Lanes/Targa Rallies

FM155

RMS Regular
FM155
Messages
8,738
Drives
Alfa 155
We weren't running a sumpguard and so were trying to avoid the high bits. Nearly got sucked into the ditch on Hallstown 2 but was much faster than the first time. There was a gold yaris at the end of the test with a hold sump, was that you? If so, it deffo looked like you were having good craic on the tests we followed you on.
 

peespeed

RMS Regular
peespeed
Messages
180
Location
CARLOW TOWN
Was a long cold day today but great craic as always

IMG_0094-vi.jpg


:cool::cool::cool::cool::cool::cool::cool::cool::cool::cool::cool::cool::cool::cool::cool::cool::cool::cool::cool::cool::cool::cool::cool::cool::cool::cool::cool:
 

RComms

RMS Regular
RComms
Messages
3,998
Location
Banbridge
Drives
E63
Great fun yesterday :grinning:. conditions in the afternoon made it particularly entertaining! (For those inside a car...). massive thanks to @peespeed and all the marshals/photographers who stood out in it freezing their bits off!!

IMG_1015-vi.jpg


@DavyC , had a proper look at your bodywork in the car park. .... you like giving yourself something to do anyway ;). hope you get it sorted soon!
 

Mark_S

RMS Member
Mark_S
Messages
21
Drives
330ci
@FM155 I was in a black vtr saxo.. We burst the sump on one of the farm stages they were rough.. I will defo purchase a sump guard for the next time.
 

DavyC

RMS Regular
D
Messages
433
Well, dont really know where to begin with this one... I guess it completes the whole 'four seasons' of Targa Rallying with the wintery blizzard conditions!... A bit like the Ballynahinch monsoon, we genuinely felt a bit guilty for being the lucky ones inside the car while others were stuck out in the elements. By the end of the day some of the time timekeepers pens had stopped working and we were filling in our time cards for them (..yes, they made sure we wrote the correct times!) There were a few cameras spotted too!... @peespeed you really are a glutton for punishment (that was the 2nd freezing, wet day in a row I believe?) I heard a few people saying it was a knightmare to focus with all the snow!?.. doesnt seem to have been a problem for yourself!

As for our performance / result, I still cant really understand the whole thing... The day started off quite well with a few timekeepers saying "well done, joint fastest so far".. but then in test 19 d1ckhead here bounced us off a pallet of concrete flagstones and done this...

WP_20141227_14_33_52_Pro.jpg


..Might not look overly bad but it cost a fair few seconds reversing back and there was enough 'toe out' to make it crab along the road with the steering wheel now sitting at '2 o'clock'. The moment itself was a bit surreal... the right ear picked up the 'metal vs concrete' along with the onlookers "OOOHH!!"... while the left ear was maxed out with a "J3sus chr1st Davy!"... We completed that test and quickly done the next as it was immediately after in the same yard, then pulled in to change the hissing tyre before going back onto the road. At this point an experienced competitor who had been doing really well in a familiar green starlet, but had unfortunately wrecked thier car at the same point we hit, came over to see if we were ok to go on, and give us a hand hammering out the arch and sticking the spare on. It's small things like this that really lift an otherwise bad situation and we really appreciated the thoughtfulness / sportmanship!... When we got out onto the road tho I considered just calling it a day and heading back to the car & trailer before something gave way, but after pulling in a couple of times and convincing myself the car was just 'bent' and not 'broken', I thought "f?@k it, we've spent £100+ to be here, the car's still safe, lets plough on and make the most of it!"... We were surprised to be told we were still putting in some good times, and totally shocked at the end of the evening to get that over all result!...(especially since I fluffed the very last test too!.. navi had to 'politely' remind someone to do two laps of the cones on that test!).. Anyway just goes to show it aint over til it's over!.. Apologies to @RComms , @swansty ,@RallyCiaran & @cauld1 if I seemed a bit 'durr'... dosed with the cold, sore throat and could hardly speak!.... (I know, roll out the violins!).. Conor, that wee car really looks the part with riveted perspex / slidey windows etc!.. And are they just cavalier sri wheels painted white?.. 100%!(y)
 
Last edited:

DavyC

RMS Regular
D
Messages
433
Forgot to mention!.. Any MX5 owners will know that the battery lives in behind the rear drivers wheel!... After our 'wee knock' the battery's squashed in there with about 4-5mm clearance between bodywork and +ve terminal!:eek:... Ring a bell @KevM ?!...
 

KevM

RMS Regular
KevM
Messages
7,291
Location
Banbridge
Yep! You were lucky, in a strange unfortunate kinda way!! :grinning:

That would have halted you without a doubt
 

peespeed

RMS Regular
peespeed
Messages
180
Location
CARLOW TOWN
@DavyC yeah a bit of a glutton for it alright but the craic and banter far outweighs the hardship and cold. Was actually lucky to even make it up due to the conditions on the motorway, think we spotted 6 or 7 fairly bad crashes, was very tempted to turn round and head home......glad I didn't though.

When it started snowing all was on my mind was Christmas cards 2015:p:laughing::laughing: but I had very little problem focusing, had a bigger problem with light fading and coming back so settings were a bit out on a few pics.

I mentioned it before on here.........a win is not too far away for you
 

FM155

RMS Regular
FM155
Messages
8,738
Drives
Alfa 155
Wow, fair bit of damage there! The Jordan's yard tests were really tight and we took it very very handy coming through them both.
The son reminded me that I would be fixing his car or replacing it if I binned it.
Serious fun though. (y)
 

cauld1

RMS Regular
cauld1
Messages
5,343
Drives
BMW E34
@DavyC and @KevM they are mk2 astra gte wheels I believe, basically had a set of 6 of them kicking about and they fitted/seemed strong so they went on after Larne claiming the last set!
Cheers for the comments on the windows Davy, they were for my 205 but had to be put on to work with the hardtop. I have to agree with the comments on your performance through the tests though, bleeding epic!

My navi sent me this image from the results
IMG-20141228-WA0000.jpg
Either a timing cock up (most likely) or permission for me to be a tad big headed for 2 seconds :p
 

DavyC

RMS Regular
D
Messages
433
^^^... Why oh why did I have to make that dopey mistake on that last test???!!!!!!... I never realised we were still leading even after the wee 'off'... FFS! lol!

Meanwhile, there's a good point I forgot to mention last time, about the 2nd batch being stuck in a blizzard in dundrod by the time they got round there. Some people from that group reckoned they where 12+ seconds slower on the last run through dundrod paddock. No doubt that had an effect on the over all results. The MX5 crowd seeded at the front of group A struck lucky.

On another note, for anyone who fancies joining the hairdressers!....
http://cars.donedeal.co.uk/rallycars-for-sale/madza-mx5-targa-lanes-rally-car/8420030
 
Last edited:

peespeed

RMS Regular
peespeed
Messages
180
Location
CARLOW TOWN
If any of you are fed up and bored after the break since the INTBD Rally or have tweaked a few bits on the car and want to test them out then how about the TDC Multivenue Autotest on Jan 25th, despite the name it is actually all at one location at Mondello Park race track outside Naas in Co.Kildare so no navigator required. The club normally have 5 tests using all of the International track, parts of the rallycross track, part of the paddock and some of the outer access roads and carparks, these tests are normally tackled 4 times each giving 20 tests in total. Queueing for tests is not normally much of a problem either as the entrylist is divided into 5 groups with each group starting at a different test. Regs should be available in the next day or two so I'll post a link then.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top