Hey everyone!
its been a while since I been back but with work and Silverstone (F1) ive not had much free time!
so this June, in my Mark 5 golf GTI I did my first road rally, the Europe Modball Rally, starting in London, going to Paris, Geneva, Barcelona, Circuit De Catalunya, Valencia, and finishing in Ibiza a week later. it was me and my girlfriend (who has no licence) so its a lot of driving. Getting the car ready was a lot of work, she has 150,000 miles and a lot of track time, so making sure everything was ready for this 3,500 mile round trip (we carried on after Ibiza for a week on our own) did take time.
This wasn't just any car, not to me anyway, after a crash a few years ago, writing her off, buying her back from the insurance company, rebuilding, then a little while later doing a top end rebuild, she's had a hard time, but this was going to be all worth it, and defiantly make it a car I will NEVER sell
But after the work, and the stickers applied, she was looking good!
We got to London, signed on, and checked into our hotel, this was the easy part, drive around London a lot so no worries here, we then had the opening party, meeting all the other teams. everyone was so nice, everyone spoke, and even when you talked about what you was driving, everyone else in lambos and Ferraris, there was no one that acted like a snob towards us for driving a golf. it was an amazing night, but trying to remember we still had to get the tube across London and up early to get to the start line! I think we got back for 2am so not bad.
The next morning we made it to Bloomsbury square, parked up and to my surprise, even my car was drawing attention with a lot of pictures taken. it was a fairly long wait to get going, but there was a lot to see and the public loved talking either fans of the event or asking what this was all about, everyone there was amazing and got a lot of new Instagram followers here. The crowds grew bigger and bigger through the morning, I was shocked when we finally started and turned out into the crowds of people!.
Yeah we didnt get the biggest cheer or most attention but cameras still followed us and people cheering to rev it, though the cars around us made us sound nearly silent! (it does have a full turbo back 3") but it was all amazing, and we where off! we was very confident here, we knew London well and we drove past our house on the way to dover so we knew these roads so well! straight away everyone was going straight I went around them to turn left and I noticed a green McLaren pulled out of the que going straight to follow us, and I think he made a good choice...
...considering we made it to dover in 3rd! not bad for probably the least powerful car there! it was a good run, passing back and forth with team 144, from Georgia in the lamborghini aventador, considering we made it in such good time, we had quite a wait for the ferry and everyone else to turn up!
As soon as we got off the ferry we had to choices, both to Paris but in different directions I noticed everyone going straight, I went right, why? no idea! after a while it looked like a bad idea we was going miles away they was going straight down but there was a couple of cars on the same route as us, I herd there was police on the other route, ours was clear, so even though it seemed longer it was a lot quicker as we could make up time, we caught up with a red lambo when we reached the outskirts of Paris, followed each other for a bit then pulled up along side, they where in the other hotel for us, we where tied first into the city, but now we where alone! been about 15 years since I been to Paris and first time ive ever driven in it, we got very lost, but after pulling up along side a fan and shown the way, we made it! and we was 5th, so we didnt lose too much time, well everyone else probably had some issues! but we made it parked up safely!
The next day we went off to the Eiffel tower for a few pictures, and this is everyone who made it! I think some people where still hung over from the night before and other where looking for garages for repairs.
so we headed off, first a checkpoint outside the city for petrol
the staff here seemed very excited! and then it was off for a long drive to Geneva, was quite excited about this, never been to Switzerland before and what I seen looked like some amazing roads, and I was not disappointed. it was a pretty trouble free run for us, no police again and just swapping with a Jag from Scotland the whole way, and we filled up at the last petrol station tied! annoyingly they got the last free pump and I had to wait so they took the lead and I pushed but I assume they did too as never found them!...until the finish line anyway!
we asked at check in and we had checked in...2nd...damn so close!
but seems we was early, and so far ahead, we checked in, got something to eat then came to check the car over, as it was a long one tomorrow, from Geneva to Barcelona, and we needed to try and beat the jag then! ...wait no..this isn't a race, we just wanted to make sure we didnt get stuck anywhere ofcourse, but everything was fine, and for anyone that knows these cars, surprisingly no oil had been used yet!
Leaving the next morning the car park was looking interesting!
he told me between Paris and Barcelona he filled up 11 times! for me it was just two (not great I know even for me)
Leaving Geneva we wasn't alone, following an Audi R8, and a Chevy, we made it to the checkpoint just outside of Geneva together pretty much, before the longest day of the rally! we left Geneva at 9:30am and was expected into Barcelona at 4pm, so it was a long one.
the idea was the crew where going to beat us all and take pictures of us coming through the crowds, ill talk more about this later!
we left the checkpoint and headed off, the roads here where amazing, mountains everywhere and just no traffic, we was flying all the way and the car felt perfect, even with the outside temp reaching 42! after a couple of hours we caught up with the luggage van! he was so excited we was the first car he had met the whole rally! he tried keeping up and did pass us a few times, this was a good few miles passing each other back and forth cheering and laughing the whole way (though...I did come home to a speeding ticket! only 45 euro so no biggy here) we carried on, as he had to stop for fuel we left him behind.
we got excited as the sat nav showed the med! my little car from England made it all this way it was a crazy thought. then as we could see the border of spain on the satnav someone in the group chat "I think were near the border" we got worried, as far as we knew we was in second, we hadn't seen anyone all day but saw the jag leave before us from the checkpoint. he shared his location, he was half hour behind! so we had a good distance even if we hit traffic. we then started turning off the motorway and hitting traffic, somehow I picked the right lane and mine just kept moving and the other standing still, we then passed police bikes grouping up, they was getting ready for us, but we got there too early!
we made it to the W the crowds where there, and looked surprised the 3rd car the saw after a AMG and an f type, was us a GOLF!
but, the crew wasn't there, we had to wait nearly an hour for them to catch up! and when they did we did a loop and drove through the crowds again, just for the official pic!
we had them ask how we did it again, we didnt really know! haha but they was as shocked as we were
now it was time to park up and enjoy a full rest day in Barcelona!
it was a good one, and the car still running perfect, not a drop of oil used!
and our hotel wasn't bad
though us like idiots with temps still nudging 40...forgot sun cream, we had a nice lobster look going on for the rest of the rally!
this day was just sitting on the beach or on the rooftop bar eating, drinking and talking to other modballers, it was amazing I loved every second of this, and I just couldnt stop thinking, we drove here! my car was parked up right here!
and just as we left for the track day, I couldnt resist this shot on the pavement outside the hotel
on the way to the track we met up with a lot of other modballers and did some filming with the crew around Barcelona, we drew a lot of crowds it was a lot of fun!
then came a long wait, the staff would not let us in even a second early
and it was 39! so a long hot wait in and around the cars just outside of my cars 4th track, and 1st outside of England
while waiting a taxi turned up, and I herd English voices "hey look and English numberplate" was a group of 4/5 guys from reading I think, apparently they was staying in Barcelona and herd about us so got a taxi up to watch, they seem surprised to see us there, but not as shocked as I was! haha
we made it in!
I bet the guy who sold me this car never expected it to be here in a million years! haha. I'm I think the 7th owner, and must have had the most fun with her!
this shot I one of my favourites from the rally, just shows what a mad week this really is, we left London just a few days ago! now just heading out onto track, in Barcelona!
all these pics show, it was really hot, and a lot of people were too scared to even go out, I wasn't, we made it this far, we couldnt pass this up! yeah I wasn't pushing through the corners and breaking early but down the straights and still on the line!
I went out for one last run, on the out lap coming round the last corner, fuel cut, only a second but noticeable, last second I did a hard turn straight into the pits, that was it, no more pushing, we was so close to Ibiza I wasn't messing it up now! I just sat there bonnet open letting her cool for a while before the 3 hour drive, through the night to Valencia, we left the track around 9pm.
Spoke to a few people about the problem, they said they'll hold back following me just incase we died, leaving the track going up hill, she was struggling, normally I wouldn't have driven the car, the cuts where quite bad, but we where just a few hours from Ibiza, we couldnt give up now, sat in the slow lane, with others close behind, the cuts just carried on, but she kept on going, then after around an hour, everything seemed ok. let everyone know and we just went our own way to the hotel, I can only assume it got too hot, 40 degree air temp plus running round a track with 2 weeks of luggage in the boot, not something she's experienced before!
at just after 1am, we found the hotel annoyingly after asking another modballer where the carpark was, we missed it and had to drive ages to get back round to it, but we made it, parked up, slightly worried but she made it, just about another hour until we got to that ferry! couldnt not make it now. I sent out a message that we had made it and got a response "well done, champagne in the lobby waiting for you"! haha
we ordered room service eating at around 2am knowing we had to be up in a few hours to be driving at 9am to make the ferry at 11am
at breakfast everyone was asking how the car was and if we made it ok. got down and checked everything, a little oil used but other than that she looked fine, and started fine, whole list of error codes but F it...lets go!
This was an interesting run, not stopped once so far in over 1,000 miles, then in this hour drive to the ferry, we got stopped twice! once everyone got stopped, a full line up of us, police helicopters chasing those on different routes, it was insane! we got drink and drive tested, license insurance and everything checked, we got cleared and aloud to go! then a few minutes later, stopped again! this time was a little odd, he asked for my license, looked at it, wrote down my numberplate and said "go" that was it, but whatever I just needed to make the ferry, and technically 4 minutes late, we arrived with Jon (the organiser of modball) in his lambo. it was an odd feeling, it was basically over, but there we was in a coned off area just for us, with public looking around and talking to me (though I spoke no Spanish and the spoke little English) it was still fun!
and my satnav...I never expected to see that in a million years haha!
there was Ibiza, and there was my little golf all the way from England, this was just getting insane
But we made it, on the ferry, less than a week ago we was on a ferry across the channel, now we was on a ferry to Ibiza! 1,500 miles nearly over and surprisingly was running perfectly now, no idea what happened the day before!
excuse the finger! haha but bye bye spain, ive been around here before but never Ibiza, and never by car.
The view from our balcony in IBIZA! we made it, all this way, we did it, running up front nearly the whole way and a lot of new friends made, it was an amazing run
now...just a few miles across the island to the finish, this was odd, driving around this island and not in a hire car.
LETS DO THIS!
about 20 mins later, of getting a lot of strange looks, I doubt many English numberplates are seen here, and well a lot of English people are around.
we made it
in less than one week we drove from central London to parked outside a nightclub in Ibiza!
It was a strange feeling, I messaged the garage that done a lot of work to this car to thank them, and made our way into the closing party
and it was an amazing way to end the most amazing week of my life!
Everyone asking how we did it, just how did we beat them in a golf, with the rest in huge power super cars, we don't know, but it was good!
and Jon mentioned us in a golf getting first everywhere as one of his top ten moments of the rally, everyone there cheered! it was a good feeling
but then after a few long goodbyes and promising to see them all again, it was over!
no lie when I say this was the most amazing week of my life!
amazing people, cars, roads, competition, parties.
would I do it again? 100% yes
am I doing it next year? no, well probably no, I have some money lined up but 2021 is more likely
Is it expensive? YES, well for me yes, entry was £2995 PP, and all in, fuel, spending money, tolls etc, minus getting the car ready, I think I spend around £14,000 in two weeks, (some drinks where insane in Paris a vodka and coke and a BOTTLE of beer was 41 euro!) but neither me or my girlfriend regret it at all in anyway!
we have our next trip to Paris planned already, just a long weekend but have a proper drive around at our own pace, and well probably visit all the other cites at some point too.
