Lets see some Subies out on Saturday - Reda On --- Keep those Hakkas on the bottom and those Flamethrowers on the front and get yourselves back down to Goodhue County for another great night on some of the best gravel in the area. The Ides of March Rally Saturday, March 11th, 2006 Registration: 4:00 - 4:45pm - Godfather’s Pizza, Pottery Place, Old West Main St., Red Wing, MN. First Car Out: 5:01pm. Cost: $20.00/car. Ends at: The Bierstube just across the parking lot from Godfather’s. Trophies: to top teams in Equipped, non-Equipped Experienced, non-Equipped Novice, plus the ever popular 2 bottles of Rogue Dead Guy Ale to the Dead Last But Finished Team. The format is the usual tulip style instructions run from out marker to out marker – checkpoints are NOT shown on the instructions, but they are out there! The roads are the quality gravel roads of southern and western Goodhue County and the pace will be brisk. Quality winter tires at all four corners are highly recommended; expect mud and ice! The rally is open to teams of all levels of experience. To assist the Rallymaster please RSVP by Thursday, March 9th – the rally is open to 15 teams, max. To RSVP – or for questions – please contact the Rallymaster, Dean Nelson, at [email protected], 651-636-3771 (h) or 612-865-7118 (w). Sponsored by the Stella del Nord Chapter of the Alfa Romeo Owners Club, most of whom now drive Subarus and Audis in the winter, with assistance from the Minnesota Saab Club, who sometimes have been know to drive Saabarus. Thanks, and see ya on the 11th! Dean Nelson and Ed Solstad
I presume that it would be possible to come out and watch and take video. The main problem would be that normally the rallymaster hasn't planned for anyone wanting to do that and therefore hasn't prepared maps and/or instructions to possible viewing areas. One possible way to take in part of the action would be to go out with a checkpoint crew. Bear in mind that this is not performance rally. Cars are not going for minimum leg time and have street exhausts and lighting so unless you're at a really twisty section, they're not going to be that exciting to watch. On the other hand, maintaining the prescribed average speed over these same twisty sections can be a challenge for the driver. For watching appeal, I find the summer paved TSD's to be considerably more interesting than a night gravel TSD in that they attract a good variety of interesting older sports cars. When was the last time you saw a 52 Jaguar roadster being driving fast up a twisty hill on a township road in the Wisconsin coulee country? They also tend to attract a larger number of vehicles which again gives you much more in the line of great viewing. Ciao, Ed Solstad Rallyczar '99 2.5 RS + a variety of Alfa's
Just a warning, I've had food poisoning TWO DIFFERENT TIMES from that Godfather’s Pizza™. This is just a heads-up.
For those that are looking for food beforehand, I would recommend the Smokey Row Cafe just downstream at 1926 Old W. Main. They close at 3:30, so get there a bit early. The rally ends up at the Bierstube which has better food and better beer. Personally I've not heard of anyone else having problems at Godfather's but I've not eaten there since last year. The question begging to be asked by the curious is, if you got food poisoning there once, what in the world caused you to go back? Ciao, Rallyczar '99 2.5RS, '04 2.5RS a variety of Alfas (related to Subaru before the GM/Fiat divorce) several direlect Goliaths (sort of a Subie forerunner w/flat 4 & front wheel drive) '64 Renault Dauphine masquerading as a Dauphine Alfa Romeo (see above connection)
