The 5th Family Fun Rally held by the Amari Rincome Hotel took no
fewer than 45 "crews" on a rural northerly heading on September
8-9th and was a roaring success, even without the superstars.
By Hot Dog
Clerk of the Course Marc Dumur sadly received no entries from Flying
Finns, Colin McRae was testing in Africa and Mitsubishi had run out of
budget.
Maybe they didn't realise that at 3,190b per 2-man crew (including all
meals and overnight stay at the unique Doi Ankhang Resort) this is the
cheapest and best international rally in the world?
International? Of course! Crews assembled from India, UK, Belgium, Japan
and, oh yes, Thailand. Rally? Well, admittedly the only speed test this
year was unofficial - up the 4km of steep hairpins to the Resort itself,
but the driving was brisk-yet-safe and navigators were kept hard at work
with clues, quizzes, a visit to a Museum, dancing with a "Beauty Queen"
in Memalie market, collecting fishing lines from Mae Nat Dam and other
silly things to do amid beautiful countryside.
JUST LIKE THE REAL THING?
Click for larger photograph
Almost! This metal bas relief of a Mitsubishi A6M2 Zero-Sen actually
represents an aircraft of the 64th Sentai, wich was stationed here at Chiangmai.
Framed in dark Thai timber, each piece is numbered and only 1000 pieces
will ever be produced. Made by Thai craftsmen with care.
An impressive lunch was laid on at Lanna Farm, East West Siam Company's
lovely timber lodge, and Channel 7 filmed some amusing antics with and
without the cars. Blissfully cool 20deg temperatures awaited the finishers
on Saturday evening and the dinner presentation by HSH Prince Bhisadej
Rajani was the envy of many real rally drivers.
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Winners Toesak Laksiri and Kullawat
Angkasit scooped some generous awards and 2nd place went to former VW Beetle
rallyman, Matthew Abraham the Indian Consul and his wife Shanti.
Sunday breakfast was followed by visits to the Royal Project or the
army outpost closest to Burma, then carefully down the steep slopes and
home. Only one mechanical casualty and good fun all round. Strongly recommended,
watch this space for the next one…….
Hot
Dog
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