GwynneSpeed Rallying is owned by Andy Gwynne and managed by Holly Robinson. The company runs a rally school based in Gloucestershire which offers rally driving courses for drivers aged 10 years and older. 12 month gift vouchers are available for all experiences which start from just £15.00! The company also builds, prepares and hires rally cars. For more information, visit www.glosrallyschool.co.uk

PRESS RELEASE: 20 June 2011

Disappointment for GwynneSpeed during National Tarmac return.

Gloucestershire rally school owner, Andy Gwynne and his co-driver Holly Robinson were optimistic ahead of their attack on Round 4 of the REIS MSA National Asphalt Championship Rally this weekend. Rally of the Midlands, based in Hinckley, took place over Friday 17th and Saturday 18th June and offered competitors a variety of tarmac stages totalling 90 stage miles.

The GwynneSpeed crew were excited going into the rally, confident following their outright win on the Get It Sideways rally back in April. Seeded at Car number 15 out of 89 entries and 1st in the 1600cc class out of 16 class entries, the team were positive going into Stage 1 of the rally which ran through Hinckley town centre and offered an exciting spectator stage to onlookers.

However, nerves got the better of the 2003 National Super1600 driver champion Gwynne causing him to overshoot a junction on stage 1 losing at least 25 seconds. Gwynne also reported a suspected rear suspension problem which developed over the next 2 stages. It became clear that by stage 3 the Proflex rear dampers on the Super1600 Citroen Saxo kit car had completely failed and were offering no damping making the car almost impossible to drive. The team limped the car into Service after stage 5 where the mechanics changed the rear dampers for a set of much lower specification Bilstein dampers – some damping was better than none!

The crew successfully checked the car into Parc Ferme over Friday night and ended Leg 1 10th in class and 59th overall!

Leg 2 started early on Saturday morning and the Gloucestershire team attacked the first 2 stages well, setting fastest class stage times on stage 7. However, disaster struck on the finish line on stage 9 where the engine blew in the Super1600 Saxo kit car.

Gwynne comments on the problems:

“The engine failure is so disappointing and utterly unexpected. Normally when an engine of this specification is going to blow, there are warning signals such as reduced oil pressure but on this occasion, it just went! I am gutted. And as for the damper problems on Friday night, I simply cannot explain why they failed – it is very unusual for both dampers to fail at the same time on relatively smooth tarmac stages. I could understand it if we had hit a big pothole or an obstacle but I have no idea why they broke. I really hope my luck changes soon!”

The event is televised and will be shown on Motors TV on Saturday 23rd July at 22:35.

The team are now registered members of the REIS Asphalt Championship and anticipate that their next event will be the Mewla National Rally on 28th August. Further details about the championship can be found at www.asphaltrallying.co.uk.

Andy and Holly would like to thank their service crew for all their valuable help over the weekend and to thank their sponsors for their continued support.

 

PRESS RELEASE: 14 June 2011

GwynneSpeed ready for National Tarmac assault!

Gloucestershire based rally team, Andy Gwynne and Holly Robinson are feeling positive ahead of their return to National Rallying this weekend. The crew will be tackling Round 4 of the REIS MSA National Asphalt Rally Championship, The Rally of the Midlands this Friday and Saturday, 17th and 18th June. The event is organised and promoted by Streetly Motor Club and is based from Hinckley.

The high profile rally offers competitors 90 stage miles via 5 separate venues including the infamous MIRA proving ground.

The team are looking forward to a maximum attack on this rally having been seeded at car number 15 out of 89 and first in their class out of 16 class entries.

Driver, Gwynne, comments on the event:

“I am really looking forward to the event. Following our outright win at Down Ampney back in April, I’m feeling confident and at the same time a little anxious about returning to a National event. I hope the car behaves herself and we are have a clear run at the stages!”

The event is televised and will be shown on Motors TV shortly afterwards.

GwynneSpeed is also delighted to welcome a new sponsor to the team. CotswoldTV are innovators of the latest Online Video Technology and Video Streaming to your website. They offer Video Production, Filming and Editing and are:
- producers of the leading online television for the Cotswolds - Cotswold TV
- creators of the British Coast Guide - BritishCoastGuide.com
- wedding filming and online viewing - TheWeddingCut.com
Cotswold TV acts as a showcase for small business films

A post event press release detailing the teams thrills and spills from the event will be sent out but further information and post event results can be found on the Event’s website: www.rallyofthemidlands.co.uk

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

GwynneSpeed Rallying is owned by Andy Gwynne and managed by Holly Robinson. The company runs a rally school based in Gloucestershire which offers rally driving courses for drivers aged 10 years and older. 12 month gift vouchers are available for all experiences which start from just £15.00! The company also builds, prepares and hires rally cars. For more information, visit www.glosrallyschool.co.uk

GWYNNESPEED RALLYING SPONSORS:

Race Engine Design Ltd – www.raceenginedesign.biz
Hankook Tyres – www.hankookmotorsport.com
PIAA UK High Performance Lighting Systems – www.piaa.co.uk
Silkolene Motorsport Oils – www.silkoleneoil.com
AST Suspension – www.astsuspensionuk.com
Cotswold TV – www.cotswoldtv.com

Get It Sideways Stages, 9th April 2011: 1st overall for Andy Gwynne & Holly Robinson in S1600 Saxo

PRESS RELEASE: 12 April 2011

GwynneSpeed Saxo dominates Down Ampney Rally!

Gloucestershire based rally driver, Andy Gwynne secured his 2nd outright win in his awesome Super1600 Citroen Saxo on the Get It Sideways Stages held on Down Ampney Airfield on 9th April 2011. The event was organised and promoted by Cheltenham Motor Club and consisted of 65 cars starting the 50 mile event on the tricky surface at Down Ampney Airfield near Cirencester in Gloucestershire.

Rally school owner, Gwynne, dominated the 2 wheel drive event from the start setting 2nd fastest stage times on stages 1 & 2, 2nd only to a 4 wheel drive, turbo charged Subaru Impreza which was not eligible for awards as this event was a 2 wheel drive event only. However, stage 3 saw a better tyre choice by the Staverton rally team and Gwynne went on to set fastest overall stage times on stages 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 10 beating several 4 wheel drive cars and more powerful 2 wheel drive cars. Stage 9 saw the team lose a couple of seconds due to a slight overshoot and only set 2nd fastest stage time.

Gwynne, co-driven by long time co-driver Holly Robinson, is absolutely delighted with the result as it spells the end of a run of very bad luck and non-finishes with this car. He also considers the result as proof that he has officially recovered from the serious head injury which he suffered early last year. He comments on his victory:

“I am so pleased to have come away with a win this weekend. Many thanks to Cheltenham Motor Club for putting on yet another superb event and thanks to all those who helped make the event a success. The car performed excellently with our new engine from Race Engine Design and the Hankook tyres worked perfectly.”

 

 

 

 

PRESS RELEASE: 4 November 2010

Gwynne to make a long awaited return torally stages following freak accident.

Staverton based rally driver, Andy Gwynne is looking forward to his first rally of the year on 20thNovember 2010 at the Three Counties Show Ground, Malvern, Worcestershire.

Gwynne has been out of action all season due to a serious head injury which he suffered in January this year. Ironically, the freak accident which caused the injury was not motorsport related; he tripped and fell down a flight of Cotswold Stone stairs, fracturing his skull in 2 places put him into a coma for 6 days, relying on a life support machine. Having made a miraculous recovery, he got his DVLA driving licence back in August and received authority from the Motor Sport Association that he is fit to rally at the start of October.

Gwynne is especially eager to get back out on the Rally Stages as he recently competed on a Gravel Rally Sprint at Sweet Lamb Motorsport Complex, Wales and came away with a convincing class win. This has improved his confidence, going into the Three Countries Show Ground Stages:

“I was concerned that I would be off the pace as a result of not having been able to drive competitively for what feels like a lifetime! However, after a couple of runs, I felt
though I had never had a break. The engine in the car is new as well. It feels very strong and even more powerful than the old engine. I would like to thank John Beattie and Mike Phelps at Race Engine Design for all their help and support. I really can’t wait to get back out there!”

Gwynne will be co-driven by long term co-driver, Holly Robinson who is also delighted to be back on the stages:

“There was a time when we all wondered whether Andy would ever be able to drive again, so for him to be this prepared and for him to have made such a good recovery is a huge relief. The whole team can’t wait for the rally and we’re just treating the event as a fun day but I dare say that Andy’s competitive spirit will take over as soon as we start stage 1!”

Further information and post event results can be found on the Event’s website: www.herefordshiremotorclub.co.uk

GWYNNESPEED RALLYING SPONSORS:
Race Engine Design Ltd – www.raceenginedesign.biz
Hankook Tyres – www.hankookmotorsport.com
PIAA UK High Performance Lighting Systems – www.piaa.co.uk
Silkolene Motorsport Oils – www.silkoleneoil.com
AST Suspension – www.astsuspensionuk.com26 May 2010

 

On board camera footage from the Team GMF Gravel Rally Sprint at Sweet Lamb on which he won the class:

 

 

PRESS RELEASE: 26 May 2010

Championship winning team swap seats for “Home” event!

Gloucestershire based rally team, Andy Gwynne and Holly Robinson will be trying each other’s seat for size on local event, The Co-OrdSport stages, organized by EMCOS and located at the team’s rally school venue, Down Ampney airfield on Saturday 29th May 2010.

Gwynne recently suffered a head injury and therefore had his driving license automatically revoked on medical grounds but expected to have had it re-instated for this event. Originally, the team entered the rally as normal, Gwynne to drive the GwynneSpeed Super1600 Citroen Saxo and Robinson to co-drive. However, despite making a full recovery, Gwynne’s license has yet to be re instated and so rather than forfeit the entry, the team took the rather unusual decision to swap roles! Robinson comments on the decision:

“We were unsure what to do as it seemed a real shame to miss our home event. Andy jokingly said to me, “Why don’t you drive?” and the rest is history! I have only driven competitively on one rally in 2006 in a one of our standard Peugeot 106 Rallyes. To step up to the Super 1600 Saxo is quite daunting as it is completely different to drive! I am nervous but also excited; I just want to bring the car back in one piece and have some fun!”

Although Robinson has been co-driving for nearly 11 years and manages the Rally Driving School full time, she rarely chooses to drive the remarkable Saxo as it is so different from a “normal” car! The sequential gearbox enables clutch-less gear changes and simply requires a forwards and backwards movement of the gearstick and the clutch is particularly tricky to control being a top specification competition clutch. She explains her anxieties:

“The standing start of the stages is one of the areas I’m dreading the most because the clutch is so vicious. If I get off the start without stalling, I just need to keep it on the concrete and get to the flying finish. The car is twice the power of the school cars and so it takes some hanging onto, especially on the narrow areas of the airfield and in the chicanes but hopefully my arms will put up with it. Fingers crossed, the power steering doesn’t fail.”

The rally consists of 50 stage miles over 8 stages on a deceptively slippery smooth and broken concrete surface. Further information about the event and up to date results can be found at www.emcos.co.uk.

GWYNNESPEED RALLYING SPONSORS:
Race Engine Design Ltd – www.raceenginedesign.biz
Hankook Tyres – www.hankookmotorsport.com
PIAA UK High Performance Lighting Systems – www.piaa.co.uk
Silkolene Motorsport Oils – www.silkoleneoil.com
AST Suspension – www.astsuspensionuk.com

 

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