Coates Hire WRC Rally Australia 2014 11th-14th Sept

[raybak]

What are the car regulations in Australia, I see they allow FIA spec cars, do most not? Too expensive?

Australian Championship is 2wd with some in class G2 and the rest running FIA spec. Class G2 is like R3 on steriods, G2 is also allowed in Asia Pacific championship. There are 11 cars in the ARC field who do the same itinery as the WRC field, the rest of us in the National 4wd series and Classics have a bit shorter rally with the 4wd's basically losing a stage each day and the Classics losing half a day each day. This is to combat the issues from last year when the dust problems arose.

Hopefully next year the ARC will have 4wd's back as there have been some very small fields this year with only 2wd allowed. There is talk of NZ and Australia having the same rules which would work out good for both.

I'm hope to do a twitter post regularly during Rally Oz, my twitter name is @raybak101.

Cheers

Ray

[janvanvurpa]

We are car 92 in the Australian part of the field in an unrestricted EVO 9. Not a bad field for the Aussies but the majority are from NSW/ACT.

Ray

Howzat working with the unrestricted cars down there? Have you guys killed hundreds of speccies and the notorious Oz Press been sneaky and covered it all up?
I've pointed out several times to the various "Technical Ex-spurts" here in USA and Canada about the study way back when the federation realsied the who FIA N4 thing was stupid expensive and the back to back tests showing virtually no difference tween the "full GpN car with FIA fuel" and the no restrictor but 98 RON pump petrol

I mean in light of the 30 car entry, and the similar numbers in many places its clear something is up and I reckon its just too dear for most humans taste, only "1% ers", so when you guys implemented the "no restrictor but pump fuel" I thought there was a ray of sunshine for once somewhere in the world..

So hows that go? And hows the car feel...?

And did everybody faint when the Federation did something that made sense?

[Zeakiwi]

There have been a few 'closed road' motorsport deaths and serious injuries in recent years in the Australasia area. It has usually been more about trees, power poles and other roadside obstacles impacting the vehicle when the vehicle has left the road. - turbo engine and non turbo engine.
e.g http://cooberpedyregionaltimes.wordp...r-in-car-race/
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/quee...714-2pxsq.html
http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/rall...mputee-4922503

[raybak]

Howzat working with the unrestricted cars down there? Have you guys killed hundreds of speccies and the notorious Oz Press been sneaky and covered it all up?
I've pointed out several times to the various "Technical Ex-spurts" here in USA and Canada about the study way back when the federation realsied the who FIA N4 thing was stupid expensive and the back to back tests showing virtually no difference tween the "full GpN car with FIA fuel" and the no restrictor but 98 RON pump petrol

I mean in light of the 30 car entry, and the similar numbers in many places its clear something is up and I reckon its just too dear for most humans taste, only "1% ers", so when you guys implemented the "no restrictor but pump fuel" I thought there was a ray of sunshine for once somewhere in the world..

So hows that go? And hows the car feel...?

And did everybody faint when the Federation did something that made sense?

Yes the unrestricted cars a are a bit faster, but you chew through more tyres. They are much more fun though. Stage times haven't really changed too much. We found in the Evo 5 that we would chew out front left tyres very quickly even with different setups, not so in the Evo 9 with all the electronics.

The big thing for me is that my mate who has a standard road evo 6 now can't say why is this rally car slower than my road car. To the general public they think it's crazy that we go and restrict a car and then spend $$$$ to get it back to where it was.

The days of big FIA spec cars are changing, they are just too dear for the performance you get. I know my 23yr old Daihatsu Charade GTti which is worth $5000 is as quick as a DS3 R3T on gravel, this is because of the weight advantage and no restrictor on the turbo.

Anyway while on here, our team release -

“Busy weeks ahead for the Fibertech Rally team”

The next three weeks is going to be very busy for the Fibertech team, with driver Gerald Schofield and Codriver Ray Baker participating in both the World Rally Championship event at Coffs Harbour and following straight into the Australasian Safari in Western Australia.

The duo will be campaigning the Mitsubishi Evo 9 in the 4wd National series at Coffs Harbour, trying to gain back a few points after a DNF in Rally QLD. The car has been thoroughly gone over by the team engineer Scott Preston and is in top shape to take on the fantastic roads around Coffs Harbour. Schofield and Baker will be aiming to fight for position with Mike Bailey and Matt Harriot who they have had some good battles in the past. Hopefully with a good finish at the event the Championship will still be alive going into Rally Victoria.

The following week the now V8 engined Dmax will be fighting it out through the outback of Western Australia, Schofield and Baker had a 7th place finish last year in the Safari and are looking at a good result this year. The team shookdown the new engine a few ago and were quite impressed with newfound speed. “The Australasian Safari is a tough event, you need to have your wits about you all times” said Baker, “you may have 10km between calls but you are reading the road, making sure that you are actually on the right track. It can be very easy to wrong road and lose 30 mins or so in the process."

During the WRC and when we have phone reception in Safari we will be active on Twitter with stage and event updates, follow us @raybak101 or you can check out our facebook page, Fibertech Medical Australia Rally Team.


Ray

[6789]

Hopefully it is dry for the event - make it easier to get around.

[janvanvurpa]

Yes the unrestricted cars a are a bit faster, but you chew through more tyres. They are much more fun though. Stage times haven't really changed too much. We found in the Evo 5 that we would chew out front left tyres very quickly even with different setups, not so in the Evo 9 with all the electronics.

The big thing for me is that my mate who has a standard road evo 6 now can't say why is this rally car slower than my road car. To the general public they think it's crazy that we go and restrict a car and then spend $$$$ to get it back to where it was.

The days of big FIA spec cars are changing, they are just too dear for the performance you get. I know my 23yr old Daihatsu Charade GTti which is worth $5000 is as quick as a DS3 R3T on gravel, this is because of the weight advantage and no restrictor on the turbo.


Ray

So I guess you Aussie know sumpin we don't up here...humans can drive 2 liter rally cars in the woods without restrictors and not massacre hundreds of speccies, not mow 'em down like picket fences..
Amazing...
See up here they say we have to ape after FIA 34, 32, 33mm stuff cause "it slows the cars down" and "what would our defence be in a court when somebody is killed and they show we were not following "Best Practices?"

Oh what I'd give to get you and some of your class mates to visit our little forum and tell us in all the gruesome detail of the Battle of the Restrictors, and how truth, justice and the Australian Way of Life triumphed..

That is when you've recovered from your coming adventures.
Good luck. Shiny side up, eh!

[GigiGalliNo1]

Rain for rally aus!! :d

[bluuford]

Rain for rally aus!! :d

Current long-term prognosis are telling that the whole rally will be completely dry. Sometimes without any wind and sometimes pretty cold in the morning.. +5..+6 degrees. Still long time to go

[litifeta]

@janvanvurpa. What most people fail to understand is that Australia in geographic size is as big as the USA. It is however largely a desert island. While New Zealand (nearby) is largely a beautiful green country with a stable rainfall, Oz is a land of droughts and floods. The net effect of the meteorology on the geology is the land under which roads are built in many areas is very hard which decomposes to a surface that is like driving on pathway of glass balls. Yes the European rallies are much technically tougher, the issue with Australia is the road will lull you into a false sense of security. The trees are hardwood and unforgiving. You go off the road at high speed in Australia and generally you die.

[raybak]

@janvanvurpa. What most people fail to understand is that Australia in geographic size is as big as the USA. It is however largely a desert island. While New Zealand (nearby) is largely a beautiful green country with a stable rainfall, Oz is a land of droughts and floods. The net effect of the meteorology on the geology is the land under which roads are built in many areas is very hard which decomposes to a surface that is like driving on pathway of glass balls. Yes the European rallies are much technically tougher, the issue with Australia is the road will lull you into a false sense of security. The trees are hardwood and unforgiving. You go off the road at high speed in Australia and generally you die.

I don't think the trees in other countries are less forgiving. I have still had some bad hits in Softwood forests. A lot of our rallies especially in ACT/NSW are in softwood forests on logging roads. In the ACT that is all we have to run in. Roads do vary a lot here, from nice flowing coastal roads to fast shire roads like in South Australia.

Yes we had a few deaths last year in Australian Rallying, they were all due to different factors and different drivers skill levels.

Looking forward to being mostly dry for Rally Oz, dust is a major factor at the event, last year on the 48km Nambucca we lost the event stuck in dust, coming to a complete standstill a few times.

I'm going to attempt to livestream the superspecial incar each night, hopefully it will work. Will put the details up here.

Cheers

Ray