I'll finally be attending my first rallyX ever. It'll be in the Western Ohio and is an scca event. My question is... i'm a stocky so what can i do to prepare my car to help me get the best times possible. Do weight reductions like the spare tire and back seat make that much of a difference in RallyX ?
I would second what I've read other places...Just go out there and have fun (it's hard not to) and learn how the car responds and handles.
And I'll tell you...I just attended my first rally race this past weekend in Adrian, MI and it was AWESOME!!! So much fun, I definetely learned how my car handles and performs better than I could just on the street.
I would recommend you take out anything that might go flying around the car during the race...I left the spare tire in, but it wouldn't hurt to take it out...I don't think it'll help to take it out but it won't hurt.
oh..BTW there were 2 or 3 other WRXs there and a few DSMs but not a single EVO...
WRX = fun, performance and utility
EVOs = rice
By staying in the lowest gear you are keeping the RPMs up, always spooled and max power to the wheels. Rally driving is kind of like driving a jet boat. Without power (coasting), and while at speed, you wont be able to steer very good. Keep power to wheels to retain control. Have fun!! Cheers!
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Still love my 4 rings, but now all I see is stars.
White Collar Hippie
Good luck man! Have fun! I am going to have to agree with these guys. Keep it spooled and the power going to the ground! I have driven out in the sand of the desert, nothing organized, but it was all about throttle control. If you lift during the exit of the corners, your front wheels wont pull you out of it. Use that AWD to your advantage!
That is the ticket. You need to have the throttle all the way open to have the wheels grab and possibly spin to pull you our of the corner. Otherwise you will just slide sideways in the corner as your lateral G's will force out out of the corner.
But feeding the power to the wheels is necessary. I guess what I am trying to get at is that you need to utilize the AWD system and have the wheels to "pull" you out of the corner instead of just letting them direct you in the corner as they do in a 2WD. Right? It makes sense in my head, but I dont always get it onto the keyboard very effectively.
I'll finally be attending my first rallyX ever. It'll be in the Western Ohio and is an scca event. My question is... i'm a stocky so what can i do to prepare my car to help me get the best times possible. Do weight reductions like the spare tire and back seat make that much of a difference in RallyX ?
Do you have a video camera you can mount in cab? That would be sick to show off here. Who knows you might put on a clinic and kill.
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Still love my 4 rings, but now all I see is stars.
White Collar Hippie
try practicing in a feild(you probably have. i know i have) to get a feel of your throttle and steering. good luck and have fun. by the way, dont have a full tank its extra lbs......
why are you all so worried about extra weight? Its your first time out. Learn to drive the car. Doing all of this extra work to lose these few pounds is not going to make a difference with an inexperienced driver like you. I am willing to bet you wont be able to tell the difference. I am not saying I can. I raced AutoX last year all year and neer once did anything to remove weight, and still was always top 5...
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Robby
02 rex is gone.
I defected to an evo :)
the key to attacking cornering is weight transfer, especially with AWD. when you enter an apex, lift off the throttle or jab the brake to induce an oversteer, then power out of it to keep control. if you are powering into an apex you will understeer or turn all wide like some grandma backing her buick out of a parking spot.
if you oversteer too much power out of it, because if you slow down more or brake then you spin out.
if you are a little more sideways than you want to be, be aware of you countersteering. little steering input is better than too much. otherwise if you are steering too much, by the time the car straightens out, you are steered the opposite direction and you endup with a snap oversteer.
BUT, snap oversteer can be an advantage when transitioning from consecutive opposite turns, so long as you are doing it on purpose.
you cannot force the car sideways with the throttle alone without some sort of weight transition to the front using throttle lift off or quick jabs of the brake. its simple physics. put down the video games and get on the track, if you really want to learn how a car actually handles.
i have never been to an auto-x, but i drive a car every day. these techniques work just fine for me
how well your braking and steering is will determine your times more so than how much power your car has or your rpm. unless you want to be making laps in 1st gear all day because you can't keep the car moving around corners. keep the car moving and you wont have to shift to an impossible first gear or lug around in 2nd because first is impossible
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So much fun, I definetely learned how my car handles and performs better than I could just on the street. 
what is WFO? "Wide F-in Open" ?? referring to throttle? lol
Linear Mode
