Article in the Subaru Impreza Drivers Club Magazine

Saturday 5th July 2008

I made my reservation with ACF Hospitality of Bristol, this company have proven to be extremely professsional and very accommodating and well recommended for their delivery of a very exciting and adrealin pumping experience.

Being an "Old" Rally Man I entered this day full of trepidation and fear of making a total prat of myself  "no change there then" the day started with a professional briefing of what was to come "more fear sets in" especially as the organisers now know I supposedly have done this before.

First Experience: Is to take place in a field getting used to the techniques of power sliding, braking and employing the Scandinavian Flick, the cars are MK2 Escorts, and joy of joys after the firts few laps, it all starts to come back, easier than riding a bike (said my instructor) a couple of spins later I am given an Escort with all the trick bits fitted, and what a difference,I could have played all day in the field with teh second car, however the programme moves into the forest for real.

Second Experience: The instructiors Pete and Dave are very brave and above all else very informative with their encouragement and advice, with the kill switch at the ready Dave invites me to climb aboard the hot Escort for my first run in the woods, car in gear brain out, power on we launch into the Special Stage , 60/70 mph through the trees with expert tuition giving me more confidence, we fly through the stage with more tail wagging than the proverial dog, after two laps of the this very tight and twisty stage we reach the finish to be congratulated by my co driver Dave stating that was a good drive ! I think he was just glad to emerge undamaged. Adrenalin level 100%.

 Third Experience:-Pete sits patiently in the Sierra Cosworth whilst the belts are adjusted to accommodate my excessive body mass and then asks if I am ready? He explains that this is a 280BHP Turbo Charged machine and I have never driven a turbo powered car on the loose before, however full of confidence from the Escort I launch into the stage, having driven round the stage once already at least you know where you are going! However the power of this rear wheel driven machine is exciting to say the least, and when the turbo comes in you have a great big handful of writhing, bucking and bouncing car to negotiate around the trees, easy said, and the professionals make it look easy! It bl**dy well is not, suffice to say a made a complete dogs breakfast of the first lap, and Pete employed the kill switch a couple of times, however his patient instruction and dedication made for a minimal improvement on lap two, but driving turbo cars on the loose at speed is not for the faint hearted or heavy footed, as spinning wheels do not make for fast progress, the stage exit came all too quickly for me, and Pete making recommendations should I ever try a turbo car again. However I would dearly have loved to go again in the Escort! “The old ones are the best I always say”.

The Ride of your Life:-The climax of the day is to ride the stage alongside Chris in the Subaru Impreza, showing you how the Professionals do it!, Belted in securely Chris powers into the Special stage at speeds you think are impossible around the same stage you have attempted, so you know what is to come “wrong” at this speed it seems much shorter, bumpier, and tighter, and on the second lap Chris throws the car into a very tight left hander which is new, and suddenly, you are running blind on parts of the stage you do not recognise, and at speeds hard to imagine, ultimately completing the stage several feet above the ground due to the extreme speed being deployed, “Awesome and more” once out of the stage you are presented with a certificate to say you have experienced the ACF Rally Driving Experience.

In short:-What a day! Well recommended, exiting, exhilarating, adrenalin pumping petrol heads day of ecstasy, thanks to the organisers at ACF, the Instructors Pete, Dave and Chris, but most of all thanks to the Essex Scooby Crew and the Subaru Impreza Drivers Club, I just wish I could afford one! However if I could, it would be down in the woods, and not for a Teddy Bears Picnic, however that is another story! 

With thanks and unending gratitude, to all my friends in the Essex Scooby Crew.
 
Dave Bullen