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With most of the teething problems dealt with, Friday went a lot smoother for me. I spent Friday night as the Post Chief of the Parc Ferme in control.
What that basically means is, I sign the drivers in when they go through a time control, in this case the last one for evening. Parc Ferme, is the security lockdown area. The cars are taken into this compound and the crew are escorted away from their vehicles. Parc Ferme is one of the more restricted areas during an event.
I was planning on blogging last night when I got home making two entries for that day, but I may have been distracted talking to Cheri on IRC instead
I don’t know what it is like in other parts of the world, but here in Perth we have this rather strange fixation on having Fireworks at major events.
They shoot these projectiles at the sky and form pretty lights beautifully choreographed to some soundtrack or another
Apparently!
Lately my thinking has been that they fire up some of those big chrysanthemum crackers, have a run of lower level ones, then some more chrysanthemum then some glittery sparkley ones, then a mix of both, culminating in a massive explosion of light and gunpowder (or what ever the hell it is they use in those things these days)… and they really don’t choreograph a thing, just let peoples brains put the explosions in time to whatever piece of music they are playing
One day I should test this theory by taping a fireworks show, and re-dubbing it, but I digress…
So they have fireworks at every major event. Its a round of the world rally championship… well theres three nights of skyward pyrotechnics. Oh, Royal Agricultural Show next month… Thats good for EIGHT nights, then we will have New Years Eve, and Australia day, and what ever else.
I’m starting to find it a bit ordinary.
I spent most of Saturday down at the Jarrahdale service park. 12 hours, in fact.
My duty for today was Post Chief of the Service Out time control, no different to last nights job. I did get to finish earlier though and took that opportunity to race back upto Perth to see some racing.
As most of what I do is behind scenes stuff, I really don’t get to see much action, so when I realised that I didn’t have to work in the evening, I took the chance to head back to Gloucester Park which I did in only 45 minutes. Thats another bonus with the single service park, no insanely long trips to places like York, Bunbury or Collie as Jarrahdale is just outside the urban sprawl.
I went to the general viewing area but it was too crowded, so using a little bit of local knowledge (and my access pass) I went to a really good location close to the track.
I’d almost forgotten what an adrenalin rush it all is
Highlights – Watching the big guns like McRae, Solberg, Sainz and Mäkinen and Burns.
Lowlights – One of my favorite drivers, Ed Ordinski hit a rut on the Super Special Stage at Gloucester and rolled his car. Both he and co-driver Iain Stewart are Ok, I saw them later on with the CRO[?] and they were both fine. It is a real pity though as they are both well liked and respected crew, always pleasant, always cheerful.
Up until that point they were winning the Group N catagory.
I elected NOT to stay for the fireworks.
