Cross-Canada trip

[MurrayPeterson]

Our first leg of our trip was at this past weekend's Montana Challenge weekend in Helena.  Saturday went fine (6th place for me, which is OK giiven that I was off-cam for almost the entire course).  Sunday, I let Jo run first, and then I lined up and launched -- "bang! thump, thump, thump..."  I know that sound from experience; a broken half-shaft

So, we are taking  some vacation time in Helena while Honda gets the part couriered in overnight.  Sadly, the OEM part is $1000 U.S., while aftermarket axles are $200.  Even more sad is our experience with the aftermarket units -- they break on the first run.  So, it's either spend the money or source a used OEM axle and delay our vacation by that much longer.  Since we need to be in Montreal for the Canadian nationals, our choice is clear -- just fork over the dough.

Helena has been fun today, with some nice wine and beer places, along with good Mexican food and margaritas.  So, it's all good!

Having a good time (even if because racecar), and still feeling chipper about our trip.

[nnywg]

 

[Reijo]

Have you registered with HPD?  You get a discount then ....

R

[Terry Johns]

Enjoy your trip 

[NickST]

Sounds like fun Murray! I bet the Montreal nationals are going to be a blast!

[MurrayPeterson]

Got the axle replaced in Helena and headed onwards last Wednesday.  We drove through a big heatwave on the way, and and made it to Toronto Saturday evening.   We made it in time to attend the second day of a regional autox in Barrie on Sunday.  I held up the Alberta side reasonably well -- 4th overall in PAX out of 86 drivers.

Doing touristy things in Toronto this week (and carefully avoiding the 401 freeway  ).  We will be driving to Blainville on Thursday for the Canadian Nationals.

[Reijo]

Well, good luck to the two of you at the Cdn. Nats!  And, please, keep us updated on your trip!   

[Reijo]

Murray and Jo are there, of course ... looks like 160 entries ... pretty good!

http://www.cac2016.ca/index.php/en/

[Stuart]

Good Luck Murray and Jo, the course design looks quite fun (last few pages of the Sup Regs)

[MurrayPeterson]

Mae it to Blainville -- they lost track of our hotel reservation.  A very nice manager squeezed us into a suite for the next 4 days so that was a big relief.

Tech ad test&tune tomorrow.  Mostly, I hope we dont die of heat prostration in this humidity; it makes 20 degrees feel like 30, and 30 degres is not to be described by polite people.

[majormojo]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-brgkkjnHc

[Reijo]

Mae it to Blainville -- they lost track of our hotel reservation.  A very nice manager squeezed us into a suite for the next 4 days so that was a big relief.

Tech ad test&tune tomorrow.  Mostly, I hope we dont die of heat prostration in this humidity; it makes 20 degrees feel like 30, and 30 degres is not to be described by polite people.

The worst heat I have experienced in my life was in Mississauga many years ago at my brother's wedding.  It was 32-33 C (I have experienced much hotter in Alberta and LA etc.) but the humidity is what killed me.  I did not know if I was sweating or the water was coming from the atmosphere.  It was absolutely horrible!

Good luck in Montreal!

Reijo

[MurrayPeterson]

Our weekend at the CAC event was fun, and not as hot as we feared.  Still hot and sweaty, but with the humidity out here, that's as good as it gets

The venue is amazing -- I have never seen a piece of asphalt this flat and smooth.  Lincoln has more surface undulations than this place.  The surface is smooth and I found it strangely slippery.  Our car wanted to oversteer at the slightest provocation -- I (and many others) fought all weekend to not loop the car.  Things got much better on day 2 when the surface got rubbered in nicely.

The event was well organized, and the courses were well designed, so everyone had a good time.  As expected, we brought an AP1 to an AP2 gunfight, so there was no hope of being close to the top.  There were three of us fighting hard for the last trophy spots, and we all ended up within a few hundredths of each other.  Good battle, although I came out on the losing side.

Video of the overall winner, day 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vT2RsRk8pEY

We are in Montreal now and enjoying old town's sights and food.

[Terry Johns]

Nice course

[MurrayPeterson]

Just finished an evening event in Moncton at their coliseum parking lot.  Huge venue, and about 20 competitors.  Managed to win 1st in PAX and (I think) 2nd RAW.

Off to Halifax tomorrow, and Newfoundland the week after.  Looks like we can catch a weekend event while in Newfoundland, out on a runway on Bell Island.  That will leave Nova Scotia as the only province in Canada in which we have not raced.