gravel travel

This day started at 8.30 though waking up from a great evening at the local fire station to the sight of a tranquil lake first thing in the morning. Beautiful.

Today we had a relatively short run of just over 400 kms to Buffalo. The course took us through some beautiful countryside and included 2 Regularities on unsealed roads. We faired little better than the previous trials, one where the trip meter began playing up and the other where we were caught behind a vehicle and couldn’t get past.
A real disappointment as we thought we were getting to grips with this thing. It was not to be. Our experience is minimal and we need to learn quickly if we are to get up on the leaderboard.
The rest of the journey was relatively casual with exception of the entry to the city and the hotel. Took a wrong turn on a one way street and the count down to the last check-in started. We stressed out in an endeavour to get back on track. Made it with 5 minutes to spare!
I must reiterate that this type of rally is so different from the adventurist one that was the Peking to Paris in 2013.
This is an all on road trip that we are competing in and “Betty” is not really designed for this type of event. In saying that its the most beautiful and controversial vehicle in the event. The Americans and Canadians just love the deja vu that it stirs up. Lots of folk just walk up and talk about the car that they or their fathers owned. Great conversation starter! And a lovely car to ride in.

Steve has done a great job in bringing her up to rally standard and she just hasn’t faltered. Many other cars have had their difficulties whilst Betty just keeps on going. Some have had to pull out.

We checked into the hotel had a few drinks dinner and bed.
Today (Day  7) is a rest day giving an opportunity to visit the Niagara falls.
It’s a bit cloudy/overcast this morning so we’ll see how it turns out.
We’ll give the car a tweak if it needs one. And have a play with the trip meter to see what’s playing up. A loose connection?
Hope to have a great day.

 

Day 5 commenced outside the parking gate at the Fairmont @ 8.11, our departure time to Sanair and onto Old Forge in NY State.
At Sanair we have a special test on a race track. Many obstacles including hairpins and chicanes. Target time 2 min 30 seconds. We did 3.58. A bit slow but not bad for Betty. She’s a big bird, the largest, longest in the rally fleet. It was a great track but obviously we could not complete with the spritely Mercs and Porsches.

We covered 630kms today A lot of Ks. We had to cross the border into the U.S. This went without issue though soon after we were faced with two police trooper road blocks, searching for two escaped murderers. We were twice asked to “open the trunk ” for inspection. Slows us down and requires more speed to ensure that we get to our destination within the required time.
Having successfully navigated to the border, a tulip book error threw the navigator into a spin and wrong turns were made. Many Ks later we found the error and we were forced to backtrack and return through a Passage Control station. Had we not done this there would have been a penalty that would have us lose our placing.
We drove on to the destination at Old Forge. A small settlement in the lakes district. A hotel located at the tranquil lakes edge was the time control check in and our room for the night.
We got in on time and the organisation had arranged a reception at the local fire station
attended by lots of interested locals and volunteer firemen and the police chief. Great time. They supplied the food and beer “low alcohol” naturally and fascinating to interject the local people with the rally team members. Great mix.
Then to bed and ready for the new day. We also maintained our 29th place. We need to do better!
It’s a relatively short 300k run through to Buffalo tomorrow. However two regularities are planned. These are where points are lost or gained. So a concerted effort tomorrow.

It rained again last night and the forecast was for rain all day Wednesday on the third leg of the journey to Quebec. The results for second leg were announced and Betty and the boys were again disappointed. We were now in 31st place!  It was because of the 2 1/2 laps that we did on the track and that we did not complete the Regularity section correctly. We were most frustrated!

This rally is absolutely so different from the P to P. These competitors are seasoned rally drivers doing 30 to 40 rally’s per annum. They can pick up points to 0.00 of the completion of a regularity. That means that they know exactly what average speed over time that they need to drive.
There are only two ways that we can improve our position. To play on having a more reliable car and let a process of elimination occur or to learn and improve the performance. We thought that both will happen so concentrate on making sure that we know more about where the points are made and capitalise.
The leg from Edmundston to Quebec began at 8.30am and included a Regularity section.
We start out of the city through beautiful countryside much of which could be in NZ. Around rivers and lakes grassy fields and forest. The forest is native bush unlike at home and sawmill stockpiles of logs look like second grade treetops and very short pieces. Still they have lots of it and the sawing and paper making industry is huge.
Wendy the vacuum powered windscreen wiper has come to life. Don’t know why but it made for far more easy driving in the rain.

So we got to the Regularity section which turned out to be a well graded relatively smooth but wet muddy road.
There were public vehicles using the road also so care was needed. At the countdown to start the trip counter began playing up so having the constant speed to distance was judged by travelling at the average speed required. This caused some angst in the cockpit and at the first speed checkpoint stop we were told that  we were 0.04 seconds fast of the target. Not bad!  We were also advised that that was the end of the regularity section so great!  We were not likely to miss our other time or passage control points. So as the dirt road section changed to tarmac and we got closer to our destination, we travelled along lazy roads alongside the St Lawrence river. House quality and commercial activity improved as we headed for a ferry terminal at Levi’s. There we traversed the river over to Quebec central. A beautiful place built on the river’s edge over the centuries into a thriving metropolis.

Ironically we commenced the rally not far from Quebec some 40 kms away whilst the well designed track took us around the remote areas which would be left unseen by most tourists.
We checked our times in at the passage control in the hotel foyer and made our way to the 14th floor of the hotel to receive keys and check-in.
Then down to the lounge for a quick meet and greet and a few beers for what was the conclusion of a relatively short easy run of approx 300kms.
The organisation had arranged some canapés and drinks followed by a dinner in one of the elaborate dining rooms.
After some drinks in the upstairs lounge Steve advised that our placing had improved to 29th on the board! Two better than the previous day. Terrific! Of course we intend to better this still further but great news.
Wednesday is a layday so that we can have a look at the great city of Quebec. Then, we will get back into racing space! Good fun today.

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!

Well, this is the first communique from Steve and I as we prepare the car and ourselves for the 2nd Trans America Rally.

Our journey from Cleveland Ohio to Halifax in Nova Scotia, some 1500 kms, was a good test for the car that Steve has been working on since the 5th of May.
Cleveland is not the safest city in the US and he had some interesting experiences during his stay from a workshop that was adjoining a whorehouse on one side and a crackhouse on the other. Apparently these places were busy 24 hours a day.
He had to lock himself in the garage to avoid being noticed. Difficult for Steve as his is usually noticeable. Quite an experience.
It took Steve all of three weeks to do the essentials plus fit the car with the equipment required on this trip. Seat belts, springs, special wiring for the GPS, trip meters, screen mounted camera,new car station, mud flaps and on and on. He is a perfectionist with a passion to make sure that there will not be any failures.
This proved to be the case as we made our way north east.

Stayed in some interesting towns en-route including Rhode Island. Met some interesting people on the way when enquiring for directions. Lots of laughs and a good time.
The car ran very well with few issues until we ran into the most atrocious weather traveling from St John to Halifax in Nova Scotia. It just bucketed down and the temperature plunged to 4-5 degrees.
Identified two minor matters that involved windscreen wipers and demisting as well the vulnerability of the navigator when trying to find the hotel venue in rush hour traffic in a city you’ve never been in before, and in fading light. This the navigators excuse anyway. It was hard work and we were exhausted.
All went well though and we had little difficulty getting to the hotel.
Wednesday was a rest day
Last night we ran into some of the drivers in this competition who we had met during the P to P rally. A great night ensued during which we traded stories of what had happened since the last adventure. A few beers were consumed.
This morning we went about ensuring that the various moving parts of the car were up to scratch, with Steve arranging a hoist at a garage nearby. The mechanics were most helpful and as had happened on the entire trip so far the assistance has been terrific. Lots of admiring looks and comments being expressed.
We also began affixing the decals and stickers to the car, the allocated numbers and some identification decals. We have blessed the car with the name Betty. An appropriate Name for era of the time we think. So she’s Betty.

Looks really great!! As the photos attest.
Whilst cleaning the car Steve successfully repaired a niggling tail light problem.
All in all we are “ready to rumble.”
Tomorrow all contestants will meet for dinner and the process of scruitineering gets underway. Drivers will uplift their cars from the wharf and no doubt start to get ready for action.
So, that’s about it at present.
Apologies for the length of this initial report but it should get more interesting after we get underway.