Event Report: Rally Vic

[Mooa42]

Just as quick post to say thanks;
Firstly, to the tireless, selfless efforts of John Carney for all his wheeling, dealing, liaison, cars, promotion, crew and drivers to help promote the Excel series in Vic and make the event work for us all. Well done John, hats off to you and your crew for your months of work to get the Excels to the day.:clap::clap:

A big thanks also to all the NSW and ACT guys and gals that made the trek to join us at Rally Vic, our apologies for the weather. Poor Rick was running off the road book which made it pretty hard, especially when the fog had most struggling to see their bonnet let alone the road. Thanks also to Hyundai for organising the training day and their support and, of course, to the rally organisers.

We had a really enjoyable rally, but commiserations must go to Leigh. Leigh was absolutely smashing all the Excels, (and practically everyone else too), before an electrical gremlin struck to ruin his day. He set 14th, 13th and 16th outright stage times in the VRC on the first three stages before electrical gremlins struck. On those three stages alone he had already built a gap of 1 minute 32.5 sec over us. I hope you stay with us in an Excel next year Leigh, it'll set us all a nice high benchmark to work towards. Well done.

I have to make a special mention to Daniel and Matt Anderson too who quietly ended up as second Vic Excel and have definitely stepped up from the start of the year. Well done guys. A big welcome also to Johnathon in Damo's old Excel for his first foray into rallying. Lots of big smiles, which is always good to see; welcome aboard.

I will dribble on more later, when I am not so tired.
Tony
PS Did I thank John Carney? Legend; insane efforts John, insane. I'm not sure where we'd be without you.:clap::clap:

[mrbyrnes]

What an amazing experience! I have to say a huge thank you to John C, without all of John's help & support I would not have made it to Lardner Park. Also thanks to Stoney for fixing up my small clutch issue and Stu... you are the man! I had an absolute ball. Sorry you got a bit muddy on the third stage :)
Thanks to everyone else too. What a great bunch of people involved in the Excel series. Everyone is so friendly and helpful... it is a great community and as a newbie to all of this, all I can say is if you are interested in rallying then I can highly recommend the excel series to anyone. As for the car, I have a whole new respect. What an incredible little machine. SO MUCH FUN!!!!!!!! Can't wait for the next event. I am so hooked on this!

[fro]

Thanks for having us in Victoria...

First up, congratulations to Tony and Nikki Moore. A great drive that shows that you've really stepped up since last year. A great drive that showed that you really have outclassed us northeners.

Second, thanks to John Carney and Col Hardinge for coordinating and massaging the deal together for us to run and service together. John (and Stoney and the Gunnawyn crew) really helped so many of us this weekend, your efforts are very much appreciated.

Thanks to Kirrilee for jumping in with me. I still hate pacenotes, but feel like I'm getting better at them.

Thanks to my gorgeous wife Naomi for her service expertise.

And thanks to Team Hyundai, Team Gunnawyn and Team TTS for their eager assistance at service and generally with life this week. I really needed all the help I could get!

Big hats off to Leigh Garrioch/Jenna Kelley and the Mackenzies for showing us how fast you should be able to punt these Excels... real eye opener.

I had a shocker of a morning, with some organisational issues, and then just being asleep for the first two stages. Just really didn't find a groove until the third stage... but by then it was all too late. When it was all over after the 5 forest stages, I just ran out of time to make up for my shortcomings.

It really was great to compete with all those Excels, both the NSW regulars like Roberts/Murphy and the Cullens and all the Victorian crews.

I'm thinking I'll need some more practice before the next challenge to try and take the fight to you Mexicans!

Thanks to Hyundai and RallySchool for their ongoing support of the Excel Series.

[Wassa]

Attached are 2 zip documents showing the results from Rally Victoria (had to split the results due to site constarints) . :clap:

Note: it has all the competitors listed.

Too bad Leigh didn't finish, he was on fire, like the Andersons

Well done to everyone and it was a fun day in the mud! :clap::crazy:

Sue
905

906

[Wassa]

Here is a summary of the final VRC results.

907

[Wassa]

Sorry about the multiple entries, but here are the Excel results. :clap: :grouphug:

908

[Bargy]

So how come SS15 is missing from the results?

We were left stranded 4km into SS9 with a broken fuel pump. It was quite a challenge running off the road book in those conditions with the tulips averaging over 1km apart. But I did find that grip was fairly consistent throughout (except for when I missed apexes and ran wide).

Rick

[Wassa]

So how come SS15 is missing from the results?

We were left stranded 4km into SS9 with a broken fuel pump. It was quite a challenge running off the road book in those conditions with the tulips averaging over 1km apart. But I did find that grip was fairly consistent throughout (except for when I missed apexes and ran wide).

Rick

The special stage was 'just for fun' for VRC. :clap: :crazy:
It did not count towards the final result and I haven't been able to find any times for it.

[ernysxl]

Wished I'd known that sitting in the cold and rain for two hours timing the special stage and radioing the times through.... I wonder what did happen to all those times??

[Humphrey]

I probably have the most thankyou's to make of anyone from the weekend. Driving someone elses car is a tricky proposition between driving fast but hoping not to put a scratch on it also. To my disappointment I did put a scratch or maybe thats a dent in the back of JC's Excel but its easily repairable (hopefully). So to John I have to say thankyou for trusting me with your machine, Jenna and I tried our best to do a professional job of getting it down the slippery stages. Jenna has to be next on my list of thankyou's for jumping back in to co-drive for me as she had done in 2009. She did an exemplary job as usual both with contributing to a great set of pace notes and reading them back whilst in competition, thanks Jenna.

Johns Gunnawyn team is great to be part of, with a knowledge base of rallying from many years of experience to even some new faces like Jonathon Byrnes on the weekend. It keeps everyone on their toes with Stoney the all knowing service guru and JC calling the shots like a married couple from under the quick shade! Everything gets done efficiently though and there is never a shortage of fun. The team has grown to such a point now that a communications manager was appointed for Rally Vic but I'm unsure if any of us wanted to know what James was going to communicate next (some of the time) :wtf: He did a great job when it counted though, pity he and Stoney couldnt get me a couple more 20Amp fuses down the phone line.

I have to thank Mick G and his Hyundai team for the testing day on Wednesday before the rally, I needed the time back in the car since changing alot of stuff on Johns car. It was the first time I had ever been involved in ARC testing and it was interesting to see how much work it is to run a factory supported outfit such as Micks. The I30 didnt do many km's on the day but it was obvious that the Hyundai employees enjoyed the day (away from real work mind you) going for rides in all the different cars and being involved in our favourite motorsport. That team BBQ aint bad either. I was glad not to put a scratch on the car that day also, on the rough little test track we used and the car didnt show any signs of fault back then unfortunately :(

Friday was a little disappointing as has been expressed by others, I think the organisation of sub events like this is tricky within a National motorsport event. It would be nice if the organisers could relax the constrainsts and give us enough runs to keep the crowd happy right upto the main show but in the end it is their liability and program to enforce. It didn't get much easier to get any sense out of rally head quarters on Saturday morning either though when, as first Excel we had earlier been promised some sort of extra time gap to the slowest VRC car. On arriving at the TC for the first VRC stage (5) and explaining that we had been told something different to 2 minutes had been planned we were met with blank officials. I decided that it wasnt an issue dust-wise and that it would be ok to start as per normal on a 2 minute gap. I was proved wrong when we caught the Escort mid stage but thankfully he saw us and did a great job of moving over. On arriving at the next TC and explaining the same issue we once again had blank faces but we pushed our point and the officials radioed head quarters and allowed us to start 4 minutes after the Esky. That worked fine until we got to the third stage start TC (7) and the officials there had not been updated by radio either :splat:
Running as the first Excel meant we had no idea of how quick everyone behind us were going especially with the short liasons and removing bumper bars between controls. It was very disappointing when the car did cut out when we had found a good pace and were looking forward to heading back to Lardner Park to compare times. Then once we got the car on the trailer and back out of the bush and realised the event had been shortened (halved) we had only been 2 stages away from victory. That is how rallying goes and I'm still looking forward to finishing my first full event in an Excel early next year! Was great comradery between all the Excel crews, servcing in the same area and I enjoyed meeting many new rally people over the weekend.

I do have to thank all the officials that gave up their time to make the event happen in interesting weather patterns. From the hot and burning sun Wednesday at test day, to a mild Thursday recce, onto another hot and humid "demonstration" lap day Friday and then a cold, wet and foggy rally Saturday. Thankyou also to the other members of Gunnawyn who got us to the start and kept us fueled/tyred/prepped for the stages; Norm, Jon, Simon and of course my girlfriend Sally.

I would come back and do it all again next year if the event is happening/available, mainly for those amazing roads. I was unaware of the post event scrutiny issues until later at the presentation dinner and I must say I was disappointed with how competitors were treated by the sounds of the process :confused: I must also agree with Tony that the ACT crews do support the series very well and therefore maybe the National event has to visit their roads in the near future!?

Leigh G (CAR 67 Gunnawyn-white).

[Jimbo]

He did a great job when it counted though, pity he and Stoney couldnt get me a couple more 20Amp fuses down the phone line.

Would you belive me if I said that I tried to pass a message onto the team cars behind you, to drop off some spare fuses on their way past.. Don't think they got the message though.. (Need to put radios in WRC style me thinks!)

And thanks Leigh, I had a blast with the whole team, just keeps getting bigger & better. Pity the car didn't hold up, it's great to see how the Excels should be driven!

Whilst I'm hear, thanks to JC, Stoney, Norm, for making the service park such a relaxing place to be, and to all the Excel crews for keeping the fun in the game. Hopefully next year Cathy & I will return to the forests in our new Lantra, and will be kept honest (but not beaten..) by you all..

For now, have a man hug :grouphug:

Jimbo

[Wassa]

Check out the great photo of Luke's car in the special stage.

Note: the Hyundai Excel Series also gets a great boost in the article too :clap::clap::grouphug:

http://www.rallysportmag.com.au/home/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5355&Itemid=2

[Mooa42]

Can anyone spot the John?

http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/2870/img9962cropfusedsmall.jpg

An image I found on the WRX site from Callahan, (see his post)
http://www.wrx.com.au/forum/viewtopic.php?f=52&p=747848

[shabby]

That is a ripper.:clap:

[HMCA]

Can anyone spot the John?

http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/2870/img9962cropfusedsmall.jpg

An image I found on the WRX site from Callahan, (see his post)
http://www.wrx.com.au/forum/viewtopic.php?f=52&p=747848

no but fuzzy from Fuzzy protographics is the guy in the middle with the lense out of focus :lmao:

[johnd]

Here's how it looked from down there in the creek!!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v74/lancerjohn26/vv027.jpg

[Crazy Dave]

What an event and thank you to all those that did so much to make it happen. Big thanks from me to Mick and the Hyundai team for mainly (but not only) for which I
a. would not have been able to enter
b. would not have had pacenotes as I could not make recce.
c. would not have been able to start as we found a cracked disc and stuffed cv joint before the start.

Thanks also to rallyschool for a as well.

What an event. The roads (apart from being wet) were defintiely a great set of roads, really nice and flowing.

We had no intercom on stage 1 which made things interesting with pacenotes. Stage 2 had a big near miss about half way in the wet and then drove ordinary from then on. Stage 3 started to get back in when the roads openned up at the end. Stage 4 I had a pretty good go at it for me and thought the time would have been reasonable but still got hosed by Tony. Stage 5 was mediocre for me.

The big things
Leigh was just light years ahead. Steven looked like he was going to be as well. Tony was just so consistently quick every stage. Very unlucky for Victoria in the state challenge, but at least we took one thing away fro the weekend.

Running on someone elses pacenotes is interesting and although I haven't done a lot of pacenotes event, it proved a really good learning point and I picked up a few ideas for next time although as I grew in confidence with the notes I began to speeding up beyond what I originally established as drive cautious on others notes rules resulting in a big side ways off on Stage 4 with a right 8 into right 4 and coming around the 8 really quick expecting a bit os space to the 4 and then seeing the begin of the 4 approaching way quicker than needed but luckily finding a clearing amongst the trees to slide of into. I have never really used the cut instruction but it proved good and will use it again.

The speed of the Vic cars and how much that has changed over the last couple of years is amazing. We need to pull our fingers out and try and give a bit more challenge next year. Can't wait till the next National Excel Cup event :clap: except no Victorian scrutineers are allowed :spank:

[fro]

Thanks to John Doutch for the photos... Enjoy evidence that I was there (and going slowly)!

[DaveTrees]

Can anyone spot the John?



What was the pace note ? "Doutch - Don't Cut " ?

[ae86trueno]

So do we have any official shootout times yet ????

Ben

[Mooa42]

So do we have any official shootout times yet ????

Ben

Only the ones I posted on BMSC, (which I missed Adrian's time:-( ) I have sent an e-mail trying to get them and the Saturday times, I will post if I can track them down.

Tony

[ernysxl]

Tony I know we took the times for the Saturday Lardner Stage and these where all passed on to Rally HQ. I passed all paperwork on to the organizers so it does exist. We know there was one protest by one of the RWD front runners who felt his time was not correct but all was confirmed as correct as we had three clocks on the finish line.

[thommo 73]

im told that the rally of vic will be on channel 10 at 12 on sunday

[Mooa42]

Super Special Results

I haven't forgotten, the scorer was off doing the Safari Rally after Rally Vic and I have been promised they will be on there way soon.