Tag Archives: America

Another Great Season for Rally xD!

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If you want to finish first, first you have to finish.

rally xd 1 (Custom)

Although they fell short of the 2wd championship for Rally America, the crew at Rally xD went full force for the season, showing that hard work and determination really pays off. It was far from easy this season, having to face teams with some super competitive machines, improving their xD with a complete overhaul, and having to overcome the typical hurdles that rally racing has in store for them.  That’s no short matter to these guys. They kept on truckin’, and that persistence pays big dividends towards the end result. They took the 2013 season in second place!

The preseason started with a fresh slate. The team put together all their ideas for building a new Scion xD and preparing it for the abuse they were now quite familiar with. In went a reconfigured seating arrangement for driver and co-driver, pushing them rearward just past the B-pillar and helping redistribute some of the weight from the stripped and caged chassis. Their proven power plant from a previous season went back in along with some upgrades to cooling in an effort to keep the boosted engine reliable under load. A redesigned rear suspension (a true coilover instead of the factory setup) allowed them to reinforce the twist beam where it was weakest, a problem they’ve faced once before.  The new chassis was looking more like a formidable opponent to the factory-backed Ford Fiestas, which are much lighter than the xD.

However, nothing ever comes easy in this sport. There are too many unknowns, and sometimes you find that your best preparation was still not good enough. But, that didn’t deter this team from finishing the season strong. They visited the podium in every event, showing that they could still maintain good pace even with a few setbacks.

At any rate, I continue to maintain that this is one of the hardest working teams in the series. TEIN is proud to be their suspension partner for the past few seasons, and we’re glad to see this team grow into the true professionals that they are.

rally xd 2 (Custom)

We wish them the best for next season, as we sure they are ahead of schedule in coming up with another competitive package!

rally xd 3

Congratulations, you guys! We know next year will be just as exciting!

Rally xD Takes to the Susquehannock Trail Rally

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After suffering from a grueling race at the Oregon Trail Rally earlier this month (finishing 3rd in class), the Sparco Rally xD is rebuilt and ready for the upcoming event, the Susquehannock Trail Rally.

For those that have been following, you may remember seeing some pics of the rear end with the rear twist beam axle being ripped out from both sides. Lessons learned, my friends, because they’re ready to attack again.

Where they're going, they don't need roads.... Oh wait, actually, yes, they do.

Where they’re going, they don’t need roads…. Oh wait, actually, yes, they do.

After suffering from that rare DNF last year, leaving the car looking somewhat like a DeLorean Time Machine, the crew made some revisions to the rear suspension, reinforcing some key areas as to address the axle beam fatigue that rally racing brings.

To think, previous season of racing were on a completely stock axle beam. I still find that pretty impressive, considering how many well-funded teams use some beefed up components.

Oh, and while doing some testing in preparation for this event, the team had a minor setback. Seriously,,,,,, minor

whoops (Custom)

Whoops

But the car is right side up again, running, and doing some sweet jumps

jump (Custom)

We’re sure this time around will be just as eventful, but in a much more positive way. I expect to see this car race from start to finish, and you should too. Please be a pal and cheer these guys on directly on their Facebook page!

Susquehannock Trail Rally 2013 is May 31-June 1.

 

Another Great Season for Rally xD!

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As you may have read from our previous posts on the Sparco Rally xD team, they held a good lead on their competitors for most of this season. But no good season is without its own ups and downs. Like any team, the Rally xD crew hit their own set of hurdles to overcome. And as always, they persevered. The final tally brought them a Second Place finish in the 2wd class for Rally America.

Big congratulations to the team for their hard work in getting the car as reliable as it can be!

As I’ve mentioned before, rally racing isn’t easy. This has to be the best, and most brutal form, of automotive parts testing. Many man hours go into prepping a commuter car into a racing platform, ready to take the abuse mother nature can dish out. I’ve seen the beating this xD has taken over this one season, and to say it is an incredible feat to keep it running is an understatement.

It takes a passionate team to keep a car competitive. These guys have spent every opportunity to keep this car going to good use. And I imagine many late weeknights, and some weekends, which would otherwise be spent with family and friends, went right into this xD.

But, as you can see, persistence pays off. BIG TIME. This isn’t just a hobby. This is work. And these guys work hard to get that win.

It doesn’t mean that they can’t have fun, though!

I know I blog about this car a lot. It really is incredible what this small team has done and continues to do. Without a doubt, the next season will be even better. Be prepared for big things from this team to come. I’m referring to you, the reader, to be prepared. Because these guys are clearly ready for the next season!

pics sourced from Scion Racing’s Facebook page.