2006 Black Bear Rally, Dorset, Ontario Canada.
Our first rally is complete, and our only goal was to finish the rally, having a top 10 finish is icing on the cake!
We first have to thank all the organizers and volunteers that put together such a great event.
First stage went smoothly and we took it pretty easy but still managed to catch some air on the jumps. We decided on using the stage notes rather than the routebook and Ivano managed to read the notes smoothly throughout the event despite us getting lost in the notes a few times.
The second stage was a reverse of the first stage but saw us have our first incident. After a passing a small bunch of spectators on a fast straight with a few crests I managed to lose the back end of the car in a braking zone into a L4 I believe. We skidded to the right side of the road and luckily didn't go too far off. The car was highsided on the edge of the road and couldn't get out under it's own power. We jumped out, Ivano went up the road to drop a triangle and I took quick look. As Ivano came back there were about 6 spectators following him. What we found out later was that Adrian; one of the many radio marshalls working at the event, sent the spectators down and was also slowing down the fast approaching rally traffic.
I know a person has to be very dedicated to the sport to be a competitor, organizer or volunteer, but these guys were truly dedicated rally fans. They sent me back into the car while Ivano called them over to the front of the car, they began bouncing the front end up and down trying to help the wheels get traction. 2 open diffs and loose gravel resulted in the tires digging out holes underneath themselves. Next thing you know they are digging out large rocks from the roadside and shoving them under the tires. Meanwhile Ivano had the tow rope out and hooked onto the rear of the car hoping someone may pull us out. Turns out we didn't need a vehicle; 6 rally fans in a tug o' war against a 3000 pound car and the fans won! They cheered us on as we retrieved the triangle and belted back up to continue on. A big thanks goes out to these guys whoever they are!
Stages 3 and 4 were a repeat of the prior 2 stages, albeit the previous 2 passes had exposed many rocks. We wanted to keep on the road and finish this rally, our times were about the same but with the rougher terrain we were getting better.
Stage 5 and 8 were my favorite of the event; Pine Springs road, long smooth sweepers with a few technical and rough spots. Dust became an issue here when gaining on the car ahead. On the last stage we really started to feel comfortable with the notes, and car.
Stages 6 and 7 were a brutal car breaker to put it best. Lots of time could be made up here if you were brave enough to torture your car. There were plenty of large rocks and holes strewn along the road, we spent most of our time tip toeing around and over these obstacles as we were hard set on finishing the event. The car also had to make the 3 hour drive back home on it's own power, so breaking was not an option. As soon as we get a trailer, things will be a lot different.
Last but definitely not least we have to thank our crew; Maurizio, Steve, Peter and Andrew. They were able to tackle the small repairs needed to the car as well as a thorough inspection of the wheels, brakes, suspension and underbody protection at every service. They re-attached the mudflap we had torn off as well as secured the skid plate and splash guards after taking some hard hits to the nose of the car. The car left each service always looking its best. Not to mention keeping Ivano and I hydrated and fed. Thanks guys!
Overall a great event, the car is in one piece although bruised and we are very happy to have completed the event successfully. Next Stop for us will be Galway-Cavendish Forest Rally on August 19, hope to see you all there.
Image courtesy of Tom Hayston at http://www.performancerallyimages.com