I Feel The Need...

"Justin Hughes" (justinhughes54)
12/12/2014 at 22:34 • Filed to: None

...the need for speed. This photo is from the one and only autocross I attended this year. I drove sweep at the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! and Combo Car at !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , but those are the only times I've managed to go out and play with cars this year. And I'm getting the urge, big time.

It's a bad time of year for this to happen. Autocross is all done until April. The same goes for track days. Rallycross runs year round, and New England has !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! (as !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! ), but my BRZ is still new and shiny, and I'm not quite ready to scratch the paint or get dirt into places it'll never get out of. That, and it still has a warranty that I don't really want to void.

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What's a gearhead to do? Sure, I enjoy commuting in the BRZ, but I'm constantly stuck behind slow people, never able to actually enjoy the back roads I drive to avoid even more traffic on the main drag. I've taken a road trip or two, and once outside of civilization I can open her up a little bit, but I still can't really challenge myself or explore the limits safely or legally - not even on the stock Prius tires, or the snow tires I'm running now.

I currently don't have the space or money for a second car. Otherwise, I'd probably pick up an old Impreza as a winter beater / rallycross car. And yet, I've found myself surfing the web sites looking anyway. And not just for a winter beater - I've looked for inexpensive rally cars. A Facebook post by !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! about a "Rally Clunker" class he's proposing hasn't helped, either, because it's just the sort of thing I'm looking for. My girlfriend and I have worked quite well as a driver/co-driver team in rally support vehicles, and are both interested in trying to compete someday. A cheap rally car would work not only for the occasional rally, but also rallycross and hillclimbs. We could even autocross it or take it to the track. It wouldn't be set up for tarmac, but it would be fun. But that can't happen until a number of real life factors fall into place - not the least of which is money.

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Maybe I should head to one of the local indoor kart tracks. I've done it before, and even raced in a league or two. That might be enough for me to get the urge out of my system. I've even thought of picking up an Xbox or Playstation and getting some Forza or Gran Turismo action going, but I know it's not the same. Otherwise I'd still be iRacing.

What to do?

(BRZ photo by me. Combo Car photo by !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! .)

DISCUSSION (7)

Brian Silvestro > Justin Hughes
12/12/2014 at 22:37

What you have to do is, rallycross it. There's always a 3-4 person oppo meetup at every NER event.

Justin Hughes > Brian Silvestro
12/12/2014 at 22:49

I've actually been pondering it. I have another commitment the weekend of the Stafford Springs event next month, which is unfortunate because I know that's a nice smooth site. I ran my Miata there two years ago and was the fastest in the RWD division - and I didn't even break it.

But the paint is still so nice and shiny. Maybe I'll feel differently after winter.

Brian Silvestro > Justin Hughes
12/12/2014 at 22:51

The thing about the NER events I've been to is that they aren't really hard on the car at all. The NY events is where all the damage comes from. And nothing's happened to my car at all so far!

Justin Hughes > Brian Silvestro
12/12/2014 at 22:54

I've run at Stafford, Cummington, and NED. All were decent sites that didn't hurt my car. And I am on snow tires. And have Rallyarmor mud flaps. Hmm...

Brian Silvestro > Justin Hughes
12/12/2014 at 22:55

Then you're doing a disservice by NOT rallycrossing it!!

Where'd you find the 2015 schedule?! I can't find it anywhere

Justin Hughes > Brian Silvestro
12/12/2014 at 23:05

Here . So far Stafford Springs is the only event listed (and Wolf Chase, but that already happened). January 24-25, if you don't feel like clicking.

Brian Silvestro > Justin Hughes
12/12/2014 at 23:07

lol, I was at Wolf chase, I guess they haven't put the whole thing together yet. BE THERE