Rally FIST ? Fun !

[SVTBob]

So, my birthday is coming up and my wife asks me if I would like her to send me to a rally school in NH as my present. My wife has sent me to other kinds of racing schools before. Now, understand that the only time the word “rally” has ever been mentioned in our household was when I replaced the OEM springs in my stocker with DialCaliper’s recent coil spring design. I called them “rally style” springs when she asked me why I was replacing perfectly good, low mileage springs on an essentially stock car (my wife is NOT a car person, despite the car presents). Never expressed any interest in rally events, know little about them but watched WRC events in the past. So yesterday, I get an email from Team O’Neil in Dalton, NH with an invite to attend one of their Open Houses. (I have no idea how my wife found this school or why she would choose to investigate it since we live in AZ !). As I scroll down the page, there’s an article talking about how the CEO of the school, Chris Cyr, is actively pursuing an ARA Championship (presumably is some sort of 2wd class). Further, they were excited to say that he had the opportunity to go out to CA and participate in the Hoonigan Speed Run Championship. ……. Wait for it ……. Wanna know what car he has chosen as his race car ??? A Fiesta ST !!! He runs it with a stock engine, transmission and axles ! There was a link to a Utube video of Chris at the Hoonigan track doing his practice runs and then some serious runs to see how well he could do compared to the 5 or 6 best runs by others. He does very well. You can access it like I did from the Team O’Neil website; I think the title of the vid on UTube is “Why Are Rally Drivers Obsessed with this car - Hoonigan Speed Run Championship”. Check it out, really fun to watch an ST on the track. …… And now considering to take my wife up on her offer !

 

[M-Sport fan]

Yes, Chris has been campaigning that car for at least 3 ARA seasons so far, in their Limited 2WD class.
Yes, it is a basically stock FiST, with a full spec, triangulated and gusseted cage installed, body seam welded, race seats, steering wheel, harnesses and extinguisher system installed, roof vent for the crew (driver and co-driver).

They allow for a full race/rally coil over suspension (this one uses the BIG$$$ Reiger remote reservoir, 3 way adjustable, R2/Rally 4 M-Sport kit) as long as it uses the factory suspension pickup points, race/rally fixed caliper brakes and racing pedal boxes/hydraulic systems (I think that Chris' car uses either the Alcon, or AP Racing R2/Rally 4 gravel kit).

I also believe that they can have a limited slip as well, and possibly a tune (?) in Limited class.

But that's it.
No bigger turbo, no retrofitted independent rear suspension, no additional aero helpers, and unless they changed the rules recently, no carbon fiber/kevlar lighter body parts, no dry sump oiling systems, NO sequential gearboxes, etc.

The ARA rules are much more lenient and different for the OPEN 2WD class, as well as the R5/Rally 2, R2C/Rally 4 classes where our cars would likely also compete.

Despite what many on here believe, our rides are much more successful and used as rides in the multiple classes of rallying throughout the world, than in any other discipline of motorsport.

MUCH more often than they are ever used for road course racing, or any other form of racing, save for maybe some more stock like classes of autocross, and even that was more so in the recent past than currently.

 

[M-Sport fan]

You are MUCH closer, geography wise, to the Dirt Fish Rally School, up in Snoqualmie, Washington.

I've never priced them out, but yes, Team O'Neil's school might be less $$$$, even with the addition travel expenses involved.

You will learn boatloads of car control techniques at EITHER one though!

 

[SteveS]

MUCH more often than they are ever used for road course racing, or any other form of racing, save for maybe some more stock like classes of autocross, and even that was more so in the recent past than currently.

In Great Britain the BRSCC runs a huge Fiesta Junior Championship and a popular Fiesta ST240 Championship. Scotland also has a long-running Fiesta ST Cup. As does Ireland.

 

[isis]

Let me know if you ever get divorced.

might as well link this thread:
https://www.fiestastforum.com/threads/fiesta-st-rally-car-on-hoonigan.33632/

 

[SVTBob]

M-Sport, thanks for all the information ! Actually, there is an advantage of the Team O’Neil school for me; I would be able to visit family in Boston, probably why my wife chose it (plus she loves going to Boston). But I will do a comparison with Dirt Fish, might feel it’s worth going there instead. It would be strictly for fun, too old to do any serious racing. SteveS, glad to know about the British special rally affinity for Fiesta ST’s. One of my buddies is married to the daughter of a Brit team owner (McLaren raced for his team and they get tickets to the Goodwood Revival every year). Several of her dad’s cars are still actively raced (first Shelby Cobra imported to the UK, one of the rare factory lightweight Jag’s, a rare Maserati (forget the model). . We have been to Goodwood with them, maybe I could coordinate one of the trips with them to see one of the Fiesta events ! Isis, I’ll never get divorced. Too old to go through it and my wife takes very good care of me. Besides, she’ll be 70 next year, lol.

 

[rallytaff]

Good to see other 'youngsters' out there. I've just turned 77 and my wife will be 80 in Dec!