[Jens]

Rally in the U.S. is mired in Subaru goo. Initiative, innovation, and individuality have been stomped out. Once again rally follows while others lead......

From here:
http://www.glenspeed.com/greengrandprix.html

"An informal Rally and display of advanced vehicles intended to showcase hybrid gas/electric and alternate fueled vehicles..."

Watkins Glen, NY - Sept. 22, 2005

Contact your respective rally sanctioning body and DEMAND they start an alternative fuel / hybrid program.

 

[MDBodnar]

Jens:

We demand you start the program.

Start with a rules base and eligible vehicles for the class.

Then work with manufacturers or non-automotive entities to get sponsorship or a cost effective spec package.

Anyone can do this, so why not you Jens? Your perfect for the job, you have vision and you have time.

I'll look forward to the kick-off of the class at Sno*Drift 2006, just 4 months away.

See you then,
Mike

 

[Bruce]

Dunno whether Mike was being sarcastic or not, but I have to agree. The rally sanctioning bodies in the US at the moment - run predominantly by volunteers - have pretty full plates, and the effort you propose would take at least one full-time person...maybe more. Someone who seems to be as passionately dedicated to the idea as you are would be ideal. Why do you think the sanctioning bodies could do a better job than you can?

Bruce

 

[rhino]

I would suggest taking a Prius out and hammering on it before you suggest that we race these cars. I work with these cars on a daily basis, and well, they just aren't meant to race.

-When you're out on the drive, try left foot braking really hard and see how that works out.

 

[jandreini]

>I would suggest taking a Prius out and hammering on it before
>you suggest that we race these cars. I work with these cars on
>a daily basis, and well, they just aren't meant to race.
>
>-When you're out on the drive, try left foot braking really
>hard and see how that works out.
>

Actually, the FIA is pushing hybrid technology for F1. I can foresee possibilities for rally, too, but NOT with current cars and NOT under the current hybrid paradigm.

 

[Jens]

>I can
>foresee possibilities for rally, too, but NOT with current
>cars and NOT under the current hybrid paradigm.


Gasoline is pushing $3/gallon this week. Where it will be next week....hmmmmm...

It will be interesting to see where you guys are at about this in a month and then in a year.

 

[mattjohnston]

I will be getting 51mpg in my 1991 Civic. Hybrid economy, 14 years old, and only cost $122.

Hybrids are a load of Junk. Gas is $6 in england, and italy, and germany and so on. Not many hybrids there, just lots and lots of diesel.

 

[Jens]

>Why do you think the sanctioning bodies could do a
>better job than you can?


They can afford to fly around meeting people.

 

[Jens]

>Hybrids are a load of Junk. Gas is $6 in england, and italy,
>and germany and so on. Not many hybrids there, just lots and
>lots of diesel.


Comparing England, Italy, Germany and so on to the U.S. is like comparing a horse to a Chihuahua. Those countries are tiny.

 

[rallytaff]

<<<< They can afford to fly around meeting people.>>>>

OOOOOOOH! I don't think that will go down too well!

Can't see me in your mirrors?
I must be in front of you!

 

[Jens]

>
><<<< They can afford to fly around meeting people.>>>>
>
>OOOOOOOH! I don't think that will go down too well!


It won't go down well with who, people who actually matter and have more foresight than a mosquito, or (to quote Spiro Agnew) the "nattering nabobs of negativism"?

 

[randyzimmer]

Sorry Jens, that makes no sense.
The size of NA makes it More relevent not less.
A guy stopped by the dealership yesterday with a 9-3 TDi.

http://www.saab.com/main/GLOBAL/en/model/93_S/techspecs.shtml

Real world 35-45 MPG
Bought it because he travels long distances.
Not too hard to federalize but they drove him nuts with BS.
SAAB USA says, "good luck, but the car isn't ours to worry about - you're on your own"

These diesel things work now and are reliable, other new technology barely works in the best circumstances, none of us have the resources to drop a couple million on R&D, do you?

rz

 

[Bruce]

>>Why do you think the sanctioning bodies could do a
>>better job than you can?
>
>
>They can afford to fly around meeting people.
>
>
You have an odd idea of how rally is financed in the US, but let's go with that premise:

Part of your preparation should be a business plan, including a budget. If you're willing to do the legwork and you can present a feasible case, I'll bet a sanctioning body - or a manufacturer, or other sponsor - would finance your effort. Why not give it a try? You've already done the preliminary work.

Bruce

 

[Jens]

>These diesel things work now and are reliable, other new
>technology barely works in the best circumstances, none of us
>have the resources to drop a couple million on R&D, do you?


Sure... if our politicians hadn't just blown 285 Billion dollars a couple of days ago on all sorts of stupid pork.

 

[Jens]

>Part of your preparation should be a business plan, including
>a budget. If you're willing to do the legwork and you can
>present a feasible case, I'll bet a sanctioning body - or a
>manufacturer, or other sponsor - would finance your effort.
>Why not give it a try? You've already done the preliminary
>work.


Put me on retainer.

 

[Bruce]

>
>Put me on retainer.

And that's what it's all about, isn't it? Everyone has good ideas, but the vast majority of them need money to implement...where will that money come from? How do we know which ideas are worth spending money on?

And you won't impress many of the volunteers on this forum with your attitude. Many of them are working their butts off to make rally happen, without expecting any return.

Bruce

 

[Jens]

>>
>>Put me on retainer.
>
>And that's what it's all about, isn't it? Everyone has good
>ideas, but the vast majority of them need money to
>implement...where will that money come from?

The sanctioning bodies.

>How do we know which ideas are worth spending money on?

You don't.

>And you won't impress many of the volunteers on this forum
>with your attitude. Many of them are working their butts off
>to make rally happen, without expecting any return.

Give them a medal. Better yet, pay them (that could have been paid for by the manufacturers a few years ago when they were given rally on a silver platter for FREE).

 

[Carl S]

All it seems to me, Jens, is that you just want to be able to say "I told you so" once hybrid cars start racing. Maybe I should propose a flying cars class? So that in 200 years when I'm awoken from my cryogenic sleep and people are racing flying cars I can say "Ha! I knew it!"

 

[Jens]

>All it seems to me, Jens, is that you just want to be able to
>say "I told you so" once hybrid cars start racing.

Okay... I'll bite.... Why do you think my motivation is so I can say "I told you so"?

1. I make a proposal.
2. Others tell me I should fund it.
3. I respond by saying others should do it. (in different thread)
4. More tell me I should do it and fund it.
5. I say "put me on retainer"
6. Mystically people think they have discovered my motivation.
7. Now I am accused of making the proposal to stroke my ego.

Believe whatever blows your skirt up.

 

[Bjorn240]

>Put me on retainer.

Well, that's just about the most lame response I've ever seen on an internet message board. If you're so passionate about hybrids, why don't you put your money where your mouth is. Or clam up.

As for the sanctioning bodies, I can think of about 800 volunteer positions they've got that could be full time and paid for before they pay a hybrid czar, especially one who's shown no willingness to actually do any work beyond crowing on the internet. Really, your hubris is amazing.

- Christian

Bjorn Christian Edstrom
www.christianedstrom.com