Targa Rally Day 1 – Arrived and Installed in NWFLD

Hi hi from St. John’s, Newfoundland.

Here’s my home for the next 10 days.

We all arrived late afternoon, got ourselves installed into our hotel rooms.

It’s so true what they say about the people here, eh.

Then we went to pick up our cars.

That’s the hashtag – #TeamNissanTarga

L-R: Danny Bailey, Michael Vaughn, me, Michel Crépault.

Finally I can introduce you to my partner, Michel!

He’s a fellow auto journalist out of Quebec, and it’s a good pairing, him and I. A well-balanced duo.

Day 1 of Racing School starts tomorrow at 8am.

There is a lot to learn, because I know nothing about rallies. But like okay… I can drive, I’ll learn some navigational-math, a new language (rally speak! Ex: you never say “right”, instead say “check”), and tada.

TTYT

All Targa posts are filed under this blog tag: #NissanMicraTarga

Oh!

I’m ranking #1 in Google for ‘Nissan Targa Rally’ ha.

Now the trick is to maintain that.

 

 

Leaving for Targa NWFLD Rally in 36 hrs, Freaking

In 36 hours, I’m going to compete in Canada’s biggest rally race, for which Nissan has outfitted me with a car, kit AND support staff for both logistics and mechanics, I know nothing about this sport.

My only rally experience was a few months ago, when I got to do the Mazda Adventure Rally. Where I won the Daniel Boone Award, for being last to return to base every. single. day.

But then I think, it’s okay, there is really only one thing to know:

Don’t crash the car Keri, do not crash this car.

Plus my life’s still unsettled from the move.

There’s more to this owning-a-house thing than you think going in, eh. Still don’t have furniture, think my washing machine is broken, and I’m nervous to leave my house alone for the first time.

Then my mind just seized up, and for the last 45 minutes I’ve been pacing between the laptop, and an open suitcase… GUYS.

That’s all I have packed, but the decals came out amazing, good and thick. The Decal Zone made them.

First time I’ve held my URL IRL

And my hair is looking great, thanks Kaila! Brennen Demelo Studio. Go too: 416-301-1072

My Itinerary

Tuesday – day off blogging, deadline at newspaper, finish ‘Auto About’ page, forgot to buy things and other errands

Wednesday – fly 12 pm, team dinner

Thursday – Day 1 of Rally Racing School

Friday – Day 2 of Rally Racing School

Saturday – don’t know

Sunday – official practice day, thankful this day exists

Monday – Friday – RACE 7am – 5pm, 6pm auditorium meet & greet, dinner, study next days route book

Took time off from the newspaper, blog will be updated daily, will try for lots of video.

My helmet arrived Friday.

It’s been modified -a microphone and ear-plugs, to a plug out the back that I connect to a radio, to talk to my driving partner.

kk I feel more normal-brained now, blogging it helped. Blog. Because of this blog, here we go on a once-in-a-lifetime $30k race car extravaganza. Got goosebumps typing that.

Starting Wednesday afternoon,
I’ll be living in another world for 10 days.
TTY from there, then!

Where this post came from.

And the good luck gift I got myself: Targa shoes.

Twitter – @KeriBlog

Facebook – Keri CDN

Blog tag – #NissanMicraTarga

I’m car # 1998.

 

 

How I Came to be Competing in Targa for Nissan

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.

KeriBlog Hockey Micra Goal

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!