[Doug Woods]

Everyone who is going to Defi, do yourself a favour and drive the road that travels around the lake in Ste-Agathe, the Tour du Lac.

As you are doing so, picture what it was like in the late 1970s when the road was a special stage on the Criterium du Quebec, with works Escorts, Fiats, Datsuns, etc. blasting through the stage.

The Fiats were on the rev limiter in top gear along the back of the lake. Try to imagine that when you drive it.

Doug Woods

 

[Adrian Wintle]

Doug;

Are you going to be at Defi?

Adrian

 

[Doug Woods]

>Doug;
>
>Are you going to be at Defi?

Adrian:

Yes.

I will be there Thursday night for the party and all day Friday. Saturday depends on my golfing plans in Mt. Tremblant.

Doug Woods

 

[Adrian Wintle]

>Yes.
>
>I will be there Thursday night for the party and all day
>Friday. Saturday depends on my golfing plans in Mt.
>Tremblant.

I'll be there from Thursday night, crewing for Scott Comens. Hopefully we can (finally) meet.

Adrian

 

[Shawn]

>>Doug;

>Friday. Saturday depends on my golfing plans in Mt.
>Tremblant.
>
>Doug Woods

Doug,

You mean a 'golf' game can pre-empt a rally x(

<just/kidding> enjoy and I wish I could be there. I remember the Tour de Lac from 85-86 (I think) with my RX-7. Great fun!

Shawn

 

[Andrew Comrie Picard]

Any idea where the start and finish were, and what their times were? I suspect we'll do well against them this year, and I fully expect to be on the rev limiter....

ACP

Flirting with the laws of physics.

 

[Lancia037Rally]

>Any idea where the start and finish were, and what their
>times were? I suspect we'll do well against them this year,
>and I fully expect to be on the rev limiter....

Them there are words calling for a latenight test & tune session.
And no fair using that technology filled Mitsubishi. You'll have to borrow back the Lada.

But really, what are the chances of getting the same stage incorporated into Defi 2004 so we can compare? How much has the road changed?

 

[Andrew Comrie Picard]

I'm about to reveal the fact that my codriver probably knows this and I don't, but the tarmac stages we're running on Friday night - aren't those the Tour de Lac stages?

ACP
Flirting with the laws of physics.

 

[Daman]

A litle bird told me...

that i should not invest in bigger wheel or good tarmac tires....also that if the car would be lowered we would make lots of sparks .....aparently the road is paved...but seriously fuckup....

and " i " whit my car...would really be waisting money to invest in a tarmac set up for those 8k....


any way...will see in the recce mite have time to change my mind ?

Alain Lavoie
24Rallyteam
http://www.abikeonline.com/24rallyteam/

 

[Doug Woods]

the tarmac stages we're running on
>Friday night - aren't those the Tour de Lac stages?

Andrew:

No.

If you look at the map on the Defi website you will see a very twisty, short stage that ends up using a small part of the road that was the Tour du Lac stage.

If you look at the map again, the road that circumnavigates the entire lake is the Tour du Lac (and these words are written on the map). The stage was run counterclockwise around the lake. Where the service area is located, the stage made a 90 left onto the main road and continued north into the heart of Ste-Agathe past homes and stores!!

This 90 left was just incredible spectating with Clark, Vatanen, etc. in works Escorts completely sideways, inside front wheel in the air, full power on, really good stuff. But, as I recall, the Fiats were much faster. They were much more nimble and used full racing tires, different diffs, etc. for the tarmac stages.

I have not driven the road since the mid 1980s. I will let you know at the party how much the road has changed. I actually have my pacenotes for the stage which I made in the late 1970s. The only problems is - I am not sure where I put them - one of the effects of being an old fart.

Doug Woods

 

[hayston]

As I remember from the 75 Criterium, George Delegris and myself ran The 5 mile Tour du Lac ( miles, not kilometers ) in 5 min 5 sec, which was better than midfield on lousy tires. In 77, I was all hyped up when we did the stage in 4:40 and was sure we had to be in the top ten, and then dumbfounded when I saw the Fiats and Fords were in the 3:45 range.