semi ot: racing cars off road

 Well, I still need to get my bikes together, just riding my old trusty
cg125, I imagine I'm on the 20s/30s, before they invented
suspensions ;) It's quite fun on the sand with the 11hp engine and
narrow 18 inch street tires, really!

Anyhow. Yesterday I was having a (few) cold one with the off road
dinosaurs. One of them quit racing bikes and now races cars (still
ride, mainly kwads, but he has bikes too). He invited me to be his
"navigator" on a cross country rally. His car is like one of this

http://www.truckimg.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/troller-04.jpg

250cv, diesel powered. It should be fun, it's a 3 day race, valid for
the brazilian championship.

Any of you guys already raced a rally as navigator (or driver) on a
car? Is that much more easy (or difficult) than on a bike?

I will make sure to write a long ride report. :)

-- Tiago

 Tiago asks:


If it is a time-speed-distance event, yes I have navigated a few times.
It's freaking difficult.  At least the ones I did, the route sheet was a
series of 'tulips' showing the next turn
www.madrasmotorsports.in/General_TSD_rally_breifing_notes.doc

Giving the driver the incorrect instruction is Bad.  Ttrying to calculate if
you
are on time in short sections is Hard.  The ones I did were all during the
winter on public roads here in the great white north.  While speeds were
all below the speed limit, the roads didn't allow that without some
white knuckle driving at times so the driver wasn't any better off in
being able to relax than the navigator.  A six hour rally left us both
drained.

We did the novice class which does not allow a computer, just a
stopwatch and the odometer that comes with the car.  The experience
might be a lot different with a rally computer.



Please do!


Go fast. Take chances.
Mike S.

 On Dec 28, 10:03 am, "Mike S."

This is just like I used to race bikes. Our time keeping enduros are
all like that, with tulips and all.



I will try to do a good job


I wonder how it will be after 3 days. I know what you mean by speed.
They put "speed: 40km/h", which any kid on a 50cc can do, but when you
look at the "road", 10km/h is way too much.


We are going pro on this, enduro computers and all... the guy I'm with
is experienced.

 Tiago says:


Cool, let us know how it goes.


Go fast. Take chances.
Mike S.

 Sounds exciting for sure!
I always wonder how the drivers talk somebody into being the
navigator. I can't read in a car for more than a couple minutes.

I fell in love with dirt in cars. And I have often explained to people
that I'm a car guy on a dirt bike budget. I guess I got lucky that way.