Anyone into/compete in classic tarmac rallies?

People have tried to convince me to do this sport but I hate trees and rocks and walls and cliffs - I prefer run-off, kitty litter and maybe tyrewalls!


This a video of a terrifying (but ultimately non-tragic) crash at the recent Targa Wrestpoint rally.

Yes, this lovely Ford Capri Perana was the second one to make the same mistake.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=PFZGQhbnMiE

And check out the navigator/co-driver calmly closing up his paperwork as the car settles in its predicament.

IIRC, John Prater totaled an MGB race car on a hill climb. I'm with you, I make enough mistakes to require runoff.

Hillclimbs are about as close as it gets in the US, and because the danger and public roads needed for these events, they are dying off quickly.

John that same hillclimb Prater wrecked his MGB, the "Cool Shirt" guy got killed driving in that event.

We've got a new hillclimb in these neck of the wood, on a side road near the Dragon, right now the local community, Robbinsville is all behind us, even repaving the road for us, but I fiquire we're only good bad accident away from seeing this event go away.

The main problem I see with sort of event is, it take more skill than it does on the track and more safety, and neither are required to give them a try, it's a recipe for diaster.

This is the kind of event I have on my bucket list. I'm really interested in the Targa Newfoundland.
Entry is $6,000 and I would love to drive it in the Classic division. Where did I put that spare six grand?

Oh and the 30 to 40K to build the car, get it to Newfoundland provide for the crew, spares, etc. I guess I'll have to wait until I win the lottery. In the meantime I'll just have to live vicariously.

Is it just me, or is the exhaust on the upside down car still hot enough that it causes a big steam cloud when it gets covered in water by that crash? Dramatic crash- glad they came out alright.

This was the story as it was reported in the local press:

Targa Wrest Point Rally driver George Miedecke survives 130km/h cliff plunge into Huon River

Adrian Ballantyne
News Limited newspapers
February 08, 2012

A YOUNG racing driver was more than a little lucky to survive after he lost control of his father's racing car, plunged it off a cliff and landed in the sea off Tasmania.

George Miedecke was racing in the Targa Wrest Point rally when he overcooked a corner in the classic 1970 Ford Capri Perana, left the road and drove off a cliff at about 130km/h.

Adding to the danger, Miedecke landed almost on top of another car that had earlier crashed and flipped at the exact same point.

Miedecke, also a Nascar driver in the US, later admitted he had been loaned the car by his father Andrew, a local racing legend who was forced to withdraw from the event because of a back injury.

Fellow competitors Ralph Norton and navigator Alex Norton also walked away virtually unscathed after they crashed shortly before Miedecke's frightening moment.

Driver reckons the "Corner tightened up" and that's why he lost it ... French have a word for it ... Imbecile 8-)

I did the Targa Newfoundland in 2007 and 2008 with a friend in an Austin-Healey 100 which was specially prepared for the rallye. It was an awesome event--abut seven or eight timed "Targa" sections each day on very challenging sections of public roads that were closed for the event and though the targeted average speeds were seldom in excess 105 kph it was difficult to attain them though we did "clean" many of the sections.

The Targa sections are linked together by long transits at highway speeds from one to the next. Our days usually began at around 7:00 AM and finished about 12 hours later, when it was time to hit the next day's guidebooks for a couple of hours. This was anything but a drive in the country--The event took place over four days and it tested both men and machines.

I don't think I would do one of these again and push my luck any further-in almost all cases the Targa sections are on narrow, bumpy secondary or tertiary roads which are lined with trees and ditches filled with rocks (that's how they clear the fields) and an off-road incident while at speed can easily result in severe damage or injury or both. Because the competitive sections are mostly run in isolated areas access to medical care would be a lot less than immediate!

We won our class in 2007 but incurred some penalties in 2008 due to suspension damage as a result of several hard landings. It was great fun but I'll stick to vintage racing, thanks!