Targa - From MV Highliner - Gulf of St. Lawrence
Monday, 19 September 2011 06:39
administrator
Latest in a Series.To see the whole thread, click here.
Our trek back to Ontario has begun, yesterday we drove 900 km in sunny weather to Port aux Basques where we caught the over-night ferry off the island, we should be home Tuesday evening. It has been a very trying but satisfying week at Targa. The unexpected is part of the appeal of Targa, we got plenty of that.
Both Bob and Yarko got their first taste of this amazing event. When we arrived at the Re/Max Centre on last Saturday morning, they had no idea what to expect. Yarko commented to me that I looked like I was at home as we began final preparations for our adventure. After a week at Targa, both Yarko and Bob have a better understanding of this events unique character and appeal.
We all left our mark on Targa 2011, Tim and I marked a bog in Pleasantview, Bob and Yarko mitigated the damage we did and got us back in the event. They also left another mark. Friday, as we prepared to start the final Carbonear stage Scott Giannou and Ray Felice lost a cylinder in their Porsche. Yarko and Bob went to help Scott and Ray's crew, repairing what damage they could. When Yarko told Scott he could run the car on 5-cylinders, Scott and Ray re-joined the event and went on to win their division. Saturday evening, while accepting their award Ray Felice thanked our crew for making that victory possible, Bob and Yarko started one car, they finished two. Not a bad week for a pair of Targa rookies.
Wednesday we will start to sort through the photographs and videos we took at Targa. We didn't get as much as we thought we would, it was a difficult week with many distractions. We will keep you posted.
Stan
Last Updated on Thursday, 03 November 2011 13:42
Leg 5 - Final Day of Targa
Saturday, 17 September 2011 10:08
Stan Carmichael
The final day of Targa, Leg 5 was shortened by the aftermath of a hurricane that hit the Maritimes Friday morning. The storm caused the cancellation of two morning stages so we could clear the Marystown area because the storm could potentially close roads leading off the peninsula. We drove in high winds and rain to Carbonear on Conception Bay, a four hour commute.
We beat the weather to Carbonear and had an enjoyable lunch break where Yarko and Bob prepared the car for the final stages of the week. We were joined by our friends Scott Giannou and Ray Felice and crew members Bob and Ian who we have been travelling with for the event. (Scott and Ray are in a close battle for the Classic division honours which they secured with an amazing run through the second stage in Carbonear, finishing on our bumper after starting 30-seconds behind us.)
The first stage was started in high winds and dry roads, by the time Tim and I got to the halfway point, rain was falling and mixed with oil that a previous car had spilled on the road, all the way to the finish. It was very slippery and Tim drove accordingly. As we drove to the starting box for the second stage, heavy rain began to fall and we had a wet ride throughout the stage and transit to Brigus.
The third and final stages were through a small village, Brigus. the roads were no more than lane-ways, actually, some of the driveways were wider than the streets. (This is one of the stages we drove last Friday so we have video of driving the truck through and the car. We will post both of these videos to show you the difference.)
Like Carbonear earlier today, we drove Brigus twice. In our first run, Tim could not see the road in front of him very well, we had only one wiper and the windshield was fogging badly. Our crew secured a second wiper before the second run and dutifully, cleared the fog from the inside of the windshield as we pulled up to the line for the final stage of the event.
It has been a long and trying week, we started on a high with the potential to win the event, that all went away on Tuesday afternoon when we made the ultimate mistake and crashed the car. Tim and I lost Targa Tuesday, we were now driving for Bob and Yarko who prepared and repaired the car for us, their Targa goal was to see the car finish, and finish it would.
The storm strengthened as we prepared to run the final stage, we were warned at the start that there was standing water on the roads and that the stage conditions had been reduced from "Road Condition 3" to "Trophy". This meant that our target time went from 2:41 to 3:17. I counted the start, three - two - one - go! Tim launched the car off the line, put the strain and disappointment of a trying week behind him and drove it home like he started the week, so long ago. We crossed the finish line 2-minutes and 42- seconds later. It was one of the best drives I have seen, a drive I will always remember.
The final transit took us back to St. John's harbour, where we started six day ago. All of the teams gathered on the patio of The Keg to celebrate and share stories of their journey through Targa. Tim and I were given medals, like all of the teams who finished, for completing the event. We presented them to Yarko and Bob, they are the ones who deserved them, their car finished Targa 2011.
Last Updated on Monday, 19 September 2011 06:56
We Finshed Targa
Friday, 16 September 2011 18:51
Stan Carmichael
We just completed the final stage of Targa. Tim flew over the line at 16:12 local time. We are now off to St John's in heavy rain.
Last Updated on Saturday, 17 September 2011 10:10
Leg #3 of Targa Newfoundland
Friday, 16 September 2011 06:25
Stan Carmichael
We are back in Targa after an off yesterday took us out of contention.
Yarko and Bob worked through the night to make the car ready for Tim and I this morning. We spent the morning getting used to the car, our times show this as we missed some of our times today. It is not the same as the car we started, but we are back and hope to finish on Friday.
We are now off to get Bob & Yarko a good meal and early night after their sleepless night and what must have been a very long day.
Stan
Sent from my iPhone
Last Updated on Friday, 16 September 2011 18:59
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Leg #2 of Targa Newfoundland
Tuesday, 13 September 2011 08:45
Stan Carmichael
We made a mistake on Stage #3 yesterday, Bob and Yarko pulled an all-nighter. We are off to start Leg #3 and will update later today.
Last Updated on Wednesday, 14 September 2011 19:14
Leg #1 of Targa Newfoundland
Tuesday, 13 September 2011 08:45
Stan Carmichael
The first competitive day of Targa saw a minimum of 6-cars drop out due to crashes or mechanical trouble, that number could be higher in the morning. We ran 6 of the 7 scheduled stages, the last stage had to be cancelled due to our ambulance being dispatched to another call. That disappointed Tim and I as Southbrook is a very fast and interesting stage to drive, it is one of the most fun at Targa.
We finished the day without taking a penalty, along with 7 of our Modern Division competitors. A very good start to what is shaping up to be agreat week of racing.
Last Updated on Wednesday, 14 September 2011 07:43
Day One of Targa
Saturday, 10 September 2011 20:00
Stan Carmichael
Day 1 of Targa is complete, we are registered, tech'd and ready to go!
We drove to Flatrock to calibrate the odometer and look at the first Prologue stage we will run tomorrow.Tonight there is an official reception, which we will visit briefly, then get a good nights sleep in preparation for a busy day Sunday.
Those of you who were at our 2007 Calabogie weekend will remember, then NER Chair, Laurence Jitts. He is here with an early 911 and competing in Classic Division. Lauri now lives in Texas and asked that I say hello to all his UCR friends.Attached is photo of Yarko driving the car out of the ReMax Centre after passing technical inspection.
Last Updated on Monday, 12 September 2011 06:18
Targa Newfoundland Day Two - Prologue
Saturday, 10 September 2011 20:00
Stan Carmichael
We completed the Prologue Day today, running three stages north of St. John's in Flatrock and Torbay. We had to "shake-out the cobwebs" but finished with a strong smooth drive through Torbay.
Tomorrow we begin the competition, Tim and I are both encouraged by our times today and looking forward to the 7-stages tomorrow that will take us from Holyrood to Gander.
Stan
Last Updated on Tuesday, 13 September 2011 09:03
Report One from Newfoundland
Friday, 09 September 2011 15:19
administrator
We arrived in North Sydney NS earlier than forecast, this due to clear roads and good weather allowing us to drive to Moncton on day one of our journey.
The ferry trip was smooth and event free, caught up on sleep missed during the first two-days on the road. Arrived in Newfoundland Thursday @ 3o'clock local time, two-hour drive to St. John's in torrential rain, weather cleared last night.
Tomorrow we will begin our preparations for Targa, registration begins in the morning, tech inspections and loading our support vehicle for the week.
The reality of my return to Targa took hold last night as I met fellow competitors in at the hotel, four years has not changed the relationships we made here.
Stan
Last Updated on Saturday, 10 September 2011 20:13
Northwest Atlantic Motorsports - Targa Test
Friday, 09 September 2011 15:15
Stan Carmichael
Fourth in a Series.
Because we have made many changes to the car, we decided that we should test the car before we leave for Targa Newfoundland. Fortunately, there was a Driver Education event at Shannonville on August 27 & 28. A quick phone call to our Chief Instructor, Stephen Goodbody and explaining what we wanted to do. We didn’t want to interfere too much with the event and it meant that Tim and I would need less duties to give us the time in the car. Stephen kindly agreed that we could test the car at Shannonville, assigned Tim and I to IDS on Saturday and one student on Sunday. We would have five sessions to test the car, one session on Saturday afternoon, four on Sunday.
In addition to testing the car, we wanted the opportunity for Yarko and Bob to work together on the car before we got to Newfoundland. They will have enough to absorb and do when they get there, their first service stop should not be a learning experience.
The entire Northwest Atlantic Motorsports team was present at Shannonville, we would shake down the car and the crew in one weekend. Since we had made many changes to the car’s suspension, Saturday afternoon, Tim and I drove the car in the final session to get a feel for what was a new car. Sunday, we began to test the set-up and then tune it so Tim could drive it hard, with confidence in Newfoundland.
When we arrived at Shannonville, we got an unexpected surprise. Glen Clarke, multiple Targa competitor and 2006 overall champion arrived in the paddock. He declared he was there for us this weekend. Glen was a great help, working with Yarko and Bob on our suspension testing and helped them prepare for their roles at Targa. This left Tim and I free to concentrate on learning to drive the car. Thank you Glen.
Sunday we performed a shock sweep. Our crew set the dampers to nine different combinations and we took the car out for one lap of Shannonville on each setting, pitted and reported our impressions to Glen. While we talked to Glen, Yarko and Bob changed the suspension settings, then we did another lap. It took both morning sessions to complete the first part of our test.
After our lunch break, the crew set the car up, using Tim and my comments and their experience, to a setting they thought would be close to optimal. We fine-tuned that setting during the third session of the day and, after a few tweaks, arrived at our final car set-up for Targa. For the final session of our test, we mounted the tires we would run in Newfoundland and did a few laps to get a feel for them.
During the weekend, we also completed our ‘to do’ lists, car preparation, crew preparation, spares, tools and logistics. Everything has to be checked and re-checked until we are satisfied we are prepared for the challenges that lay ahead.
So there it is, the final chapter in the story of how we prepared for the 10th annual Targa Newfoundland. The crew appears to be ready, the car appears to be ready. All that remains is that we start our journey. A journey that will take us 3,000km from home then 2,200km around eastern Newfoundland where we will test ourselves against some of the best tarmac rally teams in the world, for five long days.
Last Updated on Friday, 09 September 2011 15:33
Preparing for Targa Newfoundland
Wednesday, 07 September 2011 06:57
Stan Carmichael
Third in a Series.
Tim’s silver 911 race car is prepared for road racing, not rallying, we need to modify the car to compete on the uneven, rural roads of Newfoundland. This means take it apart and re-build it, the only thing we didn’t change was the engine, gearbox, chassis and brakes. Everything else will be modified or replaced.
We started with the suspension, adding long stroke dampers that have a quicker re-bound. This will help keep the tires on the road while we are driving over the ruts and bumps. The front control arms need to be replaced (with stock parts) in order to fit the new dampers. The alignment went from race to street and the ride height was returned to stock as well. We may still “bottom-out” on occasion. While these changes were being made, Yarko inspected, lubed and tightened every suspension mount, bushing and bearing, Tim and I will do our best to loosen them over the week.
The tires we have to run at Targa are street tires with an UTQC rating of 140 or higher, we ran Toyo RA1’s on our last visit, they no longer fall with-in the rules. We selected Toyo R1R’s for this year, hoping that they will provide good grip in the wet conditions that we know we will face sometime during the week. We run the same tire on all four corners so we can interchange them, 6-tires is all you are allowed for the event. We typically use eight during a dry race weekend.
The co-driver needs an odometer and timing computer to keep track of progress through the stage. This unit records speed, average speed and distance and calibrated before the event. It sits in front of the co-driver seat so I can read the route books and view the rapidly changing read-outs at the same time. The directions the co-driver give to the driver have to be heard, we use an in-car communicator that connects to Tim and my helmet so we can speak calmly to each other. The communicator mounts between the seats and I can adjust the volume as required.
The final preparation is for storage. Everything from our hero cards, notes, pens, safety gear, food and personal effects has to have a secure place in the car. We even have a routine to store our helmets during the transit stages, they stack on the floor between my knees, there is no room in the trunk and they don’t fit through the role cage.
Finally, this year we will have on-board video with two cameras. One, looking out the windshield, sits beside my left shoulder and the second looking back at Tim and I in the car is mounted on the front of the roll cage. The addition of audio input from our in car communication system will allow viewers to hear the conversations we are having while driving.
The final change is to remove most of the decals on the car, we will be provided with numbers and sponsor decals Saturday morning that have to be on the car by Saturday evening. That will be the final preparation before we start Targa Newfoundland.
Last Updated on Friday, 09 September 2011 15:34
Logistics of Targa Newfoundland
Sunday, 04 September 2011 18:36
Stan Carmichael
Second in a Series.
Logistics are important for any racing event. You need to know what to bring to the track, who to bring, what they will do and when they will get there. For Targa Newfoundland, logistics are much more complicated. We will be competing 3,000km from home in remote areas of Newfoundland, if we don’t have it with us, we won’t have it. Additionally, we need to get every thing we need to Newfoundland by Saturday September 10, 2011. The drive to North Sydney NS will take the same time as the drive to Sebring in Florida, then we have a 15-hour ferry ride (miss that ferry and your out of the competition) to Newfoundland followed by a 2-hour drive to St. John’s.
Bob and I will depart Yarko’s shop in Whitby Tuesday September 6th, we will have 24-driving hours in front of us to get to North Sydney harbour. We plan to be there by 6PM on Wednesday, 5-hours prior to the ferry leaving. The trailer is scheduled to be loaded on Labour Day. Tim and Yarko fly into St. John’s on Friday to meet us. Our hotels for the 10-days we will be in Newfoundland have to be arranged, we will be in St. John’s for the first weekend, then on Monday, we will leave for the week with everything we need, different towns every night, different hotels. We return to St. John’s on Friday evening.
The truck and trailer we use to haul the car and all of the spares, tools etc. to St. John’s will remain in St. John’s for the duration of the event. At just under 50ft long, it is too large to navigate rural Newfoundland. We have arranged for a van for our service crew to travel in, they will have to transfer every thing we need for the week into this van. Shelter for the service crew and clothing to protect them from the weather is important as well, they have to service the car, outside, every lunch-stop and evening when Tim and I are finished with it. The weather could be anything from a sunny fall day to gale conditions. We have to be prepared.
There is an overview of the logistics involved in competing in Targa Newfoundland. It require much planning and foresight, we won’t know if we did it right until we get there and have completed the rally.
Last Updated on Friday, 09 September 2011 15:34
Introducing Northwest Atlantic Motorsports – Targa Newfoundland Team
Thursday, 01 September 2011 16:40
Stan Carmichael
 It was June 6, 2011 at approximately 9AM when Tim Sanderson called me to talk about the 10th Annual Targa Newfoundland. It was a short conversation but an important conversation. We had previous discussions about returning to Targa since our last visit in 2007, nothing serious, just that we thought we should go back one day. We also had a brief conversation about 2011 being the 10th running of this unique event that, for some strange reason, both of us hold in very high regard.
Tim only asked me one question that day. “Who should we take to Newfoundland this September?” At that moment, Northwest Atlantic Motorsports came to life. Tim Sanderson, car owner and driver, Stan Carmichael the co-driver and two open spots we needed to fill before we could confirm our return to Targa Newfoundland. We both wanted Yarko Matkiwsky to go with us. Yarko has been working with us for almost a year now and knows Tim’s Porsche 911 very well. We all get along well and enjoy our time at the track together. I agreed to call Yarko, and find someone to drive the truck and trailer to Newfoundland with me that could help Yarko with service duties. The team organization chart was complete; we needed two more members. It was the next day when I caught up with Yarko. I asked him if he would consider baby-sitting two spoiled brats for a week. His response was a cautious “where?” When I told him Newfoundland, he replied, “Oh those two spoiled brats”. With Yarko on-board, we had one spot open to complete our team. I talked to Tim about my brother Bob. Bob has been with us at the track over the years and has blended well. He has great mechanical aptitude, unlike his brother, and a passion for motor sport. He is also someone who can drive for hours and not wear himself out racing other vehicles on the road. A perfect partner for me who doesn’t exactly share all of those attributes. Bob jumped at the opportunity to be a part of Targa. The Northwest Atlantic Motorsports – Targa Newfoundland Team was complete. With staffing in place, we turned our attention to preparations and logistics. The first official meeting of Northwest Atlantic Motorsports - Targa Newfoundland Team took place in Toronto on July 15th. We planned our attack on Targa Newfoundland, discussed responsibilities and Tim and I tried our best to prepare Yarko and Bob for their first encounter as service crew in the grueling weeklong endurance test. We left that meeting with a long “to-do” list and began preparing for our adventure. With less than two months until our first competitive stage, there was plenty of work for all of us.
Last Updated on Friday, 09 September 2011 15:32
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Bob Carmichael
Stan Carmichael
Yarko Matkiwsky
Tim Sanderson
Northwest Atlantic Targa Newfoundland 2011
