Rally America

[Zeakiwi]

Pastrana beat Higgins by 8 seconds at 100 Acre Wood.
http://tinyurl.com/jp6y2qu

[Rally Power]

Another Dytko proto or a home made one?



photo: green apu FB

[Rally Power]

Higgins took the win at Oregon Trail Rally, 9.5s ahead of Pastrana. Bouffier (yep, that one) was 3rd, in the Green Apu sponsored (Dytko?) Mirage. Ryan Millen first in 2wd class.
http://www.rally-america.com/news/en...ures-at-2016-o

[Zeakiwi]

Higgins wins Ojibwe.
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-relea...300320391.html

[Andre Oliveira]

[Zeakiwi]

Atko and Higgins etc oregon traill
http://oregontrailrally.com/wp-conte..._Guide_Web.pdf

https://www.facebook.com/AmericanRal...0329828/?t=330 (Craig Drew interview as part of pre-rally intro)

Drew - for 2018 spec subaru - taken out 300lbs, 1mm increase in restrictor to add 40 to 50 hp, 'same' car since 2015 (4th season for car)

Higgins won, Atko frame grilled the subaru (but was an overnight fix)

[Zeakiwi]

Is this thee iconic north american rally car? Volvo?
https://youtu.be/hnh9HshhjCs

USA rally subaru crash - similar to Meeke's - worse damage?

https://rallysportmag.com/aussies-mi...y-crash210518/

[janvanvurpa]

Is this thee iconic north american rally car? Volvo?
https://youtu.be/hnh9HshhjCs

USA rally subaru crash - similar to Meeke's - worse damage?

https://rallysportmag.com/aussies-mi...y-crash210518/

No there's a few but it doesn't have the place it really should..

(Now remember I have only driven rally in one car--literally one and the same car..Saab 96...but that was for business reasons..just like building its replacement--a Cosworth 4x4 powered Sierra was for business reasons---to display and sell parts, work, etc)

We never got Ford Escorts in rwd form here... we got crappy Corollas, RX2s, RX3s, RX7s, and 510 Datsuns (all with appalling 5+ turns lock to lock so called "steering...which really is just a suggestion...(and there twerent quick steering boxes, those were only available--at outrageous prices in RHD in Japan from Iwashita Rally Service for I can't recall but around $700..)
But we did get 240 Volvos abd those 240s really are like a big 104" wheelbase Escort with very near 50/50 weight balance..and a bigger, very strong 2300 engine (and one with near limitless potential--I am a serious engine builder for 40 years)>

but Americans are--unfortunately for us and the world largely authoritarian followers which we can define as "conservtive, conventional, consumers"..
And insular..And the poorest read people on average I have ever met in my world travels..

So if they didn't see on TV or now on their (ironically mis-named) Smart phone, it doesn't exist and they will argue till you give up...
As a consequence our events for the last 15 years have had an average of 60-64% various Subarus..I believe there are 3 classes FULL of Subarus..

This contrasts to Sweden--which has maybe 20x more participants and 40x more events---around 60% of the field is various Volvos, and is dominated by 940s..School bus length 940s ( I lived in Sweden most of the 1970s--for motorsport---and still maintain freindly and some business ties) I asked and was told that's because the 940s came with a 2.5 (all alloy 20v 5 called "Whitblock" so they can take the normal 2300 8v "Redblock" 4 and make it 2.5 and 2.5 is bigger so more zoom)

The biggest problem with Volvos in rally prior to 2000 was the owners of the cars --purists to a man--thought that their worn out dead 240s were worth $3000 even for an old sway back shed with a trillion miles on it..So even out here in the PNW in the land of plenty where I used to joke "Bugga! the dam zoning laws require residents on the North side to maintain a minimum of 8 Volvos per block and min 2 Saabs or you can't move into the neighborhood", the cars themselves were too bloody dear for the "normal" guys at the time...

but things changed..There's now maybe I don't know..10-12 in USA and Canada: the 940 of past 2wd Champion Carl Jardevall--a Swede living in the San Francisco area and the rest 240s..Carl is lending his car to a young guy who is he nephew of the guy who wrenched on his car and had his wife in carls cars as co-driver for 15 years, Nate Tennis..Tennis was -despite it being only second rally in past 8 years, the fastest 2wd guy at Oregon..20 SSs, 18 run (2 cancelled in order for people to enjoy the Subarus burning down) and Tennis won 16 of them--and the gaps were growing ( believe he had basically zero miles in the car before the event).This was a repeat of his first event in 8 years at last years Olympus--known locally as Oh-limp-wrist...There he was lent a 240 turbo that I had built more or less everything on--engine, box, suspension,brakes etc---and that as Nate's first rally in turbo and RWD,,but won I think every stage but one.
Did the same over the weekend in this year's Oh-limp-wrist..

Elsewhere in "Southern Ohio rally" run in one of the other sanctioning bodies.. a young guy in only his 3rd rally was 2nd 2wd in his n.a. Volvo 240....another guy I supplied the fun bits to....Right behind a friend in a huge damn Lexus (a Toyota with lockwashers)

So there's some out there..I am the guy in North America pushing them and making parts (and building a few engines) and I coined the motto "The Escort for North America" because our roads are mainly open flowing FAST roads with high average speeds--VERY high considering the general experience level.
We do have a class for 2wd turbocharged cars and for our conditions a turbo 2wd--with no restrictor is a GOOD package, but most of the time we just look at is the car 2wd.

[Mk2 RS2000]

I was advised during the weekend that an AP4 version of a Toyota RAV4 has been built by Force Motorsport and dispatched to America for Toyota USA to be driven by a young Mr Millan. Obviously a bigger vehicle than we are all used to seeing being rallied but the RAV4 is the style of vehicle that is filling the market place. Will be interesting to observe the developments

[Zeakiwi]

One of the better filmed 'Launch Controls' with the usual hyperbole commentary. Pastrana returns. Block burns, McKenna punctures.
Higgins and co average more than 128 km/h/ 80 mph on some of these stages. Like to see Higgins given a test in an M-Sport wrc or r5 to see how he measures up against current euro wrc crews.
https://youtu.be/r_NnNDC5ras


Higgins wins at Ojibwe, Bouffier quick on a few stages with mirage proto.
https://www.americanrallyassociation...s-Rally-Review