WRC - Round 10 Rally of New Zealand

[T4 Primera]

The World Rally Championship is HERE tomorrow 2/3rds of it is within 40 minutes drive of my doorstep. 12 hours from now I'll be perched on a bank somewhere near Raglan - peering up the road for the first signs of Colin McRae, Carlos (in)Sainz etc.
........Monster horsepower 4WD adrenaline dripping ear splittin' earth movin' stone spittin' ground eatin' gravel expresses.....ooooh!...aaaah!......(breathless)... ......got a light?
Only one more sleep to go......hehe....ahaha.... ..(mad cackling fading into distance.)

Rally info: http://www.rallynz.org.nz

[megamotors]

Originally posted by T4 Primera
The World Rally Championship is HERE tomorrow 2/3rds of it is within 40 minutes drive of my doorstep. 12 hours from now I'll be perched on a bank somewhere near Raglan - peering up the road for the first signs of Colin McRae, Carlos (in)Sainz etc.
........Monster horsepower 4WD adrenaline dripping ear splittin' earth movin' stone spittin' ground eatin' gravel expresses.....ooooh!...aaaah!......(breathless)... ......got a light?
Only one more sleep to go......hehe....ahaha.... ..(mad cackling fading into distance.)

Rally info: http://www.rallynz.org.nz

i want to go but i'm too far .
take lots of picssssss. have fun

[G-Forces]

Lucky bastard!

[RCer]

T4, and that is good because???


DAAAMMNNNN, envy is killing me!!!!!!


Try to get into the services areas and take all kind of pics there. All cars, everything. And then post it here, don't keep it to yourself, you... lucky bastard.

[P10DET]

Originally posted by T4 Primera
The World Rally Championship is HERE tomorrow 2/3rds of it is within 40 minutes drive of my doorstep.

Wimper.

Is it mostly tarmac or mostly dirt/gravel?

[primera man]

Lucky bugger :finger: :finger:

I had a choice between the Rally and going to the "4's and rotary National's" on Labour weekend.
Hopefully the Nationals are worth it

[T4 Primera]

Originally posted by P10DET


Wimper.

Is it mostly tarmac or mostly dirt/gravel?

Almost all is dirt/gravel.

RCer, thanks for reminding me. I'll try to get into the service areas and get pics.:jump: Gotta go now........

[primera man]

Originally posted by T4 Primera
Almost all is dirt/gravel.

RCer, thanks for reminding me. I'll try to get into the service areas and get pics.:jump: Gotta go now........

Now pit pics would be nice

[T4 Primera]

Day 1 - Raglan (for surfers - Raglan has longest left hand break anywhere)
Never seen so many hot cars ever. Every second one was either an Evo or Impreza WRX - and thats just the spectators. Most of the owners were only 20 or so years as well!!
Blew most of my film out on Mangatawhiri and Te Hutewai stages (SS2 & SS4) then down to the service area at Raglan Airport but couldn't get close without a service area pass. Quick cellphone call to my Bro' in law who was patrolling for the rally and he hooked me up with a Police Jacket and in I went. Only had 6 shots left which I used up on Tommi Makkinen's (Mitsi' Evo's) crew area and on local hero Possum Bourne's cars. Some 20y.o. rich kid turned up with like $100k worth of EVO (I think it was a limited Makkinen special vehicle) which Tommi Makkinen, accompanied by bodygaurds, signed on the bonnet and trunk. Wonder what kind of connections it takes to make that happen. Possum Bourne is great and will speak to anybody (my nephew, 8y.o. got his shirt signed by him) - not so for Makkinen who wouldn't even acknowledge the fans. Possum Bourne (a Kiwi) is has won the Rally of Australia for 6 years consecutively an is so accessable (even leaves the service area to talk to people without access passes) to the fans that he makes the other drivers seem like a******s.
Watching the Mitsi' team servicing - incredible. Car comes in, jacked up wheels off, brakes apart, 10 guys all over it, computer dowmloading info all before the engine is turned off. By the time the driver is out of the car it's already half stripped. 12 mechanics for each car - containers of tyres and parts - tools for Africa - crew helicopters for online track info to the drivers - the money these guys have is obscene
Ford team apparently changed a gearbox in 12.5 minutes. Weather dry and gravel deep so many teams were backing off at the finish so they wouldn't end up sweeping the road for everyone else. Mitsi' had a shocking day with one Evo breaking a gearbox on a rock and having to push the car the last 2km to the service - they made it with 2 seconds to spare.
Bro' was talking to Possum Bourne who said road was so hard that even with the hardest compound tyres they were worn out before next service.
Jumped in the patrol car with my bro' to cruise out to the last stage when we got a call to an accident. Couple of Belgian film crew got confused which side of the road to be on and hit a car with four young girls in it. I think they're all ok. Charged him with 4 counts of careless causing injury. They would've been late for their satelite link-up as well which is like $5000/minute.
My advice if you get to see the WRC is to get the sideways viewing out of the way (has to be done) and then find a place with long open sections - that's where you'll really see the performance come out (200+km/h on stones through sweeping bends). That's what I'll be doing next year. Couldn't make it to the Maramarua stages today but my brother in law is on duty again there chauffering some WRC VIP around(good time to be a cop!!) so I'll try to get hold of his pics as well.

Pics to come in a couple of days - got to get the films developed.

[primera man]

Looks like you got lucky with the pics !!!

Been following it on the news here...not as good as being there .

[primera man]

Just to let you know.....Burns won it by 40 odd secs

[T4 Primera]

Ford Focus Day 1 Mangatawhiri Special Stage 2

[T4 Primera]

Subaru Day 1 Mangatawhiri Special Stage 2

[T4 Primera]

Peugeot 206 Day 1 Mangatawhiri Special Stage 2

[T4 Primera]

Rally fan Day 1 Te Hutewai Special Stage 4