So its been a couple weeks since we came back from Quebec--Northeast of Quebec City by about three hours to be specific. I had been hoping that more photos from the event would come out on the interwebs but it appears that is not to be.
Its not like there wasn't anyone there. Some 29 entries and lots of locals at both the Parc Expose and on the stages as well---I should know, there were enough of them running out on the road in front of me taking pictures! I guess either French Canadians don't bother to post their pictures on the web or the NSA is preventing me from viewing photos of the event for fear that I'll leave the US and never come back.
The team also put out a press release regarding the event that got picked up by a couple outlets (RaceDezer.com and MarathonRally.com for instance) and I didn't want anything here to interfere with those releases. All that being said it was a great event that included what I would call my favorite stage from any race that I have driven to date. As always the people of Quebec were welcoming and helpful. We didn't have any mechanical issues which was great for the first time back on gravel in nine months and we finished the race. No problems were encountered at the border in either direction and I got my first taste of real French-Canadian Poutine (french fries with gravy and curdled cheese). The scenery was awesome with the cliffs and mountains that are traversed heading up along the Saguenay Fjord were incredible. I wish we could have performed better but it was no fault of my codriver as once again we suffered no penalties of any kind. My driving skills and my head just simply will not allow me to keep the accelerator down long enough to really make up time as I quickly run out of talent when taking low traction corners at speed. Regardless it was great fun as usual and we had a great adventure. Can't wait to go back in only about a month's time!!
Official Press Release Below:
Nine months can be an eternity in motorsports but that’s how long it took NISMO Stuff Racing to
return to the dirt. Competing in the Quebec Rally Championship for 2013 meant waiting until the
weekend of June 15th to get back to loose road conditions as the QRC’s first rally of the year was
on the tarmac, road circuit of Rallye Sanair.
Under beautiful blue skies and bothersome black fly clouds the NISMO Stuff Racing team
consisting of driver Dan Spalinger, codriver David Dennis and crewmembers Matt Weaver and
Amanda McCabe arrived a few hours northeast of Quebec City after a beautiful drive through
GrandsJardins National Park. Situated within a truly wild area of North America (both a lynx and
a black bear were spotted on stages during the event) the roads used for the event were a true
pleasure consisting of a combination of rough, tight and rock strewn twisties and open, flowing,
“crest, crest, crest” rollercoasters. Driver Dan Spalinger was afterwards to claim that stages
four and six of the event were his favorite of any he has encountered during his first nine rallies.
As has become standard for the team, the two “service” periods of the day became “rest”
periods (to the chuckles of surrounding teams) with the only maintenance required on the
durable Nissan Frontier were a tightening of the transmission fill plug and the sourcing of bolts
for the then wobbly LED lightbar. No flats, damage or mechanical issues of any kind were
experienced and a single tank of gas was more than sufficient to complete the 80+ stage miles.
With such a long time away from the heat of stage racing, the initial stages were more of a
feeling out process than running at the ragged edge of performance. As the day went on,
however, a rhythm settled in between driver and codriver and stage times dropped with a four
second improvement between SS1 and SS2 (a repeat of SS1) and a 32 second improvement
between SS3 and SS5 (a repeat of SS3). The motto for the day was “small improvements” and
that was certainly accomplished. Speeds for the event topped out around 90 mph in the fastest
sections though even the biggest of crests and jumps did not seem to suck up enough of the
BTF Fabrication suspension travel to get the 4000 lb. truck airborne.
In the end, the NISMO Stuff Frontier outlasted nine other competitors and finished every stage
mile with no penalties. The fifth place in class finish also puts NISMO Stuff Racing in fifth place
in the 2013 standings within the Quebec Rally Championship’s Jon Nichols Cup (Open 2WD)
class only one point out of fourth on the year.
The next event, Lac Aux Sables, comes up on the weekend of August 10th and will be another
gravel rally on which the NISMO Stuff Racing Frontier should prove once again to be a crowd
favorite and a growing presence on the Quebec rally scene.
NISMO Stuff Racing would like to thank its sponsors and supporters for their continued backing
to include BodyArmorOutlet.com, BTF Fabrication, Radflo Shocks and Braid Wheels.
Just now at the Tokyo Auto Show!! Yup, its RWD. Yup its small (couple inches smaller than the BRZ). Yup it looks a bit like the old Skylines. Yup the NISMO version of the concept is AWESOME looking.
