another statistic?

My goal is Prescott. It's still five months away, but I'll be damned if I've got anything more than a wrecked street car in my garage right now. Current repairs aside, I still need the following:

- cage
- seats
- harnesses
- helmets
- suits
- lights (of some kind, Prescott runs night stages)
- skidplate
- mud flaps
- tires
- brakes (these have to be 4+ yrs old, now)
- NASA/CRS licenses
- entry fee
- gas/food/lodging for the weekend

That's easily $6000 and I'll be damned if I'll spend wooden nickel on a restrictor until AFTER I've paid my entry fee. So here's my predicament. I don't want to be another one of those people who gets all excited, never really does anything about it, and then bails, but I'm driving a 22 year old Volvo wagon in the desert with no AC or radio, faded, peeling paint, and a blown-out muffler right now.

It's one thing to drive a tired POS to and from work every day when you know you've got a real race car at home that you can get out and race regularly, but there's just no way I can get the Galant ready in time for Prescott and the extra month before Laughlin isn't going to cut it either. Come January, the ridiculous HANS rule comes down for NASA events, so I'm another two large behind the ball. Abstaining from RA events (on principle), leaves me with a handful of events I might be able to afford to run after my $700/month student loan payments kick into full swing.

Fucking depressing. Rally racing is the ONE thing I've wanted to do since the day I discovered it, but it's starting to look like I'm going to be spending ten grand to build a car I throroughly enjoy driving, but will only be able to drive once or twice a year. That's pretty damn lame. I mean, what a waste. What good is a rally car if you can't go out and race it?

Maybe I should secretly find some locals who want to run an off-road version of the Cannonball, or something. Middle of the night, unsanctioned, balls-to-the-walls, don't-fuck-it-up free-for-all to Vegas on dirt. Text message when you depart. Text when you arrive. Like old school Baja.

Gah. This has been welling up a week, now. Had to vent.

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Brian Driggs | KG7KCA | PHX, AZ | 89 Pajero
alterius non sit qui suus esse potest

I feel your pain.

The buy a condo, then a house, have kid, quit dead-end job to be stay-at-home dad since it's not THAT much more than day care, now kid number two is on the way has pretty much ended any hope of me having a stage rally car for the foreseeable future.

US rallycross is slightly less exciting than driving on my road, the only TSD in the NE that doesn't bore me to tears with 23 mph speeds pissed me off with traps and closed roads this year, and I don't want to show up at STPR to even work for fear of being hauled off to Gitmo for having a beer or two at the Gaslight Thursday or Friday night.

I'm even thinking of blowing off Maine this year, just don't feel the love in the US rally scene. Guess that leaves playing service crew at Baie (where 16-year olds haul in coolers past the Sûreté du Québec without any problems and beer vending is plentiful) and Defi before child two arrives! After that, who knows.

I guess my half-assed plan now is to fix up my black XR4 street car, install the Cozzie intercooler and turn up the boost, and probably put the FoMoSpo/JVAB boingers on the front and rig the rear brakes to clear the rears, then go see if I can stuff it into the wall at a track day. That's a joke, Mr. Insurance Underwriter.

Being able to get a car on the stage seemed more obtainable to me in 1997 when I made $9,000 all year, spent $13,000 in fairly bare-bones living expenses and still owed taxes.

I think I need another beer.

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Andrew Steere
Lyndeborough, NH
KB1PJY

brian, there's got to be an almost rally ready car you can buy **somewhere**, no? ....for the same $6K? granted, you'll be in a 2wd VW or something, but its better than being a statistic, yes?

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Jon Burke - KI6LSW
Blog: http://psgrallywrx.blogspot.com/

BAM!!!!
$4500.........

http://www.specialstage.com/classifieds/showproduct.php?product=877&cat=13

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Jon Burke - KI6LSW
Blog: http://psgrallywrx.blogspot.com/

BTW.....so NASA is requiring HNR's for 2009????? god dammit......where'd you see that? nothing on SS........

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Jon Burke - KI6LSW
Blog: http://psgrallywrx.blogspot.com/

Brian welcome to the way it is today.

Keep working at getting a car out there.

Hint: build a rear-driver for more fun on the stages.
Turbo power with no restrictor is BIG FUN and goes FAST. MUCH-O faster then the restricted 4X4 ish.

You already drive a Volvo. Build one. With mild engine mods, a T-5, good brake pads and a welded rear + suspension you are going to laugh your ass off until you get to really cooking.

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JohnLane

Overkill is consistently more fun

DR1665 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
Come January, the ridiculous HANS rule
> comes down for NASA events,

??????????????

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RichardM

From the NASA Rally Sport forum.


Hey Jeff,

Dunno why my first post did not 'stick'....

The H&N requirement is in the CCR's, which is not for rallying. I have not heard of any forthcoming requirement for H&N in rally. BTW, the requirement for road racing has been in the works for abour 4 years..... if that measn anything at all ......

Regards,
Mark B.

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RichardM

That thing is sweet for 45 hundo...

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Michael LeCompte

Hey Brian ! You lazy ass !

Come get your 7 yes 7 tires or I will turn them into tire swings for my daughter.

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Cheers
M.Samli
Phoenix AZ
Gaylant VR4
EVO III GSR (Stolen)


Rallies are no place for traitors

Focus on one thing at a time. Get the cage in. Then figure out what is next. Don't set goals that are based upon events. That's a guarantee for big money spent in a short period, or disappointment. Trust me, I know.

---

Grant Hughes

DR1665 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Come January, the ridiculous HANS rule
> comes down for NASA events, so I'm another two
> large behind the ball.
> Brian DR1665 | Phoenix, AZ
> 86 245GL - daily | 91 GVR4 - rally project

I must be really out of touch if this is true. (Well, it COULD happen.) Thanks for the response, Richard.

Good to vent sometimes, Brian. Sounds like the right point in time for you. Sounds like one good case for buying a rally car.

Do some shopping and see where that option gets you.

Regards,
Mark B.

Thanks for the support, gents. Like I said, I don't want to be a statistic.

I can't remember where I heard HANS for NASA 09, but maybe I'm wrong. (I hope!)

I already have 1 project car in the garage, a former project car sitting in the driveway, and I park my beater brick on the street at night. No room for another project car.

REALLY wanted to run Prescott SO bad. You have to set goals or you never get anywhere in my book.

Perhaps the Gaylant will be the daily "rat rod" and the 245 will become a rally car?

I wonder what JVL will think of all this madness.

PS - I'll get those tires from you next week, Moose. I could fit fourteen in this Volvo.

Thanks again, fellas.

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Brian Driggs | KG7KCA | PHX, AZ | 89 Pajero
alterius non sit qui suus esse potest