7/29/2019 The Busy Bee Vol 2 Issue 7

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The Busy BeeVol. 2, Issue 7========================================================February 19, 2013

---------------- On Tuition -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

California Rally Series Rally School Provides the Bare Minimum

China Lake, Calif. For the price, there are few schools in the U.S. which offer the same amount of bang

for the buck. The 16th Annual California Rally Series Rally School maintained its presentation in three

iterations: driver course, co-driver course, and rallycross course; with each course presented by the local

national champions and regional rally drivers... not to be confused with rallyists. The driver course

provides the bare minimum tuition for a beginner to understand the driving dynamics of a front or all-

wheel drive vehicle on normal surfaces like dirt. The co-driver course provides extensive tuition on the

many aspects of preparing for performance stage rallies. The rallycross course provides extensive tuitionon driving aspects on flat, low traction surfaces. Each of these courses are helpful in one way or another

for an amateur and for those who love the sport.

The wife and The Busy Bee opted to attend the school again for the inexpensive coefficients

toward their rally licenses; and to pick up any information that wasnt fully imbued in their attendance

the previous year. This year, the wife partook in the co-driver course while The Busy Bee opted for a bit

of seat time in the driver course.

They both agreed that the co-driver course provided the most useful information. The co-driver

course covered the use of pace notes and some minor techniques regarding reconnaissance. This also

included hands-on exercises providing pace notes to a driver on a closed course and practicing route

instructions on transits. While these performance stage rally transit sections are similar to what roadrallyists compete on, they lack the intensity and unforgiving nature of course instructions for competitive

road rallies. In any case, it was still great tuition.

Unfortunately, the driver course was a little lacking, and truly provided only the bare minimum:

seat time. The driver course was focused on the instruction of beginners whom had very little knowledge

or experience driving near the limits of traction. This instruction was also biased toward front wheel

drive and, to a lesser extent, all-wheel drive vehicles. The main point of the driver course was to stress

the importance of left foot braking, which was really just an emphasis on left foot trail braking. While

there was a small amount of discussion on vehicle dynamics and racing lines, particularly regarding

corner entry, corner exit, and corner apexes, there were not many exercises where racing lines werediscussed or stressed to the same extent as left foot trail-braking. Thankfully, over 2 hours of seat time

were provided for in the schedule, with approximately 30 minutes of actual driving time allowed for each

driver. (Continued on Page 2 Bare Minimum)

7/29/2019 The Busy Bee Vol 2 Issue 7

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Page 2Vol. 2, Issue 7========================================================February 19, 2012

-------- On Tuition (cont.) -----------------------------

Bare Minimum Rather unfortunately, The

Busy Bee opted to attend the driving sessions

using a 1985 Mazda RX7, with a rear wheel

drivetrain. This was only unfortunate because of

the three instructors from whom he received

tuition, only one of the three actually understood

how to pilot rear wheel drive vehicles. Left foot

trail braking does not work effectively on low

traction surfaces for vehicles with rear wheel

drive. This is the case because when the brakes

are applied with the left foot, and the gas pedal is

not released, the front brakes have a tendency to

clamp on the wheels, thereby causing wheel lock

and a general increase in understeer, while the

rear wheels continue to propel the vehicle

forward and away from the preferred racing line.In any case, the seat time was necessary for

experimental purposes.

In any case, the school is a wonderful

place to learn about performance rally and is a

great way to step into the ranks of regional rally

drivers.

-------- Bite-Sized Morsels ----------------------------

2013 California Rally Series Rallycross

Championship Round 1

Ridgecrest, Calif. Official results can be foundon the CRS website and Rallydata.com, but themost interesting thing to note is that 2nd placeStock 2WD class driver Danny Downey also

placed 5th

in Rally 2WD class in his stock DodgeStealth. The competition may be fierce in Stock2WD class this year, but the Rally 2WD driversneed to get their cars in gear if they want toprove their skill.

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