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Up front let me state that I have no commercial interest in this product.
At Targa Newfoundland this year cars will be fitted with the Rally Cat as a full scale test. This is a device that when activated will emit a signal that can be picked up by other Rally Cats within about 200 - 300 metres. Therefore if a car goes off or breaks down, then the Rally Cat can be activated and a signal will let cars behind know to slow down and be on the look out for the disabled car. At Targa the cars start at 30 second intervals with the fastest cars last, therefore cars close in a hurry. Note that triangles will still be used.
Also there is an overtaking signal that a following car can send to a car up ahead to let them know you are right behind them. This could be of use on dust stages (Targa is all tarmac, so it won't be tested in this manner.) when you can't get close enough to the car ahead to let them know that you are being held up by them. This happened to Keith Kreisler and I at Maine Forest. Due to a flat tire on Friday we lost some time and started near the back on Saturday. On a dusty stage on Saturday, we caught and passed one car, then caught up to another, but because of the dust we could not get close enough to let the car ahead know we were there. The dust was so bad that we spun (I was concerned as we got the car straightened up knowing that the car we initially passed was closing on us, could come out of the dust and hit us broadside.) and then we caught up to the leading car again, but to no avail. Other cars apparently lost significant time (Bacon/Watt) following slow moving dust storms. ( I can also imagine some abuses of this feature.)
Check out their website at www.rallycat.ca They have a decent video that explains the device. The fellow that developed this device was driving the '54 Healey that hit the P1800 Volvo. He decided that rally cars should not be running into each other and developed the Rally Cat.
I will post any personal experience with this device after Targa Newfoundland.
Steve McKelvie
Franklin, MA
Co-Driver Targa Newfoundland Car # 903
At Targa Newfoundland this year cars will be fitted with the Rally Cat as a full scale test. This is a device that when activated will emit a signal that can be picked up by other Rally Cats within about 200 - 300 metres. Therefore if a car goes off or breaks down, then the Rally Cat can be activated and a signal will let cars behind know to slow down and be on the look out for the disabled car. At Targa the cars start at 30 second intervals with the fastest cars last, therefore cars close in a hurry. Note that triangles will still be used.
Also there is an overtaking signal that a following car can send to a car up ahead to let them know you are right behind them. This could be of use on dust stages (Targa is all tarmac, so it won't be tested in this manner.) when you can't get close enough to the car ahead to let them know that you are being held up by them. This happened to Keith Kreisler and I at Maine Forest. Due to a flat tire on Friday we lost some time and started near the back on Saturday. On a dusty stage on Saturday, we caught and passed one car, then caught up to another, but because of the dust we could not get close enough to let the car ahead know we were there. The dust was so bad that we spun (I was concerned as we got the car straightened up knowing that the car we initially passed was closing on us, could come out of the dust and hit us broadside.) and then we caught up to the leading car again, but to no avail. Other cars apparently lost significant time (Bacon/Watt) following slow moving dust storms. ( I can also imagine some abuses of this feature.)
Check out their website at www.rallycat.ca They have a decent video that explains the device. The fellow that developed this device was driving the '54 Healey that hit the P1800 Volvo. He decided that rally cars should not be running into each other and developed the Rally Cat.
I will post any personal experience with this device after Targa Newfoundland.
Steve McKelvie
Franklin, MA
Co-Driver Targa Newfoundland Car # 903