The Satria Neo S2000, which is built, developed and run by Production Car World Rally Championship title-winning firm MEM, has enjoyed a successful development year, demonstrating both pace and potential as it collected fastest stage times and encouraging results. But the Proton which has left the team's Derbyshire workshop bound for the Thursday evening start in Perth is the fastest and most highly developed Satria Neo S2000 yet.
Understandably, team principal Chris Mellors is excited about Rally of Scotland, which is the final round of this year's Intercontinental Rally Challenge.
Mellors said: "The car is really on form at the moment. It's quick and it's getting quicker. We did a lot of testing before we went out and competed on the China Rally [FIA Asia-Pacific Rally Championsip round] and we learned a lot more about the car on that event. The whole team is very excited about having Alister in the car and about the potential of this pairing on the Rally of Scotland."
Chris Mellors Q&A
How did the China Rally go?
It was good. We were setting strong stage times and the car was running very well. We were looking at third place, a podium finish on an FIA Asia-Pacific Rally Championship round, but it didn't quite come off. We move on and we're now looking forward to Scotland and the final round of the IRC.
Tell us about Scotland and the stages, are they similar to China?
No. Not at all. In China, the stages were pretty much all tight and twisty, with lots of uphill 90-degree and hairpin corners; these kind of roads really don't suit the Super 2000 cars.
Why not?
Super 2000 cars are lighter than the traditional Group N cars. They don't have quite the same amount of torque as Group N cars, because they don't have turbochargers. Rally cars will all go through tight radius corners at about the same speed, give or take two or three kilometers per hour, but it's coming out of the corners where Group N benefits: the Group N cars will get up and go quicker. Where the Super 2000 cars will score is in the fast and flowing bends, being lighter they can carry more speed courtesy of having more lateral grip.
And Scotland is more fast and flowing?
Absolutely. It's tailor-made for Super 2000 cars. That's one of the reasons why we're all so excited about this event.
Can the weather effect the stages?
It can. Cold and dry weather would have been better than the wet weather it looks like we're in for. I'm sure the spectators out there will be in agreement with that.
What's new on the Satria Neo S2000 for Scotland?
We've got some new gearbox ratios on the car and we have some engine modifications.
How will they affect the car?
The engine will develop more torque and a little bit more power and the gearbox ratios will match the engine better - it means the all round package will be more driveable and faster. There's also some new dampers for this event.
What's different with the dampers?
We've got new internals on them. There are different valves and pistons in the dampers now, they're making a big difference.
What difference does that make to the car?
It means the car will ride across the rough sections better than before and the car will benefit from more traction.
And when does Alister get to drive this latest Proton?
He's testing today (Wednesday) in Scotland. We're very happy with the set-up we've got with the car from China, so he'll just be getting used to the engine and [gearbox] ratios and fine-tuning the car for the event ahead.
How long will he drive for?
It could be an hour or it could be three or four hours if he wants to chase something in the set-up. He will also drive the car in the dark. Some of the stages in Scotland will be dark, so this will give him the chance to set the lights up and things like that.
What's a good result for you in Scotland?
It would be good to be in the top five and even better to be on the podium. There are some good cars out there on this rally and we're looking forward to seeing how our latest car matches up with them. At the end of the day, we're looking for a good, solid result. We haven't had the best of luck all the time this year and this week would be a good time, and Scotland a good place, for that to change.
Q&A Alister McRae
Nice to be home?
Aye, it is. I've done a fair bit of travelling recently and it's good to come back home and especially to these stages.
Nice to be around people who understand you as well…
That's true. I can talk as fast as I like here and people always know what I'm on about!
You've done some of the recce for the Rally of Scotland now. Tell us about the stages?
They're mixed. Some of them are in really good shape and look like they'll be very good on the rally. Errochty, for example, was lovely, but parts of Drummond Hill in particular were really wet and muddy.
From what you've seen so far, which stage will be the toughest?
Craigvinean the second time through will be a challenge, there's no doubt about that. We're going to be running through some fairly rough sections and it's going to be very slippery - and, of course, it will be in the dark.
When did you compete in the dark last?
That's a good question. It's been a very long time: I would say the Swedish Rally in 2004 was probably the last time.
Does the dark bother you?
Not at all, as long as I know my mommy's not too far away! Seriously, it doesn't worry me at all. Okay, if it's raining heavily and if there's a lot of fog around, it can be quite tough, but it's fine. We're going to get some dark running in at the test this afternoon, so it won't be so bad. We're also doing the first two Scone Palace stages on Thursday night in the dark, that's a good way of playing ourselves in for those conditions.
And this latest-specification Satria Neo S2000 looks pretty handy…
It does, doesn't it? The engine and gearbox work will help and the new dampers were great on the China Rally. In China, we were able to run the ride height higher on the car and not be compromised on handling or traction, which was a good step forward. We won't need to run the car so high in Scotland, which means the dampers will be even better. To be honest, I can't wait to get into the car to test it. And then I certainly can't wait to get started on the rally.
Where are you going to finish in Scotland?
A podium would be nice. It's not going to be easy going up against drivers like Kris [Meeke] and Guy [Wilks]. These guys have been in these kind of cars all year, and then there's Keith Cronin who has made a good season in the British Championship - and he's young enough to be able to switch from Group N to a Super 2000 car without any problems. It's going to be tough competition at the front, that's for sure."
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