Blogging for the Record

The “Haven’t Missed a Day Yet this Year” record. Feels good to type that. But also, thats my way of saying, “this will be a weak daily blog update not the proper full page refresh”. Guys please wish for me an assistant.

Today was action packed. Fridays are always stupid busy with 2 newspaper deadlines (news = A new Auto Alliance for Cyber Security), then I was the surprise guest at the Nissan Annual Employee Meeting, my Targa team and I.

That’s the most people I ever spoke in front of (300-ish, said a couple of lines about loving competing, and that a stock Micra performed surprisingly amazing, hope you guys feel proud you built a great car.)

Then a last team dinner, and I’ve finally arrived home, to 25lbs of newly hemmed curtains in my lobby!, plus a couple Corona, so that’s tonight’s agenda and that’s me complete for this mega week, TTY Monday, enjoy the warm weather and sun!

The Nissan Micra Cup Race officially kicked off at today’s meeting, introducing Canada’s best-priced racing series, the Micra Cup.

Tell ya about it in another post, short answer why I like it is: all entry cars are the same, therefore the playing field and game is evened out.

Hi Nissan guys, nice to meet you today, took your photo! :) I blogged every day from Targa, here’s my adventure: #TeamNissanMicra

Reunited for a second ahhh; gave it a loving pat.

Snuck away for some silent time as always.

This post came from my new coffee table, on a rug, on a clean floor, guys seriously GUYS. Operation winterize-a-cottage-into-a-house is thisclose to being done.

Blog tag = New House

 

 

Screaming through Newfoundland’s Suburbs

That time I was a factory driver for Nissan in the week-long
2014 Targa Newfoundland Rally.

I blogged everyday while competing, here’s the blog tag – Targa

Read it online at Autonet.

Favourite line:

Imagine a historic town is shut down and roped off into a complex driving course. You drive through it as fast as you can, the police don’t care, and you do this 10 times a day. That’s Targa Newfoundland.

IMG_5245.JPG

Total video-game courses.

Thank you sincerely, to the people of Newfoundland, for opening your province and allowing me to almost smash into your homes.

I had the best co-driver, Michel Crepault; we were an excellent match.

See, math camp:

The Micra was stock; I kicked the crap out of it and it was fine.

Enter the lowest class.. there’s no competition, you just get to take advantage of the closed roads in your own car.

***

Back to ‘Keri on Driving’ – Index

 

 

Targa Rally Day 6 – Race Day 1/5 Complete

We left at 8am for our new home in Clarenville, 2 hours north of St. John’s.

Much of our day was spent in transit.

Along with 5 races.

Entire communities rope off their front yards, and we go flying through at 80+ km/h. I’ll get an out-the-windsheild video this week, so you can see what it looks like.

While we were nervous for the race 1, it dissipated and by race 5 we were in a solid rhythm.

Michel has this calm, evenly metered voice that is so nice in my ear, compared to what’s outside my windshield: crazy roads, and scenery coming at me mega fast.

His voice never breaks, and he’s starting to pepper the commentary with observations like that drone line, which was so out of place it made me jacknife, and I almost bit the steering wheel.

In between races though, we are studious.

Our modified Micra dash.

The goal of the game is to cross the finish line at the exact right time, as monitored by the egg timer taped to our dash.

In race 2, we crossed the finish line at the exact moment the timer beeped, and we lost our minds with hyperness. Confirmed: a Micra steering wheel can handle a happy beating.

Didier has arrived!  You know him, I’ve introduced you before.

Skipped out on dinner to nap; I’m wiped, and this is an endurance game.

So with that, I’ll leave you with my home this week TTYT

 

 

Targa Rally Day 5 – Today was Prologue

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.

First Rally Race Animated

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!