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START OF THE 2003 SEASON:
WEEKENDS OF CONTRAST!

DOO WOPS I & II: February 15 & 16, 2003
THIRD-LANE MOTORSPORTS ALL WET!

The start of the 2003 rally season in the Pacific Northwest Region is traditionally marked by the Doo Wops Rally Series. This year, Doo Wops 1 and 2, the first two rounds of the 2003 NorPac ClubRally and the Northwest Region Rally Championships, were run February 15 and 16 as rally sprints through the Grays Harbor sorting yard in Hoquiam, Washington. Competitors might have been forewarned: bring ALL your rain gear and be prepared to bail out your car!

It poured rain. Mercifully, service took place in a large vacant hanger on the property. The hanger itself accommodated the field of competitors and their service crews, all of whom were very grateful for its shelter. This hanger had also hosted many, many pigeons in its rafters and many, many mice in its foundations. In the face of the drenching rain these shortcomings were easily overlooked and the hospitality of the organizers shone through.

The sprints were run in five stages, for a total of 7.5 stage miles each day. The hard surface was covered with shale gravel and the large puddles that marked the course quickly became larger and deeper as the day wore on.

After the first run, Noah knew the course well enough for Jason to turn in his route book and concentrate on trying to keep the windows clear during each stage. The car filled with water on course, the defroster was overwhelmed. During each break, the crew worked quickly to sop up the water on board with limited success. In the end: a Third Place finish in Group 2.

"from our perspective" Doo Wops I & II

Q: How did the car work?
noah: OK. Relatively well---except for the windows fogging up all the time.
jason: The car ran well.

Q: What was the course like?
noah: Rough, quite fun.
jason: Soggy-nasty. Big rocks, big lakes, not puddles---lakes! Not much navigating, I was wiping the water off the inside of the windows.

Q: High point of the event?
noah: Finishing.
jason: Finishing and placing on the first day.

Q: Low point of the event?
noah: There was no real low point.
jason: Not being able to keep the car dry inside. So much water in the car, we couldn't keep the windows clear.

Q: What next?
noah: Seal the floor, get ready for Doo Wops 3 and 4.
jason: Find the holes in the floor, plug them over the next two weeks.

DOO WOPS III & IV: March 1 & 2, 2003
THIRD-LANE MOTORSPORTS ON FIRE!

Two weeks later, on March 1, the Third-Lane Motorsports team again found themselves in Hoquiam, Washington for the second weekend of the Doo Wops Rally Series. The rain had held off for technical inspection and scrutinering and the sun shone as the crew departed the Westwood Inn's parking lot for the first service area and Noah and Jason set off on the transit to the start of the first special stage.

Moving into the control, on the line, the starter gave them a 20 second count.
"You guys are smoking!"
"Yeah, yeah."
"No. You're smoking. You're on fire. Look!"
Sure enough--smoke was filling the interior of the car. Flames started up from the corner of the helmet box behind the seats. Noah grabbed a nearby water bottle to douse the flames without success. It fell to Jason to smother the flames with the hand-held fire extinguisher from under his seat. Luckily, the on-board extinguisher was not necessary.

What happened? Unable to continue, the team retired from the stage and set about repairing the situation. Initially it was thought that a heat shield for the catalytic converter would save the day. As it turned out, there was a bigger issue, the oxygen sensor had failed and the too-rich mixture hitting the catalytic converter caused it to overheat, blistering the paint and causing the undercoating and helmet box to ignite. Most of the day and early evening was spent trying to remedy the situation but, in the end, without success. The team had to withdraw.

A word of thanks: we would like to thank a sponsor who has gone largely unacknowledged over the past seven years. Brian Kopp of Okanagan Test Rite has regularly supplied the team with hand-held Halon fire-extinguishers for use in service and in the rally car. Halons are used for fire and explosion protection. They are chemically stable compounds that are extremely effective fire suppressants which leave no residue and are remarkably safe for human exposure. Brian has been a supporter of the team for many years recycling and refilling our fire extinguishers as needed. Okanagan Test Rite has been an integral part of the team's safety plans. We wish to highlight his contribution to the success--and the survival--of Third-Lane Motorsports.

"from our perspective" Doo Wops III

Q: How did the car work?
noah: It caught fire.
jason: Great, it caught fire!

Q: What was the course like?
noah: Don't know. Never saw past the start line.
jason: Wouldn't know.

Q: High point of the event?
noah: Our new silver and black OMP suits from Driver's Edge!
jason: Putting the fire out.

Q: Low point of the event?
noah: Not getting to even start the event.
jason: Spending the afternoon in the motel parking lot trying to fix the problem and then not being able to.

Q: What next?
noah: Fix the problem. Remap the engine. Get ready for Dryad Quest and Pacific Forest rallies.
jason: Back to the garage. Tune the engine.

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last updated 5/30/03

nthird@comcast.net