So, as you guys may have figured out, I'm obsessed with many different forms of motorsport.....between the supercharged subaru Autocross car, to the 4runner Rock crawler project, and my XT6 rallyx/ice race/Daily driver. and I keep looking at the subaru 2.2, FWD auto trans, and EA82 rear suspension thinking "boy....that there is an awesome start for a mid-engine rear drive buggy.....yea, it'll probably happen some day.
Well, I'm also in the service crew for a new Rally America team. we've run 4 regional events in MN this year, and are planning on running 3 national events still (Ojibwe Forests Rally in Bemidji, MN, Lake Superior Pro Rally in Houghton, MI, and Rally de Paris in Paris, TX).
We've been running a 2004 Subaru WRX STi that only a year ago was our driver's Daily Driver. Due to class limitations (Open Light, only class that a novice can have AWD. Next year we plan to run Open), we can't run a turbo, so instead we dropped in some custom 11.5:1 pistons. it now makes 136awhp, and weighs about 3500lbs (some weight reduction was done, but after all the skidplates and roll cage....).
We just had our 4th event on Saturday, Nemadji Trails Rally 3 in Duquette, MN. We had some great luck at the last event, due to the rain slowing down the 2WD cars, we came in 3rd Overall (of 13).
But, some overconfidence, and a couple other mistakes meant that carl went into a corner way too hot this time, less than a mile into the first stage of the event, and rolled the car 3 times. you could see, clear as day, the indents where the tires hit each time. our Crew chief paced off the distance from the last tracks to where the car landed (the car was definitely not on the ground at the time....grass wasn't even pushed over), and it was about 30 feet
Thankfully, the car is equipped with 10s of thousands of dollars worth of safety equipment (full FIA-legal cage, harnesses, HANS devices, helmets, etc. etc.), and they walked away with minimal injuries. both the driver and co-driver are a little sore, and the co-driver got a little scraped up by some shattered glass, but nothing even remotely severe!.
At the time, we had 2 video cameras recording. one suction-cupped to the driver's door (we had a string tied from it to the door handle, just in case. you'll notice in the video when the suction cup fails and it starts flying around on the string). the other mounted to the roll cage, and plugged into the intercom. the sound on the external cam sucks, so turn down the volume until the footage from the other camera starts.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1ZaugEGamw
most of the damage was cosmetic. will need lots of body panels. but the roll cage wasn't even touched, the pillars supported the weight entirely. frame rails are in-tact, suspension is straight. we got lucky!
The driver's last name is Siegler.....that corner has now been named the Siegler Swamp
a good friend of ours, Mark Utecht, also rolled his mustang. similar problems. just came in too hot, little co-driver mistake, etc. and rolled. Mark was not as lucky, he landed upside-down, crushed the body of the car onto the cage, which left him trapped in the car. his car is not worth repairing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ge57tISP1KQmore pictures from the event
http://mnsubaru.com/forums/showthread.php?t=33979
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If your clutch ain't slippin,, you probably got it adjusted right!!!!!