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Well another year and another come back.
The main reason that I actually don’t feel cynical about this attempt is that I’ve actually put together a budget and time line with a target event! Now all I need to complete is the appropriate begging to be allowed to the usual sources and I’m on my way.
So what needs doing on the car to have it ready? Well…….
Finish painting/trimming/assembling, rear wheel bearing seals replaced, fluid changes, repair exhausts, bigger radiator, lights (I sold mine ’cause I wasn’t gunna race again didn’t I), buy new tripmeter, brake master cylinder and hundreds of other things that will most likely be done in the hours leading up to the first event. Ah, the first event.
22nd September for the Begonia Rally held in THE finest forest in all of Victoria, The Wombat State Forest. Oh hear ye Angels sing………
Yes we still smile at the feats performed in The Zed all those years ago on a drizzly night during the Moonlight Meander when we wiped many a stage and blitzed more than a couple of big names. Those sweet moments of zen driving that left many a silent moment in the car as we stuck it into places where the car had no right to be only to come out the other side with 2 grinning idiots staring wide-eyed out the windscreen. Magic stuff.
So how do I rate our chances?
Basically I don’t. It’s been a lot of years between events and a while even since I’ve driven the car at all! Plus we’re just out to have a laugh, I’m older (hopefully wiser) and I’m not competing in any competition. Plus I think the Stealthadore is a wee bit below the standard of your current Rally car.
Of course the driver is still a legend but naturally you knew that eh gentle reader?
I guess that biggest issue is deciding whether to wear the driving suit or not? Might leave that up to the GM to decide 
GH
Ah! It’s hard to beat the Australian bush and I reckon we saw some of the best of it during the weekend. The weather was just right, the company was delightful, BBQ was sizzling, the structure was erected and the roads were begging to be assaulted by The VRC crews
So it was when we found ourselves (were we lost??) at the intersection of Kenny’s Rd and Ironbark Rd in the Kenny’s State Forest. This is certainly one of the furthermost events I’ve travelled to and it’s at times like this when I’m out in the middle of such a remote forest miles from any major town that my thoughts turn to the early pioneers who forged their way through this country in the beginning of white settlement. I sit there in the silent darkness with my LED headlamp looking at a map of the area and imagine how isolated they must of felt without the benefits of motorised transport, electricity, GPS or mobile phones and it is then easy to see why these pioneers had the sense of humour to name landmarks with such hysterical names as Spanker Knob or Mount Little Dick! It gave Alyssa and I many moments of mirth with the combination of Spanker Rd, Monkey Creek, and Caster Oil Track providing plenty of material for our twisted minds.
But of course we were here to do an important job and that was to support The Great Man in his role as Stage Commander. It was a tough assignment but following the late night drive on Friday night after work we arrive at the lovely township of Bairnsdale where we spent the night at The Travellers Rest Motel. Breakfast in the morning and then after a drive up and down the main street to gather supplies we were ready to head to the forest.
Picking up the rest of the officials in Bruthen we made our way out to our stage which consisted of a section of road used twice (once each way) to form stages 4 and 7. Driving through the stage to the start point I have to say that I turned a very deep shade of envy green. The stage seemed to be bathed in a heavenly light and the sounds of an angelic choir filled my ears! What a piece of road! Smooth, fast, grippy, plenty of room to drive flamboyantly with a breeze moving the dust. Oh you lucky bastards I thought of the crews as I chugged along in formation with the other tortured souls that would be officiating on our stage.
Not even the new vehicle I was driving was cheering me up particularly, gone was the Silver Slug to be replaced by one of Ford’s new pride and joy – The Ford Ranger. Yep there I was driving along one of the finest rally roads I’ve been on in a while and what am I in? A 4 cylinder, 3 lt, turbo diesel automatic……………… Crap.
Setting up what was to be the start of stage 4 began and after 20 minutes we thought perhaps a dozen people was a bit of overkill to man a start control. So Peter “The Guru”, Val and Bob took off to look after the wooden bridges that would cause dramas later in the evening but not before The Guru had saved us from placing boards in all the wrong places. I still maintain that I’m a driver and it’s not my place to know these things!
However the start came and all the cars began to filter in for book in. Alyssa and I manned the start with myself taking the time books and nominating start times, Alyssa entering the information onto the time books and record sheet then back to me for the countdown/send off. Ok now I’m going to have a whinge about the attitude of 95% of the competing crews. Yes it’s been spoken of countless times and yes I know things are tense in the car and people are nervous, yes I know some people take it oh so seriously and yes I know some crews have spent large sums of money but would it kill them to offer up a genuine and personal thank you??
Now to continue with my rant, officials spend their own money, time and possibly risk the wrath of bored/ignored partners as they sit out in the forest for hours on end, sometimes without fires in freezing/wet conditions and only the food they hopefully were thoughtful enough to bring with them. Add to that the punishment their cars can take as they drive into some of the stages and the fact that it can at times be a stressful job (stressful for some more than others eh GM ; ) and the last thing you need is some clown in a rally car at best ignoring you or worst being verbally abused for giving the wrong time or some other earth shattering error!
NOTE TO ALL RALLY CREWS!!
Just because we’re out there in the forest doesn’t always mean we love it and that we’re having a ball! No we are NOT in awe of your car and no we’re NOT impressed that you just set the 17th fastest time. Just because the poor bugger handing you your card isn’t also standing there in a ridiculous looking driving suit (trust me, driving suits aren’t that flattering on middle aged men) doesn’t mean that they wouldn’t be able to flog your time in your own car on the same stage! But regardless, respect us and be genuinely polite to us as we’re out there giving up our time, money and marriage credits just so you can be out in your ridiculous driving suit enjoying the finest sport in the world in the best country in the world.
Having said all that, a big thank you to the crews that thanked us for being out there. You know who you are……………….
Naturally the CCRMIT crews were wonderful although Al’s story regarding a tissue with a mystery substance in it was unsettling to say the least and Bernie’s pink driving suit was just plain scary.
Well stage 4 ran smoothly and we prepared to swap over to a finish control for stage 7. After the finishbeams pushed GM’s patience completely over the edge, they politely began working and we settled down to await the return of the cars. So we had our second serving of Rally Burgers and Rick broke out the chocolates as we all enjoyed the glowing warmth of the fire bin.
The cars began arriving with Dowel/Lee easily being the fastest crew as they arrived with their front brake discs glowing bright red. Some crews including Terry and Andrew claimed stage 7 as the best stage of the event and no one on either one of our stages failed to finish.
It was a successful day/night and even the wooden bridge losing some planks mid stage did nothing to take the shine on what was another brilliant CCRMIT run stage. All that was left was to pick up all the signs etc and begin the 4 hour long drive home to bed. Fun, fun, fun………………….
Well we survived the GDM and only suffered a slight off which resulted in some minor damage. The young fella (TYF) did a great job and showed some great control in what I thought were very tricky conditions (this was supported by the many cars that had gone off. Yes including us).
Started off with the usual mapping mental break down but with help from Bernie and Alan I managed to start pulling it together and had the whole thing all sorted before too long. Big special THANK YOU to Alan for the use of his spare map as the one provided was a little hard to read. Conditions were perfect for rallying with a slight drizzle falling at times and the surface damp but still throwing up dust on certain sections. Grip was elusive at times but being last car there were plenty of wheel marks to follow and I’m sure things were fairly lively up the front of the field! We made our way to the first start and were sent off after the countdown! TYF launched with gusto and the car proved to be well armed in the horsepower stakes at least. Very short fast stage to start with and it was great to see TYF showing restraint and driving well within his ability. Made it to the end of the first stage with no dramas and carried on throughout the next lot of stages.
Route charted section were good and only got lost a little on the maps but have to say that I reckon that if I have to do it again I will be right as rain with the whole thing. No penalties which was nice and no it wasn’t just from following the wheel marks, I did actually know when to turn!! Was helped out quite well by TYF’s ability to snap the car around on a dime using the handbrake which pleasantly surprised me. Just need to work on keeping the engine running now……..
TYF listened to all advice and slowed when instructed but to be honest there was little to say as he drove quite well. Tidy and quick without rushing. Highlights for the night was taking a quick detour along some railway tracks (turn left OVER train tracks THEN turn right) and passing the same car 3 times (like father like son in their first event with me).
But as was mentioned at the beginning of this dribble, we did conclude the event on the side of the road. Second last stage, 2 km from finish and the road was a driver’s wet dream! Along the side of a mountain with a nice wide road with a great surface that was still in fantastic condition even with 40 or so cars passing it. TYF was starting to slide the car nicely but I think there was a bit of a rush of blood to the head and combined with down hill off camber corners and a style of driving that was better suited to tarmac, the inevitable happened. A few comments regarding momentum and getting the nose in early from myself prior to the shunt didn’t seem to help and even a last ditch “slow down the road goes left up here” didn’t stop the Escort from under steering gently into the bank on the right and beaching itself.
No harm done and only some minor damage to the car. Bit of a shame but 99.99% of the event was done exceptionally well and that is very encouraging. Bit of practice with pre-corner set up and she’ll be apples!!
Many thanks to TYF for letting me co-drive and congratulations on a job well done.
GH
Not sure if this is such a great idea.
It has been proven time and time again that I am no good at sitting on the other side of the car and trying to tell someone how to get from A to B to A. Not sure whether it is the fear of some one else’s driving or that I am not good with maps or that I am too busy trying to steer the car with my mind instead of focusing on the job at hand.
Being totally crap at maths and adding on the fly does not help but being under pressure is probably the worse thing. In a quiet room with ample time I am usually alright but when the light goes green and things start happening at speed, then my brain reverts back to primary school level! Now some might argue that this is where my mind resides at most of the time but I am not one to argue ; )
So I hope that I don’t let Dale down and get us lost but I’m sure all will be right and being the last car I don’t imagine the track will be too hard to find : ) Here’s hoping anyway.
But am looking forward to it regardless and I’m sure that Dale and I will have a great night just being out there and having a go.
GH
What a nice day for a rally!
Yes it was time for the team to hit the forest and for once just stand and watch some highly entertaining driving in what was reported to be a tricky forest.
Has anything changed?
Well a few things from my point of view.
I guess the most critical missing element was that there was no brew!! Yep it’s a first being out in the forest without the famed Rally Brew Coffee. But we were very civilised and had tea instead and it was enough that we had something warm to hang on to.
Another was an obvious change from the the focus of being known by more people from me to The Great One. I know this has been the case for a long while now but it only really was quite a stand out at this event I guess due to wandering the service park rather than being stuck out in the forest. It was actually quite pleasant! Met a lot of lovely people.
There were disappointments – Watching my old zed be driven like a girl
There were highlights – Watching another zed be driven VERY VERY well!
But best of all was just to walk, talk and watch rallying out in the beautiful Australian bush. And yes we did see the missing emu ; )
GH
PS Have been having thoughts of preparing the Escort for some events………..but thought better of it LOL!!
Well it has arrived but I have to say that it wasn’t an easy birth and it is a less than perfect child. But then again, even in it’s former life the Rallydore was no fine specimen of a rally car.
Yes have finally gotten around to painting the Commodore and no it doesn’t look as good as I hoped. Couple of thing that contributed to this I reckon such as the absence of the guiding hand of either Russell (r.i.p.) or Col and the absence of good equipment. The spray gun might of been ok but the compressor was not able to keep up and so ran out of puff leaving the spray dry and dusty. Bit disappointing but might come up ok with a cut and polish (here’s hoping)
All that aside though, the car does look good all in colour and it’s amazing what covering all the damage with paint will do : ) I am thankful for the use of dad’s garage and I am glad also that I took before and after photos.
And what an amazing colour it is too! Yep I think it really looks good and it’s the last colour that you would expect to see on that type of car. Mulberry, what a colour!
More on that later.
Let us give thanks and praise the efforts of our young disciple as he begins his journey down the path of the righteously fast man. Let us join together, not to cast him down but to lift our voices up in praise and encouragement! For yes it is a hard path to follow and the costs to mind, spirit, body and wallet are sometimes overwhelming. But the rewards are also great and the highs will always outweigh the lows. Be safe be fast and in Juha’s name, amen!
Ah yes. The first time. Oh how vaguely I remember it from my early days. Have seen the footage (something about a dog and razor blades) and was pleased to see a controlled effort by the young fella. The urge to try and fly is always hard to resist but I am sure that words of wisdom from dad were heeded and nice clean runs were made with plenty of control. Yes there were spins and minor collisions with the tyre walls but these were only little errors which were far and away overshadowed by an in control (that word again) and relaxed run at the various courses.
Big things on the horizon? Does it matter? The smile is the biggest indicator and if that is reading high than that is all that matters. As GM knows, some of the best fun has been had near the back of the field and some of the finest moments were followed by offs or breakdowns.
Looking forward to seeing more and more of the young fella out there.
Yours in perfect control
G (yeah right)
Yes Tired I am here at the scene of the upcoming(?) WRC mecca in New Zealand where it is hoped that in November G & G rally love machine will absorb the wonder of Petter, Chris, Marcus et al.
Pitch condition at the moment is excellent with driver’s comfort dipping down into the very sweaty due to high humidity. The roads are sick and the scenery…….well who really cares about the scenery except to say that it is indeed, scenic. News is scarce on the ground concerning any news on venue for service park and course location, but a drive by of alleged Service Park Mystery Creek, reveals that it is a fantastic site with enough room to hold a speccie stage! And yes Tired the question everyones dying to ask, is it really that mysterious? I am pleased to say that yes it is a complete mystery!!
So pull all strings and treasure every fly by point because this is the year that TOR goes BIG TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Man on the ground………G
Time to add another chapter into the tome of forest love.
Not a rally car in site for this adventure. The only dust getting raised was from the dancing feet of thousands and the only rock getting thrown through the air was from 3 storey high speakers! Yes another year and another Meredith Music Festival : )
Had my “co-driver” along again this year for the event. Gabbo made it there but did go on to suffer some stamina problems (goes too hard that boy) We arrived in fine fashion after having a scare with Gabbo not being able to find his tickets!!! But a quick ring around and all was sorted and we left having only lost some sweat and a couple of hours. When I said fine fashion, I meant only the best! We arrived in the Gabbo Communications Toyota Highly Ace Transport/Party Vehicle. Within minutes of being in, we had set up our site complete with veranda, fridge, 3 eskies, guitar (complete with mini Marshall amp), couch and a lantern. We also bought along a heap of food and naturally plenty of refreshing beverages. So having set up our home for the next couple of nights, we prepared for our journey down to the stage area as the blue gums sighed gently in the afternoon air…………….
Anyway.
Had a fantastic time with Gabbo and all the other 8 thousand people there that weekend. Saw and heard some great performances with The Mess Hall being a stand out. Danced and danced and danced and watched the sun come up on Sunday morning which was a treat : ) No photos at this point but hoping to chase some up through some other folks that were there. But the memories of the great dancing styles of G & G music factory will live on for ever in my damaged mind : ) There was even a showing of the Tired Dance!!
But it is all over for another year and plans are already being made for next years event. More people and perhaps a earlier start with tickets stapled to our hands!! Would be good to have another group of people join in so brace yourself for another year of pining for Meredith 2006!!
Cheers
G-Love
What a long drive!
All the way to Adelaide town and back again. We did bring a little something back though : )
Yes now we have the newest addition to the Rally stable and yea it is an Escort. Quite a nice one at that. Seems to all work and make all the right noises although I am sure the clutch will become easier for the lad as time goes by and the seat is moved back. Such a neat little car and no doubt will stand up to all the punishment that will be dealt out to it (I shall be barred of course. Not sure why I have such a reputation).
Well it was lovely weather and a worry free journey so am quite thankful for that. Look forward to all the further adventures of the new ’scort.
G
