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View Full Version : My first Time-Speed-Distance rally



a_d_a_m
02-05-2011, 10:32 PM
Cross-posted on CVN, but hey...here goes.

Some folks from ClevelandRacing.com organized the Iceball440, a time-speed-distance rally (http://www.contrib.andrew.cmu.edu/%7Emoose/tutorial.html) held in the 440 area code, specifically Cleveland's east side. After reading the tutorial I found online (linked above), I figured I would probably be lousy at this, so I enlisted the help of someone who had absolutely no road racing experience, CVN member maxknox (also known as my best friend Andy).

The way TSD rallying works, in a nutshell, is that they give you a bunch of directions, but only some of them are street names. I.E. some of the directions just say "turn left at the 2nd intersection" or "repeat step #48". Some of the street names are trivia questions, like "Turn left on [Christmas Vacation Family] Road" (the answer is Griswold Road). The whole goal is to complete each segment of the rally in the target mileage and time (or as close as you can).

Anyway, the rally took us just shy of 120 miles over the course of 3.5hrs. Or, at least it was supposed to.

Unfortunately but hilariously, we ended up winning the Leadfoot award for finishing the course 23 minutes faster than we were supposed to, despite going 2 miles too far over the course of the course). This included getting lost for 5 miles, and stopping to get 2 gallons of gas because the Magnum was really thirsty and I didn't fill the tank allllll the way before I left. Even with the extra stop and getting lost, we finished faster than everyone else. Had I known, I probably wouldn't have driven as hard as I did. But we got a $25 Shell gift card which covered my $10 entry fee and some of the gas I burned through.


Anyway, yeah...we got to the last checkpoint/finish line before the checkpoint attendant even got there. So I snapped this picture...
http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs885.ash1/179300_576384898271_39003984_3 3144044_5952514_n.jpg


Here are the results...
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f398/addzradd/iceball400finalscore.jpg

And here is Team FauxSHO describing a scene on segment #1, where we were terribly lost and I was trying to get back on track. I might have been driving a little "spirited"...

next time I need to bring my GoPro so I can catch streaks of Hemi wagons flying through intersections...I remember thinking "Jesus, that guy is hauling ass! OH ****, THATS THE MAGNUM!!! I HAVE TO CATCH HIM!" By the time I turned left, you guys were already up the hill and gone! Never underestimate the sense of security you get from driving an awd vehicle I suppose, HAHAHAHA It looked cool as hell flying through the intersection.

One of the checkpoint operators snuck this picture of the Magnum and just posted it on ClevelandRacing.com...
http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs900.ash1/180874_576818514301_39003984_3 3152212_4305406_n.jpg

Annnnd a couple more that were just posted:
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f398/addzradd/HPIM2226.jpg

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f398/addzradd/HPIM2228.jpg

The car had just been washed prior to the start of the race.


If you get the chance to do a TSD rally...DO IT. It's a blast.

guspech750
02-05-2011, 10:36 PM
That sounds like so much fun. Great job.

Mr. Man
02-05-2011, 10:55 PM
Back in the day they used to actually put numbers on the cars. My dad and his buddy have shelves full of trophies from the 60's and 70's when they used to run TSD's. He ran expert and had all sorts of pre-computer stuff to figure out how fast or slow they were supposed to go. Back then most drivers used foreign cars (European mostly). It was rare for some one to show up in an American car or Japanese for that matter.

I ran a fun-run back in the late 80's and placed 3rd novice which I thought was pretty good for a first time out. We each won a turkey TV dinner, as the rally was called Young Toms Turkey Trot.

Congratulations on your finish, as any finish is better than a DNF, and you avoided the SOP trophy:)

a_d_a_m
02-05-2011, 11:18 PM
I consider it a 3rd place. 3/7 doesn't sound that great, but like I said...coming out $15 ahead is a win in my book!