Officials Newsletter #3 - May 2005


31 May 2005

Hello Everyone With fewer than 70 days (yes 70!!) to our event, and the terrific announcement above, the pace and excitement is really beginning to mount.

Christine Potts will be working full time at the Rally Office from June 7th. Ahead of that she is attending the Coates Rally of Queensland to work with their documentation team to pick up experience and fly the Rally SA flag. If you need information you can ring her after June 7th on 08 8212 2800.

The stage management groups have begun to allocate tasks to their team members. If you have not already talked to your stage commander as yet, ring Chris and get contact details.





TRAINING

Training Dates
Monday July 18th


Thursday July 21st


Sunday July 24th

Tuesday July 26th

Wednesday July 27th

Thursday July 28th


6pm to 7.30 pm
7.30pm to 9pm

6pm to 7.30 pm
7.30pm to 9pm

9am to 5pm

6pm to 7.30pm

6pm to 7.30pm

6pm to 7.30pm
7.30pm to 9.30pm

New Officials training
Control Officials training

New Officials training
Control Officials training

Forest in the City Day

WICEN briefing

Service Park / Regroup officials briefing

Course Car briefing
Emergency services briefing

The 'Forest in the City' day will be held in the south parklands in the area bounded by Greenhill Road, Goodwood Road and Anzac Highway. All other training will be conducted at the Sporting Car Club at 51 King William Road, Unley. All sessions will be downstairs in the Reg Sparks Room.

Please note:- 'Forest in the City' includes a special session for Spectator Marshals

TOP UP TRAINING

There will be a final session at the Novotel on Tuesday August 2nd, from 7.00 pm to 9.00 pm to "top up" anyone from interstate who has been unable to get to any other session. Please let Rally HQ know if you cannot attend any other session and ask for an invitation.

All Officials must attend at least one training session. If you do not attend, you will not get your credentials and you will not be able to work on the rally.

If you have experience working on Rally SA and you are going to do a job you have done before, then you need only to come to the "Forest in the City day".

If you have not worked on Rally SA before, OR if you are doing a job you have not done before, then you will need to come to the relevant training session as well as the "Forest in the City" day.

If in doubt, ask your Stage Commander.


OFFICIALS BBQ

As it is partly a thankyou function, all officials are requested to come to the barbecue in the south parklands on Sunday July 24th. You need to be there anyway, and can watch the control officials going through their paces, practice your role, chat with your stage commander and renew acquaintances with other officials. The barbeque will be running from 10am to 2pm and you are welcome to drop in for just a few minutes or to stay all morning.


BEANIE COMPETITION

Remember that there is a prize of a very nice rally jacket, worth $400.00, for the winner of our beanie competition. All you need do is send in a real untouched photograph of a Rally cap or beanie being worn in an unusual way or in an unusual place.


EVENT INFORMATION

Details of the competition have been finalised and approved. You will recognise much of last year's event but with major improvements. The 2005 Toyota Rally SA will again be based in the Barossa Valley. Rally HQ will be at the Barossa Novotel Resort which will be full of rally people with no other bookings taken. This year the hotel is again a sponsor. We will have the place to ourselves and competitors will be offered very attractive rates. All Rally administration will take place at the Novotel except for some work at the Mt Pleasant service park. The hotel will also organise and run the function on Sunday night.

The special stages are generally as for 2004. We have one new very good Council Road stage, and have made small modifications to other stages. The stages are summarised below.


STAGE DISTANCE
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
REFERENCE TO 2004
CROMER 10 km Fast flowing Council Road Lucky Snake from 2004, plus 4Km of similar road, same start and finish
GOLDFIELDS 14 km Good flowing Council Road, with superb all-weather surface Redex Road from 2004, plus 5Km of similar road, new start, same finish
KENTON VALLEY 13 km Flowing well surfaced Council Road with numerous crests and big trees, and including a short bitumen section New stage for 2005, formed from Retreat Valley and Maidment reversed, with additional distance, same start as Retreat Valley 2004, new finish
MOUNT GAWLER 15 km Sweeping Council road, with several big crests and surface changes, including a short bitumen section. Same as 2004 but start moved slightly
RIDGETOPS 8 km Classic Mount Crawford Forest stage, including the main Spectator Area Same as 2004, but with some changes in the spectator area, and start moved slightly
FORTIES 8 KM Classic Mount Crawford Forest stage, including the main Spectator Area Same as 2004, but with some changes in the spectator area, and start moved slightly
HIGH EDEN 20 km Longish stage through vineyard country near Pewsey Vale. Fast in places. The longest stage of the rally, lots of variety Same as 2004
MAWSONS ROW PLUS 13 km Same as Mawsons Row Plus in 2004 Same as Mawsons Row Plus in 2004
THUNDER GULLY 3 km Forest Stage at Mount Crawford, combining parts of Forties and Ridgetops, for a spectacular final stage through the spectator area, mostly in view at all times, and televised to the Mistral Screen in the spectator area. Part of Ridgetops and Forties, modified for 2005 to provide a Stop Point in view of the corporates, and finish podium in front of the corporates
CHARLESTON 11 Km Stage through dairy country, similar in character to High Eden New for 2005
SERVICE PARK All service, refuelling and regroups will be at the Mt Pleasant Oval Same location as 2004 with additional hard standing
TESTING All testing will be at either of CROMER or KERSBROOK or MOUNT CRAWFORD 2 new testing areas for 2005


The two spectator stages (Forties and Ridgetops) will be run three times on Saturday, then again for two passes on Sunday. This will give the spectators almost continuous action helped by the intervals between cars. The first twenty competitors will again run at two minute intervals with the remainder of the field at one minute intervals.

The final run, Thunder Gully, will be a re-arranged and shortened combination of the Forties and Ridgetops stages, with a different start from last year. In order to build excitement and remove any sense of anticlimax at the podium presentation, the leading 10 cars will be held at the final regroup in Mt Pleasant and then run through the Thunder Gully Stage in reverse order at the end of the field. The intention is to have the winner as the last car on the stage then straight onto the podium and into the presentation, which will be entirely held on the podium. The party at the Novotel will be just that - a party, not a presentation - with finger food etc. Anyone who wants to come along please let Chris know. Cost is $35.00 per ticket

South Australian Rally Championship entrants, Subaru cup entrants and Classics will all run on both days.

Again, Forestry SA has been doing a lot of extra work for us. There have been a number of road upgrades in the area and there is an extra spectator point at the bottom of the "mineshaft". The Corporates now double in size, get some new roads right beside them to increase the action. Rally South Australia has always been the best ARC round for spectators and we intend to stay well ahead of the other events.

Teams will be testing at four locations in the Mount Crawford Forest Area on the Tuesday and Wednesday and Thursday and Friday prior to the event. Thursday and Friday will be used for reconnaissance and on Friday the leading teams will shakedown on the media stage.

Shakedown will still be on a short but superb section of forestry track near to Forties and the spectator area.

Scrutineering will be in Tanunda on Thursday and Friday, but limited to a spot check only, as regional scrutineering has been approved.

There will be a promotional start/street party in Tanunda on Friday night, starting at 6.00pm. The Re-start will be from the Mt Pleasant Showground on Saturday morning. Cars will not be kept in a parc ferme on Friday night.

The central service park is at Mount Pleasant as is the parc ferme on Saturday night. Facilities for media, Network Ten and results will be also be at Mount Pleasant so we expect there to be a festive atmosphere. The catering was sensational last year, and no doubt will be again. If you are in the area, please patronise them, and make it all worthwhile.

After the Thunder Gully Stage on Sunday, selected cars will be escorted in convoy from the forest to the Williamstown Ampol Garage for post event scrutiny. Again, if you are in the area, please use these guys - they are assisting us substantially!


E-MAIL ADDRESSES

If you have an e-mail address which we do not have on file, please let us know so that we can keep you informed. Make sure that you empty your mail box regularly otherwise it will become clogged with junk mail and really important things like Rally SA information will not get to you.


WEB SITE

Keep visiting www.toyotarallysa.com.au

It is updated daily and there are really neat links like the temperature in the Mt Crawford forest.


MERCHANDISE

Graphpak are the event's official mechandisers once again, and has a great new range of Gear. This year, we even have umbrellas and polar fleece gloves!!

We have secured a big 20% discount for officials. You can purchase from them at their factory, where your name is listed. ID will have to be shown. They will also be at the ceremonial start at Tanunda, where you are all welcome

Graphpak Australia
28 Fifth Street
Bowden SA 5007
t. (08) 8340 2755
f. (08)8340 2890

Keep an eye on www.graphpak.com.au where the range will be posted in a week or two

Show your pride and wear the logos


CREDENTIALS

Again this year, credentials will be handed out at the stage or area where you assemble for your first lot of duties.

Your free ticket to the Mount Crawford Spectator Area will be issued at various trainings. Each ticket will admit one Adult on Saturday and Sunday. Your credential will admit you free. These tickets normally sell for $25.00 each and are given to you to use how you wish - you can give them to a friend, or introduce someone new to Rallying.


RALLY OFFICE

The Rally Office is located at Saratoga Distribution, 272 - 274 Gilbert Street, ADELAIDE SA 5000.

Telephone 08 8212 2800, fax 08 8212 7900 or e-mail chris@rallyofsa.com.au

The Rally Office will relocate to the Novotel Barossa Hotel on Tuesday August 2nd, for the duration of the rally

RALLY HQ general number is 8524 5210

General Enquiries during the event: 8212 2800

Emergencies during the event 8410 8100

- do not use this number unless there is a genuine emergency

During the event (or anytime really!), you can report any issue or event to me in Rally Control on 0418 834 311

Last year, we had an incident of a fence down that resulted in the death of a child's pet horse. If the official who witnessed the fence going down had just rung me, or any of our senior team, then this may not have happened. If you need to report something, PLEASE DO!!

On the other side of the coin, an official in Mawsons Row was near the accident where one of the classics hit a stobie pole, and she was able to ring me, and carry her mobile to the co-driver (uphill through wet grass!) so that I could speak direct with the competitor, try and calm her, and re-assure her that help was on its way - the FIV had already been despatched


RESPONSIBILITIES OF AN OFFICIAL ( expanded section in the Officials Reference Manual, to be distributed at the various trainings, and soon to be available on the web site)

We are extremely grateful for your assistance, and know you will be professional in your behaviour.

Please remember that you are the public face of the rally for everyone involved - the spectators, the SA Government, the Sponsors and the SA Motor Sport Board.

Be firm and confident, yet unfailingly pleasant in the execution of your duties, and treat people in the manner you would like to be treated.

There is a longer section on your responsibilities in the Officials reference manual, which will be distributed at various trainings, and soon be available on the web site

Remember too, that you need to be careful about being on course at appointed times, as the event MUST RUN ON TIME - there is no provision for lateness on your part


STARTING ORDER

This is arrived at by applying a CAMS formula to recent stage times in the two groups - ARC and the SARC event

The DPI (driver performance index) is calculated by aggregating the stage times from the best two of the last three ARC or State rounds

Using that formula, we find who will be first on the road, and so on


SPECIAL STAGE STATUS

It is important that you all know what the stage status colours mean. Here is a handy ready reference:

Special Stages are classified in accordance with the following:

Amber
  • The road is closed.
  • Course car "000" is commencing the stage.
  • The Stage Commander is present and there is no apparent reason why the stage cannot be run as planned.


  • Blue
  • Course Car "00" has checked the stage and everything is in order to run the stage.
  • Rally Control will declare the stage Green as soon as confirmation is received from the Stage Commander that all emergency services are in place and the start is ready to commence.


  • Green
  • Stage clear to run. Car "0" and competitors may commence the stage. Once the stage is green no further approval is required to start cars.


  • Yellow
  • An incident has occurred and the stage has been stopped. This incident may be a missing competitor, spectators in an unsafe location, or a non-competitor vehicle on the stage. Emergency vehicles may be sent into the stage.
  • Yellow flags / lights to be shown at the SOS points.


  • Red
  • An incident has occurred and emergency vehicles are on the stage.
  • The incident may include injuries to a competitor, official or member of the public, course is blocked, fire or other community related requirement.
  • Yellow flags/ lights to be shown at the SOS points.


  • Black
  • The stage is re-opened to the public and competition has ceased.
  • Sweep has passed through the stage.



  • UNDER 18 DECLARATION FORMS

    Please note that it is a CAMS requirement that these forms be lodged before we can issue credentials - so get them in to Chris NOW, thank you


    CHANGE of CONTACT DETAILS

    If any of your details change, please let the Rally office and your Stage commander know. If we don't hear from you, we assume that the details we have are correct, and so you could miss important notices and communication


    INTERVALS BETWEEN CARS

    This year, once again the first twenty cars will be sent off at two minute intervals, with the rest of the field at one minute (With regard the 2 minute intervals, please note that cars with 2 minutes will have an obvious sticker on the windscreen and if they fall out of order then they still get their 2 minutes). This serves at least a couple of important functions, and follows the rules of the world championship.

    The road closure windows are shorter, and so more acceptable to the community, and 1 minute intervals allow better safety, and a much more positive rally spectator experience, as constant action is made more feasible at the spectator point. It is essential to the health of the championship that spectators continue to want to attend, and continuous action is one way to achieve that


    WICEN/SKYNET

    We will continue with our excellent WICEN radio net, as an indispensable primary part of safety and tracking.

    Once again, I wish to express our gratitude to the members of WICEN. It is just great to work with you all again, and be so big a part of our safety and reporting arrangements. A big thank you to you all!

    For the third time in SA, we are using SKYNET to refine and upgrade our collection of data.

    SkyNet is a data collection system. It sends information such as start times, SOS and finish times from nodes in the field, via a plane circling overhead, to the results computers in Rally Control. For the second time, we are also employing the WRC style starting clocks. They have a proven track record, having been used extensively at the World Rally Championship, and at ARC level in Australia.


    ROLE OF COMPETITOR RELATIONS OFFICER

    Do You Know What A CRO is?? If not, here you go………….

    CRO QUALIFICATIONS

    Must have:

  • a wide knowledge of the sport and ideally have been involved as a competitor, official, or held organisational or management positions,
  • an intimate knowledge of the ARC Sporting Regulations and the event supplementary regulations,
  • an up to date knowledge of rule and regulation changes,
  • a good understanding of the procedures and time-frame under which a competition operates,
  • the ability to assist competitors by listening to problems, questions and queries; and be able to source the answers,
  • a knowledge of when a word of advice would stop a situation developing, and of how to solve problems before they escalate,
  • a desire through his/her actions to make the competition as enjoyable as possible for both competitors and officials,
  • and the ability at all times to be a good listener, be fair, use common sense, and to present an even disposition and act as a calming influence.


  • In order to be seen as impartial and unbiased, a prospective CRO is not a member of the event organisation.

    IDENTIFICATION

    The Competitors' Relations Officer must be easily identified by the officials and to this end they wear a very conspicuous jacket (orange with reflective strips)

    PRESENCE DURING A COMPETITION

    Attendance at:

  • documentation,
  • pre-event scrutineering,
  • start of the event,
  • regroups,
  • parc fermés,
  • finish of the event


  • FUNCTION:

  • Give accurate answers to all questions.
  • Keep competitors informed and play a mediating role at all times
  • Provide all information or additional clarification in connection with the supplementary regulations and the running of the competition.
  • Be available to all competitors, especially inexperienced competitors.
  • Endeavour to keep as many competitors in the event as possible.
  • Act as a calming influence on perceived injustices in the competition.



  • Well, that's about it - and we are just about ready to run!

    I hope that you all have fun and safely enjoy the experience over the weekend and once again, our thanks to you all for giving us your time.

    See you at the various training sessions

    Cheers Ivar

    Ivar Stanelis
    Rally SA
    272-274 Gilbert Street Adelaide SA 5000
    Phone: 08 8212 2800 Fax: 08 8212 7900
    Email: ivar@toyotarallysa.com.au
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