First I want to apologize, but also not, for not telling the binghamton crew I was around. I'm sorry I didn't tell you I was going to be in the area, but you really didn't want to be at the race this weekend.

I got a phone call from my friend Orhan in Turkey the other day telling me his old rally team would be racing in Rally NY down in Narrowsburg. Said if I go down, and find Osman, Team Lassa would take care of me for the weekend.

That was all I needed to hear, I threw some **** in the car and started driving. And continued driving. Holy crap I forgot how far is was from Burlington. I put on 7hrs to get to the rally.

Roll in, and right off the bat I see their car, but they're getting set to run a stage. No big deal, I'll just find out where that stage is being run, and meet them at the end.

I maneuvered the 4000 around the spectator admissions line, skipped the entry fee, and parked. Asked a marshal if he had an extra course map, and he wanted to know why. I told him so I could meet the team at the end. No dice, and WTF. Apparently there was only ONE spectator area for the afternoon, about a hundred yards past the start of one of the stages, and pretty much on a straight. How. *******. Exciting.
Then learned that these poor bastards I was standing there eating dust with had PAID FIF-TEEN DOLLARS to stand there. My God, what a ripoff.

Sat around forever waiting for the cars to roll back in. Think I got there around noon, saw 3 cars start that stage, and didn't see a car again until 2pm. Just before they came back, I did find Osman, so he took me down to the end of the stage to double check the time for that stage. My day started to turn around right there. I don't know how many of you have any active interest in Rally racing. I'm gonna guess that if you do, unless you're a photographer, you're probably not getting the very best seats in the house.
I didn't get my camera out in time, I was kind of in awe of what I was seeing and sorta just stood there for a minute anyway, but what I saw was the Lassa car go from all out throttle, to all brake, car sliding from side to side (all gravel rally), finally coming to a stop about 2 feet from me. Thats as close as I'm gonna get to those crazy rally vids from the Group B days where its like the crowd splits just enough for this car going 80mph, sideways, to pass thru. --And I got to watch almost every stage for the rest of the afternoon in the same format.

So, moving along, at the start of the second to last stage, the Turks have about a 1min, 12sec lead on the second place guys... ****** irish... I wanna kick them in the blarney stones... but I'll get to that...
Anyway, big lead on the next car,which is impressive in that its a slightly modified STI they're using, and the ******* irish have a fully built Evo. Heavily worked engine, sequential shift gearbox, etc... and they're getting spanked. Well, spanked by Volkan Isik. (and if you read the linked article, its a Subaru he drove today, not an Evo).
So, we're in pretty good spirits, looks like they're gonna pwn everybody, which is good, because it'll put their name out there in the US scene... if there really is a US scene, and also help promote Lassa (they make tires, and want to bring their race tires to the US).
Well, last 2 stages are run, no problems, kick ***. Then the rest of the cars come in, and theres cameras going off like crazy, and the Turks are telling me when they do the champagne shower and a big group photo, I need to be in it, because hell, I drove 7 hrs for this. So, we wait for the champagne.. and wait.. and wait.. and WTF.
Well, apparently, the irish requested an inquest, because they got 2nd, and they're little bitches. They claim they have video that a non-sanctioned/civilian/what every you'd like to call it- car helped the lassa car change a tire early in the day. FIA rules say that driver/co-driver can't use any tools outside of what they have in the car.
Well, in truth, a couple of the Lassa guys WERE in a car, and happened to stop next to the rally car, which was changing a tire in a transit stage. They stop and talk to the rally car at the end of every stage, I just mentioned a second ago how we were standing there at the end of the stage as the car came sliding in.
Inquest over, right? Wrong. Although it was bullshit that they helped change a tire, apparently, somewhere in the rules it states that a non-racing car can't get within a Km of their rally car during a stage. (think I got that right, by this point all of the Turks were pretty irate, and pretty much quit speaking English, so I was kinda left in the dark)

They got a 45 minute penalty for that.

But we (yeah, I'll include myself in the team, I have 3 pit shirts now), didn't say anything when the inquest invoking team broke the rules that morning. Its Rally NY for crissakes, not WRC.

Anyway, after a lot more bitching at officials for how poorly they run that show, and how crappy their judgment is, we all stormed out, calling it a night.

So, after getting a couple compliments on the 4000 by the team boss earlier in the day (no ****), he asked me to give him and the co-driver a ride back to their hotel, which I did, received my pit shirts, and started the 2hr drive back to my parents, where I sit and type this. But just because I said goodbye doesn't mean my fun was done.

I got pulled over. For a blown headlight. And I was issued a fix-it ticket. Well, could be worse, no fine, just get it fixed, and he even gave me a week to do it. So back on the road! Drove into the next town about 10 minutes down the road and... ****.... I got pulled over.
License, registration, and the ticket I just got, because I know you just stopped me for the headlight. Yep, but he gives me a little **** for telling him I just got hit for the headlight. Whatev. I'm already ticketed, so he just tells me to be safe. So, back on the roa... are you ******* shitting me? I didn't make it 2 minutes. NO joke, not 2 minutes, and a cop has his lights on again. I pull over, he pulls behind me, but then kicks his lights off, and pulls up next to me. "Sorry! Didn't realize my partner just got you." "yeah, great" I responded. I still have an hr to drive, how many more times am I gonna have to do this. Well, I got lucky, because its getting late, and towns start to thin out once you get too far off the main routes around the state. No more cops, no deer, and I didn't fall asleep and hit a guard rail, so I guess maybe it was a decent day.

 

Sounds like quite a day! I was friends with quite a few Turks in college, so I can relate to how mad they get sometimes lol. Sucks about the fix-it ticket, don't you have to go back to the county where it was issued to prove you fixed whatever the ticket was for?

 

I told the cop I was heading back to VT, he said just take it to any shop, they'll fill out the back of the ticket, and I should be set.

So, if you had Turk friends in school, did you get to eat Turkish food much? I had forgot how much I like their food, and then they invited me to sit down for lunch. I was hoping to spot a box of Turkish Delights floating around somewhere for dessert, but no luck there. Oh well, I've been planning to go to Turkey for a few weeks, and I think it'll actually happen next summer. Osman gave me his business card, said to look him up, he's got a car I can play around with while I'm there.

 

What a crazy story.

Anyway, Turkish food sounds good although I never had them before. Maybe there are some Turkish restaurants around here that I can try.

And I have also met several Turkish women. They are very good looking.

 

I was TDY in Cakmakli (well, a nuke missile site, "near" Cak, anyway) back in the very late 80's. Turkish food is awesome. Lamb and rice. Stuffed grape leaves. Lamb w/dates. Brings back memories...

Good rally story, too! Wish I cudda went with you.

 

Even though you are pissed about how the day panned out....

....you have a pretty awesome story.

 

I have yet to meet a Turkish girl that was unattractive.
I have a pretty exclusive FWB deal going on now, but I can't say that if I found someone when I visit Istanbul next year, that I'd come back. Hot girls, lax traffic laws, awesome food, rally. When it comes down to whats important to me, I think I could give up the life here.

 

There's always an option of buying instead of finding.

Let's turn this thread into a "Turkish Women Appreciation Thread".

 

Lil bitta that.

 

I haz approved those women.