Sno Drift Pro Rally 2006
Posted 05-14-2008 at 08:19 PM by Dave532
Sno Drift Pro Rally
Atlanta, MI
Jan 27-28 2006
Pre-Race: I have had a fair amount of success at Sno-Drift so I like to run in this event when I can. I also wanted to race in a rally run by the new Rally America sanctioning body. I pulled the car out from under its cover and dusted her off. Mounted some Blizzaks and changed all the fluids.
Bob wanted to co-drive for this event so he took the right seat.
I had just attended an announcement by NASA where they were starting a Midwest region. Though I was not prepared right now, I was going to see which discipline I wanted to compete under...a DSM with Rally America or a ??? in NASA.
Fri Start: Weather was warm with primarily slushy conditions. Under the trees you would still find some ice. Alot of teams and faces were missing...I believe it was the smallest turnout Sno-Drift has seen. This would also affect my decision as to where and what to race in the future.
Tech inspection was especially difficult this year:
My formerly legal diagonal in the roll cage was now illegal.
My formerly legal exhaust configuration was now illegal.
My formerly legal 32 mm restrictor was now illegal at 32.09 mm.
My logbook was not in the car. My last co-driver (Chris)had forgotten to place it back in the car during our last rally together (LSPR 2005). That was embarrassing
The most surprising this was there were no rule changes between my last rally (2005) and now yet the car was not legal.
They passed my car...barely. Only after I modified the exhaust. $40 and a tailpipe extension and the my 200,000 mile DSM was going to start its 2nd Sno-Drift rally.
Stage 1: Unfortunately, Bob had the wrong pace notes for this stage, so I had to drive the stage only by what I could see. Luckily it was a very short stage and somehow we still posted a top 3 time.
Stage 2: I experiment with adjusting the car, trying to remove a 'corner exit' loose condition. The timingbetween Bob and myself is outstanding and we are gaining on our competitors.
Stage 3: A longer stage that I remember well. Handling isn't perfect but we're getting closer. Numerous cars off the road so far.
Stage 4: I lowered the tire pressures and the car settled in perfect. Everything went very well on this stage. At this point we were 2nd in PGT and possibly 3rd overall. This slushy snow is giving me the most grip I have ever experienced at this event.
Service: The windows are cleaned, fluids checked and we mount the lights for the upcoming night stages. Otherwise, the car needs nothing. We find we have been assessed a 10 second penalty for entering a time control too late. It is a clerical error and Bob will dispute it at the end of the race.
Stage 5: Another very good performance on a short stage. Night falls.
Stage 6: Bob had made some rookie mistakes earlier during the race and they are starting to affect him now. He is unsure of his calls so I lose confidence in his instructions and we start to lose some time.
Stage 7: We are finding it difficult to find a rhythm due to lowered confidence on both sides of the car. Though we don't go off the road like many cars do, we are blowing through too many corners.
Stage 8: A longer favorite of mine. Unfortunately, our race takes an ugly turn. Halfway through the stage we hit 'something' on the left front and puncture the tire. We continue the stage on the flat, losing at least a minute.
Transit to Finish: After the stage we pull over to the side of the road to change the flat but we encounter a stuck lug nut. My cordless impact won't budge it. It must be cross-threaded. A fellow competitor stops to assist and borrows me a wrench. While attempting to brake the lug nut loose, I slip and feel a lower disc slip out in my back. From this point on I could do nothing.
I could barely stand, much less move.
Eventually, an organizer borrowed us a breaker bar and we removed the flat and mounted the spare tire. We reached the last time control about 10 minutes late thereby incurring enough penalties to bring us down to 5th in class and 7th overall.
Due to my back injury I could not even sit in behind the wheel comfortably, much less race
We have to DNS Saturday and head home very disappointed while I ponder where and what to drive next.
Atlanta, MI
Jan 27-28 2006
Pre-Race: I have had a fair amount of success at Sno-Drift so I like to run in this event when I can. I also wanted to race in a rally run by the new Rally America sanctioning body. I pulled the car out from under its cover and dusted her off. Mounted some Blizzaks and changed all the fluids.
Bob wanted to co-drive for this event so he took the right seat.
I had just attended an announcement by NASA where they were starting a Midwest region. Though I was not prepared right now, I was going to see which discipline I wanted to compete under...a DSM with Rally America or a ??? in NASA.
Fri Start: Weather was warm with primarily slushy conditions. Under the trees you would still find some ice. Alot of teams and faces were missing...I believe it was the smallest turnout Sno-Drift has seen. This would also affect my decision as to where and what to race in the future.
Tech inspection was especially difficult this year:
My formerly legal diagonal in the roll cage was now illegal.
My formerly legal exhaust configuration was now illegal.
My formerly legal 32 mm restrictor was now illegal at 32.09 mm.
My logbook was not in the car. My last co-driver (Chris)had forgotten to place it back in the car during our last rally together (LSPR 2005). That was embarrassing
The most surprising this was there were no rule changes between my last rally (2005) and now yet the car was not legal.
They passed my car...barely. Only after I modified the exhaust. $40 and a tailpipe extension and the my 200,000 mile DSM was going to start its 2nd Sno-Drift rally.
Stage 1: Unfortunately, Bob had the wrong pace notes for this stage, so I had to drive the stage only by what I could see. Luckily it was a very short stage and somehow we still posted a top 3 time.
Stage 2: I experiment with adjusting the car, trying to remove a 'corner exit' loose condition. The timingbetween Bob and myself is outstanding and we are gaining on our competitors.
Stage 3: A longer stage that I remember well. Handling isn't perfect but we're getting closer. Numerous cars off the road so far.
Stage 4: I lowered the tire pressures and the car settled in perfect. Everything went very well on this stage. At this point we were 2nd in PGT and possibly 3rd overall. This slushy snow is giving me the most grip I have ever experienced at this event.
Service: The windows are cleaned, fluids checked and we mount the lights for the upcoming night stages. Otherwise, the car needs nothing. We find we have been assessed a 10 second penalty for entering a time control too late. It is a clerical error and Bob will dispute it at the end of the race.
Stage 5: Another very good performance on a short stage. Night falls.
Stage 6: Bob had made some rookie mistakes earlier during the race and they are starting to affect him now. He is unsure of his calls so I lose confidence in his instructions and we start to lose some time.
Stage 7: We are finding it difficult to find a rhythm due to lowered confidence on both sides of the car. Though we don't go off the road like many cars do, we are blowing through too many corners.
Stage 8: A longer favorite of mine. Unfortunately, our race takes an ugly turn. Halfway through the stage we hit 'something' on the left front and puncture the tire. We continue the stage on the flat, losing at least a minute.
Transit to Finish: After the stage we pull over to the side of the road to change the flat but we encounter a stuck lug nut. My cordless impact won't budge it. It must be cross-threaded. A fellow competitor stops to assist and borrows me a wrench. While attempting to brake the lug nut loose, I slip and feel a lower disc slip out in my back. From this point on I could do nothing.
I could barely stand, much less move.
Eventually, an organizer borrowed us a breaker bar and we removed the flat and mounted the spare tire. We reached the last time control about 10 minutes late thereby incurring enough penalties to bring us down to 5th in class and 7th overall.
Due to my back injury I could not even sit in behind the wheel comfortably, much less race
We have to DNS Saturday and head home very disappointed while I ponder where and what to drive next.
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