Rally RacingBy Matt Matcovich

http://chrisescars.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Audi-4310101112249591600x1060-500x330.jpg

Presentation Overview

Thesis

Relevance

Introduction & History

Cars & Surfaces

Culture

Drivers & Driving

Rules & Regulations

Conclusion

Class Activity

Thesis

Thesis: Rally racing is a growing international Motorsport with its own culture and fan base and my goal is to explore its culture and help make Americans aware of its growing popularity.

Personal Relevance

Every day in the morning I go to the the technical school to work on cars, and the greatest part of working on cars is racing them. To me rally racing is the most exciting type and it always keeps me excited.

Furthermore, I plan to enter a rally racing event when I am certified to be a driver, and have a FIA regulation approved car.

Relevance

In every day driving the advances of rally racing can be seen in the improvements to automobiles. All Wheel Drive Racing suites Self adjusting shock absorbers

Introduction to Rally Racing

“Two to four day events that pit car and driver through the toughest and most varied conditions on the world”

Point-to-Point racing

Two Types: Road Rallying and Stage Rallying

WRC.com

History of Rally Racing

“Rally” very broad term

Previously were long distance races Horseless-carriage races

After WWII races grew but no official organization

World Rally Championship formed in 1973

Complete book of the WRC

History: Big Changes

Car manufacturers sponsor (works) teams

In 1987 Group B rallying dismantled “The WRC has undergone a wide range of

evolutions, not always painless” (Hope-Frost 12)

The complete book of the WRC

History: Group B

Introduced in 1982 season

3 liter NA engines or 2 liter FI

Only 200 cars had to be built to be homologated Evo cars

“If you look at the value we gave to the public 20 years compared to what they are getting now, Group B will always be sadly missed.” David Sutton Audi UK rally team manager

Still too Fast to Race

Group B

http://mycarportal.sardidj.com/slike/fun/steph87_1082111287_53035.jpg

http://ll.speedhunters.com/u/f/eagames/NFS/speedhunters.com/Images/AndyBlackmore/RACING/gr_b/lancia037.jpg

Comparison

NASCAR

Loosely based on 4 door production sedans

Naturally aspirated 5.8L V8’s

RWD

Circular paved tracks

Rally Racing

Much stricter rules on modifications

Turbocharged 2.0L 4 Cylinders

AWD

Unpaved left and right tracks

Howstuffworks.com

Comparison

Formula 1

Cars are not based upon any production cars

Circuit Race

Pit Stops

2.4 L V8 naturally aspirated

Rally Racing

Teams must use factory car models

Point-to-point time trial

Service park

2.0 liter 4 Cylinder Turbocharged

Wessexscene.co.uk

Comparison

Drivers all do not start at once

Crowd much closer to action

Cars driven on mostly unpaved roads

WRC.com

How Races are Run

Pre-Race Recce Shakedown

Stages

Surface Type

Ceremony

MonsterWorldRallyTeam.com WRC.com

Special Stages

Required for every race

Timed Section of the race

Vary in length and difficulty Average length 6 miles Run through all types geological structures

WRC.com

MonsterWorldRallyTeam.com

Super Special Stages

Has been around for 50 years

Often set up in local arenas

A circuit which allows two drivers to compete at the same time

Optional for racers

WRC.com

Surface Type: Gravel

Rally Mexico, Jordan, Turkey, New Zealand, Portugal, Finland, Japan, Great Britain

Soft and Hard surfaces

More obstacles Rocks, ditches, jumps

WRC.com Pirelli.com

Surface Type: Ice/Snow

Rally Sweden

Tires have spikes for better traction

One of the faster rallies

“Basically the car has two setups: one for gravel and one for tarmac. Snow set ups are based on gravel setups.” Stefan Liesker M-Sport Ltd.

WRC.com

Surface Type: Tarmac

Rally Bulgaria, Deutschland, France, Spain

Probably the smoothest of all surfaces

Often run through local towns

WRC.com

David Kippel

Cars

Car must meet race specifications

Must be based upon a production car Selling over (2500) units a year

Must weigh the same as production car

All-Wheel Drive

FIA rule book

Culture: Where it is Popular

Not very big for a “World Championship”

Biggest in Europe

Fans are often dedicated to the sport

Folkracing

WRC.com nasarally.comhttp://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d8/Volvofolk.jpg

Culture: Rallying in USA

Rally America Governs rallying in US National and regional events

Often raced by other extreme sport pro’s

“Drivers drive until they are dead”

Rally-America.com

Rally Racing Famous Drivers

Stig Blomqvist

Henri Toivonen

Timo Makinen

Walter Rohrl

Colin McRae

Sebastien Loeb

Ken Block

Famous Drivers Cont.

Stig Blomqvist

July 1946, Sweden

Saab J-Class at 19

82’ signs with Audi

84’ World Champion

Team mate Per Elkund

Henri Toivonen

Father was a car salesmen and gave him his first car

At 24 he became youngest man to win a WRC event

Tragic Death in Group B in a Lancia Delta S4 in 86’

Complete WRC book

http://www.desodell.com/images/20040505_christianbailly_stigblomqvist_rac_1981.jpghttp://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5j8dKHXVKDY/SRffgEKGaUI/AAAAAAAAAAU/zPVSaUWwLZs/s320/Henri_Toivonen.jpg

Famous Drivers Cont.

Timo Makinen

Started driving on fathers paper route in Finland

One of the original “Flying Finns”

Walter Rohrl

World Champion in 80’ and 82’

Complete WRC book

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_G4SUUJigS-c/SzXyqO72R-I/AAAAAAAAA3E/f-1rkfvmuNo/s320/ROHRL.jpg

http://www.minipassionmini.50megs.com/imagenes/personajes/makinen.jpg

Famous Drivers Cont

Colin McRae

At 10 he was driving motorcycles

Help make “Subaru Blue” Famous

Died in Helicopter crash on September 15, 2007

Sebastian Loeb

Current & 6 Time World Champ

Complete WRC book

http://play-auto.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/colin-mcrae-1968-2007.jpghttp://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Sport/Pix/pictures/2008/12/7/1228679431059/Sebastien-Loeb-001.jpg

Ken Block

World wide phenomena: Gymkanhana

2010 entry in to WRC

MonsterWorldRallyTeam.com

Co-Drivers

Meant to help Driver any way possible

Sits in passenger seat

Humanized GPS

Pace notes: “Description of the road ahead read by co-driver”

WRC.com

Driving Requirements

Race cars must be street legal

Driver must have a racing license

Must be based upon a production car Selling over (2500) units a year

FIA.com nasarallysport.com

Driving Skills

Handbrake turn

Scandinavian Flick

Left-foot braking

Yumping

Speed Secrets

Hand Brake Turn

Used to quickly spin around tight corners

Drivingfast.net Fifth Gear

Scandinavian Flick

Used to slide cars around turns

Maintains a relative speed

More common in FWD cars

Not as necessary with today's technology

Racing secrets

http://www.motivemag.com/Content/uploads/1/flick1_center.jpg

Left-Foot Braking

Allows drivers to keep right foot on throttle

Used more commonly on turbo charged cars

Helps “match revs”

Less weight transfer

Racing secrets 1http://www.drivingfast.net/images/car-control/left-foot-braking/left-foot-braking.png

Yumping

Rally Jargon

Throttle control while driving over hills, crests and other changes in drive angle

Racing secretshttp://www.mwrt.org.uk/images/wug_yumping1.jpg

Regulations & Safety: Major Rules

Turbocharger restrictor

Height restrictions

Exhaust muffler and catalytic converter

No run-flat tires

New for 2010

Rallycars.com FIA.com

Regulations & Safety: Safety

Roll cages

Skid plates

Electronic Disconnects

Racing suite HANS device

In car fire extinguishers

Wrc.com FIA Rulebook

Matt Matcovich

Crashes

Insert video here

WRC.com

How to get Involved

Volunteer at a race

Go to school www.team-oneil.com/

Read, Listen, and Watch On Discovery HD Theatre

Rally.subaru.com

Team-oneil.com

Application

Application Cont’

Application Cont’

Application Cont’

Conclusion

Rally racing is large in Europe but surprisingly it is larger in America then I had thought.

Class Activity

Using the the information I have given you today you and your team mates will answer questions.

For every question you answer correctly your team gets 20 seconds.

For every question you answer incorrectly your team gets 30 seconds.

The team with the lowest time wins.

Works Cited

“The Evolution of Rallying” by Helmut Demel

EXTRA

Modern Racing

Large companies sponsor teams and drivers

Universal tire supplier (Pirelli)

Many complaints from former drivers

Complete WRC Book WRC.com