The Mazda Adventure Rally – Day 2
10 hours of driving today.
All along the kinds of roads that look like the ones in my imagination. Recently paved, no gravel, twist switchback hairpin hairpin, through a bright green forest that smelled so good, and no other cars.
After hours of shifting along this, I was in a meditative state, so calm, so serene.
I had to navigate like in olden times – paper maps and a highlighter.
Oh boy, how many posts around here say “woah guys, so lost”? I know. I was all “phft, I’ll just use my phone”… but most of the day there was no cel signal because we were in the deep backwoods of Georgia.
Turns out it’s not too hard actually, when you stop daydreaming so much, and apply a little logic.
Photo by Ronnie Fung (ty!)
Last round is tomorrow. This morning my team was tied for 3rd. Will find out at breakfast tomorrow morning where today’s challenges landed us.
Follow along on Twitter – #MazdaRally
Today took the top spot on my, “Best Test Drive Day to Date” list.
Former #1, now #2 – Napa Vally with VW’s Jetta, last summer.
My second-day report for the newspaper will be live tomorrow at 11am.
And above will be the lead photo.
While I was taking it, a UPS driver pulled up behind me, “hey, you wanna take one of my truck there next?” HA.
Then… then… THIS.
Section 2C was listed int he guide book as “A Surprise”. I pulled up to … the Atlanta Motorsport track.
My first track time!
Obviously it’ll get its own post.
My best lap was 1:16, David bested me by a second at 1:15, and best overall was Ronnie with 1:10.
Three blind hills like this, screeching tires, and I made the car smell so good.
I want more.
kk it’s 1am, and I have to check in at 7:30. Send good luck for the last leg tomorrow, night TTYT
The Mazda Adventure Rally Day 1 – TN & GA
Ended up in Tennessee, and the Mazda MX-5, aka, Miata. Manual too YES.
First time my name has been on a car!
About 8 minutes into the first leg, and it started raining really really bad.
Trees were felled all over.
Yellow-shirt guy came out of nowhere with a chainsaw, and fixed it.
It was a short day, 3 hours on the road. Tomorrow will be more like 12.
On roads like this, too. Hairpin hairpin hairpin through forests and back roads. I’ll make a video.
Those are gravel roads too, which I didn’t know the Miata was suited so well for.
Took it easy though, I’m wiped. Only fools drive fast tired.
Just out-of-frame is the chicken coop.
Americuh.
I love it down here, saw “Tank City”, endless automatic weapon billboards, and what a fun place to visit, but oh Canada.
Ended up in Georgia, then dinner, then wrote the first instalment of this adventure for Autonet, look for that tomorrow morning, and gotta be ready at 7am and I’m so wiped I’m seeing spots.
Night TTYT
Off on a Mystery Adventure
I’m at a charter airport with Mazda, and both the destination and test car are unknown.
Soooo me eh! The building they sent me to didn’t have an address, the media emails are peppered with phrases like “marching orders”. I’ve been responding to everything with HUA.
My teammate from the paper, David Miller and I, are about to compete in a rally, with a grand prize of $10,000 going to a charity of our choice… old people are my kryptonite, and you know I love the mind, so we settled on one that combined both those things: the Alzheimer’s Society of Canada (neither of us have ever competed in a rally, so wouldn’t hold your breath ASofC).
Find updates fastest on Twitter @KeriBlog, we’ll be documenting our adventure over on Autonet.ca, and I’ll blog it all here too.
It’s not a race.
Wait: I only realized now while blogging this, but we never went through security, us or our bags?!
Huh. Chartering.
Meet my teammate fellow auto journalist at the paper, David Miller.
“B team” because it was originally the French side of the paper that was signed up to go, we lucked out last second.
Tres bein!
Wrote the news up in the air – “The average age of a consumer vehicle in the United States is 11.4 years, an all-time high.” – Autonet
Once in the air, we received this tool bag.
Included is: a GPS and route book, highlighters and sunscreen, an iPad for the photo-challange component, and a hat you’ll see me in tomorrow.
The logistics of this adventure are ridiculously organized.
Landing soon, designation and vehicle both remain unknown.
TTYS
Diesels are the New Hybrids
Today’s diesels are far different than when they first arrived in the 1970s, yet somehow the stigma has unfairly stuck.
If you’re looking for great fuel economy on a tough-as-nails engine, consider a diesel. Better re-sale value too.
Read it online at Autonet.
Favourite line:
Don’t take my word for it – ask a diesel owner, because they will sing its praises, and word-of-mouth is how you really know.
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