[Kato]

Of course thanks goes to all the organizers and workers, but we have a special thanks to the wokers/press/film guys near the end of SS9 at Sno Drift. We stuffed the car pretty deep in the last snow bank on the stage (we could see the red flags down the road). It's amazing what a few guys pushin' on a car and tuggin' on a tow rope can do. We were lucky to only lose 8 minutes. The adrenaline was pumpin' so hard I lost my manners. I didn't have time to take names or offer thanks, so...THANKS from Car #143.

Mike Paulin
Co-Driver
#143

P.S. I heard you lost the footage of that incident or was that just wishfull thinking?

 

[jandreini]

I hope you didn't hit the mailbox. We keep having to replace it after it gets knocked down.(in other words, you aren't the first to go off there.)

 

[Kato]

>I hope you didn't hit the mailbox. We keep having to replace
>it after it gets knocked down.(in other words, you aren't
>the first to go off there.)


I was wondering how that Reader's Digest got in the car...

FYI - No mailbox was hurt or injured in the making of our finish of ss9.

Mike

 

[JC_595]

I do believe those were a couple of our Rally TV guys, Jamie & Chris. They pushed roughly 10 cars out between their great spots on Fri & Sat.

After you got out, Chris's camera & tripod got run into by the Sanford's Cavalier as they went off(camera sees snow, then hood, then sky & trees & you hear Chris giggling his head off).

It is all on tape, and at least some of it will be on the DVD. It's in editing & post now. We should have it done beginning of March.

I will pass along the thanks.

JC
#595
www.gnimotorsports.com

 

[Paul Jaeger]

I was captain at the finish control on SS9. Although we weren't at the flying finish we heard about the excitement over the FRS walkie/talkie. "Ready" "Set" "3" "2" "Nevermind!"

I think 6 to 8 cars went off within sight of the flying finish. Only one car was fortunate to do it after the timing line. At one point three consecutive cars went off. The rookie crew at the flying finish line were impressed with their first rally.

Paul Jaeger KC8YRY
PRIMO Stage Crews
For a Good Time, Call PRIMO!

 

[Jerry Brownell]

Does the amount of activity at that corner make anyone think about making any changes there? That had to be to stupidest finish to a stage I've ever seen. It's a 1/4 mile flat out straight into a glassy downhill with a tight right at the bottom into the flying finish.

That being said, it was the most fun I've ever had DNF-ing a rally. When we stuffed it between the Toyota and the Sanford's Cavy, Jim and I just looked at each other and said, "Well, we're done." We broke two tow straps getting pulled out of there. Oh, and I didn't see any mailbox anywhere in sight by the time we got there. It's always fun ditch partying with the Sanfords. Sorry I almost killed you, Joel.

 

[jandreini]

If you've run Sno*Drift before(and I know you have), you've seen that stage & finish before - often. It's a legitimate(and challenging) stage road. The location of the finish timing line is really irrelevant. The location of the finish control car, on the other hand, is relevant.

 

[Lurch]

That's funny, Jerry. It goes to show how the road changes between stage layout and the end of the rally. The reason I called out that corner for one of RallTV's camera teams is because I ran that stage multiple times a couple weeks before and thought that would be a stellar FAST, cambered turn and would provide exciting footage of all the competitors, not just the front runners. The final few turns past the Road Commissioner's house were a ton of fun before the road was polished.

I tried to pick fast spots where drivers would have a fair amount of confidence (at least if using notes) and even the most timid guys would look like heroes. I obviously failed on this count, but apparently they got some interesting footage anyway.

BTW, the Fish Lake/Greasy Creek spectator area (Lurch's corner and the downhill flyby) were bypassed entirely in favor of a good, fast, interesting, confidence inspiring corner .2 miles east of there...you may have seen the blue vests. I'm tired of Sno*Drift looking like a Bloopers parade. Wanted to show the guys (and gals) at their best.

Again, sorry I failed on the end of Camp8. At least Slick hiked his butt into the jump sequence 2 miles back from there. Who says Cavaliers can't fly?

 

[JC_595]

the corner you picked Lurch ended up being after the "flying finish", so Jamie & Chris simply went to the closest corner- which happened to be the glassy off camber 3<> debacle.

I went off there last year, so I distinctly remembered it when we crested the hill & saw several people flapping their arms like chickens...
:7

JC
#595
www.gnimotorsports.com

 

[Lurch]

I don't think so, as the one I put the marker at was at the bottom of the long hill and was several hundred yards before the mailbox.

I think they were at the one I staked.

 

[jake himes]

>I went off there last year, so I distinctly remembered it
>when we crested the hill & saw several people flapping their
>arms like chickens...
>:7

Dude,

Chickens don't have arms. They have wings. And they don't flap them very often. Except when I'm trying to catch them. And eat them.

Just keeping it real for all the chickens out there.

 

[Jerry Brownell]

Yes, I have run Sno*Drift before, and always very poorly. That's my problem, I know. I really don't think your response is fair, though. If over a half dozen cars go off at the same corner, you've got to wonder if something could have been done better. There were easier finishes that had more severe instructions and cautions called out.

 

[MDBodnar]

I'd be happy to add a caution.

Note that of 54 cars only a few left the road.


I love that corner. You can see it forever and it just keeps going around.

Mike

 

[Paul Jaeger]

>I'd be happy to add a caution.
>
>Note that of 54 cars only a few left the road.
>
>
>I love that corner. You can see it forever and it just
>keeps going around.
>
>Mike
Jerry and others

As Mike stated, the corner has excellent visability. It was VERY slippery, but I think people have a tendency not to back off when they know the flying finish is at this corner. They don't worry about losing time on the exit from the corner because it is after the flying finish and they enter too fast. Unfortunately this corner is too long to take an early apex and not worry about the corner exit. I think other people had problems with cars already off at the corner, which reduced their options.

Paul Jaeger KC8YRY
PRIMO Stage Crews
For a Good Time, Call PRIMO!

 

[JC_595]

Curs-ed chickens!!!!!

mmmmm.... chicken...
:9


JC
#595
www.gnimotorsports.com

 

[jake himes]

>
>As Mike stated, the corner has excellent visability. It was
>VERY slippery, but I think people have a tendency not to
>back off when they know the flying finish is at this corner.
> They don't worry about losing time on the exit from the
>corner because it is after the flying finish and they enter
>too fast. Unfortunately this corner is too long to take an
>early apex and not worry about the corner exit. I think
>other people had problems with cars already off at the
>corner, which reduced their options.

I think it's a little simpler than that. Apex nuthin', how about just SURVIVING. It's just VERY VERY SLIPPERY. Your rally comes down to these areas and you don't really know where they are going to be. If you are trying to run competitively at the back of the pack you are TOTALLY SCREWED. The road conditions change instantly when you hit the area that people have been braking in.

 

[Jerry Brownell]

Actually, if you look at the stage results, of the 49 cars that made it to that stage, no less than 4 (probably 5)STUFFED it on that corner, and it sounds like several others spent a little time there. A single caution would be good.

Paul is spot on with his comments. When you come into a situation like that where someone is already stuffed in the recovery area, your options are gone. That's what happened to Joel and myself. I don't understand how you can say it has excelent visibility, either. It is on the back side of a hill. You know the corner is coming, but you don't know where or what it looks like.

Bottom line, is I screwed up and it is my fault. I blame no one for my mistake but me.

See y'all at Headwaters.