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Last Ditch Racing: November 2003 Archives

11.30.2003

Having finished the 2002 RIQ in dead last place in our Honda CRX rally car, I wanted to see what it would be like to tackle the event in our updated 2.5L Subaru Impreza all wheel drive car.

Having put in a fair performance at the 2002 Maine Forest Winter Club Rally in early December, and then having some winter instruction at Team O’Neil in New Hampshire, we felt we were ready.

We attended Team O’Neil as a team(driver/co-driver) as we had asked Tim for instruction so would could better make pace notes. Tim obliged and asked Marc Goldfarb, an accomplished and experienced co-driver, to instruct us as well.

We wanted some more experience on how to perform recce and make our notes as RIQ 2003 would be our first opportunity to do so. The driving experience for me in the snow was humiliating and humbling, but that was good. The pace noting experience was invaluable.

There was one day of recce, and we were advised that teams could run each stage twice. We were up earlier than needed after a good night’s rest. Some of the stages were nearly closed due to recent snow and many recce vehicles got stuck. We performed recce in co-driver Dave Getchell’s Subaru Impreza RS, affectionately named, “Nigel.”

We completed the day and felt good about out notes. We felt they were consistent across all stages, and we had both come to a common language to use when describing the stage to each other.

11.25.2003

Multiple and 2003 Canadian Rally Champion Tom McGeer didn't make the podium at the Rally of The Tall Pines in Bancroft, Ontario this past weekend, so why did he drive out of Bancroft with a smile on his face?!

McGeer was the recipient of the Last Ditch Racing/Triple Caution Thong award, that's why! The award has been presented by the Last Ditch Racing team in each event they've competed in 2003. Criteria for winning the thong changes each event, with the winner at Bancroft the team who finished in spite of sustaining the most damage during the rally.

11.24.2003

Last Ditch Racing found the first ditch at the 2003 edition of the Rally of the Tall Pines in Bancroft, Ontario, claiming the dubious honor of being the first DNF at the rally this year. This is the team's first DNF of the 2003 season.

Driver/owner John Cassidy and Co-driver Dave Getchell had several successful shakedown runs on Friday prior to taking the start on Saturday. Said Cassidy, "The car was awesome-the recent improvements were made were significant and the feeling in the car was very good."

11.23.2003

Triple Caution, Inc., the New England distributor for MOTUL lubricants and Last Ditch Racing are teaming up once again to present the, "Last Ditch Racing/Triple Caution Thong Award," at the Rally Of The Tall Pines in Bancroft Ontario Nov. 21-22, 2003.

The Thong will be awarded to the team who slips and slides there rally car across the finish after suffering and overcoming the most damage. One Thong will be awarded across the entire National and Regional field. As usual, the judging is totally subjective, and the decision of the Last Ditch Racing Team is final.

11.13.2003

Maine based Pro Rally team Last Ditch Racing heads North to Canada to compete in the Rally Of The Tall Pines, November 21-22.

As noted on the event website, "Dirt, snow and ice routinely mix together on the roads to provide a supreme test of driving skill. As the final event of the Canadian Rally Championship, the Rally of the Tall Pines also features tight year-end battles which make for hard driving and great spectating." Attended by more than 8,000 fans in 2002, the event is the last in the 2003 Canadian Rally Championship.