mazda adventure rally Archives

Driving an MX-5 on a GoKart Track in Atlanta

Aug 18 2014

This was a surprise stop along the 2014 Mazda Adventure Rally.

I’m driving a 2014 Mazda MX-5 on the gokart track, at the Atlanta Motorsports Park.

This is basically my first track time.

This kart track has more changes in elevation than any other track in the world, including one that’s 43 ft.

More photos of the track here.

Here’s the whole rally blogged: #MazdaRally, and there’s links there to my newspaper stuff there.

Until this trip, I thought the Miata was a princess-y car, nope. It loves off-roading?! Huh.

Won my First Car Award

Aug 11 2014

Just arrived in the mail, it was won during the 2014 Mazda Adventure Rally!

It’s the…

Daniel Boone Award: for getting lost
more than any other team. By far.

Oh team! Much of that’s my fault, I am terrible for getting lost.

We arrived last back to the hotel 3/3 nights.

The Rally Master tracked competitors all via GPS, and later told us that at one point, our flashing dot had gone so far lost off-path, that they physically re-traced our route, because they couldn’t figure out how we’d got ourselves there.

But bet we laughed the most.

Car Rallies are Won with the Mind

Jun 23 2014

Read it online at Autonet.

Sometimes a rally isn’t just speed-based, it’s a thinking race, where teams compete for points.

Favourite line:

A trick I learned that you can use too: the word “right” has two meanings, “do I turn left here?” Instead of responding with “right”, say “check.”

Above is Keith Townsend, the gentleman in the article, and co-owner of Vehicle Dynamics Group, the company behind the Mazda Adventure Rally. He won the modern division of Targa’s Modern Division in 2006, and in 1996 placed 3rd in the Canada CRC Canadian Rally Championship.

Below is the co-owner, Jud Buchanan, who has 6 podium Targa finishes, and is the former lead instructor at the Porsche Advanced Driving School.

Both are great guys with big brains, and who you should hire to design your rally.

***

Back to ‘Keri on Driving’ – Index

The Mazda Adventure Rally – Day 3

Jun 16 2014

We started the day in last place, 10/10th.

Because being contained within the confines of a small car really exaggerates and fast-foward things. That’s why back in in 2012 I wrote a column, “Your car is an ideal debating arena“.

But so many laughs for Team Autonet, right to the end too. The sign of a great teammate.

Even though that afternoon David made us put the top down, and exposed me to the sun. Don’t like the sun; I wear 60 SPF on a gray winter day.

Yes, I did wear the same outfit all 3 days.

Remember after Day 2 I was all cavalier about getting a handle on mapping? Spoke way too soon. Got us good and lost a couple times.

But come on, look at this mess to be navigated without electronic help.

First time my name has been on a car.

Drove the ‘Tail of the Dragon’.

Non-car nerds: it’s a stretch of road running through a forest over the border of Georgia and Tennessee. It’s loved by enthusiasts, who come from all over to drive it because it’s so complicated – 318 curves in 11 miles with steep banks, 70% blind corners and no straight lines.

Anyone who says they “tamed the dragon” though, that’s pretty pompous and my face will look back at them like top right.

I attacked it, used the whole road, and in the rain at that, but come on, tamed it? It’s a ridiculously aggressive road that takes huge guts, and I’ll bet there’s really only a few handfuls of people in the country who could literally “tame” it.

Bottom left is me during extreme focus and concentration.

Typing this right now, I’m having some regret at not filming it.

Why I did that – ever since I declared my GoPro dead to me, I’m left with just my phone, which produces shaky footage in these scenarios. Plus, it’s a tiny cabin, and I needed 100% visibility, because one tiny mistake and it’s over a 4 story cliff, and then I’m forever that guy.

For 3 days the tach looked like that #DreamComeTrue

That’s getting turned into a blog header.

Part of the gang after we completed the Dragon [photo: Dan Izaak]

We were the last team to return to the hotel at the end of the day. Again. But we crushed enough challenges that we crawled back up from 10th…

… to have Team Autonet tie for 5th place!

For two newbies, not bad. Proof is here.

The winners are:

1 – Team AutoGuide. com – Mike and Sami win $10,000 for the Accelerated Cure for MS Project
2 – Team Autos.ca – Jonathan and Hannah win $2,000 for Sick Kids Foundation
3 – Team Autofocus. ca – Vince and Dan win $1,000 for Kids Help Phone

(and that’s Chuck, Mazda’s PR big brain)

Here’s David and my daily updates over at the newspaper.

– Autonet.ca – Day 1

– Autonet.ca – Day 2

– Autonet.ca – Day 3

A fantastic competition, and compliments to its designers, Keith Townsend and Jud Buchanan of Vehicle Dynamics Group.

And thank you to Mazda for having me, and giving me the best driving experience of my life.

Back in Country Hi Hi

Jun 13 2014

I could get used to this chartered stuff. Phft, already am.

This morning when I tried to open the room safe, it had malfunctioned, and the latch was stuck. So an engineer had to rescue my passport.

Did you just have the same idea I did…

Left Tuesday, returned this afternoon, and despite being in an out-of-service zone 75% of the trip, still managed to hoover up 61 MB.

I know I said I’d blog the 3rd rally instalment today, but I’ve averaged about 4 hours sleep each night, and have moved into that next level of sleep deprivation that, although am good at and kind’ve get off on, I pay heavily for in the long run.

Because I may have out-published almost everyone this week, ha. Blogged 7 times, wrote the news, filed 3 stories and 3 photo galleries with the newspaper, and then interviewed and wrote next week’s column (“About car rallies”.)

So shutting it down and going to find food, will blog Day 3 ~~tomorrow~~ Monday.

OH!