US Rally Team brutalized at Black River Stages Rally

["Scott F. Williams" <sfwilliams@home.com>]

It is with some regret but a degree of relief that I must report my team's
lack of success at last week's Black River Stages rally. Our day began with
some fairly significant preparation complications. However, our diligent pit
crew was able to surmount them and we finally passed tech inspection.
Despite their best efforts, our day ended very early in a disastrous and
spectacular off-road "off" -one that would rival the best work that a
Hollywood stunt team could ever pull off.

Those who read my "driver's seat' play by play of last month's adventures in
Maine know that we had run a series of five *very* competitive stages only
to end our day by side swiping a Toyota Supra Turbo and then rolling onto
the driver's door. We incurred a significant amount of damage to the rear
quarter panel which my main sponsor, North Jersey Motorwerks replaced in
expert fashion.

Now, if the Maine Forest Rally was a slap in the face, then Black River
Stages absolutely brutalized us. The first stage was generally fast and
flowing (70mph+) with sparse tree cover overhead. Thus the roads were
generally dry or were just slightly tacky from the two-weeks of rain
preceeding the event. Dust was minimal and the traction was consistent. The
last of several "yumps" (jumps in rally-speak) dislodged our front grill. It
flew up on top of hood and then off to the side where it dangled harmlessly
for a few miles. A quick roadside repair was all it took to eliminate that
problem.

Special stage two was an entirely different story. The forest canopy was
much thicker than the miles before. Mostly shadow-covered, they proved to be
significantly more slippery. The roads were also more technical with fast
straights blending into medium speed bends. Whereas, the yumps on SS1 rose
from level ground, nearly all those on SS2 were blind drop offs. The most
significant example was an ess turn over yump, followed by a steep downhill
descent. At the apex of each turn were large mounds of vegetation.

None of this was documented in the route book. On top of that, our rally
computer was cutting out intermittantly -diminishing our confidence that we
knew our place on the course even if the hazard was called out. Still, a
rally driver's responsibility is to anticipate surprises and press on
despite adversity. I failed big time in that regard, and grossly
underestimated this section's treachery.

We bore down hard on a jink to the right taking care to avoid the large
mound on the inside. Negotiating the next turn, a similar jink but to the
left, would require rotating the car quickly. Unfortunately, getting the car
to turn hard on the slippery ground was a challenge. Fractions of a second
flew by as I attempted to straighten out and then head leftwards. That delay
cost us dearly as the road turned away from the Golf's nose.

Another mound of green stuff lay directly ahead and the question was whether
to hit it straight on or still attempt to dodge it. At this speed,
"questions" are more like lightening fast considerations with no real
options to take whatever the answer. We nailed the mound at around 40mph and
launched into the air.

The world quickly turned counter clockwise and kept on turning until the
Golf impacted the ground upside down on the navigator's headlight. The car
dug into the soft soil, rotated perpindicular to the steeply descending
road, and then barrel rolled between three and five times. We came to a
stop, I cursed our luck, and apologized to Phil profusely. He had the good
sense to ask if I was okay. With my affirmative confirmation he lept out of
the car to go place the safety triangles.

The car looked pitiful at the side of the road, all smashed and bruised,
with steam erupting from the crushed radiator. Our rally was done just like
that. Still, we were alive and almost entirely unhurt -more than some crews
can say after an off like that.

So, After narrowly escaping the World Trade Center tradgedy and now this
incident, I am rethinking my life priorties. Either I am truly immortal or
it is three strikes and I am out! I have thought this through a long while
and have decided that it may be best for me to take the next year off from
stage rallying. Pursuits like travel, further education, or(gasp!) finding a
suitable mate, are all long overdue. Still, my heart remains with this
remarkable sport as much as ever and I *will* return before too long.

For now, my thanks go to our crew guys, including Scirocco-l and ClubVAC
member, Chris Jevens. I must also congratulate Phil Mueller (from the Mk1
GTI list and Rally-l) who filled in for navigating chores. This was his
first ProRally ever and he performed tremendously under pressure. Finally,
huge respect must go to Randy Lawson of North Jersey Motorwerks who proved
yet again that he can transform a tired old warhorse into a galloping
steed -despite my best efforts to reverse his work.

Rally on!
--
Scott F. Williams
NJ Scirocco nut
Golf GTI 16v rallycar (R.I.P.)
Mazda 323 GTX turbo assault vehicle

Check out our rally team's website!
http://www.usrallyteam.com


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