National journalist left in the lurch by media colleague

Olly Marshall, team boss of ProSpeed Motorsport and a former top-level rally driver, has had to step in at the last moment to rescue journalist Tom Cary’s rally challenge. Marshall has been forced to take the wheel, with Cary navigating, after usual driver, Sky Sports’ Tony Jardine, was forced to pull out of next weekend’s UTS Cheviot Stages (25 October).

Cary,  the  F1  correspondent  of  The  Daily  Telegraph,  is  at a critical point of his challenge to qualify as an international rally co-driver, allowing him to take part in two top-flight international events.   November’s   Rally   Scotland,   part   of   the   Intercontinental   Rally   Challenge,   and February’s WRC Swedish Rally are Cary’s goals. The novice, who only picked up pace notes for the first time in July, has to finish two more rallies under supervision to gain the valuable upgrade signatures to his national licence.

Whilst  Cary  was  sympathetic  to  Jardine’s  call  to  appear  live  for  Sky,  he  felt  the  campaign faltering until Marshall reluctantly stepped in. Cary said, “We have just two events left on the schedule that we must finish if I am to qualify, so naturally I felt left in the lurch until Olly kindly stepped  in,  albeit  after  a  great  deal  of  pressure  from  within  the  Castrol  team.  Time  is  tight. There  is  a  lot  of  pressure,  not just to learn the ropes in a short amount of time, but also to reach the finish of each event. Otherwise I don’t qualify.”

Cary gave an example of just how easy it is for the programme to go off the rails, “While I was away on F1 work in Japan, Tony competed in the Colin McRae Stages with the editor of Motor Sport magazine and promptly had a big crash tearing the suspension off our Castrol Fiesta, leaving a lot of chassis straightening work for the ProSpeed team. That could have been one of my qualifying events and would have left us in trouble. So I hope Olly will not go mad on the Cheviot Stages, he hasn’t driven a rally car in anger for a long time.”

The UTS Cheviot Keith Knox Stages is a round of the MSA Tarmac Championship held on ultra-fast, narrow, sealed surfaces on military ranges in Otterburn in the North East. With blind, flat-out crests and many deceptive bends to catch drivers out, there have been some bruising and spectacular accidents over the years. So much so that no spectators are allowed near any of the jumps and are restricted to viewing in just one area.

Tyre supplier to the team and Kumho Tyres chief, Steve Thompson, has been in touch with ProSpeed  boss  Olly  Marshall  who  was  contracted  to  Kumho  during  his  own rally  career,  to wish him luck. Thompson said, “I think he is a bit nervous, but we talked of the special tarmac tyre requirements for the Cheviot and have dispatched our latest slick and wet weather tyres to reassure him we will be right underneath him and Tom!”

Olly  Marshall  has  not  competed  in  a  rally  car  since  2005  as  he  has  been  concentrating  on building  up  his  PoSpeed  rally  preparation  business.  However,  he  has  reluctantly  agreed  to make a return to the cockpit, “It has been very much last minute, but Tony and our on-event technician  Andy  Beale  from  McLaren,  felt  I had no option but to step in and make sure the Daily  Telegraph  campaign  stayed  on  track  for  Tom’s  sake.  Although  I  am  very  rusty  and somewhat nervous, I have assured Tom that I will do my best to at least keep the car on track.”

Jardine will be working in Sky Sports studios in London during the early hours of Saturday and Sunday  morning  (24-25 October)  covering  the  first  round  of  the  latest  A1GP  World  Cup  of Motorsport taking place at the Gold Coast in Australia. As soon as the transmission ends he intends to race up north to support the team. “I hope to be out of Sky’s studios by early on the Sunday and should arrive in time to support the team and check on progress by lunchtime. Olly and Tom have 100 miles of very fast, deceptive stages to cover, but this will be a cracking test of Tom’s pace note delivery to a former top driver. Hopefully it will provide proof that Olly has not lost his touch behind the wheel.”

Good news, we have prices and specs for the roof rack: 

ProSpeed Off Road Discovery 3 Expedition Roof Rack: 

Dimensions: 220cm long x 120cm wide 
Weight: 21kgs 
Load capacity: 200kgs 
Material: Specialist roll cage, alloyed steel, with high modulus composite front panel 
Construction: TIG welded and CNC bent 
Standard finish: Black powder coat (other finishes available on request) 


The rack will be available in two different guises. One which is for vehicles without a sunroof as below: 
 

The other is available for vehicles with a sunroof. This will retain all the useable area of the standard rack, but will allow you enough clearance to open and close the sunroof. The front section is angled to allow the clearance, as below: 
 

We have also ensured there is enough clearance at the rear for the PTI fin. 


Accessories available: 

Front floor section in high strength, lightweight composite, and a rear section in the same. 

Cross bars for the top rail, which bolt on for mounting roof tents etc. 

Prices: 

Expedition roof rack (no sunroof) - part number: 220481 - £659 inc. VAT 
Expedition roof rack (with sunroof) - part number: 220482 - £659 inc. VAT 
Rear composite floor - part number: 220483 - £65 inc. VAT 
Front composite floor (does NOT fit sunroof version) - part number: 220484 - £35 inc. VAT 
Cross bars (powder coated black) - part number: 220485 - £110 inc. VAT 

The rack comes with everything required to mount it, including 6 x ring / eyelet bolts for strapping. 

The first set of rack frames are going into production in the next few days, and the new composite fronts will be ready soon after. The floors will be ready before the end of the year. 

 

As an FIA and MSA approved Roll Cage manufacturer and fitter, we know how complicated (and expensive) it can be to design and homologate a roll cage. It's not something that is viable for a one off cage. Even designing an international cage to the minimum spec is a bit of a tall order if there is only one to make. Or is it?

With our technology, an international spec one off cage is a reality. Even homologation can be viable.

By measuring the shell using our 3D Faro arm, and designing the cage direct into our CAD package (Solidworks) using the same arm, we can very accurately and efficiently conclude the final design for the cage.

From there, in line with FIA regulations, we can test the strength of the cage and make sure it complies to the stringent requirements for use in world motorsport. This means we can be sure we design the safest, lightest cage possible for the application required.

That's only half the story though. All this 'data' has to be converted into an actual cage. This is where exporting meaningful data to an accurate machine becomes key. There is no point in having a shell hugging, micron accurate design, if you cannot manufacture it efficiently and accurately into a cage which actually hugs the shell, or even fits in it. With our Baileigh Industrial tube bender, we can take the correct data out of the CAD package, and get a perfect fit first time. It also allows us a level of repeatability and dependability to put the cage into production if required.

Recently we have put all this technology into producing a full international spec cage for a Mitsubishi Evo 3. Working in conjunction with our approved fitting partner Lancaster Rally Services, we are really happy with the results. A modern, light, safe cage which will hopefully make the owner of what will be a unique and first-class Evo 3 rally car, a happy man.

Crash claims media team on Colin McRae Forest Stages

The  Castrol  /  ProSpeed  team  succumbed  to  wet  and  treacherous  conditions  on  the  hills around Perth when Sky Sports presenter Tony Jardine and his guest co-driver, Motor Sport Magazine editor Damien Smith, smashed into the rocks on the notorious Errochty test during the Colin McRae Forest Stages Rally (Saturday 3 October).

Smith was competing on the event in order to settle unfinished business, having retired on his rally  debut  with  Jardine  on  the  Swansea  Bay  Rally  a  year  earlier.  The  lure  of  the  famous McRae name drew him to make his return in Scotland.

On a rally in which even newly-crowned Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC) Champion Kris Meeke failed to finish, and a crew had to be cut out of their Vauxhall Nova on the first stage of the day, Jardine and Smith were frustrated by disruptions and ever-changing conditions.

Smith said, “After a difficult start to our rally we began to settle down to a good pace on the second stage, Drummond Hill, only for a red flag caused by a rolled Escort Mk II to stop us in our  tracks.  We got back into a rhythm on the next stage only for a fast left-hander to catch Tony out. It was disappointing not to make the finish but once again the ProSpeed team have given me an experience I will never forget.”

Jardine said, “The Colin McRae Stages was a very challenging event, just as the great man himself  would  have  wished.  Damien  had  his  hands  full  trying  to  navigate  and  call  the  pace notes as the scenery and surface changed so rapidly in the pouring rain and team technician Andy Beale had to lower the pressures on our Kumho tyres to give us better grip in the mud.

“During  the  weekend  we  even  got  into  trouble  with  the  law  at  one  point  after  a  couple  of navigational misdemeanours caused us to be escorted back to the service area by two police motorcycle patrol men! I reckon Damien was relieved when we crashed out as his purgatory was over!”

ProSpeed  boss  Olly  Marshall  said  after  the  long  rescue  operation  to  retrieve  the  stricken Castrol Fiesta from the remote Scottish hills late on Saturday night, “Tony doesn’t often crash. He and Damien had finally got into their stride after all the disruptions and they were pushing a bit too hard, as often happens in rallying. We were relieved that they were both uninjured, and the car will live to fight another day.”

The Castrol / ProSpeed team will be back in action on the Cheviot Rally when Tom Cary, from the Daily Telegraph, resumes his co-driving duties in two weeks time.

Motor Sport Magazine editor to settle unfinished business on legendary Colin McRae Forest Stages Rally

Sky motorsports presenter Tony Jardine will return to his Scottish family roots this weekend (Saturday 3 October) as he makes his debut on the legendary Colin McRae Forest Stages Rally near Perth in Scotland. The event is supported by the famous rally family of the late World Rally Champion Colin McRae and his multi-rally Champion father Jimmy McRae, who is set to advise Jardine and the ProSpeed team on the challenging stages.

Motor Sport Magazine editor Damien Smith will be navigating on only his second ever rally, both times co-driving for Jardine. Smith will be replacing the Daily Telegraph’s F1 correspondent, Tom Cary, who is currently on Grand Prix duty in Japan before resuming his campaign with the Castrol / ProSpeed team to become a fully fledged international co-driver for Rally Scotland in November, the final round of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC).

Substitute Smith proved to be the most nervous journalist navigator the team had encountered, prior to his first event last year. However, as soon as the Swansea Bay Rally 2008 got underway, the Motor Sport editor performed well from the navigator’s seat, helping the Kumho shod car to second in class until a shock mechanical retirement.

Smith commented on his debut last year, “I have to admit I was worried and I couldn’t sleep the night before, but when we started I was OK. I had calmed my nerves and we were flying, challenging for the class lead when we ground to a halt with transmission problems. The Colin McRae Stages is not just a chance to meet and interview five times British Champion Jimmy McRae, this is also about unfinished business. I want a podium finish!”

For Jardine, this event will draw him back to his family roots and relatives still living in the Dumfries area. Jardine said, “I have always wanted to compete on this event, now more so because of my memories of Colin McRae who I worked with in his early Subaru years. His father Jimmy has always been helpful with my own rally career and has kindly invited me to join the Colin McRae Forest Stages rally forum panel on the Friday night before the rally. It will be a privilege to take part this weekend.”

In addition, there is another important reason why the Castrol / ProSpeed team are to compete in this event, as ProSpeed boss Olly Marshall explains, “Whilst it’s great to welcome Damien back to the hot seat alongside Tony, he also has an important job to do for his fellow journalist Tom Cary for when he returns to the team. Some of the stages on this rally form the basis of Rally Scotland in November, a number of which haven’t been used for twenty years! It is vital for Damien to make accurate notes and gather as much information as possible for Tom, who will need all the help he can get when he makes his international debut. The Rally Scotlandstages are pretty daunting and some will be held in the dark.

“We are looking forward to receiving advice from Jimmy McRae, as he knows the contours of these stages like the back of his hand.”

Second in class for media duo Jardine and Cary on Woodpecker Stages Rally

With a weekend off from the Formula One paddock, Tom Cary, F1 correspondent for the Daily Telegraph newspaper, embarked on his second ever national rally as co-driver to broadcaster Tony Jardine. Ludlow provided the backdrop for the Woodpecker Stages Rally (5 September), where Jardine and Cary finished second in class N3 in their Castrol-backed Ford Fiesta ST.

Jardine challenged Cary this year to obtain his international navigators’ licence, with the aim of entering Rally Scotland, the final round of the highly-popular Intercontinental Rally Challenge(IRC), which is currently led by British driver Kris Meeke. If they are successful in Perthshire, the ultimate goal is then to compete in next February’s World Rally Championship event in the icy wastelands of Sweden.

Having  now  secured  three  signatures  on  his  licence,  but  requiring  a  total  of  five  to  reach international status, Cary still has a great deal of hard work ahead of him. However, the team’s result of 45th overall on the Woodpecker takes him one step closer to taking part at IRC level.

Cary  said,  "It’s  been  great  this  weekend,  we  hit  the  ground  running.  I  had  forgotten  a  few things  as  it’s  been  a  while  since  the  Swansea  Bay  Rally  but  it  all  came  back  fairly  quickly. There were a couple of big accidents on the second stage which was a bit nerve-wracking and we went past an upside down car, but Tony did very well. Also, I was a little late on some of the pace note calls but the timing is coming back and I’m generally feeling more confident. I have  learnt  here  that  the  first  rule  of  being  a  co-driver  is  to  remember  your  watch,  and  I managed to forget that - I was very kindly loaned one!”

Despite  problems  engaging  fourth  gear  for  most  of  the  rally,  Jardine  was  pleased  with  the ProSpeed prepared Ford Fiesta and its performance on Kumho tyres. Jardine said, “We were hampered by a reluctant fourth gear throughout the event which cost us some time and the brakes also overheated this morning, so they had to be bled. However, we soared in the later stages as Tom’s confidence increased. His competitive edge is now starting to show through which is why we achieved such a great result together. As always, it was a pleasure to work with the ProSpeed team as they are such a professional outfit and the Fiesta kept going and got us to the finish.”

Although Jardine often takes part in rallies and has over thirty years of rallying experience, the motorsport pundit also enjoys circuit racing and especially the prestigious annual Goodwood Revival meeting. Jardine will be taking part in this year’s event on 18-20 September, driving a Mini Cooper S and a race-prepared Ferrari 250 Lusso

We're here, and it's full steam ahead. Welcome to the new ProSpeed Elite website, we hope you like it. We're proud as punch of the new site, and hope you find it as informative and interesting as we do. We want to be your best resource for everything to do with your prestige vehicle. Be it servicing, upgrades, or just enjoying the car you have to the full, we can cater for your needs. And remember, keep coming back to this blog for regular updates, info, news, and insight into the world of prestige motoring!

 

 

What is it that everyone hates about roof racks? Taking them on and off all the time. And why do we all end up doing that? Because when your not using them to lug loads around they have no benefit, and lots of drawbacks. They whistle, generate wind noise, reduce fuel consumption, and affect performance. We wanted to build an ultra low profile roof rack which complements the style of the Discovery 3, offers all the practicality of a full length expedition rack, but can stay on the car all the time. Something which was lightweight but with high load capacity, and was silent and unobtrusive. And I think we've done it!

We started by digitally scanning the roof of the Discovery 3 into our CAD package. From this we could design the exact shape we wanted for the rack, check its final weight, and even load it up to make sure it was strong enough, all on the computer. Having tailored the design, we could set about building. Using specalist roll cage tubing allowed us to make the roof rack very strong but light, and with our Baileigh RDB-250 tube bender and R-M55 roll bender, we could guarantee the level of accuracy we required for the build.

At under 23kgs without a floor, and under 35kgs with an aluminium floor this is one of the lighest full length racks available for the Discovery 3. Yet with a capacity of over 200kgs, it is a true heavyweight. We have designed the rack to sit as close to the roof line as possible, and follow every curve, allowing us to make the most streamlined roof rack yet. The front is shaped as a wind deflector making sure that fuel consumption and performance are hardly affected, and the rack is almost silent at motorway cruising speeds.

Over the next few weeks we will be putting the rack to the test, making sure it is ready to recieve our Lifetime Warranty, and soon it will be available to buy.

Keep a look out for this and other Discovery 3 accessories like suspension lifts, sill guards and raised air intakes. All designed to be functional yet discreet, coming soon.