He sits just two points behind the points leader in the National 4WD series so you’d imagine that Henry Nott will throw all caution to the wind when proceedings get underway at Rally Victoria. But think again, Nott says he’ll take an eight tenths approach that has so far served him well during the year.
“I guess most people think it’ll be full bore, out of the box, flat out, from the word go,” he laughed when asked how he’ll approach the season final. “But I’ve developed a rule where I only drive eight tenths of the best I think I can do.”
“I started this approach when I binned a BMW last year,” added Nott of the BMW 1 Series he destroyed at last year’s Rally Australia, “and since then I’ve not even scratched a car.”
“My aim for Rally Victoria is to use that same mindset, to drive at eight tenths of myself, of my pace notes, of my car, of the tyres – whatever I feel is the weakest link at that point in time.”
Nott has contested two rounds of the East Coast Bullbars Australian Rally Championship, dominating proceedings at his home event at Scouts Rally SA, before fighting neck and neck with Irishman Ritchie Dalton at Rally Australia before an electrical fault dropped him out of contention.
“We were really trading first and second stage times every stage. Then we got to the Shipmans stage, the bane of my existence! A little bit of water got into the air flow sensor and we dropped over seventeen minutes.”
“It was such a shame because we’d proven up to that point that even in an older, much slower car, I was able to keep up with Ritchie,” added Nott.
Nott attributed his pace to concentrating on driving cleanly and neatly at all times, although he admitted he turns it on for the spectators. “I always mark where the spectator points are and give it a bit extra, but everywhere else I’m just focusing on staying clean as a whistle, going sideways just slows you down.”
“I’m going to take that same style to Rally Victoria. I know I don’t have the car to match the other guys on equal terms, but I know if I drive smart I’ll be right there with them. I don’t ever want to wish anyone bad luck, but if they do have a problem I’ll be there to pounce,” he said.
“I know I’ll start the rally as the underdog, that’s fine with me, as long as they know I’ll be pushing them all the way!”
Rally Victoria is the sixth and final Round of the 2014 East Coast Bullbars Australian Rally Championship, and will be contested over two, short, sharp days in the forests of the Baw Baw Shire from November 14 to 15.
SUBSCRIBE BELOW TO READ THE FULL STORY
