How will Ed go at Lithgow

[Whitey]

With Ed's test drive of the HMCA Excel tomorrow, How do you think Ed Ordynski & Iain Stewart will go in the Excel at the NSW Litgow state round? Please vote in the Poll and comment if you like

[ae86trueno]

I think Glenn will hose him :D

Ok mabey not, but i think they will be similar speed as Glenn knows his car and how to drive it fast.
Will there be a movie out soon called "Hot Fazz" ??

Ben.

NB: for those who havnt seen it yet Hot Fuzz was very Funny.

[luke_how]

It will be interesting to see. I'm quite excited. I think it will be close between Glenn and Ed. We will have to wait and see.:)

[matt mead]

i hope its a close battle between the two... but what ever happens, it will do wonders for the excel series... good work to the people involved in getting this to happen

[Rally Angel]

Mmmm.... I haven't voted as I am not sure!!! :confused: However, Ed seems to adapt to all car types pretty quickly so I am sure he will have no problems with the Excel. Definitely good news for the series and I can't wait to see the results after the event!

[Crazy Dave]

I am with you Lissi. I don't know how he will go as he does adapt very well so should stand a chance. Plus he is an experienced pace noter which makes a big difference. Glenn will need an experienced pace noter with him as it makes a big difference. I wish it was an excel round without pace notes so I could afford to have a crack at him as well. I need to see Glenns resume for pace not experience and who is naving for him before I put money down. Ed has that side of things coverred and if Glenn has that as well, hmmm tough call.

[Crazy Dave]

Reports are that he did alright at practice with some issues with the brakes to work out (and a kangaroo). I am sure Mick will update us when he is back in the country or lets talk Ed into getting on here and giving us some feedback. That might be a great promtional day for the series next year. Get Ed (Rick Bates
or someone) to come to a practice day with all the excels and get in the car and give us some prep and set up tips for the car.

I think Glenn is going to have a good fight for the excel win (even though it is not an excel round)

[Rally Angel]

lets talk Ed into getting on here and giving us some feedback. That might be a great promtional day for the series next year. Get Ed (Rick Bates or someone) to come to a practice day with all the excels and get in the car and give us some prep and set up tips for the car.

I think you are on to something there!!!

[Whitey]

I don't think you can under estimate the amount of talent required to win the Australian Championship (even if it was in 1990 :D ).

I'll stick my neck out and say I am thinking that Ed should be able to sneak into the top 10, if not, he will certainly be quicker than Glenn.

[Whitey]

Looking at last years state round results, if Ed can come 1st 2WD he should also be in the top 10.

[HMCA]

Hi guys

Back home and I must say how terrible my time in Queenstown was.

Day 1 meeting
Day 2 Chopper pick up from Milbrook Resort for a trip to Milford Sound, a beach, a Glasier and really big hill overlooking Queenstown for lunch and Crownies.

Day 3 meeting
Day 4- white water rafting and jet boats

The test day went quite well from all acounts. Wayne, Harv and Heather looked after Ed and they had about 4 runs before the car needed a new radiator. Ed did some interviews while the boyz fixed the Excel and then had a few more runs. Having not competed in a car with a brake booster for a long time he had a bit of trouble gaining confidence in the brake pedal.

He also had a run with Molly and our Satilite Team Stigma driver Hev. Rick's Evo 6 played up so Rick had plenty of time for talkin.

Hyundai would like to thank Rick and his team for the efforts in getting this day together including TV media etc. Rick as really put in a big effort to get Ed and Iain in the Excel which is well beyond the expectations of a Event Director. Local Ces Evens was going to tape the News on Friday night but technology let him down.

Cheers Mick

[HMCA]

http://media.putfile.com/Rally-Of-Lithgow--22-03-07-news

[AnnaR]

I Glenn will need an experienced pace noter with him as it makes a big difference.

:D

We know we'll be up against it, but how exciting to have a crack at Ed....

[Glenn]

...and have a crack we will!

What an opportunity. When else will you get a chance to compete against a true champion in effectively the same machinery? That just doesn't happen.

Added to that, Ed is probably the closest I had to to an idol in this sport, so it's just completely surreal.

Onto how I think it could pan out.

I reckon in basic car speed terms we'll be pretty equal. There's not a lot between the cars mechanically. The HMCA car has a bit more power and has Proflex compared to the DMS I run, but it's probably only a marginal difference. Ed has the skill and the experience, but I have the familiarity with the car and recent rallying (I bet Ed didn't drive the Excel to work yesterday :) ) Ed's got nothing to gain, but I'm going to be really pushing on.....

However, I reckon the difference will mainly be in pacenoting experience (like Robo alluded to). I'm effectively new to pacenotes, having only done Shakedown last year. From the time that I ran an ARC team, we could tell when the crew were not committing to (or having trouble with) the pacenotes. It manifested itself in about a 1.5s/km difference in speed. I'm sure the main factor will be me listening and more improtantly committing to the notes.

If we get hosed whilst having a relatively clear run, then that's great...at least I then know how far it is possible to improve. If I can get my act together on notes, then it might be close, but it's a big ask. If the planets align, then anything's possible.

So I reckon that unless there's bad attrition (like Natcap where I came 8th), then Ed probably won't get into the Top 10 or 1st 2wd. 1st P2 is a pretty good bet I reckon.

Hope to see you all up there. It's gonna be a blast!

Cheers

Glenn

Having said all that I voted for him to be hosed by the Fazz......gotta have some self-belief....win it or bin it!

[HMCA]

Hi Guys

HMCA Service have held a competition for Hyundai Tech's and we will have 2 fourth year apprentices joining us for Lithgow as well as the normal line up plus some driver bloke who's car has found a better driver.

So as such if those Excel competitors who are consider entering but need Hyundai Service assistance we can help. Please don't let your lack of service crew stop you from entering.

As far as the competition is concerned I'm just sorry I couldn't also compete and get well and truly hosed. I believe they are looking for another Excel for another "Rally Great" which would really get the poll going.

Where will my money go???

I think rallying will be the winner

Cheers Mick

[ae86trueno]

Mick We will take you up on the offer, ill talk to you soon.

Ben.

[fro]

Wally Wadio Withgow has the microphone ready to interview Farrant/Ritson and Ordynski/Stewart to try and get the low down on the battle as it unfolds. I expect one of the first ports of call for both crews on their way into service to be to the DJ booth to update their fans on the epic battle.

Go Fazz, Go!!!

[Trevor]

Go Glenn (and Anna)

Results at 17:00, with 4 stages down, and 4 to go, Glenn and Anna are leading Ed and Ian by 19 seconds.

I just hope they can keep it up :)

[Trevor]

:hyper: Well done Glenn and Anna:hyper:

15th Farrant/Ritson 107.14
17th Ordynski/Stewart 107.49

[ernysp76]

Well done to all the Excels. This bloke Ordynski has got a bit of potential for someone new to the Excel Series only 35 sec shy of the quickest Excel great effort. I hear he is based at Albury TAFE Autosport section might be a good opportunity to forge some great alliances.

[Crazy Dave]

Albury, then we had better be quick to claim him for NSW, but I wreckon he might still consider SA his state. Just need a car for him at Bega now and see him run a blind rally.

Congrats to Glenn for the win and Ed for doing so well in his first real run in an excel. To be swapping times with our currently quickest excel in your first outing is awe inspiring and shows the talent hasn't been lost.

[Whitey]

I went to Hampton as an Excel Series groupie. What a fantastic event, full credit to Ric Cary and the team for a great event which has set the benchmark by which all future state championship rallies will be judged.

Also thanks to the event organisers and Hyundai for making it possible for Mr Ed to drive the HMCA Excel.

Ed looked like he was taking it little easy, probably a case of a not very familiar car belonging to someone else and a memory of the kangaroo from the media day. The Hyundai apprentices were kept busy sorting out damaged strut tops and a few niggling issues while Mick Gillett paced like an expectant father.

Not to take anything away from Glenn who was bit quicker most stages. Except the one where Captain Fingertight struck and the RH rear wheel was wobbling around for a few km on stage 4 when a bolt holding the strut to the hub fell out. Fortunately it was all fixed at service, which also caused a few anxious moments with a temporary return of Glenns engine won't start due to a lack of fuel issue. It looks like Glenn and Anna backed it off a bit on the last two stages coasting to the P2 win.

The Cullen boys, also being serviced by the Hyundai crew, had a few dramas with a broken engine mount and a failed alternator. They found themslves dry bogged on stage one, but were recoved by sweep and allowed to continue. However there was an unconfirmed rumour that they may have rolled "lightly" at the spectator point on Stage 6.

[ae86trueno]

However there was an unconfirmed rumour that they may have rolled "lightly" at the spectator point on Stage 6.

Where did that come from ??

Full credit to all the Hyundai team especially Mick and Harv, beers coming your way .

Yep on SS1 Mat drifted wide a little on a Hiarpin and got stuck on the exit, in anything but an excel we would have been able to drive. He was going really well up until that point. I suspect we pulled the rear end out of alignemnt when Bruce was pulling us out as well, as we had very little rear grip after that.

SS2 Mat had a big monent at 120k's with the car facing a big bank then a big tree, After that when we realised something wasnt right we backed right off.
We got a New Engine mount installed in record time, and headed off to a delayed ss3, by now it was dark.

We got Half way through SS3 and the lights were getting dimmer and dimmer, and Mat drove the rest of the stage off high beam just to get to the finish,
Alternator got replaced on the way to SS4, But again failed half way through, and the car finally died 5k's out from the service park.
A quick road side charge and we headed back to the service park and withdrew.

I think Mat still had about 6k's of fun on SS1.
We wil get the car fixed before Bega.
Congrats to Glenn for the Win and Ed for coming to play.

Ben.

[John C]

Well done Glenn and Anna you must be very happy with the result, congratulations also to Ed and Mick for again getting great exposure for the Excel series, commiserations to the Cullen boys i am sure that you will be at Bega going better than ever. see you all at Bega

[Whitey]

Glad to hear it was not you :) .
The road closure guys at the speccie point told me that the last car on the road rolled and they helped turn it over and then it went on its way.
I asked if it was the green excel and they said it was dark and could not be entirely sure, they did describe the crew as two guys who looked like they were brothers.

Sounds like you did not make it that far.

Apologies for the misleading info, turns out it was the guys in the lada.

[HMCA]

Well if you can't beat them join em then control em

I've hatched a plan and after a few drinks at the Lithgow Workers Club Glenn has agreed to it.

I think this is the only way we can keep Glenn in check is to bring him into the Hyundai team and enforce team orders-Carlos Saints Style!!!

Glenn and Anna did a fantastic job at Lithgow and they really deserve the win. As Whitey has eluded to I think Ed was traveling within a comfort zone although I didn't suggest this at any stage. Ed and Iain were happy with their stage times and most importantly had fun.

Also as Whitey has suggested I don't make a very good expectant father. I just don't understand that a car can be reliable, not one thing go wrong for 11 rally's and you give your car to a driver of note and all hell breaks loose. Silly things like tail/brake lights etc. The strut tops have also done 11 events and I think we will be checking these a bit more often now and replacing after a certain number of events.

I will follow this up with a press release later, Have to go and clean the coffee machine before returning the pie van.


Cheers Mick

[Glenn]

Happy to run to team orders anytime....where do I sign :deal: :)

I've put a longish report in the Event Reports section and Anna has posted on BMSC.

With regards to this thread, I think the decisive factor was familiarity with the car....still when I weigh up all of the factors involved, I'm going to claim it as a fair and square win.

[HMCA]

Happy to run to team orders anytime....where do I sign :deal: :)

The contracts in the mail- keep a look out for it!!!



With regards to this thread, I think the decisive factor was familiarity with the car....still when I weigh up all of the factors involved, I'm going to claim it as a fair and square win.

I think we all agree the win is well and truly yours and anna's.

The lack of time in the car may of effected the result a bit but I believe that given your current commitment to speed you would of hosed me by a lot more then 35 seconds. Ed did a pretty good job to be as close as he was at the end.

We are organising the Reece car to go to South Australia soon to ensure he is at home in an Excel and ready for the 2008 Rally of Lithgow. It will be a bit closer next year.

Is that contract there yet???

[Glenn]

Is that contract there yet???

Nope, but I'll be checking my mailbox every 5 minutes for the next week :)