I seem to never get tired of this car. It’s proven to be quite a competitor in Rally America. In a sport largely dominated by high horsepower, all-wheel drive platforms, this little box has really held its own.
The team is relatively young in comparison to many competitors within the series, regardless of vehicle class. But their professionalism really stands out. We are more than happy to be a part of this team, as their suspension provider, as well as Philip Chase, our Marketing Director lending a helping hand as a Crew Chief.
And this team only seems to be getting better! Check out their up-to-date blog
As if running a rally team wasn’t enough, they make sure to update their blog with the latest information- rally events, vehicle development, as well as awesome in-car video clips and amazing rally footage.
Here’s one of my favorite pics of our suspension. I think it looks better with the dirt on it. How say you?
In case you’ve missed out on previous posts on this car, our HG damper kit was a custom setup, developed through our Specialized Damper Program which is also available to the public.
And with some newfound turbo power, they’ll sure to be hard to chase.
Testing at DirtFish Rally School in WA.
Ready for the Olympus Rally to start in Ocean Shores, WA. New driver Andrew Comrie-Picard (ACP) and co-driver Robbie Durant.
We wish the Scion rally team the best in their efforts in 2011! Oregon Trail Rally starts tomorrow at Portland International Speedway.
Rd. 2 of the Global Rallycross took place this past weekend at the Old Mill Adventure Park in Snoqualmie, WA (also home of the DirtFish rally school). The 2 day event is broken into two style of races. The first, held on Friday is SuperRally. Basically one on one battles with a bracket system finishing with an overall winner. In SuperRally, Stephan finished 3 overall but had an awesome battle with Dave Mirra in one of the rounds. Check out the video.
In case your wondering, Stephan went on to win a third and deciding race against Dave to advance.
In the Saturday RallyCross, Stephan qualified first and finished the AWD final in 4th due to a punctured tire. You can see the recap below.
The mixture of surfaces including wet tarmac, mud and gravel make for exciting racing where all competitors have a chance to take home a win. You can watch a rebroadcast of all the action on ESPN. Check you local listing for exact time and dates or check, www.global-rallycross.com
Living in Southern California has its perks. This weekend locals have two events they can attend
Global RallyCross Championship at Irwindale Speedway
or
Need for Speed SoCal Meet at the Source Interlink offices in El Segundo
Preparing for GRCC Rd.1
Stephan Verdier is putting the finishing touches on his STi for RallyCross competition. Stephan and his crew have been hard at work preparing his car and it is looking GOOD.
We loaned Stephan a set of our Gr.N dampers which have been proven in Rally competition.
To see more of Stephan’s car visit MotoIQ which has a great writeup by Mike Kojima. Click HERE
Preparing for NFS SoCal Meet
On the other end of the spectrum I am preparing my EVO 9 for display at NFS SoCal meet. My car is in no way a show car but I do like the occasional meet with the relaxed atmosphere. Plus the Source Interlink offices are pimp, fully loaded garage with full bar. If you did not know Source Interlink is the publisher for Super Street, Import Tuner, Modified, Euro Tuner and a bunch of other automotive related magazines.
I have not started my car in over 3 months so a little work needed to be done. Oiled the valvetrain/ head, replaced the spark plugs, had my RC injectors tested and cleaned and installed a C-West hood.
Updated pics of the car coming soon.
Check back here next week for some event coverage.
Hey everyone. You guys might be familiar with our Gr. N dampers but we are now taking those dampers to the next level with our Gr.N with F.R.S.
For those who do not know what F.R.S. is, I will explain the basic features and functions.
F.R.S. is an acronym for Fast Rebound System
This Fast Rebound System operates when the mechanical sensor detects a change in load on the tires. FRS is especially effective when going through large gaps or making jumps.
F.R.S. reduces the possibility of the vehicle bottoming out and keeps the tires on the ground for traction. This will in turn mean faster stage times and better grip on rough surfaces.
Two adjustable points of F.R.S.
1)F.R.S. Start Point
The switch mechanism for the F.R.S. is the belleville washer (disc Spring). As the load on tire gets closer to zero, the F.R.S. operates more actively to give you more traction. Different combination of the Belleville washers allow you to control the amount of load transferred, giving you more possibilities in settings.
2) Opening F.R.S.
When the F.R.S. operates, the by-pass valve is opened to allow rebound damping force to instantly decrease. By altering the amount F.R.S. opens the valve, excess rebound movement of the vehicle or downward load can be adjusted accordingly.
For Further Information and Brochure you can click HERE.
I just got back from the first round of Rally America – Sno*Drift. The event is held about 4 hours North of Detroit in Atlanta, MI. The area is beautiful and the people are friendly BUT the weather is really cold. Coming from sunny and warm Southern California means that I am used to 60 degree Winters with an occasional rain storm. 10-20 degree temps and wind chill put most of the California based team into survival mode.
2010 2WD Champions are back in a new Scion xD.
2010 Champion Driver, Chris Duplessis getting ready for battle.
2010 Champion Co-Driver, Catherine Woods who is usually is all smiles is in competition mode.
The xD was already in Detroit when the crew arrived to Michigan as it had been on display at the Detroit Auto Show the week prior. If you cannot tell this xD is not the same as the car that was run last year. This is a brand new xD which was built just before SEMA. It only had 50 miles on the odometer when the Rally started.
The brand new car needed a thorough tech inspection.
The engine remains almost stock with the only additions being a TRD drop in filter, aftermarket header and Greddy exhaust. The transmission has been upgraded with a Quaife differential which was installed only two days before the event. Coilovers are a custom application HG which have 2-way damping force adjustment. Light weight Volk CE28 wheels and BFG snow tires round out the performance mods. This new car is lighter with various carbon fiber body panels, lexan rear windows and chassis weight reduction. Seats, belts, steering wheel, in-car comm., helmets and driving suits are all Sparco. The guys at Design Craft Fabrication did a great job building the car and getting it ready for the event.
The rally started on Friday in the early afternoon. After the first 6 stages Chris and Catherine pulled out a solid lead in the 2WD class. There was only one service during day one in which the xD came back missing both light pods. Going into the night stages the service crew scrambled to get the recovered pods back onto the car but only 1 made it back on in the limited service time. The lights only lasted about 5mins until the relay blew out forcing Chris to drive with only the OEM lights. A flat tire on stage 7 put Chris and Catherine about 10mins behind the 2WD leader at the end of day one.
After day one the service crew repaired all damage, checked over the car and made preparations for day two. Luckily the folks at a nearby resort allowed the crew to use their heated garage.
On the start of day two Chris and Catherine were determined to make up the lost time and fight for the top podium spot. The next two services went smoothly and the only damage to the car was cosmetic. Chris’s skill on snow and ice served the team well as he was able to make up about 9mins. in 7 stages (truly amazing). There simply were not enough stage miles for the xD to make up all the lost time.
The Rally xD finished in 2nd place in the 2WD class which is a great finish considering this car had ZERO testing.
Great job Gordon Ting and the crew of the Rally xD.
Photos courtesy of Duane and Joey of the Octane Report. See more event coverage at the OctaneReport.com
Congratulations to TEIN sponsored driver, Patrik Flodin, for his 2nd place overall finish in the 2010 P-WRC.
Patrik Flodin on right with 2010 P-WRC Champion on left.
For those, who are not too familiar with the P-WRC.
PWRC is the Production Car World Rally Championship (P-WRC) is the FIA’s principal series for near showroom spec four-wheel drive, turbocharged cars.
The WRC is regulated and controlled by the Federation International Automobile (FIA), the governing body for worldwide motorsports. Most WRC rallies follow the same basic itinerary: two days of reconnaissance on Tuesday and Wednesday, to enable the driver and co-driver to check the route, and practice “shakedown”, on Thursday, followed by the competition itself on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Some events may also include ‘Super Special’ stages, short and compact sprint test which often feature two cars racing head-to-head.
The roads on the epic motorsport adventure ranges from ice and snow of Scandinavia to the stifling heat of Jordan – over surfaces including packed ice, smooth asphalt and rocks.
Patrik’s vehicle is a URT built Subaru Impreza WRX STi N14 GB, with TEIN Group N. Suspension.
TEIN Group N. dampers are developed through vigorous testing in the P-WRC. TEIN’s extensive background in Rally racing not only as a part supplier but as a former team have culminated into the Gr. N damper. Some of the basic features include 3+1-way dampening fore adjustment, external reservoirs, and inverted mono tube design. TEIN’s latest technologies have also been incorporated which are Micro Speed Valve, Temperature Compensating Valve, and Hydraulic Bump Stop. Gr. N damper has been tested all over the world, and currently used by competitors in P-WRC, China Rally Championship, Asia Pacific Rally, Polish Rally Championship and Africa Rally Championship.
DirtFish is the name of a new Rally School which will be opening later this month. I was fortunate enough to take a trip to the school and participate in a 1-day course. The school is located in Snoqualmie Falls, WA. The school sits on over 300 acres on what used to be the largest wood mill in the world.
The newly renovated main office which includes classrooms, showroom, conference room and offices.
One of two gigantic wooden structures on the property. Perfect for hooning
I tagged along with the 0-60 Rally Team as they brought the Scion xD to do battle. The premise – can an editor with 1-day training and a Group N STi beat Chris Duplessis in a xD. Check out the next issue of 0-60 magazine to find out the results.
In the background you can see the 0-60 Rally Scion Preparing to Run
The Cars of DirtFish
DirtFish has made a tremendous investment to provide students with top notch vehicles to use during their 1-day and multi-day courses. Courses start by driving a new Subaru STi which have been equipped with TEIN Gr.N suspension ($12,000+ each coilover kit), Gr.N brakes, Gravel wheels/ tires and all the needed safety equipment.
DirtFish garage filled with cars, spares and everything needed to keep the cars in top condition
Brand new Gr.N coilovers waiting to be installed
When we got there the “beginner” cars were still in their final stage of construction so we had to settle for their advanced (multi-day course) cars. Authentic race ready Group N STi. The same cars that Tanner Foust, Ken Block, etc… drove in past Rally America events. These are the real deal anti-lag, launch control, dog box transmission competition cars.
Two of the Gr.N cars which could be driven straight to a rally and be used to compete
Instruction Begins
The day starts with about 1-hour in the classroom and the rest of the day is hands on in the dirt learning car control techniques. Our group of 6 students cycled through 3 cars and 5 instructors. Once in the car instruction is one-on-one with in-car communications systems. All the instructors are great – easy to understand, patient, encouraging and of course skillful behind the wheel.
Van tour of the various training courses we would encounter during the day
One of the students, Eddie of Mackin Industries, strapped in and ready to GO!
By the end of the day everyone in my group was able to navigate a gravel course using all the skills learned in the previous 7 hours. Car control via steering input, weight transfer, throttle, left foot braking and e-brake.
I highly suggest DirtFish to any car enthusiast. It is one of the most fun times I have ever had in a car. I normally drive on tarmac (NASA, Speed Ventures, SpeedTrial, etc…) but sliding on the dirt was just simply A LOT OF FUN. Plus the car control techniques will definitely help drop my times at the circuit. The amenities, instructors and equipment are all AWESOME. Special thanks to all the staff at DirtFish: Greg Lund, Ian, Forest, Don, Adam, Nate and all the support staff.
Patrik Flodin won the P-WRC class in Rally Japan. The win puts him into first place in the P-WRC class championship.
Team URT (Uspensky Rally Tecnica from Russia) in blue with TEIN USA Managing Director, Fujimoto-San in green and TEIN R&D Manager, Goto-San in black fleece.
Flodin and Bergsten atop their winning STi.
Patrik had the lead since day 1 and never let up. TEIN Japan provided Flodin with a new spec. of Gr.N dampers which proved to work well on the bumpy stages. The 2008+ STi is known for not have much suspension travel in the rear so designing a good rally coilover has been a challenge.
The body of the rear damper actually sits behind the lower control arm NOT over the top of the arm.
Ready for the Olympus Rally to start in Ocean Shores, WA. New driver Andrew Comrie-Picard (ACP) and co-driver Robbie Durant. 
