and this was the response:me said:Hello Mike,
I am following RallyAmerica protocol by requesting the novice waiver required to allow me to run my first RallyAmerica rally in an all wheel drive car. I have perticipated in three NASA rallys so far in our 2001 Subaru Impreza non-turbo, most recently Laughlin 2007 where we finished second in Production GT, 18th overall. Prior to getting into the driver's seat I was service crew chief for Jon Bottoms team for two seasons and competitive in rallyX and autoX for 10 years.
My codriver Nolan Sambrano codrove for me at Laughlin, has successfully completed the Ridgecrest rally school and is coming along very well as a codriver.
I believe we can safely and successfully complete the coefficient 2 Seed9 rally.
Please let me know your decision on this matter.
Thank you,
Kevin Welker
Seed9 used a routebook, so no notes issue there, but we definitely prefer notes over a routebook or tulips. I personally feel the lack of detail from tulips or a routebook is more dangerous than notes.[email protected] said:Kevin,
You request for exemption from novice rules, to compete in a normally aspirated AWD impreza, has been granted.
This exemption has been noted in our database.
Best wishes and good luck at Seed 9.
Bashing Rally America seems to be fully acceptable in this forum. According to George's public statements, that is not why little john was banned.Chad,
I don't bash RA at every opportunity, Christ, I'd already be banned, but the lack of consistant administration of the ever-changing novice rules does get me bit riled up. Sorry, if I ranted.
Ted
"NASA offers an excellent selection of rallies to choose from..."
CARS, too!QUOTE]
^^^^agreed^^^^
I'm doing the same, I am going to try my hardest to stay on this course but as of now I want to get a spot at Team Oneil's Rally School next Summer and immediately after I come back start the build. Send it somewhere for cage and order all the goodies, which after my calculations is about $12,000 in goodies. Then make my stage rally debut at Rally New York in April 2010. Or I could just build the car and try to debut at Gorman Ridge. But I would be running PGT in my Audi.Bumping an old thread, but anyone have newer thoughts on this.
I currently own an '02 WRX wagon but I am considering selling it for something like a 1.8L AWD Impreza OBS to run in Production class.
If it's still possible for novices to get a waiver to run PGT, I would consider buying a stock or prepped 00 or 01 2.5RS instead.
I'm still a few years away from stage rally, but I'm trying to make the right decisions now to set myself up for it.
Sorry Ted, (said with love) but you are postulating out your posterior on the Bartram front. Kenny rented the Beetle from me for 100AW '06 anticipating a jump to Open class ASAP. The situation that led to his buying, and subsequently campaigning, in Production that season had more to do with delays of the VTSCAR build of his STi (we were unable to debut it before Maine that year) than anything. After his success in Missouri he (we) thought there would be some marketing advantages available someone with an established fan base who could make a successful leap into rallying. Kenny chose to buy the Bug outright and rent my services for what turned out to be a perfect season (no DNFs, won the Donison and Woodner Cups, and claimed Rookie of the Year).If I was Richard Spaulding or Kenny Bartram or any of the others who played by the RA noob rules and bought 2wd, nornally aspirated Beetles or Focii, when you know they really wanted AWD turbo beasts, then saw an absolulte noob lined up in an open class turbo car, I might be a little bit peeved.
Bruce:Your math is correct, but remember, you have to FINISH those coefficients.
I'm sure if a competitor could document that such a thing happened, he could get credit for at least PART of the rally. Competitors have been forgiven a coefficient or two if they've performed well but had bad luck over several events...at least they've been excused from attending a fifth or sixth rookie class. All the ones I know about were still in Production or G2 anyway.Bruce:
If a new competitor finished all of the stages on a rally successfully, did all of timing correctly, drove safely and otherwise showed an understanding of what stage rallying is, what would happen if they did not finish the rally due to say a transmission failure after the last stage on the transit to the finish.?
Would RA consider giving them the points?
Just interested, as in CARS, finishing is not necessarily a requirement and the words used are something like "demonstrate that they have successfully competed in the event".
It is interesting wording as I have said in the past that it is possible to finish an event while not 'successfully competing' in it. Think, re-prepping the car during tech, borrowing helmets and suits because the M helmets and Karting suits were turned away, 9 minutes of earliness, 29 minutes of lateness per leg, control procedure violations, 10 minutes per stage for a window open, constantly getting lost on transits ... and so on.Just interested, as in CARS, finishing is not necessarily a requirement and the words used are something like "demonstrate that they have successfully competed in the event".
This is just the sort of stuff we should be monitoring for novices. We try, but a lot of it slips through the cracks. The tech guys pick up on a lot of it, but they don't necessarily report it...and the road points require somebody to study the results carefully. I agree, a team could "finish" without "competing." The good part of the "finish" requirement is that it's totally objective...the bad part is what's discussed above.It is interesting wording as I have said in the past that it is possible to finish an event while not 'successfully competing' in it. Think, re-prepping the car during tech, borrowing helmets and suits because the M helmets and Karting suits were turned away, 9 minutes of earliness, 29 minutes of lateness per leg, control procedure violations, 10 minutes per stage for a window open, constantly getting lost on transits ... and so on.
I'll see you at Team O'Neil next year (hopefully).I'm doing the same, I am going to try my hardest to stay on this course but as of now I want to get a spot at Team Oneil's Rally School next Summer and immediately after I come back start the build. Send it somewhere for cage and order all the goodies, which after my calculations is about $12,000 in goodies. Then make my stage rally debut at Rally New York in April 2010. Or I could just build the car and try to debut at Gorman Ridge. But I would be running PGT in my Audi.