Shakedown – Thursday 27th March
Departed hotel at 7:00am in our Mercedes van to head out for our first taste of rally Argentine style. After making our way through the narrow streets of Carlos Paz we were forced to backtrack due to a causeway flooded with heavy overnight rain. We made our way to the start of the shakedown stage and were dropped off right at the start line. A short walk through the countryside to find a suitable location and we were on the fenceline on a sweeping right hand bend – a very fast section. Here we had our first interaction with the fanatical Argentine rally spectators who constantly banter at each other and pity the poor sole who attempts to cross the road between cars. I waved my Aussie flag to Chris Atkinson at the start of the stage which was duly acknowledged with a nod of the head. We were back on the bus just as the rain started in earnest.
We dropped in at the service park and were able to get a photograph of myself with Chris Atkinson when he returned to service. All a buzz in the service park today as Diego Maradonna (Argentinian soccer legend) visited the Citroen team and was taken for a drive by Seb Loeb. We went to the Subaru USA team service area for an interview with Travis Pastrana but as he was busy with media commitments we spoke to the team manager and their own team camera crew. The rain is quite set in now and the service park is becoming very water logged.
We then drove to Cordoba and had a wonderful lunch with traditional Argentinian BBQ meats before spending some spare time shopping and looking around the historic town centre before the ceremonial start. Thousands of people had gathered around the start stage and the vantage points were limited to viewing on the big screen. The roads on our return journey to Carlos Paz were lined with locals trying to catch a glimpse (or piece) of the rally cars.
Day 1 – Friday 28th March
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Stage 3 Capilla del Monte – San Marcos Sierra
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Stage 5 Ascochinga – La Cumbre
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Stage 8 La Cumbre – Agua de Oro
Departed this morning again at 7:00am to travel to stage 3 to the north of Carlos Paz. After weaving our way through the campers and being careful not to step on someones chicken cooking on the bush BBQ we set up at a higher vantage point where we could watch the cars coming along the lake and around several tight corners. We held position while the Argentinian fans ran from place to place to catch the most action possible for this point. After a couple of hours here we travelled to Stage 5 and ate our lunch in the van as the rain had again set in. At this stage we had a considerable walk to the end of stage as the finish had been moved back from the previous year. We stood at the end of the stage where cars came over a small jump then straight to the timing marker – a very quick section. Instead of heading for the super special stage we decided to stay in this area and see stage 8 as the start was close to where our van was parked. After the WRC cars had completed Stage 5 we followed the locals in trekking across the mountains ( the Sound of Music was mentioned a couple of times) until we finally came across the road for stage 8. A few interesting moments particularly for Neil (Rally Travel) with barbed wire fences as we made our way to the spectator viewing area. This was a great vantage point for us being able to see the cars leave the start control then drive down the steep slope and break heavily before crossing a narrow bridge then around a tight left hand corner. From here back to the hotel as the weather continued to close in. Dinner tonight at one of the local restaurants was excellent and the taxi ride back to the hotel something also to remember.
Day 2 – Saturday 29th March
An even earlier start today (5:30 am) as we headed south to some of the most iconic stages of Rally Argentina. Stage 13 is a major corporate viewing stage with stands overlooking a great jump. We had a great spot to see the cars come over the jump then continue around a sweeping left hand bend. Others in our group were further along the fenceline and were extremely lucky when a car almost out of control in the slippery and wet conditions came within centimetres of where they had been standing as photos can prove. Everyone had some covering of mud from this stage. From here we drove on to the famous watersplash stage (stage 16). Again thousands of locals were here to see the action and appeared to have been camping out well in advance. After having climbed the hill to find a vantage spot we still could not see the water. Still we managed to get some good photos and the experience with the locals was worthwhile. We stopped for lunch at a local roadside stall selling cheeses and salamis where we sampled some of the local products before heading to Cordoba to watch the Super Special stage (Stage 18) at Estadio Cordoba. Some interesting action here and more helicopters hovering overhead than I have seen at a rally stage before.
Day 3 – Sunday 30th March
Today we headed off to El Condor (Stage 20) leaving at 6:30am. The weather had set in even more today and as we drove to this high mountain stage the fog and rain had made road visibility very poor and the traffic was stopped. We walked into the stage having to cross a fast flowing creek and climb a mountain (did we mention the Sound of Music) to find a vantage point among the granite boulders. On a fine day here I’m sure the view would be spectacular. The campers here would have had a seriously hard time trying to get back out again because of the bad weather and road conditions. We managed to get some photo and video footage before batteries gave out in the cold and the weather closed in more. We were all frozen and soaked through after this experience. From here we headed back to the service park and the ceremonial finish. We had the photograph taken with Chris Atkinson on Thursday personally autographed before he headed off to the podium for his second place finish. He obviously appreciates the support of Aussie fans in the crowd. Back at the hotel we enjoyed a farewell dinner and excellent tango show hosted by our Argentinian Rally organisers before heading off to the Zebra bar as the final instalment of our Rally Argentina experience. Petter and Henning Solberg and Jari Matti Latvala were among the drivers enjoying time with the locals. Henning seems to have as much trouble staying on a nightclub stage as he does on a competitive stage.
Even though the weather could have been kinder to us as true rally enthusiasts we took this in our stride and the experience of attending this rally was well worth the effort of getting there. The organisation was faultless and our rally guides were warm, welcoming and very helpful. Food and drink were very cheap but very good and we enjoyed overcoming the language barrier. Overall a rally experience not to be missed.
Report by Sue Rasmussen
