The Team In Action

Stages: 10 – Starters: 60 – Finishers: 48

When Mark II Motorsport secured a new charger for the 2011 season in the shape of a full works spec Escort Cosworth GpA boasting a WRC specification engine, it looked like a shrewd move enabling the team to be more competitive at the highest level. However, literally on the way to its maiden event, the Hyundai Rally of the Midlands, the car suffered engine failure turning the teams’ season on its head.

Driver Mark Welch explains. “This particular Cosworth has a fine pedigree. Built by Dennis Osborne at DOME originally for Eian Pritchard, the car was a no holds barred machine which was further improved by one of its subsequent owners, John Cope. When we decided that our winter acquisition of a Subaru Impreza was taking the team down the wrong path, I set out to find this particular Cosworth as I knew it was the right machine for us”.

The car was located in Jersey and bought back into the UK. However it had not been well maintained and a lot of work was carried out prior to the Rally of the Midlands. For it then to have a catastrophic engine problem was a bitter and expensive pill to swallow. This was the catalyst to carry out further extensive works on the machine but by the time it lined up at Smeatharpe for the Prima Motorsport Stages, the result was a very tidy and high specification beast!

The team although a little rusty, were upbeat about their chances and were eager to compare the performance of the white Escort against the older Blue Cosworth they had run so successfully from 2007 to 2010, and the best result at this venue was a 3rd overall in 2009.

The field for the Prima Motorsport Stages consisted of some pretty quick front runners including Steve and Yvonne Furzeland in a works Impreza WRC, Martin England in a high spec Mitsubishi Evo 9, James Harvey and Dave Parnell, both in Imprezas and Mike Threfall in an Evo 10 Mitsubishi.

There were some rapid 2 wheel drive boys out too led by Jeff Bennett in his 300bhp Escort Mk2, and as the weather was set to be dry, they posted a real threat.

For this event, Welch was co driven by the original Mark II co driver, Mark Norris, and as the pair lined up for the start at car 7, expectations were high!

The first of the 10 stages was completed without drama but maybe a little cautiously as the team posted 6th fastest time. Welch was pretty pleased with the car though. “Unlike our old car, we can use the handbrake to turn through the hairpins as we have a trick centre differential which disconnects drive to the rear when the handbrake is applied – it’s awesome”.

SS2 was much more like it although the car stalled at the finish of the stage and needed a push back to services as it was too hot to fire up. This added further complications as without the water circulating through the engine, the coolant boiled over giving the whole team some anxious moments. A quick call to Dean at Geo Preparations solved the issue and the car was good to go for SS3.

By the time the event reached mid-point, Mark II had moved into 3rd place behind leader Martin England and just behind James Harvey despite a long brake pedal and driver Welch selecting the wrong anti lag turbo setting for the first 4 stages.

Furzelands had retired their Impreza world car with a misfire, and Threfall had wrong slotted his Mitsubishi and was out of the running, although Mark II was setting faster times anyway.

Stages 6, 7 and 8 were completed very cleanly and the white Cosworth cruised up to second place, setting almost identical times to England.

One or two minor faults had been identified with the car, namely the windscreen wipers were inoperative, so an anti-rain dance was being done by the team, and the tailgate jammed shut which caused some refuelling issues as the tank is in the boot of the car. Fortunately team snapper and for this event, service crew member extraordinaire Mark Sims put his yoga to good use and managed to fuel the car from the inside after climbing behind the seats!

The final 2 stages were completed without drama and the team consolidated a very satisfying second place, a mere 17 seconds back from the winner, Martin England. James Harvey came in 3rd.

“To be this competitive out of the box and with an extended layoff is extremely encouraging” said Norris at the end. “Hopefully the next event, we can go one better, as long as the driver wakes up a little more quickly”!

More news soon.

would like to thank all of its sponsors as well as Bruce Taylor, Dan Mann and Barry Guess, Mark Sims of Rally Gallery for all the help and photos and finally Dean George of Geo Preparations for getting the car back together

Additional Photos : Tel T Photography.com

Mark II Motorsport Would Like To Thank Their Sponsors :-

Posted 24th October 2011