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I have just returned from a three-day trip to Lapland, sadly not to see Father Christmas, but to drive Volvo’s XC70 adventure car and their rather gorgeous S80 luxury saloon. Under extreme conditions, I hasten to add, that are every drivers nightmare, the dreaded snow and ice.

Now Sweden is a very snowy country this time of year so it was with great trepidation I gingerly set off. Why was I feeling that every ounce of confidence was being drained from me? Here I am, a highly experienced driver being reduced to a mould of jelly over a few inches of snow! Then it dawned on me, it was not the snow. It was the fear of skidding.

Thankfully in the UK we don’t experience that much snow but when it does arrive, this county is simply not prepared for it and consequently grinds to a halt. Whereas in Sweden, the most common sight we found on our drive were snowploughs out clearing and gritting the roads. I soon got used to this sight and slowed right down as another thundered towards me knowing that as it sped past, I would be blinded by the avalanche of snow being dumped on my car.

And this became the key element when driving on snow or ice. You have to read the road far more in advance to give yourself time to slow down so you avoid any harsh braking.

Skidding is a terrifying experience and I am a great believer it should be part of the driving test. It’s all very well knowing the theory; it’s putting it into practice in that split second of time. This I also found out much to my embarrassment, when we had to drive the car around a series of circuits with a few cones to weave in and out of. The idea was to test the Dynamic Stability and Traction Control both on and when switched off.

Now I will say just one thing. DSTC will NOT stop you from skidding. If you, like me, left braking too late, then was forced to brake too hard, too quickly, the car will skid regardless of DSTC.

Proof of the pudding was the beautiful imprint of the front of my lovely S80 implanted in a bank of snow.

What I should have done was to come off the brakes, start braking again slower and steer the car into the direction of the skid. It’s this last bit that is so unnerving as it goes against any logic inside your brain. But please remember, steer into the skid that will effectively get your wheels back in line with the steering and you will stop safely – unlike me.

When the snow does arrive, question if your journey is really essential. If so, allow far more time, as you will be driving at a much slower pace. Pull off in a higher gear i.e. second and be very, very gentle on the accelerator and brake. When approaching bends, you should brake progressively before you reach the bend that will enable you to steer smoothly around thus avoiding any sudden actions. Don’t forget when driving on ice, the wheels make no noise thus telling you ice is on the road.

So don’t drive unless absolutely necessary and instead, focus on the lovely snowball fight you can have with your man as payback for giving you dodgy advice.

Washing a car without the proper techniques will cause swirls and scratches on the paint.

Required

• 2 Wash Buckets
• 2 Grit Guard Inserts
• Quality Wash Mitt
• Sponge or separate mitt for wheels
• Car Wash Soap (not dish soap!)
• Wheel Cleaning Brush
• Sonax Wheel Cleaner
• Waffle Weave Microfiber Drying Towel
• Plush Microfiber Towel
• Spray Wax

We will start by cleaning the wheels first. Use a hose and spray the wheels down to loosen brake dust and dirt. Spray the wheels with wheel cleaner. In this article we are using Sonax Xtreme Wheel Cleaner Full Effect, an acid free, pH neutral wheel cleaner which is safe and powerful even for the filthiest wheels. Agitate the inner wheel barrels with a brush such as the EZ Detail Brush. Clean the face of the wheel with a sponge or a dedicated mitt for wheel cleaning. Clean the lug nuts. Rinse it thoroughly and repeat for the other wheels.

Hose the entire car down to loosen dirt and debris. Place a Grit Guard Insert into each bucket. Fill 1 bucket with soap and the other with plain water. If you want lots of suds you can squeeze some soap onto the mitt and spray it with a sharp stream of water. Wash in straight lines and never circular motions. Clean the car starting from the top in this order: top, hood, side panels, trunk, front bumper, rear bumper, side skirts. We want to leave the rear bumper and the bottom quarter of the car last so that the mitt remains clean while washing the cleaner parts of the vehicle. After every small panel, rinse the car with the hose and dip the mitt into the rinse bucket and rub both sides of the mitt against the Grit Guard to release dirt. The Grit Guard has 4 quadrants which calm the water so that dirt that settles to the bottom of the bucket do not get disturbed and remains separated from the mitt. Each time the mitt is wiped against the Grit Guard, the fluffed up fibers allow dirt particles to be extracted.

Change out the rinse water if it gets too dirty. Your soap bucket should remain clean because of this 2 bucket method. Saving your paint from any potential marring. Rinse the entire car after washing. Place the mitt onto the Grit Guard and rinse it off. Dry the car with a soft Microfiber Waffle Weave Drying Towel. Finish up with a spray wax, such as 1Z Einszett Spray Wax, for one step shine and protection. Use in addition to your primary car wax, such as 1Z Einszett Glanz Wax, to extend protection against road and air pollutants, acid rain, tree sap, and bird droppings while adding a deep, high gloss shine.

Ma5da MX5 Championship is a single make circuit racing championship based in the United Kingdom. It started in 2008 with 26 registered drivers, competing in one make, one class head to head circuit racing series. The only cars allowed are the Mazda MX-5 1600cc MK1. The cars are almost stock, except for the mandatory safety upgrades. Mazda MX-5 cars are already very popular in the UK and they are the most sold roadsters in history. After a successful first season, the series has been awarded a championship status by the MSA (Motor Sports Association UK).

The 2009 is where the championship had really progressed. The number of registered drivers had doubled before the season had even started. MotorsTV coverage deal has been secured. 20 races over 9 meetings at different UK national circuits. All of these had really added to the value of the championship. The progress and success of the Ma5da Racing championship kept going through the 2009 season. It was named the fastest growing single make racing championship in the UK during 2009.

It was during the 2009 season when the tough competition started to be visible. In that season many drivers from other leading championships started to convert to Ma5da Racing. Average grids for each race were in the 30′s and 40s. These are large numbers for identical cars racing each others on some tight British circuits. TV coverage was great during the whole season. It consisted of one hour program for each meeting at MotorsTV UK, the leading motorsport TV channel in the UK. Large number of racing fans and Mazda MX-5 enthusiastics began to follow every single race of the Ma5da Racing championship.

After a successful racing season in 2009, the interest in the championship has really exploded. The 2010 season started with over 100 registered drivers. Many circuits have limits on the number of cars in each race, usually in the 30′s for small tracks and 40s for large tracks. This led to the need to separate the grids into groups. Up to three different race groups have been used throughout the 2010 season. Each race was averaging 30 to 40 cars and the maximum grid was 48 cars.

Ma5da MX5 Racing has become the largest single make championship in the UK. The championship started to attract attention as one of the most competitive championship in the UK. The championship has attracted the best drivers in the UK. Some drivers came from Renault Clip Cup, BTCC, Porsche, and other top British championships.

Many drivers post their onboard footage online. The videos are good indicators to the fierce competition and the close racing in the ma5da. Currently YouTube has over 300 videos tagged with MA5DA.
It is usual in close and equal racing to see more incidents and crashes, this is one aspect of Ma5da Racing that gained a bit of notoriety. The championship had its fair amount of race accidents during 2010. But nothing was serious and no one was harmed. Here is another onboard video from a head-on collision, Ma5da MX5 – Croft Crash.

With the addition of the MX5 Cup, based on the newer MK3 Mazda MX-5, Ma5da MX5 Championship is set for even more success in 2011. The championship will kick off in March at Silverstone Circuit.