Inaugural 2009 First Frost Rally hosted by SPDA

[STeveD]

[img width=638]http://thezdmgroup.com/articles/FFNR_2009-copy.jpg[/img]

Sanctioned by Rally Sport Ontario. Held under the Canadian Association of Rally Sport General Competition Rules.


About Navigational Rally:

This driving event is on interesting roads in southern Ontario, designed for any street legal vehicle to pass safely. You will work as a two person team (navigator and driver) to interpret and follow a fun route. This rally was designed by two drivers, so expect the roads to be chosen for driver enjoyment!

You really need no specialized equipment for rally. A driver’s license, vehicle ownership in your name (or letter of permission), and valid insurance are required at registration. If you also bring a pen and a clipboard, you’ll be in great shape! Some people also like a calculator and digital watch for timing, and a GPS will help if you get lost. These latter items are not essential.

We will be running four classes to accommodate everyone: Expert, Intermediate, Novice, and Touring. Touring will have no navigational tricks, and will just be a beautiful, fun drive and a chance to see what rally is about.

If you want to enter Novice class and score in the Ontario Road Rally Cup Championship series, give these files a read. They are NOT necessary for the Touring Class, but if it’s your first Navigational rally, they’ll tell you what to expect:

http://kwrc.on.ca/events/snatr/Basic_Rallying.html

and the BASIC INSTRUCTIONS ONLY on this page:

http://www.torontoautosportclub.ca/articles/RallyMaster/index.html

[TR_Tim]

Looks like a great event - I'm expecting to get the TR out for it (assuming I can find suitable tyres in my skinny sizes...)

Good luck in Perth at the weekend!

[STeveD]

Thank you, Tim.

The reality is that we're running this just NW of Brampton on December 5th. I doubt that we'll see ANY snow near the start. The route MIGHT take you places where you could find a small amount of accumulation, but we generally have that comment in there for a worst case scenario, just to make sure they're not taking bald 7 year old All Seasons out there.

Aside from the possibiliity that your TR might not START near a whiff of snow, I wouldn't particularly be worried aobut the tires for a driver of your abilities. ;-)

[STeveD]

A new person had some questions for me and I thought that I'd share the answers as a "FAQ":


Thank you again for your interest, Kevin! Everything I'm saying here is for the First Frost rally on December 5th.

1. The road conditions seem quite moderate and should be negotiable quite easily as long you have a set of Winter tires.

Yes. We're starting northwest of Brampton on December 5th, so I don't EXPECT any snow there. We are going to take you a fair distance away from there (possibly north) before bringing you back, so there's a chance you might find some snow on route. But even good condition all seasons with good tread depth should be more than fine. I'm more worried about the "lowest common denominator" showing up on four non-matching, bald, seven year old all season tires.

2. This sporting event seems to take place on public rural roads which means all traffic signals and traffic regulations still apply.

Very much so!! All of the average speeds are set below the speed limits by at least 5% on tarmac, 10% on gravel. (e.g.: 54 in a 60) If there is a particularly difficult combination of roads to go through, we've lowered the average speed even more. We ALWAYS tell people to drive within their limits, and I don't think that will be a problem for anyone.

If you DO have to drive slower or if you get lost and find your way back, you can take a "Time Allowance" at the next Checkpoint. I'll explain those the morning of the rally, but basically if you know you're about 10 minutes behind, ask for a 10 minute time allowance. Your first one carries no penalties, and you get it "free". We do this so that no one has to speed recklessly to make up time if they're stuck, caught behind a slow tractor for 5 km, etc.

3. We do not have to complete the entire course and we can drop out at any time during the course as long as we inform you.

Yes, if you need to stop early that's no problem, just call my cell phone and let me know! If you stop showing up at check points, we still keep them open as long as we can, waiting for you. If you've just gone home, we waste time having the CP crew out there. It causes real headaches for the organizers and CP volunteers.

From some of the comments of other people interested in the Touring class, I'm thinking of officially ending the "Touring" class after 4 hours (2 legs of the rally), and letting Novice, Intermediate and Expert continue on for the last leg. Any touring competitors who WANT to continue on for the third 2 hour leg can do so, but we'll hand out trophies after 4 hours (roughly 3:30 pm if the scoring goes well!!)

4. The main puzzle to figure for the navigator is to anticipate when the next upcoming turn is given the last turn and distance between turns (hence the calculator, stopwatch and odometer readings)

Yes, this is for the Novice class or above. The instructions for Touring will have NO puzzles to figure out whatsoever. We will give Touring distances and street names, and it should be very easy to follow the route, and just enjoy the drive. You'll still stop at checkpoints and be scored for Touring class.

Questions:
1. Can the navigator and driver switch places at check points?

The rules don't allow this for scoring in the Championship in Novice, Intermediate or Expert. But we encourage you to do so if that's what it takes to finish the rally. (e.g.: Navigator struggles with notes.) Let us know at the end that you had to switch, and we'll still score you, but not list that score in the championship.

Anything goes for Touring Class though. We'll still calculate your timing scores. Whatever it takes for you to have fun!

2. What is in the "Oh Shoot" enveloppe?

If people entering Novice class find that the instructions are too difficult for them to figure out, the "Oh Shoot" envelope will have the Touring instructions in it which have NO PUZZLES OR TRICKS. That way, they don't get overly flustered, and still get to enjoy the rest of the route. If you enter Novice and DON'T open this envelope, you score in the championship in Novice. If you DO open it, we move you down to the Touring class scoring without any penalty.

3. Can you provide an example or sample of Novice Instructions?

The Novice note styles that you will encounter in First Frost are covered in the "BASIC INSTRUCTIONS" ONLY on this page. Don't look at Advanced Instructions!

TAC Basic Instruction Guides

If you arrive at the start of registration (9:30am), we'll have a 20 minute session reviewing the all of the novice instruction styles you will see during the rally. It's still easier to have a look at the above link in advance though, and use the pre-rally session as reinforcement.

I've attached the instructions from last weekends rally that I finished in Novice class. Also available here:

Sample Novice Instructions

You can see my notes on the pages written in pen or marker. You would get just the printed text portion and your navigator might make notes similar to mine. The CAS or speeds you see are for timing, which you don't need to worry about your first time out. My "tie togethers" of two notes is something that I do for an instruction that is <0.5km from the next one so I know I have to look quickly at the next instruction as well.

The difficulty level of these instructions would be considered "Easy Novice".

[TR_Tim]

The TR might not start? :-o

I know it's 48 years old, but that's fighting talk! ;-)

(Actually, it's more likely that Perry or I will have trouble in those temperatures - even though the car does, at least, have a heater...)

But if it's sunny, we might have touques and no roof!

[STeveD]

TR_Tim wrote:
The TR might not start? :-o I know it's 48 years old, but that's fighting talk! ;-)

I'm just trying to make sure that you come out and prove me wrong. ;-) I'll be mighty impressed if you run with the top down on December 5th!

BTW, with SPDA membership you get a corporate discount when you sign up for CAA towing service.

[Cavemanrjc]

Hay, thats mean Steve. Its lasted 40+ years, a Sunday country drive should be no sweet ... well it is british (I think) so maybe bring some tools it should make it home. I'd think.

Im hoping that Jenny and I will make it out.
In the Audi if I have my way

[STeveD]

Cavemanrjc wrote:
Hay, thats mean Steve. Its lasted 40+ years, a Sunday country drive should be no sweet ... well it is british (I think) so maybe bring some tools it should make it home. I'd think.

Hmm. We could add a prize to the rally. Either "Most cellphone photos of the TR with the bonnet up" or "Guess the amount of tools Tim had to use to finish the rally"...?

(Tim, I kid. I'm the one who blew up two engines in one month this year. AND I'm out of CAA tows until 2010!!)

[TR_Tim]

No offence taken - if I'm stupid enough to go rallying in a car this old when everyone else is in a modern (read "reliable") car, then I have enough sense of humour for the jibes! But it must be working - only an act of God (or perhaps Lucas electrics) will keep us away now...

Oh, and I do like the prize for "guess the number of tools used" ;-)

[STeveD]

[_sjd]

[STeveD]

[TR_Tim]

Ok, the TR will be in - you should get a registration from us via RSO.

Must remember to check the oil-burning stove is working so that we can brew some tea on route...

[nitrowsb]

I need a Navigator so who wants to come with? Anyone who enjoys long drives and won't get sick. All expenses paid! :-D

Let me know,

Trung

[nitrowsb]

I might have found someone to tag along with me...can you put me down as a competitor Steve?

thanks,

trung

[STeveD]

Will do, Trung!

[Cavemanrjc]

So as it stands the wife and I will be there. We put the snow tires on today and are getting new new wiper blades this week. I think I can make it through a day in the car with the wife?

[STeveD]

Bruce and Jane have a great philosophy:

"What's said in the car, stays in the car."

They always come in to the restaurant at the end laughing and smiling, but I always wanted to drop a tape recorder in there....

[STeveD]

Prepare your own directions to First Frost Link.

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[TR_Tim]

I hope that entries are coming on nicely - got any other 40+ year old cars that I can play with? I'll see if I can start work on some other brave souls for next year who want to stop polishing their classics for a while and get into the action...

Winter tyres won't be with me by the weekend (not so easy to get hold of in my sizes) so I'll have to wait until January Jaunt to give them a whirl. Still, the forecast looks ok for my standard, skinny tyres although I'm not sure it's good enough to get the top down.

Looking forward to it - I must go and run a spanner check later this week ;-)

See you in the lanes!!