Welcome to the Guild of Motor Endurance 2008 Sportscar Challenge. This five day reliability trial for specialist sportscars will be taking place on the 15th – 19th September.
The 2008 sportscar challenge will start in Digne-les-Bains in the centre of the Provence-Alps, France. Day one will include many notorious Alpine passes, together with numerous rally stages above Monte Carlo. The first overnight stop will be just over the Italian border. Day two and the roads above San Remo, also synonymous with rallying, will be hard to escape from. Day three and the amazing Ligurian roads, so influenced by the landscape, head east into Tuscany. Day four: the route continues to find a way through the Appennines as it enters Umbria. The final day and the route south through Abruzzo towards Rome couldn’t be more fitting as a finale to this, the tenth Guild of Motor Endurance event.
Previous rallies include: 1997 Morocco, 1999 Sicily, 2001 Corsica, 2002 Florence, 2004 Morocco, 2005 Monte-Carlo, 2006 Sardinia and 2007 Santiago. Guild of Motor Endurance rallies are primarily about proving and testing the ability of specialist sportscars, but the driving force that influences the results of these events are the crews. To date 235 competitors have been successful.
The following makes of cars have competed on past events:
Westfield (winner 1997), Ginetta (winner 1998 6H), Marlin (winner 1999), Robin Hood (winner 2000), Caterham (winner 2001, 2002, 2005), SSC (winner in 2006) and Lotus (winner 2004, 2007 & 2008 6H).
AM Sports, Ariel, Austin Healey, Autotune Gemini, AZ, Banks Europa, Beauford, Birkin, Blackjack, Bond, BRA, Brightwheel, Buckland, Carver, Chesil, Dax Tojeiro, DRK, Dunsmore, Dutton, EBC, Findhorn NG, Fisher, Gardner Douglas, GCS, Gilbern, GP Spyder, Grinnall, GTM, Hawk, Jester, Liege, Lomax, MG, Martin & Walker, Marcos, Malone, Moss, Matra, Nelson, Onyx, Pilgrim, Porsche, Quantum, Ram, Reliant, Renault Spyder, Racecorp, Smart Roadster, Spartan, Stuart Taylor, Suffolk, Sylva, Teal, Tiger, Transformer Stratos, Trac, Triad, Triumph, TVR, Triking, Turner & Vindicator. Also specials: Barra, Bellini, Dragoon, DRM, Duckshover, Gilbert, JMB, Oldfield, RTP & Sportster.
The entry fee for the Roma-Italia 2008 Sportscar Challenge is £625 per person. This includes five nights bed, breakfast in hotels on the road to Rome.
If you are reading this and considering taking part in your sportscar, you should be aware that endurance rallying is a demanding discipline and should not be confused with an ordinary motoring tour. There is no doubt you will see more than your fill of spectacular scenery, but reaching controls on schedule is quite a task. What is needed to be successful on this type of event is a reliable car that handles well, a good driver, and someone sitting next to you who can stay focused so that you arrive where you are supposed to be within a given period of time. Also required for endurance is an element of determination to finish, regardless. Competitors keep coming back and the camaraderie has much to do with it.
If you own a sportscar and would like more details, please contact:
tel: 01386 45556 (7pm-10pm) mobile 07739 173995
[email]carolbury@hotmail.co.uk[/email] [url]
http://www.guildofmotorendurance.co.uk[/url]
2008 entry list
Guild of Motor Endurance Roma-Italia 2008 Sportscar Challenge, 15-19 September
34 car entry list @ 6th September
Charles Sterling / Paul Boyd / Sylva / Striker / Mazda Rotory / 2300
Reuben Alcock / Hayley Spencer / Westfield / SE / Ford Zetec / 1800
Peter Jaggs / Andrew Jaggs / TVR / Griffith 500 / TVR / 5000
Rob Haworth / Elizabeth Haworth / Westfield / SEi w / Vauxhall / 1996
Alan Robinson / Andy Pountney / Ginetta / G27 / Ford / 1800
Steve Cherry / Denise Cherry / MG / BGT / Austin / 1950
Trevor Goodman / Shirley Goodman / Luego / Seven / Ford x/f / 1300
Peter Crowther / Stuart Logan / Marlin / Sportster / BMW / 2800
Peter Horan / Karen Horan / Lotus / Elise / Toyota / 1796
Julian Brewer / Silas Slythin / Dax / Rush / Rover V8 / 3500
Robert Bousfield / David Hardaker / TRAK / SS100 / Jaguar / 4235
Richard Hogsden / Rodney Wigglesworth / Westfield / Sport / Ford Zetec / 1600
Lesley Wilson / Muncle Sterling / Dutton / Malaga BT / Ford Pinto / 2000
Stephen Eley / Eddie Campbell / Ariel / Atom 300 / Honda s/c / 2000
Clive Dunster / Ces Agger / Lotus / Elise / Toyota / 1796
Wyn Gray / Gordon Hick / Westfield / Sei / Ford Zetec / 1997
Michael Cowen / Chris Cowen / Lotus / Elise / Rover / 1796
Juan Manau / Carlos Olmedo / Lotus / Elise S2 / Toyota / 1800
Martin Buckland / Martyn Fuller / Sylva / Phoenix / Toyota / 1587
Chris Shanahan / Tony Blunden / Caterham / Seven / Rover K / 1800
Franky Ivern / Enric Pineyro Cofre / Lotus / Exige S2 / Lotus / 1796
Francie Clarkson / Clare Owen / Caterham / Roadsport / Ford Sigma / 1600
George Brooks / Johannes van Manen / Findhorn NG / TC / Rover V8 / 3500
Nigel Brooks / Drew Leech / Findhorn / TCII / Rover V8 / 3900
Jonathon Nicholson / Christian Santos / Lotus / Elise S1 / Rover / 1796
Paul Creighton / Orla Fennin / Caterham / Super Seven / Rover K / 1400
Martyn Hayward / Andrew Coventon / Austin Healey / 3000 Mk 1 / BMC / 3000
Peter Lager / Andreas Lager / Lager / Seven replica / Yamaha / 998
James Miles / Jordan Curnow / Sportster / Seven / Cosworth turbo / 1998
Marcus Roskill / Richard Nicolson Sylva / Striker / VX / 1997
Richard Winter / Nick Pakes / Banks / Europa / Mercedes turbo / 699
Mark Brett / Dylan Harbin / NG / TC / MGB / 1798
Ian Lindsey / Mark Pickering / Sylva / Riot / Ford / 1600
Al Young / Fiona Young / Smart / Roadster / Mercedes turbo / 699
http://www.guildofmotorendurance.co.uk
Bulletin two
Roma-Italia 2008 Sportscar Challenge 15-19 September
The second recce has now been completed and the Road Book is now being prepared. The schedule for the five day 2500km route couldn’t be more intensive. By starting the rally in Digne les Bains in the heart of the Provence Alps it will mean it won’t be long before some pretty demanding rally roads are taken on.
This, the tenth Guild of Motor Endurance rally will involve the most testing first three days of anything that has gone before. The Alpine passes may have a reputation for spectacular views and challenging roads, especially above Monte Carlo, and involve some eager driving and concentrated navigation, but it won’t prepare you for what’s to come. Ligura Italy; it’s like nothing else. Only Corsican roads come close. Mountains often have few alternative ways through, Ligura really is a wondrous labyrinth, there are so many alternative routes through this most dramatic of landscapes. San Remo rally drivers, I take my hat off to them.
As the cars that take part become more well prepared and less likely to fail, the problem of poor reliability becomes less of a distraction or an influencing factor. Having a reliable car will be important. Although a less powerful more agile car may have an advantage in this years event, more than ever it will be down to the combined ability of the crew. Keeping a eye on your refuelling intervals and tying in when a fuel pump is found (example: one single pump at a Tabac shop after many miles) could well influence the outcome.
Satnav: As organisers we are not alone in having problems with this modern influence on car travel. Even switched off, when the self control of ‘not being in the spirit of the event’ can weaken when confronted by a wasted navigator and total disorientation. On some international events involving navigation, satellite navigation and the earlier GPS have been banned. This last recce, as with so many before, was carried out using just maps and looking at sign posts. Even driving to the Alps and back only needs a single map of France. Satnav is now more outside the spirit of the event than ever before. If leaving your satnav at home will take you out of your comfort zone then maybe you need to reconsider why you’re taking part. “It’s on my new mobile phone though” tough, take your old one!
Following the Six Hour 2008, again digs were made towards the unfair advantage of the production specialist sportscars. Namely the likes of the Lotus Elise and the small capacity Smart Roadster. Sighting their manufacturer’s ability to produce higher quality and better designed cars gave them an unfair advantage. An advantage over the component car industry designed hand built sportscars. Are the designs inferior? Are the materials inferior?
Lotus started where other sportscar companies are today. They have developed and refined their sportscars, but they remain just as important in what the Guild of Motor Endurance set out to achieve. Giving specialist sportscar manufacturers and owners a platform to test their designs and cars on a route, and up against a schedule, that really does test their true ability.
In the 1950’s and ’60’s the Liege-Rome-Liege became an important testing event for smaller car manufacturers. This pitted their designs against the then more established manufacturers. In beating the household names on such a difficult rally, where many of the tarmac mountain roads were only dirt tracks, they proved their cars and reaped the due accolade.
If you would like more details, or an entry form, please contact:
Carol Bury, tel: 01386 45556 (7pm-10pm) mobile 07739 173995
[email]carolbury@hotmail.com[/email] [url]www.guildofmotorendurance.co.uk[/url]
Teams
Roma-Italia 2008, 15-19 September, Teams
'The Musclemen'
Peter Crowther / Stuart Logan / Marlin / Sportster / BMW / 2800
George Brooks / Johannes van Manen / Findhorn NG / TC / Rover V8 / 3500
Peter Jaggs / Andrew Jaggs / TVR / Griffith 500 / TVR / 5000
__________________________
‘Team Se7en Up’
Reuben Alcock / Hayley Spencer / Westfield / SE / Ford Zetec / 1800
Rob Haworth / Elizabeth Haworth / Westfield / SEi w / Vauxhall / 1996
Paul Creighton / tba / Caterham / Super Seven / Rover K / 1400
___________________________
‘Team Lotus Spain’
Franky Ivern / Enric Pineyro Cofre / Lotus / Exige S2 / Lotus / 1796
Jonathon Nicholson / Christian Santos / Lotus / Elise S1 / Rover / 1796
Juan Manau / Carlos Olmedo / Lotus / Elise S2 / Toyota / 1800
________________________________
‘Jezzer’s Jokers’
Spike Buckland / Martyn Fuller / Sylva / Phoenix / Toyota / 1587
Marcus Roskill / Richard Nicolson Sylva / Striker / VX / 1997
Charles Sterling / Paul Boyd / Sylva / Striker / Mazda Rotory / 2300
__________________________
‘Team Lotus GB’
Michael Cowen / Chris Cowen / Lotus / Elise / Rover / 1796
Clive Dunster / Ces Agger / Lotus / Elise / Toyota / 1796
Peter Horan / Karen Horan / Lotus / Elise / Toyota / 1796
____________________________
‘Team Gorilla’
Francie Clarkson / Clare Owen / Caterham / Roardsport / Ford Sigma / 1600
Richard Winter / Nick Pakes / Banks / Europa / Merc turbo / 699
Chris Shanahan / Tony Blunden / Caterham / Seven / Rover K / 1800
___________________________
Navigator wanted - free entry
Navigator wanted - free entry
John Biddle who has a 2000 Ford engined Seven doesn't have a navigator for the Roma-Italia 2008, 15-19 September (start in a weeks time).
He is willing to pay the £595 navigators entry fee.
If you would like to join him on this five day, 2500kms endurance rally, his contact number is: 07715 049623. No previous experience necessary.
http://www.guildofmotorendurance.co.uk/special.htm... to see hotels