Rally Nipponに向けて「線踏み」特訓開始
- AMAZONとクラシックイベント
- by suna
- 2010/09/20 月 17:20
３連休の最後の一日、「・１２２」ＡＭＡＺＯＮと私は、早朝のベイブリッジを渡り、横浜・”みなとみらい”に向かいました。そこで、合流したのは、ランチア・イプシロンでやってきた元ＣＧのＴさんと、今年の「Rally Nippon」でコンビを組むことになった123GTオーナーのＯさん。１１月５日（金）から８日（月）まで４日間、１０００Ｋｍにわたって行われる「Rally Nippon」を前に、勝敗の肝となる「線踏み」の特訓をしようというわけです。元ＣＧのＴさんは、本場ヨーロッパの名だたるクラシックカーラリーを参戦してきた歴戦の猛者。もちろん、イタリアの「Mile Miglia」にも参加しています。私が、ＷＲＣで世界各国を転戦している時からの取材仲間で、「よし、特訓をやろう、、、」ということになった次第。日本のクラシックカーラリーでは、ほとんどが、駐車場などの広場で、「３０ｍを７秒」とか「１５ｍを６秒」、あるいは、「１５ｍを６秒、そのまま続けて２０ｍを６秒」などの指示が出て、前輪がラインを通過するタイムが１００分の１秒まで計測されて、その誤差により順位が決まります。なにしろ１００分の１秒ですから、コンビを組むコ・ドライバーとの「イキ」が、ピタリと合わないと、あっという間にすぐに１秒単位の誤差となり、今のクラシックカーラリーでは、１秒の誤差は、勝負になりません。我々は、Ｏさんがイタリアから入手した、連続カウントダウンが可能なクラシックカーラリー用デジタルタイマーを使用するのですが、「５、４、３、２、１、ゼロ」の「ゼ」でラインを踏むか「ロ」でラインを踏むかで１秒はラクに狂ってしまいます。ということで、「特訓」となったのですが、”みなとみらい”は、１１月のＡＰＥＣの警備で、どこも警察官ばかり、、、。仕方ないので、「秘密の埠頭」へ行ったところ、長い直線道路は、まったく通行車両無し、、、。持参したパイロンと白線ロープで計測ラインを複数設定して、早朝から、午前中一杯、、、汗だくで特訓を繰り返しました。めまいがするほどの暑さの中、特訓の成果が現れ、ほぼ、１００分の１秒までピタリと合わせることが出来たところで、Ｔさんと、Ｏさんいわく「ピタリと合った感触が大事。これで続けて、また狂うより、これでやめて、この感触をインプットして保持すべき、、、」との哲学的指南で、「じゃ、中華街でお昼、、、」となりました。１１月までには、まだ日にちがあるので、機会があれば、もう少し練習をしたいところです。
On the last day of the three day weekend, my .122 and myself went over the Yokohama Bay Bridge towards Minato Mirai. I met up with Mr. T formerly of CG magazine and .123GT owner Mr. O who will be my navigator this year during the Rally Nippon. The rally itself will be held over 1000km from the 5th ov Nov to the 8th, but the deciding factor for the rally will be the "line crossing" challenges so we had gathered to practice for this rather unique time control competition. Mr. T has experience in the European classic car rallies including the Mile Miglia. I have known him since my days of traveling around the world following the WRC circuit and one day, we decided that we will hold a classic rally training session. The classic car rallies in Japan generally time you in a parking space type open space where you are asked to do 30m in 7sec, 15m in 6sec, or 15m in 6sec followed by 20m in 6sec. The time is recorded up to .001 sec at the time when the front tire passes of the "line" and the placement of the rally is decided by who was closest to the instructed time. As you can see, this is a competition where .001 counts so if you are not really aligned with your navigator, 1 mere second can quickly pass. Mr. O is the proud owner of a Italian digital timer which can count down on consecutive distances, but the difference of whether you go over the line on the breathe of "ze" or "ro" when counting down "5-4-3-2-1-0" can make a difference of almost 1 second. And so we had gathered for the challenge, but Minato Mirai was teeming with police due to the APEC meeting scheduled in Nov. Thus, we made our way to a "secret" wharf where we found an ideal straight road. We laid down our pylons and rope early in the morning and spent the entire morning practicing. The temperatures in an Amazon which has no AC was sweltering but we somehow managed to get ourselves down to the 1/100 second. Both Mr. O and Mr. T said that it was important to keep the feeling of getting it right down to the 1/100 so we decided to stop at this point. Then off we went to Yokohama China Town for lunch. There is still a bit more time before the rally starts, so I am hoping I can get a bit more practice time in.
On the last day of the three day weekend, my .122 and myself went over the Yokohama Bay Bridge towards Minato Mirai. I met up with Mr. T formerly of CG magazine and .123GT owner Mr. O who will be my navigator this year during the Rally Nippon. The rally itself will be held over 1000km from the 5th ov Nov to the 8th, but the deciding factor for the rally will be the "line crossing" challenges so we had gathered to practice for this rather unique time control competition. Mr. T has experience in the European classic car rallies including the Mile Miglia. I have known him since my days of traveling around the world following the WRC circuit and one day, we decided that we will hold a classic rally training session. The classic car rallies in Japan generally time you in a parking space type open space where you are asked to do 30m in 7sec, 15m in 6sec, or 15m in 6sec followed by 20m in 6sec. The time is recorded up to .001 sec at the time when the front tire passes of the "line" and the placement of the rally is decided by who was closest to the instructed time. As you can see, this is a competition where .001 counts so if you are not really aligned with your navigator, 1 mere second can quickly pass. Mr. O is the proud owner of a Italian digital timer which can count down on consecutive distances, but the difference of whether you go over the line on the breathe of "ze" or "ro" when counting down "5-4-3-2-1-0" can make a difference of almost 1 second. And so we had gathered for the challenge, but Minato Mirai was teeming with police due to the APEC meeting scheduled in Nov. Thus, we made our way to a "secret" wharf where we found an ideal straight road. We laid down our pylons and rope early in the morning and spent the entire morning practicing. The temperatures in an Amazon which has no AC was sweltering but we somehow managed to get ourselves down to the 1/100 second. Both Mr. O and Mr. T said that it was important to keep the feeling of getting it right down to the 1/100 so we decided to stop at this point. Then off we went to Yokohama China Town for lunch. There is still a bit more time before the rally starts, so I am hoping I can get a bit more practice time in.
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