Shooting Star ClubRally 2005
Posted 05-10-2008 at 09:34 PM by Dave532
Shooting Star Clubrally
Mahnomen, MN
June 9, 2005
Pre Race: I took 2004 off from racing so I could recover financially and take some vacation. Not to mention the new WRX was the class of the field in American rallying...due to numerous rule changes within the PGT class, rally was becoming even more expensive and keeping a 15 year old DSM on pace with the latest Subaru was nigh impossible.
Also, SCCA ProRally was losing the factory teams...Mitsubishi, Mazda, Subaru, Hyundai, Mopar...at one time all were vying for the Championship.
Due to a pair of tragic driver/co-driver deaths within ProRally, the air was starting to leave American Rally's sails. We honestly weren't sure if 2005 was going to be the last year of rallying for a while or not.
My sponsor, Metric Auto Works, offered to assist me at a brand new rally, Shooting Star Club Rally in northern Minnesota. I got the 'ol DSM off its blocks, bought some new Hankook rally tires and headed up to Mahnomen Friday afternoon for my first rally in year and a half. Chris from Metric wanted to co-drive for me again, so he took over the right seat.
Parc Expose: ran into some old friends I hadn't seen for a long time and we all bench raced while contemplating the future of rally in the states. The temperatures were well into the 90's...so hot in fact that for the first time in my racing history, they allowed us to run without fire suits due to the possible dehydration.
Stage 1: Though we were Seed 3, they placed us fairly far back in the field assuming I would have to knock some rust off. I spent the beginning of the stage feeling the car out again while getting used to Chris calling the notes. Approximately a mile from the end of stage I can no longer change gears. We idle to the side of the road.The clutch is still operational but I cannot select a gear. It appears I have broke the tranny! I DNF on the first stage! Not a great comeback.
Post Race: After an inspection, we find the output seal to the transfer case blew and we ran the trans dry...seizing up the mainshaft. I wasn't sure when my next event was going to be...maybe this car was getting too long in the tooth.
Mahnomen, MN
June 9, 2005
Pre Race: I took 2004 off from racing so I could recover financially and take some vacation. Not to mention the new WRX was the class of the field in American rallying...due to numerous rule changes within the PGT class, rally was becoming even more expensive and keeping a 15 year old DSM on pace with the latest Subaru was nigh impossible.
Also, SCCA ProRally was losing the factory teams...Mitsubishi, Mazda, Subaru, Hyundai, Mopar...at one time all were vying for the Championship.
Due to a pair of tragic driver/co-driver deaths within ProRally, the air was starting to leave American Rally's sails. We honestly weren't sure if 2005 was going to be the last year of rallying for a while or not.
My sponsor, Metric Auto Works, offered to assist me at a brand new rally, Shooting Star Club Rally in northern Minnesota. I got the 'ol DSM off its blocks, bought some new Hankook rally tires and headed up to Mahnomen Friday afternoon for my first rally in year and a half. Chris from Metric wanted to co-drive for me again, so he took over the right seat.
Parc Expose: ran into some old friends I hadn't seen for a long time and we all bench raced while contemplating the future of rally in the states. The temperatures were well into the 90's...so hot in fact that for the first time in my racing history, they allowed us to run without fire suits due to the possible dehydration.
Stage 1: Though we were Seed 3, they placed us fairly far back in the field assuming I would have to knock some rust off. I spent the beginning of the stage feeling the car out again while getting used to Chris calling the notes. Approximately a mile from the end of stage I can no longer change gears. We idle to the side of the road.The clutch is still operational but I cannot select a gear. It appears I have broke the tranny! I DNF on the first stage! Not a great comeback.
Post Race: After an inspection, we find the output seal to the transfer case blew and we ran the trans dry...seizing up the mainshaft. I wasn't sure when my next event was going to be...maybe this car was getting too long in the tooth.
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