Crane Rally Crew

the Crane rally web page? Honestly didnt know it existed.

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First Rally: 2010 First RallyX: 2004 (a bunch)
Driver (0), Co-Driver (7)
Organizer (3), Volunteer (3)
Cars Built (2.5), Engines Blown (2) Cages Built (0) # of rotations (3.5)
Last Updated, Apr 9, 2023

site looks good!

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what could go wrong?

Quote
acrane
WRC Mexico 2013

Do people read this stuff?
CraneRallyCrew.com

As a suggestion (if it is allowed on RallyAnarchy) put the link in your signature. I never even knew either.

CraneRallyCrew makes it into another Contour promotional video!



Head to the team web site to see the full write up!

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"I put the hurt on dirt" - adam crane
http://CraneRallyCrew.com
corolla gt-s "Patches"
Op: S.S.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/29/2012 10:45PM by acrane.

Ha! That's awesome.

Roll over Panda, roll over

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Zap zap my ass...

The Crane Rally Crew is Saving Money for a Mega WRC Mexico Fiesta next year!
What does this mean for you, the adoring fans, of the CRC?
It means that Patches won't be competing.
The Purple Panda after it's Canadian roll should be repaired in time. Look for video of that process on the blog.

It's a shame, and in a way I feel like this is the rally just beating us in a different way. We've had mixed results at the Oregon national event.
The car and crew are basically ready to go. Patches needs a new set of seatbelts, and some quick maintenance.

Anyone want to rent Patches for Oregon?

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"I put the hurt on dirt" - adam crane
http://CraneRallyCrew.com
corolla gt-s "Patches"
Op: S.S.

I'm just going to put these Contour time-lapse videos up in Chronological order here.
CraneRallyCrew.com will get a blog post about this eventually, but in the spirit of Anarchy, I'm spreading the team anouncmetns around.
Dustin's Repair: (i've got the last parts, he's got footage of the first bits.)


Thanks to Robert for coming to visit, then spending the entire day banging.
speaking of Banging, if your computer doesn't have a subwoofer, your missing one of the best tracks from 1996's seminal albums 'BEST OF TECHNO BASS - VOLUME TWO'

The first of Hatches:



Every part of a build is the fun part, but stripping the chassis seems to take the least time.

Second of Hatches:



I chipped the corner of the windshield with the serrated knife. whoops.

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"I put the hurt on dirt" - adam crane
http://CraneRallyCrew.com
corolla gt-s "Patches"
Op: S.S.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/14/2012 03:12PM by acrane.

There is a new fun-post at CraneRallyCrew.com
most of the in-car video I grabbed from OTR is up on the contour site with GPS data,
Wanna compare Cody crane on Fir-mountain to The Hintz BMW?
wanna compare Hintz on pass one, against Hintz on pass two (before their throttle broke?)
http://contour.com/users/acrane

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"I put the hurt on dirt" - adam crane
http://CraneRallyCrew.com
corolla gt-s "Patches"
Op: S.S.

The 2012 Idaho Rally is next weekend, and boy are we excited! The Crane Rally Crew’s last race was the crazy snow filled adventure called the Big White Rally. If you live in a place that has seasons, you know that snow happens in the winter. Winter was a long time ago, and we’ve missed the fun of racing our rally cars. The Oregon Trail Rally was just a few weeks ago, and I went to help crew, take photos, and hang out with my rally pals, but it’s not the same as strapping in and putting the pedal down against your fast friends. There were a couple of reasons for missing Oregon including the Purple Panda’s snowy roll, and the ongoing preparation of ‘Hatches’ for WRC Mexico next year. It’s finally time to race.

Idaho Rally has been a favorite of the Crew. The roads are amazing, the organization is great, and they care about everyone who takes part, from the volunteers, to the service crews. You can read about our experiences last year -here-. The roads remind me of my eastern Washington youth; smooth, with good sight lines, and variety of turns and elevation. Dick Rockrohr and the whole group of organizers have been growing and improving the event each time we race. Speaking of ‘growth’ this year there are more competitors than ever! 49 car teams, ~20 of them 2wd. There are a bunch of crazies racing in UTVs, ATVs, and Motorcycles too. Carl’s Cycle in Boise, and Larry Miller Subaru sponsor the event.

The Crane Rally Crew is ready to Race! I’ve had a fun few weekends dusting of ‘Patches’ the Corolla for what may be his last race (really?). Updating the safety gear, and counting my old tires are where my prep has stopped. Dustin has had a fun few months repairing the Purple Panda. A new hood, fenders, headlights, bumper, frame, suspension, radiator hose, body moulding, alignment . . . hmm, I’ll stop there. A race is what we’ll have. If Dustin in the Panda can put the power down, he’ll be a podium contender.

We look forward to the weekend, follow us on Twitter @PandaCraneRally

He’re a video shot from last year’s event to whet your appetite.video: http://contour.com/stories/idaho-rally-2011-crane-rally-crew-stage-7-gps-window
And a classic!

-go to cranerallycrew.com for links to the video.

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"I put the hurt on dirt" - adam crane
http://CraneRallyCrew.com
corolla gt-s "Patches"
Op: S.S.

The Crane Rally Crew has ended their long off-season with a mid-pack finish at the 2012 Idaho Rally. Adam and Britta in #742 'Patches' were 5th in class, while Dustin and Jeff in the #206 'Purple Panda' managed 8th. The Idaho Rally was a perfect event to come back to. The organisation was excellent, the roads were great, and the competition was top notch. 39 cars entered, 15 of them in the 2wd class. Regulars from the NW like Dave Clark, Jason Staats, were joined by Sean Lane, Michel Hoche-Mong and several other competitors from down south.

While the event and competitors were prepared for us, we weren't ready for them. 'Patches' got a bit of cleaning and love, but I came down with a cold that had me feverish and snotty all weekend. The Purple Panda got some new body work, but was missing some power from the engine, which had only a quick shakedown before the event.

The Olympus Rally is next on the calendar, but it's a long ways off, in September. Look for more refinement from your classy pals in the CraneRallyCrew.

Videos are up Here: http://contour.com/users/acrane

See http://www.IdahoRally.com and CraneRallyCrew.com for more info

Stg 1 the stage was canceled, it was very slick, snowing.
Stg 2 warm up
Stg 3 We were Passed on stage by Garth in his red SAAB 96. We spun out twice on the slick roads. ~14min into the video.
Stg 4 Keep an eye out for the bottom of Sean Lane's Dodge Neon, after the summit of the stage.
Stg 5 Look for Mike Goodwin and Dan Norkus with their wrecked Subaru near the beginning of the stage.
Stg 6 Drift Show! Harris downhill
Stg 7 Brian Scott in the beautiful Datsun nosed off of one of the blind crests in this stage. @2:55
Stg 8 We almost take the 'right 4' as a 'Right 6 - into tree' at the beginning of the stage. @0:50
Stg 9
Stg 10
Stg 11 Drift Show!

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"I put the hurt on dirt" - adam crane
http://CraneRallyCrew.com
corolla gt-s "Patches"
Op: S.S.

We put a new post and video up at CraneRallyCrew.com in honor of '86 Day

most important part? (not that i'm a perfectionist but)

I’d like to point to this other great blog and a post about a Norwegian with his own huge passion for Toyotas. His goal a finishing a car for a big event is something I can relate to. My favorite part (other than how cool his car looks) is his 80/20 concept; “If you are going to make something 100 percent perfect, it will require 100 percent of your time. But if you turn down your standards just a notch and make it 80 percent perfect, which is still pretty good, it will require only 20 percent of your time”

http://www.speedhunters.com/2012/08/fredric-aasbo-on-86-day-the-angry-bird/

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"I put the hurt on dirt" - adam crane
http://CraneRallyCrew.com
corolla gt-s "Patches"
Op: S.S.

OLYMPUS RALLY TO BE 2WD AMAZEBALLS!!! - by Dustin from http://CraneRallyCrew.com

Hello Rally friends. The weekend of Olympus, September 22 and 23rd, is upon us, and set to be an incredible race. Last year’s Open Unlimited class winner David Higgins is returning with a healthy lead in the championship. Ken Block, one of the only Americans in history to score points in the WRC championship is bringing his 2012 Ford Fiesta. While the Open class may be roaring their way through the hills of Shelton this year, let’s get to the most exciting thing about Olympus, this year has the most exciting 2WD line up you will probably ever see in a Rally America Event. Below I am going to go over the competitors I know and tell you what I know about them. If I miss some it’s only because I don’t know enough about them, so be sure to check out the spectator guide as well as the entry list here to pick your favorite.


TEAM PANDA-CRANE: Who would I be if I didn’t talk about us first? Adam Crane is busy building Corolla Rally Car 2.5, Hatches. In the meantime Patches, as always, is running like the pieced together monster it is, and will be bringing all 114HP to Olympus with Adam’s incredible piloting with it. The Purple Panda suffered a friendly cliff dive through a tree into a roll last winter, but has a new front end, brand new 2.5” exhaust for the 20V to breathe through, and is ready to roll. Dustin is hoping that the configuration is finally in a stable place and will hold the car together long enough to finally put his arch nemesis Dave Clark firmly in his rear view mirror.

DAVE CLARK: Speaking of Arch Nemesis. Dave Clark is an extraordinarily talented driver in a pretty new 1985 Toyota Celica. This will be the third race for Dave Clark in this new car built by Barrett Dash. He has plans to drop a turbo 1ZZ in this car soon, so this may be Dustin’s last chance to beat him before he has a real motor on his hands. Keep a close eye on Dave, he’s a textbook case of driving talent making low power go fast. Also, his wife Jenatte is by far the brains of this group.

WILL ORDERS: Talk about power. Will’s 1989 Silvia is packing a turbo and he has no qualms using it to project him and his car to victory. He’s already shown what he and his car are capable of, squeaking a 2WD victory out of the hands of the capable ACP at Oregon Trail and coming in 4th overall. This man from Australia is to be feared and admired, if your eyes can’t catch him coming by, make sure and listen to the sweet turbo music echo through the hills.

ANDREW COMRIE-PICARD: ACP as he’s known is currently in second place in the nation for 2WD. He’s got a turbo Scion xD. He’s an experienced, talented driver with a record to prove it. Look for an epic battle between him, Chris Duplessis and Will Orders for the win here at Olympus.

CHRIS DUPLESSIS: Chris has instructed at both Dirt Fish Rally and Team O’neil schools. He has spent the last year racing at the WRC Academy level. He has a healthy lead in the 2WD class and looks to keep it here at Olympus. Chris is fast, and well-known here in the Northwest.

DILLON VAN WAY: Dillon is a 2WD staple in Rally America. He is the 2009 2WD champion. He’s a young driver with a lot of talent. If he can keep the axles in one piece look for him to do well.

TOM BURRESS: Tom Burress is wicked fast. His turbo Golf has plenty of power, and he drives it like a man with no concerns. Lucky for his brother and co-driver Don, he is also extremely talented. Sadly the turbo power proved too much for the gearbox at last year’s Olympus and Tom blew it up besides a few of the higher gears. He’s got a new gearbox this year and it should hold out much better. Tom is my wildcard bet for the winner of 2WD at Olympus this year. Tom also gave me a ticket once, I forgive you Tom.

BRIAN GOTLEIB: Brian Gotleib has been getting quicker and quicker the more I see him. He’s got a sweet Civic and an even sweeter service rig. Chat this guy up in the pits if you’re interested in all there is to Privateering a team.

KRIS DAHL: I don’t know a lot about Kris, but I believe his Dad and him have been rallying for a while now. He’s got a very solid Civic that always looks clean. Look for a solid quick finish in Olympia.

GARTH ANKENY: Garth has an awesome ’69 Saab 96, and you won’t believe how fast he can make it move. You’ll find Garth at just about any event in the Northwest. If you need tires he’s your guy. In all reality he is the guy to go to for anything car building wise, because he knows everyone. Classic Rally for the win.

DAVE HINTZ: Dave has one of the first BMW M3’s I have seen rally in the Northwest. He’s like a Mathematician behind the wheel. Clean lines, clean car, clean race.

BARRETT DASH: Barrett will build a car, Barrett will race a car. Come talk to him if you are interested in building a rally car. Look for consistently fast times in his Mazda 3, which was used by Dave Henderson last year in the Pacific Northwest to crush the 2WD competition.

JOHN REED: John Reed sucks. And by that I mean he is awesome, and his car is awesome. As far as I know this is the first rally Corolla to get a Beams 3SGE swap. Adam is currently working one into the new car, and needless to say, there is jealousy that he is getting it done. Really can’t wait to see this car.

NATE TENNIS: Nate Fing Tennis. This man makes a Saab look like a damn Porsche out there. Tennis has been teaching at Dirt Fish recently, and it is great to see him out again. Look for some scary speed coming from him.

SEAN MEDCROFT: Sean Medcroft decided to use all 250HP of his Ford Merkur at last year’s Olympus rally and a tree moved his cage two inches inside the car. While he may have learned his lesson, his wife and co-driver quickly made him forget, and so another Ford was born. Sean is a great driver, and definitely someone to talk to about rallying. When it comes to consistent quality in a rally car, Sean is king. His cars are well thought out, solid, and built strong.

BRYAN WATSON: If my memory serves me correct, my first memory of Bryan was at Mt Hood 2010, where he managed to roll his VW into oblivion. Well now he is back with a Rabbit, and a turbo the size of Wiscaaaaaaanson. If the manifold bolts manage to hold the turbo on, look to see that bright green monster flying. This car laughs in the face of 16 valves.

EDWARD MCNELLY: I don’t know him, I’ve never met him. But he is here with a Fiesta R2. Come say hi to me Edward. Look for him to do well.

DERIK NELSON: Deep in the mountains of the Dirt Fish Rally School, a cloud has been cast over the 2WD rally world. Rumors are Derik Nelson has a BMW M3 within 100 lbs of the minimum weight limit for it’s engine. This is the first time you will see this car, this will not be the last.

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"I put the hurt on dirt" - adam crane
http://CraneRallyCrew.com
corolla gt-s "Patches"
Op: S.S.

new post with the wrap up and a photo or two is at CraneRallyCrew.com

Howdy,

Thanks to the Organizers and Volunteers of the 2012 Olympus Rally, who, despite the fire danger and lack of spectators, gave us some long, fun, days of rally.

In case you were wondering, both Dustin in the Purple Panda, and ‘Patches’ with Britta and I, finished both days of the Rally. How did we do? There is a nifty results tabulator that can show you the 2wd stage results, which we think is better than sliced bread. – Three things to note, 1. Both Dustin and I ran out of gas on Stage 5. 2. Add 30 seconds to my time on Stage 3 (timing error in our favor- doesn’t affect our class results, does make us look like rockstars) 3. Stages 8 and 9 were canceled due to dust.

Did we have anything else to report? Sure. Volvo wheels are weak. Dustin bent at least 2 wheels, destroying both tires. I bent a wheel too. We’re hoping to find some budget to buy some wheels from these guys: BraidUSA.com. – I also owe Al Kun a fancy rally wheel for letting me borrow a spare wheel.

The next event is less than a month away! Mt Hood Rally will be down in Oregon on Oct 20th. ‘Patches’ is for rent, but Dustin is going to try and dominate like I did last year.

There are other stories to share, along with in-car videos and fun pictures. We’ll add them next week. Click Here to find our Olympus Videos

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"I put the hurt on dirt" - adam crane
http://CraneRallyCrew.com
corolla gt-s "Patches"
Op: S.S.

Nice videos! I like how the Contour maps out your rout, pretty neat! I will have to check out their cameras. I'm really interested in a remote record switch that could be put in the cabin within reach of me or the navi. Don't know if thety offer that, it would be a plus if so.

Cris - Check out their newest Camera the +2
http://contour.com/products/contour-plus-2

I tend to push the Contours pretty hard.
After this rally, I'm going to turn up the internal mic just a little bit.
on the night video, you have to turn it up LOUD to hear britta.
Luckily, I can Change levels over the android app on my phone. (on the GPS and/or the plus camera)

The newest one should have the remote start.
Did you get any video of your car at OLY?
wanna borrow a Contour for MT hood?

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"I put the hurt on dirt" - adam crane
http://CraneRallyCrew.com
corolla gt-s "Patches"
Op: S.S.