One major issue we did have during the rally, however, was with the tyres. They weren’t right for the Citroen at all – after 17 miles the fronts were absolutely destroyed. That meant we went through a lot more tyres than we had planned on using, which really hindered the car. We couldn’t get the power down properly, and were just wearing the tyres out. The next event is on tarmac, so hopefully it won’t be a problem there, but something definitely needs to be done before the Trackrod Rally in October and Wales Rally GB at the end of the year.
After having driven the car now, though, we are very positive about the year ahead. I’m really excited about the close competition there’s going to be in Class R2 – it will definitely be worth watching every bit as much as the main runners – and I know there’s a lot more still to come from me in the car. You’ve always got to look on the positive side, and it certainly wasn’t a bad weekend.
This year will be a big challenge for sure. The competition in the class is fantastic, being up against the likes of Vesa Mikkola, James Wozencroft, Lorna Smith and George Thomas. It’s going to be a real battle all season-long, and that’s what we really need to see just how quick we are. At the moment we are nowhere near the pave of Mikkola and Andreas Siolander on gravel, and we need to look at that.
The next round is the
Jim Clark Memorial Rally in Kelso, and we will be going for the class win on that. The tarmac surface is certainly going to suit the Citroen, while the tyres shouldn’t be an issue there either.
We’re hoping to do a bit of testing it the car on tarmac before the rally, maybe with my old rival from last year Justin Dale coming along to help with the set-up. His experience will be invaluable.
I’ve taken part on the event twice before, and I won my class both times. We are going to make extra preparations practising our pace notes before we go so we can have a really good push and just concentrate on learning the car and trying to beat the Suzukis and other Citroens.
I’ll keep you posted as to how we get on.
Matt
To keep up-to-date with Matt’s news and results, visit: http://www.mattbeebe.co.uk
