Here's the latest update from this weekend:
I volunteered to work checkpoints at Frost Heaves Road Rally on Saturday, and Slip-N-Slide Rallycross was on Sunday. I dual-registered for the Rallycross, in SA with my car, and in Modified FWD in a Dodge Neon (with a 2:1 steering quickener, but more on that later!) which was shared with a fellow driver. Figured it would be fun to drive a modified car for the first time!
Working checkpoints was a very interesting learning experience that went much more smoothly than expected. Glad I was able to help out, I was the only dedicated checkpoint worker at the event, any checkpoints I couldn't cover were run by "run workers", rallyists who stop to work a checkpoint. The route covered 160 miles of eastern New Hampshire and western Maine, with plenty of scenic paved roads and exciting dirt roads, made very challenging by the mud and severe ruts. Glad I was able to help out!
This was the second checkpoint I ran, which was a closed checkpoint on a one-lane, ice-covered dirt road. Rallyists drove over the timing hose, and continued on their way. For this one, I simply had to see their number as they went by, and record their leg time.
Checkpoint #10
I then went to the finishing point and hung out with everyone for their awards, since a good portion of the guys running the TSD Rally were also fellow Rallycross drivers. I met a couple of people at Frost Heaves that actually came out and competed at the next day's Rallycross, and few more future Rallycross addicts who hope to come out to the next one!
After driving all over New Hampshire and Maine, I made my way back to my town, washed the mud off my car so I could use my camera mount on the outside at the race, topped off my fuel and washer fluid, then proceeded to pull out onto the road...and Dennis sputtered to a halt. Turned the key, no fuel pump noise. Fuel pump had given up. Unfortunately 10PM on a Saturday night did not give much hope for finding a new one, so I had to throw in the towel. Really hoping to not have to miss my race in Stock AWD, and since I was also running in M2, I found backup transport in the form of one of the work vans from my job, a lower-resale-value-purple Caravan, and headed out bright and early (losing an extra hour of sleep due to DST, dammit!) to New England Dragway in Epping, not knowing if I would even find anyone willing to let me use their car. I just figured, head on down and make the best of it, and I'm sure everything would work out. Considering how far away from home I was all day, it really worked out the best it could, since the failure happened right as I got back into town. A good samaritan with a pickup truck helped me get my car home with the help of my tow strap. The price of the new fuel pump is nothing compared to the tow fees I would've had, if it had happened 100 miles from home. I really should invest in a AAA membership, as I have been telling myself for the past few years!
I got to the event bright and early on Sunday morning, and seeing the smiling faces of my fellow Rallycrossers helped me forget that I needed to sort out my car trouble the next day. Nice thing about Rallycross is that it's kind of my positive escape from the stresses of day-to-day life. Everybody is very positive and friendly, and you can't help but have an awesome time no matter what. I started talking to my fellow SA drivers, and got a few offers to be able to borrow cars, at least for a run or two. Then, I ended up talking to Paul, who drives a black '99 2.5RS - not only was he more than happy to let me drive his car and be able to race, but he let me use his car all day! Paul, I've already said this to you countless times, but thanks again for saving the day and allowing me to compete in my class. You're a gentleman and a scholar.
A very muddy course awaited all 70 competitors, more muddy and slick than I have ever seen before. Slip-N-Slide truly lived up to its name this time. A slalom over the one section of hard gravel was the main place to make time, after that it was a game of keeping momentum - even AWD cars were struggling. Quite a few cars got stuck, including a Subaru, thankfully we have multiple drivers who compete in trucks that helped pull stuck vehicles out of the muck. Very challenging and difficult to remain consistent, but as much fun as always and I managed a comfortable 4th place finish in the borrowed 2.5RS. I would have been pretty happy with that place, even if I was in my own car!
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My #79 flies once again as blue painter's tape, the first time since my very first Rallycross in 2011 with my then-daily-driver Nissan Versa in Stock FWD.<br>
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Here is the Modified FWD Dodge Neon I also drove, and what a blast this car is! Modified FWD is a very fast and ultra-close class with a bunch of very skilled drivers. With the 2:1 steering quickener, steering was pinpoint-control like a go kart, which made the slalom sections insanely fast and exciting! I was very glad that David Dennis offered for me to play in Modified FWD with his car, and riding shotgun with him at the wheel was a hell of a rush, and a great learning experience watching his expert left-foot braking.
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So that wraps up a very hectic, but fun and memorable weekend! Staying positive and making the best of a less-than-optimal situation, I had a blast, did pretty well in Stock AWD and had a great taste of Modified FWD to boot. If I ever move to a non-stock class, a steering quickener would be an invaluable upgrade. Thanks again to Paul for letting me use his car, to David for letting me play with the Neon, and to everyone who organizes and participates in our excellent Rallycross program and makes it such a great place to be.<br>
In other news, after a while of trying to find one, and then confirming that the non-functional hood scoop won't put me in any issues with stock class, I was actually <b>gifted</b> a RS / OBS hood, that even happens to be the matching color, by Modified AWD competitor Ryan Wilcox (sharkattack). He saw that I was looking for an OBS hood, and he just happened to have this one laying around, collecting dust, and was nice enough to bring it to Slip-N-Slide and give it to me free of charge! Looking forward to putting this on after Dennis gets running again. Thanks again, Ryan!
The fuel pump issue is being worked on currently, have a new one on order and should be all done within a few days, whenever the part arrives. So glad you don't need to drop the gas tank to access it in these cars.
I also have decided to help New England Region SCCA by running a tent at New England Forest Rally 2012, in the "Rally Village", to help promote SCCA Rallycross. It is a go, and I am really looking forward to helping get even more people to come out to events! I am planning to run a similar deal at Wicked Big Meet, and so I have started working on a display plan. At NEFR at least, there will be a tent with my car under it, and it's pretty simple. Basically, just myself, Dennis, and a table. Some posters with information, photos, trophies, SCCA membership forms and information, and my laptop playing videos. Should be great!
Here is draft #1 of the
toaster poster ideas.
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