Mini Team is 2016 STV Rally winner!

computed times vs speed tables.

We were just warming up when we were checkpoint. This didn’t happen before and it caught us off guard! We incurred about 36 seconds delay in checking in and accrued the same number of demerits. Our rally didn’t start well and we all had to adjust our timing together!

Best to worse

After a few more kilometers and checkpoints, we were able to get our bearings and adjusted our technique accordingly. We knew we were getting better and soon, we posted 2 perfect times in checkpoints 5 & 6. We were so happy and knew we

However, this sudden elation might have let our guard down. Since it was technical course, we steered near the I assumed that there will be no more checkpoints before that and when we came to the end, it showed that it was checkpoint 8 and we missed no. 7!

I noticed that the perfect time was only a minute and 20 seconds away so it must have been quite close. We decided to go penalized with maximum demerits of 300 for both checkpoints 7 & 8. We found the missing checkpoint and it previously as checkpoint no. 1. This was never done before and we learned a new thing again.

Our teammates in Mini # 23 of Rommel Regino, Jojo Uligan and Henry Buenconsejo did well and won checkpoints 7 & 8 with the lowest demerits posted. Mini #37 of Dante Gozum, Charles Tan and Alain Solivet, and Car 46 of Jeff Lizardo, Roy Galve and Janferds Balois reported no problems and didn’t get lost. This turned out to be a great morning leg for the team as the other team members were stepping up, too.

Winner takes all

After lunch, previous champions of the Subaru Team Eric Valera, Elbert Cuenca, Monch Gupit and their seasoned crew told us that they also got lost in the morning leg. This made us on even level and we knew the Beta or afternoon leg will determine the winner!

would be very different from the morning leg. The teams had to go through the National roads out of Subic base and into the small secondary roads of Dinalupihan town. This will also get into the SCTEX highway and it will be a long drive.

Right away, we took perfect time in checkpoint 1 and gave us a great start. However, when we got out of Subic and into the back roads, we encountered 2 burial long time. The problem was that we were onwards didn’t experience it.

In the end, the organizers said that they will not cancel the checkpoint with the procession and we were going to be penalized for being late along with the

We had to work harder and do better. We responded with perfect times in checkpoints 4 and 6. We knew we had done well enough to be in the top 3 for the individual awards but we didn’t expect much for the team award as we had no feedback of the others’ times.

At the end of the leg, our teammates recalled their problems and the worse hit was car 23. They missed 2 checkpoints others were ok and didn’t get lost but had no actual times to report. The awarding ceremonies would be after a week and so we all waited for the results anxiously.

Surprise, surprise

When the winners were read at the Valle Verde Country Club, we were surprised that the organizers announced the two Subaru cars in 2nd and 3rd places for the Individual awards. Then they called our Mini #9 for the top Individual Championship and we couldn’t believe it! They also announced that Mini Team won the Corporate Team Award too and we were over the moon!

The newly formed Ford team came in 2nd and the hardworking Isuzu team in 3rd. The highly respected Subaru team had a big problem with one of its cars and this took a great event and we are now a marked team for this year’s STV Rally. We hope to defend the crown this May and also promote TSD Rallies to everyone. Godspeed and see you in our next adventure!