I’m hoping to make a few rallyX dates this season and have a whole list of question, some Subaru specific, some more general, so I figured I’d start a thread.

 

I’ve got a good set of Cooper snow tires, they’re a size smaller (175s) and have a very soft grippy design (on snow at least), should I run them (they are within the .225 restriction)?

 

What mods can I perform and still stay in Production GT group (I’ll be driving my ’87 RX)? The rules say “Very limited mods over stock”, that’s pretty vague, I’m specifically wondering about:

 

Gutted cats/big bore exhaust?

Hi flow intake?

 

Manual boost controller?

 

Intercooler?

 

Diff lock On or Off?

Any advantage to running in low range?

Do the courses normally involve a lot of shifting?

I'm sure I'll have many more

Gary

Having rally X'd a few Subes I can start..

 

Classes are generally unique to the region. The specifics of mods are also defined by the region.

 

If you are just starting, I'd say don't stress about class. Even if they put you in open, the first few outings should be about learning your car, and more importantly yourself, and not about winning straight out.

 

The snow tires wil help a bunch.

 

Gear range (hi or lo) will depend on the layout. Some courses are so twisty that low range keeps you deep in the torque, and helps in getting about quicker. It can handicap you in more open sections. Diff locks are great, but not at the expense of the car. I raced a stock (as in bone) 2.2l '96 impreza with an automatic tranny and open diffs all around. I raced in open on street tires against real rally machines and other powerful beasts on real rally tires. I was able by the end of my first season to beat most of the open cars, and had learned enough about car control that the next step to going faster was getting the real tires, not more power.

 

Rally cross is absolutley the funnest hobby I have ever had. My new car should give me hours of fun, when ever it gets done.

you can see a pic of me and Larry (the sube) at my web site, at a glorious rallycross site in Utah west of Salt Lake.

posted twice, what the hell?!

If they are snow tires there is a very good chance they will bump you to open class. Regardless of the tread.

 

Quite honestly, open is the most fun, its hard to compete sometimes, but if you can push your car hard you can beat cars with tons of mods (Zap and his more or less stock Impreza with good tires is an example)

 

Having used to run with street tires and then changing over to snow tires last season, I will say the snow tires are way more fun! Its more of a point and shoot ordeal than slip and slide like the street tires were.

GO AS FAST AS POSSIBLE WITHOUT HITTING CONES:grin:

 

edit- sorry bout the caps. not tring to yell. crappy keyboard at work.

 

but seriously work on late apex turns. thats the good stuff.

 

I used low range but it dosent really matter. track by track they are different.