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GazetteThey print anything these days!
Hoping to make a splash
Jan 13 2009 by Martin Neal, Evening Gazette
TEAM Smogsport are back - and they’re gearing up for their busiest and most competitive year yet.
The Teesside-based team made their rally debut just over a year ago, with Michael Ord from Billingham at the wheel of their 1800cc Renault Clio.
Now the Smoggies have sold that car and invested in a Peugeot 205 1600 to contest this year’s Yokohama 205 Challenge.
Ord and co-driver Mark Whitehouse, also from Teesside, have already had a shakedown in their new car.
They plan to debut it in the Riponian Rally next month before making their 205 Championship bow when the series begins in March.
“We had a blast in the car at Parkwood 4x4 Centre and we were really impressed,” said Ord.
“There are one or two daft little things to sort out, but I was quite surprised how well it went.
“I suppose we are setting ourselves up for a bit of a fall doing a one-make series - we’re all in the same car so there’s nowhere to hide.
“But, with the car we had last year, we were never, ever going to be competitive - it was just a case of doing whichever rallies we could. This year we plan to do as many rounds of the championship as possible and see how it goes.”
The Yokohama 205 Challenge is a national mixed surface budget rally series with the ethos being on providing an affordable level playing field.
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