Road - A Day Off

A day off ... but there were still cars involved. Lanarkshire Classic Car Club had a wee show at Auchlochan just outside Lesmahagow today. And what a grand day it was with sun glinting on polished chrome amidst the well kept greenery and flower beds at the retirement village. And the artisan coffee with freshly made do'nuts, which were still warm to the taste, offered a rather more genteel culinary option than the usual rally fayre of chips'n'cheese with curry sauce or double decker square sausage on rolls with broon sauce!

 

Rally - Toyota & Hydrogen

Almost overlooked by the WRC 'heavyweights' doing battle in Belgium last week was the debut of a rather unique rally car, although not in competition - yet!

 

Toyota President Akio Toyoda drove the GR Yaris H₂  in a demonstration run during Rally Belgium. This was the first time Toyota had shown an under-development hydrogen-engine vehicle on public roads outside Japan.

 

Joining President Toyoda as co-driver was Finnish rallying legend Juha Kankkunen, who won his fourth WRC title with Toyota in 1993.  The GR Yaris H₂ served as a test car on Special Stage 11 running ahead of the safety car along the nine mile stage.

 

After the run he said: “I am grateful to Juha for his courtesy in allowing me to drive. He guided me in sync with my driving, making me feel comfortable. The roads were tough - not only slippery but also narrow, and their surfaces seemed to change from moment to moment. They were like the roads used in Rally Japan, and it was a good chance to think about races with spectators in mind. We also had a (Toyota) Mirai (fuel cell electric vehicle) at the venue demonstrating external power supply, and I believe that, together with driving using a hydrogen engine, we were able to highlight in Europe the potential of hydrogen as an option for achieving carbon neutrality.”

 

His co-pilot Kankkunen added: “Akio’s driving was great. And the hydrogen engine put out solid torque, making it no different from a gasoline engine. Because they emit zero CO₂, I believe hydrogen engines will become one of the options for achieving carbon neutrality not only in the world of motorsports but also in the world of everyday cars.”

 

This debut marked another yet another step forward in Toyota's motor sport alternative fuels development programme which is working towards wider applications in general everyday motoring.

 

Currently in Japan, Toyota has entered cars using three different fuel types in the 2022 ENEOS Super Taikyu motor racing series. 

 

The ORC Rookie team is running the Toyota Corolla H2 Concept, which uses a hydrogen combustion engine, and a new Toyota GR86 CNF (carbon neutral fuel) concept in all seven championship rounds. From the next round in the series, a 24-hour race at Fuji Speedway in June, TOM’S SPIRIT will join the grid with a GR86 using a racing petrol engine for further CNF development purposes. 

 

On a personal note, it is somewhat reassuring to know that somebody is looking out for the future of rallying in spite of the deafening silence from Paris and Bicester!

Rally - Grampian Classes roundup

Hot stuff on the Grampian ... this was a frozen pizza when David put in on the bonnet of the BMW after its head gasket failure! 

But there's more to Scottish rallying than pizzas. What about the banana sweets and jelly babies? 

Full Class roundup from the Voyonic Grampian Forest Rally here, all you need to know - and some you didn't need to know ...

http://www.jaggybunnet.co.uk/2022/08/24-aug-grampian-classes-c1-m6/

http://www.jaggybunnet.co.uk/2022/08/24-aug-grampian-classes-m7-brc4/

Rally - Personal transport

Many folk expressed interest in John Wink's 'personal transport' at the Deeside Service Park on the recent Voyonic Grampian Rally. The vehicle in question is a Daihatsu compact utility vehicle powered by a 660cc engine. It is owned by one of John's sponsors Dyce Carriers and used around the transport yard for ferrying small heavy stuff, but on the weekend of the rally it was driven out to Crathes by Tyla the son of the owners of Dyce Carriers.

Aside from an apprenticeship at the family haulage and logistics business Tyla is undertaking a course at the National College of Motorsport hence the desire to visit the rally.

Fortunately, Mr Wink wasn't in destructive mode at the weekend although the Hyundai still needed regular fettling. Unfortunately, the Service Crew Chief is one Ken Wood Esq, one of the hardest task masters in the business! It's no wonder that Tyla needed a rest between visits from the rally car - Yup, that's him having a wee lie-down on the groundsheet while the rest of the team keep on eye on progress via Flying Finish.

Tyla says the Daihatsu can hit 70 mph - on an unrestricted road of course! However the fitment of a full set of rally lamps begs the question, does Tyla fancy a bit of rallying himself? Just one ever so tiny wee problem with that, the Daihatsu is a single seater. Still I suppose they could use some tie-downs on an old armchair and strap it down to the pickup bed and just plonk Neil Shanks and his Route Notes in there with a loud hailer to call the bends.

 

Rally - Kames today 2

 ... see previous post ... anything the auld gits can do, the youngsters can do better in their 1 litre hot rods. Ssssmokin' ....

 

Rally - Kames today

There CAN be smoke without fire - although it did taint the air with the lingering aroma of hot steel and the whiff of scorched friction material ...