• Sign Up! To view all forums and unlock additional cool features

    Welcome to the #1 Fiesta ST Forum and Fiesta ST community dedicated to Fiesta ST owners and enthusiasts. Register for an account, it's free and it's easy, so don't hesitate to join the Fiesta ST Forum today!


Photos of Rallycross @ Glen Helen

Messages
62
Likes
13
Location
Irvine
#1
Today the SCCA was holding rallycross at Glen Helen, so I decided to go take some photos. I myself didn't participate, but [MENTION=1202]phlandry[/MENTION] did in his Fiesta ST. So here're some shots of his car:











 


Messages
16
Likes
4
Location
Altadena
#3
Great pics! It's tons of fun and I highly recommend it to anyone willing to get their car dirty. The car was much dirtier after the afternoon runs but the mudflaps help a ton.
 


Messages
424
Likes
131
Location
Ridgecrest
#4
So tell us about your experience [MENTION=1202]phlandry[/MENTION] . How did the fiesta do? Did you still have fun even in a fwd machine? Do you left foot brake or use the e-brake any to help with rotation?
 


Messages
16
Likes
4
Location
Altadena
#5
The FiST is doing well but I'm still learning how to drive it. I used to drive a 2008 Subaru STI so I'm trying to break my AWD habits and learn good FWD habits but the FWD is still tons of fun and the car will rotate like a champ. I run in the "Stock 2WD" class normally which allows for very little modification, but I do have an extra set of stock wheels with snow tires that I put on for the dirt. I also have a Rally Innovations aluminum front splitter that I put on just to protect the underside of the front bumper from getting scraped up and it seems to be doing a good job. You can see the chunks of mud in the splitter in the picture, that's where it shoveled the mud instead of the bumper.

I've been playing around with the traction control settings to see what works best. Last time out I was fastest with the car in "Sport" mode but this time I think it may have been slowing me down some. On the STI I used to pull the ABS fuse so I could lock up the brakes but I don't want to lose any of the virtual LSD functionality that may come with disabling ABS on the FiST so I'm hesitant to do that. This time it was very wet and slippery, especially today, and I think I would've picked up some time in the very wet with the TC completely off but didn't experiment with it this time.

My feet are too big for left foot braking, they just end up running into each other, so I usually use the handbrake to bring the car around if it needs some help. A small tip I learned awhile ago is don't wear cargo pants/shorts if you're doing rallycross, with the handbrake right next to your thigh you can get tangled with the bulky pockets. Unfortunately on Saturday I forgot to listen to myself and wore cargo shorts and paid for it in one run where my hand slipped off the e-brake handle and tangled in my cargo pocket bringing the car to a complete stop mid turn while I fumbled around to find the release button. That cost me a few seconds, among other mistakes.

One problem I did have this weekend was overheating. I think between the high revving and low speeds on the course the radiator wasn't getting enough airflow and the temp was high at the end of some runs. The first time it happened I was pushing hard and spinning the tires a lot which kept the revs up and made it hotter. The second time I forgot to turn the AC off during my run and the third time was when I ended up getting a re-run so I did two runs back to back and it was getting hot on the second run. Yesterday it was pretty hot (97F) so that could have been a factor as well but even today when it was cooler (70F) I noticed the temp rising a bit. I turned the heater on and it came right down every time but it's something I'll have to keep an eye on.

 


Messages
424
Likes
131
Location
Ridgecrest
#6
Awesome, now that is a reply!

I did a rallycross event in ridgecrest in February. Bone stock fiesta. I tried left foot braking for 2 runs.... it wasn't working out that great for me in the grand scheme of things. I had more luck trying to Scandinavian flick the car to get the ass end to rotate (I was running with ESC off) and using the e-brake as needed. It was fun, but in my opinion the car is more fun at an autocross. This is my first fwd car and trying to rotate the ass end in rallycross was the first time I was frustrated with my car. It's probably me having to learn the technique for fwd versus my rear wheel drive experience.

Cool report man, hope day two was as good for you as day one!
 


Messages
16
Likes
4
Location
Altadena
#7
This time I disconnected the front swaybar as well and it seemed to help it rotate a bit and get a little more traction in the front end. I could usually get it to rotate if I planted the inside wheel on the dry inside of the turn and tapped the brakes then play with the e-brake if I needed a little extra rotation. The main thing I have to get used to is not having enough grip to put the power down. The FiST is so powerful down low even with the stock tune that I really have to feather the gas in second gear the whole time just to keep the tires from spinning all everywhere.

I did my first autocross in the FiST a few weeks ago and it was a blast! I was able to go faster than several cars that should've been faster than me (WRX/STi, M3, S2000, Corvette), the thing was like magic.
 


haste

1000 Post Club
Messages
1,222
Likes
1,262
Location
Eastern
#8
Looks like fun, I'd love to try that some time. I can imagine how beastly the FiST would be in Rallycross with a LSD installed.
 


Ford Community Posts



Top