[starion887]

From the 1978 Suriser 400 results sheet....a summary of the prior year's competitor inputs to the organizers. Here are 2 of the items of several that made me think of our disucssions here:

"1. The route should be more of an endruance rally and less of a road race. The general feeling appeared to be that although a few rather fast stages were nice, the character of the route should put a premium on reliability and endurance. (With no particular type of vehicle having a particular advantage - e.g. 4WD.)"

FYI, the event started about 2PM on Saturday afternoon and ended about 8AM on Sunday.

and....

"4. That those who gain the most from the sport (sponsored entries) should pay a large protion of the cost of maintaining the sport. Thus we tried the General vs. Private entry fees."

Just for some historical perspective.....regards,
Mark B.

 

[Mad Mike]

>From the 1978 Suriser 400 results sheet....a summary of the
>prior year's competitor inputs to the organizers.
>FYI, the event started about 2PM on Saturday afternoon and
>ended about 8AM on Sunday.

The 77 Sunriser was my first stage rally! I certainly remember struggling to stay awake after exiting the final stage, turning north toward Chillicothe and listening to those Cooper tires sing on tarmac while the codriver snored unashamedly! That puppy was an endurance contest for sure!

That rally was on the same weekend that Oklahoma Universtiy visited that eastern OSU in Columbus and took a win home thanks to a last minute field goal. I'm thinking our van and rally car were about the only Oklahoma-tagged machines in the Buckeye state not there for the football game.

Halley ...
RWD and normally-aspirated ROCKS! Let's get it on in Group F, uhhhhh, right after 100AW!
http://www.realautosport.com

 

[jake himes]

>That rally was on the same weekend that Oklahoma Universtiy
>visited that eastern OSU in Columbus and took a win home
>thanks to a last minute field goal. I'm thinking our van and
>rally car were about the only Oklahoma-tagged machines in the
>Buckeye state not there for the football game.
>
>Halley ...
>RWD and normally-aspirated ROCKS! Let's get it on in Group F,
>uhhhhh, right after 100AW!
>http://www.realautosport.com

Mike

I don't know what is more fun, rallying or seeing the Luckeyes get beat in Columbus. You must have been enjoying yourself.

Hail to the Victors

 

[Syncronaut]

As a Buckeye from Columbus, I have to remind you that THE Ohio State University Buckeyes beat both Michigan AND Oklahoma State University in football this year, almost as badly as the two of you beat me on the stages at Sno*Drift a couple of weeks ago

Go Bucks!

Brett Fairbanks
Fairbanks Motorsport
1981 Group 2/F Volkswagen Rabbit

 

[Mad Mike]

>As a Buckeye from Columbus, I have to remind you that THE
>Ohio State University Buckeyes beat both Michigan AND Oklahoma
>State University in football this year,
>
>Go Bucks!
>
>Brett Fairbanks
>Fairbanks Motorsport
>1981 Group 2/F Volkswagen Rabbit

While I won't argue the point that the Buckeyes beat my Cowpokes during the latest bowl season, I would add that by game time our guys knew Les Miles was headed to LSU and that kinda took the wind out of their sails. Could Oklahoma State University have beaten Ohio State University had that native Buckeye/Michigan alum stayed in Stillwater? Who knows, but it sure would have been a lot more entertaining game!

>almost as badly as the
>two of you beat me on the stages at Sno*Drift a couple of
>weeks ago

Dude, it's one thing to let some seemingly dislocated Scanda-Yank beat you in the snow, but an old fart Okie? Shame ... ;-)

Halley ...
RWD and normally-aspirated ROCKS! Let's get it on in Group F, uhhhhh, right after 100AW!
http://www.realautosport.com

 

[joeg]

All I can remember about Sunrisers (Tulips, etc.) was the roads were simply the absolute best (and I loved that pea gravel).

The roads more than made up for the organizer's sometimes warped perspectives on what made a good rally (like 5 a.m. transits and mad dashes for service crews). The endurance aspect was crap; the roads were great.