its the rockstar racing team.
it doesn't hold our hand through anything, but it is a good example of how the teams work together and rely on each other. if only our co-driver was as cute...
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Cars Continued
So I've been reading... a lot. I've also perused the previous finishers for many of the races in the southwest in the last few years. I've learned the following things.
Rallying is about how good a driver and co-driver you are. To be the best in the open class (At least in the United States) you need an Evo or an STI but for almost every other class, IT DOESN"T MATTER WHAT YOU DRIVE! In fact, often times the open 4WD division doesn't even post the fastest finisher because none of the cars finished, or they were just out driven by someone who doesn't have a factory car. The performance stock class (our class) even posts some finishes in the top 5 or 10 overall. This is about finding a car that will do the job, engineering it to run as well as it possibly can, and then getting behind the wheel and learning how to drive it...fast. I re-read and re-re-read the class restrictions for the perf. stock class. We can have a fuel injected motor, just no turbo. And we can upgrade parts (engine, drivetrain, suspension and otherwise) so long as that model car came with those options at some point durring that body style. For example...if they came with disc brakes in 86 but not 85, we can put disk brakes on our 85 so long as the body style didn't change between those years.
People win in everything from, Nissan Sentras to Honda Civics to Ford Foci, Datsuns, BMWs and a variety of european cars I've never heard of that probably make awesome rally cars. There's even a Ford Ranger pickup that often makes a showing. Everything has drawbacks... some cars are weaker, some cars are "underpowered" etc... but we can deal with these kinds of problems with innovation. One thing that we cannot deal with in unavailability of parts. A sweet renault or citroen or a european escort would be sweet but if we break....excuse me...when we break something, we will need easy (cheap) access to parts. For that reason, I think we should pick a car that we see sitting around in junk piles A LOT. That way we can always scrounge parts.
The Civics, and Sentras are everywhere, cheap and parts will always be available because an entire generation of people are still using them.
I see a LOT of winning VWs, Golf, Rabbit, GTI etc... A LOT. A little harder to come by but we do have some VW experience...though not fuel injected (that I know of)
I think an Older Datsun would be cool, I just like the look of them, and they're rear wheel drive but they are carburated and probably a little harder to find parts for.
Mid 80s to early 90s BMW 3 series...VERY cool. Rear wheel drive, 5 speed, technically european and there are plenty tips out there on how to tune them for max BHP.
I think there might be a Volvo that will work and maybe even an early Saab but parts, parts, parts.
Should we just move up a class so we can get an early Subaru legacy or something that's 4WD and run the risk of getting stomped because we can't pay for the technology? On the other hand, if we tool ourselves for a Bimer or something, it's going to ba a tougher transition once we upgrade ourselves to a 4WD Jap Rally Rocket. We'll have to learn everyhting all over again... how to drive, how to work on it etc.
Thoughts?
Rallying is about how good a driver and co-driver you are. To be the best in the open class (At least in the United States) you need an Evo or an STI but for almost every other class, IT DOESN"T MATTER WHAT YOU DRIVE! In fact, often times the open 4WD division doesn't even post the fastest finisher because none of the cars finished, or they were just out driven by someone who doesn't have a factory car. The performance stock class (our class) even posts some finishes in the top 5 or 10 overall. This is about finding a car that will do the job, engineering it to run as well as it possibly can, and then getting behind the wheel and learning how to drive it...fast. I re-read and re-re-read the class restrictions for the perf. stock class. We can have a fuel injected motor, just no turbo. And we can upgrade parts (engine, drivetrain, suspension and otherwise) so long as that model car came with those options at some point durring that body style. For example...if they came with disc brakes in 86 but not 85, we can put disk brakes on our 85 so long as the body style didn't change between those years.
People win in everything from, Nissan Sentras to Honda Civics to Ford Foci, Datsuns, BMWs and a variety of european cars I've never heard of that probably make awesome rally cars. There's even a Ford Ranger pickup that often makes a showing. Everything has drawbacks... some cars are weaker, some cars are "underpowered" etc... but we can deal with these kinds of problems with innovation. One thing that we cannot deal with in unavailability of parts. A sweet renault or citroen or a european escort would be sweet but if we break....excuse me...when we break something, we will need easy (cheap) access to parts. For that reason, I think we should pick a car that we see sitting around in junk piles A LOT. That way we can always scrounge parts.
The Civics, and Sentras are everywhere, cheap and parts will always be available because an entire generation of people are still using them.
I see a LOT of winning VWs, Golf, Rabbit, GTI etc... A LOT. A little harder to come by but we do have some VW experience...though not fuel injected (that I know of)
I think an Older Datsun would be cool, I just like the look of them, and they're rear wheel drive but they are carburated and probably a little harder to find parts for.
Mid 80s to early 90s BMW 3 series...VERY cool. Rear wheel drive, 5 speed, technically european and there are plenty tips out there on how to tune them for max BHP.
I think there might be a Volvo that will work and maybe even an early Saab but parts, parts, parts.
Should we just move up a class so we can get an early Subaru legacy or something that's 4WD and run the risk of getting stomped because we can't pay for the technology? On the other hand, if we tool ourselves for a Bimer or something, it's going to ba a tougher transition once we upgrade ourselves to a 4WD Jap Rally Rocket. We'll have to learn everyhting all over again... how to drive, how to work on it etc.
Thoughts?
Cars...
http://www.sportcompactcarweb.com/features/0212scc_scca_rally_classes/index.html
It’s tough because most of these articles spec out cars and place them into SCCA classes but we have to watch the CRS class restrictions too. Civic and Sentra = parts availability, cost effectiveness, and good power to weight ratio
It’s tough because most of these articles spec out cars and place them into SCCA classes but we have to watch the CRS class restrictions too. Civic and Sentra = parts availability, cost effectiveness, and good power to weight ratio
Good news for 2WD
You know, most people would consider it Good News that they spent all say at Disneyland. Anyway... here's a link for a team based in West Covina (Co Driver out of Thousand Oaks...represent!) that won overall at the Treeline Rally (a California Rally Series event) in a 2WD Focus!
http://www.widgetracing.com/pr/06/pr06-08.htm
But they're taking an STI to the U.S. National Championship
The Rabbit looked good. Too good. I didn't have the heart to tell the guy who had spent so much time restoring it that I wanted to cut it up and destroy it. If I were a 17 year old girl I would have asked for it for Christmas just to drive around. Anyway, my Dad says he read where the Rabbits suffer from some structural integrity issues regarding suspension mounting points. From looking under the hood, the front shock mounts seem to be tied in with the body/frame at these raised cones up near the firewall. That would allow for long travel but it very may well be weak. I don't know how much we are permitted to do in terms of bracing the body and beefing up the mounts but it may be more trouble than it's worth. The mechanic is back at work this week so he can do some more research. He can't post on the forum at work though because of the firewall... I was tempted to mess with it this weekend but i didn't want to get him fired.
ps - did anyone notice the two very different uses of the word "firewall" in that post...? Sign of the times.
http://www.widgetracing.com/pr/06/pr06-08.htm
But they're taking an STI to the U.S. National Championship
The Rabbit looked good. Too good. I didn't have the heart to tell the guy who had spent so much time restoring it that I wanted to cut it up and destroy it. If I were a 17 year old girl I would have asked for it for Christmas just to drive around. Anyway, my Dad says he read where the Rabbits suffer from some structural integrity issues regarding suspension mounting points. From looking under the hood, the front shock mounts seem to be tied in with the body/frame at these raised cones up near the firewall. That would allow for long travel but it very may well be weak. I don't know how much we are permitted to do in terms of bracing the body and beefing up the mounts but it may be more trouble than it's worth. The mechanic is back at work this week so he can do some more research. He can't post on the forum at work though because of the firewall... I was tempted to mess with it this weekend but i didn't want to get him fired.
ps - did anyone notice the two very different uses of the word "firewall" in that post...? Sign of the times.
Saturday, December 22, 2007
I FIND GOOD NEWS AFTER DISNEYLAND ALL DAY
I don't see any reason not to do this. How did the Rabbit look? What does the chief mechanic think? I think this would be very practical because I bet we will get a couple weekends to go out to Blythe to work on the car, work on our system and develop a race; all in the perfect conditions.
Friday, December 21, 2007
Home Dirt Advantage?
So I was on the CRS website looking at upcoming races and I noticed that the 2nd event for the 2008 season is called the Desert Storm Rally. I clicked on the event website and even though it is still heavily under construction, they did have the host hotel posted. I clicked on it and it is the Comfort Suites in Blythe! The race is in (or around) Blythe, and just by chance it is the Rally America Southwest Regional Championship race. Now I know three months seems ambitious for a first race, but it's actually quite practical. No travel costs (no need for a trailer, hotel, eating out, gas etc...) Also, we know the area pretty well and we've probably run some or all of the course before, plus pre race practice runs would be very convenient. We could tell some local potential sponsors to come out and watch us race and even if we don't perform well, they might at least get excited by the nature of rally in their own backyard. We don't need to have our car fully raced out by this point either. As long as it's running and has all the necessary safety equiptment installed, we can race. They don't take points away for trying and it would be a great way to break into the sport.
Thoughts?
Thoughts?
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Bogie
My name is Bogie. Christian Robert Bogeberg, so Bogie for short. I am 22 years old and I recently graduated from UCLA in Political Science. Currently I have a human resources internship at Disney Consumer Products. I am an intern who recruits interns.
I am crazy. From musings about reality to teaching co-workers how to skip like a leprechaun, I deam myself crazy. Good things, don't worry.
More on me later. For now, this seems like a good take-home framework for thinking about acquiring our first car.
"There are three important facts to consider when selecting your first rally car and class:
1. If it is sitting in the driveway and is paid for, it could be a rally car
2. your first rally car will not be your last because...
3. there are those who have rolled and those who will! "
I am crazy. From musings about reality to teaching co-workers how to skip like a leprechaun, I deam myself crazy. Good things, don't worry.
More on me later. For now, this seems like a good take-home framework for thinking about acquiring our first car.
"There are three important facts to consider when selecting your first rally car and class:
1. If it is sitting in the driveway and is paid for, it could be a rally car
2. your first rally car will not be your last because...
3. there are those who have rolled and those who will! "
Task List
Bogie makes a good point...where do we go from here? I'm going to list the items I can think of, but feel free to continue this thread (for those older users, that would entail "commenting" on this post) by listing anything you can think of that I have left out.
-Car (we'll start with the fun one)
- 4 cylinder (I don't remember if there is a displacement restriction for this class)
- 2 wheel drive...I know I know but we've got to start somewhere
- naturally aspirated...""
- < $4,000 blue book value
- As far as parts availability, we're probably looking for something domestic (or at least
main stream import - VW, the Jap brands, etc...)
-Racing Association
-All of the information I sent you guys yesterday was from the California Rally Series (CRS)
website. This to me seems like a logical place to start. All the races are in the South West,
they feature an entry level/amateur division which is about all we can afford at this point
but they do allow racers to ecru championship points. I believe points are based on your
best three or four finishes of the season and you don't have to race every race to
participate in the race for the championship. Also, though this won't matter as much for
us, drivers and co-drivers are awarded points separately.
-Paperwork
-I don't know if the car has to be registered, though I believe the nature of a rally car is
that it has to be street legal which would necessitate registering the vehicle. As far as
insurance, it obviously wont have a lot of value, and I know CRS insures all the events but
don't you have to have proof of insurance to operate a vehicle on the road...maybe just
PL then?
- Registering with CRS. This is a nominal fee of 30 dollars and that will get us a
membership card, a rule book and a couple of decals. I believe the only additional
paperwork will come when we sign up for a race...including race entry fee, any
additional waivers, and I believe you have to go through a pre-race inspection so they
can verify your car meets the class criteria
- So I don't think this is necessary, but you can become a certified navigator. It might be
worth it to study the actual art of rally navigation rather than trying to develop a
proprietary system for communication...we'll see.
-Driving
So we all know how to drive, but rally is something different all together. Dad says he's too
old to drive, but he definitely has the most racing/driving experience. I can drive, and have spent my fair share of time off road, but my immediate instinct was to
designate myself as navigator. Bogie. This is interesting because he seems to
be good at just about everything, but he's had his close encounters (accidents) that have
made him skiddish. He also can't drive a stick (yet) and while that seems like it should be
easy enough to learn, anyone who knows better will tell you that it's just something time
teaches you. We'll leave this up in the air for now but it's something we should think
about. It's important to keep in mind that while there is a certain amount of glory involved
in piloting the machine, the greatest glory comes from victory and victory will be best
achieved by fitting the proper players with their respective roles.
-Navigation
Oddly fitting that I make maps for a living, but I don't really know what kind of advantage
that gives me. From what I hear they are 1:50,000 Topo maps with highly detailed road
info. I think the requirement here will be be that the navigator develop a sense for the
the kind of information the driver will need to know and when and how to deliver that
information. Again, there is a methodology to this and it will just require some research.
-Mechanical
We're fortunate to have some mechanical prowess among us. Unfortunately the kind of
car we're looking at is of the more modern, possibly computer controlled, fuel injected
variety so tuning and especially rebuilding without diagnostic equiptment will be difficult
at best, but we'll have to see what we can borrow. (please feel free to correct me on any
of this at any time if I'm completely off base) I feel like a desert racing past will definately
help with suspension calibration, construction of an appropriate roll cage, seat and harness
mounting and what not. Practically, the car will have to be stored in Blythe, so provisions
might need to be made (Anderson speed shop :) or elsewhere but that will require some
travel for practice and prerunning/tuning.
-Financial
This is the tough one. These things almost always seem like they cost more than you think
they're going to. We're just going to have to play this one by ear. For now, we are a LOW
BUDGET operation until we somehow win the lottery or get a sponsor or two. I somehow
don't think we can depend on prize money just yet :)
Please...provide feedback! (remember to keep the blog organized by replying (commenting) on this post rather than starting a new one.
-Car (we'll start with the fun one)
- 4 cylinder (I don't remember if there is a displacement restriction for this class)
- 2 wheel drive...I know I know but we've got to start somewhere
- naturally aspirated...""
- < $4,000 blue book value
- As far as parts availability, we're probably looking for something domestic (or at least
main stream import - VW, the Jap brands, etc...)
-Racing Association
-All of the information I sent you guys yesterday was from the California Rally Series (CRS)
website. This to me seems like a logical place to start. All the races are in the South West,
they feature an entry level/amateur division which is about all we can afford at this point
but they do allow racers to ecru championship points. I believe points are based on your
best three or four finishes of the season and you don't have to race every race to
participate in the race for the championship. Also, though this won't matter as much for
us, drivers and co-drivers are awarded points separately.
-Paperwork
-I don't know if the car has to be registered, though I believe the nature of a rally car is
that it has to be street legal which would necessitate registering the vehicle. As far as
insurance, it obviously wont have a lot of value, and I know CRS insures all the events but
don't you have to have proof of insurance to operate a vehicle on the road...maybe just
PL then?
- Registering with CRS. This is a nominal fee of 30 dollars and that will get us a
membership card, a rule book and a couple of decals. I believe the only additional
paperwork will come when we sign up for a race...including race entry fee, any
additional waivers, and I believe you have to go through a pre-race inspection so they
can verify your car meets the class criteria
- So I don't think this is necessary, but you can become a certified navigator. It might be
worth it to study the actual art of rally navigation rather than trying to develop a
proprietary system for communication...we'll see.
-Driving
So we all know how to drive, but rally is something different all together. Dad says he's too
old to drive, but he definitely has the most racing/driving experience. I can drive, and have spent my fair share of time off road, but my immediate instinct was to
designate myself as navigator. Bogie. This is interesting because he seems to
be good at just about everything, but he's had his close encounters (accidents) that have
made him skiddish. He also can't drive a stick (yet) and while that seems like it should be
easy enough to learn, anyone who knows better will tell you that it's just something time
teaches you. We'll leave this up in the air for now but it's something we should think
about. It's important to keep in mind that while there is a certain amount of glory involved
in piloting the machine, the greatest glory comes from victory and victory will be best
achieved by fitting the proper players with their respective roles.
-Navigation
Oddly fitting that I make maps for a living, but I don't really know what kind of advantage
that gives me. From what I hear they are 1:50,000 Topo maps with highly detailed road
info. I think the requirement here will be be that the navigator develop a sense for the
the kind of information the driver will need to know and when and how to deliver that
information. Again, there is a methodology to this and it will just require some research.
-Mechanical
We're fortunate to have some mechanical prowess among us. Unfortunately the kind of
car we're looking at is of the more modern, possibly computer controlled, fuel injected
variety so tuning and especially rebuilding without diagnostic equiptment will be difficult
at best, but we'll have to see what we can borrow. (please feel free to correct me on any
of this at any time if I'm completely off base) I feel like a desert racing past will definately
help with suspension calibration, construction of an appropriate roll cage, seat and harness
mounting and what not. Practically, the car will have to be stored in Blythe, so provisions
might need to be made (Anderson speed shop :) or elsewhere but that will require some
travel for practice and prerunning/tuning.
-Financial
This is the tough one. These things almost always seem like they cost more than you think
they're going to. We're just going to have to play this one by ear. For now, we are a LOW
BUDGET operation until we somehow win the lottery or get a sponsor or two. I somehow
don't think we can depend on prize money just yet :)
Please...provide feedback! (remember to keep the blog organized by replying (commenting) on this post rather than starting a new one.
The Team
And then there were three...
I would like to introduce myself, and I would hope that my teammates would follow up with their own respective introductions.
My name is BJ Swanner. I am a 22 year old living in Los Angeles CA. I have recently graduated from UCLA with a degree in Geography and now make a living as a GIS Specialist and Cartographer. I have been fascinated by and involved in racing of all kinds from a very young age. Up until now, my racing experience has been limited to those sports which test the limits of the human body (swimming, running, triathlon, adventure racing etc...) but from a young age I have been surrounded by motor sports. My father, and our chief mechanic taught me everything I know about everything with an engine, but I'll let him cover his experience in his bio. I have driven all kinds of cars, buggies and jeeps and enjoy it immensely but all signs (and perhaps even a compass rose) point to my being the co-pilot/navigator on this team. I am excited to team up with my pop and one of my best friends for what promises to be the ride of a lifetime.
I would like to introduce myself, and I would hope that my teammates would follow up with their own respective introductions.
My name is BJ Swanner. I am a 22 year old living in Los Angeles CA. I have recently graduated from UCLA with a degree in Geography and now make a living as a GIS Specialist and Cartographer. I have been fascinated by and involved in racing of all kinds from a very young age. Up until now, my racing experience has been limited to those sports which test the limits of the human body (swimming, running, triathlon, adventure racing etc...) but from a young age I have been surrounded by motor sports. My father, and our chief mechanic taught me everything I know about everything with an engine, but I'll let him cover his experience in his bio. I have driven all kinds of cars, buggies and jeeps and enjoy it immensely but all signs (and perhaps even a compass rose) point to my being the co-pilot/navigator on this team. I am excited to team up with my pop and one of my best friends for what promises to be the ride of a lifetime.
The Day I Became Aware
I just want to begin this chronicle by saying that I became aware of the rally idea on the same day that we treked under Westwood on December 20th, 2007. For a long time. Anderson to Ohio to Fatburger. And never made it to the other place. And after a few broken ribs and some yucky cockroaches, we made it out. Now I'm pooped at my desk in Glendale. Now to find a car. <$4k, 2(r)wd, manual. options: hatch, sweet foreign car.
Introduction
Welcome to So Cal Rally. If you are a team member, this blog is for you. Post any information or updates that other team members need to know, or might be interested in. I want this blog to be the primary medium for information exchange between members. I hope that as we progress, this blog will help us to see where we've been and decide where we're going.
If you are not a team member, this blog is also for you. As previously stated, WE ARE AMATUERS! We appreciate any insight that may be offered by other beginners and seasoned rally racers alike. Feel free to link to helpful articles, other blogs, and racing association websites that might help guide us along our way.
Thanks for visiting So Cal Rally. We hope to be in for one hell of a ride!
If you are not a team member, this blog is also for you. As previously stated, WE ARE AMATUERS! We appreciate any insight that may be offered by other beginners and seasoned rally racers alike. Feel free to link to helpful articles, other blogs, and racing association websites that might help guide us along our way.
Thanks for visiting So Cal Rally. We hope to be in for one hell of a ride!
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