Cops on Targa

[Leon]

Well, it gets even better ... because Targa says "he's nothing at all to do with us, he is just the local cop who made a prick of himself" But two of the articles say he was a road clearance car, in direct contradiction to that.

He's obviously not associated with Targa, as any car entering the stage has stickers plastered all over it, even the police cars (I speak from experience).

I spectated that corner two years back, and as best I recall it is a junction, where they make a slightly more than 90 degree left turn, to cross a bridge. There's gravel and gunk on the surface, and it is downhill to the 90 left.

There's a couple of meters down to a paddock, then another couple down to the creek.

A bunch of cars crashed there while I was watching.

[Fortyone.co.nz]

the poor bastered. That would really suck.

Agreed =] I hope he and his boss had a laugh about it. Don't know why he'd be driving in a manner for this to happen though..

[Cahuna]

Yeah, I'd pity him if he lost his job over it or something. It was a human mistake after all, just the background circumstances makes it funny.

Leon, isn't the approach for that corner over a blind crest, and by the time you actually see the corner it is too late? I recall Trevor Barlow crashing his mint BDA Escort there a couple of years back, he complained that the corner should have been cautioned in the route book but there were already 2 or 3 zetkas out when he came through!

[Leon]

I don't recall the approach to it being very scary, but then again we approached it at sensible road car speed. I was there that year the white Escort took a flying lesson.

Yes, that dude (Barlow, with the Escort) went quite banana's at officials, bystanders, the fence. He totally lost his rag straight after that crash. He probably went into shock, as it was a *huge* impact. We thought he and his navigator would both have been hurt it went in so hard.

Don't know how the policeman will get on. Apparently (so the rumourmill goes) he was told not to go into the stage, and he took it upon himself to take the "I am a policeman and will do what I like" angle. Karma then arranged it so he crashed his car in front of dozens of witnesses.

[solberg Fan]

the poor bastered. That would really suck.

Agreed =] I hope he and his boss had a laugh about it. Don't know why he'd be driving in a manner for this to happen though..

I hope the guy gets fired. What a stupid mistake. Sounds like hes just a cop wante to go for a fast drive. The targa cops had already been through and cleared everything, then this local cop flexes his might over the start crew and pushes on through.
Dont get me wrong, i respect cops. Just not this idiot
EDIT: OK maybe it sounds a little harsh, but still a silly mistake.

[85AW20v]

It is a bugger of a corner and you do come up on it at a good rate of knots. It is cautioned in the route book, over 90 deg onto the single lane bridge and off camber. But they do put the hospitality villa's on certain corners for a reason - there's usually some entertainment to be had!! At the start of the stage we were told there was a car off on that corner. Thinking about it, the marshall did have a funny smile on her face when she said it and by the time we got there there was another one off as well although not down in the creek.

It was a great week - we finished 30th overall and 1st in category 3 and class B. Had a motor change at Inglewood on Tuesday night with the replacement being 50-60hp down on the good motor. Still had 140hp at the wheels though with the replacement so everything still went well. Go the AE86

[solberg Fan]

Well done. You didnt loose any time with the engine swap? Yeah was a great dry week.

[malc]

will definatley have to do the targa in the future

hey steve, how did you go?
saw you and the rest of the KB team at pukekohe last weekend.

[85AW20v]

No, we didn't lose any time. We stopped for a few litres of petrol at the Shell station in Inglewood after the end of stage 8 on the way back into New Plymouth for service. When we tried to start the car again, it started clattering and locked solid!! Looks like it bent a valve and broke out the valve guide. We're were lucky it happened there at not when we were pulling 9 grand in the stage at 200km/hr!! Found a workshop in Inglewood at 6.15pm, motor was out by 7.45pm, spare arrived from Hamilton at 11pm and we were in New Plymouth and in bed at 2am although the driver from Hamilton didn't get home till 4.15am!! It would have been brilliant to have the good motor all week but thats motorsport for you.

[dotdog]

I was watching on that corner, that cop had NO Show of making round the corner, was going way to fast on the total wrong line. He sat in the cop car for bout 10minutes afterwards. It was soooooooooooo funny, set all the airbags off! totally priceless when 100 or so people were cheering when he hit the water

[solberg Fan]

will definatley have to do the targa in the future

hey steve, how did you go?
saw you and the rest of the KB team at pukekohe last weekend.

We had a great run esp with every one falling off and geting speeding penilties!! Ended up 18th and won our class. Way way better than we ever would have thought.
The other KB team was right behind us. We only managed to pull away from them in the last day with only 30 somthing seconds between us. Not bad for his first targa.

HAha! I can imagine the cop in his car talking to his boss trying to explain himself!

[suckymotor]

have a bit of insight of this he is also looking at being done for trespassing as he went onto a closed road after targa officials told him he could not go in

He was of to look at a burglary

[mr pad]

haha. i think thats cool he was getting into the spirit of things anyways

Yeah I rekon.

[GGnz]

Hahahaha. Classic. It'll be back to patrolling the streets for him.