First rallycross event was a success (pics/videos inside)

[Wiscocrashtest]

Attended my first rallycross event yesterday. It was so much fun. I've done ice racing (ice autocross) for a number of years in AWD and FWD. This was my first time off-road on RWD and first time in the dirt. It was much more fun and more challenging than ice. Ice is slippery everywhere and on rubber tires, there isn't much change in traction across the course or day. This course was really variable. Not only were there fast and slow sections but the surface was different every run. Lines needed to change for speed and, for me, lines needed to change to keep the car intact. There were some serious ruts on the back of the course that could have swallowed my wheels and put the undercarriage flat onto the ground.



I was running on completely stock suspension. I had some stock wheels with stock sized Altimax Arctic tires. I've had good experience with this tire in the winter and this seems to be one of the two go-to snow tires for rallycross. The car was great. I dipped the front bumper into the mud in places (soft mud/dirt, no damage) and only bottomed out lightly once (I was too aggressive and missed the line). A lot of people questioned my car choice but it did really well. The RWD group was small and I was the only PR car. They ran the 2WD cars with the UTVs and those were fun to watch. Being in a class of one meant I placed first in PR! :laugh:

Of course the stage rally cars posted the fastest times and made me looking like I was out of a Sunday drive, but man it feels fast from inside the car.

Here's a video from the morning heat. It's not my fastest lap but has an entertaining tank slapper near the end. I forgot to bring my external mic so the GoPro picked up a lot of wind noise through the housing.

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4CzF24Kamg[/ame]

I am totally hooked. I need to build a more substantial skid plate than the factory one. You can say that here, it's pretty minimal:


After the plate, I need more seat time! Maybe next year I'll get a set of smaller wheels with real rally tires but I have a lot of car handling to learn.

This FR-S won PR nationals on stock suspension, camber plates, and rally tires:


Here's some of the other cars at the event:








The whole park (rallycross happens on the ATV track and there's a world-class motocross track in the front) is in the shadow of the cooling towers of the nuclear plant:

[8RZ]

I've always wanted to try this, nice job.

[Shark_Bait88]

I've been hesitant to drive a Stateline event at Byron because people have said it'd be too rough on a stock suspension FR-S. This has me rethinking that though...

[Wiscocrashtest]

Originally Posted by Shark_Bait88

I've been hesitant to drive a Stateline event at Byron because people have said it'd be too rough on a stock suspension FR-S. This has me rethinking that though...

I was hesitant, too. But one of the Imprezas guys just told me start slow and careful. You can go as hard/easy as you want. I was for sure pushing it at the end and the banging around a bit harder than I would have liked.

[BigTuna]

What mods made you run in Prepared instead of Stock?

I bought an impreza wagon this year to do rallycross with, but have had nothing but problems with it. I'm considering trying the BRZ out instead.

[Wiscocrashtest]

The header is the thing that bumped me into Prepared. I have a header, overpipe, muffler delete, and OFT tune. I also have some shifter springs/bushing. Everything else is stock.

[TorontoNat]

Originally Posted by Wiscocrashtest

The header is the thing that bumped me into Prepared. I have a header, overpipe, muffler delete, and OFT tune. I also have some shifter springs/bushing. Everything else is stock.

Very fun looking event. Will try this one day. Looking to do a similar set up how do you find the difference between stock-power wise?

[Wiscocrashtest]

Originally Posted by TorontoNat

Very fun looking event. Will try this one day. Looking to do a similar set up how do you find the difference between stock-power wise?

I love it. It's just what the car "needed"

The torque dip is gone and there is just enough added power to feel quick. There is an especially nice bump around 6000rpm. The v4 tune I am running is smoother than it was stock and it also eliminates the very loud cold start high idle.

But even more than that, the UEL header and muffler delete give the motor the character it was completely lacking. The track pipe is just too loud for street use combined with the catless header but man does it sound good on the track/rallycourse.

[Trueweltall]

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=116377

[Wiscocrashtest]

I saw that - looking into strut options to pair with them!