OUMFMC The Farley ‘Fangio’ 12 Car Rally Friday April 12th 2024

The OUMFMC 12 Car Road Rally was an exciting event designed to introduce newcomers to the world
of road rallying while providing a thrilling experience for seasoned enthusiasts. Each team consists of a
driver and a navigator, working in tandem to navigate the rally route and overcome challenges. To ensure
an inclusive experience, the rally offers two classes: Beginner and Novice.

In the Beginner class, teams are provided with a pre-marked map of the rally route, allowing participants
to focus on navigating the course without the added challenge of deciphering and solving clues.
Alternatively, teams in the Novice class are presented with a different challenge. At each checkpoint,
participants are given clues to help them get to the next destination/control point and are expected to plot
their route on their OS map

All participants and marshals met up at the start point of the rally, Bernwood Forest car park, at 7pm. Participants and marshals were briefed on the event and then the teams of marshals were sent off to their checkpoints.

With anticipation running high, the first car revved its engine and set off at 8:00pm, marking the official beginning of the rally. Once all the 11 cars had set off in 1 minute intervals they instantly started to encounter the inevitable twists and turns of the road. As the rally progressed, the route presented challenges that tested the navigation skills and teamwork of each team. Despite careful planning and preparation, participants found themselves facing the occasional wrong turn, leading to unexpected detours and changes in the order of cars.

In addition to the challenges faced by participants, the marshal teams tasked with overseeing the rally encountered their own challenges. As the rally progressed, the four teams of marshals found themselves in a race against time, rushing to reach their next checkpoint before the arrival of the rally convoy.

As the rally drew to a close, participants were directed to the OUMF HQ where they came together to celebrate their achievements and share stories from the rally. The post-rally atmosphere was filled with laughter, camaraderie, and a shared sense of accomplishment. And once the times and penalties for each team had been calculated by rally organiser Joe Farley, everyone gathered round to hear the results.

The results for the Beginners class were:
3rd - Brodie Haward and William Vaughan;
2nd - Tom Grant and Bobby Bragg;
and 1st - Dom Norman and Jack Swarbrigg

And the results for the Novice class were:
3rd - Rowan and Simon Paterson,
2nd - Ding Boston and Niki Volkov,
and the Overall Winners were the sophisticated and smartly dressed Arran Mcluskie and Charlie Lemme in Arran's Mazda MX5

In conclusion, the OUMF 12 Car Road Rally show-cased the thrill of competition, the camaraderie among participants, and the spirit of adventure on the open road. It was a great event with all but one entry and one marshal being members of OUMF.

We are very thankful to Joseph Farley and his team for organising such a great event and for Peter Wheal- Jones from the Oxford Motor Club, and all the OUMF members for volunteering their time to Marshal so that the event could run smoothly. I would like to congratulate Arran and Charlie for their well-deserved victory, and also say well done to Max Evans and George Broadhead for being the first people to ever lose to the safety car.

Eddie Scheer
2nd Year Engineer. Brookes