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what to expect in Defi ??

2K views 12 replies 7 participants last post by  Morison 
#1 ·
hey all!! just searching for some tips on what to expect ... maby how to prepare?? suggestions for a new guy... I know, I know I am on the bum again but if I don't ask how will I ever learn :p is there anything special about Defi a new guy should know about ???
 
#2 ·
The obvious:

1. Recce on Thursday. First time for this event in its current form

2. Two 4km tarmac stages with tire service before and after, on the Friday night. Rally not expected to be won or lost there - just get through.


Legacy:

3. Can be a bit rough - rougher than Baie but nothing near Charlevoix

4. Didn't know until last year, but can be very very dusty. Hope for 2-minute windows and if there's no rain in the coming weeks don't expect to do a lot of passing.

5. Can be hot - if you have a choice of tire compounds consider medium or hard.

ACP
Flirting with the laws of physics.
 
#3 ·
>

>2. Two 4km tarmac stages with tire service before and after,
>on the Friday night. Rally not expected to be won or lost
>there - just get through.

do you have any suggestions on tire choice for the tarmac sections(15",16",17" z or r compounds)
>
>Legacy:
>
>3. Can be a bit rough - rougher than Baie but nothing near
>Charlevoix

do you change anything "major" in your setup in preperation for Defi or "as usual"
 
#4 ·
With notes it won't be as much of an issue, but I seem to remember long series of back-to-back 'gotchas'. One of the bridges provided a bit of drama (a 90 left onto wooden plank bridge - we missed the planks but made it to the other side thanks to the guard rails...) and watch out for dumpsters on 'escape' roads (don't ask)

We ran steel wheels - big mistake.

Robin
 
#5 ·
>
>do you have any suggestions on tire choice for the tarmac
>sections(15",16",17" z or r compounds)

Smooth tarmac: the biggest wheels you can afford with the softest tires that will go the distance. In practice I don't think you're going to see anything too exotic, even on the leading cars. I'm planning to run 14" rims with Sears Weathermasters ;)


>
> do you change anything "major" in your setup in preperation
>for Defi or "as usual"

No. Amongst the gravel rallies I only really anticipate changing the setup for Charlevoix (for the rough) and Tall Pines (for the possibly frozen surface). If your suspension is such that it can't both handle well and fly off big jumps in a balanced way (DMS plug: we have no problem here!) then you may have to compromise for Baie and maybe Charlevoix (Perce and Quebec have some big jumps too, but that's the winter setting...)

ACP
Flirting with the laws of physics.
 
#7 ·
There are a couple of things I recall from last year. The dust was quite an issue. I was driving nearly blind on the last couple of stages. Scared myself silly.

There are a couple of stretches with linked corners that are quite tricky(downhill off-camber). Notes should help tremendously with this.

I think there's a picture of us on our site at Defi last year in the dust! :)

Cheers! John
 
#9 ·
OK, I know there are a million factors at work,(type of road, details neededby driver, size of writing, level of abbreviation ...) but what is the average number of pages per km (Km/page) used when writing pace notes?
with 150 Km of notes, how many pages am I looking at?
 
#11 ·
Randy, I'm not sweating it - I just want to be prepared.
One of the reasons I am doing this event is to get some experience writing notes. Bruce comes highly reccomended, and I am sure I'll enjoy the ride, but I certainly don't plan on being a passenger.
Remember, I have co-driven in an open class Talon with PFR style route books (avg interval <230m ) AND ... I've been working on my 'oh mama's ...

I'm trying to decide if I bring my cameras ... just in case ;-)

See you there!

Cheers,

keith
 
#13 ·
Dave,
No problem, but I was Soooooo proud of myself for mentioning the car without bringing up 'the incident' ... particularly as SOME initially identified people ( ;-) )have begun giving me grief for being some how fixated on that - nearer to death than we'd like to believe - experience.
 
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