Chihuahua Express Road Rally Race - FD takes 1st in class, 2nd overall - VIDEO
#1
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Chihuahua Express Road Rally Race - FD takes 1st in class, 2nd overall - VIDEO
just returned from a three day race in Chihuahua Mexico call the "Chihuahua Express" - www.chihuahuaexpress.com . My brother, David, was my navigator and did an excellent job. Over the three days we covered about a thousand miles in my 1993 Mazda RX-7 of which about 350 miles were full speed "race" stages where the public highway was closed to traffic and we competed for the fastest stage transit time. Each day we left from the hotel in Chihuahua and raced to a city in the countryside and then raced back to the hotel along the same route. The second day was special because our destination and turn around point was the town of Divisidero on the rim of the Copper Canyon.
We accomplished our primary goal of finishing the rally and having a good time. However, we also surprised ourselves and many others by finishing first in class and second overall. The first place overall went to a highly modified Subaru rally car that was amazingly fast.
I can't tell you how much fun this race was. I have NEVER had so much fun in a car. The race was well organized. Safety and security were top notch. The roads were in excellent condition.
I recorded most of the race stages on video with my in car camera. I have loaded one stage from each day onto the video sharing website "youtube.com".
Please feel free to view, share or link to these videos:
Day 1, first return stage:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAgSkdtA7Iw
Day 2, first return stage (partial):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5heQz6gw6Y
Day 3, first return stage:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Pk4-u9Sjtw
- John Magnuson
We accomplished our primary goal of finishing the rally and having a good time. However, we also surprised ourselves and many others by finishing first in class and second overall. The first place overall went to a highly modified Subaru rally car that was amazingly fast.
I can't tell you how much fun this race was. I have NEVER had so much fun in a car. The race was well organized. Safety and security were top notch. The roads were in excellent condition.
I recorded most of the race stages on video with my in car camera. I have loaded one stage from each day onto the video sharing website "youtube.com".
Please feel free to view, share or link to these videos:
Day 1, first return stage:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAgSkdtA7Iw
Day 2, first return stage (partial):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5heQz6gw6Y
Day 3, first return stage:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Pk4-u9Sjtw
- John Magnuson
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Wow! Great job John, you are really are really moving on those public roads. Did you ever worry some local would forget about the closed road and suprise you around some corner? What was the competition like? Did you and your brother pre-run the coarse?
Thanks for sharing and congrats!
Thanks for sharing and congrats!
#5
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I hit redline in 5th gear (I have the Japanese market lower 5th gear) many times which is about 180mph.
Yes, a local on the roads is always a worry. Fortunately this event has really good traffic control and the roads we raced on had very little in the way of access roads.
I was not able to prerun the coarse. My brother had the "route book" which gives detailed instructions of what types of turns and hazards are ahead. The sound quality sucks in the videos so you can't hear him telling me the turns ahead. Just like in WRC.
The competion in my class (2.4 liter turbo) consisted of about half a dozen Mistsubishi EVOs and Subaru WRXs. On a tight road they may have been able to compete with my FD but in this rally the FD's far superior top speed took the day and I won my class by a LARGE margin.
I was also second overall out of the 40 cars that started the race. My closest competitors were the unlimited class PanAm cars. They LOOK like classic cars but under the skin is a 3000 pound tube frame race car with modern suspension, brakes and a 500hp V8. Kind of like a NASCAR with a 1950s classic car body. They cost well over $100K to build and they can MOVE.
First overall was a very highly modified Subaru Sti that was really really well setup. It has HUGE tires and about 500hp. It beat me by a large margin.
Yes, a local on the roads is always a worry. Fortunately this event has really good traffic control and the roads we raced on had very little in the way of access roads.
I was not able to prerun the coarse. My brother had the "route book" which gives detailed instructions of what types of turns and hazards are ahead. The sound quality sucks in the videos so you can't hear him telling me the turns ahead. Just like in WRC.
The competion in my class (2.4 liter turbo) consisted of about half a dozen Mistsubishi EVOs and Subaru WRXs. On a tight road they may have been able to compete with my FD but in this rally the FD's far superior top speed took the day and I won my class by a LARGE margin.
I was also second overall out of the 40 cars that started the race. My closest competitors were the unlimited class PanAm cars. They LOOK like classic cars but under the skin is a 3000 pound tube frame race car with modern suspension, brakes and a 500hp V8. Kind of like a NASCAR with a 1950s classic car body. They cost well over $100K to build and they can MOVE.
First overall was a very highly modified Subaru Sti that was really really well setup. It has HUGE tires and about 500hp. It beat me by a large margin.
Last edited by John Magnuson; 04-16-08 at 04:05 AM.
#6
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I see some mods in your signature, but what do you have done to the car? Any safety mods? Ie. cage, harness?
Oh yeah, looks like fun! Congrats on the win. I will have to find one near me.
Oh yeah, looks like fun! Congrats on the win. I will have to find one near me.
#7
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#11
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I ran full tread Toyo RA1 245/45-16 tires. I kept my foot down in the straights but I probably took most turns at about 85% (75% if there was a ravine with no guard rail on the corner exit!)
#12
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I'm pretty sure he finished but I can't remember how he placed. I believe he ran in the "original" class. I have a ton of respect for the "original" class cars - other than brakes they're essentially the same 4000+ pound leaf spring equipped boats from the 50s that take 6 turns from steering lock to lock. I was amazed how quickly they can get through the stages in those kind of cars.
#18
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La Carrera Panamericana does have a class now for modern cars. Someday I would like to do it. However the expense combined the large amount of time you have to be away for that race makes it impossible for me to do the race anytime soon. Maybe if my work schedule or finances improve I can consider it in the future.
#19
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Here are some reviews of the rally:
Some good carnage pictures:
http://lacarrera2007.blogspot.com/20...not-rally.html
After race review:
http://lacarrera2007.blogspot.com/20...ie-bledso.html
One more:
http://lacarrera2007.blogspot.com/20...ahua-news.html
Some good carnage pictures:
http://lacarrera2007.blogspot.com/20...not-rally.html
After race review:
http://lacarrera2007.blogspot.com/20...ie-bledso.html
One more:
http://lacarrera2007.blogspot.com/20...ahua-news.html
#22
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We tuned the motor very conservatively for the race since we had to run on Mexican pump gas. (super rich with lots of timing retard) It was putting down 320hp to the rear wheels.
#24
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That is absolutely SICK!
I would love to do that, although I think maybe 100miles would be enough for me.
The roads there look very well maintained smooth, flat... nice.
I would love to do that, although I think maybe 100miles would be enough for me.
The roads there look very well maintained smooth, flat... nice.