Learn me rallycross!

I've been reading up on the past GRM Neon updates while staring at the Crop Duster and I decided it's high time I did it in the dirt. I perused the rulebook and it looks like I have all of the safety equipment required for Stock FWD. I've always wanted to rally, and rallycross seems like a great starting point.

So, pointers? Articles? Run away screaming before I get sucked into yet another form of motorsport? Is their anything in the GRM archives?

What about car prep? I don't expect to be competitive first time out, but I would like the car to survive. Any tips or tricks? Is a regular battery OK? Should I run a K&N or similar to combat the dust build-up (it seems like all of the local rallycrosses are gravel)? What kind of tires should I use?

P71 said: I have all of the safety equipment required for Stock FWD.

a seat belt and a helmet?

Rallycross is seriously more fun than any other thing you can do in a car (yes, even that), and is significantly more laid back and cheaper than autocross. almost anything can set FTD with the right driver, and if you know anything about driving in snow (as a pac nor wester, I assume you do), you should do just fine.

most important thing to know, if you aren't having fun, you are doing it wrong.

^ +11

Car survival is mostly dependent on your right foot and line selection. Air up your tires so you don't increase your risk of de-beading. The only thing you need to buy for your first rallycross is gas.

None in this area. I know that because the only two or three in this area I worked at, and that was years ago. :(

"Snow Tires" are just as good as Rally tires.

here is the promo for event in 2003. It was suppose to be a "Snow" event in Feburary, but the Temp got just above freezinand it was a "mud" event.

EVERYONE had a great time. I Broke Pete Gossette's VW at this event

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfTc2jNY_lM

Rallycross is a lot of fun. This was us in stock FWD. I was 3 seconds off FTD - owned the car for less than a day, hadn't driven it yet, the car wasn't registered or even transfered into my name yet, first rallycross, there was no steering wheel on the car until 5min before tech, etc. The "real" rally teams that were there couldn't believe that I was really that fast.

http://schumachertaxiservice.com/vids/rallyx.flv (16meg)

The car eventually ended up as our LeMons car.

Ground clearance and suspension travel are your friend at RallyX. Depending on your surface, ruts, etc. street tires or winter tires with floppy sidewalls can pop off the bead or get rocks/dirt stuck in there and develop slow leaks so keep an eye on the tire pressure and overinflate if necessary. The best thing about RallyX tires is their incredibly stiff and reinforced sidewall which lets you really hammer it into corners, ruts or rocks be damned, and not have to worry about the tires coming off or getting punctured. But don't worry about that for your first time out ^_^

Same skills apply as any AutoX, only you'll probably be sideways more often ;) However, unlike AutoX, a good RallyX venue will have different surfaces (gravel, dirt, ruts, berms, tarmac, water crossings/mud, grass, etc.) so you'll constantly have to read the course and adapt. Your line may change from run to run based on deteriorating conditions as well.

Most importantly, have fun!!!

OK, so a decent set of all-season and/or winter tires, air them up, and go for it? Sounds good to me!

In reference to the safety thing, it seemed like the rulebook mentioned roll cages an awful lot, and they aren't required for Stock.

Now, does anybody know of any up here besides Oregon Region SCCA's Sept/Oct ones? I don't why they insist on scheduling the Oregon Region SCCA autocross and rallycross on the same days. Also, not racing from Oct to March is going to suck, why aren't there any races during the rain and even snow? That seems like ideal rallycross weather to me!

rollcages are not "required" for any of the classes. I have never seen a car roll, but it does happen, and the cage is "suggested".

as far as snow and rain, that is when we ran most of ours in Detroit. All year long, actually, our "off season" was August. 11 events in 12 months. The November, December, January, and February events are always cold...

I'm having problems finding RallyCross in GA. Can someone point me to some nearish to Columbus.

Thanks

GA is pretty lacking in rallycross. Up here in the Atlanta region, I am going to try to start a rallycross program within the next 2 years or so...keep a look out.

What I learned,

Snow tires work great, but if there is gravel, don't use Blizzacks. I destroyed an almost new pair in 5 runs, in a 100 hp car. Tubes work well, and are cheap insurance.

Make sure your motor mounts are good. If not, expect to be popping out of gear over the rough stuff. I filled mine with eurethane.

Travel is important. If there are any heavier, or longer springs available from another year/model, use them.

A pin (tape will do) in the E-brake release button will make full speed turn entry easy.

If you run a cone type filter, and it's dusty, get a few of those white hairnets you see in the food industry. Oil them up, and slip one over your filter. Throw it away at the end of the day. The filter will stay clean forever.

maroon92 wrote: GA is pretty lacking in rallycross. Up here in the Atlanta region, I am going to try to start a rallycross program within the next 2 years or so...keep a look out.

Will do. I used to co-drive back when SCCA had a stage rally program down here. I've always wondered if I could do anything in the other seat..

BTW: Maroon, I saw you running the Aspire at Pts.9, but had some prep problems and couldn't get around to introduce m'self. Maybe next time?

You're thinking too hard. Bring the stock beater car out to the next Oregon Rally rallycross and run in the stock class. You'll have a blast, it's WAY more lax than SCCA autocross. Our LeMons Impreza has stock everything, but is bumped to mod due to the stripped interior, and is just as competitive as the driver will allow. I think I'm actually faster with all seasons than the heavy rally tires, so I probably won't bother changing tires at the event anymore.

Bryce

Hmmm....

So can a Miata be rallycrossed?

Racer Boy at Speed Sport Life did a Rallycross and wrote a pretty good intro article on it here:

http://www.speedsportlife.com/2009/06/11/racer-boy-rallycrossing-%e2%80%9clet%e2%80%99s-get-dirty-baby%e2%80%9d/

I participated in a RallyX in a Subaru I owned about 6 years ago and it is a blast! It may even be more fun than autox! Unfortunately I do not have a car right now that is even close to being appropriate for rallyx. But I have been kicking around the idea of buying an old subaru putting appropriate tires on it and letting it rip! At the one that I participated in the course was primarily dirt, well mud would be more accurate!

As far as local clubs go that put on rallyX events there is of course the Oregon Rally Group: http://www.oregonrally.com/rallycross.cfm

Also I have heard that the AutoX Club of Central Oregon is thinking about putting on a rallyx event. They currently do not, but by next season they may put on an event or two. Here is their website: www.autoxclub.org

You might also want to check out the Pacific Rally Group website: http://www.pacificrallygroup.com/

Maybe I will see you out there next season!

Josh

amg_rx7 said: Hmmm.... So can a Miata be rallycrossed?

Only with a factory hardtop...but yes!

SillyImportRacer wrote: I'm having problems finding RallyCross in GA. Can someone point me to some nearish to Columbus. Thanks

I don't know if it's too far for ya but they have some near Chattanooga.

Bryce,

That's my plan, leave the Duster stock, make sure it will pass tech/survive the beating, replace the tires, and go race. The tires are mis-matched (3 brands, 2 sizes) and trashed anyways, so I might as well try and get decent ones for rallycross. Other than that it's competing in as-found condition.

Any pointers as to upcoming events? I know of the two ORSCCA ones, but they are both on Autocross days.

P71 wrote: Any pointers as to upcoming events? I know of the two ORSCCA ones, but they are both on Autocross days.

Skip one of the autocrosses for a rallycross. You won't be disappointed.

Pass. I'm leading points in my class and I'm not abandoning my dreams of a Regional Championship for one RallyCross.

I still don't understand why we don't have RallyCrosses during the winter. That seams like the ideal time to have them if you ask me...

In reply to P71:

Depends on the surface your region runs on. Around here (Ohio), most of the sites are grass/dirt with relatively little drainage. While mud events can be fun, they can also really tear up the surface which the site owner may or may not appreciate. Winter weather in Ohio varies enough that you can't know more than a week or so in advance whether or not the ground will be frozen.

Mud events also tend to have pretty slow on-course speeds and some people see them as "not competitive."

gratuitous mud action shot:

Now, when I see that I just start grinning like a maniac!

Around here we have all gravel sites so it's probably fine to run in the wet. I also don't see why we can't run on the autocross site when it's snowing

Either way, I want to run some events, does anybody know of any in WA/OR from Oct-Mar?

P71 wrote: Now, when I see that I just start grinning like a maniac! Around here we have all gravel sites so it's probably fine to run in the wet. I also don't see why we can't run on the autocross site when it's snowing Either way, I want to run some events, does anybody know of any in WA/OR from Oct-Mar?

The location used for almost all of the Oregon Rally rallycrosses is a big open field that's owned by the public (Washington County fairgrounds in Hillsboro). It's a fantastic location as it's huge and not being used for anything, so the course layouts are always different, you can run multiple cars on course at one time, and you get pretty long run times. They usually use a water truck during the dry months to control the course, otherwise this particular field turns in to hard pack and is basically like pavement...fast and fun, but not what rallycross is about and probably less safe. If it's already wet due to Mother Nature, they try to lay out the course to route you through the less muddy parts with usually one or two slower sections through the puddles. If the entire field is a mess and they run, it takes lots and lots of volunteer work after things dry out to get the field back to a decent state. It's not like autocross where you show up, lay down cones, drive, pick up cones, and call it a day. They actually have to condition the surface. So if you run in the wet months it means a LOT more time fixing the course after each event (which doesn't get enough volunteer help) instead of selectively watering down the course to be just wet enough for a few hours of rallycross.

There have been no-points events in the winter in the past. This year they did one down near Bend in mid January IIRC.

The reason why rallycrosses are scheduled the same time as autocrosses is probably because nobody that does rallycross for points gives a damn about autocrossing for points. You should check out the rallycross scene in the Seattle area, they might extend their reach towards your area...I've never checked.

Bryce