Kathy and Dave Sacry  created this marvelous course.  It started off on a different note, with some dead mileage between the end of the odo check transit zone and the start of the variable part of the rally.  It worked well enough, and gave us an area to wait that had a bathroom available.  A welcome thing for those who needed it.  The course meandered out by the Carnation Farm, then up to Cherry Valley, then by way of Tualco Loop and High Bridge Road to Snohomish where we finished at Brava’s Pizza.  A really fun run, with a minor detour for an off course route control (for all cars except one).  Scores were generally 20 points higher than average due to the route control.

Congratulations to the winners and thanks to ORCA for putting on a fine event.  They’re putting on the next one too.  Come on out, it will be fun as well.

 

The June Friday Nighter made its way from the Park & Ride to Fall City, and then started winding it’s way North toward Snohomish.  The first leg was just short of an hour, giving competitors a test for keeping speed for a long time.  Many did great!  The second leg went up Stillwater Hill, a road that in the 80s was a challenge for the underpowered cars of the day.  While the new cars get up the hill smartly, it is still an entertaining route.  After the route returned to 203, we transited through Duvall, and started timing again at Crescent Lake Rd. where a grumpy local yelled at some of the competitors.  My apologies.  We had originally planned to end the transit sooner, but the reference we used disappeared between the measurement and the checkout.  Leg 3 was a short run up to the outskirts of Snohomish, and it was marred by an accident by a non-competitor.  Most cars got held up and filed time decs, but the problem was that the accident was close enough to the control that there was no space to complete the pause taken.  About half the cars would have been unfairly penalized, so we elected to throw the leg, and score the rally on two.  My condolences to the folks who got a good score on leg 3.  Also to the checkpoint crew whose work was tossed out with the leg.  I’m truly sorry.

Thanks to the workers from all of the clubs that made this thing happen.  We had a great, well attended checkout and the crews worked flawlessly.  Thanks to all that helped.