[Primitive]

The umpteenth running of the Doo *** Rallies occured in Hoquiam, Washington this weekend. Ray and Janice Damitio again proved that with work and determination, a world class rally can be put on at a reasonable price with spectacular results. They incorporated a nifty new stage this year with a nice hilclimb start and then a log shoot style downhill run dropping 2000 feet elevation over several miles in a series of smooth wide switchbacks.

I think there were about 45 entries and anyone who missed this rally missed some of the BEST roads and great competiton in the country. The Olympic pennisula provided varying conditions and fast, smooth roads. Carl Jardeval (the guy who took 3rd overall at a Pro in a 2WD Volvo) now in his mighty EVO was in a class by himself setting times almost 25 seconds PER STAGE faster than the rest of the field. He BLEW AWAY the Brooklyn Tavern Stage record by 9 seconds (setting a 6:33 vs Choineire's old record of 6:42)and went on without incident to the overall win.

Ralph Kosmides was right in their with his Group N Subaru along with the ever-quick Hintz Brothers (former G5 champs)in a WRX.

Hopefully full results at: http://www.nwr-scca.org/rally/doowop.html

There was not too much carnage, but I know of one roll (some old Saab always endds on its lid) and 3 cars sliding off and crunching enough not to continue...

Lee Shadbolt was shaken up a bit in a semi-serious shunt, but was checked out OK (but very sore) at the local hospital and released.

Hope to see you all at Oregon Trail ProRally on April 24-25th in Hillsboro, OR. I know there has been a dirth of information, but the organizers are working hard to get all the road permissions and get the schedule settled so hotels and banquets can get lined up. Come for OTPR and leave your car for Rim a few weeks later!

Pe

 

[mvb]

Seeing Brooklyn this time as a spectator left me wanting to be in a car! Soo smooth and those banked turns...

vanbogart.com/doowops/100%20007.jpg

Carl was flying in true no-lift fashion.

I'm looking forward to those OT announcements so I can book my hotel rooms.

 

[DaveHintz]

The battle for top Subaru was a real pleasure. My hat is off to Eklund/Price for putting in a great drive to pull of top Subaru for Sunday's event. They along with Cavett/Lyden, Kosmides/Brandt, and Wright/Kean provided great competition among Subarus on Saturday as well.
For both days combined, I think we took top Subaru time on only 4 of the 10 total stages. I think Cavett, Kosmides, and Eklund all managed to get top Subaru time on one or more stages. It doesn't get much closer than that!
Dave
Car # 207

p.s. Jardevall was in a league of his own!

 

[Legacy294]

Doo **** is definately a great event, without question. The effort and energy of all of the people that help get it together is incredible. It's truely a great "rally family" to be a part of in any aspect.

There are many great competitors/ crews, fun,fast stages, top notch stewards and some die hard sweep crews (thanks for giving us a tow back, that was fun). A huge thanks to everyone that made it out there to volunteer, organize, spectate, or race.

We finally got our first hard off out of the way on the first stage (it was about time), a left over crest that dropped onto stump did us in for the day (Primitive skid plate saved the oil pan).
Its too bad we didn't get to Brooklyn (maybe next year), but at least we got the car back together and running on Sunday. Talk about a team effort to get it going again...A million thanks go out to everyone that helped get it back together, it was a true test of determination, skill, and logistics to make it all happen. The fact that we could even get a radiator for it was amazing. :7 The core support and bumper were pushed back 10"-12" so there was some major pulling going on to get the clearance for the radiator and the bumper (which matched, thanks to Steamboat Auto Sales in Olympia) to fit.

Not even sure how we finished yesterday, had to take off before the finals were posted. The car felt good, and ran great, considering its condition on Saturday. What a weekend it was...:7

Can't wait until next year...Or Oregon Trail for that matter.
Rally On!

 

[jeffy]

Sorry I missed it...
...but PLEEEAAASE, someone post the results
(no, nothing on the website as of 4:44pm EST Monday)

 

[Ben]

>Sorry I missed it...
>...but PLEEEAAASE, someone post the results
>(no, nothing on the website as of 4:44pm EST Monday)

Oh, OK. Only because it's Jeffy...

http://www.reed.edu/~bradley/doowop1_04.pdf

http://www.reed.edu/~bradley/doowop2_04.pdf

I'm having a little trouble converting the spreadsheet to html, so you just get the pdfs for now.

Story coming to http://www.specialstage.com soon.

Ben

 

[Rally254]

I too had a GREAT time}> . I would also like to send a huge thanks to Ray and Janice, and all the loyal stage workers who braved the weather to let us come out and play! I also owe a big thanks to the sweep crew that pulled me back on the road( silver Dodge p/u) after my "little" off on Tahohla. Also thank you to Gabe and Josh's crew(#211) for hauling my car back to the hotel, since my wife isn't trailer savy yet. Got a little stuff to fix, but I should be ready for OT. Hope to see everyone soon.

Doug Dreith
Car#254
PGT Impreza 1.8l AWD

 

[HackerAce]

Without a doubt Doo **** is one of the best rallies I have driven in my three short years of rally. In particular the Brooklyn Tavern stage which was smooth and fast!

For Group 5 it was a tight battle on Saturday between the #203 White and Blue Mazda RX7 driven on Saturday by Doug Heredos with Dan Brown co-driving and the #269 Black Dodge Conquest with John Mckean and Doug Folsom. Mckean and Folsom pulled out the win with a mere 34 seconds to spare. Sunday was shaping up to ba another good fight between Mckean/Folsom and Brown/Heredos with Dan Brown piloting the RX7. Unfortuantely the #203 had mechanical trouble and was unable to finish stage one on Sunday. With Brown/Heredos out on stage one the NetGen racing team of McKean/Folsom went on to win 1st place in Group 5 on Sunday and take the 1st place honors for the 2004 Doo **** series.

Looking forward to Oregon Trail! You can register for OT2004 at

http://www.netgenracing.com/otweb/index.htm

John McKean

 

[Doug Heredos]

We had a blast on Saturday. The car and crew were working really well. It felt good to feel competitive, even though we were really pushing to keep the battle tight. What a blast!

Too bad we couldn't repeat on Sunday. We broke an oil line, and even rotaries need oil.

Thanks to the organizers and workers for putting together another excellent rally.

See you at Oregon Trail!

Doug
#203 Mazda RX-7

 

[wvonkessler]

RE: Cherokee Rallies Best in the USA

You folks have obviously not ever driven the roads in the Cherokee National Forest. }> Come East, and then tell us. You want smoove, you've got it - I ran the route last weekend in my Volvo 850. You want challenging, look at an average speed of 45 mph or so. You've still got a week or so to get over here.

Seriously, it looks like you had a great event, and kudos to Ray for putting on a such a great event. Still, you need to come East and see what real rallying is all about!}>

Regards,

Wilson

 

[Ralph Kosmides]

GREAT event! Great people, fun roads, laid back style. Look forward to next year. I have done every ProRally on the series and this is one of the most fun events there is. Ray and the entire crew did a great job. Now if Carl would just slow down?..

Carl did a fantastic job setting the record on Brooklyn Tavern in less than ideal conditions, he is the man!

Ralph Kosmides

 

[Primitive]

RE: Cherokee Rallies Pretty Darn Good

I have gone back to run Cherokee Trails and the roads were very good. I just found that wet, red mud a bit slick for my taste.

(Okay, so I slid off the road knocking over (actually cutting in half) a large dead tree and sliding down the embankment about a half a mile into stage one...)

I thought the rally and the Chattanooga area was a blast! Spent the next day at the aqaurium and hiking around Rock City and Ruby Falls. Sticky Fingers is the best!

But you can't beat the Oakville Grange for the best darn awards banquet and Ray for his swift and decisive rulings on inquiries.

Praise to all hard-working ClubRally organizers!

Pe

 

[ronsorem]

RE: Cherokee Rallies Best in the USA

Nothing to take away from Tennessee roads, but...

>You want challenging, look at an
>average speed of 45 mph or so.
>Wilson

6:33 over 6.99 miles on Brooklyn is a cool 64.03mph
DooWops runs Brooklyn both directions, preceeded and followed by Smith Creek at 6.69 miles which is every bit as fast! Including some chances for big air at the top of the hill.

Working as opposed to running sux, but better than not even working...
From the Smith Creek west crew, thanks for giving us all some great moments to watch/work/plan...

261pgt... for now

 

[derek]

What makes Brooklyn THE stage is the banking, Every turn is long sweeping and banked. To add to that is the total lack of suprises on the stage, it is the only stage I know of where the driver can attack and commit without knowing the road or needing pacenotes. This is born out by the very low number of retirements on this stage. I can only think of one car in the last 3 years to go off here.

Speeds are high but not because the road is stright but because it flows so well. A true driver's stage.

Derek

 

[Trevor Donison]

>What makes Brooklyn THE stage is the banking, Every turn is
>long sweeping and banked. To add to that is the total lack
>of suprises on the stage, it is the only stage I know of
>where the driver can attack and commit without knowing the
>road or needing pacenotes. This is born out by the very low
>number of retirements on this stage. I can only think of one
>car in the last 3 years to go off here.
>
>Speeds are high but not because the road is stright but
>because it flows so well. A true driver's stage.
>
>Derek

Paul Choiniere himself called it the Best Stage in America when he ran it in 1998.

 

[lastcall]

I was servicing right next to Carl. Everyone was extremely happy about the record. They did think that they could have done better. For thoese who do not know, Carl had another 1st that weekend. He finished both day. I know that the service crew was really hapy to see him and the car pulling down the road after the last stage at Tahola.

lastcall
Service crew G2 car #258

 

[wvonkessler]

RE: Cherokee Rallies Best in the USA

>6:33 over 6.99 miles on Brooklyn is a cool 64.03mph
>DooWops runs Brooklyn both directions, preceeded and
>followed by Smith Creek at 6.69 miles which is every bit as
>fast! Including some chances for big air at the top of the
>hill.

Ron:

Point being made is twisties (slower and technical) versus speed (faster). I guess its matter of whether you like technical or speed sections. Or both for that matter. I like twisties.

Anyway, just getting excited about RT and CT, no slight meant to my Rally Brothers and Sisters in the NW.

Regards,

Wilson

 

[taborj]

RE: NorPac Rallies Best in the USA

followed by Smith Creek at 6.69 miles which is every bit as fast!

I'll second that! Smith Creek has to be one of my all time favorite stages. I turned a 6:32 on it the second time out (running reverse) the first time they included it. And that was in my lowly Production Nissan Sentra!

And Trevor, you'll be interested to note that we cleared the stage so quickly because of a time card screw up that made us think we were losing to you by 30 seconds. Nothing like the swift rush of thinking you're getting your butt kicked by your nearest competitor...

Jon

 

[Trevor Donison]

RE: NorPac Rallies Best in the USA

>followed by Smith Creek at 6.69 miles which is every bit
>as fast!
>
>I'll second that! Smith Creek has to be one of my all time
>favorite stages. I turned a 6:32 on it the second time out
>(running reverse) the first time they included it. And that
>was in my lowly Production Nissan Sentra!
>
>And Trevor, you'll be interested to note that we cleared the
>stage so quickly because of a time card screw up that made
>us think we were losing to you by 30 seconds. Nothing like
>the swift rush of thinking you're getting your butt kicked
>by your nearest competitor...
>
>Jon

Suppose you should have known I wasn't beating you already...

 

[ronsorem]

RE: Cherokee Rallies Best in the USA

Hi Wilson,

NOT that Brooklyn or Smith Creek are lacking for twisties.. even tho' there are several triple digit DooWop straights. And Sunday's new stage, dropping out of the clouds 2000 ft in how short a section?, with exposures both sides??

>Point being made is twisties (slower and technical) versus
>speed (faster). I guess its matter of whether you like
>technical or speed sections. Or both for that matter. I like
>twisties.

Elsewhere in SS there is a quote from Juha Kankannen (sp) complaining that the Olympus WRC Rally course (only a few miles north and/or east of DooWops) was too twisty, not enough speed...
We know it is all relative.

>Anyway, just getting excited about RT and CT, no slight
>meant to my Rally Brothers and Sisters in the NW.

None taken, and certainly none intended earlier. Just fun in the woods right?
See ya on the road...