The East Coast Targa is at risk of not going forward this year (or ever again) unless more entrants can be secured. So kiddies, as the outback safari may be postponed, ever considered doing one of the best friendly targas on the planet? Everone who has competed, whether in competition or touring class, has come away thoroughly wrapped in the organisation. They only need another 14 entrants by THIS Wednesday to secure the event. Should you be intersted in competing or would simply like more information, contact the East Coast Targa Team on 02 9436 4566 or [email protected] Their website is www.eastcoasttarga.com.au
I think it was; a driver of a 911 GT3. I can't remember if the driver had a heart attack which caused the accident, or had a heart attack as a result of the accident.
that was Doug Briese, he was supposed to take a Renault 5 Turbo 2 in it but it wasn't ready or something, so i think he drove his dad's GT3, far as i recall. http://ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?p=134523297#post134523297 http://www.cams.com.au/content.asp?PageID=Article&ObjectID=464 http://www.rallysportmag.com/cms/A_102987/article.html
He had the accident because the roads were so bumpy (if you saw the footage on tv you'd know what I mean) that the rear of his car left the road whilst in a corner. From that moment on, he was a passenger. He died later of a heart attack, IIRC. Rallies for road cars have no place on bumpy roads like that. Mind you, his car was sprung quite hard. Every time I drive through a corner fast and there's a bump in the middle (as happened to me on Sunday) that whole image springs to mind. Very unnerving.
If the road were to blame, then everyone that used it would have been killed. It driver and navigator experience and communication, followed by car set up that matters most. This is a great event and it would be a shame if it died out.
My hats off to all who have the courage to rally, but personally believe the risk of a serious accident is too high.
Only within the confines of a race circuit. I have come off the bike multiple times at 200kmh+ and only suffered sprains and bruising. My one accident on the street at less than 60kmh resulted in a 3 month stint at the TAC rehab centre and around 6 months in a wheel chair.
Well, I don't really agree. A rally encourages driving fast on roads that probably aren't suitable. Just because nobody MADE then drive at that speed at that spot doesn't absolve them, as far as I'm concerned.
even some tracks are unsuitable, Darlington Raceway eg is damn dangerous because if you lose it in the wrong place you will end up in the trees !!
That's arguable as always, but Calder has huge bumps at the end of it's straight, as does Willowbank, Mallala and a few others....., and the smoothest track in Australia is also the scene of the most recent driver fatality I think. Preparing cars suspension for a road rally is a lot different than for circuit racing, but unfortunately, not enough people seek/get the right advice. You can't hang accidents on the track surface unless everyone has the same problem.... It's dealing with it properly that is important. The East Coast Targa is one of the few great Aussie road rallies, and it should be supported wherever possible.
I was there on the day of the accident, competing with a friend in the touring class. Here's what happened - the road was bumpy, but was marked as such in the notes and there were warning signs up to 200m in advance of this section - The GT3 was one of the front running cars and was charging hard for an outright result. Observers and the footage showed that the GT3 came into the bumpy section at full race pace - the crash happened due to loss of control over the bumps - the car ended up on its roof with the drivers side caved in, pushing the drivers head hard down onto his chest, which induced a heart attack due to an inability to breathe (aparently this is common in car accidents according to my ambo brother in-law) So it was a very unfortunate event. I competed at Targa Tas in 2004 and saw 4xGT3's identical to this one absolutely write themselves off, all of which ended up with a night of observation in hospital for the crew and no serious injuries. I would definitely not have any safety concerns about competing in East Coast Targa (apart from those with any other tarmac rally). If you can possibly enter, then its worth it
Welcome! Thanks for the info. I don't think I would (personally) compete in a road rally unless it was in the touring class. I don't think I could handle the pressure of full competition. Track days and road rallies (touring class) are probably going to be more my thing, although the thought of competing in Formula Ford is EXTREMELY tempting!
Matt I think you have missed the point, atleast from my perspective. The issue is that tarmac rallies are a concern, not the East Coast Targa specifcally. I have the utmost respect for rally drivers generally, believing them to have the best driving skills ofallthe motorsports. I also think they are stark raving mad, doing what they do! Maybe someone like AHG can add their 2c here.
I too drove in the 2004 event and it was well run and in *any* such event where you don't do it for a living you can drive as hard as you like up to any reasonable point and be "competitive". Anything past that and the risk factor goes exponentially high. I ran our GPS based car tracking and targa timing software during the event and replaying our logs with colour coded speed trace showed us do a BIG slow down on that stage the day (was run in the reverse direction) before the crash section. Why? Simply because of the narrow nasty bridge and inability to sight through with 101% confidence. We were carrying plenty of speed up to braking point, went through nice and safely for just the couple of seconds it takes and put the boot into the STi right on the bridge exit. btw: our times on that stage were within 1-2 sec of target of nearly 11km of twisty bumpy roads further vindicating our "competitiveness", having fun, but not overcooking it and the system allowed us to hit it hard, back off when judgement said so and use map display to look up ahead and time display with +/- km/h readout to know *exactly* where and when to push - and to come home! We thoroughly enjoyed the event and were prepared to do again except for big price hike in 2005 which had it's good reasons but unfortunate impact and my partner and I have volunteered opinions on cost and stage cutting as well as logistical and other practical assistance for 2006. Alex. www.findmap.com.au
Stephen, I wasn't trying to address your point, just putting the facts of the day on the table. I actually agree with you that the potential for harm is greater in a tarmac rally than on the circuit (I've raced both, with consistent top 5 outright targa tas stage times, and NSW state level round wins). But that's really where the challenge is in a rally, you have to increase your safety margin to prepare for the greater unknowns. It is very easy to push harder in a rally (maybe to circuit speeds) and then get caught out badly with a piece of dodgy road, even if you expected it. I guess that's why the 4wd rally specials are so good for tarmac rallys, in that even if they are not quite as fast potentially as a 2wd track special, the safety margin is far greater, letting you push harder for less risk. Ultimately that's why I sold my Exige. It was fast enough for a top 10 outright result, and fun enough, but I was having to take bigger risks with both safety and reliability at that pace, which led me to look at more appropriate options (which I haven't found yet Phil, though I definitely will by the end of the year).
I have raced at State level, and competed in several tarmac rallies: 1. Tarmac rallies are much more dangerous, for if things go wrong, your safety margin is often very restricted. There can often be unexpected oil or fuel spills on the roads, gravel, cow dung, moss, black ice, etc. This year in Targa Tas we even had snow! There are no flaggies to warn you, you have to read the road conditions very accurarately, and have a competent co-driver reading the pace notes. 2. If you do make a mistake, you can easily hit a rock wall, fall down the side of a mountain or hit a tree etc. 3. As the challenges are greater, you receive a lot of satisfaction in successfully competing and finishing these events. Targa Tas goes on for 5.5 days, so any lapse in your concentration level over this extended period often has disastrous results. 4. I knew Doug Briese, and attended his funeral. May he rest in peace.
