A flying Start!

Hi everyone,
I know I always start by apologising it's been so long since my last blog, but I really mean it this time, it's been very hectic! So, happy new year to you all, and I'll now fill you in on my season so far.
Between Christmas and New Year, things started to really pick up momentum towards our first full season in the SWRC. We decided to run with our own team, ran by Tom Gahan Motorsport, and use our very trusty Ford Fiesta S2000. Monte Carlo, or "The Monte" as it's well known, didn't give us much time to prepare, with the car leaving the first week in January, and by the 11th of January, I was in Valence and began testing. It was nice to be back on asphalt again, and even better to be back in the S2000 car. After ringing the neck of the R2 car all last year, it was a welcome change with some power! Testing went really well, and the road we had was brilliant, perfect for the event ahead. A long trek down to Monaco on Friday lay ahead in the recce car, a long long long way. I drew the short straw and drove the trip in its entirety, as Gareth sat quietly, giggling away to himself every few minutes as he watched Step Brothers on my iPad, lucky fecker! Anyway, on reaching Monaco we embarked on three hard days of recce, starting with the famous Col de Turini stage, and working our way all the way back up to Valence, just in time to start shakedown the next day. Shakedown went well, just a settling in session really, and no big dramas. By then it was Tuesday, and closing in on a full week in France without driving a competitive section, endurance rallying at its best. Ceremonial start over, we headed to bed.
With only 3 SWRC competitors choosing to go to Monte, a safe strategy for the event was key. As predicted, Proton works driver PG Andersson was the pace setter from the beginning, with his team mate Giandomenico Basso crashing out on stage one, it was a signal to be clever. PG was on his 4th Monte, and with an event requiring so much experience, I was not flustered by has pace or speed. With that in mind, we decided to stay at our own pace, not coasting by any terms, but defiantly no risks at all. We made a couple of wrong tyre choices on the ice and snow conditions that greeted us on the second stage, and a puncture, but with the chance to score second place points, I just wanted to finish. We ended the day in 15th O/A, and obviously, 2nd in SWRC. Day two was the same plan and attitude, and with no snow or ice forcast, the task was a little easier. We suffered two punctures, one on my favourite stage St Bonnet, and a further one on the last stage of the day, but still there, ready and waiting! Day three was a relatively short day, with only three stages, but with the monster drive from Valence to Monaco in the mix, it was a very long day. First stage of the day was very tricky, with bad black ice in places. Only for Andrew Purcell and Karl Atkinson doing such a good job with the ice notes, things would have been messy. The last 5km of the second stage of the day was hell. Pure thick sheet ice and slush, and with only winter tyres with no studs to get us through, we had to drive at snails pace. It was the same for everyone however, and being sensible paid off. There was times when the spectators walking at the side of the road were quicker, but I could do no more! After these two stages and a service, we embarked on our trek to Monaco. We travelled 180km, and entered the third stage of the day. It was a really nice stage, with a perfect abrasive surface. Wanting to prove that I could still have the speed, I went for a bit of a push. All was going well up until 7Km from the end, when I clipped a rock and punctured a front left tyre, ruining any chances of a good time, typical! Anyway, with two crepes each, bought out of a sweaty stall at the end of the stage, we continued another 200km to Monaco.
Day four, and the most famous stages in the world awaited. It was a late start, with the first stage not starting until 15:00, 24 hours after the last stage started the previous day. The plan was still the same. Fastest times on the two stages came as a welcome surprise, and still lying 15th overall, I was happy. A re-run of the two stages but this time in darkness. Again we were at our own pace, when suddenly as we approached one of the many hairpins of Col de Turini, here was PG stopped at the side of the road, rally over. It was a golden ticket for us, not the way we wanted to do it at all, but I had been handed first place, and the experience of the Worlds toughest event, it was perfect. We turned the pace right back down again after that, close to recce speed! We just wanted to finish, and with 14th O/A secure, and 1st in SWRC, it would be silly to push. We got around the final stage and back to Monaco harbour for service.
Day five, and only a 5km Power Stage to go. Again, just a gentle drive through, and we done it! An incredible week of endurance and speed, and finally to make it to the finish alone was a big achievement.
So, a great start. The most difficult rally out of the way, and already a maximum points hall, it was perfect.
A small break and then we were off to Rally Sweden. We decided to do a small test event in Norway before the rally, Rally Finnskog. It was a perfect test, a little cold however (-35c to be precise!). All did not end well though, on SS4 I misjudged my braking after a jump and hit the car off a bank. Ok the damage was minimal and we drove to the end of the stage, but unfortunately it was enough to put us out of a competitive position.
Onto Sweden, recce was good again - apart from the lack of snow?! Strange, temperatures of only -2/-3 greeted us in Hagfors, and apart from a good ice base on the stages, conditions were going to be tricky with no snow banks. I was happy with my Ford Fiesta S2000 setup and my confidence was high. The rally started with the Karlstad ‘Superspecial’ and picking up a puncture wasn't part of the plan, we only lost seven seconds but I was disappointed.

On Friday morning we began with the same type strategy that served us so well on the Monte. It was clear from the start that P-G (Andersson) would be the pacesetter so I decided to set my own pace and bed in over the first full day. Setting fastest SWRC on stage four was rewarding as it showed I had good speed and by the final Friday night test we were back up to second in SWRC and I had a nice cushion of round two minutes back to Pontus (Tidemand) in third.

Setting out for day two the rally moved back to Sweden and I was delighted with my speed over the morning loop. Fastest SWRC times on SS11 (first stage of the day) set the ball rolling and fastest again on SS13 had the confidence on a high. The rerun in the afternoon was a different story. I noticed a problem with the handling early during stage sixteen and after first thinking it was the front diff, we found out on the road section that it was the front right brake disc had shattered, with the caliper and disc removed I just nursed the car over the last two stages of the day.

As the final day dawned I was in no man’s land as regards to challenging leader P-G and I held a minute & twenty seconds over Pontus. With a potential 18 points up for stacks I took the realistic approach driving to the finish. Now, two rounds in, I’m delighted with our season start. After deciding to nominate Rally New Zealand as my round to drop, Portugal is effectively the halfway point for me. The Protons will not be there so it will be important to gain another good result.
And finally, last weekend I was given the pleasure of becoming Waterford Person of the Year 2011. It was a fantastic feeling to be nominated, but to win it is just incredible. The good news story that was last season has really encaptured the town of Waterford, and now the public have become aware of what I do, and that's all down to the fantastic local media that have always supported me, thank you!
So now, back to training and getting myself in prime shape for the next round of the SWRC in Portugal, I can't wait to get going!
All the best,
Craig