World Rally Championship

Petter Solberg just won the 2003 World Rally Driver's Championship for Subaru! Probably not many WRC followers on CPF, but I had to spread the awesome news. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I don't really follow it but I watch it sometimes. Watching NASCAR right now. (Rockingham won't hold my interest for long)

The commercials for the public version are convincing. Sure looks like it would be fun to drive.

Glad to hear your boy Won. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif (Norway, right?) I know this is huge in Europe so, his win is a big deal.

I saw it live on Norwegian TV today. It is great that he won! Excellent driving!
It is incredible to watch someone drive faster than 200 km/h (~125 mph) on narrow muddy forest roads.

Bjorn

I LOVE THAT RALLY !!!!!!!

I watch it when I can.
Rally and GT racing are my absolute favorite form of racing.

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Icebreak said:
Glad to hear your boy Won. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif (Norway, right?) I know this is huge in Europe so, his win is a big deal.

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Yup, he's the first Norwegian WRC winner, although I'm far from being Norwegian or any kind of European. LOL. I actually follow the Subaru World Rally Team. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Of all the kinds of auto racing, WRC is my favorite. Too bad it's not popular in the US.

WRC is my favorite thing on Speedchannel (U.S. car-nut cable channel).

These guys are risking it on real roads in vehicles that have to hold 2 people, the driver needs realtime directions, and the cliffs, trees, and pedestrians are right there! Then during the breaks they're kicking the sheetmetal to clear the wheel for the next section. (I saw the rollover live of last year's close call where a pedestrian ducked as a car endoed over his head! Everyone walked away!) Sure, the cars are megamoney one-offs, but since they've gotta be tough enough for the real world it seems there's at least a chance of some technology transfer to a daily driver.

Yup, that was Tommi Makinen and co-driver Kaj Lindstrom of Subaru losing it at the 2002 Rally Argentina and the car rolled in the air over a bystander. Amazing!





Another big crash was Colin McRae of Ford at the 2001 Rally Great Britain.

I've also uploaded video clips of both to my web site temporarily. Have a look here (Makinen) and here (McRae) Absolutely amazing that the drivers and co-drivers just walked away.

Each WRC car costs about $600,000 with a 2 liter 4 cylinder turbo charged engine and 34MM turbo inlet restrictor. They are "limited" to 300HP, but put out well over 500 ft-lbs torque with no turbo lag (due to their Anti-Lag Systems (ALS)). A WRC car is strong enough to withstand five times its own weight. Fun fun!

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

How does a Anti Lag System work?

Wow. Thanks Skyline those were fantastic to watch again! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/bowdown.gif I started laughing on the McRae one. Everyone was sorta okay (though McRae's head was obviously sloshed) but as I recall McRae sat there for about a solid minute trying to get the absolutely mangled car started and trying to get pedestrians to push it. Not gonna happen in this universe! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/yellowlaugh.gif

It's fun when nobody gets hurt and the tension is all about how the heck that vehicle's gonna hold together & shove them the fastest to the finish.

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Wait, you mean my Subaru World Rally Team cap is actually gonna be popular now?

I've been wearing this thing for more than 3 years now without even any Subaru drivers giving me the "thumbs up" or even so much as a nod.

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

I'm more of an F1 guy myself, but I do love to catch the occasional WRC race on Speed. The skill of those drivers is simply amazing, and the technical sophistication of the cars pretty darned awesome, too.

Allen
aka DumboRAT

I actually drive a modified Subaru WRX. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

V8ToyTruck,
anti lag works by not allowing the turbo to slow down when you lift off the gas pedal, it does this by using a computer to shoot more petrol into the engine to combust and keep the turbo spinning, this way, there is no drop in power, and the turbo is always spinning, hence no lag.
this is a simplified explanation, they have different methods of implementing anti lag, this is the sound u hear popping and crackling when the cars break for a corner, its the anti lag basically creating tiny explosions in the combustion chamber to keep the turbo spinning. In the early days before anti lag, they would brake with the left feet and keep the right foot on the gas and blip the gas pedal to keep the turbo spinning.
hope this helps
Des

roguesw: excellent yet simple explanation. For more details, check this out: http://www.rallycars.com/Cars/bangbang.html

DBrier: me too, although I have no power mods.

DumboRAT: I have a SWRT cap from about three years ago as well! I got one of the earlier ones that was "one size fits all" but doesn't require an adjustment strap. It seems all the new ones use the strap. Ick.

I also just got one of new Transformers re-issues. This one is Smokescreen, diecast, as a Subaru WRC car. Spectacular.

Skyline --

Oh man, that Transformer is so cool! I can't believe that my parents threw out my Jazz when I went to college!

Allen
aka DumboRAT

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Skyline said:
DBrier: me too, although I have no power mods.


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You should check out www.NASIOC.com if you haven't already. It is to Impreza's what this place is too flashlights.
I have a velocity stack intake, silcone intercooler hoses, a custom ported throttle body, upgraded 17" rims with SO-3 tires, COBB stage I ECU reflash and a sedan swaybar on my wagon. Lot of little stuff too.

I have some other rally wrecks on my vid page.

http://trotto.zmoz.com

goto the Net Videos page.

Have fun /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Whoa. Those are good clips. And the (Le Mans?) MB CLK crash. Lots of other fun stuff there too, thanks! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Hehe, I've been on NABISCO (as Skyline too) for a couple of years now, great site.

Off the top of my head, my MY02 WRX Sedan has Prodrive 18" wheels with Michelin Pilot Sport A/S tires, STi short shifter with Kartboy bushings and Prodrive knob, Prodrive mud guards, Primitive front skid plate, Wet Okole seat covers, Kastle intercooler screen, OEM headlight/foglight covers, and a few other minor things. No mods that stand out other than the wheels and seat covers. LOL. It's fun isn't it?

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
You registered over there just 3 weeks before me. LOL