Start your engines.. Halifax to Moncton to Edmundston

Day 1

We commenced our Rally voyage from the citadel in Halifax on Monday 7th June at 9.00 am. Weather is fine but with a cold southerly wind. The cars all positioned in the old battle ramparts rearing to go.
“Betty” was all set. Every part tweaked to the highest standard as we’re all the cars.
The trackways planned to go east along the picturesque coastal route and the sights seen were fantastic consisting of little bays on the coastline with sparsely spaced houses mainly of the cape cod architecture.
Not all were in good condition and many were abandoned and dilapidated.
The roads windy but interesting.
We were heading for Moncton via Shunenacadie to Atlantic Park, a raceway of 2.4 kms in length and with an interesting configuration for the rally cars. Two laps with a target time of 3 mins 20 seconds. We took a little longer at 4 mins 41 seconds not bad for the size of our Betty.
Went for lunch and returned for a regularity event back at the same track, that requires the pace set to time with an average speed requirement of 80 k per hour. Don’t know how we fared.
Interesting.

 
Then off to Moncton with some 200 kms to go.
Lots of motorway driving long distances.
Arrived at Moncton at 5.12 pm within the set time limit.
After enjoying some well-earned beers we found that the results for the day placed us in 30th position. Disappointing and wanting to identify why we were relegated to that ranking. Apparently the placings were all relatively close and there was little discrepancy between competitors.
Still it was only the first day and there are 21 days to improve.
Tiring day and bed time was about 8.30pm.
Slept like logs!

Day 2

Rose early at 5.30am on the second day 8th June.
Steve attended to the necessaries on the car and we were ready to move to the racetrack for the day called Petty Raceway. A privately owned sealed oval track about  40 kms North of Moncton. Time trials commenced at 9am and we were 9th in line to go. There two laps with chicanes on both straights. Unfortunately we did two and a half laps instead of one and a half laps! It was ambiguous in the instructions! Navigators error!

We beat the maximum time so there are not likely to be any penalties. The crowd loved it and Betty has a great following already.
Then onto Magnetic Hill. What an illusion.
The car is parked on what seems to be at the bottom of a hill and when we turn the engine off and put the gear in neutral the car proceeds to roll back up the hill!!!
Erie.
Then on to Rogersville for lunch some 125 kms away. After that a 273 k trip to the next Regularity event. The cold sets in en-route and the rain comes down. The roads are rough with potholes abounding. Difficult driving. The Regularity event took place on a dirt muddy road and we were expected to achieve an average speed to time ratio of 54 kms with an interim check at a hidden point. A little difficult to understand. Don’t know how we are placed
Good fun.
Then onwards to the hotel in Edmundston.
Checked in in time at 4.52 pm.
A cold hard day and still raining. I thought it was spring/summer in Canada?
Going to rain tomorrow. This is the trip to Quebec City. 300 kms away.

Hope it’s a little warmer even if it rains.

From this area of Canada it’s Au revoir!