Sno*Drift Rally 2012

[CurtEgerer]

2012 Sno*Drift Report: "In my 20 years of rally, this was the most difficult", David Higgins (Isle of Man) overall winner.

And that might be an understatement. More here.

And here: 2012 Rally America Sno*Drift Report

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[hoffman912]

read the blog and saw the vid.. looked treacherous.. i would have been white knuckled and puckered up for sure.

[CurtEgerer]

Yeah, I think anybody riding along as a passenger looking out the window would be white-knuckled. It's one thing to race on lake ice where a spin means nothing, but when racing on public roads the trees, fence posts, bridges and ravines keep you honest. As a co-driver in the sweep car, you're so busy there's no time to think much about it, particularly in these conditions where any error in instructions from me will likely mean a crash. It helps to have 100% confidence in your driver too On top of our internal driver/co-driver communications and trying to maintain our gap to the last competitor, we (unlike competitors) have the constant distracting chatter of the entire Rally Network in our headsets as well. There's normally 3 special stages active at any given time (the one we're closing, the next one that the front of the field is already racing on, and the next one after that which is being cleared for racing by the zero-car). We've got to keep 1 ear on all of that in case there is an emergency situation in front of us. It takes 110% focus. We're also charged with reporting and collecting time cards from competitors who go out of the rally and scoring cards from every start & finish control. Many think we have a gravy job and basically just get to have fun running the stages for free. There's no free lunch!

[CurtEgerer]

So here's the S Reg / R Gruppe connection to the rally Steve Nowicki's vintage Plymouth Fire Arrow crew was comprised of members Bill Gottschalk, Jared Rundell, and my brother Kevin (crew chief) and the cage was built by S Reg/RG member Scott Z at King Motorsport! They didn't finish anywhere near where they'd hoped, but it was basically 'mission impossible' in a front-engine/rear drive car in those conditions. It is amazing to me they even finished the rally with the original paint on this car still intact

Mixed Results for Nowicki

Nowicki Back to Rallying

The crew in action at Friday night service:

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[edmayo]

I need to go warm up my hands,,,,they got cold just looking at that picture of you guys working on that car out in the snow By the way, does "Sno-Drift" replace the old "Press on Regardless" ?

[CurtEgerer]

Ed, LSPR (Lake Superior Performance Rally) took the place of the old POR (Press on Regardless). The named changed when SCCA sanctioning was dropped and Rally America was formed to take over the top level of the sport around 2001ish. SCCA actually still owns the 'POR' name and has continued to run it, but as an amateur TSD rally in the Lower Peninsula.

[edmayo]

Thanks Curt, I always thought that was such a great rally name!