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Barrets Rally of Kent, Sunday March 12th 2006...
Newport Pagnell's Mike Winfield and Andy McGowan kicked of their assault on the 2006 Total Motorsport Solutions 1400 Challenge and ANCRO Clubmans Championship, with the Barrett's Rally of Kent on Sunday.
The crew finished the event in 2 nd place in the 1400 challenge, just 10 seconds behind Martin Laverty and co-driver Andrew Roughead after 46 miles through the Kent forests.
After a self confessed slow start, Mike dropped a total of 16 seconds to Martin Laverty through the first two stages of the day as he struggled to get to grips with both the new set-up to the car and the icy Kent forest stages.
"I was caught sleeping a bit in the morning" said Mike. "I was not at all happy with the car's set-up, and although we believed it to be faster set-up than we had last year, it was so much harder to drive. I had no confidence with the car at all for the first 4 stages, and I think my times showed that".
Changes made to the car at the first service halt of the day improved the car with Mike setting equal fastest time through stage 5 and snatching 5 seconds back from Laverty through stage 6 at Bedgeberry Forest.
"We made some small but crucial changes to the car throughout the day, although we developed a problem with the right rear axle pin and bearing which we didn't manage to cure, we were just about able to stay on Martin's pace. The car felt as though the rear wheel wasn't bolted on properly and it was really rolling around from the rear down the straights. It was annoying really, as I believe we could have reeled Martin in without the problem. It is still a good result for us, and the car is to my liking now as well, so only a win will be good enough next time!"
The next rally for the GP Autosports Team is the Bloodhound Stages at Swinderby Airfield in Lincolnshire.
Posted by Ben Hennessy 
31.10.06
latest news
Pre Event
Barrets Rally of Kent, Sunday March 12th 2006...
Mike Winfield and team will be heading off to Ashford in Kent this weekend to contest the Barrett's Rally of Kent, the first round of the 2006 Total Motorsport Solutions 1400 Challenge.
Having claimed the rookie of the year title in 2005, and with a winter of development on both Mike and the Peugeot 206 1400, the team eagerly await the start of the year.
"I cannot wait to get back out in the car again" said Mike. "I have been out in Sweden over the winter, which I feel to have made some big improvements in some areas of my driving. Driving on the ice out there on studded tyres is unreal, and the speed you can carry through the corners is amazing. Although obviously not the same as the grip levels you would experience on gravel, what is the same is the way you would feel the grip available to you and take the car into and through the corner at the absolute maximum speed, which I felt I was not getting consistently right last year. It is essential to stay on the power in a small 1400cc car, and that is where left foot braking comes in, which was another area I spent a lot of time working on. Whilst it is easy to do, it is not easy to do properly!"
The Peugeot 206 1400 has also been completely rebuilt over the winter, and after a short test last week to shake the car down, is already reported to be a big improvement on last year. "After our first year with the car last season, we are now at a stage where we understand it and know how to make it work the way we want it to" said Mike. "We have made small adjustment in certain areas, and it feels to have made a massive difference".
The rally will start on Sunday morning in Ashford, returning there for the finish in the evening. The competitive action takes place in the very fast and open Kent forests, with service halts at Headcorn Railway Station.
Visit the event website at www.rallyofkent.co.uk for further information and spectator instructions.
Keep checking back to website www.mikewinfield.co.uk which has been redesigned for 2006 to find out the latest results and news as it happens.
Posted by Ben Hennessy 31.10.06
