Meyagi
I'm a hack
ha, i also didnt have a DCCD controller, and mostly RWD would have been fail!I told ya!! There would be a lot of "should've gone" posts..Maybe next time y'all will listen to me when I say it will be EPIC!! heh
The Eric Benson Memorial Dirt Drive - November 28th
- Thread starter ReZPunK
- Start date
SurlyOBS
New member
Wow, looking at the pictures now. What an epic drive! Forget driving on paved roads, THIS route is THE one that should represent Mainely Subarus group drive events! I agree that it should be done several times a year when the conditions are ripe. I'm so glad I squeezed out the time to go and I'll do it again once I get a new engine for the Fozzie. My only suggestion might be to stop at one of those epic corners and have people practice their cornering techniques with other people's imput on driving technique. I know that there were many corners that I wished I could do again so I could drive them better. Since I'd only had the Fozzie for a month I wasn't fully sure of it's limits or driving style.
Let's do it again!
Let's do it again!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxhG_nza9o8
Here is a few slipping and sliding moments from my car. I'll try to crunch a more substantial vid tonight. Unfortunately my camera flaked out before the 4th stage, which was my fav section. Hopefully someone managed to capture some of that section.
Here is a few slipping and sliding moments from my car. I'll try to crunch a more substantial vid tonight. Unfortunately my camera flaked out before the 4th stage, which was my fav section. Hopefully someone managed to capture some of that section.
I was the idiot who showed up to the subaru drive without a suby
Anyways a bit more video (yes there are a few repeats). I'd say about 60-70% of the drive was like this or better. The video covers some of the rougher stretches, but I didn't bother to include any water hazards or bridges, however any suby with stock ride height would have no prob with those at a slow speed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Igp8z7Un5Wo
Anyways a bit more video (yes there are a few repeats). I'd say about 60-70% of the drive was like this or better. The video covers some of the rougher stretches, but I didn't bother to include any water hazards or bridges, however any suby with stock ride height would have no prob with those at a slow speed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Igp8z7Un5Wo
Nigel Prodrive
Dirt surfer
Trainable, good lookin vids that capture the feeling of the drive pretty well.
Classic case of sporty drivin on low grip surfaces...."start turning before you get to the turn!"
Surly raised a good point in earlier post about doing a group day focused more on driver improvement. Well worth investigating, though harder to pull of than you might think. Gots to find a suitable place to get cars sliding around with minimal chance of damage (to roads, cars, people, surrounding scenery) and then find insgtructors and then find a place with a cabin or house nearby cause there would be a lot of downtime while instructors were working with individual students....and oh, the liability!!
Classic case of sporty drivin on low grip surfaces...."start turning before you get to the turn!"
Surly raised a good point in earlier post about doing a group day focused more on driver improvement. Well worth investigating, though harder to pull of than you might think. Gots to find a suitable place to get cars sliding around with minimal chance of damage (to roads, cars, people, surrounding scenery) and then find insgtructors and then find a place with a cabin or house nearby cause there would be a lot of downtime while instructors were working with individual students....and oh, the liability!!
drvsdwz
DRiVe SiDeWayZ
+1 My 09 wrx is fairly low and it made it just fine. What a hell of a ride!!! I want to do it again soon!!! i just need to make sure i don't go in a ditch again although that was the softest ditch landing ever!! no scratches or damages, couldn't have been more lucky.
the only thing i was really worried about on that drive were the stock 17 inch rims getting bent and they are all A ok.
good job rez bros!!!!
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drvsdwz
DRiVe SiDeWayZ
I commend you for driving an 09 on a drive like that. I wouldn't have dared!!
The water wasn't to bad. I drove though most of it
I guess i must be crazy or something....yeah, i didn't go through the middle of those washouts....
funny story too... after leaving mobil on the run to take my friend to his house on call rd in milford a statey pulled me over for having a snow covered license plate(couldn't read it and he was definitely out for blood).
we pulled over, and I had my license, registration, and insurance out before he got to the car, he looks at the registration and says, "Drive Sidways, what does that mean?"
so i told him, "drive sideways, exactly what you said."
"No, what does it mean?"
so i had to explain to him the in the rally racing world they use these cars to rally.
He then says, "this plate looks familiar, i think i've pulled you over before."
I tell him, "i don't think you have because i have never been pulled over with that license plate that i have had for over a year now."
he asks me, "do you race this car?" "no."
"Is this your car?" "That's my paperwork isn't it?"
so he explains to me why i got pulled over and i apologized for not having a clean license plate after playing in the snow all day, but i wasn't going to tell him that.
He goes to his car and on his way back, stops at the back of my car and cleans it, and just as he approaches my window i tell him, "thank you officer!"
I don't really like the state troopers up in our area, and definitely veazie cops.....oh well, i guess they are only doing their job...
Yep that's the one!
Thanks!
Great points on the issues with driver improvement type of event. I think ReZPunk's comment about "the place in NH" is spot on, and I believe they usually do a discounted winter safe driving school for members. For those that are cash strapped rally-x and rally-x style ice races offer a safe environment to push your limits, timed laps so you can see if you are improving, and knowledgeable people who can give you tips.
Nigel Prodrive
Dirt surfer
Ironic thing is, both Rez and I have been instructors at Team O'Neil school for years. Their Winter Safe program is top notch, everybody goes thru the same progression of excercises but the course is tailored to let people with different skills and different equipment go at "appropriate" pace to their experience and judgement. Cost of the day's fun is equivalent to a day at the Loaf with lift tix, meals etc.
I'd be up for coordinating a group MS class...but be forewarned that ppl will have to actually commit to a time and put $$$ up front. The old, "I wanna come but..." approach does not work.
I do want to make it clear that the MS gang at this drive did remarkably well at staying within the limits of the road, their equipment and their skills. Ok so a couple ppl bounced into or out of the puckerbrush but it was minor. I actually think that the dicey snow/ice/open ditches conditions make the drive that much more memorable.
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ReZPunK
New member
I also forgot to mention we got to meet a nice man we shall call Forest Ranger Paul.
he approached the pack as we sat waiting to regroup and was concerned about what we were doing..
i explained the whole thing and how we were being respectful of the roads, and other people...
and he was happy to hear that and wished us good luck and safe driving on our group drive.
he approached the pack as we sat waiting to regroup and was concerned about what we were doing..
i explained the whole thing and how we were being respectful of the roads, and other people...
and he was happy to hear that and wished us good luck and safe driving on our group drive.
ReZDoG
I'm not ReZPunk
hey.. I just smashed the front of my car off one of the washouts... I forgot that I didn't have my tall Gravel tires on anymore... so what if I did smash a tire, and my exhaust!! I didn't roll, or off it like some people predicted (Looking at you Rob, Ken, Andy :evil glare
heheI was quite surprised to see that no one was stuck or hard any offs.. (I'm not going to hold the OBS that kissed those little trees, in his defense, if it wasnt for those little trees in the middle of a gravel pit, he would have just drove thru
tangoranora
New member
I don't think I would have met those trees if I had snow tires haha
Iboc_C64
New member
Damn, I really regret not being able to go. I ended up at a buddies house in Kingfield watching movies and playing Battlefield Bad Company 2 and Dirt 2 with a buddy of mine because neither of us could afford the time or the money this time of year. I just love how the "holiday spirit" can quickly consume ones hard earned cash. But its all good, I did some playing of my own in the snow with my summer tires still on and on turkey day I took a liesurely drive down some local dirt roads with my cousin to show him my new subs. It the middle of a hard right 90 degree corner and reaches up and turns down the stereo and as Im a climbing in RPM sideways thru the corner he says "Next time I ride with you, I need to remember to wear a diaper!" LMAO.
Nigel Prodrive
Dirt surfer
See, ppl DID learn some stuff first-hand!
all-season tires are designed to work for most people on most cars in most conditions. haulin DONKEY thru the snow/ice roads of deepest darkest way eastern ME is def NOT "most conditions." Interesting, the vast majority of civilian cars parked in the lot at the Princeton store were wearing snows, many of em studded. wonder that that says about local road conditions and ppl's experience on those roads???!!
ReZDoG
I'm not ReZPunk
Dave, These roads suck out here, I know, I have to drive an Ambulance no these roads.... ;\See, ppl DID learn some stuff first-hand!
all-season tires are designed to work for most people on most cars in most conditions. haulin DONKEY thru the snow/ice roads of deepest darkest way eastern ME is def NOT "most conditions." Interesting, the vast majority of civilian cars parked in the lot at the Princeton store were wearing snows, many of em studded. wonder that that says about local road conditions and ppl's experience on those roads???!!