Tarmac Rallying Perpetual Thread

[N1GTR]

And you'd want to drive that through the trees without a cage....

You're pretty special Sunshine

Oh im unique alright

Pretty much looks like ill have to get a cage in there

[Sinful]

cool, helen is good value.

funny you should mention that... for 2009 with targa tasmania and targa wrest point we are introducting a class that will allow people to compete with modifications outside the tollerence of the technical regs.

providing cars meet all the safety requirments eg. cage, belts, kill switch etc you can run all stages at unrestricted pace, compete for a targa trophy, but not be classified under the final results.

Oh nice!!

I sent you a pm about this before I relised you taling about it in here

Cant wait to see the requirements..

[t01-100]

That sounds like a good class

So in this proposed class for example, you would allow single turbo conversions on GTR's, Rb30 bottom ends, different gearboxes etc - that kind of thing? Or less mods than those

Looks like ill have to wait another year

all cars in this class will each be considered on individual merits, safety equipment and crew experience.

that kind of car isn't out of the question though.

[N1GTR]

all cars in this class will each be considered on individual merits, safety equipment and crew experience.

that kind of car isn't out of the question though.

Awesome

Just spoke to Helen, will get onto that cage soon - ill have to wait for 2009 though, looking forward to it

Thanks heaps!

[t01-100]

i dropped you a pm jess

[Roy]

That mod class sounds wild. Shame there is no way i could i) afford the event, ii) last the event without mechanical failures iii) not bend it iv) get someone game enough to sit in the wild seat

[Marlin]

Don't bet against your ability to overcome ANY of those obstacles Roy!

I would suggest to anyone interested that they will not be allowing inexperienced crews into wildly modified vehicles..... that would be asking for big-time trouble.

[Duncan]

indeed it would, even the stockers in M1 are farking quick these days. lets not forget cams want speed limits for tarmac rallies for safety reasons

[Snowman]

But isn' there bugger all rallies left running under sCAMS? Other than Targa West - which I must say after watching some in-car footage of Steve I almost have to admit that was a bit fast at times - is there any other rallies still running with them? Certainly Targa Tas, Wrest Point, Mt Buller and Lake Mountain are all running under AASA now.

[Marlin]

Yeh by all accouints WA is a very fast rally, with lots of chicanes etc to get down to the FIA average. I'm with you, looked at those vids and thought, shit, that's very quick through there....

The two Walken rallies (Tarmac challenge and Rally Tas) are CAMS. Suncoast Rally is if it ever has another one, Classic Adelaide, Tugga West.... there's a few!

I wasn't aware McNeally's Buller etc had gone AASA, maybe I just drink too much.

[phunky_monkey]

I would suggest to anyone interested that they will not be allowing inexperienced crews into wildly modified vehicles..... that would be asking for big-time trouble.

No doubt, but it's good to know that in the future there could be a rally where my car would be eligible to enter, after gaining some experience in something else... and selling a kidney

[N1GTR]

Don't bet against your ability to overcome ANY of those obstacles Roy!

I would suggest to anyone interested that they will not be allowing inexperienced crews into wildly modified vehicles..... that would be asking for big-time trouble.

Are you referring to rally experience (targa) or overall experience (circuit sprints, motokhanas etc)?

[sav man]

Dad and I were speaking to Barry Oliver, and he said Targa West is almost too fast.

[Marlin]

Experience in general really. I know lots of SAU guys have had lots of track time at sprints etc, I'm just thinking that the organisers should be treading very carefully with these modded cars. It's usually younger less experienced guys who own the wildly modded cars, and I for one just don't want to see a shit-storm if there's a couple of big accos.

Please don't think I'm downplaying the skills required to pilot mega-grunt GTR's etc.... it's just that rallying can be very very dangerous. Compound it with an inherently unstable/overpowered car, and you get the drift.

Up until a couple of years ago, for Tugga Tas at least, we needed to have an International Rally licence, which required you to actually show that you could handle a car, and had the right attitude. Trying to lower the costs has seen a reduction in the licencing level needed to compete which is no bad thing on it's own, but leaves a few questions unanswered re the skill of the crew.

Typically, the organisers will look at the previous motorsport history of a crew's application before granting a place, but I can't help think that rather than allowing typically less experienced crews into potentially even faster vehicles, they might be better served in actually stiffening up the crew requirements for the "weapon" cars?

I'm really just thinking out loud here, and welcome your guy's thoughts who have these weapons to chime in.......

On the flip side, I see true benefits in relaxing the rules a little to allow some fresh blood into the sport, bringing with those rules guys that would love to bring their modified S13 or whatever and go for a good skid. I just don't reckon one with 500hp is the place to start.

[Marlin]

Dad and I were speaking to Barry Oliver, and he said Targa West is almost too fast.

I haven't competed in it or seen it, but tend to agree with you there Ben. Speaking to Gus, he was saying he was freaquently pulling 6th around V V Long R6's, then to be slowed down by chicanes etc to keep the average speed down. To me, it's not really within the ideals of the sport, and sounds pretty bloody dangerous to me.

[N1GTR]

Agreed with a lot of your points Ben

Although in saying that if rally experience is required to enter - where can someone gain this experience? It sort of sounds like "you must have experience doing rallies to do your first rally" So that makes it quite hard, almost impossible even to enter as a first timer. The modified class, as mentioned, means the entrants wouldnt be in the running to win a place at the end so wouldnt that discourage guys from getting every last bit of speed out of their cars as the risk of binning it is too great? Who would give it 110% if you couldnt possibly win due to rules, and stack your pride and joy in the meantime

The last thing anyone wants to see is a stack. Maybe more chicanes can be introduced to lower speeds at some of the higher speed areas, surely that will help - not that no one here didnt think of that already

[Sinful]

Good Points Ben,

I would think most would be doing other events before trying to tackle a Targa! To get experience and up to that level..

The Price is awesome tho for Wrest and will attract alot of interest and now opening up another category for modified cars is even better to let new blood in.. But I do think there should be some sort of application for new people, How do you know your ready for a Targa?

I am trying the NSW round of Dutton this year have to start somewhere but dont think I would be ready for a Targa for awhile!

Edit: This might be a dumb question : But with Targa do you need to be a navigator as well as a driver I.e you do both through out the event, Are you allowed to swap drivers and do a stage? Or is there just 1 xDriver and 1 x Navigator when entering this event.

[Marlin]

Agreed with a lot of your points Ben

Although in saying that if rally experience is required to enter - where can someone gain this experience? It sort of sounds like "you must have experience doing rallies to do your first rally" So that makes it quite hard, almost impossible even to enter as a first timer. The modified class, as mentioned, means the entrants wouldnt be in the running to win a place at the end so wouldnt that discourage guys from getting every last bit of speed out of their cars as the risk of binning it is too great? Who would give it 110% if you couldnt possibly win due to rules, and stack your pride and joy in the meantime

The last thing anyone wants to see is a stack. Maybe more chicanes can be introduced to lower speeds at some of the higher speed areas, surely that will help

Re-read my post and you'll see I'm saying that I think if there's to be an "open" category, regardless of whether you can obtain finishing classification or not, the more experienced rally punters should be given the go ahead in super quick cars, not new bloods.

Organisers should be wanting younger people entering, and aiming for cheaper costs, but imo, letting them into the "open" only IF their car isn't crazy quick and trouble....

[N1GTR]

Re-read my post and you'll see I'm saying that I think if there's to be an "open" category, regardless of whether you can obtain finishing classification or not, the more experienced rally punters should be given the go ahead in super quick cars, not new bloods.

Organisers should be wanting younger people entering, and aiming for cheaper costs, but imo, letting them into the "open" only IF their car isn't crazy quick and trouble....

Ah yes, sorry about that

I guess that opens the can of worms; What defines crazy quick

[Marlin]

What defines crazy quick

lol! I don't know!

No doubt Stu will chime in here....

Maybe an Evo/GTR etc with carbon panels, hich mount and 400+ AWKW?

Age isn't neccesarliy the barrier for experience though, look at Targa west this year.... and there's ALWAYS plenty of us older guys punting all sorts of cars off EVERY event, it's part of the game I guess.