Trailblazer Rally

[Grumblebum]

OK I've entered the GRUMBO mobile and Dave Trees is going in an Escort in the silly seat. So who's coming to look/officiate/compete it starts [part 1] in Kilmore and part 2 the serious stuff at Heathcote Showgrounds at Sunset. Excels are eligible --theres some interesting comments on the HRA site regarding Excel[s]I think that the raw power and awesome handling of the excels has them worried!!!!!! I should point out that the event is navigation based but the last bit is a blast through the Heathcote Forest. So come on lets get a couple more Excels there You only need a 2NS licence or better .
Hope to see at least some Excelians on the Day:clap:

[Grumblebum]

Well the Trailblazer's been and gone. There were 31 entries in the night TRE and we were down in 28th. Dave Trees was seeded #2. The event was run as two loops around a central control in the Heathcote Forest. This was the first run for the Grumbo Excel and I was fortunate enough to pick up a former A grade navigator Freddy Lankerink who hardly made a mistake all night.Thanks fred
From the results at the halfway point we were running inside the top 10 with only vibrating lights and blinding dust as our problems-we had to stop on many occasions just so we could see where the road went even on low beam.As Victoria has had NO rain in many areas future events are going to be decided by your start #.
We completed the second loop but still dropped a swag of time due to the dust but we were one of only a handful that only lost points for time [yeah I'm slow] rather than WD's and missed vias The provisional results have us at 12th with 65 points lost and Dave Trees in the Escort twik with 46 lost to come in 8th.
I cant believe how well the Excel went-- we bashed through the scrub,crunched through the rutted roads clouted some graveley banks all With OUT a sumpguard!!! and only inflicted a minor ding to the passenger side sill!! the underside is nice and shiney!
A big thank you to Tony and Nicole Moore who bravely manned a passage control -I thought your Sooby was Black not brown!!!! and all other controllies without whom Nothing can happen. ColVic was a Steward and a big thanks also to GOD and all the other officials.
Once again a top navigation event well run by the HRA and thanks to Hyundai for the support and the MIGHTY EXCEL.

[DaveTrees]

Kim & I were pretty lucky to come in 8th ... I didn't have one of my better nights on the maps :spank: ... but then again Heathcote is always a challenge. Fortunately Kim drove great & made up some of the time I lost us down wrong roads !

We missed one info - we went there, but didn't see the board for some reason.

Trust me, even the crews at the front of the field have to contend with dust ... there was a lot of position-swapping due to overshoots etc.

The Twink is going fantastic though - while it was at the panel shop most of last year after our off-road excursion in the BP, Ken Harper gave the engine a complete rebuild & some head work. I'm sure T & N would attest to how good it sounds in the forest ! :D

Which passage were you guys on ? I don't recall seeing you ... probably had my head in the maps (or you were blending in with the scenery !)

[Mooa42]

I'm sure T & N would attest to how good it sounds in the forest ! :D

Which passage were you guys on ? I don't recall seeing you ... probably had my head in the maps (or you were blending in with the scenery !)

We came and had a look at the TC and Kim showed me around the car at the show grounds. You had your head buried in your mapping so I dared not disturb you in your office. We were on stage 4 passage 4 I think, (Rhino stamp) enter to the west on a triangle of roads then hard right out of control.

It was a good night, we really enjoyed it. The TC did sound good coming through the still forest; Grumblebum almost stopped for a chat, glad he had lights because we wouldn’t have heard him coming, (Brightest lights too I reckon). I’m gathering that G.W won in his Peugeot, seemed to come through closest to his expected time. How’d you go Grumblebum?

[DaveTrees]

I’m gathering that G.W won in his Peugeot,

Sure did - Graham & Phil dropped a total of 1 point for the event !

[Grumblebum]

Hi Tony sorry we couldn't stop for a chat and we had other passage controllies asking if the engine was running? bloody cheek!!! I had a ball and apart from the dust--Sooby clean yet??--and vibrating lights a really good run. We were one of a few crews who actually completed the course and collected all infos and vias but we were punished by the penalties applied to competitors being only 10 points instead instead of the usual 30 So if the usual penalties applied we would have knocked Dave off by a point---GO THE EXCEL!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Not a bad effort for a pair of seniors in our first event for a couple of decades!! Wait till we get back in the swing of things.
I am really impressed by the EXcel it came through the event dusty but otherwise unscathed the performance was adequate but the grip with the Aussports was awesome-- really looking forward to next event will have a sump guard/ twincam and maybe a sporty exhaust.

[johnd]

A couple of pics from Trailblazer......

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v74/lancerjohn26/TB001copy.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v74/lancerjohn26/TB003.jpg

[Grumblebum]

Thanks for those John I thought the pics from High camp would have been interesting. You can see how dusty it was and the difference in dustiness between the earlier cars and the later ones . The grumbo Excel came through with the loss of one engine pipe nut and a missing rear engine mount bolt.As the roads were rough in places and being without a sump guard I was pleasantly surprised to find absolutely no damage under the car although it was nicely polished. Roll on the next event!!!!

[DaveTrees]

A nice pictorial example of Escort oversteer vs. Excel understeer :potstir:

[johnd]

Ah, yes, High Camp...........
A passage control with a difference............
Did you get her phone number?????????

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v74/lancerjohn26/TB04copy.jpg

[Grumblebum]

No but Freddie was up to something he looks like he's asking for something and look at what he"s holding on the roof!!! Car was cleaner then. Thanks John you've made my day. Cheers Peter:clap: