Rally Nippon Day１
- AMAZONとクラシックイベント
- by suna
- 2010/11/06 土 22:17
１１月５日（金）秋晴れの「赤坂サカス」から「２０１０Rally Nippon」がスタートしました。本来は、午前１０時に１号車スタートの予定でしたが、１時間遅れて午前１１時からのスタートです。参加７０台が、大勢の観衆の声援に送られて、３０秒間隔で次々とスタート。「・１２２」ＡＭＡＺＯＮはゼッケン５２番でスタートランプを後にしました、赤坂溜池を経て、首都高の飯倉料金所から一路横浜へと向かいました。横浜の中華街でランチ・レストコントロールが４５分間与えられていたのですが、我々「・１２２」ＡＭＡＺＯＮは、コ・ドライバーのＯさんが、「超特大」肉まんを持参してくれたので、この４５分のレスコンをパスして、進行することにしました。これはレスコンを取らなくても、競技規則上問題ないことを判断、その後の渋滞や、予期せぬ出来事を懸念し、さらには、午後２ヶ所に設定されたパスコン（ＰＣ：線踏み）に早着し、その手前で時間調節、余裕を持って苦手な「線踏み」に臨もうという策略です。というわけで、元町、山手外人墓地と、横浜の名所を巡る午後のコースから、なんと、全７０台中、３番目に走行することとなりました。後から、聞いた話ですが、本来の５０番台の車が、国道一号線を通り、小田原、箱根の旧道を走る頃には、渋滞に巻き込まれたようで、我々の策略は、一応成功したようです。夕方行われた、御殿場の「ミツワ自動車研修センター」と、「山中湖きらら」での２回のＰＣ「線踏み」では、余裕を持って臨めたのですが、最初の「線踏み」は、タイマーのプッシュタイミング、２回目の「線踏み」は、ちょっとスピードコントロールに？？？でした。まだ、成績は発表されないので分かりませんが、ちょっと気になる走り出し、、、となってしまいました。しかし、午後のＰＣでは、競技役員の方から「昨年は、スタートして最初のリタイア。で、今年は、ひたすら、トップ集団を走るＡＭＡＺＯＮ、、、、どーなってるの？」と言われましたが、それはそれ、差し当たって、たった１台のＡＭＡＺＯＮの存在感は、アピール出来ているかな、、、と自己満足しながら、東京から約１８０Ｋｍを走り、エクシブ山中湖に到着しました。４日間１２００Ｋｍ余りの「RallyNippon」ですから、ほんの足慣らしです。とはいえ、午後７時からエクシブ山中湖のバンケットホールでは、フェアウェルパーティというか夕食会が行われ、流暢な関谷さん（そうです。ル・マン２４時間レース日本人初優勝者関谷正徳さんの奥様）の司会進行で、楽しく夕食が楽しめました。私たちのテーブルには、昨年の「RallyNippon」のコ・ドライバーで、今年は、ベントレー１９４３年式のハンドルを自ら握ることとなったＳ大先輩、そして、Ｓ大先輩の大学自動車部時代の仲間で、トライアンフＴＲ３（ル・マン仕様）のＡ先輩、トヨタ２０００ＧＴのＭ先生ご夫妻（お医者様）と、一年ぶりの再会となる「RallyNippon」仲間で、飲んで食べて、ラリー１日目の夜は更けて行きました。ラリー２日目は、午前７時にエクシブ山中湖をスタート、金沢へと向かいます。
On 5th Nov, 2010 Rally Nippon made its start out of Akasaka Saccus. The initial plan was for car no. 1 to start at 10.00h, but the start was delayed by one hour and we started off at 11.00h. 70 cars started off 30 seconds apart in front of a large crowd of onlookers. My .122 is car no.52 and we went off from Akasaka Tameike, on to Ikura IC and on to Yokohama. We were given a 45min lunch rest control at Yokohama but Mr. O, my co-driver had brought some huge meat dumplings with him so we decided not to stop for long. Given that there will be traffic jams and other unexpected things ahead, we pushed forward and try to get to the time control for the line time control. We went from Motomachi, Foreigners memorial and all the famous sites in Yokohama and found ourselves driving 3rd within the total of 70 cars. We heard later that due to heavy traffic conditions around the Highway 1 around Odawara & Hakone, most of the car after car no. 50 did not make it back in time and were given a penalty. So there we were in front of the 2 line time controls all ready for the task ahead. But the first one, we didn't get the mechanism running well and the 2nd time, my foot didn't hit the acelerator the way I intended. We have not seen the results but I am a bit worried. However, during one of the PCs, one of the officials looked pretty surprised to see my Amazon and told me that last year we retired right after the start and this year, the Amazon is looking pretty good so lets see. Anyway, after 180km of driving, we arrived at Yamanaka Lake. Since the rally will go after 1200km so this is just a warmup. At 7pm, we all sat down for dinner at the banquet hall. I sat down with Mr. S who was my co-driver last year, and Mr. A driving a Triumph TR3 and Dr & Mrs M driving a Toyota 2000GT. We will leave Yamanaka Lake at 7am ad head towards Kanazawa.
On 5th Nov, 2010 Rally Nippon made its start out of Akasaka Saccus. The initial plan was for car no. 1 to start at 10.00h, but the start was delayed by one hour and we started off at 11.00h. 70 cars started off 30 seconds apart in front of a large crowd of onlookers. My .122 is car no.52 and we went off from Akasaka Tameike, on to Ikura IC and on to Yokohama. We were given a 45min lunch rest control at Yokohama but Mr. O, my co-driver had brought some huge meat dumplings with him so we decided not to stop for long. Given that there will be traffic jams and other unexpected things ahead, we pushed forward and try to get to the time control for the line time control. We went from Motomachi, Foreigners memorial and all the famous sites in Yokohama and found ourselves driving 3rd within the total of 70 cars. We heard later that due to heavy traffic conditions around the Highway 1 around Odawara & Hakone, most of the car after car no. 50 did not make it back in time and were given a penalty. So there we were in front of the 2 line time controls all ready for the task ahead. But the first one, we didn't get the mechanism running well and the 2nd time, my foot didn't hit the acelerator the way I intended. We have not seen the results but I am a bit worried. However, during one of the PCs, one of the officials looked pretty surprised to see my Amazon and told me that last year we retired right after the start and this year, the Amazon is looking pretty good so lets see. Anyway, after 180km of driving, we arrived at Yamanaka Lake. Since the rally will go after 1200km so this is just a warmup. At 7pm, we all sat down for dinner at the banquet hall. I sat down with Mr. S who was my co-driver last year, and Mr. A driving a Triumph TR3 and Dr & Mrs M driving a Toyota 2000GT. We will leave Yamanaka Lake at 7am ad head towards Kanazawa.
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