Otago Rally this weekend

[GravelBen]

Yep its that time of year again...

www.otagorally.co.nz

Some high-class drivers playing round in the classics as usual, as well as the the NZRC GrpN and Kiwi2 action over 100 cars in the field, always makes for plenty of action.

Biggest names this year are Michele Mouton in a BDA and Pasi Hagstrom making a change from the Escort to a '73 911RS. Oh, and Andrew Hawkeswood has entered a 400+ bhp Group-B spec Audi S1 Quattro replica in the allcomers class just for a laugh Full entry list here:

http://www.otagorally.net/home/index.php?option=co...


And I have a nice shiny new camera to play with, so expect some gratuitous photos up next week sometime

Edited by GravelBen on Thursday 8th May 01:25

[GravelBen]

One from last year just to set the scene...

[Kiwi XTR2]

Pix of the new camera, or it never happened

[izza]

would be great to see Mouton behind the wheel and with Pons as co driver too!

If Hawkeswood is running, make sure you dont stand down any exit roads!
:lol:

[GravelBen]

izza said:

If Hawkeswood is running, make sure you dont stand down any exit roads!
:lol:

It was Mike Turfus rolled the zero car out last time!

[GravelBen]

Kiwi XTR2 said:

Pix of the new camera, or it never happened

Going back to the old camera, to take photos of the new camera...novel idea, if I could be bothered. How about google finds me pics instead


Its one of these:

http://www.coenvanaken.nl/blog/equipment/NikonD80_...

And these lenses:

http://home.zonnet.nl/famwakker/photo/Nikkororigin...

http://home.zonnet.nl/famwakker/photo/Nikkororigin...

http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/images1/50mm-f18-...


I like my new toys

Edited by GravelBen on Thursday 8th May 12:37

Edited by GravelBen on Tuesday 13th May 22:07

[Kiwi XTR2]

Awesome

Looking forward to the results

[izza]

so Ben, how cold was it spectating on sunday?

cause it was farkin cold here in Timaru on sunday!

[GravelBen]

Well it wasn't exactly tropical. Could have been worse though, was only rain rather than the sleet and snow we got last weekend when I was down there for graduation. I now have a mostly-brown MX5.

Richard Mason seems to like the roads down south, won every stage to increase his lead in the NZRC. Hagstrom cleaned up the classics (from Deane Buist in a BDA-powered Corolla DX) by nearly 4 minutes, quick and tidy everywhere in the 911. Comedy value award goes to Trevor Crowe in the Skoda V8, on the lock-stops pretty much everywhere.

Got plenty of photos, I'll find out if they're any good when I download them tonight.

[Kylie]

Nice Camera Ben looks impressive, looking forward to seeing many more shots of cars and scenery down there.

[GravelBen]

Well I've uploaded a trucking schistload of pics in an album here:

http://s43.photobucket.com/albums/e392/GravelBen/O...

But I'll link some of the better ones into this thread grouped by stage:



Deane Buist's BDA-powered Corolla























How often to you get to see one of these in action?

[kjl996]

Wow ! Incredible pics, well done and thanks for sharing them (a few new screen savers for me there).

[GravelBen]

Closely followed by...











Interesting parking

[GravelBen]

Hope no-ones still on dial-up

[GravelBen]

I bet the cops watch this block carefully for a few weeks afterwards:







Michele Mouton having an play in an Audi (she spent most of the rally in an Escort):

[GravelBen]

I think I only saw the NZRC front-runners on one stage, kept getting to stages late after staying until near the end of the previous ones to see the Audi S1

[GravelBen]

Last stage... (finally they all say)

[Kylie]

Wow good stuff!! That first stage the rocks they were driving over looked really hard on the cars. I wonder how many cars lost protection panels all over the road. The photographers on the end of that sharp turn must enjoy getting gravel rash in their faces. you would have to pay me to stand there, thats nuts!!

So did you do a mixture of panning shots and various other methods? they turned out fab !

Edited by Kylie on Wednesday 14th May 00:30

[GravelBen]

Kylie said:

So did you do a mixture of panning shots and various other methods? they turned out fab !

Thanks - yeah generally I'll pan through, either using AF-C(constant autofocus tracking the car) or pre-focusing on where the car will be when I want to take the shot. Was finding more shutter lag than I expected from an SLR which made it a bit trickier, might need to go hunting through camera settings and see if I can find whats causing it.

[izza]

what was the deal with the quattros?
was the S1 a replica that Hawkeswood was running?
the other one was??

good I'm glad I looked at this at work, and not at home on dial up!