First Timers - Advice Needed

[RallySaab]

The rapidly approaching Cherokee Trails will be our first attempt at providing a Service Team for one of this years competitors.

Since we have no experience, we're looking for any tips, hint, advice, checklists, whatever to help us out in this endeavor.

We're currently pouring over the Supplemental Regs, have downloaded the Rally Itinerary, and are in the process of getting together a lists of tools and stuff we'll need to take.

We have one person designated as the official clock watcher (to be sure we ready and waiting when the car is due back in, and to remind the drivers when the car is due back out).

Pretty much any advice on any topic would be welcome. We know basically what's supposed to go on at Service (we worked as Service Area Marshalls for Cherokee Trails 2002), just don't know the details. If there is a web page with info on Service Areas or Service Crew procedures, that would be great too.

Also needed are some comments from someone who crewed at the recent Rally Tennessee since service areas are to be the same for CT. Need advice on how/where to set up (and where not to), how the cars entered and exited the service area, where fueling was, where regroup was, etc, etc.

[RallySaab]

A little searching around and I've found some info:

http://www.cricketlady.com/primer/rallyworkers/crew.html

This page listed 2 other pages from here on Special Stage

http://www.specialstage.com/general/tocrew.shtml
http://www.specialstage.com/general/tocrew2.shtml

But both these came up as 'page not found'. Anyone know their current location?

[fieldthis]

>
>We have one person designated as the official clock watcher
>(to be sure we ready and waiting when the car is due back
>in, and to remind the drivers when the car is due back out).


Your co-driver is your clock watcher, at least for your service out time. He will know his check-in time and his service out time, things change that the service crew will not likely know about. As far as being ready for when they come in, you can watch for the cars ahead of you to come back in. We pretty much just set up our area and then wait.

Rob

[RallySaab]

>Your co-driver is your clock watcher,

Dang, now I'll have to find another job for my 10yr old son...

>We pretty much just set up our area and then wait.
>Rob

We're probaby too high-strung to do the "just wait" thing. I can easily see us arranging and re-arranging jacks and jack stands, having fresh tires pre-positioned just so, double and triple checking to make sure each socket is in the correct place in the tool box, making sure the bottled water is at the correct level of cold, etc., etc.

[RallySaab]

Not trying to jinx things, but I know that Cherokee Trails can have a high 'drop out' rate, especially if the road get wet and slick.

What exactly is the procedure if your car goes off or breaks down on stage? (as in, she ain't getting back to service on her own)

I have never witnessed a vehicle recovery and can only guess that someone from the Rally Staff would come and tell you that you should go get your vehicle, especially if the stage was going to be used again later in the day.

[RallySaab]

Mandatory Service Area safety items? Fire Extinguisher? (size?), first aid kit?, spill kit? eye protection?

[Greg K]

First of all relax. I'm sure that you've worked on the car and let your instincts take over. I would have a large extinguisher, and keep a first aid kit just in case. don't need a spill kit becuase you have the required tarp.

This is the way that I've done it in the past:

Get out to the service area and setup the tarp and stands, jack, boards, fuel, tires, generator, etc...

wait for the car, pay special attention to the start list and know what cars started before yours, and when you see them coming in get ready.

when the car comes in I meet the driver at the door "any concerns", next question to the co-driver "how much time we got?" If there are no major problems (missing fenders, broken stuff) and we have a decent time (15min plus) I perform a full service.

Car up on stands, pull all the wheels, clear the rocks out of the brakes, check the tire pressures, check the suspension for damage/loose bits, refuel the car (with someone manning an extinguisher (sounds like a job for your son)), then wheels go back on, car back on the ground, check all fluid levels, and wash the windows time permitting.

Once the car leaves we clean up the area and get ready to do it again.

I would recommend keeping common tools ready and accessible (wrenches and ratchets for the brake bolts and suspension bolts, screwdrivers and a coat hanger or probe to help get rocks out of the brakes. It saves a lot of time to have this stuff laid out so you don't have to dig through toolboxes.

Of course this all goes out the window if there's a problem...

Best of luck, and drop me an email if you have any questions.

Greg,
Crew Chief
1989 GTX #291

[Flyboy]

Relax is right. This is supposed to fun, remember. During an 20 minute FIA service, you can't do everything so you need to prioritize and focus on doing whatever you do right. Christian Edstrom had a neat service checklist that prioritized things, and I made one one time as well but I can't find it. Basically here is how it goes:

Fuel the car first, cuz no matter what else is wrong the car isn't going anywhere without gas.

Fix any obvious mechanical damage that will impede performance (broken control arms, bad turbo, etc...)

Fit lights if necessary.

Jack car and remove wheels. Check for loose or broken stuff. We usually have the wrenches handy ahead of time. Clean crud out of wheel wells, suspension, and wheels.

Replace with desired wheels/tires, drop car, and TORQUE THE LUG NUTS! It's very easy to forget this, so assign one person as the torque guy, impress upon him the importance of his job, and make damn sure the car does not move until he has torqued the wheels. After an "incident" we went so far as to get a torque stick for the impact wrench that automatically breaks free at around the right torque. We still follow up with the wrench, but this way should forgot I'll at least be going out with acceptable torques.

Clean windows and rest of car if you have time.

Finally repair body damage.

That's a quick and dirty list. Our actual checklist is much more detailed and refined, and of course everything is car specific. Depending on service length you may not hit everything on the checklist. The important thing is to think logically about the situation. What does the car NEED in order to continue.

And like I said, most importantly, HAVE FUN!

Dennis Martin
demartin@gbonline.com
920-432-4845

[sdewolfe]

I posted that page before SS got the new server. I am not sure if they still have copies of the articles. I will ask. If they are available I will correct the link or post to them to the CricketLady web site.
UPDATE
The necessary changes have been made to the CricketLady.com site. Jim tells me that most old articles can be found by inserting /archives into old urls:

http://www.specialstage.com/archives/general/tocrew.shtml
http://www.specialstage.com/archives/general/tocrew2.shtml

[RallySaab]

Thanks, MR. DeWolfe (for the help in finding and for the articles themselves)

[starion887]

We may need crew help. Maybe we can service side-by-side and we'll help you out if you help us.

Feel free to call.

Mark Bowers
540-447-0281 mobile