that they were on the wrong track earlier, I had always thought that the co-driver knew the route (worked out the gear for each corner etc...) and would probably have mentioned going through a ford in their notes?
 
At 3am?! What sort of rally was that? :eek:

Lucky you didn't have any damage done, from what I've seen on telly rally drivers don't view things such as fences, gates etc., as an obstacle...
 
Apparently the co-driver isn't given the route beforehand, they work it out as they go. At each time control they get a piece of paper through the window with a clue (grid refs etc.) with where to go.
So basically they got lost by the sounds of it.
 
JoBo said:
Apparently the co-driver isn't given the route beforehand, they work it out as they go. At each time control they get a piece of paper through the window with a clue (grid refs etc.) with where to go.
So basically they got lost by the sounds of it.
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My knowledge of rallying seems to be seriously lacking. :(

Yes, it looks like they were just well and truly lost. I'm still pretty pleased that the gate is still on it's hinges, it really was a close one. :eek:
 
OP you have my intense sympathy.

We had a car rally around here in the middle of the night a few years ago; we had a flyer in the door saying there was going to be a rally or whatever, but we didn't do anything about it as we didn't really think about it.

Big mistake!

We were woken in the small hours by souped-up cars revving all the way outside the bedroom window, kicking up the gravel and making a lot of engine noise. Plus they had a check-point at the corner outside the house, and there was a lot of shouting and voices.

I was worried sick about my pussy-cats; just hoped and prayed they'd be OK with all the fast traffic hooning up the road.

I complained to the local constabulary about it, plus the local Highways Authority and Parish Council.

Thank god we've not had one since; and if one was proposed again I'd object on principle.

FFS there's enough places for them to have car rallies, i.e. forestry tracks/off road places miles from anywhere, WHY for Chrissakes have they go to race along the public road in the middle of the night?

Complain OP!!
 
On night events the crews are given a list of grid references an hour before they are due to start and they plot the route on a map.
I used to hate navigating and quickly switched to driving!
 
I was thinking about putting some cones at the top of the drive next time (the rally happens every year) to stop any wrong turns from happening again. I should probably let the organisers know that the car did get lost, possibly they can make some changes to stop it from happening again.

MJR2BT - it was quite shocking just how loud the car was. I used to go to Silverstone, so I'm not totally ignorant about race cars (although not knowledgeable about rallying ;) ) but being woken up suddenly by one careering past your house isn't fun. Were your cats OK?
 
Back in my teens there was a treacherous corner on the country road above the field where I kept my pony. This was in the days before speed cameras and several time some plonker took the corner too fast and ended up in the field with the horses. Luckily none ever got hit and the owners would come out and repair the fence quickly/call an ambulance. So you'd turn up to find the horses grazing around a trashed car.

They spent a fortune straightening the road in the end.

Paula
 
Tell the organisers op.
The last thing motor clubs want is to annoy people to the point where they lose sections of roads because people object to rallys going past their property. The organisers will note it and caution your lane for future events.
 
So you'd turn up to find the horses grazing around a trashed car.
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Oh dear.

I'm definitely putting cones at the top of the driveway next time. A job that will take all of two minutes, but could prevent an accident. :)
 
Missmac said:
Tell the organisers op.
The last thing motor clubs want is to annoy people to the point where they lose sections of roads because people object to rallys going past their property. The organisers will note it and caution your lane for future events.
Click to expand...

I'll let them know. The car was very lost though to end up going down the drive. I don't have a problem with the rally, I just don't want a repeat of last night. The thing is, once you go through the ford, it's a blind, uphill corner and then suddenly there is the gate. It's all easy when I'm going nice and slow in the tractor and I know that the gate is there, but the car driver didn't and really did have to emergency stop to not hit it.
 
Lol at the shotgun.

Cones ant the end and halfway down your lane might be a good idea. I love rallying but i cant say i would like one hooning round my yard!

A friend of mine sent his driver into a field instead of down a lane once. They (and 2 other crews that saw the lights and followed them in - doh) spent 15 mins driving round looking for the right gate to get out of the field!
Luckily it was summer so not muddy and the landowner was competing that night and saw the funny side!
 
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