​This year’s Action Week started at the HQ on the weekend of 5th and 6th January making further progress on the Sebring Sprite racer project, servicing and cleaning the OUMF van, and preparing the famous OUMF Riley 1.5 rally car for its first exciting appearance at the Autosport International motorsport show at the NEC. It was to be exhibited on the SuperB stand on the following Thursday and Friday and so had to look its spanking best! By Sunday afternoon it was in show condition, and we were able to set off on our first leg of visits – to the ever enthusiastic long time OUMF supporter Paul Johnson, near Bruntingthorpe Proving Ground in Leicestershire.

​With the Corsa having sat idle for the last 8 years it required some much needed love and attention before it faced the horrors of another Preston Rally. The team worked thoroughly to get the car somewhat roadworthy, with a full service and check of the vital components. The car was then taken to Stuart ‘Stretch’ Talbot for a thorough pre-MOT inspection. This generated a list of issues as long as your arm which the team needed to sort before the MOT was passed and the rally could be tackled. 

After some great results throughout this season, everyone old and new on the team was excited for the final weekend of the HRDC season where the OUMF Riley 1.5 racer would be competing in the HRDC ‘Touring Greats’ and ‘Allstars’ races. Alongside the racing on the Sunday, the team were invited to visit Halls Garage on Saturday.

​The unexpected news of our invitation to debut the Riley 1.5 racer at the Goodwood Revival took the team very pleasantly by surprise, some time after our return from an astonishing performance on the Ypres Rally in Belgium in the Riley rally car. After all, the Revival is without question one of the most prestigious, exclusive and well-known events in the world of historic and classic motorsport, and it was a tremendous honour, and a privilege, to be asked to compete. It is famous for evoking the atmosphere of racing events back in the 1950’s and 1960’s, as well as attracting some very famous names, and indeed, some very famous cars. Needless to say we couldn’t wait to see our student-built Riley racing on the same track as 250 Ferraris, D-Types, pre-war Alfa Romeos and the cigar- shaped Grand Prix cars of the 60s.

​In the midst of the full time preparation of the OUMF rally Riley for Abingdon Stages and the Ypres Rally, the Summer of Love race weekend at Brands Hatch circuit in Kent snuck upon the OUMF team fast. At the Donington Historic Festival, a number of worrying pieces of steel shim were found in the racers oil after the post-qualifying oil change. Due to the lack of options on the table, and the fact that the engine seemed to be running ok, it was decided to race on, and give the engine a full inspection after the event. It was suspected that the shims could be from behind the timing sprocket, since the front pulley was loose on the crank and may have caused some damage.