Ideal Conditions For Rally

Saturday, November 12, saw 30 cars lining up in the picnic area at Black Springs for the fifth round of the 2016 AMSAG Rally Series. Rain had been predicted for the day but it all happened very early in the morning with 27 mm falling on the nearby forests after midnight. The day itself was fine (with the only rain being a light smattering when I had to change a tyre on my car, but that's Murphy's Law for you) and the early morning rain almost completely soaked in and gave the advantage of keeping the dust level down.

Stages were run in the parts of Vulcan forest north of Black Springs off Beaconsfield Road, the section around Arkstone and the area between Abercrombie and Shooters Hill Roads. Roads were in good condition with only a few easily avoidable boggy patches from the night's rain, and the attrition rate was quite low with only about five cars withdrawing before the end of the event. All withdrawals were for mechanical failure, and nobody hit anything hard enough to do any damage. It is always a good day when the paramedics in the attending ambulance have absolutely nothing to do at any time, and while this is the normal situation for rallying it is comforting to know that medical assistance is available quickly if it's needed.

Final results were not available at the time of writing, but they will be published on the AMSAG website at amsag.com.au as soon as they are finalised.

A full report on the rally can be found at https://ausrally.com/2016/blacksprings16

This article was published in the Oberon Review on November 17, 2016