Rally - Top-Guns - Mon 16h & Tues 17th August 2010

[Warren Dawes]

All these crazy negative reports are starting to get me nervous too. However, I did learn something from my test runs to choose this event.
These cars are very powerful and very quick, so you must drive them with careful respect. I may be wrong, but looking at your reports and your frustration levels, it seems that you are just pushing too hard. RBR is very realistic and hence very difficult, especially if you try to drive the same way as you might in track racing. Driving flat out doesn't work. and will only lead to frustration.
I never aim to hit top gear, except in a very few stages that might allow it in some sections. Mostly I just aim to drive in a gear that keeps me under control, I brake fairly early and carefully for most turns, and don't often use full power, especially in bumpy sections (such as England Stages). My first priority is to keep it on track, especially early in each Stage till I get a feel for the traction, and then try to keep some momentum up, rather than heavy power followed by heavy braking.
The first priority is to finish, then I try to improve my times gradually. I also NEVER focus on the times of others while running the Rally, I drive to my OWN ability, not try to match others. In the end, it is the overall Rally time that counts, not the odd wild fast Stage time driven at great risk. Try to find your own comfort level, get used to the cars power and handling, and over a period of time and many Rally Events, you will find you can put your experience into better results.

Just don't laugh too much at my driving, i try to finish this time and not to be a hero lol

Spot on advice.

I am not trying to demean anyone with this advice, simply trying to help and show how I gain enjoyment from RBR and minimise the frustration. I hope it is of some help.

EDIT: After the way I drove this Rally tonight, I don't think I should be offering any advice anymore. Oops!!!

 

[Ondrej Kapal]

Haha I have good fun as we are stressing you with this success

just to explain I am doing it the same way Warren.. just those stages are every different, I cant get to the car when the car is handling different on each of them

 

[Senad Subasic]

Warren, please notice who made most of those comments; Ondrej and myself aren't the best drivers around (sorry Ondrej )

Anyway, sound advice, makes sense and all, but it's hard not to notice the gaps to the front-runners. I drive a clean stage (not in this rally, obviously ), very happy with my time, and still end up miles behind. The overall rally time doesn't help, nobody up there makes mistakes, aliens, all of you! So I decide I have to push to get a result. Still waiting on it though arrot:

 

[Ondrej Kapal]

Senad I though we are friends and we respect each other... how the hell can you tell about me I am not the best driver around?! What a rumors!

(because I am the worst it means the best in the bad section :rally

 

[Warren Dawes]

Looool guys.

Just to put it all in perspective, I can still vividly remember my first few Rally's here and in RBR, I wrecked more cars than I thought was possible, and I became very familiar with every damned tree, bridge, pothole, and spectator on the Stages. Maybe that is why I am starting to learn where they all are now, and how to avoid the buggers.

I'm still very nervous about tonight now though. :eek: I hope the Ford is the toughest car.

 

[Senad Subasic]

Only joking Ondrej, you're a good driver ray:

Anyway, Warren, sorry if it sounded too negative, it was just banter . I enjoyed the rally quite a bit actually (especially sliding on SS3, and the terror of SS8 :eek. The cars are excellent, and they look great. I would also like to see more of them.

 

[Cam Wedgwood]

I am loving the Rally Club! The attitude showing through of 'having a go' is just brilliant! Well done guys, very motivating!!

arty:

 

[Cam Wedgwood]

Well, that was brilliant!

Too many mishaps etc to think about right now but the last stage was an absolute cracker. Excellent chatter over TS too thanks John, Rick, Damien and Warren.
:rally:


Great stuff Warren and Senad, I absolutely loved it! Thank you!
:thanks::thanks::thanks::thanks::thanks::thanks::thanks::thanks:

 

[Warren Dawes]

Well, I have really shaken off the "MR Smooth and Steady" tag now, and John will get the replays to prove it.

I had a shocker, must have been all the pre race banter during the day, convincing me how difficult it was going to be. Guess what, I made it look hugely difficult. I rolled it on SS04, then managed a series of stuff-ups in SS07 that would take forever to describe, (I'll leave them to the replay) and to top it off, I killed a spectator in SS08. :eek: In my defence, I reckon I only winged him.

Grats to Rick, dominating the Aussie group. Thanks to all on TS, lots of fun with plenty of disasters to talk about (Rick was eerily quiet though). :tongue:

I actually loved these cars, savagely quick to drive, and the Ford looked brilliant (at the start of each Stage anyway). Good recommendation from Cam.

 

[John Low]

I agree with Cam, it's great to see everyone having fun with this. I am doing that more now than worrying whether I am first or last or even on pace. I may get better, i may not. I just have fun now, an am enjoying this thing so much more now.

Doing the replays I can see how guys are improving and then some guys just seem to have a detector on the car that automatically points them to every tree, pothole, rock etc there is. But ... watch another stage and they are so right on the money and make one little mistake and the time drops. I have been there and am still doing that I think I am getting a tad better with each rally as I try and slow down just a tad and try to keep it consistent. My big bad habit is then trying to make up the lost time after a spin or a roll. Stage 1 tonight was the perfect example. First corner, understeered off hit a tree and got stuck, went to corner 3 and ran off and got stuck in amongst those stupid little stumps, jammed in gear and hot enough to cook sausages. Retirement. Stage 4 however was fantastic, took the stage in the aussie rally and was exceptionally happy with how I drove it.

Video will be up as soon as I can.

Warren and Senad .... Cheers guys for what you do. And thanks for the great fun on TS Damien, Warren, Rick and Cam

Cheers

 

[Rick Bamford]

Eerily quiet? I'd like to say it was just being totally focused and determined to win in a straight fight..............................but it was just a bad internet connection

Decided it was time to up the ante tonight.

Apart from a couple of moments ("I'm told your not trying if you don't have some of those" Gwyndaf Evans - 1999 Pirelli International rally) it was just fast and clean, not much left in it on every stage. Thought i had the 2nd Finland stage untill john took it off me. We'll have to see the Euro times to see if it was enough though.

Great job Senad and Warren and lots of fun. Thanks to those on TS, had another ball.

 

[Senad Subasic]

Apologies for being a bit late, having some connection issues all day...


Overall Rally Results

Wasn't enough for the win Rick, but it was damn close :eek:
Congrats Tor, Rick and Damien :good:


Stage wins:
Tor Anders Berven: 5 stage wins :star::star::star::star::star:
Rick Bamford: 2 stage wins :star::star:
Hampus Jansson: 1 stage win :star:


SS4 looks good, 6 drivers within 4 seconds. Nice stage win for Hampus, and second place for John :good:


Thanks Warren for organizing the event, and sorry we made you nervous . Looking forward to the next one arrot:
Thanks to Cam for the recommendation, the cars were awesome .


Click on the attached thumbnail for a better view.

 

[Warren Dawes]

Congratulations Tor, it is always great to see a new winner here :thumb: . Well done mate, we've been noticing your great Stage times previously, so a win was not far away.
Well done to Rick and Damien for the podium too.

Looks like a pretty even match in the Citroen vs Ford battle too, but of course the Citroen just had to take the big first place in true Loeb fashion. :wink:

Special thanks again to Senad for his efforts with the Server and results. Thanks to all who joined, hope you enjoyed these brutally quick cars. Good choice Cam.

Next week we run another Tribute Rally, this time honouring an exceptional Kiwi Rally Driver who is sadly missed in Australia and New Zealand.

See you all next week. :ups::rally:

 

[Rick Bamford]

1.8!!!!!!!!!!!!!1.8!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1.8!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm gonna have bloody nightmares now, lol.

Wasn't much left in it for me tonight, was trying VERY hard EVERY stage.

Well done Tors, now you know why i made you A league before you won anything here.

 

[Tor Anders Berven]

1.8!!!!!!!!!!!!!1.8!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1.8!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm gonna have bloody nightmares now, lol.

Wasn't much left in it for me tonight, was trying VERY hard EVERY stage.

Well done Tors, now you know why i made you A league before you won anything here.

Wow.... that was close... Thanks! It was not my intetion to give you nightmares Rick....


I am quite satisfied with my run, had one CFH, and couldnt get a good rythm on the snow. But else ok. Some mistakes, but not severe.

Had some good fight with my neighbour Hampus, wich also drove EU time.

Thanks for another great rally guys!

 

[Robb Kulcsar]

What a finnish between first two , more like a F1 one .

 

[Lee Palmer]

Half an hour down on the leader!!! Can I has trohpey now ples?

 

[Cam Wedgwood]

5th!!! I got 5th!!! Well that really is a surprise! :tongue: I woke up this morning hoping to find myself in the top 10!

I had a blast and I must admit that the highlight for me was running into media personnel during BOTH Finnish stages...

Actually, the real highlight was seeing John take a stage win in the Oceania field in SS4. SOOOOO close for the overall, with Hampus just pipping him by 1.5 seconds for the overall stage win! Great battles guys.

Thanks organisers and congrats podium and stage winners!

:rally:

 

[Warren Dawes]

Half an hour down on the leader!!! Can I has trohpey now ples?

Yep Lee, you win the coveted "RED INK AWARD" for this week. :wink::tongue::tongue::tongue::tongue:

This was the closest I could find in the smilies: " :love: "

Note to Damien: We need a little trophy for this lol.

 

[John Low]

Actually, the real highlight was seeing John take a stage win in the Oceania field in SS4. SOOOOO close for the overall, with Hampus just pipping him by 1.5 seconds for the overall stage win! Great battles guys.


:rally:

Thanks Cam, just did the convert of the replays of that stage and there was so many places I was scrappy and could have easily made up the time and more. But that's what it's all about, what happened on the day Would love to see his replay of that stage just to compare.

Congrats on your 5th and to Tor for a great win. I did his replays yesterday and I could tell he was going to be hard to beat. So smooth nearly everywhere and quick while he was at it. Thanks to all who have sent replays, have just about finished the conversions and am starting to play with editing later tonight.

Cheers