[Trevor Donison]

I must say as a competitor that wasn't in the first 10 cars, that it was very aggrivating to have to try and get to the start of Stage one with cars parked on both sides of the road and multiple cars coming down the now barely one lane road.

Watch all the cars, then leave or maybe next year you will have to walk from the bottom of the hill to go watch.

Almost getting my car hit twice before even attempting a single stage was not what I had in mind. Think of the entire field and not just the fast guys. The rest of us are just as important. Take away the bottom 70 cars and you have no event to watch.

 

[tom grossmann]

Well Trevor this probably won't make you feel better but three spectators were walking up the road as Lovell entered ATC on one , they only got out of the way when we alerted them to the car 20ft behind them. Also I had two spectators bump into me as I was taking time cards at ATC on one. I think this may come under be careful what you wish for - We have been wishing Rally would be more popular and now it is. We tried to keep all the cars parked on the right side of the road but some of them arrived after the stage started and parked where they pleased.

Tom "Slightly Soggy Worker" Grossmann.

 

[MattLovell]

I think the spectators should not have been allowed to leave untill all the cars where through. We where also stuck waiting for spectator cars to leave. lucky for us, we where the first rally car in a group to be stopped to allow the spectators down. I know there where a few cars behind us that didn't have enough room to get off the twisty mountain road and onto the stage road. A very dangerous situation that could have been avoided.

Yes we must be careful what we wish for, problems like these will most likely become all to familiar, unless the workers are prepared to tell spectators that they can't leave until all the rally cars are past. and that opens an entirely diferent can of worms...

 

[Trevor Donison]

> Well Trevor this probably won't make you feel better but
>three spectators were walking up the road as Lovell entered
>ATC on one , they only got out of the way when we alerted
>them to the car 20ft behind them.
See Wild West service area for what would have eventually happend to those three... (lol)

>Also I had two spectators
>bump into me as I was taking time cards at ATC on one. I
>think this may come under be careful what you wish for - We
>have been wishing Rally would be more popular and now it is.

>We tried to keep all the cars parked on the right side of
>the road but some of them arrived after the stage started
>and parked where they pleased.
>
> Tom "Slightly Soggy Worker" Grossmann.

I'm just making sure it didn't go un-noticed.

I appreciate every worker that spent their "free" time freezing their butts (and other stuff) off so I could rally.

One time at Maine I had to dodge a stroller ON STAGE. Spectators can be pretty inconsiderate to those of us that aren't in the first few cars. Its why I will never run the stock muffler in P class, I do this for fun, and running someone over isn't my idea of fun.

 

[spoier]

Twin Hella air horns are going under my bonnet.
That should get their attention.

Skye Poier
Seattle, WA

Vive le Prole-le-Ralliat!
http://www.rallyrace.net/

Black Rocket Rally Tires
http://www.blackrockettires.com/

 

[Trevor Donison]

>Twin Hella air horns are going under my bonnet.
>That should get their attention.
>
>Skye Poier
>Seattle, WA

Here's the problem with that. Your co-driver will not be looking out the window 100% of the time. If Notes event, won't be looking much at all.

You the driver will be busy trying to stay on the road. By the time you see the person you are going to run over, you will have a choice; run them over, with horns blasting, or do everything you can to avoid them.

 

[spoier]

Err, I'm not saying its a solution - but its a tad more effective than stock horns.

My steering wheel has horn buttons right under each thumb as well.

I'm confused do you think I'm advocating letting people wander around on stages??

Skye

 

[tifosi77]

Poor Gary Cavett (i think that is how you spell it) got side swiped by a truck and bent a control arm (no they didn't stop) I had one guy come to my service area complaining that I had "almost bumped into him" as I was trying to weave through people and cars on the way to stage one at a wopping 2 mph.

 

[Trevor Donison]

>Err, I'm not saying its a solution - but its a tad more
>effective than stock horns.
>
>My steering wheel has horn buttons right under each thumb as
>well.
>
>I'm confused do you think I'm advocating letting people
>wander around on stages??
>
>Skye

Certainly not. Just helping you know that a massive horn likely won't be of much help other than making you feel better. The horn may be a very helpful thing if catch a car on stage.

 

[A4mation]

Here is some of the damage done on the transit to SS1.

http://www.pdxconsulting.com/aw/191d4126.jpg

 

[Glenn Wallace]

And then there are some drivers who don't know how to use the horn to alert the car in front that they're there....

Glenn

 

[Adrian Wintle]

> Well Trevor this probably won't make you feel better but
>three spectators were walking up the road as Lovell entered
>ATC on one , they only got out of the way when we alerted
>them to the car 20ft behind them. Also I had two spectators
>bump into me as I was taking time cards at ATC on one.

And here I thought that there was a bulletin (PRCB 012203b) that prohibited anyone except competitors and workers from entering (or being allowed to enter) a control zone. (Note: I do know that geography sometimes makes this difficult...)

Adrian

 

[Reno Rally]

This happened to Gary on his way to the first stage on Friday night, he had not even reached the turn-off yet and had a DNF!

Last year while Co-driving for someone else at RIM we were among those in the back of the pack and were blocked by at least 3 spectator cars stopped on the transit to the next stage, when I got out to walk our card in on time I way chewed out by the worker for getting out of the car and he refused to clock me in on time. I finally won the arguement.

I have a lot of respect for the workers who brave all sorts of conditions so that we can go out and play, both of us in the car use every chance possible to thank them along the way. I'm sure the above mentioned worker had no plans on being in charge of crowd control and clocking cars in at the same time in the middle of the night.

David

 

[wardo]

Trevor,
Yes Trevor I remember that stroller, all I could think as I went past it was the gravel my car was throwing up while I was flat out on a long straight. The spectators in Quebec are definitely crazier, but on the whole are a well informed bunch and a whole lot of help when you stuff it in a snow bank. I think if one of us had hit the lady with the stroller rallying would be done in the US, despite the obvious culpability of the strollee. As crowds grow we need better control, which means more workers and better organization. In time all these will come. Until then I hope we can continue to get by on luck.

Ward Ogden

 

[John Vanlandingham]

That tiny little scrape caused a DNF?????????????
Oi, maybe Sub-a-rats are the sub-standard junk in the rest of the car that they are in the motor and transmissions.

Oi! Looks like nothing.
Nothing that couldn't happen in the slightest brush with a bank.

Poor thing.

John Vanlandingham
Seattle, WA. 98168

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

Black Rocket Rally Tires
http://www.blackrockettires.com/

 

[Yump]

Excuse me John? I, as well as many Subaru drivers (esp. rally drivers) would have to take exception to your silly comment about Subarus and their reliability.

The engines are bulletproof and the chassis are extremely strong as well.

If you were sliding off a cliff, would you rather be in a Subaru or a shitbox Golf or 323 GTX deathtrap?

I certainly hope you weren't serious.

You weren't even there...so don't suppose you know the extent of the damage to that car.

I can't beleieve your lack of sympathy.

 

[tom grossmann]

Hey David I don't know who the worker was who wouldn't take your card because you walked it in but they were wrong. I took at least three cards of "walk ups". In fact Ole Holter ran his but off to make it. The co-driver for Bob Pendegrass made it across the open gate by 5 seconds. Even though he did not get to the table until after his minute (about 3 seconds after) he crossed the gate on the correct minute.
As to your comments about doing ATC and crowd control you would be correct. We try to keep the spectators under control but our main focus is making sure we get the time cards right.

Tom Grossmann

 

[tom grossmann]

Trevor the problems didn't go unnoticed - we were frustrated with how inconsiderate and "clueless" some spectators were. Two guys gave me looks when I told them that walking down the middle of the road in a control wasn't good as the drivers/navie's are not paying attention to you the spectator. These two looked at me like I was an Alarmist - until they walked another 60ft and Jay Streets came in the the control horning blaring and in a hurry.

Tom

PS Trevor we actual have fun standing in the rain feezing , Hmmm maybe I have fallen of motorcycles one to many times

 

[Bruce]

>
>And here I thought that there was a bulletin (PRCB 012203b)
>that prohibited anyone except competitors and workers from
>entering (or being allowed to enter) a control zone. (Note:
>I do know that geography sometimes makes this difficult...)
>

Not to mention that the control workers are there to time cars, and there are not typically enough of them to play traffic cop for spectators too.

"Sorry, Adrian, I didn't get your time. I was herding spectators." THAT would go over well...

Bruce

 

[jimmy]

Well, there is.
AND, it was posted on the notice board.

Now, tell me how many spectators read the notice board.


>And here I thought that there was a bulletin (PRCB 012203b)
>that prohibited anyone except competitors and workers from
>entering (or being allowed to enter) a control zone. (Note:
>I do know that geography sometimes makes this difficult...)
>
>Adrian

press on,