Any Rennlisters from New Zealand?
05-18-2015, 05:53 AM
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I'd better check the front of my car. Paul was itching to get home so we handed over the tracker for someone else to take back and then flew back to our respective kids without getting out of the car.
I'd say it was my aero dam because I had to reattach it several times already when it had half come off on earlier stages after banging on various bumps and one lane bridges. Was quite surprised as it looked like it might survive the Tour. That last stage there was a bang from the front and we ran something over so I figured it was probably that at the time. Had forgotten about it by stage end. My fault for encouraging the leader to give it more jandal I guess.
I take it you leaned out your window on the way past and collected it for me Glenn?
I'd say it was my aero dam because I had to reattach it several times already when it had half come off on earlier stages after banging on various bumps and one lane bridges. Was quite surprised as it looked like it might survive the Tour. That last stage there was a bang from the front and we ran something over so I figured it was probably that at the time. Had forgotten about it by stage end. My fault for encouraging the leader to give it more jandal I guess.
I take it you leaned out your window on the way past and collected it for me Glenn?
05-18-2015, 06:00 AM
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yea thx Macca
I haven't put a wheel off the tarmac since I have run that car though others have - so pretty annoying really. Car is awaiting transport back to welly which I am trying to organize today, thinking of some ways to improve it since it needs some work anyway...
I haven't put a wheel off the tarmac since I have run that car though others have - so pretty annoying really. Car is awaiting transport back to welly which I am trying to organize today, thinking of some ways to improve it since it needs some work anyway...
05-18-2015, 06:01 AM
Rennlist Member
I'm definitely keen on more RSG road raids. Aside from Perth, I'm around until mid September. Given I'll miss out on the NITT I have booked out relevant leave dates for 2016. The two Porsche weekends at HD in January, two weeks for the SITT (I'll be looking at a Tour option there - I think I'll do the North South East West points in one two week period). I'll take the R for that. Not so fussed about the track this time as I also want to do as much of the 2k cup season as I can and that's enough track for me. 2016 NITT clashes with Europe, that's the only gap on my plan.
05-18-2015, 06:03 AM
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05-18-2015, 06:23 AM
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Targa Bambina - co-driver wrap up
After a disastrous first day due to weather, a very ill co-driver (me) and the steering column coming loose (something we couldn't fix but Mark was happy to drive with) we had a great Targa Bambina. Learned a heap more and are ready to hit the ground running at the big one.
Was especially cool to actually catch up with the guys on the Tour during the day and see their smiling faces. Definitely helped on Saturday morning when I wasn't 100%.
Enjoyed breakfast with Mark and Jamie this morning. Nice way to ease into a relaxed drive home. Decided to detour to Pirongia and have a cup of tea with Steve. Very welcoming reception there.
Always a privilege to be able to do these events with Mark, Brendan and Shannon. Reasonably often the thought occurs to that, "I'm with my mate, in a Porsche, racing on public roads. How lucky am I." Gets me through the long tours to when I realise I get to see our country in a way most will never be bothered to.
Get out there and drive gents.
Was especially cool to actually catch up with the guys on the Tour during the day and see their smiling faces. Definitely helped on Saturday morning when I wasn't 100%.
Enjoyed breakfast with Mark and Jamie this morning. Nice way to ease into a relaxed drive home. Decided to detour to Pirongia and have a cup of tea with Steve. Very welcoming reception there.
Always a privilege to be able to do these events with Mark, Brendan and Shannon. Reasonably often the thought occurs to that, "I'm with my mate, in a Porsche, racing on public roads. How lucky am I." Gets me through the long tours to when I realise I get to see our country in a way most will never be bothered to.
Get out there and drive gents.
05-18-2015, 07:11 AM
Three Wheelin'
Talked to Lee and then Kim at prize giving. Was very happy to hear you were both ok and the car is fixable. Then watched the video. You're very 'cool' Mr Wong. That was a decent tumble. It hopefully gives some a better appreciation of the safety gear required to run at those speeds.
Stood on the side of the road holding the ok sign for a while so had time to calm down. The St Johns guys came along and gave us the once over. Put me on the heart rate monitor and blood pressure HR was 72 and BP normal which surprised me a bit. Then put Kim on. He had climb down to the car and back up 3 times heart rate was 140 and they wouldn't let him out of the back of the wagon and insisted that he go with them for observation and more tests. All ok in the end.
Car gets trucked to welly Thursday - organized that today. A bit of analysis required...getting there on a few theories. All these things are a cumulative outcome of a few things I find.
Anyway good that you guys ran trouble free. Always a pleasure when that happens.
05-18-2015, 07:15 AM
I was kidding about the picking it up Glenn but nothing would surprise me when it comes to Targa (except maybe a return to good old no speed limits).
Macca, I'd never wanted to be more wrong than about my Nov/Dec misgivings regarding Targa Tour being dumbed down but I can see how the event may have lost a good chunk of its appeal, especially for those like you having experienced the full fat version of years past. Some tighter sections were still great when the leader leaned into his work a bit, but too many times those periods were too short and as Paul would remember "why have we slowed down?" was a much too frequent question in the twisties and even "I'm starting to get bored" may have come out a few times.. At one point on day two I even wondered aloud if a 356A had somehow slotted in in front of us all. Some of this was mentioned by others too so perhaps the best thing that could happen to Targa New Zealand looks to be time travel. It still had many great moments but not many stages with enough sustained pace to keep my full attention from start to finish, especially once it dried out after day one. That said, the team putting it together were enthusiastic and brilliant to deal with so maybe it's just the regulatory vice they're caught in that's stuffing it up. I did notice they're looking to encourage more novelty and classic entries so maybe they too can see that the days may be numbered for satisfying the supercar crowd. I reckon those that got by far the best value out of the current Tour formula were the guys drifting their way across some of the best roads in NZ in the 130kph group, along with the bloke driving the Ford Ranger packing their tyres and who was also running in the Tour.
Even now, it was still a damn fine way to spend a long weekend but at almost the cost of a week's holiday for two in Europe it would be great to have fewer compromises involved.
05-18-2015, 07:21 AM
Three Wheelin'
Yeah, even if by some miracle I saw that one back, I'm sure it would be looking the worse for wear after getting pummeled by another 30 odd tourers and even more competitors. John, I do have one more new one and also what little is left of the one that came with my car, but could still be a taker perhaps.
I was kidding about the picking it up Glenn but nothing would surprise me when it comes to Targa (except maybe a return to good old no speed limits).
Macca, I'd never wanted to be more wrong than about my Nov/Dec misgivings regarding Targa Tour being dumbed down but I can see how the event may have lost a good chunk of its appeal, especially for those like you having experienced the full fat version of years past. Some tighter sections were still great when the leader leaned into his work a bit, but too many times those periods were too short and as Paul would remember "why have we slowed down?" was a much too frequent question in the twisties and even "I'm starting to get bored" may have come out a few times.. At one point on day two I even wondered aloud if a 356A had somehow slotted in in front of us all. Some of this was mentioned by others too so perhaps the best thing that could happen to Targa New Zealand looks to be time travel. It still had many great moments but not many stages with enough sustained pace to keep my full attention from start to finish, especially once it dried out after day one. That said, the team putting it together were enthusiastic and brilliant to deal with so maybe it's just the regulatory vice they're caught in that's stuffing it up. I did notice they're looking to encourage more novelty and classic entries so maybe they too can see that the days may be numbered for satisfying the supercar crowd. I reckon those that got by far the best value out of the current Tour formula were the guys drifting their way across some of the best roads in NZ in the 130kph group, along with the bloke driving the Ford Ranger packing their tyres and who was also running in the Tour.
Even now, it was still a damn fine way to spend a weekend but at almost the cost of a week's holiday for two in Europe it would be great to have fewer compromises involved.
I was kidding about the picking it up Glenn but nothing would surprise me when it comes to Targa (except maybe a return to good old no speed limits).
Macca, I'd never wanted to be more wrong than about my Nov/Dec misgivings regarding Targa Tour being dumbed down but I can see how the event may have lost a good chunk of its appeal, especially for those like you having experienced the full fat version of years past. Some tighter sections were still great when the leader leaned into his work a bit, but too many times those periods were too short and as Paul would remember "why have we slowed down?" was a much too frequent question in the twisties and even "I'm starting to get bored" may have come out a few times.. At one point on day two I even wondered aloud if a 356A had somehow slotted in in front of us all. Some of this was mentioned by others too so perhaps the best thing that could happen to Targa New Zealand looks to be time travel. It still had many great moments but not many stages with enough sustained pace to keep my full attention from start to finish, especially once it dried out after day one. That said, the team putting it together were enthusiastic and brilliant to deal with so maybe it's just the regulatory vice they're caught in that's stuffing it up. I did notice they're looking to encourage more novelty and classic entries so maybe they too can see that the days may be numbered for satisfying the supercar crowd. I reckon those that got by far the best value out of the current Tour formula were the guys drifting their way across some of the best roads in NZ in the 130kph group, along with the bloke driving the Ford Ranger packing their tyres and who was also running in the Tour.
Even now, it was still a damn fine way to spend a weekend but at almost the cost of a week's holiday for two in Europe it would be great to have fewer compromises involved.
05-18-2015, 08:29 AM
Pretty keen on that idea, but more likely next year's Bambina. Because I had concerns about the likely slowing down of the Tour, back in December I had already arranged to be able to upgrade my entry to the competition and had checked on hiring one of their orange BMWs but it didn't quite pan out this time. The Targa proper is a bigger commitment, but yes, an Integra would be relatively cheap and fun to run at ten tenths and I noticed two or three competing this year.
05-18-2015, 08:29 AM
Rennlist Member
Regardless of seeding the stages were mostly congested by the time you were 60 % through them. Last time I ran the event we were let off by a Marshall 5-10s apart which created better spacing at the beginning but even that has now gone out the window. I can see why the route book is almost superfluous these days. With the rolling start the front runners appeared to be tightly bunched follow the leader and unlikely to be loosing sight of the other cars for too long.
The event cost us over $5000 and that's without the return flights. It's pricey for what was really around 200km of dry decent stages.
I think Graeme is right. The full fat event is where it's at with 30-60s intervals you get a clear sprint and a 200 kph limit speed - I think it would be far more interesting and potentially better thrill per buck. I think Chris B has the right idea with his plans for a comp car next year personally.
None the less, my observations and gripes aside, it was great fun and again the social element was a highlight with many new friends made and many old ones re acquainted. For me a big highlight was getting to spend some decent time with a mate I have not had time to catch up with for a long while and reviewing the footage from a Day 2 & 3 I think we started to get a nice system and level of trust worked out and could be a nice recipe for another assault in the future. We followed full targa etiquette using monit splits plus running cumulative time checks for the entire event, calling all cautions and "as you see it" commentary when there were no notes to be had for stretches. I was taught this by a competition navigator in 2012 and although for much of the Bambina it seemed overkill it's still an excellent practice to ensure a safe(er) run....
Last edited by Macca; 05-18-2015 at 05:34 PM.
05-18-2015, 08:42 AM
Rennlist Member
One improvement I might add this year was the helmets. Though I wasn't convinced initially I concede by day 2 they felt a lot less restrictive and obviously added a beneficial safety element to the tour...
05-18-2015, 08:52 AM
Walt I agree with your analysis... I've reviewed the in car and I don't believe we got a full stage completed on Day 3 without the bunching up. ... Seeding is now critical to getting a chance of a reasonable run but with an old car like ours not many will allow you to the front. The irony here is if I had have rocked up in my 991 GT3 I would have been seeded to the very front without question. The nut behind the wheel would have been the same but the centre lock nuts on the actual wheels would have been the stand out feature. The irony that the lead car was a 3 year old BMW 635 was not lost on me....
Regardless of seeding the stages were mostly congested by the time you were 60 % through them. Last time I ran the event we were let off by a Marshall 5-10s apart which created better spacing at the beginning but even that has now gone out the window. I can see why the route book is almost superfluous these days. With the rolling start the front runners appeared to be tightly bunched follow the leader and unlikely to be loosing sight of the other cars for too long.
The event cost us over $5000 and that's without the return flights. It's pricey for what was really around 200km of dry decent stages.
I think Graeme is right. The full fat event is where it's at with 30-60s intervals you get a clear sprint and a 200 kph limit speed - I think it would be far more interesting and potentially better thrill per buck. I think Chris B has the right idea with his plans for a comp car next year personally.
None the less, my observations and gripes aside, it was great fun and again the social element was a highlight with many new friends made and many old ones re acquainted. For me a big highlight was getting to spend some decent time with a mate I have not had time to catch up with for a long while and reviewing the footage from a Day 2 & 3 I think we started to get a nice system and level of trust worked out and could be a nice recipe for another assault in the future. We followed full targa etiquette using monit splits plus running cumulative time checks for the entire event, calling all cautions and "as you see it" commentary when there were no notes to be had for stretches. I was taught this by a competition navigator in 2012 and although for much of the Bambina it seemed overkill it's still an excellent practice to ensure a safe(er) run....
Regardless of seeding the stages were mostly congested by the time you were 60 % through them. Last time I ran the event we were let off by a Marshall 5-10s apart which created better spacing at the beginning but even that has now gone out the window. I can see why the route book is almost superfluous these days. With the rolling start the front runners appeared to be tightly bunched follow the leader and unlikely to be loosing sight of the other cars for too long.
The event cost us over $5000 and that's without the return flights. It's pricey for what was really around 200km of dry decent stages.
I think Graeme is right. The full fat event is where it's at with 30-60s intervals you get a clear sprint and a 200 kph limit speed - I think it would be far more interesting and potentially better thrill per buck. I think Chris B has the right idea with his plans for a comp car next year personally.
None the less, my observations and gripes aside, it was great fun and again the social element was a highlight with many new friends made and many old ones re acquainted. For me a big highlight was getting to spend some decent time with a mate I have not had time to catch up with for a long while and reviewing the footage from a Day 2 & 3 I think we started to get a nice system and level of trust worked out and could be a nice recipe for another assault in the future. We followed full targa etiquette using monit splits plus running cumulative time checks for the entire event, calling all cautions and "as you see it" commentary when there were no notes to be had for stretches. I was taught this by a competition navigator in 2012 and although for much of the Bambina it seemed overkill it's still an excellent practice to ensure a safe(er) run....
The social side was brilliant but the driving is the meat of it of course.
05-18-2015, 09:02 AM
Pretty keen on that idea, but more likely next year's Bambina. Because I had concerns about the likely slowing down of the Tour, back in December I had already arranged to be able to upgrade my entry to the competition and had checked on hiring one of their orange BMWs but it didn't quite pan out this time. The Targa proper is a bigger commitment, but yes, an Integra would be relatively cheap and fun to run at ten tenths and I noticed two or three competing this year.
05-18-2015, 09:19 AM
Opinion will be divided but I totally agree. Much happier with one on, particularly when Targa force me to spend far too much attention on the speedo rather than on judging the surface conditions and braking point for the corners following the straights. Feel much safer at 177 with my eyes kept on the road than when they have me flying down bumpy straights at 157 glancing down at the instruments multiple times a second to avoid getting banned from the Targa Tour. The car is also more stable and safer when she's taken a bit of a set under acceleration or braking than when trying to waft along like that. If they're keeping stats on the circumstances of offs, I wouldn't be surprised to see relatively more happening either on straights or on the following corner.
05-18-2015, 03:47 PM
Drifting
I'm definitely keen on more RSG road raids. Aside from Perth, I'm around until mid September. Given I'll miss out on the NITT I have booked out relevant leave dates for 2016. The two Porsche weekends at HD in January, two weeks for the SITT (I'll be looking at a Tour option there - I think I'll do the North South East West points in one two week period). I'll take the R for that. Not so fussed about the track this time as I also want to do as much of the 2k cup season as I can and that's enough track for me. 2016 NITT clashes with Europe, that's the only gap on my plan.