Dramatic 2000
Shootout Final

Walkers Integrale Finishes
In Top Three!

Saturday 2nd 2000 September will go down in RallySprint history as spectators and team members were treated to the most action packed Shootout ever!

Loctite Shootout Action

The long awaited Loctite National Rallysprint Shootout was billed as the climax of this years activity at Silverstone's Roger Clark circuit, and it certainly lived up to expectation.

The fastest eight drivers throughout the season qualified for the draw, which saw Steve Petch take on Steve Hill;  Alun Evans v Steve Smith;  Martin Spurrell v Steve Scott, and Chris Mellors clash against Roger Duckworth.

The first quarter final saw an incredible turn round in luck for Steve Hill, who took victory over Steve Petch thanks to the generosity of spectator Aj Mahmood.  Earlier in the day Steve had suffered transmission failure, which resulted in a desperate plea for help over the P.A. system for anyone with an Evo3 and a big heart!  Aj bravely stepped forward, only to witness Steve's mechanics rip his axle apart and remove several vital components!

Next on the line was Walker's Steve Smith who took on Alun Evans in his Ford RS Escort.  Here again we saw a 'Steve' benefit from another act of unselfishness, this time it was John Richarson (Manager of Walker's Tecno2 high performance parts department) who graciously consented to his wife Kate accompanying Steve in the ex-works Delta!  The combined expertise of the car's occupants took them through to the semi-finals.

In the third round Martin Spurrell succumbed to Steve Scott in the brand new WRC Escort, making it three Steve's in the semi-finals, a commentator's nightmare.  In contrast Chris Mellors had a trouble free qualification when Roger Duckworth failed to get his stricken Impreza to the line, despite the gallant efforts of his men to repair a wayward gearbox.

The first semi-final found the two Steve's - Hill and Smith - locked in combat.  The Walker's duo fought to the end to beat the mighty Lancer, but it was Steve Hill who came home in front (and in one piece - much to the relief of Aj).  Chris Mellors was to prove untouchable in the second round as he powered the WRC Escort into a place in the finals.

And so we had another 'all Steve' affair to determine who would take home the honour of coming third and a cheque for £2000.  When the lights changed it was the power and reliability of the Integrale that proved too much for the WRC Escort, with Steve and Kate taking the applause at the chequered flag.

With so many cars showing the strain of competing at this level, nobody dared to imagine that the grand final could possibly top what had gone already.  As the cars of Hill and Mellors came up to the start line, the organisers must have been praying that both contestants would get round intact, unlike the Subaru of Mike Rimmer that had sadly rolled from the outside track to the inner lane, earlier in the day.  Happily both Mike and his co-driver Paul Marshall climbed out unhurt - just as well since Paul is the Marketing Manager of the championship sponsors - Loctite!!!

When the lights did change it was desperately close, right up until the final corner when Chris Mellors clipped the inner tyre wall, throwing the Escort up on two wheels and tearing out a trackrod.  This left the hapless Mellors with no steering, and no way of avoiding an embarrassing slide into the barrier smack in front of his sponsor's marquee!

Thus it was Steve Hill who took the grand final, courtesy of Aj's vital components.  Steve (The Wolf) Hill graciously acknowledged that had he needed to continue at full speed during the subsequent round he would have doubtless succumbed to the Escort, for by that time the gearbox on the Mitsubishi had had enough!  Good timing indeed.

Steve Smith, Steve Hill and Chris Mellors
take home the silverware.

Smith Caught Taking Hooker For A Ride!

We now have photographic evidence of this incident which took place during the morning practice runs.  We promised to publish the gory details - and here they are...

Here we see Smith and the Hooker (masquerading as a course marshal) being strapped into the ex-works Delta Integrale (bondage as well!).

The couple are caught in a desperate attempt to flee from waiting photographers.  The press had been tipped off that something could well take place;  an insider let it be known that for the first time this year, Steve's wife would not be accompanying him to the event!

When questioned later, the young lady involved put forward the bizarre excuse that the term 'hooker' is used to describe the course marshal whose job it is to attach the recovery towing hook to stricken vehicles abandoned gravel traps.  We leave you to make up your own mind...

So, did the earth move for you?

But that wasn't the only unique experience of the day for Steve, for he was duly accompanied by David Addison - one of the resident Silverstone commentators.  So instead of the usual technical comments that flow from a co-driver's lips, Steve was treated to a running commentary around the entire circuit as David fought against the effects of gravity and centrifugal force to deliver his real-time impressions to the amassed crowd.

Website reporter gets in on the act!

A huge thank you to Rob Taffs of Rampage for taking yours truly around the Roger Clark circuit in his hired Evo 6, in which he finished a very creditable third place in the Group N run offs.  It only took Rob 100 yards to hammer home the mind blowing improvements in power and traction that have taken place since my last outing behind the wheel of a Mk1 Cortina...  I only hope I get the opportunity to inflict the same fate on his underwear in the near future!

Thanks also to the fun loving and extremely attractive young lady from Loctite who arranged for this act of terror to be inflicted!

Thank you Loctite.

Boys and their toys!