When my wife bought her Bora a few years ago, I registered it on the Volkswagen Australia site, and receive their newsletter and other promotions to my email address, but in my wife's name. I fill in info for promotions etc at times, including recently, a package trip to the WRC (world rally) in Coffs Harbour.

Volkswagen rang my wife late last week to tell her she had won the competition - she was very surprised (mainly because SHE never entered it) - then she saw me waving madly in the background - oops - sprung.

Pretty cool though - we get:
* 1 x nights accommodation for 2 at Opal Cove Resort in Coffs Harbour
* Helicopter & car transfer between the hotel & the event
* Exclusive behind the scenes access to the Volkswagen Motorsport service areas
* View all the trackside action

The original prize also included flights from your nearest capital, but we are closer to Coffs than any capital, so we said we are happy to drive there.

Pretty bloody happy with this. :-)

Got to be happy about that

bloody oath

Long time between entering and winning though
VW obviously draw out the benefits of advertising the competition
Odds must have been terrible of winning

Cool, to save you from being in trouble you could leave the misses at home and I'll go in her place

Good on you Jeff,

Time to get your "good" shorts out of mothballs


Regards,

Matt.

Nice work! I didn't bother entering as I thought the chances would be too small, so I helped you win :p

Have fun

Quote:

Originally posted by Isola Nice work! I didn't bother entering as I thought the chances would be too small, so I helped you win :p Have fun

are you allowed to go bare foot in the pits??

Quote:

Originally posted by Bizarre are you allowed to go bare foot in the pits??

WOW. What a great time. VW certainly looked after us.

Even though our prize included flights to Coffs Harbour from a capital city, it was much quicker for us to drive to Coffs than to drive to Sydney. We were to be at Opel Cove Resort by 4.00pm, but as we were driving, we went up in the morning. VW had left our passes at reception, so we picked them up and I went out to a spectator point on the Bellingen stage, where I had full access to the spectator point (it meant I could cross the road and get out of the dust - and there was heaps of it).

Here is a few photos to give you an idea









and here is some video (click on the picture and it should take you to the video on photobucket)



The spectator point was terrific, with an onsite commentary which let you know who was going through, continually updated results and news from around the course, as well as general fill in info on all things to do with rallying in general.

Getting late, so no I finally have all the photos & footage downloaded, I will update more tomorrow night.

Quick one before I go to work:

I made it back to Opal Cove Resort from the spectator point just in time for a VERY quick clean up, then we were transported into Brelsford Park in the centre of Coffs Harbour in a fleet of T5 Transporters, along with about 8 other prize winners (there was a competition on Facebook where you took a photo with a rally VW rally driver who was in different cities around the country, a channel 10 competition, another one for recent new VW buyers, etc). There, we had entry into a corporate stand where we had an open bar and nibbles. This was right next to the special stage track, so we were right on the action.

These photos aren't very good (it is hard to get a picture of a car with a camera phone as the car zapps past in a second or so), but it gives you an idea of how close to the action we were.







and here is a selfie of Cathy & I. :-)



As if that wasn't enough, after this event, we were transported back to Opal Cove Resort for dinner & wine in the restaurant. It was great to have a chance to yarn to the VW people and the other prize winners before turning in late (after a quick catch up on AVD happenings for the day :-) )

Come on jeff, Cathy looks happy, you look like your bored shirtless, smile man. Wow what a great prize and here I am waiting by the letterbox for my cinema tickets.

Rally Australia didn't seem to get much media coverage. Nothing on the TV news last night, and no mention in the Tele today. The only motorsport mention is the Sandown 500.

But for the record, the winner of the 2013 Rally Australia was Sebastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia in the Volkswagen Motorsport Polo WRC, 1 min 30 sec in front of Thierry Neuville's Ford Fiesta WRC.

Sebastien Ogier and Volkswagen currently lead the WRC's Driver and Manufacturer champiionships, with only three more rallies to come this year. It is unlikely that they will be overtaken from here.

The results so far have been:

Round 1 Monte Carlo - Citroen
Round 2 Sweden - Volkswagen
Round 3 Mexico - Volkswagen
Round 4 Portugal - Volkswagen
Round 5 Argentina - Citroen
Round 6 Acropolis - Volkswagen
Round 7 Italia Sardegna - Volkswagen
Round 8 Finland - Volkswagen
Round 9 Deutschland - Citroen
Round 10 Australia - Volkswagen

Good one jeff!

Spotted you heading thru macksville on Friday.

Seeing these cars at speed on local roads is frightening!! Performance and Commitment is amazing

highlights were on ONE last night Phil

Quote:

Originally posted by donn Wow what a great prize and here I am waiting by the letterbox for my cinema tickets.

So, as soon as all the WRC VW Polos had gone through, it was back into the helicopters and over to another spectator point in a paddock on the Valla stage.









We saw the leading cars come through here. There was some bloody characters here - they had been having a party there for 3 days, and were as funny as a circus.

It was a pretty good place to see the cars though.







and here is another bit of video



I will see if I can post some more later tonight.

So, as soon as all the WRC VW Polos had gone through, it was back into the helicopters and over to another spectator point in a paddock on the Valla stage.









We saw the leading cars come through here. There was some bloody characters here - they had been having a party there for 3 days, and were as funny as a circus.

It was a pretty good place to see the cars though.







and here is another bit of video



I will see if I can post some more later tonight.

I was an official doing SOS on Newry, Nambucca and Shipmans Friday Saturday and Sunday.

You're right Phil, the event will get a lot more coverage overseas than it will here though there was a fair bit on Speed (Fox). I think they would be a little let down by the number of spectators. Other than the powerstage in Coffs central there werent that many people about. Shipmans was a great location with a jump and water splash but there would have been less than 100 people there. No commodores or falcons I guess. Will have to get a consortium together to build a V8 super polo for bathurst. Perhaps a W8 could squeeze in the rules.

Here are my pics http://s1069.photobucket.com/user/amazeer/library/WRC 

Work keeps getting in the way of my AVD time. :-(

After the top cars (mainly, all the VW Polos) went through the Valla spectator point, we were back in the hilicopters



and a flight into Nambucca Heads, landing on the school oval.

This is Cathy & I in the chopper



and some more photos taken on the flight







We were driven from Nambucca Heads back to the VW pits in Coffs Harbour in the T5s, and had lunch in the VW pits with some of the VW pit crew people. As were were finishing eating, the Polos started to arrive, pretty much next to where we were eating.



I will try & post the last bit later this morning, when I get up.

We went over to where the VW Polos were being serviced (it was a 30 minute service) and were behind the pit barrier - about 2m from the first car (not over in the public 'cattle class' - they were about 15m away) - talk about close to the action.



In that 30 minute service, they had the front & back bumpers off the car, all the wheels off, the skidplate off, checked EVERYTHING, did a wheel alignment, cleaned everything (blowing dust etc. out with air, washing, wiping) then fitted new skid plate, new bumpers, new wheels & tires - all the time watching a pair of big digital clocks counting down the time until they had to be out - then drivers in and out to the control point right on time. Fantastic to watch.







While the cars were being serviced by the pit crew, the drivers had lunch etc. When Sebastian & Julian came in, they stopped in where we were & signed autographs for us & had photos taken with us. It was so cool.

There was a lady from Devil Ark at Barrington Tops (near Gloucester - they are breeding Tasmanian Devils free of the disease that is plaguing them in Tasmania) who had a Tasmanian Devil and was showing Sebastian. It was so cool to see one close up. Sebastian was quite taken with it - some suggested he could take it with him in the glove box, but he didn't think it would like it in the rally car lol.





Once the 3 VW Polos had gone back out, we could go for a wander around the showground area, and be back in an hour for a tour of the VW pit.

We returned, and were given a tour of the pits by the VW pit crew chief. He went through what they did to the vehicles at the different services and how the pit crew was organised & worked, as well as the equipment they had and how it is transported etc. He then showed us a lot of the spare parts etc. that they had, and explained how all that is also packed and transported. He was saying that everything would be back in Europe by Tuesday, after the rally finished on Sunday.

It is a VERY impressive, professional, well organised & run operation. It is a shame some of our local dealers don't get a few lessons from here, both in servicing & sales departments. These pit guys all knew exactly what they were doing and how to do it.

After the tour of the VW pit, it back into the T5s and back to Opal Cove Resort for farewells etc.

Then came the hard decision: our pass to the rally would get us into all the stadium action and spectator points for the rest of the rally if we got some accommodation and stayed, or, we could go home, go to my nephews birthday party that night, and go to the Comboyne Village Fair with our VW people on the Sunday (I had been pushing everyone to attend this, so I really should go).

After what almost amounted to a coin toss, we decided on the latter course of action. It turned out to be a good choice. My nephews birthday cake was lovely, the Comboyne Village Fair was excellent as usual, and I won a trophy for the bug - 110% effort - I think it was a bit of an open category lol. At least I got to line up for a photo with the winner.



So, with the one bug over a few days it was:
* Thursday night - unhook the tool trailer, take all the tools out of the car, remove rubber floor mats etc, put 'good' carpet in front and give it a bit of a vacuum so Cathy would travel in it.
* Friday morning - drive up the highway to Coffs with our gear and book in to Opal Cove Resort.
* Friday during the day - go out into the forestry to spectator points to watch the rally - bug REALLY dusty by now.
* Friday evening and most of Saturday - Parked up at Opal Cove Resort while we were chauffeured around by VW in T5s & helicopters.
* Saturday afternoon - drive back down the highway to Port Macquarie.
* Later Saturday afternoon - a quick wash & vacuum of the bug before my nephew's birthday party, ready for the car show at the Comboyne Village Fair.
* Sunday morning - drive in convoy up to Comboyne & register & park in the car show - Comboyne Car Club Capers.
* A little later Sunday morning - Take part in the procession of cars through the village of Comboyne.
* Sunday - park back at the show & take part in the Car Club Capers (small inter car club event - blind driving, reversing, missing 'potholes' etc, - all skill based but fun).
* Sunday afternoon - park up with car show winners & get trophy.
* Later Sunday afternoon - Drive back to Port Macquarie, remove 'good' carpet from front, replace rubber floor mats etc, re-load tools into the car, and hook up tool trailer ready for work in the morning.

My bug certainly works hard, but after seeing how hard VW work their rally staff and cars, things haven't really changed that much in some ways.

Top show Jeff, thanks for the comentary, that brings it all together for us commoners.

So, so , so cool!

I don't know which would be better - a ride in a WRC car or the helicopter filming.
Jebus that pilot earns his money! Or is paid to have the best job on earth.