RDRC S8 Round 2 - Rally Sweden (13th - 19th February 2017)

[svt4cam]

Through the first day with the Weyerbacher Team Fate Rally Opel. I have hundreds of hours in this game but could never wrap my head around left foot braking. My real rally experience eons ago was in a fwd Rabbit (Golf to you Euro types) so Handbrake was useful but never left foot braked. I had steadfastly resisted LFB in this game and was using full manual and clutch in Monaco. I realized between RD Sweden with the Opel and the Champion Motorsports Sweden rally with the 07 Focus I needed to change my game up. After lots of rece's I ran the first 4 stage of the CMS rally in unspectacular but safe fashion. As I was switching back to rwd mode in practice for RD Sweden something broke in my head. I actually set some pb's on the first 7 stages and my attitude about Sweden has changed from trying to survive to trying to go faster (probably a big mistake). I'm still more comfortable on tarmac but the Opel and I seem to have come to an understanding.

 

[Andrew W]

I had steadfastly resisted LFB in this game and was using full manual and clutch in Monaco.

No reason you can't do both! Mixing LFB with RFB heel-toe and the risk of missed shifts while flying into corners is where the real fun is at. When you watch some of the onboards from historic rallies in these cars, it looks like a dance routine.

Just promise not to go to the dark side and "install" some magical dual-shift gearbox in your 70's machine. Leave that nonsense to the chase cam crowd.

 

[Lorenzo Bonder]

DONE WITH THIS BLOODY DAMN RALLY!

And I think I outperformed my expectancies. Well Roy and Tommie are snow aliens. So ONE UP FOR THE TROPICAL GUY

#godofwarnext

 

[LuMue]

Just promise not to go to the dark side and "install" some magical dual-shift gearbox in your 70's machine. Leave that nonsense to the chase cam crowd.

Chase cam crowd... I like this one!!
To be honest, I started Dirt Rally with this cam but I changed to the hood/bonnet cam...

 

[bogani]

DONE WITH THIS BLOODY DAMN RALLY!

And I think I outperformed my expectancies. Well Roy and Tommie are snow aliens. So ONE UP FOR THE TROPICAL GUY

#godofwarnext

My pre event testing isn't going very well so I doubt I'll be a contender here. Damn snowbanks!

 

[Karl Raudsepp]

Here's link to playlist of my onboard videos from this rally.

Few words about my run as well. I found myself actually enjoying it, even though Sweden haven't been kind for me yet. Very tricky and technical stages. Yet they can be very rewarding when it's done right. Luckily I made very few mistakes and escaped without any noticable damage. I even rolled once at SS17, but I only lost few seconds becaue of that. I felt bit like Erik Carlsson...


RDRC S8 R2 - Sweden - #5 Karl Raudsepp

 

[CrazyNevada]

Overall okay, found myself spinning at least once in every stage. Sweden has never been a favourite, can't wait for some gravel action.

Videos coming soon...

 

[dbracedesign]

Here's link to playlist of my onboard videos from this rally.

Few words about my run as well. I found myself actually enjoying it, even though Sweden haven't been kind for me yet. Very tricky and technical stages. Yet they can be very rewarding when it's done right. Luckily I made very few mistakes and escaped without any noticable damage. I even rolled once at SS17, but I only lost few seconds becaue of that. I felt bit like Erik Carlsson...


RDRC S8 R2 - Sweden - #5 Karl Raudsepp

Love the livery!

 

[Korvpasta]

Here's link to playlist of my onboard videos from this rally.

Few words about my run as well. I found myself actually enjoying it, even though Sweden haven't been kind for me yet. Very tricky and technical stages. Yet they can be very rewarding when it's done right. Luckily I made very few mistakes and escaped without any noticable damage. I even rolled once at SS17, but I only lost few seconds becaue of that. I felt bit like Erik Carlsson...


RDRC S8 R2 - Sweden - #5 Karl Raudsepp

Awesome end to SS2

 

[PresidentSmug]

Chase cam crowd... I like this one!!
To be honest, I started Dirt Rally with this cam but I changed to the hood/bonnet cam...

Yeah a year ago i was perfectly content with chase cam and my xbox controller but look at me now cockpit view, with a hpattern and clutch doing the old heel and toe. Not very good mind you but its fun as hell.

 

[Eckhart von Glan]

twice on two different stages my car has just been span round for no reason, quite happily in the middle of the road away from any snowbanks and obstacles and the car stops dead and spins like ive just crashed the front corner into a wall. Has cost me at least 30 seconds on my time any ideas?

experienced this ever since the console versions were added, but for me it only happens when i use the handbrake. You describe the feeling perfectly, it's like some unseen hand grabs the car from underneath and holds it there. What I do: Stopped using the handbrake in corners which I have not tested before the tournament

 

[Eckhart von Glan]

On a happier note: finished day one yesterday, had a great run on the long snowy stage, 15 secs faster than in bright sunlight, lol. The other two were fine (read: free of incidents but again slow slow slow), great rally so far.

 

[LuMue]

had a great run on the long snowy stage, 15 secs faster than in bright sunlight, lol.

Thias is quite easy to explain:
When you don't see very far you are not so careful and automatically drive faster through or into corners... You simply don't see how exactly a corner is, so you don't have the time to think if you might be too fast or too late on the brake

 

[bogani]

As per last round, getting worse as the rally goes on!

though since the last checkpoint I seem to be getting a weird bug, twice on two different stages my car has just been span round for no reason, quite happily in the middle of the road away from any snowbanks and obstacles and the car stops dead and spins like ive just crashed the front corner into a wall. Has cost me at least 30 seconds on my time any ideas?

You sure it's not bottoming out? Having to low rideheight or too soft suspension sometime makes the underside of the car hit the road beneath you thus upsetting the car.

 

[Eckhart von Glan]

When you don't see very far you are not so careful and automatically drive faster through or into corners...

another idea: when visibility is poor, i listen more closely to the co-driver, hence i make less mistakes.

 

[Ole Marius Myrvold]

That actually sounds quite a bit more likely Eckhart!

 

[robt100]

experienced this ever since the console versions were added, but for me it only happens when i use the handbrake. You describe the feeling perfectly, it's like some unseen hand grabs the car from underneath and holds it there. What I do: Stopped using the handbrake in corners which I have not tested before the tournament

Sadly the handbrake doesn't affect it, this is usually happening whilst in 4th or 5th at high speed.
@bogani suspension is over-stiff and set over-high, definately not bottoming. Just stops on the racing line for no reason. Ruined my chances of a high score this time round

 

[Jonatan Åcerclinth]

Sadly the handbrake doesn't affect it, this is usually happening whilst in 4th or 5th at high speed.
@bogani suspension is over-stiff and set over-high, definately not bottoming. Just stops on the racing line for no reason. Ruined my chances of a high score this time round

It's a downside with the Older cars, some of them is not that good over bumps and jumps while others are very nice and neat over them.

One of the worst is the Stratos mainly because of its short wheelbase meaning that any loss of touch with the road has much more severe consequences compared to the other 70's cars, the same could have been said for the Mini had it not had FWD.

I'd say the best car over the bumps is probably the 131 (I've not tested the Escort, it's such a strange feeling to drive on the right hand side for some reason so I've stayed away from it...) fairly closely followed by the Kadett (although its a ***** to set up properly to take the bumps, it took me a good few hours and days of trying to get the Kadett to handle well, especially in Greece and Germany to not speak of Finland...).

Some of what makes these older cars tick is driving the car correctly, while they can fly over the jumps they don't have the suspension to handle the landing like those modern monsters, a more calculated approach is needed to get the most out of the machinery of old.

For example, in the 131 I had a certain engine-sound I listened for to know the limit of what the car could take while going over the bumps and jumps, best place to test it out and find the limit is Älgsjön, a short enough stage with bumps and jumps of most kinds.

Or as my father said to me once...

"Do as I tell you to, not how I do it myself"....

 

[Roland]

No reason you can't do both! Mixing LFB with RFB heel-toe and the risk of missed shifts while flying into corners is where the real fun is at. When you watch some of the onboards from historic rallies in these cars, it looks like a dance routine.....

Agreed 100%! Although I am rather new to this game, I approached it like all other racing titles I own: All assists off, cockpit view only and Full Manual and clutch for maximum fun..
And since my Heel-Toe skills are basically nonexistent, I end up mixing LFB with RFB all the time

I must admit upon entering this Championship, my first online Rally ever, I allowed myself H-shift with auto-clutch, just to not end up hours behind everyone else, but for the next rally I will probably go back to manual clutch despit being even slower, as this somehow just doesn't feel right

....Just promise not to go to the dark side and "install" some magical dual-shift gearbox in your 70's machine. Leave that nonsense to the chase cam crowd.

Agreed 101%. Well phrased, sir

 

[TTupsi]

One of the worst is the Stratos mainly because of its short wheelbase meaning that any loss of touch with the road has much more severe consequences compared to the other 70's cars

Tell me about it. I've had a lot of trouble trying to set the car up but I'm now finally fairly comfortable with it. 131 would have been so much easier to handle especially in Sweden.