Escort Mk2 – 2.4L Duratec
Mark sold the Escort in 2019 and bought a Darrian T90 GTR, which will have a 1.6L EcoBoost engine.
Team Smithy (Mark Smith & Tim Nunn) finished 1st in Class, 5th Overall at the SMC Stages Rally at Anglesey 13/14th April in his 2.4L SBD Duratec powered Escort RS2000.
Tim (Mark’s navigator) made this report on Facebook after the Glyn Memorial Stages Rally at Anglesey in November 2018:
‘Absolutely great weekend with a 7th Overall against very serious R5 and WRC competition in really changeable and challenging conditions.
Very pleased with the development we’ve achieved with the car this season, given the endless changes over the winter. An awesome foundation to build on……
Mark Smith – honoured to sit in the silly seat, even if I do shout at ya… and well driven boy…. superb commitment behind the wheel.
Thanks to Matt Pierce and Jez Rogers for being such amazing sports, helping us out when when you guys pulled out of the rally and Phil Turner,Andrew Morris and Andrew Owen for looking after the car on Saturday- ur all stars!
Huge thanks to the organisers, marshals and officials for putting on such a great event and lastly. Our sponsors SBD Motorsport for building such a strong, reliable motor.
Until next year…. watch this space!’
Mark’s Facebook comments after the Adgespeed Rally, October 2018:
‘Cracking shakedown rally for the car at the Adgespeed stages rally yesterday. Thanks to Steve at SBD Motorsport for time and effort put in to map the launch and traction to suit an escort, transformed the car after the probs we had on the AGBO stages.
Ended 4 overall and 1st in class, consistent stage times with 3rd quickest on stage 1 and 2nd quickest on stage 11. Tim Nunn was spot on all day with them funny looking time card things. Should give us more confidence for the 2 day Glyn stages Anglesey rally.’
Mark Smith installed a 2.4L SBD Duratec in his Escort at the beginning of 2018 and ran it at Shropshire Automotive Services.
‘Successful day with Mike Evans at Shropshire automotive running in the 2.4 SBD Duratec. Big thanks to Steve at SBD for all the live mapping. After a change of oil the power runs made very pleasing figures!‘
Mark’s latest project is a 2.0L 307bhp SBD Duratec engine powered Escort in which he rallies.
Mark finished the Adgespeed Rally at Three Sisters, October 2017, posting on Facebook:
‘Adgespeed done! Finished =4th and first in class only 3 seconds off third.
Big thanks to Tim Nunn who was faultless all day, and to Matt Pierce who we couldn’t have managed without considering all the tyre changes!
Engine and launch/traction working overtime and didn’t miss a beat thanks to SBD Motorsport.’
Mark took the Escort to the Motorsport at the Palace sprint event at Crystal Palace on the Whitsun Bank Holiday, May 2016. Although car and tyres were set up for stage rallying and not ideal for sprinting, it gave the car a bit more of a shake down and he had fun throwing the car around. He was 5th in Class on Sunday with 39.34s and 3rd in Class on Monday with 39.86s.
Steve was there fine tuning the set up of the electronic throttle, launch and traction control.
Picture:Kim Broughton.
Mark competed in the AGBO Weston Park Rally on 19 March 2016 and commented on Facebook afterwards:
‘Had a great day at Weston Park yesterday for the AGBO stages, first event for the car and me, guided by Phil Turner
Seeded car 65, had probs catching cars on the first 3 stages before being reseeded.
Not had results yet but finished somewhere between 10th and 15th overall, excellent reliability thanks to SBD Motorsport’
He finished 13th Overall with a time of 26m33s.
Picture: Mark Sims RallyGallery.com
In 2015 he started building a Ford Escort Mk2, it was finished and MSA log booked in January 2016 ready for some events that year. After coming down to SBD for a fine tune at the beginning of February, he went to test the car at a track day at Oulton Park on the 13 February.
He commented on Facebook;
‘Good day at Oulton Park trackday, lots of attention round our garage, and clearly the loudest thing there. It was easily the quickest car at the circuit catching everything! Brakes set up at last, still feels like driving a jelly but even though it was touchy feely round the corners with body roll, it still lapped faster that 2 Ariel Atoms and every other tin top, including a Caterham on the straight! Hopefully extolled the virtues of the SBD engine and Royal Purple oil.
Thanks to Matt Downer & Steve at SBD.’
