GCRallyX Round 1
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Registered User
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 116
From: Orange County, CA
Car Info: '93 Subaru Impreza L
GCRallyX Round 1
GCRally-X Tombstone as seen through the eyes of Gravel Girl
As paintballers started packing up and clearing out of the Tombstone Paintball Park parking lot, the Gravel Crew was busy at work setting up signs, banners, cones, tables, and grading the lot for the Rally-X that was about to take place. Like a hive of bees, they worked together in the last minutes to finish setting up as anxious Rally-Xers began arriving. I pitched in to help get registration underway, making sure insurance waivers were signed, and PDE stickers were handed out to Subaru owners. That’s right, last Saturday we met again to participate in the first round of GC Rally-X.
Due to the Easter weekend, there was an abnormally large amount of paintball players out at the park, which filled the parking lot we use as our racetrack. Trying to clear their cars out put us a little behind schedule. About 5:00 in the evening, almost all of the 57 competitors were registered with their cars teched, and the 350 spectators were all branded with “designated driver” wristbands signifying the insurance waiver had been signed. Although the crowd was large, the voices of Scott G and Rodney Wills, the Rally-X organizers, could be heard even in the back of the group. As they announced their many sponsors that contributed to the end of the night prizes, and the course layout amongst other things, I looked around and was truly amazed at the massive turnout.
After the brief meeting, the two-wheel drive cars started lining up and the event was underway. Being a four-wheeler myself, I used this opportunity to grab my helmet and jump into a few two wheel drive cars as a passenger in order to get an in-car feel of the course; we refer to this as reconnaissance, or recce. The course was relatively short this time, designed by the X planners, probably to compensate for the late start and many entrants. The course started out a bit slippy due to the water they laid down to reduce the dust. It dried up a little while later, but not before Eli Gilbert slid his Focus rental car half way off the course into the shrubbery. Unscathed and determined to continue, some assistance was required by Ryan with the GC rescue vehicle, and Eli was again on his way and completed his run with no further incident.
The two wheel drive cars took one run each and the four-wheel drive cars lined up and began without delay. I hopped into my own Subaru Impreza RS and lined up, (well, cut in) to get a shot at the course before dark arrived. At the starting line, underneath the Xsite canopy and next to the giant cardboard Nitro2Go can, I prepared myself for the track ahead of me. With my helmet on, seatbelt latched, windows up, and co-driver besides me, the starter counted me down 3…2…1…GO! And I was off! Still not quite used to driving a stick shift and realizing I had to let the clutch out before my car was going anywhere, I jolted off the line and toward the first cone. The first obstacle was a series of cones shaped into a left hand turn yet also made into a slalom.
Left…right…leeefffffttt……rrriiiggggghhhttt…… slight straight away, another slalom…right…left…. Ok, now to make my way around “The Wall”, a cement and brick six-foot high wall that surrounds a few water towers. Around the wall, slightly slippy still, I make the left hairpin around the phone pole, and pick up speed heading into a long right. With that behind me, I made the right turn behind the barn, and narrowly missed hitting the corner of it on the exit. With a left turn sweeper, a sharp right, and a jolt of throttle, I pass through the timing lights at the flying finish. Bringing my car to a sideways stop, out of breath, waiting for the adrenaline rush to subside, I look at my co-driver who’s clinging to the seat with a look of pure incredulity.
I parked my car and jumped out to go check my time. Trying to stay out of the time keepers way, I got a glance at the computer screen……. I got a 41.5! Wait, 41.5? How does that compare? 43…45…42…47…51… It seems that I started off well. As the course dried up and I became more familiar with the terrain, my times improved: 41.5, 40.7, and 40.4. Had it not been for the cone and timing light that got in my way on the last run, third place would have been in my sights. But then again, all’s fair in love and Rally, so I’ll stay content with my 6th place finish.
The rest of the night’s events were exciting and successful for everyone. Mark Anton in a two-wheel drive rally car, put down a smoking time of 38 seconds, proving that it doesn’t take power or AWD to be a serious competitor. The competition was fierce and by the end of the night the results were so close there were even a few ties.
The Gravel Crew gathered both competitors and spectators around the banner-covered barn for the awards ceremony. Prizes were given out to 1st through 4th place in each of the 6 classes as well as the fastest girl awards and fastest Subaru award. Applause and thanks went out to the Gravel Crew’s efforts for a great event. I think I can speak for all attendees when I say that we look forward to the next event, to be held on April 23rd.
~Bris~
http://gravelgirl.the-roo.com
As paintballers started packing up and clearing out of the Tombstone Paintball Park parking lot, the Gravel Crew was busy at work setting up signs, banners, cones, tables, and grading the lot for the Rally-X that was about to take place. Like a hive of bees, they worked together in the last minutes to finish setting up as anxious Rally-Xers began arriving. I pitched in to help get registration underway, making sure insurance waivers were signed, and PDE stickers were handed out to Subaru owners. That’s right, last Saturday we met again to participate in the first round of GC Rally-X.
Due to the Easter weekend, there was an abnormally large amount of paintball players out at the park, which filled the parking lot we use as our racetrack. Trying to clear their cars out put us a little behind schedule. About 5:00 in the evening, almost all of the 57 competitors were registered with their cars teched, and the 350 spectators were all branded with “designated driver” wristbands signifying the insurance waiver had been signed. Although the crowd was large, the voices of Scott G and Rodney Wills, the Rally-X organizers, could be heard even in the back of the group. As they announced their many sponsors that contributed to the end of the night prizes, and the course layout amongst other things, I looked around and was truly amazed at the massive turnout.
After the brief meeting, the two-wheel drive cars started lining up and the event was underway. Being a four-wheeler myself, I used this opportunity to grab my helmet and jump into a few two wheel drive cars as a passenger in order to get an in-car feel of the course; we refer to this as reconnaissance, or recce. The course was relatively short this time, designed by the X planners, probably to compensate for the late start and many entrants. The course started out a bit slippy due to the water they laid down to reduce the dust. It dried up a little while later, but not before Eli Gilbert slid his Focus rental car half way off the course into the shrubbery. Unscathed and determined to continue, some assistance was required by Ryan with the GC rescue vehicle, and Eli was again on his way and completed his run with no further incident.
The two wheel drive cars took one run each and the four-wheel drive cars lined up and began without delay. I hopped into my own Subaru Impreza RS and lined up, (well, cut in) to get a shot at the course before dark arrived. At the starting line, underneath the Xsite canopy and next to the giant cardboard Nitro2Go can, I prepared myself for the track ahead of me. With my helmet on, seatbelt latched, windows up, and co-driver besides me, the starter counted me down 3…2…1…GO! And I was off! Still not quite used to driving a stick shift and realizing I had to let the clutch out before my car was going anywhere, I jolted off the line and toward the first cone. The first obstacle was a series of cones shaped into a left hand turn yet also made into a slalom.
Left…right…leeefffffttt……rrriiiggggghhhttt…… slight straight away, another slalom…right…left…. Ok, now to make my way around “The Wall”, a cement and brick six-foot high wall that surrounds a few water towers. Around the wall, slightly slippy still, I make the left hairpin around the phone pole, and pick up speed heading into a long right. With that behind me, I made the right turn behind the barn, and narrowly missed hitting the corner of it on the exit. With a left turn sweeper, a sharp right, and a jolt of throttle, I pass through the timing lights at the flying finish. Bringing my car to a sideways stop, out of breath, waiting for the adrenaline rush to subside, I look at my co-driver who’s clinging to the seat with a look of pure incredulity.
I parked my car and jumped out to go check my time. Trying to stay out of the time keepers way, I got a glance at the computer screen……. I got a 41.5! Wait, 41.5? How does that compare? 43…45…42…47…51… It seems that I started off well. As the course dried up and I became more familiar with the terrain, my times improved: 41.5, 40.7, and 40.4. Had it not been for the cone and timing light that got in my way on the last run, third place would have been in my sights. But then again, all’s fair in love and Rally, so I’ll stay content with my 6th place finish.
The rest of the night’s events were exciting and successful for everyone. Mark Anton in a two-wheel drive rally car, put down a smoking time of 38 seconds, proving that it doesn’t take power or AWD to be a serious competitor. The competition was fierce and by the end of the night the results were so close there were even a few ties.
The Gravel Crew gathered both competitors and spectators around the banner-covered barn for the awards ceremony. Prizes were given out to 1st through 4th place in each of the 6 classes as well as the fastest girl awards and fastest Subaru award. Applause and thanks went out to the Gravel Crew’s efforts for a great event. I think I can speak for all attendees when I say that we look forward to the next event, to be held on April 23rd.
~Bris~
http://gravelgirl.the-roo.com
Last edited by Gravel Girl; Mar 31, 2005 at 03:45 PM.
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 116
From: Orange County, CA
Car Info: '93 Subaru Impreza L
hehe.... yeah I walked up to him and asked him for a ride and he turned me down. Then a few minutes later I noticed that the runs had stopped and I was like, what's up. Then it dawned on me, where's eli? So I went running back there just as he continued on. At least he finished the run and didn't dnf.
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