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Well:
They bring your mind into sharp relief. Into sharp focus.
In the mental version of PaintShop Pro or Photshop, it's like having the Contrast set to max suddenly.
Upon arrival, in the cold damp air, after 2 hours driving, the clock on your car just clicks over to 7am, and the 4th hour of being awake begins. The shivvering cold of losening the straps on the towed car, the numbing cold of the metal trailer as you push it out of the way. Years of experience tell you that, later today, this day, you'll not even remember parking it,where it is, or what it looks like. By then, the lengthy, adrenalin charged day will loosen your memory as you need to start tightening the straps of your rally car to the trailer. That's for later.....right now, the mental twitching has started.
Set up camp, your service area, the part of the concrete hard-standing that, through the day, will become home, a place to share stories of 4 mile stage-hell or 4 mile heaven. Tarp on the floor, jerry can under one corner, the guys in the next service bay's tent poles holding down two other corners, and an axle stand on the last. Park the car there...the beast....the beginning or end of your pleasure or pain. ....our Astra.
tea...warm sweet tea.... gulp it down, re pour.....and sip while you pull your brain together. Later, much later and yet only a few hours later, your brain will be onfire, alight.... but now....tea....tea.
Queue for Scrutineering....confidence builds as you see the cars in front being inspected, your eyes noting thing's you'd do differently on their cars.
5 minutes later and you're lifting off the bonnet of your own pride.... and your overalls, and helmet are inspected. And as you already knew....she's good...you're good.....good to go.
But even with that confidence...the relief is palpable. Measurabe. Spirits lift. Today could be ours.
Yup...today WILL be ours.
9am, sat in the car, helmet on, intercom set, door ajar, you can hear the first car, thunder and anger pouring forth, as the raw aggresion of engineering sets down the torque. Our turn soon...the queue stretch's out. That queue....love and hat that queue. Love and hate.
That first stage is hell. Slippery, hellish and something to discuss long after today. After only 2 miles I know we'll talk through this one for years. I know there is no grip.... I'm not driving.... but my body is getting no grief. There's no traction to batter me with. I'm moving around in slow motion. His arms aren't.
But by noon, glorious noon, the sun's up the concrete is dry, the grip is abundant, the confidence barely held in check, and the collar bone's ache. Man, they are bruised. You can't feel them on stage or even 10 minutes after. But in the queue for Time Control before the stage.....they ache. These puppies are gonna be sore on Sunday.
And they are.
But, seeded (slightly to highly seeded, I think at 5 am on the motorway...a tad too well ) 20th in the 1600 16v Astra 3door, with 142 bhp, and a lovely uber low ratio Quaiffe kit.... we finally finish 16th overall out of 66 starters, and 4th in a class of 13.
This car may have a very loose and wayward back end....and weigh massively more than a Saxo, 106 or 205.... but man she is stable on those long rough, aggresive and bumpy sections.
I know that...and so does every car we caught there. Over and over.
So what does 45 stage miles do to your brain and body?
Body: It just makes it ache a tad, especially around the harness areas. It makes it shake sometimes, and breathing is varied. Ad under heavy braking, suddenly your head goes giddy... but it's a drug. It's a drug.
Mind: It makes dreams wild.... because flat in 5th, and 7500 rpm is close to 110 mph in that car, and on broken concrete, with massive pot holes, a space slightly wider than an HGV, with trees one side and a steel gate and chicane coming up fast..... is something that doesnt wake you....it keeps you asleep....awaiting the next part of the dream
I'm gonna go re live it now
Originally Posted by Advice Trinity by Knoxville
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