THSCC Forums

Kevin adn Vincent said:

All I can say about the big yump is that my fastest time in the afternoon was run as almost the last car on course (due to tire problems). On that run I went way wide into the fluffy stuff, but was fast enough to "skim" over the top before bogging down. Of course it may have been faster since that was the only run when the tire didn't deflate on the yump.

Sometimes the decision to run way off line and add distance or risk getting stuck or staying tight and hitting an obstacle is a hard call. There is more strategy and quick assement of conditions required in rally-x than in autocross, but that is half of the fun.
I was a slow learner on that one. First I mis-read how severe the bump was on the first run and unseated a tire. Then I insisted on driving a similar line on the second run and again unseated a tire.
When it is all said and done, running later under deterioating conditions is somewhat more difficult for 2WD cars because many of the 2WD cars are really 1WD (with open differentials) and fluffy stuff can suck the life out of a run if you get off line. Remember Rockingham? That region is famous for their sand traps, but then that's another sport.
Final analysis, after all the rambling, just let me run anytime...this is too much fun.

Charlie Guthrie
Dirtmaster 1600
Built for comfort, not for speed.

_________________
1998 BMW Z3
1987 BMW 325is
2000 BMW
1996 F250 Turbo Diesel

We tried it once, and frankly I liked it. But the logic (which must only make sense to me, since I've had to explain it a dozen times) remains the same:

1. The "pristine-ness" of the course is going to deteriorate most quickly in the first run group.
2. SU2 cars, having generally the least power and traction, are the most affected by course conditions; AWD cars, less so.
3. Consequently, the advantage an SU2 has running early in Run Group 1 over one running late in RG1 would be greater than the advantage of an SU2 running early in RG2 over one running late in RG2.
4. The SO4 cars, having generally more power and traction, get less of an advantage from this effect.
5. Therefore, in the interest of fairness and minimizing the effect of position within the run group (and avoiding unpleasant jockeying in line for an early run slot), we make the SU2 cars run on a "pre-tenderized" course.
6. The SO2 guys are so slow, we don't worry about them.

We used to make SU2 run last morning and afternoon, but relented due to compaints (mostly from Vincent, I think ). So count your blessings!

_________________
Carl Fisher

Be Cool to the Pizza Dude:
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I vividly remember that day when the S04 guys were coming in talking about how rutted the course was that time. I thought it was so ironic personally.

Like Charlie said, as long as still get to come and play I'll run anytime. Rally-X is too damn fun! For those who are still reading about it and not driving...well you should've been there!

_________________
Vincent Keene
'06 Ford Mustang GT (track rat)
'15 Dodge Charger R/T (yeah, it's got a HEMI!)
'07 Ford Fusion SE (205,000 miles and counting)
'98 Chevy Z-24 (retired)
'93 Acura Integra (Team SWB 24HOL Car)

The bottom line to all of this is really that, unless you're running on some hard-packed surface (which Oakland Acres often became in some places), the conditions at a rallyX will always be better for some drivers than others. Same is true for rally, particularly the poor schmoes at the back of a 75-car pack. I guess we could come up with everyone's speed factor refreshed for each event & assign starting positions from slowest to fastest regardless of class. That might even out some of the advantages & times. But, I'm not sure the fun to work ratio to do that all the time would be worth it.

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yeah, you would. bastard.



Hey, I get it too. And I'd agree with the logic even if I was driving some pitiful 2wd car.



Hey, it changes a lot at Oakland Acres, too - but it actually gets FASTER as more cars sweep the course off. If we can find our own hard-packed surface, things will get really interesting - to be fast in the AM, you'll have to run rally tires - to be fast in the PM, you'll have to run ST* autox tires.

Also don't forget that the SU2 cars are not competing with the SO4 cars. Nobody really compares the two classes to see who was faster. (Unless we're trying to wind Vincent up.) FTD is pretty meaningless in a rallyx unless you have one for each class.

So the point now becomes a strategic decision each time you run. Depending on the conditions sometimes going earlier is better and sometimes it's not.

Simon[/i]