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Old 16th August 2011, 14:09   #16
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Re: TPC2011 - Event Report

Quote:
Originally Posted by headers View Post
I beg to disagree to the above GS - The vehicles that were setup properly did not have breakdown issues at all .


The THARs performed better than my expectations, - But without AC and hardtop, they seemed to struggle!!
Vikram - Purely going by statistics...the Gypsy took a beating at TPC'11.

Vijay Reddy's team was wiped out because the Gypsy clutch burnt out in two vehicles.

Swastik Viji's team had a busted transfer case in one vehicle AND a bent front axle housing in another vehicle.

Khan Sultan's vehicle had a bent rear axle housing by Day-2

Guhan's gypsy burnt it's clutch on the first day. Broke a leaf spring later in the same day. Some other vehicles had broken leaf springs as well on Day-1 and Day-2.

A few other broken bits and bobs on some of the other competing vehicles.

I think Jeep's are more resilient to hard knocks and landings. To my eyes, Mansoor and Javeen's driving was a bit too fast for the terrain but AFAIK there were no breakages on his Jeep.

During the wait between Team's 2-1 and 2-2 departing SS-2 on Day-2, Arka and I had a very interesting discussion about Jeep vs. Gypsy and FFRA vs. SFRA and the possibility of using MM550 Army axles on a Gypsy.
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Old 16th August 2011, 14:09   #17
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Re: TPC2011 - Event Report

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Originally Posted by khan_sultan View Post
Siddu, with a 100% bone stock gypsy, recorded the fastest time in the individual SS -- and that too in almost dark with headlights on.

Prithvi, with open diff, got the 3rd most performing 4WD award
Wow, that's a relief. As increasing number of vehicles are going for lockers, one starts wondering whether SSs are geared towards locker equipped vehicles.
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Old 16th August 2011, 14:13   #18
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Re: TPC2011 - Event Report

Congratulations to Organizers, Participants & Winners.

I Missed another opportunity! to experience TPC.

Cheers
Sunil

Last edited by hisunil : 16th August 2011 at 14:23.
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Old 16th August 2011, 14:29   #19
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Pics Day#1 SS1 Part 2

Hi Guys,

The Second set of pics from Day#1SS1.

Regards,

Arka
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Old 16th August 2011, 14:52   #20
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Re: TPC2011 - Event Report

Dear Arka & the entire O-Team,

Congratulation to Arka and the O-Team , for the victorious TPC 2011 !!!

As rightly mentioned in the TPC punch line, Were the tough gets seasoned.
It’s indeed the toughest event in the country. The kind of heat and humidity one has to experience for continues two days is too much for the first timers and people from other part of the country. And on top of it driving on the sand, with over heated engines was something to experience on.

Appreciate the entire team for all the organization, right from the stay to food, basic facilities, choosing the trail, transport section and other support extended to the participants. Good job!

Trail (Special Stages & Transport section)

The selection of special stage and the transport section were just right, and specially the format of the special stage and transport section, were most of the team to open the SS at the same time and drive to the next designated SS.
None of the team had to wait for their turn for long and all of us could reach the base camp early.

Few observations and suggestions

1. The high light of TPC is the two days of drive, completing 12 special stages and 2 technical SS. Hence all the first three best team should have been recognized and called on to the stage for the prize. Not getting sponsors for 2nd and 3rd runner up's was silly excuse.

2. Bonus points: This was one gray area, which I think none of us had any clue how it was getting calculated. We were zapped, when the 2nd day bonus point was only 40, and that was day, we were before time and the one to complete all the SS before many teams.
Suggestion: Transport section points shouldnt have been calculated for the final tally as it’s the drive on the Special Stage which was important, it would have been better, if the bonus points or negative points were calculated, based on the time taken to complete the SS and number of time the vehicle getting winched out by the team.

3. The trail had advantage on Gypsy over Jeeps; hence it would have been better to incorporate few more jeep obstacles to even out the competition for all kinds of vehicles.

4. Scrutiny of the vehicles should have been mandatory, and marshals should check if the seat beats were on before the start of the SS. As one major incident could pour water on all the efforts what you guys have been doing for the last few years. And above all that, people safety is the most important factor no matter what.

5. The Special Stage alotment to the team should have been through lots, as we experienced, people who opened the Special Stage like day 1 SS-5 and day two SS-2 had major disadvantage, as they were next to impossible SS for first few teams, and later the obstacles were at least doable.
Really should thank Kurien (Kottayam Jeeper) in his land cruiser, which made the tail easier for many of us.



I personally enjoyed the entire event right from the drive from Bangalore to the two full days of hectic drive on Special Stage and transport section even the stay in the tent.
Our team (Swastikviji / Rajesh and myself) thanks for the superb team coordination and work during the event. We did really well!!!

Would like to appreciate Sidhu for that superb drive in team and individual SS in a stock gypsy with HT tyres. You are too good dude.

Khan, your vehicle and drive is something else. Spidey rocks.

I would like to thank and appreciate Swastikviji, for the tremendous amount of effort put in right from the formation of the team, getting the vehicles prepared and putting all the lazsy bunch of BODA members together for the event.
Viji sir: Thank you.

Arka: Will look forward for the next year one with more excitement and competitiveness.

Good Luck

Last edited by GTO : 16th August 2011 at 20:36. Reason: No more than 2 smileys per post please
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Old 16th August 2011, 15:00   #21
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Re: TPC2011 - Event Report

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Originally Posted by gsferrari View Post
Vikram - Purely going by statistics...the Gypsy took a beating at TPC'11.
Not At All - It was the ill-prepared teams that took a beating! I know of teams that changed clutches 2 days before the event just to be 10000% sure

Quote:
Originally Posted by gsferrari View Post
Vijay Reddy's team was wiped out because the Gypsy clutch burnt out in two vehicles.
Thats 100% driver error IMO

Quote:
Originally Posted by gsferrari View Post
Swastik Viji's team had a busted transfer case in one vehicle AND a bent front axle housing in another vehicle.
Comments reserved!

Quote:
Originally Posted by gsferrari View Post
Khan Sultan's vehicle had a bent rear axle housing by Day-2
Comments reserved!

Quote:
Originally Posted by gsferrari View Post
Guhan's gypsy burnt it's clutch on the first day. Broke a leaf spring later in the same day. Some other vehicles had broken leaf springs as well on Day-1 and Day-2.
No comments

Quote:
Originally Posted by gsferrari View Post
A few other broken bits and bobs on some of the other competing vehicles.

I think Jeep's are more resilient to hard knocks and landings. To my eyes, Mansoor and Javeen's driving was a bit too fast for the terrain but AFAIK there were no breakages on his Jeep.
Thats preparation my friend - Mansoor is not new to TPC and has had his fair share in the earlier years!

Quote:
Originally Posted by gsferrari View Post
During the wait between Team's 2-1 and 2-2 departing SS-2 on Day-2, Arka and I had a very interesting discussion about Jeep vs. Gypsy and FFRA vs. SFRA and the possibility of using MM550 Army axles on a Gypsy.
^^ Two distinguished gentlemen and their distinguished conservation - OMG!!


Whats your opinions on the Gypsies that DID NOT BREAK ANYTHING?

Last edited by headers : 16th August 2011 at 15:01.
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Old 16th August 2011, 15:17   #22
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Re: TPC2011 - Event Report

Quote:
Originally Posted by gsferrari View Post
Vikram - Purely going by statistics...the Gypsy took a beating at TPC'11.

Vijay Reddy's team was wiped out because the Gypsy clutch burnt out in two vehicles.

Swastik Viji's team had a busted transfer case in one vehicle AND a bent front axle housing in another vehicle.

Khan Sultan's vehicle had a bent rear axle housing by Day-2

Guhan's gypsy burnt it's clutch on the first day. Broke a leaf spring later in the same day. Some other vehicles had broken leaf springs as well on Day-1 and Day-2.

A few other broken bits and bobs on some of the other competing vehicles.

I think Jeep's are more resilient to hard knocks and landings. To my eyes, Mansoor and Javeen's driving was a bit too fast for the terrain but AFAIK there were no breakages on his Jeep.

During the wait between Team's 2-1 and 2-2 departing SS-2 on Day-2, Arka and I had a very interesting discussion about Jeep vs. Gypsy and FFRA vs. SFRA and the possibility of using MM550 Army axles on a Gypsy.
GS -

for Jeeps on day 1 SS 5,

One Axle, One oil sump broken.

On day2 SS 5

One axle, one drive shaft and one tyre ripped.

remember this is just in one SS.

I don't know about the others. I agree with Vikram. It is the driver that matters.
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Old 16th August 2011, 15:24   #23
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Re: TPC2011 - Event Report

Quote:
Originally Posted by gsferrari View Post
Khan Sultan's vehicle had a bent rear axle housing by Day-2.
This is an exception, rather a fall out of some additional mods which are being tried out.

Quote:
Originally Posted by robinson.s View Post
Would like to appreciate Sidhu for that superb drive in team and individual SS in a stock gypsy with HT tyres. You are too good dude.
Correction again, its geolander AT tyres

Quote:
Originally Posted by headers View Post
Whats your opinions on the Gypsies that DID NOT BREAK ANYTHING?
Bone stock gypsy that came right from the garage, never been trialed with a freshly overhauled engine (BLR to Palar was run in for the vehicle) did it without any fuss. Oh it has geolander at tyres and took home the fastest award for the individual competition thingy. ^^^^ Small correction it has dog bone shackle and snorkle.

You need clean vehicle, great drivers who understand the terrain and drive/gun it. That is the key to surviving palar. Bone stock would do 95%, rest 5% would need some trick bits. That is what i feel.
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Old 16th August 2011, 15:24   #24
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Re: TPC2011 - Event Report

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Whats your opinions on the Gypsies that DID NOT BREAK ANYTHING?
Either they skipped certain obstacles (SS3 Day-2 for example ) or they had the fortune of arriving at the "faadu" SS's after a few teams had already passed through.

For example - the drivers who did the Individual SS first had a massive disadvantage of virgin terrain, steeper climbs and the usual first-up disadvantage that goes with the territory. This is like qualifying in F1 in the past...the drivers who managed to sneak in a lap right at the end of the session usually go faster thanks to all the rubber laid out on the track. In the case of TPC, the first 3-4 teams have a difficult time of it...but teams that come afterwards are presented with shallow climbs and worn out ruts/displaced rocks, much easier in other words.

This is again one of the main reasons why the best times in the individual SS were set towards the end...low light conditions notwithstanding.

I don't want to take away anything from these teams but perhaps next year we will use the random system of picking your starting slot out of a bucket with chits with team numbers written on it.
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Old 16th August 2011, 16:00   #25
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Re: TPC2011 - Event Report

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5. The Special Stage alotment to the team should have been through lots, as we experienced, people who opened the Special Stage like day 1 SS-5 and day two SS-2 had major disadvantage, as they were next to impossible SS for first few teams, and later the obstacles were at least doable
Hi Robinson,

If I understand this point correctly, then it wouldn't matter whether the allotment was random or by lots. For whichever team that will do SS-5 day one, it is going to be hard. That is the nature of the terrain.

To equalize this is why we had concurrent multiple starts. All teams had a chance to open their SS's on day 1 or day 2 (except maybe for team 1-2 since they had 3 teams on SS1. Even that was decided by toss.)

Now whether a said SS was harder to open on the next one is purely based on the spot the SS was located.
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Old 16th August 2011, 16:08   #26
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Re: TPC2011 - Event Report

Its not just black and white.

Starting first has its plus and minus if you ask me, depending on the terrain. Some places the terrain gets so dug up that the run up becomes very difficult, especially for light vehicles (will start bouncing up and down). On some other, the obstacle itself becomes so bad that chances of vehicle breaking and getting beached increases.

For egs second day headers SS that rock climb became close to impossible for the stock gypsies after few teams attempted it right in front of us. Only thing that saved us was our decision that we would do a walking recce before attempting.

We had heard that Arka's second day SS was a hell for opening. On reaching there i understood from the marshals that the trick was not rip through the water, which will get you stuck. Crawling worked well for all of us if you ask me, oh and the last climb was totally messed up and at an angle with a nice boulder in between. It was sheer luck that it got dislodged by spidey's tyres that the stock gypsies could climb without hurting itself.

Similarly during individual event the loose sand was equally challenging and vehicles were getting stuck left right and center. Only the skill and speed ensured that the fast runs happened well.

In short there is no absolute answer if its advantageous or not. Just my observations.
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Old 16th August 2011, 16:12   #27
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Re: TPC2011 - Event Report

Did any of the Thars breakdown?
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Old 16th August 2011, 16:16   #28
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Re: TPC2011 - Event Report

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Did any of the Thars breakdown?
I dont think any of them broke down. To be very honest they are not that bad at palar, only that Palar is not a terrain suited for IFS (SS i meant) and moreover the drivers were first timers in palar?
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Old 16th August 2011, 16:31   #29
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Re: TPC2011 - Event Report

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Hi Robinson,

If I understand this point correctly, then it wouldn't matter whether the allotment was random or by lots. For whichever team that will do SS-5 day one, it is going to be hard. That is the nature of the terrain.

To equalize this is why we had concurrent multiple starts. All teams had a chance to open their SS's on day 1 or day 2 (except maybe for team 1-2 since they had 3 teams on SS1. Even that was decided by toss.)

Now whether a said SS was harder to open on the next one is purely based on the spot the SS was located.

Bala,
The suggestion was only to make sure; everyone starts with the clean slate during the SS allotment and during flag off when it’s the team whoz going to pick from the lot for the SS. So whatever may be the advantage or disadvantage, it will be through the participants.

You guys have done a fantastic job by putting everything together. This suggestion was only to make it even clearer for all the future events.

Regards
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Old 16th August 2011, 16:36   #30
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Re: TPC2011 - Event Report

Sure man.

Btw, you did some fantastic driving. To watch you clear climb 2 on SS-3 on day 2 was pure delight.

Samu-

No. But they did get beached left right and center. I think it was more to with the drivers being new to sand.

Last edited by fiery enzyme : 16th August 2011 at 16:38.
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