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02.06.2002
First of all, I would like to thank John very much for the wonderful drive he made to complete the Targa, and to finish first in Class with a very underpowered, but very sturdy little car.
Patience is the key word re John’s approach to breaking in a new navigator.
Some of the things John had to have patience with;
-Stop Tee Left, (instead of 90 left at Tee)
-I have to pee again
-90 left, right here
-Ummm (as we bore down on an unexpected corner with lots of spectators and marshalls)
-Oops, I pushed the wrong button.
Continue reading Navigating for John Cassidy.
02.05.2002
A Maine Yankee crew grows up (sort of) at Quebec's Rallye Baie des Chaleurs
Where else but Canada could a rally team finish dead last but still win prize $$$ ?
The Bangor, Maine-based Last Ditch Racing Team is just back from Rallye Baie des Chaleurs in Quebec, running its first national rally after years of paying dues in regional events. Running with the big dogs is a real eye-opener and true experiential education in the world of rally. Despite finishing dead last on the road, we take second in Group 2--thanks to an amazingly durable little red Honda named Fireball, a relentlessly determined driver and co-driver, and a service crew that would make that old TV-show improviser MacGuyver proud.
Continue reading Onto the Podium from Back of the Pack.
02.05.2002
Did you ever want to rally, but didn’t have a rally car in the garage? This was my problem prior to the Baie Des Chaleurs rallye in Quebec this year-sort of. See, I sold Fireball and was holding him until his new owner could pick him up. The mailing came for the Baie rallye and we really wanted to go-problem was, Fireball was no longer mine! So, I e-mailed his new owner and offered to rent Fireball for the event. He replied that it was cool to take Fireball North for a romp and we were on!
Rallying in Canada, specifically the province of Quebec, is very attractive to us as we are less than ten hours away from most of the five events that make up the Coupe De Quebec. The exchange rate is very favorable, with fuel being the only expensive consumable. But most of all, the Canadian rally community is extremely friendly and inviting! The events that we have attended are the best organized we’ve entered to date.
Enough gushing about the Great White North. We were on a mission-this was Fireball’s last spin with Maygen and myself in the seats and we wanted to show well. We entered the National event so that we could get some more seat time and experience with a longer format rallye. We had everything packed and somehow tricked Dave Getchell, Matt Robinson, Eric Wages and Margaret Michaels into coming along for the craziness that is a rally weekend.
Rallying in Canada, specifically the province of Quebec, is very attractive to us as we are less than ten hours away from most of the five events that make up the Coupe De Quebec. The exchange rate is very favorable, with fuel being the only expensive consumable. But most of all, the Canadian rally community is extremely friendly and inviting! The events that we have attended are the best organized we’ve entered to date.
Enough gushing about the Great White North. We were on a mission-this was Fireball’s last spin with Maygen and myself in the seats and we wanted to show well. We entered the National event so that we could get some more seat time and experience with a longer format rallye. We had everything packed and somehow tricked Dave Getchell, Matt Robinson, Eric Wages and Margaret Michaels into coming along for the craziness that is a rally weekend.
Continue reading Baie Des Chaleurs.
02.05.2002
Text of article:
RACERS: The Sports Car Club of America Maine Forest RAlly Pro-Rally drew nearly 100 cars from all over the country, Canada, and a few foreign countries Friday afternoon, as well as hundreds of sports car enthusiasts. The two-day race began Friday afternoon through about 100 miles of rough terrain in the Western Mountains area. It ends late Saturday afternoon. Top: Hundreds of people took the opportunity to look closely at some of the SCCA competition vehicles early Friday afternoon in downtown Rumford just before the race began. Above Left: John Cassidy, the driver, will be competing for the fourth time in the Maine Forest Rally, while navigator Maygen McCarty is making her second effort. The couple are from Bangor and are driving a 1994 Subaru Impreza. "I love everything about the race," said McCarty. "It's the excitement." Above right: Navigator Conrad Ketelsen and driver Bob Olson, both from Minnesota, are making a first-time run in the Maine Forest Rally leg of the SCCA. It's a first visit to the state for the two as well. "It's a beautiful state," said Olson who is driving a 1993 Porsche 911. Right: Chris Havas, the driver from Vermont, and navigator David Kean, originally from England, are making Havas' fifth try at the competition in the Rumford area. Havas particularly likes the rough terrain, and roller coaster-styled roads in the Parmanchenee Lake area. He's driving a 2000 Volkswagen Golf.
RACERS: The Sports Car Club of America Maine Forest RAlly Pro-Rally drew nearly 100 cars from all over the country, Canada, and a few foreign countries Friday afternoon, as well as hundreds of sports car enthusiasts. The two-day race began Friday afternoon through about 100 miles of rough terrain in the Western Mountains area. It ends late Saturday afternoon. Top: Hundreds of people took the opportunity to look closely at some of the SCCA competition vehicles early Friday afternoon in downtown Rumford just before the race began. Above Left: John Cassidy, the driver, will be competing for the fourth time in the Maine Forest Rally, while navigator Maygen McCarty is making her second effort. The couple are from Bangor and are driving a 1994 Subaru Impreza. "I love everything about the race," said McCarty. "It's the excitement." Above right: Navigator Conrad Ketelsen and driver Bob Olson, both from Minnesota, are making a first-time run in the Maine Forest Rally leg of the SCCA. It's a first visit to the state for the two as well. "It's a beautiful state," said Olson who is driving a 1993 Porsche 911. Right: Chris Havas, the driver from Vermont, and navigator David Kean, originally from England, are making Havas' fifth try at the competition in the Rumford area. Havas particularly likes the rough terrain, and roller coaster-styled roads in the Parmanchenee Lake area. He's driving a 2000 Volkswagen Golf.
02.05.2002
Article by Steve Carrick, Co-Driver for Last Ditch Racing's Targa Effort!
Stories on the event by Jim Kenzie (http://jimkenzie.tripod.com/)
Article by Jim Kenzie mentioning us specifically (http://jimkenzie.tripod.com/TNPrologue.htm)
www.targanewfoundland.com (including official results)
Targa...Targa Newfoundland...
Those were the words that I wouldn't let enter into my conscience willingly prior to heading North to the Rallye Defi-St. Agathe. I had viewed the Targa site earlier in the year and was interested, but knew that I would not be able to enter my lowly Subaru Impreza rally car in the race because it was not, "historically significant." Although, the more I thought about it, the Subaru Impreza is very significant in the history of rallying. No matter...I wasn't going to Targa anyway.
Prior to leaving for Defi, I received an e-mail from the Defi rally organizers explaining that the winners of each class would win a free entry into Targa Newfoundland. Dave Getchell, one of my team members, joked prior to leaving, "we're going to win an entry to Targa!"
Stories on the event by Jim Kenzie (http://jimkenzie.tripod.com/)
Article by Jim Kenzie mentioning us specifically (http://jimkenzie.tripod.com/TNPrologue.htm)
www.targanewfoundland.com (including official results)
Targa...Targa Newfoundland...
Those were the words that I wouldn't let enter into my conscience willingly prior to heading North to the Rallye Defi-St. Agathe. I had viewed the Targa site earlier in the year and was interested, but knew that I would not be able to enter my lowly Subaru Impreza rally car in the race because it was not, "historically significant." Although, the more I thought about it, the Subaru Impreza is very significant in the history of rallying. No matter...I wasn't going to Targa anyway.
Prior to leaving for Defi, I received an e-mail from the Defi rally organizers explaining that the winners of each class would win a free entry into Targa Newfoundland. Dave Getchell, one of my team members, joked prior to leaving, "we're going to win an entry to Targa!"
Continue reading Targa Newfoundland.