Reigning FIA two-wheel drive Production Car World Rally Champion Harry Hunt endured a frustrating Super 2000 debut on the Wyedean Rally in the Forest of Dean – only his second event in a four-wheel drive car – when a mechanical problem meant that he went over the allowed time limit in service and had to retire. Nonetheless, he completed every stage and gained plenty of useful experience.
The 23-year-old Londoner, who is embarking on a full campaign in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge 2WD Cup this year, had high hopes for the British event, where he finished 10th last year in a Group N Mitsubishi Lancer: his debut in a four-wheel drive car.
This year, he decided to try something different: a Super 2000 Ford Fiesta with four-wheel drive and a normally-aspirated two-litre engine that puts out nearly 300 horsepower, run by M-Sport. Conditions in the Forest of Dean, close to the Welsh border, were cold, snowy and icy – which was a problem for Harry on this occasion, as he had no snow tyres.
Despite a lack of traction, Harry was soon up to 11th overall. But then the problems started.
“One of the auxiliary drive belts broke which meant we lost drive to the alternator,” said Harry. “As it was on the last stage of the loop, they should have been able to change it at service. Then at service, they noticed that the power steering belt had also broken, and that needed replacing too. To change these pair of belts requires removing the power steering pump, and the team just ran out of time trying to change it in the time available.”
In the end, the team went over the permitted time in service and were not classified as finishers, but the weather conditions meant that Harry was facing an uphill struggle on the first round of the BTRDA Championship anyway.
“Conditions were really, really hard,” he said. “The cars in front polished the surface so the snow turned to sheer ice. We had no grip and only gravel tyres, which just didn't have the grip offered by the soft compound winter tyres which some of the cars had available. The maximum torque is at the top of the rev range and we just couldn't get any weight onto the tyres, so we struggled.”
Despite the adverse circumstances, Harry really enjoyed the experience of trying out a Super 2000 car for the first time: a significant step up from the two-wheel drive Citroen DS3 R3 that he normally drives.
“The Fiesta S2000 was really good, but we were learning the car and pace notes for this event,” said Harry, co-driven as always by Robbie Durant. “It's a bit frustrating about the conditions on the road as we couldn't use the car to its full potential but that is just the nature of rallying sometimes. I'd love to try out the Fiesta S2000 again, if the opportunity arises then I'll jump at the chance!”
Harry now turns his attention to the first round of the Eurosport-backed IRC series: the Sata Rally Acores from 23-25 February.
People at home can keep up with Harry’s exploits through his regularly updated Twitter feed (twitter.com/HarryHunt) and his Facebook page, Harry Hunt Motorsport. For more information on the Intercontinental Rally Challenge, please visit www.ircseries.com.
Similar Posts:
- Edwards gets to grips with ice at Wyedean Rally
- Bird Delighted with Wyedean Second Place
- Callum Black Wyedean Rally 2010
