100 Acre Wood, 2010

So I'm a little behind on posting updates on here.  I'll try to be more prompt in the future.

I spent the weekend of February 24-27th staying with friends outside Salem MO for the yearly Rally in the 100 Acre Wood.  This event is the 2nd on the Rally America calendar, and one of the closer (about a 6 hour drive from Cincinnati) and easier events for me make time for.


I ended up hitching a ride with a media crew and getting some amazing photos and videos starting friday morning at the shakedown stage.  Lugging a Nikon D700, Canon 7D and a Canon 5DmkII for photos and videos I was well equipped but pretty packed with gear.  Here is a great video compilation of the footage Matt Conte, Tim Williams and myself collected over the weekend, Matt did the editing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjHOPZ_8xnY


And now for the photos!:


Chris Greenhouse on the shakedown stage:

Ken Block signing some autographs:

Ken Block sliding around a hairpin:

And a full slideshow of all the images from the event can be seen here:

Dirt 2 coming soon!

Well, only a few more days before Dirt 2 comes out and its shaping up to be pretty cool.  I was a bit dissapointed to hear that pure point to point rally makes up less then 25% of the game, but hopefully that will be enough to hold me over until Gran Turismo 5's WRC racing and hopefully someone else has some good stuff on the burner for us rally fans.  Either way GT5 comes out in Dec, and Sno*Drift happens in Jan and 100 Acre Wood in Feburary so I should be able to have my Rally fix for a good while.

Check out the review:




Of course, I'll also need a G25 or G27 racing wheel, but I've been salivating for one of those for a long time anyway.  Here is a cool setup (though I could do without the white colored seat..)

Ojibwe Forest Rally finished

OFPR is done and over with, and you know what?  I really wish Rally America would secure some decent coverage.  Come on speed channel, there has to be some room in your lineup between repeats of  "pinks" and random Nascar oval madness.

Block rolled on Friday.   Ouch. He and his Co-driver made it out ok.  Bad luck.

 (Copyright Rally America)

Pastrana took the win with a nearly NINE minute lead.  All that tells me is we need more competition in open class in RA.  I wonder if there is enough money in it yet to get the attention of a PWRC or some of those drivers.  They should at least drop in and wipe the floor with everyone for a race or two for fun.  Just so they really push themselves on the next event!   Pastrana also mentioned "there were deer all over the road, I just knew I was gonna hit one".  I know the feeling bud!  Once you have a bad wreck you see those giant rats out of the corner of your eye at night all over the place.


Final results from RA: 


Car #199 Pastrana / Edstrom
Car #176 Mancin / Wislawski
Car #684

Open
Car #199 Pastrana / Edstrom
Car #176 Mancin / Wislawski
Car #54 Fox / Blattner

Super Production
Car #684
Car #59 Moro / Wimpey
Car #418 Keeney / Keeney

2 Wheel Drive
Car #90 O'Sullivan / Wagner
Car #155 Conley / Rudolph
Car #600 Van Way / Knott

WRC coming to HD Theater in October!

WRC in full HD in the US!?  How much more awesome can it get?  Ok ok, so Subaru pulled out, and the FIA is schizophrenic with their car changes (S2000? nope, turbo? nope.  Ok ya lets add a turbo, I mean um, no lets go S2000 this year and turbo next!). Autoblog has some more info on it, check it out.

Speaking of Rally, lets keep praying the SOFR - Sothern Ohio Forest Rally - Actually pans out for next year.  Having a Rally America stage that close (even if its not on the national calendar right away) would be awesome!