UP2MTNS
04-06-2008, 04:16 PM
So I had the opportunity to run the rally sprint at Ridgecrest last week. And well, after flying around corners at 40mph and straights at +70mph (struggling to keep the ass end on the road), my next rally cross event doesn't seem quite as exciting.
HOWEVER...(before all of you think i've crossed, haha).
I had a great time at that event. I rented Jack Szantos' SRT-4 and we definitely put it through the paces between the two of us. By the 3rd or 4th run, I was acclimated to the higher speeds and pretty much had the 5 mile course memorized.
But most of the reason I had such a great time, was I got to concentrate on my driving, and beating my previous times. I was able to concentrate on the best lines, etc because I WASN'T worried about what to do with my feet, how to keep the car in control in those turns, what to do if I came in too hot, or started to lose it on a fast, slick straight away.
All the techniques I had been taught at Paul Eklund's and CRS' rally schools, and that I have been practicing over the past year at rallyX events prepared me immensely for this event. At no point was I fumbling with what to do with my feet while shifting, in the middle of a corner, while left foot breaking.
On corners where I came in too fast I didn't panic.....I recovered and didn't freak out. Why? Because it wasn't the first time I was completely sideways in a car going around a turn....a little LFB and stay on the throttle...problem solved.
The hardest part was actually getting used to rally tires!
And don't forget, this was in a FWD car (I'm used to AWD) that I had NEVER driven before.
Lets take a look at results:
http://www.rallydata.com/Results/HDT_2008_ClubScoreBoard.htm
First....Jack's first run (and the only run the ECU didn't give us trouble) was a 8.28......only .60 minutes (or just over 30 seconds) slower than the fastest rally car time (which was an AWD subaru).
After that we had ECU issues and the car wouldn't run over 2400 rpms....even then our times were in the low 9's and high 8's. Chrissie Beavis (2wd Jetta) was running high 7s, low 8's.....so considering we were rookies in a 'limp mode only' car, I thought we did pretty good.
So yeah.....Rally cross certainly isn't a stage rally by a long shot, but anyone that wants to learn the basics so they don't flip it on their first stage rally, this is an easy and cheap way to get started! (oh yeah, and there's nothing wrong with playing with yourself ;) )
HOWEVER...(before all of you think i've crossed, haha).
I had a great time at that event. I rented Jack Szantos' SRT-4 and we definitely put it through the paces between the two of us. By the 3rd or 4th run, I was acclimated to the higher speeds and pretty much had the 5 mile course memorized.
But most of the reason I had such a great time, was I got to concentrate on my driving, and beating my previous times. I was able to concentrate on the best lines, etc because I WASN'T worried about what to do with my feet, how to keep the car in control in those turns, what to do if I came in too hot, or started to lose it on a fast, slick straight away.
All the techniques I had been taught at Paul Eklund's and CRS' rally schools, and that I have been practicing over the past year at rallyX events prepared me immensely for this event. At no point was I fumbling with what to do with my feet while shifting, in the middle of a corner, while left foot breaking.
On corners where I came in too fast I didn't panic.....I recovered and didn't freak out. Why? Because it wasn't the first time I was completely sideways in a car going around a turn....a little LFB and stay on the throttle...problem solved.
The hardest part was actually getting used to rally tires!
And don't forget, this was in a FWD car (I'm used to AWD) that I had NEVER driven before.
Lets take a look at results:
http://www.rallydata.com/Results/HDT_2008_ClubScoreBoard.htm
First....Jack's first run (and the only run the ECU didn't give us trouble) was a 8.28......only .60 minutes (or just over 30 seconds) slower than the fastest rally car time (which was an AWD subaru).
After that we had ECU issues and the car wouldn't run over 2400 rpms....even then our times were in the low 9's and high 8's. Chrissie Beavis (2wd Jetta) was running high 7s, low 8's.....so considering we were rookies in a 'limp mode only' car, I thought we did pretty good.
So yeah.....Rally cross certainly isn't a stage rally by a long shot, but anyone that wants to learn the basics so they don't flip it on their first stage rally, this is an easy and cheap way to get started! (oh yeah, and there's nothing wrong with playing with yourself ;) )