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Targa Rally Day 5 – Today was Prologue

Sep 14 2014

First we convoyed downtown to the Driver’s Meeting, mandatory breathalyzer test, and then the group shot.

All Targa Newfoundland 2014 Competitors

A quick car show along the water.

Then the ceremonial kickoff, with a soundtrack by this guy.

Assembled into our starting order.

Kicking me off is one of Newfoundland’s leading politicians, Mr. INeedToLookThatUp.

Prologue – a warm up.

3 practice runs simulating actual races, timed and with helmets on, except the scores don’t count.

Taken 45 seconds before my first ever race.

I was looking at this.

Green GO.

Inside the cockpit.

When I first found out I’d be competing, I was kinda oh, I don’t get to be in the fastest category?

But after today’s taste, omg thank you for getting to be in this middle category; this is more than enough for my first round. I drove the stages at about 80 km/h, Jim drove them at double that.

After the first stage my hands were shaking badly. After the second race, nope, just a big grin. Grateful this practice day exists, and I got my first one over with when it didn’t count.

Michel and I are starting to become mirrors.

It shows in the results.

We did well, not perfect though (remember the goal – to accumulate as few points as possible.) That extra 4 points is from a surprise Intermittent Time Check, and we were going too fast.

The race kicks off tomorrow.

We drive about 300 km in total, which is peppered with 8 stages (races), then we end up in a city 200 km north of St. John, which will be our new HQ for the rest of the week.

I heard the internet there is terrible, non-existent really, which I’m hoping is wrong, because how will I blog?

TTYT and send me luck all day please!

How I Came to be Competing in Targa for Nissan

Aug 27 2014

It Started at the Micra Launch

When Nissan introduced their all-new Micra in May, they invited my blog to the national launch in Montreal.

During the launch there was a game – all journalists were given 4 shots on NHL goalie Jose Theodore, and I scored the most.

Jose would like to thank the Academy.

I was called to centre stage and informed the prize was … I’d be driving for Nissan in the upcoming Targa Rally. Basically, I won a dream.

What is the Targa Rally

The Targa Newfoundland Rally is an annual 2,200 km, 5-day road rally across all of Newfoundland. Like, the whole province agrees to this, ropes off their front yards and cheers from the road side.

To be honest, I still didn’t believe it was going to happen. And that’s why I never said anything here, because the golden-rule of blogging: until you can link to it, don’t type a word.

Some time passed, and I had to sign a few forms.

I was still not totally believing; I’ve signed lots of stuff that never happened.

But that was followed shortly by a lunch with Nissan…

… and that’s when it started to become real. Holy crap this is actually happening to me? It wasn’t processing, I don’t get lucky like this.

Because this is as good as a rally experience gets… a whole team (logistics person, a dedicated mechanic and tech, photographer, more) and I just show up and get behind the wheel. Someone will even make sure I get fed. Phft.

Plus Jenn is going. She’ll be behind the hashtag #TeamNissanTarga, say hi, she’s very quite @NissanCanada

Then the Unveiling Made it Real

On Friday, in the lobby of Nissan HQ Canada, I pulled off a silk cover to find my official race car, my name pasted on the side.

It wasn’t until that moment that I realized this is really happening to me. My hands got shaky, my words turned into babbling (oh Wendy it just hit me I ah gah mmm ermahgerd), then I got pretty awkward, and ran away soon as the silk was off.

Here’s a time-lapse video by fellow competitor Danny Bailey.

Hi my name is ON THE CAR?!

About the Micra

This car is right up my alley – manual transmissions available in all trims, so minimal, no screen, designed specifically for Canada, and it’s a new-car and a used car price. Along the lines of – the Keri Eco Car.

Here’s the blog tag – Micra.

It’s a car-car.

That’s a term I coined to describe my favourite kind of vehicle: minimal, only the essentials, not a computer-on-wheels, a car-car.

Here’s 30-seconds about it.

I also tested it for a week, here’s the newspaper review.

And here’s an old ‘Keri on Driving’ column, where I interviewed the gentleman who decides what features go into a car, including the Mircra.

So find me in Newfoundland

From September 10 – 20, the first 2-days of which are racing school. Which is good because I’m ignorant about this rally racing stuff, and I really want to win.

And to Nissan…

Thank you sincerely, for the huge investment you just made in me.

I’m going to drive my guts out guys!

Beast Mode All Day

Aug 15 2014

Auto. Writing. Machine. Love the beast mode feeling.

And after I hit publish that’s it for work till Monday. Look at me learning to have a more balanced life.

Now look how Canadian I look.

All I want to do this weekend is manual labour, really.

I like it because it’s so opposite of what I do… scrub sweep polish, see results instantly. Because you could blog yourself into oblivion.

Measure 10 times, buy 1 time.

And I’m going to mess around with this, it’s an OBDII port reader.

And take the Chrysler 200 for a destination-less drive.

Like this.

First flowers of the new house! This week’s flowers.

Thank you K xo, and for driving so far too.

But right now, I’m going to drink beers with the boys. I’ll toast you.

Have a great weekend, TTY Monday.

I’m in Charge of Trees Now

Aug 8 2014

That’s a massive change.

The two plants in my apartment are fake. Closet thing I ever had to a pet, was this bug.

This home ownership thing is going to be a steep learning curve. Right now I’m really into insulation, let’s talk about R value. And woah, there’s so many more bills eh.

But, I figure billions of people are right now handling it just fine, so how hard can it be…