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Post by neil6147 on Nov 23, 2006 4:18:05 GMT 10
Hi to you all. We are just about at the end of the Motor Rally World Championship. Just one more round to go and that is the GB event to be held in Wales at the start of Dec this year. between the 1st and 3rd of the month. This I must say has been a very close battle for the championship. with Sebastien loeb from France driving for Citreon with 112 points Marcu gronholm from Finland driving for Ford on 101 points and Mikko Hirvonen from Finland driving for Ford on 65 points And this with one event still to take place. But with only 10 points for a win means that Sebastien loeb was won the World Rally championship for 2006. But when you also take in to account that Sebastien Loeb has missed a couple of events due to a broken arm. We all look forward to the Welsh Event and the Crowning of Sebastien Loeb as World Champion 2006. This alos is the first time in many years that touch wood I have not been involved with this event. In the past I have asked to do the pacenotes that the navigators use to read back to the drivers at high speed throught the forrest stages. I will admit I said it would be possible for me this year as we are looking after our Grandson Andrew. And this is something that you really have to be focused on. And felt I just could do the job this year. The navigators involved all fully understand the problem. I have able to get out and watch a few local events this year. Both off road and closed Road events ( Jim Clark Motor Rally ) plus have watch a few night navigational Rallys on our local roads. This is where I started my Motor Rallying a few back. Ok then Dunfermline Car Club Datamart Tarmac Championship First in class ( 1000cc ) 1986 Well that was back then and I have since retired form the compitition side of the sport. But still have a small in put to the sport.
Will do my best to keep you updated during the final round of the championship.
Neil
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Elly
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Post by Elly on Nov 24, 2006 10:25:07 GMT 10
thanks Neil.
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Post by smudger on Nov 24, 2006 17:18:30 GMT 10
HI Neil , as i was over in Scotland i watched the Championships on tv , there were some damm good times been driven by the teams . Rally driving is a very highly skilled sport and always great to watch be it on tv or live .
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Post by neil6147 on Nov 24, 2006 20:50:22 GMT 10
Yes smudger it is great to watch it either on the TV or Live. But it was great when I was taking part sitting in the car at close to 100mph down those forest tracks. It was an experience that I shall never forget. People sit playing the computer games thinking it close to real thing but how wrong they are.
Neil
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Post by smudger on Nov 26, 2006 10:09:13 GMT 10
Hi Neil , well impressed here at my end that you were part of such a motor sport ..respect mate . Like you say to play F1 or any motor sport on a pc is no comparison but still a wee bit fun . As you said it must have been such a buzz to be in a high powered car belting through tight tracks , listening to the navigators directions .
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Post by neil6147 on Nov 26, 2006 21:04:05 GMT 10
Hi Smudger it was great and if I did hear the navigators directions then we had big communication problems inside the car. As I was the navigator. LOL Except on a few rallys where we we allowed to change places and I drove and my driver navigated for me. Now that was real real fun. Our biggest problem was when the navigator to driver intercom broke down on one event and I we done the entire event on sign langauge within the car. Good clean sign langauge that is. And we still managed to finish second in our class that day. Yes 65 miles of forrest track done by sign langauge. And atthe end of the day the problem was a bad connection in the Navigator microphone. Which took approx 4 minutes to repair back in the workshop. I still a lot of respect for the top drivers in the sport and also to the novice class at club level where we all have to start. And this is why I try to help out where ever possible in the spot.
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Post by neil6147 on Dec 2, 2006 2:15:26 GMT 10
The Rally GB has started this weekend and he information I has to date is as follows.
Petter Solberg is leading the event by just a few seconds. this was at the end of stage five. And was sent to me via a text message from a friend who is watching the event live.
Neil
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Post by neil6147 on Dec 16, 2006 5:27:05 GMT 10
Hi to you all. I have came over an old photo of myself taking part in a Motor Rally away back in 1988. On this event we changed over so instead of me navigating I had the chance to drive the car. And my usual driver had the chance to navigate. We finished third in our class and 15th overall out of 120 starters. The car body is a Mini 1275GT with a 1000cc Engine under the bonnet. it could do 0 - 60 in approx 4.50 seconds . We used this car for about three years and had some really good events in it. It was originaly owned by Ken Wood who was sponsored by Golden Wonder Crisps in Broxburn West lothian. The stripes on the car were part of the Golden Wonder Logo. All we were asked to do was remove the Golden Wonder writting on the car. At the end of the third season of our use the back suspension came through the wheel arch and caused problems for us. As we had to do a lot of welding inorder to do the last two events of the year. This was also my last season in the sport. So that car was special to me. Neil
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Post by smudger on Dec 17, 2006 8:39:03 GMT 10
Hi Neil cheers for the photo , you look as though it was a hard drive but i am shure a lot of fun . Rally driving i have never done but cross country in jeeps and trucks i have done during my time as a Squadie . So i can only imagine the feeling of tearing around tight bends and trying to navigate at the same time . Well done mate at putting in the info to a very interesting sport and making a wee space for us fellas ..
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Post by neil6147 on Feb 12, 2007 5:06:10 GMT 10
Well Ok not exactly World Championship level But it was still great. On Friday evening at around 7.30pm I received a panic phone call from John a Friend who does Club Level Motor Rallying. His normal navigator had taken ill and was unable to compete in an event over the weekend. Would you like to navigate for me Neil. Somehow I said when is the event and where. John Replied tonight 9.30pm at Peebles some 20 miles away from my house. So spoke with Christine and phoned him back to ask what I would require to take with me. John replied just yourself as I have all the maps for the event. I arrived in the car park in Peebles at 8.50pm and was introduced to the car for the night. A Ford Focus. Then it was the paper work for the night signing in to the event as Navigator. 9.30pm and the first car of the event leaves the start line. All the cars are leaving at one minute intervals. And we have to navigate our way through the Scottish Border roads by the clues we are given. 10.14pm and we are sitting on the start line. At this point John tells me I am not under any pressure but he is sitting two points behind the Championship Leader with only this event plus two events left in the Championship. No Pressure I say to myself. We get through the first leg of the event which sees us taking the tweed Valley heading east then south past the Gordon Arms Hotel and then south again then east towards Ettick Village and then into Selkirk for the end of the first leg. and a 45 minute break allowing us to fuel up also. Then we are back on the road heading for the Hawick area on the country roads. Then we head south west on the back road for Eskdalemuir. And then Moffat where we cross the finishing line. We did not bad finishing 2nd in our class and 8th overall. This now puts John 1 point behind the Championship Leader with two events left.
John was very impressed with my Navigating considering I have notbeen in this competition situation for over 22 years. From Moffat we drove back to Peebles to collect my car so I could drive home. I got home around 5am on Saturday morning. Sorry I did not have time to take photos. But will try and get back over some of the roads o let you have an idea of what we up against. this was also the first time I have used a five point harness for over 22 years except for when I belt Andrew into his Baby seat in back of our car.
John is one of the crews that I would normally write the pace notes for on the Jim Clark Motor Rally. So I know I will be getting asked to do this this year again for his team in May.
It was great to be back in the navigators seat again after all these years. And it just came back to me what I was to do. The biggest worry John had though was that spent most of the route looking out the window and not at the map. I told him several times on the first leg to relax as we were on roads that I knew like the back of my hand. By the way the Championship leader finished 4th in Class and 10th overall.
I wish John and Peter all the best on the last two events of the Championship. And I was glad to help out on the night.
Neil
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Elly
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Post by Elly on Feb 12, 2007 6:52:13 GMT 10
Thats great Neil, bet you enjoyed it, must be nerve racking, all the best to them both, hope they do well. #ssmile#
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Post by neil6147 on Mar 5, 2007 4:56:45 GMT 10
Thought I would bring you up to date with what has happened in the Rally Championship I helped on a few weeks back. Well during the week I was phoned by the Championship leader who asked to meet me as he wished to ask a large favour of me. This was arranged for Wednesday night. Basically it was to ask I would mind Navigating on the last even of the Championship for him. The reason was that it was still very close points wise in the drivers Championship but due to John and peter having dropped Peter from one event they felt it only fair to drop his Navigator for one event. This would make it fair in the Championship Points system. So last night was great fun for me Navigating yet again but with more time to get ready and more time to allow the mechanics to adjust the Navigators seat for me. The reason for this the normal navigator is 5 foot 6inches and I am 6 foot. So Thursday was spent with the mechanics setting the car up. Which by the way was a Renault Magane. So back to last night I was picked up at the house and of we set for Cockburnspath area just of the A1 south of Dunbar. Again the rally was on roads I know fairly well. So got of to a very start making good time on the first section until Neil shouted late with a junction call. We made it round the corner OK with no damage. But it was a stop check point and we did not stop for the recommended Three Seconds. So this resulted in Penalty Points added to the time card at the rest point. Out of the fuel halt and of we go again on roads I know fairly well. So at the end Berwick Upon Tweed some 175 miles later. We got the results well talk about being close. We finished second in class and second overall. But were even closer in the Championship Points System finishing Equal First with John and Peter the crew I helped out a few weeks back. So the Championship is decided on driver points simple the driver with the most points wins. Wrong both Frank who I have just Navigated for and John have the equal points. So now it comes down to Navigator points yes you guessed it Jim and Peter who have both dropped one event have equal points. So they have both Finished First Equal in the Championship. Frank felt it only fair to drop his Navigator for one event as it was close in the points system. Plus with myself being a neutral navigator it made it fair also. Thank you to both crews for allowing me to compete at short notice in these events. And to think both crews had competed during the day over at Crail in Fife for the first round of a different Championship on Saturday. And again both crews had finished in the top five. Well done lads and sorry for the late call. But it was due to four junctions being very close to each other. And myself for not noticing that one was a stop go junction. Frank also blames himself as they got this junction wrong last year also. It give me an idea of what roads are going to be used on the Jim Clark Motor Rally in May. This was due to tell tale markings I spotted on the road and was also able to take note of for use when pace noting later in the year. All I can say is enjoy the Championship Prize giving lads you have worked hard for it this year.
Mind you I am not sure which event put me under the most pressure as both we very fast with vital points needed at the end of each event.
Neil
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