Maki, まき, マキ

-alex · Postby **-alex** » Mon Jan 24, 2011 6:59 pm

two40 wrote:Poor fellow. *sniff*

He is gone... STOLEN

(I'm on the lookout for something new)

HIC-45S · Postby **HIC-45S** » Mon Jan 24, 2011 10:43 pm

-alex wrote:

A new contender for the most body roll award?

-alex · Postby **-alex** » Wed Jan 26, 2011 12:17 am

Just wanted to share some love and say, I really enjoy the approach this forum takes to runs. I attended a meet through another forum this evening and had a slightly unpleasant experience.
Thanks to a friend, I avoided what would have been an interesting encounter with the police tonight on a run that followed a meet. Some people were doing burn outs in the middle of a public road, as soon as that started I had the sense to leave, but I was thinking of how runs started on this forum are rarely ruined by an unthoughtful minority.
Really just wanted to express my appreciation for the way this forum holds it self in the eyes of the general public. I'm really quite glad to be a part of it all.
So thanks guys.

Postby **Okibi** » Wed Jan 26, 2011 12:40 am

Enthusiasts take pride in their driving ability and that they "take it to the track", they also spend too much money on their tyres to spin them up in public. :mrgreen:

wilch · Postby **wilch** » Wed Jan 26, 2011 10:12 am

I was at that meet. But didn't see you at the Pizza place, or the park afterwards.

I think you got caught up with a group that's not really indicative of what the rest of us/them are about. Last night was meant to all be about the pizza, the cars, and meeting and chatting to everyone. I didn't even know about any "run", let alone hear about it till I read what you wrote this morning.

-alex · Postby **-alex** » Wed Jan 26, 2011 12:06 pm

I completely understand that the particular group involved don't represent the forum as a whole, it was just a bit of an unpleasant experience that is rarely experienced here. Mostly I'd say it's because this forum is tiny comparatively.
By all means I'll attend another meet and see what that's like.

-alex · Postby **-alex** » Sat Jan 29, 2011 8:10 am

So this morning is race morning here is Tassie.
For pics and things you'll have to stalk my Facebook as I can't post pics on the forum from my iPhone.
www.facebook.com/alex.hailstone

Hammer · Postby **Hammer** » Sat Jan 29, 2011 10:10 am

It's starting to look good Alex. In no time you've totally personalised it.

-alex · Postby **-alex** » Wed Feb 02, 2011 11:36 am

Will be doing a bit of a write up on Targa WP when I get back to Sydney, but in quick summary it was a great weekend and many thanks to all those who helped to make it possible. Without Chris from mx5 racing our weekend just wouldn't have happened, so a big thanks to him!

-alex · Postby **-alex** » Thu Feb 03, 2011 5:06 pm

Wrest Point Wrap Up..!

Day 1:
Waited in Sydney as my flight was delayed, bought myself a bit of light reading!
Late evening, arrived in Hobart and had dinner at Quarry Restaurant.
Was great to catch up with the rest of the team, it has been about 8weeks since Targa High Country so there was alot to discuss.

Book that go me through the flight and delays.

Flying into Hobart

Day 2:
Part One..
Early starts all round by the team, today was scrutineering and documentation.
Hung out a Wrest Point for most of the morning, ensuring everyone on our team was set and ready for race day.
We collected our driving packs and shirts, tags and bands.
Took some happy snaps while we were enjoying the sun, waiting for the rest of the team.

Bambino

WRX

Skelta

Documentation

Day 2:
Part Two..
After scrutineering and documentation, we took the beast that was our Porsche Cayenne out for some recce.!
The stages covered most of the areas in the Huon Valley, all the way out to the Tahune Airwalk.
Some of the best roads I've had the pleasure of driving on, a little bumpy but overall pretty damn awesome.
After recce we headed back over to Wrest Point for Drivers Briefing and Welcome Party.
Dinner was at Rockwall in Salamanca Place, twice cooked pork belly with crushed apple and red wine reduction was the dish of choice.

Towards the base of Mt Wellington

Rockwall

Pork Belly

Day 3 :
RACE DAY..!
Caught up with MrsB in the morning before the official start and took many happy snaps.!
The Mx-5 Racing team looked fantasic, props to Chris for really making it look spectacular.

The First days stages were. .
LUCASTON 3.17km
Short stage, mainly to get everyone back in rhythm. There was a small bridge and a tight left one of the cars went off and that was unfortunately the end of their weekend.

TAHUNE 22.94km
Definately one of my favourite stages over the weekend. Starts out long and flowing, few bumps and a little gravely. The stage is just slightly downhill and tightens towards the end. At the end of the Tahune stage there was a 90min lunch and servicing break as everyone had to wait til all cars had completed the stage before the first car headed back up.

AIRWALK 22.96km
The reverse of Tahune, so slightly uphill and the stage is a tad more open in reverse.

DOVER 17.11km
After heading down and back to the Airwalk we headed over to Dover. Dover is a tight bumpy stage that loops around the Esperance Coast Road. One of the scrutineers was telling me this was the most dangerous stage of the event, we had an interesting run through Dover. Our run through Dover was sketchy, but we had no big moments and both came out the other side in agreement to dail it back for the rest of the day.

After Dover was the repeat of Tahune and Airwalk, then on to Longely.
LONGLEY 12.31km
BUMPY!!! Hellishly bumpy, but also one of the more enjoyable stages of the weekend. Quick little downhill run that suited the Mx-5 to a T.. bump steer was an issue for the first 2km or so but after that it was beautiful, alot of L2 /O which meant my driver had to trust me enough to barrel up an over a crest without being able to see where the road goes. Good fun and a great stage to finish up Day 1 of racing.

Happy snaps from the Official Start.

The team looking great!

Viper (wonder if it could fit down half the stages =P)

Brawn GP at Targa?

The Beautiful 400R

Porche tail in the sunset

Lonely GT

-alex · Postby **-alex** » Thu Feb 03, 2011 5:07 pm

Day 4:
Second race day!
Cold start this morning, but very exciting. Alot of doubling and looping today, stages for day two were on on the other side of the Huon river this time. Not that I caught most of it, but the scenery was quite impressive. Overall we had a relatively great day!

PELVERATA 12.54km
First stage of the day! The stage loops around the river, from what I remember its a fast stage, tight to start with then flowing towards the end, when we went through there were no issues and no cars off.

WOODBRIDGE 10.54km
Fairly open, slightly uphill stage. We completed this stage twice on day two, almost got lost due to some silly wording in the roadbook, almost started at the end of the stage.. LOL got some funny looks from officials but thankfully this delay moved us back in the pack a bit. We were reseeded over night and were put too close to the front, spent some time on Woodbridge doing overtaking.

OYSTER COVE 12.39km
Again we completed Oyster cove twice on day two. It has a few tight surprising turns but nothing too bad, alot of good fun through here and noone off on either time we went through.

CYGNET 12.45km
Wow what a stage! There are bumps galore alot of flat over crests on straights, you get air in a few places and its very flowing towards the end. We had some very interesting moments on this stage. Waiting to begin the stage they had to send in police to calm down the locals who were enraged at their road being closed for 4hrs on a Sunday.
Unfortunately there were quite a few off on this stage, our second run through was very sobering. One of our friends had put his ute sideways into an embankment about 2km into the stage. He was all ok though it threw it us for a bit and we went sideways up the hill..! Nothing uncontrollable and a bit of fun. Altough further along there were two WRX's into embankments, one head on after a 750m straight over crest and another just after a right hand turn everyone was ok, two of the competitors were taken to hospital for xrays and were given the all clear.
We finished this stage calmly and were happy just to make it to the end.

At the end of the day we had Adam Dodd and Lee Challoner-miles on the podium in third place. We are still waiting on derived times for some of the first days stages, so at them moment we are ranked 7th, though with the times we should be bought up to 4th.

Photos from the day!

Morning

Lined up to go

Last minute cleaning

Spotted MrsB

I think we should run them like this

Indeed we are

Wooo

Showroom Podium, congrats Adam, Lee, Brendan and Simon

End of Targa,
It was great, a few drinks at the Targa bar after, then onto Cargo for Pistachio Dukkah Pizza. Later back to Wrest Point for more drinks at Targa bar, thankfully I didnt have an early start! On the Monday I flew into Melbourne for a real holiday before heading back up to Sydney last night.

Thanks to Chris Gough from Mx5 racing and to Adam Spence for all their help leading up to the event and over the weekend. Definately looking forward to Targa Tas! 8weeks and counting.

Some fun in Albert Park