Car
Lurking in the Mochrum hills in the gritty hands of grafting mechanics is a snarling weapon ready to lift Clone Motor Sport to the next level. As the team grows in confidence, ability and knowledge so too does the machinery at its disposal. An upgrade from a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6 to an Evo 8 is evolution Clone Motor Sport style. Fraser and Steven, hungry to build on their fantastic campaign in 2012, have outgrown the car that had punched above its weight and are ready to compete with the big boys at their own game.
Keeping an eye on the rally market for the right opportunity, Fraser quickly moved when the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 8 became available. After a successful introduction to the world of 4-wheel drive in the Evo 6 rally car in 2011, the team started to see visible improvements in their performances in the Scottish Rally Championship. This is most evident in their results as they finished 28th in their first rally in the Evo 6, compared with 7th on their last rally in the same car. Driving in the belly of the ferocious Evo 8, who knows how high Fraser and Steven can finish.
Claiming the outright Group N Award is now a more feasible target, although without doubt their competitors are sure not to rest on their laurels. Despite the improved car, Steven and Fraser are under no illusions and recognise that the odds will be against them given the competition they will be up against.
Fraser said: “We would love to challenge for the Group N title, there's no doubt that will be difficult as there are a lot of strong crews in our class, but we'll certainly give it everything.”
The new Evo 8 will bring more sophisticated equipment, which also benefits from much better safety devices such as a superior roll cage. Fraser is also keen to continue using ordinary fuel in their vehicle. There are power advantages to be gained from using super high octane fuel, which most of the top Scottish Rally Championship competitor's use, but it is very expensive at £3.50 per litre.
Since the Evo 8 was acquired the team have been hard at work preparing it for the 2013 season. Although the car was complete when Fraser received it, he wanted to strip the car down, check everything possible and prepare it to his desired standard. A full re-spray has given it a fresh new look while personal adjustments and further upgrades are now being tweaked. With the team colours and proud sponsors applied, the car is now ready to rally in the 2013 Scottish Rally Championship.
