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Pedal to the Metal!: Sanair 2006

On April 22, the Sanair Rally 2006 took place in Saint-Pie de Bagot, Québec.

Rally racing is racing against the clock. The driver and co-driver must reach the end of "the stage" (the course chosen by those running the rally) as fast as possible without causing too much damage to the car.

There are pauses between stages when mechanics can make repairs to the cars, but sometimes they are in such bad shape that the drivers must abandon the race. A rally car is an everyday car modified for greater security and speed.

Having already participated in the Sanair Rally in 2004, I would like to tell you about my experience at the rally this weekend. Some of the anecdotes I will share are funny, others not so much. Buckle your seat belt and let's get started!

6:30am. Ottawa. I am up and on my way. Sure, it's really early, but this event is not to be missed. After a quick stop in Montréal to freshen up and grab a bite to eat, my friend and I continue on and arrive at the rally site at 9:40am.

Almost all the cars are in the service area (where the mechanics do repairs). I take the opportunity to have a look and talk with friends whom I have raced with before or worked with as a volunteer at other rally events. There is always gossip new gossip to catch up on: one person has a new car, another has bought a house and can't afford to race anymore, etc. Peoples' priorities change and racing teams change as a result. New ralliers come along and become part of the rally racing family. It's good to have a chance to chat with other racing enthusiasts.

A few minutes later, around 10am, we hurry over to the trioval, a huge racetrack shaped like an oval with three sides. The cars take off one after the other (in a rally, the cars start one after the other, in one-minute intervals). The rally has started and it's an impressive sight. My friends are amazed at how loud a race car can get when streaking along at 200 km/h. The drivers are in their glory. They race faster and faster around the course. For some of them, this is the first time they have raced this track; for others, this is familiar territory. There is lots of passing and action. Photographers, professional and amateur alike, bombard the cars with flashes. The crowd is pumped; everyone is loving the show.

The second stage of the rally starts off with an accident, and this part of the event is cancelled as a result. A driver has lost control of his car and rolled it several times. Fortunately, it looks a lot worse than it is and only the car is damaged. The driver and co-driver walk away without a scratch.

In past years, spectators could stand at the side of the track. However, this year's organizers have banned spectators from this area. This is a huge disappointment, especially since I have promised my friends that we would be able to see the cars up close and take pictures. The rules have changed: safety first! I understand very well why the organizers have made this decision: you can't be too careful in racing.

The rally continues but no two stages look alike. The route changes each time. The co-driver must therefore guide the driver to keep him or her from making any mistakes that might cost them the victory. The co-driver counts the number of turns along the course to avoid making any "extra" turns (which happens when the driver turns the car when he or she should continue straight). Turning when it is not necessary wastes time, and since the race is against the clock, it's the fastest team who wins. On a few occasions in the past, teams have been penalized when co-drivers did not do their jobs properly.

At least no one was driving with the tailgate open this year! This has actually happened twice at Sanair. In 2002, one team's tailgate popped open during the race. In 2003, the same thing happened again--this time to me! I ended up doing several laps with my tailgate completely open.

Back to Sanair. In the afternoon, the rally continues, but more and more teams are forced to give up due to mechanical problems. Racing on asphalt is very hard on the cars. The brakes, motor and transmission take a real beating and it's not uncommon to see one of these parts die before the end of the rally.

In all sports, there are those who win and those who do not. It's the same thing with rally racing, but I always remember what my racing coach told me: "If you finish your rally, you have won your rally. The goal is to finish the course. If you finish the course and the Canadian champion abandons the race, you finish in front of the Canadian champion." I think this is a good way of looking at it. Congratulations to all those who participated in Sanair 2006. They really put on a wild show that spectators won't soon forget.