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51st ADAC Roland Rally Nordhausen and the first time as co-driver

19.04.2023

Hey, I'm Kai and I've been employed at SKANDIX since 2022. As part of the marketing department, I am mainly responsible for the product photos and their retouching that end up in our shop for you. In the following, I would like to tell you about my experience as CO-pilot in the Volvo 244 at the Roland Rallye in Nordhausen.



51st ADAC Roland Rallye Nordhausen

Watching rally videos is one thing, being there live and cheering on the spectacle is another. But to drive along is a really true experience.

When Silvio Mollitor told SKANDIX in the past few weeks that Steffen, his actual co-driver, was prevented from driving due to the tyre season, my fingers itched. But without a great premonition, let alone the right equipment, the possibility of taking part in the race seemed a long way off. After it was clear that there was nothing else to do this weekend and Steffen kindly agreed to lend me his equipment, the decision was easy: I'm in!

After initial difficulties in acquiring the race card from the German Motorsport Federation (DMSB), I was registered for the rally and we were given the start number 47. When the Easter days had passed, Silvio sent me pictures of his 244 from his workshop "Everything tightened and checked". I would have loved to have been there, I thought to myself, obviously having missed the all-round check. Up to that point, the event had been too little present in my mind. Mollitor and Kornetowski was written on the back windows and my eyes sparkled, especially because my name just found room along the glass.

Videos from years past with Silvio's old rally car tuned me in more and I became all the more aware of the role I would be taking on the coming weekend.



It's getting serious...

Thursday, two days before the start... Matthias approached me. He had promised to give me a briefing and to give me some impressions of what it means to drive a rally. It quickly became clear to me: Whoever brakes the earliest loses!

Friday at 3 p.m. sharp, I dropped the pen and set off in the direction of Nordhausen. I had already packed everything and could hardly wait to finally arrive at the rally centre in Sundhausen (Nordhausen). Silvio's words "Fun comes first - there's enough stress in life" accompanied me on the journey. And fun also replaced excitement when I rolled onto the course. A well-rehearsed team greeted me warmly on my arrival. Richard and Helga, responsible for our support and all-round catering, Hagen, an equally assertive Volvo driver, and Silvio himself.

After I set up my camp for the weekend, Silvio handed me some notes from Steffen, including two roadbooks. That made it clear what I would be doing that evening.

Afterwards we officially registered at the race control and stuck our start number, 47, on the car doors. Shortly afterwards, we went to the technical scrutineering at 17:30 and the entire car as well as the fireproof clothing was inspected. Afterwards, I settled myself into the passenger seat and got detailed answers from Silvio to my still unanswered questions, which were not to be the last. For many things were new to me this weekend.



Saturday, rally start

Early in the morning, the pattering rain woke us up and we got a premonition of what to expect on the track.

The roadbook hand-out marked the start of our navigation to the special stages and thus the write-up for the routes to the later stage.

Muddy, greasy roads lay ahead of us. Bend by bend, Silvio and I synchronised ourselves more and more. Writing down, simultaneously zeroing the odometer with the foot pedal and keeping an eye on the further route was unusual at first, but would become second nature to me in the course of the day.


Photo: Lutz Bittag

The second track stage was in danger of being cancelled due to the muddy conditions and we proactively decided to skip half of the track as the first cars were already getting stuck in front of us. We took a risk on the gap and proceeded all the more carefully on the subsequent track test. A track with various crests, changes of surface, a chicane and trimmed for speed. "Should I also record the dips?" I asked Silvio, "We won't notice them later", he replied with a smirk on his lips.

Back from the rally centre and a full hour until our start time. - First breakfast! The mixture of a full stomach, the desire and respect for the race, as well as the excitement and tension in my neck, I quickly realised: I feel sick! I went through my notes again conscientiously and looked at the cars of the competitors on the terrain in order to stay in my centre and keep calm. Actually, I wanted to have another short lie down, but I wondered if 5 minutes of power nap would be enough. Now it was time to get going. I got into my clothes and into the car, heading for special stage 1, the circuit.



1st stage

When we arrived at the first time control, a rally car smoked up just a few cars away from us and people with fire extinguishers rushed to help. All-clear - a burst heat exchanger and scalds on the driver's leg from the boiling hot coolant. We moved forward and received our start time on time and 3...2...1 GO!

At full throttle we swept over the track, at the same time the uncomfortable feeling was gone, now we functioned as a team and Silvio manoeuvred us skilfully through the mud holes and past the chicanes with impunity so that the stones flew behind us. Where we didn't take off, we drove across. Then after one and a half laps "Right 3 FULL ..." towards the finish of the first stage.

When we reached the finish and the brakes were applied, the joy and adrenaline bubbled up inside me. - Done, stage 1 of 6 is now behind us! But now I had to put the log book aside and take the road book in my hand. We continued on the intermediate stage towards SS2 and had 2 minutes to exchange impressions and let them sink in.

Now we were facing the second special stage and here a bad feeling came over me, because I copied the second part of the route from a fellow competitor. Performing on the basis of other records ... so from now on "life in the situation!". From run to run, Silvio and I became more attuned to each other and so my initially very loud announcements through the spark turned into a quiet but increasingly determined route description.



Regrouping

First we refuelled and put weight on the rear axle, a short all-round check - Is everything still on? A few times we hit the underbody at about 130 km/h. There was a crash, stones, mud and water shot in all directions. - Everything remained intact. We were then faced with SS4 to SS6 and after a short breather we went straight on.

Bit by bit there were delays. Competitors lost their way or got stuck. The gaps between the start numbers at the other time controls became larger. At the beginning, Richard bid us farewell with the words "The goal is the goal" and increasingly this motto became our guiding principle. So we reached the finish straight at 7 pm and Richard welcomed us punctually with our finish beer ;-)

20:30 hrs Award ceremony at the Rally Centre

After a hearty meal, we went to the award ceremony and were delighted to win the Volvo Original Cup. Overwhelming and the zenith of feelings to climb the podium with racing partner Silvio.



At the end of the day, I look back with gratitude on an exciting event in the best of company. The centre of which brought together all kinds of people who are passionate about motorsport. A continuum of passion and lifeblood, experience from both older and younger generations, experienced and less experienced competitors.

In particular, a big thank you to you Silvio and your trust in me as temporary CO, to SKANDIX for the opportunity and to all those involved in connection with the event with whom I was in contact before or during the event.