Bathurst Rally - Brindabella Motor Sport Club

Mark · 25-03-2002, 08:03 PM

Hi,

Did anybody see the description of the upcoming Bathurst Rally on the 11 May???

Here's a few details to make you drool/pee your pants [delete as appropriate]...

-First stage - comes up the back of Mt.Panorama then joins at Skyline, then you get to do the track for the second half of the lap down to the Dunlop Bridge, which is the Pit entrance, isn't it? How brilliant is that? Talk about rare opportuntity. I wonder if there will be kitty litter at the end of Conrod Straight? I had the car on the dyno recently and anything over 160kph the back of the car is really bouncing up and down due to the tyres being unbalanced. Hmmm, where are those slicks...

-Longest rally in NSW - 190km competitive. Figured if Narooma was 150km competitive then what's another stage on that.

-And what must be the longest stage in NSW...52km's!!! I know my average speed is normally around 60 - 75 kph. That means the stage will be over 40 minutes long. I'm kind of hoping that there is no dust and that the seeding is right...

-Chicken & Hen or Hen & Chicken. Something like 9 km long. 3 - 4 calls - Start, RGL, FF, Finish. Does anyone know if this is the stage featured during the credits in the Go Hard Or Go Home 3 Video?

Going to be an interesting rally...

Sorry, I don't mean to quote Big Kev but he's right, "I'm excited...". I couldn't resist posting this.

Mark

Rallyray · 25-03-2002, 08:09 PM

Mark,

I don't like it when you tell me stuff like that!!!

If only....

smee · 25-03-2002, 08:46 PM

mmmmmm. Stage starts at the dump.
Road goes left, then left again, 100m road goes right uphill.
Bear left off road and uphill along a straight through gate. Do not hit gate. (it has been done by a classic) Road goes down and right after gate. Do not go to fast here or rear end will step out left, and when you try to catch it you will be in the drain like the couple of other skid marls that are present.
Road then goes right slightly and uphill. Road then goes left then right uphill, and I mean uphill. If you do not carry enough speed you will see 1st gear. Get to crest and 50m road goes left then through gate and turn right. Straight on and turn hard right after concrete. do not over shoot.
You are now on the track. Through the s's / skyline I think, then right and left down the dipper. Road goes right then left onto conrod straight. Road tyres do not grip on this surface even when hot.... trust me. It is then the 1k blast down conrod to the right kink and then brake for a hard left. It comes at you prettyquick and is tight. then right and under the bridge. end of stage. It is more fun to run it the other way.

Happy hunting

Mark · 25-03-2002, 09:23 PM

Smee, Thanks for the description. I think I will be memorising that. Err, I've never actually been to Bathurst in the 10 years since I've been in country so it will be cool to see Mt.Panorama for the first time, the proper way

Karl, yeah, a 52km stage seems a bit of a waste of time and distance for little benefit. It's going to be interesting to see whether the concentration holds out for 40 odd minutes. It definately sounds different to any of the (limited number of...) rallies I've done before.

It all depends if I get my 11:1 C/R engine in on time...

Mark

Matt Sosi · 25-03-2002, 09:45 PM

Zenith & others

The last rally that was staged by the Bathurst club had the 52km section in it, located in the Arkstone area of Valcan State Forest.

Hopefully the Charade will be ready by the event and will be looking forward to it big time.

Matt Sosimenko

Matt · 26-03-2002, 10:27 AM

That's just getting warmed up! In the '98 Round Australia Rally, that would be a sprint stage! The longest stage of the event was 208 km - we finished the stage at 8:30 am and went and had breakfast...

Other notables - co-drivers dream:
0.00 SO from Start

110.00 FF

300 km competitive every day for 21 days - now that is rallying!

Daniel · 26-03-2002, 10:39 AM

Zenith - I'm currious, why do you think stages should be capped to 40 km?

Bede · 26-03-2002, 11:19 AM

Mark, does that mean you aren't running Ulladulla the following weekend?

Mark · 26-03-2002, 11:23 AM

Bede,

We're going to try and do Ulladulla as well. Don't know if I'll have any tyres in good condition for it, though. I don't want to say anymore to jinx myself....

Does the Austin Family Rally Circus need a helping hand???

Mark

Daniel · 26-03-2002, 11:37 AM

Zen - I didn't think of it from that point of view, how did they manage with the Southern Cross? or was it just not closed off?

Matt · 26-03-2002, 12:16 PM

Quote:

Also this is special stage rallying, not a trial.

Round Australia Rally '98 was a rally, not a trial. That was why the name was changed. It was run exactly as a Special Stage rally, but with transports totalling up to 1000 km per day. The 1995 Round Australia Trial was a trial. Distances are covered in "legs" - part competitive, part transport. The difference being that a leg would be about 2000 km and would go for about 30 hours.

There are a couple of lessons that can be learned from these sorts of events:
UHF radios - all competitors are in contact with one another. As you caught a competitor, you gave them a call on the UHF, they would move over at an appropriate spot and you went past.

First Assistance Vehicles (FAV) - for every 15 - 20 competitors, there would be a FAV. They would traverse the course with the competitors, starting at equally spaced positions through the field. They watched their mirrors and, in general, were out of the way before you needed to back off. But, as above, they had UHF so you could give them a call. They would assist in medical situations only - they weren't there to tow you.

Zen, if you are looking for events with lengths that are inversely proportional to your age, then I guess you will be appearing at a lot more motorkhanas!

bob moore · 26-03-2002, 01:09 PM

Well, Zen, once you turn 40 they expect you to know everything, from the ark's laptime at Bathurst! I guess you'd have been at least 16 in 1978, when the Southern Cross ran its 205km section (damn! 3 km less than the Round Australia's best!)

As for closing the area off - nope; we jus' done it all in the dark.

Daylight is for wusses who don't understand Ohm's Law.

Daniel · 26-03-2002, 01:15 PM

bernie · 04-04-2002, 01:38 AM

I wish to contradict the notion that horsepower will win the hen and chicken stage. Having run the stage a couple of years ago I can safely say that testicles will win the stage. Whoever hits the bridge the fastest and keeps it on the road will win. If any driver has the balls to do so they will reach the top speed of their car on this stage without a doubt. See you all out there.

Bernie....

Daniel · 04-04-2002, 09:43 AM

Yeh - the type of balls you put behind the seat as you get in

I remember back in 96 Rob had the Escort at 8K in 4th and was complaining over the intercom because he didn't have another gear and the rev limiter kept cutting in