Cotton Competition News
Want to become a full Member of a friendly group with regular meetings, organised events and family days?
LADS is a Club dedicated to the furtherment and enjoyment of the Subaru marque
As a FULL Member you will have access to discount from Main Dealers & Aftermarket Suppliers of:
PARTS AND ACCESSORIES
SERVICE AND REPAIRS
BODY AND PAINT REPAIRS
TUNING AND MODIFICATIONS
CAR AND HOME SECURITY
Registration to join the LADS bbs is free.
*However if you want to enjoy the further advantages of Full Membership such as many discounts on Products and Services, organised Motoring and Social Events, regular meetings etc, please send an Email to Dave Wright (ELV1S) dave.wright57@ntlworld.com with the following information;
Your full name;
Your LADS ID/username;
Scooby Model;
Reg number;
Car Colour;
Contact Number;
Address;
On receipt of above you will given details of where to send your membership subscription.
Cotcomp also supports South Manchester and Cheshire Subarus, again offering discount to full members on selected parts & services**
**As a member of SMACS, and after attending at least 2 events, you will be presented with a membership card that will entitle you to discounts at participating companies
LADS is a Club dedicated to the furtherment and enjoyment of the Subaru marque
As a FULL Member you will have access to discount from Main Dealers & Aftermarket Suppliers of:
PARTS AND ACCESSORIES
SERVICE AND REPAIRS
BODY AND PAINT REPAIRS
TUNING AND MODIFICATIONS
CAR AND HOME SECURITY
Registration to join the LADS bbs is free.
*However if you want to enjoy the further advantages of Full Membership such as many discounts on Products and Services, organised Motoring and Social Events, regular meetings etc, please send an Email to Dave Wright (ELV1S) dave.wright57@ntlworld.com with the following information;
Your full name;
Your LADS ID/username;
Scooby Model;
Reg number;
Car Colour;
Contact Number;
Address;
On receipt of above you will given details of where to send your membership subscription.
Cotcomp also supports South Manchester and Cheshire Subarus, again offering discount to full members on selected parts & services**
**As a member of SMACS, and after attending at least 2 events, you will be presented with a membership card that will entitle you to discounts at participating companies
Lancashire & District Subaru Owners Club
July 2010
Tour of Mull winner switches to Subaru
Isle of Mull resident Andy Knight, who won the famous event in both 1990 and 1991 in his Nova, has bought one of Cotcomp's customer's Imprezas, planning several events in the car this year.
He has already opened his account with an excelllent debut on the RSAC Scottish Rally back in June, finishing fourteenth against the Scottish Rally Championship regulars.
Also in Scotland Simon Bowen finished 26th on the Jim Clark Reivers Rally in his 2005 Impreza despite a minor off. He unfortunately retired from his next event after a brand new engine component failed. A broken pulley was discovered as the culprit, but the engine will be fixed in time to test before the Pendragon stages in late August.
May 2010
Bowen debuts new engine at Jim Clark Rally
Local businessman Simon Bowen will be trying out his new Cotcomp built 2.5 litre Cosworth engine on the Jim Clark Reivers Rally on Sunday 30th May.
The enine is the first part of an ambitious upgrade for the distinctive Andrews-Bowen liveried 2005 Impreza, along with a wide-body kit and soon to arrive sequential gearbox.
Watch his progress via the live results on the event's own website at: www.jimclarkrally.com
April 2010
Steve, Richard and Dave have been at Preston Flag Market again, supporting the Lancashire and District Subaru Owners Club's annual get-together in the City centre.
The gathering is a chance for LADSOC members to show off their Subarus and has become a fixture in he City's calendar, the council even planning to re-develop the site to allow more of this type of local club dispalys in the future.
Cotcomp took along a customer's rally car and to promote the new range of Subaru engines and components from Cosworth, Richard was giving away Cosworth goodies.
In the workshop the lads have been busy too, recently taking delivery of two 2010 Impreza STi donor rally cars to prepare for roll cage fitting. They were up against it with both, having just three days to turn each car round for delivery to the midlands before going to Symtech in Belgium.
As Symtech is stacked out with work, Cotcomp has also taken delivery of one of their customer's rally engines for rebuild, hopefully the start of a cross channel relationship that will see more specialist engine and tranmission work come to Garstang.
One of Cotcomp's existing customers, local businessman Simon Bowen, has ordered a new 2.5 litre Cosworth engine for his 2004 STi rally car and is expected to add a sequential gearbox to the specification soon.
On top of the continuing engine mapping and standard Subaru service work, it has been a busy time since February; long may it continue.
February 2010
Cotcomp supports North West Stages
Steve and the Cotcomp team are once again supporting the North West Stages Rally which takes place Friday and Saturday 5th/6th February.
Since the usual Pontins stage was lost with the closure of the site, the whole event has moved to a new headquarters and service area at the Norbreck Castle Hotel on the northern Blackpool promenade.
With this change also comes a change of focus for Cotcomp which is sponsoring the Blackpool promenade stage.
Steve and the team will be on hand using their service truck for hospitality either in the service area, or if space is tight, right next to the stage which runs from north to south this year.
The Cotcomp Promenade Stage forms not only the opening and closing tests of the rally, but it is run six times in total, giving plenty of opportunity to watch the action and check out the Subarus for sale, including a rally car being sold on behalf of one of Cotcomp’s customers.
North West Stages Rally itinerary
Friday 5th February 2010
Scrutineering and Rally Village Trade Show, Norcalympia. 14:30 hrs - 19:00 hrs
Ceremonial Start - MC1 Anchorsholme Park. 18:45 hrs
SS1 Cotcomp Promenade Stage, Blackpool. 18:48 hrs
SS2 Cotcomp Promenade Stage, Blackpool. 19:01 hrs
Parc Fermé, Norcalympia. 20:20 hrs - 22:10 hrs
Saturday 6th February 2010
SS7 Mark Holmes Fleetwood Stage, Marine Gardens, Fleetwood. 09:27 hrs
SS8 Mark Holmes Fleetwood Stage, Marine Gardens, Fleetwood. 09:36 hrs
SS9 Cotcomp Promenade Stage, Blackpool. 10:26 hrs
SS10 Cotcomp Promenade Stage, Blackpool. 10:42 hrs
SS13 Mark Holmes Fleetwood Stage, Marine Gardens Fleetwood. 11:50 hrs
SS14 Mark Holmes Fleetwood Stage, Marine Gardens Fleetwood. 11:59 hrs
Service Area - Anchorsholme, Blackpool. 12:12 hrs
Rally Village and Trade Show, Norcalympia. 12:30 hrs - 15:00 hrs
SS21 Cotcomp Promenade Stage, Blackpool. 15.18 hrs
SS22 Cotcomp Promenade Stage, Blackpool. 15.33 hrs
Service Area - Anchorsholme, Blackpool. 15:30 hrs
Finish, Norcalympia. 18:30 hrs
Website at www.nwstages.co.uk
Happy New Year from all at Cotcomp
After another successful year Cotcomp is prepared for a great 2010 and wishes all the best to all the past, present and hopefully future customers for another new decade.
November 2009
It has been flat-out at Cotcomp over the summer, several engine builds on the go at once as well as the regular Subaru servicing and of course Steve’s involvement in the Scooby Sprint Championship.
The end of August saw round three of the new series and a move to Santa Pod in Bedfordshire. Steve and Gary had a good result, finishing sixth and sixteenth respectively in the red classic.
The result moved Steve into equal tenth place overall and an excellent third in the modified category. But the best news was runner up spot in the Privateers modified class, all positions he retained to the end of the season.
As Christmas approaches Cotcomp welcomes a new member to the team. LADS forum administrator Dave will be working on car sales from the Brock site and helping Richard with general parts sales.
June 2009
Another busy month at Cotcomp, June saw Steve and Dave at round three of the Scoobysprint Championship, just a week after the team was looking after Simon Bowen & Simon Moss on the Greenerways Rally.
Both events went well, with Steve now third in the Privateers Championship and eleventh overall. May's round two had seen a change to the classic Impreza after using Joe's road car on the first event. Gary competed in the same car in May, but it was Dave's first competitive outing at Elvington in June.
Up in Kielder the Greenerways Rally didn't go exectly to plan for either Simon, Moss's clutch fluid overheating in stage four, while Bowen ened his event in a ditch just one stage later. Both thoroughly enjoyed their first outing on gravel though, classified as finishers with penalties for the missed stages.
Scooby Sprint April 2009
The Cotcomp team took Joe's road going Impreza WRX to the Scooby Sprint at Elvington this month. The event is part of a Championship of five timed sprints and drag runs for any kind of Subaru.
"It was a cracking family day out and we went for a bit of fun and low cost motorsport," explains Steve. "Joe's car was a stand in at the last minute so we both took it easy on the tests. It was the sort of event that you could take as seriously as you wanted; for example Prodrive had one of their '08 WRC cars there, but there was a guy in a Forester doing it too."
For more info and results go to www.scoobysprint.com
Apart from all the regular customer work, which the credit crunch doesn't sem to have affected, the team has also begun work on a 2005 WRX rally car. When finished, it will be available for hire for any event, but is primarily aimed at British Rally Championship or higher status rallies.
North West Stages February 20/21 2009
Cotcomp's newest rally customer Simon Bowen and his co-driver Richard Robinson scored an excellent 17th overall on their debut on the North West Stages this weekend.
The event saw three Cotcomp Imprezas out, Martin Oglesby and John Parker taking 33rd in the rear wheel drive Impregacy, while Simon Moss & Emma Morrison retired from a ding dong battle with Bowen.
Despite an early incident with a kerb, Bowen & Robinson lay just outside the top thirty after Friday night’s stages, with Moss & Morrison a few places ahead in 29th. After a new rear hub and bled brakes for Bowen before the first Saturday stage, their confidence built, overtaking Simon and Emma by mid morning.
But Simon’s ‘99 car’s power disadvantage was negated on the second Hillhouse stage in treacherously slippery conditions. Fifth Fastest moved the pair back within a few seconds of Bowen on stage eight, further reeling them in to lie just three seconds adrift by the start of stage 14.
Then disaster struck when Moss was a bit over exuberant with the handbrake and hit a kerb and a big rock. It smashed the rear hub, broke the driveshaft and left the pair with three wheels on their wagon!
As they were putting out the warning triangle, Bowen hit the same kerb on the now dusty right-hander. He got away with a smashed wheel, but had no spare on board. Luckily the stricken white Impreza had no need for its spare, so with mis-matched wheels (Bowen’s on three18” wheels with Moss’s 17” spare) they continued to the end of the stage.
They were both relieved and delighted at the finish, their eventual 17th place only a few lower than without the damaged wheel. Oglesby & Parker had a relatively trouble-free run and were equally pleased to finish just outside the top thirty, after an event in which over half the field retired.
Thanks got to all the team for another excellent job, particularly as Cotcomp sponsored the Pontin’s stage, splitting the team between service and hospitality duties.
February 2009
In the gap since the last news stories there has been plenty happening at Cotcomp, but the latest update is that Blackpool's North West Stages is nearly upon us and Steve is sponsoring the Cotcomp Pontins stage again.
There are three Cotcomp customers out in Imprezas on the event on Friday & Saturday 20th/21st February. Watch out Simon Moss & co-driver Emma Morrison in a white 4 door classic at car 60, Simon Bowen & Richard Robinson in a newly built blue Blobeye at 79 and Martin Oglesby & John Parker in an interesting normally aspirated rear wheel drive white classsic at 98.
Spectator information is available at www.nwstages.co.uk
In the early part of 2009 Steve had a trip to Oman to help rebuild an N14 Impreza for a customer contesting the Middle East Rally Championship. The plan is that Steve wil fly out to each round and form part of the crew that looks after the car on event during the 2009 season.
At home the Ecutek Engine mapping has been extended to include Mitsubishis and back in November of 2008 staff and customers attended a track day at Oulton Park.
July 2008
Cotcomp has been rallying again, with a handful of events for customers, on one event entering a two car team.
Simon & Rob entered a car each on the Four Counties stages at Longcross in late May, but more recently Rob scored a great eleventh place overall on the Rally of the Midlands in his Cotcomp prepared GC8 Impreza.
In the workshop there is another Impreza in build, the local customer's Bugeye car having had a custom rollcage fitted, it is now in paint and in the process of having the bespoke wiring loom finished.
At Brock Richard is coping well with a move to the former office from where he is managing the Subaru and Izuzu genuine parts sales.
February 2008
It has been pure madness at Cotcomp in February! Three rallies in as many weeks with a car to finish before the second one!
The lads did a fantastic job of getting Rob Taffs' two door STi ready for the Riponian Rally where he finished 10 places lower than he should have. The reason was a missed road penalty of five minutes, but the team was reasonably pleased with the first event of the year.
Next up was Simon's turn. Now working full time for the British Rally Championship, he changed from staff to customer and it was all hands to the pumps to prepare his neglected four door GC8. "It has stood on my drive for 18 months since we bought it for Steve to do Mull." said Simon, "but the lads all worked really hard after I decided to do only my second ever event as a driver. Young Martyn Taylor guided us to a finish on the Nort West Stages with no major problems. I'm absolutely made-up!"
Cotcomp also sponsored the Pontin's stage of the rally and provided hospitality for event VIPs from the service truck. "The lads worked on Simon's car from the little Vito van," explained Steve, "and we had to split ourselves to cover both. I've got to thank Richard and Joyce for looking after the guests in the stage. It was a full team effort to make it all happen."
Finally the boys are off to Rallye Sunseeker this weekend with the two door for Rob's (nearly) local event. In the mean time John and Joe have been busy with the regular road car work and they are all looking forward to a break from rallying at the end of February.
January 2008
Cotcomp is proud to sponsor a stage of the North West Stages on the 16th February again, after a successful involvement in 2007.
The Pontins stage will be run several times thoughout Saturday and Steve will be on hand to answer technical questions all day.
Since the event began it has raised over £60,000 for charity and we are pleased to confirm that for the 8th year in succession ‘Marie Curie Cancer Care’ has been selected as the main beneficiary. Additionally the event will contribute a sum of money from any profit to a number of other charities including Broadfield School for children with learning difficulties and Water-aid.
Cotcomp will have Subaru merchandise available at the display right next to the stage and LADS members are invited for a brew.
10th December 2007
Rob Taffs was joined by new co-driver Kim Baker for this weekend's Grizedale Stages Rally which took place in atrocious weather conditions.
The Cotcomp run Impreza ran without a hitch with Rob claiming 23rd overall on his firts event in over six months.
"There was rain, hail, snow, mud and some of the stages were less gravel and more rivers." said Rob at the finish in Coniston.
"The guys did a great job again and I'd likre to thank Kim too who took the hideous conditions in her stride."
November 2007
Steve Joe and Simon joined LADS club members at Guys Thatched Hamlet just a mile from Cotcomp's new Brock site on a rainy Saturday in November.
The meeting was for modified cars and was at the venue for the third time, having previously been in Warrington. It attracted nearly a hundred cars including several LADS members' Subarus and everything from Fiestas to Skylines.
The meet was organised by LADS member zero260 and although he attended in a Skyline (reputedly 600bhp!), it was a good afternoon's social (better weather next time please).
SYMS Rally Team first to run 2008 Gp N Subaru Impreza
SYMS Racing from Japan, using their motorsport operation, SYMS EUROPE, based close to Antwerp in Belgium, has become the first team to run the new-shape Group N Subaru Impreza STi, in collaboration with STi.
Cotcomp engineer Joe has also been working with SYMS on the Lake Superior Rally in America where Andrew Pinker finished 2nd in the series.
The new Group N Subaru Impreza STi was launched yesterday in Japan, just prior to the country's round of the World Rally Championship this weekend. On this occasion it will make its world debut as the zero car at the head of the field, driven by a local Japanese driver.
Next year, however, the eagerly-anticipated new Impreza STi will take part in active competition, in the FIA Production Car World Championship, US Rally Championship and in national championships, run by SYMS Rally Team. In a relatively short space of time, SYMS has established itself as one of the foremost Subaru teams in the world, leading to this latest joint venture with STI.
The team was runner up with Toshi Arai in 2003 and won the FIA Production Car World Championship in 2004 with Niall McShea, and is currently running two cars in this year's FIA Production Car World Championship series for Finn Kristian Sohlberg and Cypriot driver Spyros Pavlides. In this weekend's Rally Japan SYMS will also be running Polish driver Leszek Kuzaj. It also fought for the US Rally title with Andrew Pinker and Tanner Foust where Joe spent the week looking after Pinker's car. SYMS won the Gold Medal in the world-famous X-Games in California this year with Foust, cementing the team's growing reputation in America.
With a new car comes a new challenge, but the expert know-how of SYMS promises to help unlock the maximum potential out of the new Impreza, which is bristling with the latest technology. From today, SYMS can deliver, along with its new composites partner M-Tech Composites all the competition parts needed to build a full-specification, new shape Group N Subaru Impreza STi in time for the 2008 season. All the parts sold by SYMS are approved by the Subaru factory and STi.
News - July 2007
Cotcomp has taken over Gibson's of Brock (former Subaru main dealer) business and premises. This is to complement the existing business and site and to develop genuine Subaru parts sales.
The main phone numbers will remain the same:
01995 605605 / 640542 and for new customers the location on the A6 just south of Garstang will be easier to find.
Steve Cotton, "The opportunity only arose within the last couple of weeks and we seized the chance. We will continue to operate from both sites and will be delighted to offer Gibson's customers parts and servicing as before. We have taken on John who was Gibson's apprentice and Richard has offered to help us with the transition on the genuine parts side. We'd like to think the combination makes an unparalleled level of experience to rival any in the North of England.”
All contact details are on the "Contact" page
News - June 2007 Nurburgring 24 Hour Race
Steve put his Motorsport experience to good use in June when he was part of the team running an Impreza at the Nürburgring 24 hour race in Germany.
The ADAC Zurich race took place over the weekend of 9th & 10th June and the team scored an excellent 2nd in class on the car’s maiden outing.
“We had some teething troubles and with the car,” said Steve, “but the drivers were pretty sympathetic as it was basically in standard trim. They finished 85th from a field of 220 and apart from a couple of minor scuffs the car was undamaged.”
Brothers Mike and Chris Rimmer were joined by Llynden Riethmuller for the race which was delayed due to thunderstorms and held up by fog part way through. The team completed 85 laps of the circuit which linked the classic thirteen mile Nordschleife and the Grand Prix circuit.
For full results and information visit the event website:
http://adac.24h-rennen.de/en/live.html
Tour of Mull winner switches to Subaru
Isle of Mull resident Andy Knight, who won the famous event in both 1990 and 1991 in his Nova, has bought one of Cotcomp's customer's Imprezas, planning several events in the car this year.
He has already opened his account with an excelllent debut on the RSAC Scottish Rally back in June, finishing fourteenth against the Scottish Rally Championship regulars.
Also in Scotland Simon Bowen finished 26th on the Jim Clark Reivers Rally in his 2005 Impreza despite a minor off. He unfortunately retired from his next event after a brand new engine component failed. A broken pulley was discovered as the culprit, but the engine will be fixed in time to test before the Pendragon stages in late August.
May 2010
Bowen debuts new engine at Jim Clark Rally
Local businessman Simon Bowen will be trying out his new Cotcomp built 2.5 litre Cosworth engine on the Jim Clark Reivers Rally on Sunday 30th May.
The enine is the first part of an ambitious upgrade for the distinctive Andrews-Bowen liveried 2005 Impreza, along with a wide-body kit and soon to arrive sequential gearbox.
Watch his progress via the live results on the event's own website at: www.jimclarkrally.com
April 2010
Steve, Richard and Dave have been at Preston Flag Market again, supporting the Lancashire and District Subaru Owners Club's annual get-together in the City centre.
The gathering is a chance for LADSOC members to show off their Subarus and has become a fixture in he City's calendar, the council even planning to re-develop the site to allow more of this type of local club dispalys in the future.
Cotcomp took along a customer's rally car and to promote the new range of Subaru engines and components from Cosworth, Richard was giving away Cosworth goodies.
In the workshop the lads have been busy too, recently taking delivery of two 2010 Impreza STi donor rally cars to prepare for roll cage fitting. They were up against it with both, having just three days to turn each car round for delivery to the midlands before going to Symtech in Belgium.
As Symtech is stacked out with work, Cotcomp has also taken delivery of one of their customer's rally engines for rebuild, hopefully the start of a cross channel relationship that will see more specialist engine and tranmission work come to Garstang.
One of Cotcomp's existing customers, local businessman Simon Bowen, has ordered a new 2.5 litre Cosworth engine for his 2004 STi rally car and is expected to add a sequential gearbox to the specification soon.
On top of the continuing engine mapping and standard Subaru service work, it has been a busy time since February; long may it continue.
February 2010
Cotcomp supports North West Stages
Steve and the Cotcomp team are once again supporting the North West Stages Rally which takes place Friday and Saturday 5th/6th February.
Since the usual Pontins stage was lost with the closure of the site, the whole event has moved to a new headquarters and service area at the Norbreck Castle Hotel on the northern Blackpool promenade.
With this change also comes a change of focus for Cotcomp which is sponsoring the Blackpool promenade stage.
Steve and the team will be on hand using their service truck for hospitality either in the service area, or if space is tight, right next to the stage which runs from north to south this year.
The Cotcomp Promenade Stage forms not only the opening and closing tests of the rally, but it is run six times in total, giving plenty of opportunity to watch the action and check out the Subarus for sale, including a rally car being sold on behalf of one of Cotcomp’s customers.
North West Stages Rally itinerary
Friday 5th February 2010
Scrutineering and Rally Village Trade Show, Norcalympia. 14:30 hrs - 19:00 hrs
Ceremonial Start - MC1 Anchorsholme Park. 18:45 hrs
SS1 Cotcomp Promenade Stage, Blackpool. 18:48 hrs
SS2 Cotcomp Promenade Stage, Blackpool. 19:01 hrs
Parc Fermé, Norcalympia. 20:20 hrs - 22:10 hrs
Saturday 6th February 2010
SS7 Mark Holmes Fleetwood Stage, Marine Gardens, Fleetwood. 09:27 hrs
SS8 Mark Holmes Fleetwood Stage, Marine Gardens, Fleetwood. 09:36 hrs
SS9 Cotcomp Promenade Stage, Blackpool. 10:26 hrs
SS10 Cotcomp Promenade Stage, Blackpool. 10:42 hrs
SS13 Mark Holmes Fleetwood Stage, Marine Gardens Fleetwood. 11:50 hrs
SS14 Mark Holmes Fleetwood Stage, Marine Gardens Fleetwood. 11:59 hrs
Service Area - Anchorsholme, Blackpool. 12:12 hrs
Rally Village and Trade Show, Norcalympia. 12:30 hrs - 15:00 hrs
SS21 Cotcomp Promenade Stage, Blackpool. 15.18 hrs
SS22 Cotcomp Promenade Stage, Blackpool. 15.33 hrs
Service Area - Anchorsholme, Blackpool. 15:30 hrs
Finish, Norcalympia. 18:30 hrs
Website at www.nwstages.co.uk
Happy New Year from all at Cotcomp
After another successful year Cotcomp is prepared for a great 2010 and wishes all the best to all the past, present and hopefully future customers for another new decade.
November 2009
It has been flat-out at Cotcomp over the summer, several engine builds on the go at once as well as the regular Subaru servicing and of course Steve’s involvement in the Scooby Sprint Championship.
The end of August saw round three of the new series and a move to Santa Pod in Bedfordshire. Steve and Gary had a good result, finishing sixth and sixteenth respectively in the red classic.
The result moved Steve into equal tenth place overall and an excellent third in the modified category. But the best news was runner up spot in the Privateers modified class, all positions he retained to the end of the season.
As Christmas approaches Cotcomp welcomes a new member to the team. LADS forum administrator Dave will be working on car sales from the Brock site and helping Richard with general parts sales.
June 2009
Another busy month at Cotcomp, June saw Steve and Dave at round three of the Scoobysprint Championship, just a week after the team was looking after Simon Bowen & Simon Moss on the Greenerways Rally.
Both events went well, with Steve now third in the Privateers Championship and eleventh overall. May's round two had seen a change to the classic Impreza after using Joe's road car on the first event. Gary competed in the same car in May, but it was Dave's first competitive outing at Elvington in June.
Up in Kielder the Greenerways Rally didn't go exectly to plan for either Simon, Moss's clutch fluid overheating in stage four, while Bowen ened his event in a ditch just one stage later. Both thoroughly enjoyed their first outing on gravel though, classified as finishers with penalties for the missed stages.
Scooby Sprint April 2009
The Cotcomp team took Joe's road going Impreza WRX to the Scooby Sprint at Elvington this month. The event is part of a Championship of five timed sprints and drag runs for any kind of Subaru.
"It was a cracking family day out and we went for a bit of fun and low cost motorsport," explains Steve. "Joe's car was a stand in at the last minute so we both took it easy on the tests. It was the sort of event that you could take as seriously as you wanted; for example Prodrive had one of their '08 WRC cars there, but there was a guy in a Forester doing it too."
For more info and results go to www.scoobysprint.com
Apart from all the regular customer work, which the credit crunch doesn't sem to have affected, the team has also begun work on a 2005 WRX rally car. When finished, it will be available for hire for any event, but is primarily aimed at British Rally Championship or higher status rallies.
North West Stages February 20/21 2009
Cotcomp's newest rally customer Simon Bowen and his co-driver Richard Robinson scored an excellent 17th overall on their debut on the North West Stages this weekend.
The event saw three Cotcomp Imprezas out, Martin Oglesby and John Parker taking 33rd in the rear wheel drive Impregacy, while Simon Moss & Emma Morrison retired from a ding dong battle with Bowen.
Despite an early incident with a kerb, Bowen & Robinson lay just outside the top thirty after Friday night’s stages, with Moss & Morrison a few places ahead in 29th. After a new rear hub and bled brakes for Bowen before the first Saturday stage, their confidence built, overtaking Simon and Emma by mid morning.
But Simon’s ‘99 car’s power disadvantage was negated on the second Hillhouse stage in treacherously slippery conditions. Fifth Fastest moved the pair back within a few seconds of Bowen on stage eight, further reeling them in to lie just three seconds adrift by the start of stage 14.
Then disaster struck when Moss was a bit over exuberant with the handbrake and hit a kerb and a big rock. It smashed the rear hub, broke the driveshaft and left the pair with three wheels on their wagon!
As they were putting out the warning triangle, Bowen hit the same kerb on the now dusty right-hander. He got away with a smashed wheel, but had no spare on board. Luckily the stricken white Impreza had no need for its spare, so with mis-matched wheels (Bowen’s on three18” wheels with Moss’s 17” spare) they continued to the end of the stage.
They were both relieved and delighted at the finish, their eventual 17th place only a few lower than without the damaged wheel. Oglesby & Parker had a relatively trouble-free run and were equally pleased to finish just outside the top thirty, after an event in which over half the field retired.
Thanks got to all the team for another excellent job, particularly as Cotcomp sponsored the Pontin’s stage, splitting the team between service and hospitality duties.
February 2009
In the gap since the last news stories there has been plenty happening at Cotcomp, but the latest update is that Blackpool's North West Stages is nearly upon us and Steve is sponsoring the Cotcomp Pontins stage again.
There are three Cotcomp customers out in Imprezas on the event on Friday & Saturday 20th/21st February. Watch out Simon Moss & co-driver Emma Morrison in a white 4 door classic at car 60, Simon Bowen & Richard Robinson in a newly built blue Blobeye at 79 and Martin Oglesby & John Parker in an interesting normally aspirated rear wheel drive white classsic at 98.
Spectator information is available at www.nwstages.co.uk
In the early part of 2009 Steve had a trip to Oman to help rebuild an N14 Impreza for a customer contesting the Middle East Rally Championship. The plan is that Steve wil fly out to each round and form part of the crew that looks after the car on event during the 2009 season.
At home the Ecutek Engine mapping has been extended to include Mitsubishis and back in November of 2008 staff and customers attended a track day at Oulton Park.
July 2008
Cotcomp has been rallying again, with a handful of events for customers, on one event entering a two car team.
Simon & Rob entered a car each on the Four Counties stages at Longcross in late May, but more recently Rob scored a great eleventh place overall on the Rally of the Midlands in his Cotcomp prepared GC8 Impreza.
In the workshop there is another Impreza in build, the local customer's Bugeye car having had a custom rollcage fitted, it is now in paint and in the process of having the bespoke wiring loom finished.
At Brock Richard is coping well with a move to the former office from where he is managing the Subaru and Izuzu genuine parts sales.
February 2008
It has been pure madness at Cotcomp in February! Three rallies in as many weeks with a car to finish before the second one!
The lads did a fantastic job of getting Rob Taffs' two door STi ready for the Riponian Rally where he finished 10 places lower than he should have. The reason was a missed road penalty of five minutes, but the team was reasonably pleased with the first event of the year.
Next up was Simon's turn. Now working full time for the British Rally Championship, he changed from staff to customer and it was all hands to the pumps to prepare his neglected four door GC8. "It has stood on my drive for 18 months since we bought it for Steve to do Mull." said Simon, "but the lads all worked really hard after I decided to do only my second ever event as a driver. Young Martyn Taylor guided us to a finish on the Nort West Stages with no major problems. I'm absolutely made-up!"
Cotcomp also sponsored the Pontin's stage of the rally and provided hospitality for event VIPs from the service truck. "The lads worked on Simon's car from the little Vito van," explained Steve, "and we had to split ourselves to cover both. I've got to thank Richard and Joyce for looking after the guests in the stage. It was a full team effort to make it all happen."
Finally the boys are off to Rallye Sunseeker this weekend with the two door for Rob's (nearly) local event. In the mean time John and Joe have been busy with the regular road car work and they are all looking forward to a break from rallying at the end of February.
January 2008
Cotcomp is proud to sponsor a stage of the North West Stages on the 16th February again, after a successful involvement in 2007.
The Pontins stage will be run several times thoughout Saturday and Steve will be on hand to answer technical questions all day.
Since the event began it has raised over £60,000 for charity and we are pleased to confirm that for the 8th year in succession ‘Marie Curie Cancer Care’ has been selected as the main beneficiary. Additionally the event will contribute a sum of money from any profit to a number of other charities including Broadfield School for children with learning difficulties and Water-aid.
Cotcomp will have Subaru merchandise available at the display right next to the stage and LADS members are invited for a brew.
10th December 2007
Rob Taffs was joined by new co-driver Kim Baker for this weekend's Grizedale Stages Rally which took place in atrocious weather conditions.
The Cotcomp run Impreza ran without a hitch with Rob claiming 23rd overall on his firts event in over six months.
"There was rain, hail, snow, mud and some of the stages were less gravel and more rivers." said Rob at the finish in Coniston.
"The guys did a great job again and I'd likre to thank Kim too who took the hideous conditions in her stride."
November 2007
Steve Joe and Simon joined LADS club members at Guys Thatched Hamlet just a mile from Cotcomp's new Brock site on a rainy Saturday in November.
The meeting was for modified cars and was at the venue for the third time, having previously been in Warrington. It attracted nearly a hundred cars including several LADS members' Subarus and everything from Fiestas to Skylines.
The meet was organised by LADS member zero260 and although he attended in a Skyline (reputedly 600bhp!), it was a good afternoon's social (better weather next time please).
SYMS Rally Team first to run 2008 Gp N Subaru Impreza
SYMS Racing from Japan, using their motorsport operation, SYMS EUROPE, based close to Antwerp in Belgium, has become the first team to run the new-shape Group N Subaru Impreza STi, in collaboration with STi.
Cotcomp engineer Joe has also been working with SYMS on the Lake Superior Rally in America where Andrew Pinker finished 2nd in the series.
The new Group N Subaru Impreza STi was launched yesterday in Japan, just prior to the country's round of the World Rally Championship this weekend. On this occasion it will make its world debut as the zero car at the head of the field, driven by a local Japanese driver.
Next year, however, the eagerly-anticipated new Impreza STi will take part in active competition, in the FIA Production Car World Championship, US Rally Championship and in national championships, run by SYMS Rally Team. In a relatively short space of time, SYMS has established itself as one of the foremost Subaru teams in the world, leading to this latest joint venture with STI.
The team was runner up with Toshi Arai in 2003 and won the FIA Production Car World Championship in 2004 with Niall McShea, and is currently running two cars in this year's FIA Production Car World Championship series for Finn Kristian Sohlberg and Cypriot driver Spyros Pavlides. In this weekend's Rally Japan SYMS will also be running Polish driver Leszek Kuzaj. It also fought for the US Rally title with Andrew Pinker and Tanner Foust where Joe spent the week looking after Pinker's car. SYMS won the Gold Medal in the world-famous X-Games in California this year with Foust, cementing the team's growing reputation in America.
With a new car comes a new challenge, but the expert know-how of SYMS promises to help unlock the maximum potential out of the new Impreza, which is bristling with the latest technology. From today, SYMS can deliver, along with its new composites partner M-Tech Composites all the competition parts needed to build a full-specification, new shape Group N Subaru Impreza STi in time for the 2008 season. All the parts sold by SYMS are approved by the Subaru factory and STi.
News - July 2007
Cotcomp has taken over Gibson's of Brock (former Subaru main dealer) business and premises. This is to complement the existing business and site and to develop genuine Subaru parts sales.
The main phone numbers will remain the same:
01995 605605 / 640542 and for new customers the location on the A6 just south of Garstang will be easier to find.
Steve Cotton, "The opportunity only arose within the last couple of weeks and we seized the chance. We will continue to operate from both sites and will be delighted to offer Gibson's customers parts and servicing as before. We have taken on John who was Gibson's apprentice and Richard has offered to help us with the transition on the genuine parts side. We'd like to think the combination makes an unparalleled level of experience to rival any in the North of England.”
All contact details are on the "Contact" page
News - June 2007 Nurburgring 24 Hour Race
Steve put his Motorsport experience to good use in June when he was part of the team running an Impreza at the Nürburgring 24 hour race in Germany.
The ADAC Zurich race took place over the weekend of 9th & 10th June and the team scored an excellent 2nd in class on the car’s maiden outing.
“We had some teething troubles and with the car,” said Steve, “but the drivers were pretty sympathetic as it was basically in standard trim. They finished 85th from a field of 220 and apart from a couple of minor scuffs the car was undamaged.”
Brothers Mike and Chris Rimmer were joined by Llynden Riethmuller for the race which was delayed due to thunderstorms and held up by fog part way through. The team completed 85 laps of the circuit which linked the classic thirteen mile Nordschleife and the Grand Prix circuit.
For full results and information visit the event website:
http://adac.24h-rennen.de/en/live.html
Cotcomp proudly sponsors LADSOC,
offering discount to full members on
selected parts & services*
offering discount to full members on
selected parts & services*
Follow the Cotcomp team's progress in the new Scooby Sprint Champioship by clicking the link below
