Subiesport Magazine - August/September 2008 - (Page 77)

GCRALLYX R4 GCRallyX R4 Round 1 THE SERIESOPENING GCRallyX R4 event at Southern California’s Lake Elsinore Motocross Park turned out to be a Subaru battle royale, with the naturally-aspirated cars proving to be more than a match for the high-powered turbocharged beasts. A relatively young sport, RallyX (or rallycross, as it is known in some parts of the United States) is basically autocross on dirt, with the added difference that the timing is cumulative — every run counts, not just your fastest. Consistency, then, is essential, as is accuracy: Every cone you hit adds three seconds to your time. Entry-level RallyX offers classes for all levels of driver and car, but with the “advanced” R4 series, the focus is on more seat time for those racers who have committed to the sport with AWD cars and rally-specific tires and wheels. Subaru, of course, is a perfect fit and it dominated the entry list, with a field of 20 Imprezas old and new lining up alongside a rogue pair of older AWD BMWs. The vast majority of the cars were driven to the event, a significant number even serve as daily drivers. The strong Subaru connection is evident elsewhere. R4 organizers have teamed with DirtyImpreza.com, which provides online support for the series in the form of discussion forums and competitor journals. As the event got under way, it became apparent that the quickest drivers were completing the fast, flowing course in just under a minute as the crowd and competitors listened intently to the times being announced by drift regular Will Mattox. Fastest time of the day was to change hands many times during the eight-run event, being held at various points by a highly modified STI, a rally-prepared WRX and a bone-stock GC8 2.5RS. Dirt proved to be a great equalizer, with the quick response of the NA engines making a great counterpoint to the powerful-butlaggy turbo cars. Several competitors were still in the running for the win when the last run of the day began, and most of the field was still within reach of the top six prizes of HPI Racing radio-controlled stadium trucks. With the overall winner receiving a set of Pirelli rally tires, the pressure was on, but a quick, cool-headed final run meant that the event was taken by Trent Koury in his 2001 2.5RS. The youngest driver in the field, Koury didn’t touch a cone all day, taking the win from veteran Martti Silvola in his modified WRX. The margin of victory was just two seconds, or to look at it another way, less than a single cone penalty. Another WRX driver, Matt Duffy, strung together eight fast clean runs to round out the podium. Despite his giant-killing performance, the winner’s car is surprisingly close to stock. Koury’s Stoetic-sponsored RS has just a few basic mods: header, intake, exhaust and lightened crank pulley. “I especially love the quick-revving nature of this setup,” he said after the event. “This is my first AWD car and I couldn’t be happier with the way it performs.” The event was notable for its relaxed, friendly atmosphere, but it was combined with an impressive focus on professionalism. HPI Racing, Pirelli, DCShoes, Sparco, Wilwood and Nitro2Go showed their support for this grassroots motorsport, and drift and rally star Tanner Foust stopped by to check out the course and chat with competitors. As the top three drivers dried out from the champagne ceremony on the podium, the runners-up were already talking up their chances for the next round, and it was clear that the competition was just beginning. —Phil Stewart Jones SUBIESPORT MAGAZINE 77

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Subiesport Magazine - August/September 2008

Subiesport Magazine - August/September 2008 Features Contents Editor Letters Readers' Rides New Products Subaru News 2009 Impreza WRX East Meets West Shoebox Sleeper Bettering the Breed ...Even the Kitchen Sink WRC Rally Greace WRC Rally Turkey Rally America: New England Rally America: STPR 2008 STI Open Class GCRallyX R4 Where to Buy Subiesport ICY Racing E85 & Methanol Rebuild Your Heads Budget Building Ad Directory Spotted!

Subiesport Magazine - August/September 2008

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