Wednesday - Targa dreams dashed

We get to the arena bleary-eyed and nauseous from fatigue and our only 2 hours of sleep.  We cross our fingers and try to start the car.  It turns over but doesn't catch,  then it doesn't want to even turn over.  We move the car outside and try to push start it.  After trying twice, we suddenly notice a fuel leak from under the car.  Gas is dripping out the exhaust pipe.  We quickly jack the car and examine underneath.  There is no leak from any fuel lines or from the engine, but is coming from the exhaust.  We remove the spark plugs and realize the cylinders are completely filled with fuel and that the engine is hydro-locked which is why it would not turn over.  We crank the engine with the spark plugs out to try and clear the cylinders and a geyser of gasoline shoots 25 feet in the air!  We manage to empty the cylinders but fuel has bypassed the valves and filled the oil pan, so we must also change the oil.   After putting in new spark plugs and new oil we boost the battery again and cross our fingers hoping that our problems are solved and that our car will start. Unfortunately now, although the engine turns over freely, it still will not start.  At this point we are resigned to the fact that we will not make the early stages for today and that we must get the car to the next town and work on it some more to maybe catch up to the race in the afternoon stages.  We get a u-Haul trailer and load the race car on it to take it to Clarenville which is about an hour south.

         The trip to Clarenville is a somber one as we try to figure out what could be causing our electrical gremlins.  It doesn't help that we are running on 2 hours sleep.  After getting to Clarenville we unload the car in the arena and Telmo goes back to work with the help of another crew member trying to find the cause of our dilemma.  After another 6 hours of testing and isolating almost every circuit in the car we arrive at 4 conclusions. 
There is a ground short in our engine wiring harness. 
There is a short in our relay and switch panel.
Our engine ECU computer is most likely damaged.
The Targa Newfoundland race for us has come to an end.

          As we let the disappointment sink in, we console ourselves with the following facts:
1) Our Targa demise was due to an electrical failure and not a crash. 
2) Our car is intact, as are ourselves.
3) When our car was running, it was spectacular.  The suspension was perfect, the body rigidity was exemplary, and the power was ample. 
4) For the first two days, we were actually competing at a competitive level in Targa Newfoundland's most difficult "Open" class, the class that places no restrictions on a car's modification level.  For a couple of rookies, this was our proudest achievement. 
5) I think our wives Jessie and Karen feel sorry for us...  maybe even enough to let us return next year for Targa Newfoundland's 10th Anniversary!

To all our friends and family who supported us and endured this last year of preparation, we give our heartfelt thanks.  To our sponsors and supporters we give our thanks and our apologies for not being able to finish.   Finally, to our wives Jessie and Karen, and our kids Loki, Nate, and Kaleb, we give all our love and thank you profusely for your patience, love, and unwavering support.  Thank you!

We shall return....



 

Tuesday - Leg 2 and disaster strikes!

Day 2 finds us in the Exploits valley.  The sun is trying hard to shine, but at least the roads are dry this morning.  The first stage 2-1 Appleton is a simple fast 2.63km stage through a small village.  The road is a bit rough and we have an oil caution at 1.37km.  The stage goes well and we "zero it". 
       The next stage has been deleted so we transit through to 2-3 Bobby's Cove.  This is a longer, faster 8.01km stage that ends at a mussel farm.  The average speed for our base time is 130kph and the time is 3.42 min.  We are also reminded not to exceed the 200kph limit on this stage.  As we are sailing through the fast sweepers, the car starts to wander a bit over 160kph and I remind myself that we will have to fit a front sway bar for next time.  We couldn't fit our old swaybar because of the exhaust manifold and we didn't have the time to fabricate new mounts before coming to Targa.  As the turns tighten I can feel our Toyo R1R tires start to wiggle as they search for the limits of traction.  They were a great choice of tire as they are very predictable and telegraph any slip in traction.

We reach Bobby's Cove without incident or penalty points and our top speed for the stage is 171kph.  The mussel farm overlooks Bobby's Cove and it is a postcard moment...except for the 52 Targa cars that line the single narrow road into the cove.  Again there are more timing equipment issues and we transit out instead of racing.  Apparently it's a combination of the geography and the high ferrous content of the rock that plays havoc with radio signals. 
One of the Grand Touring teams is driving a 2010 Porsche Boxster Spyder.  The car is distinctive but what is even more distinctive is the daily driving apparel of the driver and co-driver.  Yesterday they were wearing silver reflective body suits ala "Mork and Mindy".  Today they are in "Star Trek" uniforms.  I can't wait to see what the rest of the week has in store.

      Stage 2-5 Glover's Harbour as a very long 20.57km very fast stage with an average speed of 130kph.  The car is running very well and our communications are starting to gel.  We actually end up catching and passing the car that started 30 seconds ahead of us.  On straight sections we hit the maximum (but never exceed) the 200kph maximum.  We finish the stage over a minute ahead of time!! 
       Stage 2-6 is a repeat of Bobby's Cove and we run the stage for the second time that day.  The times are a few seconds shorter, but we zero the stage.
      Stage 2-7 is a run back through the road we just did to Pleasantview.  During this stage, Desmond has a brain fart and completely loses his place in the routebook.  After miscalling 2 curves in a row, I decide to let him sort himself out and I drive using with hints from the GPS.  Luckily, this is the second time down the stage this direction and the fourth time this day on this stretch of road so we complete the stage and only pickup a 3 second penalty. 

      We now have a long 126km transit back to Gander for the perennial favourite Gander in-town stage.  This stage actually goes through a subdivision and is all 90 degree turns through residential crescents with many spectators lining the streets.   Imagine standing on your driveway and watching a racecar fly down your street at 140kph!  This is a very technically difficult stage and the times are difficult to meet.  Even Steve Millen in his factory backed 650hp Nissan GTR picked up 8 seconds in penalty points last year.
      We run the Gander stage and it is amazing!  It is an incredible experience and the most fun any gearhead can have with their clothes on!  We drift the back end around the majority of corners in order to preserve momentum, before accelerating hard to the next corner.  At the end of the stage the acrid smell of burning rubber, clutch, and brakes fills the car.   We exit the stage and make the loop around town to set up for our second pass through the stage.  That is where disaster strikes. 
         As we turn onto the road leading back to the start, suddenly all the gauges in the car go beserk and it's like there is an electrical poltergeist.  The lights flash and the gauge needles are bouncing left to right as the car stalls.  I try to restart the car and the starter is jammed on.  I hit and reset the master kill switch but to no avail, the starter is still jammed on and the starter is continuously cranking.  We shut the car off and tell the next competitor and team mate to let our service crew know we're in trouble.        
           We only have about 10 min to reach the start before we miss the next stage.  Glen Clarke, out service manager quickly arrives and tries to get us going.  We decide to quickly jack the car and cut the wires to the starter to get it to stop cranking.  After we try to bum start the car.  This involves pushing the car to get it rolling then "popping" the clutch to try and start the car.  Unfortunately the car still doesn't start and we see out hopes of getting to the next stage slipping away quickly. 
          At this point we get Glen to tow us to the start so we can least get a start time and a DNF (did not finish) which is a lesser penalty than a DNS (did not start).  We get to the start line just in front of the "sweeper" car which closes the stage.  Glen actually tows us through the entire stage and we wave to the amused spectators as we pass by.  At least we complete the stage, albeit with a significant time penalty.  Unfortunately now we need to figure out what is wrong with the car in order to fix it before morning and the start of the next stage.

Broken motor mount

After getting back to the community centre, we start going through the possible sources of our problem.  Unfortunately, electrical problems are the hardest problems to diagnose. As we examine the starter and solenoid, we learn we have also broken a motor mount!   It seems that 2 of the 4 bolts holding the mount to the engine block had vibrated loose and caused the remaining two bolts to bear the entire load and the mount to shear in half.  It's an aluminum mount, so our dilemma is where to get an experienced TIG welder in Gander at midnight who can weld aluminum!  We also realize our fuel pump is not getting any power and our starter solenoid is still shorting out.  Our crew chief amazingly reaches  a welder who is willing to drive in from the next town and weld our engine mount. 

We work feverishly to jack the car and remove the mount as well as bypass a new power wire to our fuel pump.  At 3:30am we have the car back together but after many attempts previously in the day to start the car, our battery doesn't have the juice to turn the engine over.  We put it on a charger and go back to the hotel, still not knowing if our car is fixed or whether it will start.  We get to our room at 4:30am and sleep for 2 hours as we have to be back at the arena for our 7:00am breathalyzer test and early transit out.

Monday - Leg 1

Monday morning we had a nice transit up to Holyrood for the first stage.  It was a bit nerve racking as this was our very first stage, Desmond's first time navigating and it was wet.  We took it easy and made our base time without penalty. Sure it's Leg 1, Day 1, and the times are easy, but we still felt good as we must be doing something right.  Second stage was Conception Harbour which was a narrow, smooth twisty course with a couple of rough sections and hairpin turns.  Unfortunately we picked up a 5 second penalty on that stage. 
      The next stage, Marysvale, was an exciting stage. It was still wet out and we were still working on out communication skills.  I was having problems listening to Des as I was concentrating on driving in the rain and Des was working on left and right :)  There was a crest into a hard downhill right which Des forgot to tell me the "downhill" part.  We came around the corner a bit hot and the car was sideways with the ocean on the left side.  Luckily we managed to pull the back end in and continue on our way and "zero" the stage (ie. no time penalty).   The fourth stage of the day was unfortunately cancelled because of issues with the timing equipment. 
By the next stage "Harbour In" the roads were starting to dry up, so the speeds were increasing.  I was becoming more comfortable with the car but we were still getting used to communicating directions.  At one point there was a fast crest into a left turn, which Des called as a right turn!  Fortunately we made it though after the surprise.  The orange Datsun 240Z ahead of us was not as lucky and went off the road into someone's front yard and hit a water tank.  The car behind us, a white Subaru WRX also went off the road into the bushes.  After hearing this, we didn't feel so bad.  I thought we had picked up time on the stage, but we actually zeroed it. 

      At the lunch stop we had an amazing lunch of the local fish and chips.  There is definitely something to be said for making it with fresh Newfoundland cod!  During the lunch break, spectators had the chance to look at the cars, but more importantly, the chance to meet "Trailer Park Boys" actors, J. P. Tremblay and Robb Wells.  Personally, I have actually never seen the show, but apparently all the locals are avid fans.
       The next stage 1-6 is aptly named "Harbour Out" as we run the same road backwards in order to leave Southern Harbour.  The speed increased since we were now a bit familiar with the section and we easily zeroed the stage.
     Stage 1-7 was a short stage called Adeytown.  It's only 4.71km long but the basetime is 2.21min with an average speed of 120kph, which is fast considering that you must get up to speed and also negotiate the turns and crests with broken pavement.  We picked up another 4 seconds in penalties and reached speeds above 160kph.
       The final stage of the day 1-8 Port Blandford was another fast short stage of 4.64 km.   The issue is that there were some sizable crests at the end of the stage.  It's like a roller coaster ride as the car gets light over these crests at speeds of 180kph.  The funny thing is that the marshal at the end of the course told us that she gets "air" over those crests all the time!  We learned early in the week that every cab driver in St. John's is also a Targa racer in the making!
        After the stage we had a long commute up to Gander for our first night.   There was a car show at the local Gander arena and it gave us time to check our car over.  Thankfully everything seemed to be running smoothly.  We finished the first day in 3rd place in our division behind leaders and 3 time Targa winners Roy Hopkins/Adrienne Hughes in their Mopar sponsored 1971 Dart Demon and Jim Kenzie/Brian Bourinierren (2 time winners) in their Mini Canada sponsored JCW Cooper S Club racer.  The Dart zeroed the day (no penalty seconds), while Kenzie had 2 seconds for the day and we had 9 seconds.  Not bad for a couple of Asian drivers with no factory support on their first day ever of Targa Class racing!

After an exciting, but very tiring first day, we were happy to go back to our hotel to rest.  We had to be back in the morning for our 7:00am breathalyzer test and to start out for the Tuesday morning stages.

Sunday - Prologue

Today it started off raining.  Then it rained some more.  Then it rained sideways !!  There's a lot of rain in Newfoundland and we saw it today.  The Prologue stage is a short stage through Flatrock.  It is a chance for everyone, especially newbies to get their feet wet.  It is a timed stage, but the results aren't scored as part of the competition.  It's a beautiful drive along side an inlet.  Unfortunately it was pouring rain and very overcast so it was hard to appreciate the view.  The car ran well, we took it very easy as it was only 12 degrees Celsius.  Cold wet rain and cold hard tires are not a rally driver's friend.  As Jim Adams, one of Targa's veterans says, "There are no heros in the Prologue stage".  The stage does traditionally manage to catch at least one car every year and this year was no exception.  A classic yellow Camaro spun out and "bruised" the rear quarter panel.  Thankfully only a little body damage, nothing a hammer can't fix!
       We also did a little stage around Confederation Park and gave a couple of the locals a ride in the car.  They were thrilled and very appreciative.
        Tomorrow we leave St. John's for the North East Coast and Leg 1 which will take us to Holyrod/Harbour Main/Avondale, Conception Harbour, Marysvale, Osprey Trail West, Southern Harbour, Adeytown/Deep Bight, and Port Blandford.
        Tormorrow's forecast... rain, rain and more rain.

Saturday - Registration

Well we flew into a rainy, dark St. John's last night at about 9:30pm local time.  The first welcome was our taxi driver and it to only took 2 or 3 tries before we could understand what he was saying.  Ahh, Newfoundland!  Made our way to the Holiday Inn where our beloved E30 M3 was waiting in the parking lot.  Unfortunately, there was a half inch of water in both foot wells...  hmmm. Saturday we drove the car to the Remax centre for registration.  It was nice to see old acquaintances from our last Targa outing in 2008.

 After registering we set to work on the car. We still had to install our O2 sensors and MAF as well as reinstall and adjust my seat as it was too high.  The "fun" part was applying all our decals.  I say "fun" because anyone who has ever put large decals on something knows how frustrating it is to try and get it on smoothly.  We met our crew chief and slowly started to organize for the week.  We are sharing crew with 7 other teams including Roy Hopkins/Adrienne Hughes, the three time Targa winner.  Special thanks to Roy as I have been emailing him regularly over the last month to pick his brain about building our car.  Finally after hours of finishing many last minute adjustments and details, we set out to calibrate our rally computer and see if our in car ChaseCam recording system actually works.  Thankfully,  both were good.  Desmond completed his first aid course and Telmo did an amazing job as always, taking care of all our mechanical gremlins.  Jim Kenzie stopped by to say hi.  Desmond and Jim are old family friends and go back many years.
After a long day, we had a quick dinner and visit to George Street.  It was still early (10:30pm) so the real partying hadn't yet begun.  Back to the motel so that Des could peruse the course books and write his pacenotes.  Of course, I had to write this blog.
        Tomorrow is the Prologue, a non-scored leg and also the ceremonial send off at the Keg Restaurant at the harbour front.  We also have an opportunity to take fans for rides in our car to raise money for charity.  The weather is calling for rain.  Hopefully it won't put too much of a dent on the festivities.  Gotta get some rest, it's been a tiring day.