Rally - Best of WRC 99/00 - Mon 29th & Tue 30th July 2013

For basically zero practice in the car (checking out Puy du Lac for about one sector before dying), all things went well.

SS1: I hate Monte mod. Bent the car in half before the end of the first sector, but finished driving slow as dirt.
SS2: Spun out once or twice, ran most of the stage in 4th gear, went alright.
SS3: Decent run, had to back up at a few junctions and didn't push super hard but did alright.
SS4: Had a brain fart and hit tarmac inters, ran very cautiously through the first two sectors before getting on two wheels with no chance of correcting and hitting a tree, killing the engine. Retired. Super bummed 'cause looking at Corey's splits afterward I was only 6 seconds behind after the second sector, wish I didn't bin it but oh well.

SS5: Rolled within 11 seconds of starting, dropped 45 seconds off the bat. Had one or two spins/engine cut-outs, pushed decently hard and finished well.
SS6: Pushed pretty good, had a few off-course excursions but finished alright.
SS7: Drove like a granny, really don't like that "K right / Hairpin left / Go straight" segment right off the bat. Should have picked Gravel tires for the amount of corn fields I ran through.
SS8: Hit a good rhythm for a while, then hit a tree, engine died, but didn't kill it so was able to continue. Had a couple spins, car doesn't like to pendulum for an entire stage straight.

Had a good time for the first time in RBR for a long while, thanks for having me.
 
Quite enjoyed that :). Probably drove better than I have all year as well with no DNF's and the only CFH on the Japan stage and 100m from the finish of Falstone :)(!). Happy with finishing 2nd in session with some pretty good times along the way not to far from the front :)

Hope to be back soon

Sion

Sion; Ha, I actually snapped your second place in our session, with only 8 sec, after your mishap at last stage. (I was a bit late in my driving after a phonecall).We were evenly matched. I also had two CFH, both on Mineshaft. Fun rally. Really good battles in the lead within our session.
 
Some positives, some negatives. Joux Verte, Sweet Lamb and Mineshaft all left me with a totalled car after my co-driver's notes became misleading. I think I might have to fire him - I can't find a pacenotes speed setting that tells me when Sweet Lamb's hairpins are coming in time.

But I had heaps of fun on Autiovaara, Hulapai and Falstone, Joux Verte was a good testing ground for my handbrake turns, I amused myself crossing Sipirkakim's finish on my roof, and I left Puy de Lac with fear in my heart. The car must be wider than the road there!
 
Puy de Lac is a scary stage!

Personally I find the pace notes on Mineshaft II quite hard to keep up with, your on the corner as the note is read out. Messing with the pace note timing sometimes helps but it's hard to get a good balance for all stages.
 
Well... that was an interesting return to rallying.

First time I set out in anger since the final round of last season and boy was it fun.

I was convinced to just take it easy and come home with minimal errors made and to an extent that is what I did. No DNFs and no CFHs is just about as positive a result you can ever take from a rally.

- Joux Verte saw a couple of half spins and a ginger pace at best but it went very very well.

- Autiovaara I should have taken easier but I found myself so at home in the snow that I just kicked it and got about as close to a perfect stage as I think I could have done.

- Sweet Lamb is another stage I have always enjoyed although a lengthy trip down a hillside lost me about 10 seconds that I would rather have had in hand for cock-ups on Puy-du Lac.

- Sipirikakim. I just went slowly, but obviously not slowly enough that dastardly easy right towards the end of the stage left me in a spin and a bush with some interesting suspension damage to roll through the last 1000m

- Mineshaft II. Uneventful shockingly enough, didn't take any risks and built up pace throughout. Not a stunning time but not one I'll be turning my nose up at any time soon.

- Hualapai Nation I just wanted under 4 minutes, and I got it just.

- Puy-Du Lac is the most horrendous thing ever. Somehow only had one very very minor off but should've been on dirt tyres seeing as that is where you run most of this stage.

- Falstone was a pleasant end to this rally, much like Mineshaft I certainly didn't set alight any timing sheets but it was comfy and I made no errors.


A really positive return for me and that Pug made it very very enjoyable. Thanks to the admin staff for setting this up and excusing my window-licking moment on my first attempt in the wrong car.

Cheers all,

Oscar.
 
Is it still too late to request a better time for US ?


Sort of, yes. But I'm in a bright pink mood today and the results are not out yet, so, if you have a time you want to drive, inside the next 11hrs40min (from this post), tell me, and I'll set it up! :)

Oscar Hardwick I actually went for gravel tyres on Puy Du Lac. It was sort of safer (retired anyway, not familiar with gravel tyres on tarmac), but also slower.
 

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