Johnny Tipler

Northern Exposure

Johnny Tipler — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 18:46:34 +0000

Most recent mission: to cover the R.A.C. Roger Albert Clark Rally for 911 & Porsche World Magazine. So on 2nd December cameraboy Antony Fraser and I travelled to Helmsley, Yorkshire, aboard a Porsche 997 Turbo (courtesy Porsche GB) and signed on at Duncombe Park. Dozens of Escorts but only four Porsches. OK…

Touched base with John Hawkins at Specialist Cars Malton, then a hike into the depths of Dalby Forest Woodyard to catch the cars churning the forestry tracks in the night: sound and fury and very little sight due to dazzling batteries of lights and pitch darkness. A welcome curry in Pickering to thaw out, then back to the bosom of the Mallyan Spout Hotel, Goathland for the night. More forest stages next day, and finally some circuit action at Croft (bitterly cold), then up to Bedlington for the night. More curry. Rally action shifted west to Dumfries, with blizzards up Eskdalemuir and watersplashes at Dumfries. Snow in Kielder Forest on Monday gifted some action shots in the white stuff, and finally to Carlisle for the finish. Gwyndaf Evans won, having led all weekend, while two 911s finished, 11th and 14th. Seems Ford kit has evolved over the years to a greater extent than 911′s, at this level of comps anyway.

Back at base

Johnny Tipler — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 09:48:29 +0000

Back in the UK – and now it’s time to write up the Mexican adventure for a number of magazines. Meanwhile, all thanks to our sponsors: Michelin Tyres, Motul lubricants, Adrian Flux Insurance, Journey Latin America, Duel Motorsports, Porscheshop, Highgate House, Paul Stephens and Quicksilver Exhausts.

Finished!!

Johnny Tipler — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 23:00:17 +0000

So we did it! Finished La Carrera Panamericana, 95th but no way last, ahead of several illustrious regulars in more potent machinery. Potency was distinctly absent on the super-fast La Bufa stage, final leg of the event, the 914’s 2.0-litre flat-four reduced to plodding mode and us its anxious nursemaids. Progress was so leisurely Sarah didn’t have to call the corners so she could take pics instead. Even so, get those interminable drop-offs! Gearshifts akin to stirring porridge, and the clutch almost fried on the run-in to Zacatecas, we had to argue with the transit police not to put us on a trailer at one point as we paused to let it cool off, but they did lead us downtown to the finish. And again the heroes’ welcome awaited at the Arches. Dinner with the Jaguar boys at the Emporio, then a swift change and into the melee of the Procession – mescal fuelled Mexican merriment, dancing in the street. And finally, the presentation dinner in the magnificent bull-ring heart of the Fiesta Americana. Fabulous event, the cars, the camaraderie, the awesome road stages, spectacular scenery, friendly people. We’ll be back for sure!

Oil leaks

Johnny Tipler — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 05:21:32 +0000

Day 5:

Car on a trailer after return run up through Mil Cumbres due to serious oil emissions.

Oil leak apparently fixed at service – probably caused by high pressure blowing it out through crankcase breathers at very high revs (we have high lift cams so it can take it to a certain extent). Too much of a hammering in 2nd and 3rd over Mil Cumbres, yesterday and back again today?
Dinner at Santa Fe hotel, Guanajuato – an amazing city, maze of tunnels, winding streets, fab architecture, street life. To Aguascalientes tomorrow.

Mil Cumbres

Johnny Tipler — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 17:07:10 +0000

Yesterday (Day 4) was from Queretaro to Morelia. After a promising start everything ground to a halt when a Dutch Mustang hit a local sedan head on on a fast left on a speed stage. Sure, they’d cancelled the stage beforehand, but we were sent off on it as if it was a live one, so it could have happened to any of us. It looked bad, but we heard all involved were OK, amazingly. Next stage was cancelled as a result, which took us to the two daunting Mil Cumbres stages, high in pine forest mountains. It’s always talked up, but for good reason as there are long drop off to cliff edge and forest. Absolutely awesome roads to drive, incessant bends, mostly banked, coming quickly one after another. Means what it says: a thousand corners. As usual Sarah Bennett-Baggs called the numbers and I chucked it into the turn accordingly. Thrilling stuff. Warm reception in Morelia zocalo, and, much later, some serious drinking with the English Jaguar boys underneath the arches.

From Puebla to Queretaro

Johnny Tipler — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 04:08:26 +0000

Day 3: Four hard speed stages on serpentine backroads between Puebla and Queretaro today: punishing ascents and fearsome descents, long, long drop offs and not too many with barriers. Sarah calls the grade of corner and I drive it accordingly. Great when you can see right through a series of turns – the 914 turns in beautifully. Long dual carriageway transit sections, steady 120mph, and finally, finally, to the city centre zocalo for more autographs and snapshots amongst milling crowds – and that so welcome Victoria cerveza…. Problems? gear selection, total absence of 1st, sometimes a long brake pedal. Otherwise running like a train.

La Carrera Panamericana 2011

Johnny Tipler — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 04:26:44 +0000

Huatulco:

Day at La Isla hotel Huatulco, fitting seats and harnesses in the 914, cleaning the truck and having a cooling swim before heading down town for registration & medical. Most of the race cars were already in the paddock – said hi to Jochen Mass (interviewed previously for 911 & Porsche World) set to race a Mustang. Dinner in Huatulco zocalo to the strains of Manu Chao. Tech/scrutineering tomorrow.

Final stages of getting the car through ‘tech’ inspection (scrutineering) plus our helmets & race suits checked. Had names sign-written on helmets too – proper souvenir if nothing else! Lots of guys here who I’ve met previously and who are in The Book. Went ‘up-town’ to find a blacksmith who made a bracket to mount the rearview mirror: see pics – then back to hotel for a quick dip, brake-bleed and (hopefully) a test session next. Qualifying tomorrow.

Lengthy meeting for co-pilotos at the Hotel of Dreams last night, followed by lavish nocturnal picnic and welcome at golf club. Gear selection and braking issues decided us not to bother with Qualifying this morning – they allocate you a place whatever, so we spent some time at a VW specialist’s in the Huatulco boondocks getting things tweaked, the thrashing the car up and down the local dual carriageways. Now checked into beach-side hotel. It’s tough going…

Started from Huatulco on the pacific coast yesterday morning, car running OK but lacking first gear, making hill starts tricky. Then one of the rear hubs started rattling and got progressively worse so we cruised after the first two stages till Service. Bill and Jared fixed it, so we could really go for it in the mountain stages. Handles like a big go-kart! Arrived downtown Oaxaca to heroes welcome. Exhillarating! Thousands in fiesta mode. Back to hotel for shower then return to zocalo for meal and daily prizegiving. A lot of cars crashed out early on…
Day 2. Started late, got lost in Oaxaca on Day 2 today, so missed the first 3 stages. Still no 1st gear, selection generally not great, but car handles well. Blasted mountain stages again, incessant corners, Sarah calling the numbers according to severity of turn, able to drive them accordingly. Very exciting. Lots of sheer drop-offs but all a challenge. Tehuacan in full-on Fiesta as we passed thru. Pulled over by four biker cops on Harleys on outskirts of Puebla: there followed a full on police escort downtown, sirens wailing, lights flashing, flat-out, absolutely manic as they waved all other traffic out of our way – one even came off on a cobbled corner so we stopped and picked him up, put him back on the bike, and the madcap dash began all over again! Everyone clamours for autographs and photos with the crews. Fantastic!

Last leg of the journey

Johnny Tipler — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 15:32:12 +0000

We checked out of Oaxaca yesterday morning – an hour after the Coyote Convoy left – and stalled at a student protest (par for the course in Oaxaca), and Jared drove us out onto the incessant twists of the original Carrera Panamericana route towards Huatalco. The further south we got the more humid, with vegetation ever lusher, loads of coconut palms replacing yukka and cacti. More protestors delayed progress by half an hour (and the rest of the convoy by 3 hours, it turned out!) and we hit the winding coast road maybe 100 klicks short of our destination. By now a handful of competition cars was with us, including the Jochen Mass Mustang, passing and re-passing the truck. Checked into La Isla resort hotel and headed for a beach restaurant for man-size Margueritas and red snapper.

Some work to do on the car – in sweltering heat – like my seat fitting so my helmet clears the overhead roll-over bar tubes. Acclimatising to restrictive HANS device as well. Now it starts to get serious…

Down Mexico way

Johnny Tipler — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 04:15:58 +0000

Another all-day session on the road, early doors from San Miguel d’Allende to Oaxaca, via Puebla and Tehuacan. Major truck wreck en route, incomprehensible with wrecked semi truck facing the way it had come, plus tangle of totalled lorries. Amazing mountain scenery, new cacti species. Flagged down a cab to lead us to the Fiesta Inn. Shopping for odds & ends at Costco and Sears over the street from the hotel. Next stop: Huatulco on the Pacific.

Into central Mexico

Johnny Tipler — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 16:51:55 +0000

Left Laredo at dawn, Friday, last rig in the 20-truck Coyote Convoy and never saw them again till San Miguel Allende, 14 hours later, having been pulled over numerous times at checkpoints (Nuevo Laredo, Monterrey, Saltillo, etc), and hauled up at San Luis Potosi for driving on bridges prohibited to trucks ($300 fine).

San Miguel zocalo was in full-on fiesta mode which was fantastic – and the drummer had the same Sonor kit as me! Today’s respite from the confines of the truck sure is welcome. Time to get the stickers on the 914, catch up with blogs, etc.