Repco Rally Aus Chatter

[Marcus]

Originally Posted by Bede

* Surely CAMS (the owners of the company running the RRA???) are exposed if a friend of a farmer was injured just like they are with spectators!?? If CAMS view the 'risk' associated with these people as 'acceptable' then everyone should be able to stand along the route where they like...

CAMS arent responsible, which is why you can stand where you please (While on the private property) if you have the luck of knowing someone on the route. The spectactors are on private property and liability is on the farmer in question because it is private. Much like at Bathurst, if you are a friend of a resident, you can lean on their front fence and get as close as that front fence is (done that before!)

As long as the spectactors are behind the fenceline, not much you can do as long as they stay there and they are legitimaty a guest fo the farmer and not someone who lobbed up unannounced.

However, I will agree that Friday's spectacting was not exactly well thought out. The best place to watch was frankly Stage 3 at the FF, which was a really tricky corner that caught out plenty of drivers - and a bunch of people worked out was the place to see. But on the other hand, a lot of the stages had an in and an out, with no real roads in between, so it would have been very hard to have any official spectacting.

Another observation that could have affected spectactor points and the number thereof was the locals on Thursday were skeptical and not sure what to think, which would have been likely to have lead to refusals to access properties by the organisers. You really noticed today that the locals were swinging very much firmly behind the event and were thinking this was the best and biggest thing to hit the north coast in a looooong time. Now the locals have seen a great deal of money and attention swing in, seen we aint enviro vandals nor hooligans (plsu it's the ferals who are the bastards after the rock incident) and in fact it's all a lot of fun..... they will be a lot more willing to open areas up I think. Even where I am stayign in Lismore (New Olympic Motel plug plug) they were skeptical but they have a few more rooms booked than usual this weekend and they are hoping the event takes hold - as they can see the potential for a full house for a week.

And Lismore actually is quite central if a bit south - recommended to stay here next time.

There are teething issues and soem isues are pretty silly. All in all tho it's a massive operation and the organisers did face a lot of problems and a skeptical community. They probably did as well as they could.

[marc]

I don't think it helps at all David... makes us (rally enthusiasts/competitors/spectators) look as bad as them. Take the moral high ground and don't participate in silly 'net wars.

And the two photos you have posted are a bit of a spin job, aren't they? One is Mr Peacebus at a completely unrelated event and then plantation forest clearing. Remember, the true "environmentalists don't really have an issue with rallies in plantation "monocultures" where there is bugger-all biodiversity to speak of.

Nope, let's not stoop to their level! I now it's hard but mate, you'll never win that game... nobody wins arguments on the internet! As has been said here and elsewhere, to not provide any coverage, response, retort, takes the wind from their sails.

...and the typos, the typos

[Spac]

Originally Posted by marc

I don't think it helps at all David... makes us (rally enthusiasts/competitors/spectators) look as bad as them. Take the moral high ground and don't participate in silly 'net wars.

And the two photos you have posted are a bit of a spin job, aren't they? One is Mr Peacebus at a completely unrelated event and then plantation forest clearing. Remember, the true "environmentalists don't really have an issue with rallies in plantation "monocultures" where there is bugger-all biodiversity to speak of.

Nope, let's not stoop to their level! I now it's hard but mate, you'll never win that game... nobody wins arguments on the internet! As has been said here and elsewhere, to not provide any coverage, response, retort, takes the wind from their sails.

...and the typos, the typos

Right now, things are looking pretty good. But that's no reason to give these people any ammunition for them to use against us/motorsport/RRA in 2011 and beyond.

I'm sure that a lot of the no-rally supporters will realise that "rally" isn't another word for armageddon after all, and they'll quietly reduce/eliminate their involvement in any opposition to the 2011 event. However, there will be some who need to contine to rage against RRA - and next time around, they'll actually have some understanding of what a rally actually involves, and they'll have a lot more time to plan their attacks & fine-tune their media spin.
It would be a shame if they could point at the wider rally community and accuse us of being anything other than squeaky clean (which we basically are! :shock: ).

[Davo]

Sneak peek of some shots now available

World Rally Championship

**Sorry for so few pics but it's 2:03am and I have to leave for speccy point in 2.5hrs

[MissJess]

Originally Posted by Bede

To the organisrs, of all the WRC events i have been to this is the worst spectating I have ever had the misfortune of paying for.

Marcus was telling me that they had almost run out of programs on the Thursday - he managed to get one.

I then asked about other merchandise (you can always get bears with the team suits on them) from what he was saying, he was not finding much merchandise at all! Looks like I get nothing

I couldn't get there for it (taking time off work costs me money) seems I was lucky that I didn't go - based on your post anyway. I always have problems with spectating for any event - I always get stuck behind a pile of 6ft tall inconsiderate males.

[SHEPPO R.]

our car ,steven shepheard ( car 54 evo x).... copped a rock through the back window on the liasion this morning to the first stage..... for those who know my brother, they will know he was well restrained.... quiet and understanding of the alternative view , and method of protesting against the rally.

time to go looking in the hills.

[marc]

Originally Posted by SHEPPO R.

time to go looking in the hills.

Really?... good luck then. DO keep us up to date with how you go with that pursuit.

Sorry to hear that about Steve though and bloody-well good on him for being cool about it. THAT, my boy, is precisely how we (collectively) should behave. Just as I said above, "we" take the moral high ground, not stoop to knuckle-dragger mentality, act like intelligent human beings and they have NOTHING to use against "us" other than their dislike of the event/sport.

When "we" behave like thugs and yobs, it only reflects on the negative aspects of "our" side of the argument... and that, my friend, is a step backwards. Leave the thugs and knuckle draggers at the drags (or wherever they hang our now days).

[Nick]

Originally Posted by marc

they have NOTHING to use against "us" other than their dislike of the event/sport.

And rocks...

[Troy]

I agree with Bede . Very ordinary spectating.I guess it was shown from the start when the tickets turned up. Nothing like the specy package from the last WA event. So impressed that we went to Speed on Tweed this morning and then came home to watch it on One HD. The positive was the rally radio. Very imformative. The rest very underwelming. The 100 km drive from service to stages on that road was less than inspiring. Only people to have a more disappointing weekend would of been the service crews. very early starts, little chance to spectate and nothing to do most of the day then very late nights.
Cheers Troy
PS the idiot greenies that decided to drive at 10 kph thru Uki did nothing for there cause. We did note one group of Enviromentlists working at a Landcare site on Sat. No sign of a protest sign just doing something constructive. Full marks to them.

[Spac]

Originally Posted by Troy

PS the idiot greenies that decided to drive at 10 kph thru Uki did nothing for there cause.

Apparently at least one of them was fined by the police for doing so.

Good of you to point out the positive, productive actions of the real environmentalists.

[bryanv]

I was on a road closure on the last stage today with Darren Spinx and his nav Rob. Toshi Arai stopped right near us with a broken input shaft on his gearbox, with just 8 km of the rally to go.
Kipling has turned his Evo 9 into a banana, and Quinn went off on the same corner. Quinn had diff issues, and was only running on front wheel drive.
Drive of the event was Paddon....thoroughly deserved the Pirelli Star drive for next year.

[hicksy6773]

yes the spec points were **** so i drove up dayco one ss16 the night before to fine a great spec point saw bates have one of the best looses in a long time he came over the crest flat down hill on the wrong line went wide missed the bank on his left and slid down the road sideways for about ten meters hit a big pine tree with damaged his radiator . two cars before all this happened there was an evo9 came over the same crest did the same thing but went up the bank rolled down the bank facing the wrong direction landed on his wheels started his car did a ad braky off he went i think bates took his line over the crest there was a subaroo did it as well but he kept the peddle no the floor rode the bank like a burm this all happen in under 6 mins of each other got hit by rocks. the other funny thing that happened was the 4 cops that where there two froze when this happen there mouths opened then they started to run but in the same dircetion ran into each other so funny good spot to spec about 2 kms from end of stage

[marc]

Originally Posted by Troy

We did note one group of Enviromentlists working at a Landcare site on Sat. No sign of a protest sign just doing something constructive.

See, we're not all rabid idiots

[mick bramble]

A couple of photos from the weekend.

Regards Michael
Motorsport Memories Australia
torquenpower.com Australian Rally Archive on DVD

[Thirsty]

Originally Posted by hicksy6773

yes the spec points were **** so i drove up dayco one ss16 the night before to fine a great spec point saw bates have one of the best looses in a long time he came over the crest flat down hill on the wrong line went wide missed the bank on his left and slid down the road sideways for about ten meters hit a big pine tree with damaged his radiator . two cars before all this happened there was an evo9 came over the same crest did the same thing but went up the bank rolled down the bank facing the wrong direction landed on his wheels started his car did a ad braky off he went i think bates took his line over the crest there was a subaroo did it as well but he kept the peddle no the floor rode the bank like a burm this all happen in under 6 mins of each other got hit by rocks. the other funny thing that happened was the 4 cops that where there two froze when this happen there mouths opened then they started to run but in the same dircetion ran into each other so funny good spot to spec about 2 kms from end of stage

Bloody hell... TWO FULL STOPS...ROFL Did you take a breath in all that typing.
Cheers
Ross