The Winter Classic Rally, 1999
A Driver's Perspective
Queens Birthday Weekend
June 12 to 14, 1999

After hearing of the complimentary experience of those who participated in the 1998 event I figured that it was one of life=s experiences just going begging. If the Ballarat Light Car Club was game to stage a winter rally, I wanted to see first hand why the organisers were still allowed to venture into society without medication and straight jackets.

Greg Aimers and I had teamed up for Rally Tas and had a ball. However Greg had decided it was time for him to the 200SX a squirt (he holds an IOU from me on that account so I=ll have to navigate one day!!). So I cast about for a navigator. A neighbour thought the idea of hooning around Ballarat environs in winter so compelling that he entered and offered the navigators services of HIS navigator=s wife. I thought this rather generous of him and that the association may well last till lunch the first day. So thus Jamie Leach and I teamed up.

After navigation school on Friday night, Jamie still fronted to breakfast on the Saturday morning. We plotted the navigation when the day book was distributed at breakfast and determined that we should navigate to Victoria Park for the first stage. OK so far. Jamie observed that there were lots of trees in Victoria Park. AYep, that=s why it=s a Park and our job is not to hit any of them.@ With good directions and teamwork we made it thru and onto the first navigation stage. A real jolt to complacency that was. As difficult to navigate as anything on Day 3 of the event.

On to Camperdown, a you beaut autokhana in the saleyards, which I stuffed up on the last witches hat (red mist). It was then lunch in the local pub followed by a motorkhana in the side road to the main road - that Maser ain=t got a small turning circle! Then off to navigate our way back to Ballarat for a special test, followed by several reds, followed by dinner and several reds.

Now at this point I could give you the blow by blow account, but I=ll just recount the highlights as I remember them.

The Cut Hill closed road stage on Sunday (Day 2) was a beaut. Real turbo country. Near the end there is a tight right hairpin that is real hairy. Ask Jim and many others. Most memorable though is the video replay from the Lack=s. Steve thinks he=s on a rodeo. Phil=s not so sure. True colour of adrenalin really can be brown I=m convinced.

Most memorable on the afternoon of Day 2 (Sunday) to me was Chris Hall Awet as a shag@ apologising profusely for the delay in starting the post lunch event. BLCC was light on for officials at that event because many of their members were off competing in another event that day! ... And I might add the only delay of the event. An absolute insignificance compared to waiting around for Targa Tas events to start!

Day 3 some navigation requiring real diligence and intuition to the workings of that day=s Course Director (a crafty individual, if ever there was one!). Then to Broadford for a couple of hillclimbs and an acceleration/braking test. The off-camber turns of the hillclimb (run counter clockwise) can be interesting ... interesting and challenging! A fun circuit as I said after The 3 Peaks last. Real pity there were no timed clockwise laps. Love to see Jeff Beable and Peter Gazzard (especially) fight for stage honours on that one!

The BLCC run a fantastic event. It is worthy of the support of all who enjoy or aspire to enjoy a rally in the true spirit - run by car enthusiasts for car enthusiasts. A no-bull well run great value event that I will be back for next year God willing. And thanks to the BLCC for a really big commitment and job done to a standard of excellence.