Report about competing on the 2022 Driveshaft 20/20 Rally

Saturday the 3rd of December and I was heading down the M6, M5 and M4 down to Wiltshire for The Devizes & District Motor Club organised (by Keith and Janet) DRIVESHAFT 20/20 Road Rally. It was a 20/20 Plot and Bash event (20 crews and 20 controls) which I did last year with Ross Parker in his latest Honda Civic. We did attempt the same event last year and had lots of fun but didn’t get a finish and so this was unfinished business for both of us.
Ross runs the “BONT” testing venue in Wales and some trackdays down at Castle Combe during the year too. In fact the first run he gave his Civic was at the Rally Day at Castle Combe, I popped down and we had a great day out on the circuit.
With lots of experience doing Plot and Bash events during the year we where quietly confident of a finish at least ! The club got 19 crews out with Ross and I running car 14, possible my last run as a Novice!!
An easy run down the motorway got me to Chippenham in good time a quick chat and a brew then we set off to the start venue. The Chippenham Pit Stop just to the north of the town and close to the M4 lots of food and hot drink available on a chilly night around +4c. The usual noise and car checks where done with the licences checked all with no issues. After some work done on the car and it all prepped we where ready for the fun to begin, with Ross being local at least he would know some of the lanes? He even got the new spotlights on and working too, more of the spotlights later…. We got just one sheet of A4 with Black Spots, Quiet Zones, the main controls (as re-entry points) Plus the Important Maximum Lateness times, which started at 5mins for MTC 2 upto the usual 30 minutes after TC 11. Something a little bit different to the normal, just something to make a note of for later. That didn’t take too long to plot so time for a chat with some crews who had done the Exmouth Memorial Road Rally the weekend before, more of that in another report !! With nothing else given out before our start time of 20.04 a few more brews and comfort breaks. In our rally envelope where 9 sealed envelopes for the sections, which you had to show the control marshal unopened! Plus 9 Panic envelopes which had a copy of the sections on with ONE fail per Panic envelope opened but at least you could get to the following control, if needed.
Our Time came and MTC1 was at the exit of the car park with all the crews turning left (Phew I can get that wrong then!) at the start control you got the route out, only a few miles to MTC2 and the start of the competitive sections. I got us there with time to spare (remember OTL, max lateness was only 5 mins) I believe one crew failed at the first hurdle, Oh No.
The marshal checked our envelope and counted us down, on GO your allowed to open it, pull away upto the first junction then work the route out. yes it was tulips, after a minute we where away. leaving a few crews still working it out! With Time limit at TC3 only being 10 minutes it might be close! We got there and had dropped only one minute a better start this year, bit gutted we flew passed a Code Board, always harder when you don’t have a plot for where they are. TC3 to TC4 after we had the GO started off badly as I couldn’t reach the envelopes with my belts tight, that sorted, we where lucky to find it was crossing grid lines and spot heights (in order too! more of that later as well). The first mile or so went well then disaster, the lights started getting dimmer and the Battery/Charging light came on. We pushed on for another mile limited with what we could see! Hoping it might sort itself out, Ross turned off the spots and we where down to 1980’s yellow headlights which where getting dimmer by the minute. Being so close to his house did we head home or push on? the engine was running great and so we pushed on. We did stop and check all the connections but all seemed OK. Now either the lights where getting brighter? the night was getting darker out in the sticks or the carrots we eat where kicking in. In the gloom we missed a slot and missed two more codeboards, still managing to get to the control within the the time limit. We could go OTL (Over Time Limit) at a normal TC (Time Control) but being late at a MTC (Main Time Control) and we where out! We dropped with our issues 10 minutes at TC4 ( 11 in total now) with only 15 minutes allowed upto TC5. The next envelope was kind to us again “directions leaving squares” and only a short section too we got to the control dropping a further 3 minutes (14) but within our time limit. Yesssssss.
TC5 to MTC6 was a neutral section through a small village and we got there with time to spare (time limit here was 20 minutes) and another MTC got ! The next section onto TC7 was quite easy to plot and we managed to cleaned that part. I quite like the challenge of the Plot and Bash format as every event do things slightly differently. The next section confused me and with one eye on the clock we cut this section just plotting a route to TC8 we got there early but at least back on our schedule time. with 25 minutes of lateness to play with. The next section was something I had never seen (M1TL . M2TRGW) it was another push on or good home moment, the charging light was still on but not as bright now as the headlights got brighter. We decided to push on “as you just never know” Another best guess section we dropped some time but too bad. With next bit was TC9 to MTC10, we had to get to the main control within our time limit and so time for a panic envelope. The instructions where diagrams of the junctions but Not In Order !! Arghhhhh. We got to the main control within our time limit and so that was a good call. So at the end of Time Card one , we later found out we where third novice (out of three still going).
The route had been mainly on the North West corner of OS map 173 some cracking lanes and so little traffic considering the start time of 20.00. Leaving TC8 we had been around Castle Combe circuit. Then a few miles right on the border of maps 172 and 173 in the lanes East of Bristol. The next section was Via TC11 and TC12 leading to MTC13. Opening the envelope we found a list of 40 map references NOT to go through ! and NOT in order ! , with hindsight I should have opened that Panic helper. we ended up cruising around Bath and Bradford On Avon getting to MTC13 within our time limit. The next section criss crossed 172 and 173 leading to the top half of map 183 all around Frome.
MTC 13 via TC14 lead us to TC15 time for another panic envelope as the instructions where ” Way beyond my Pay Grade” the classic (yyyy . yyy . GyYGY) if you know, then you know! The other novice crews had fun, we later found out, on this section too. At least with the route marked down we set off at a decent pace, YEAH the Battery light had gone out ? Dropping just a little time on the first half and cleaning the second half of this section, still with just our dim headlights on, we over shot a few junctions.
We opened our last envelope at TC15 with just TC16 to find and the final run into the finish control at MTC17. This made sense as it was something I had seen before, ignore anything UNDERLINED, YES. With the electrics working again we bravely put our spotlights back on again , WOW daylight …. almost.
With one eye on our timing, another eye working out if we had enough controls, another eye on the map and my final eye looking out for codeboards and slots, it does help to have four eyes, or multi task !! at 01.00. Ross was on a charge now as he/we could see with just one mile to go I called a railway bridge which was a FUN moment, the Civic has great suspension! Finally get to the finish control and petrol station in one piece and within the time too, withe the car running better than it had all night.
Keeping a very close eye on the clock on Plot and Bash events is key, with local knowledge also helping too. If you are used to the instructions it is relatively simple, if not there are a few tricks you can use. One is to drive a moderate speed and plot/find the route on The Go.
So pleased at the end to be a finisher on a challenging event, I can’t wait to have a go at next year.
Big Thanks to Ross for driving us around and keeping pushing on.
Aso to Keith and Janet for all the time and effort it takes to put an event on and of course to all The Team at Devizes & District MC for marshalling.
Roll On Next Year maybe some crews from the North might give it a go too ?