Rally journalist Mike Shaw interview drivers, co-drivers, organizers and others involved in the sport of rallying with a primary focus on North America and the WRC. Come take a ride with us as we provide our own flavor of news and commentary to what is considered one of the most challenging and exciting forms of motorsports in the world.
With Rally Colorado this weekend we wanted to get a quick preview out to all of you so you'll know what these competitors will be facing. We called up Travis Nease and Dan Norkus to give us an idea of what the roads are like, what they think of the hefty entry list of competitors, and what their plan of attack is being 3rd on the road in a new car.
We didn't have any special guests this week, although we think we're all a little bit special in our own way. In this episode Mike, Ian, Kelsey, and Calvin chat about numerous subjects including socially distanced rallying, dealing with high temps, and what we think of one day rallies for national championship rounds. We also chat about the rest of the world starting to rally again, WRC cars running in national events, schedule changes, whether we'd like to see tarmac rallying as part of ARA's future, and more in a hodgepodge of rally chat at the virtual rally pub we call the RallyCast.
It's rally week!! With the American Rally Association's national championship restarting, we caught up with event Chairman Jeremiah Johnson and ARA Marketing and Media Director Jeremy Meyer. We get a quick preview of the roads, weather, competition, ways to follow, and how they'll be running a socially distanced championship event.
📸 by iHeartfast
In this episode of the RallyCast presented by Oz Rally Pro we welcome back Chris Greenhouse. Although not seen as frequently on the American rally scene of late, Chris is one of the fastest 2wd competitors out there. We talked about social distanced rallying, his overall win at Central UP, and how he's looking forward to the depth of competition at the upcoming Southern Ohio Forests Rally. We even helped plant the seed of a potential run at the ARA Open 2WD championship. Grab a cold one and enjoy a chat with us at the virtual rally pub we call the RallyCast.
Official Central UP Press Release:
Greenhouse tops field at Central UP Rally
Powers, MI, USA
Chris Greenhouse and Ryan Scott took their Dodge Neon SRT4 to the overall win at their first attempt at Central UP Rally. Heavy rain created treacherous road conditions, but the team was undeterred and took the win not only against the 2-wheel-drive cars, but also against all of the much higher spec all-wheel-drive cars. For Chris, this was his second 2WD victory this season, but also his first ever overall win. Chris has competed exclusively in the 2WD class and scoring an overall victory in a 2WD car is a feat that's almost unheard-of in modern rally.
"Conditions were not favorable at all," said Chris after the event. "Friday was absolutely gorgeous with clear, blue skies, but then the rain started and left a lot of mud and standing water on the stages, which do not drain well. We had to carefully choose our spots to push hard and our spots to be conservative. We had a few mistakes, including one on the last stage where we nearly rolled the car about 11 miles from the end of the event. Luckily for us, we escaped without damage."
Ryan Scott was the recipient of the Diane Sargent Memorial Award, which was given to the fastest 2WD co-driver of the event. "I am honored to have been presented the Diane Sargent Memorial Award. Though, I was not fortunate enough to have met her, everything I have learned about her proves she was not afraid of a challenge and that she embodied the 'press on regardless' spirit we should all diligently work to cultivate in our own lives"
The team would like to thank the organizing committee and volunteers who created new procedures to conduct the event under COVID-19 safety protocols.
Chris and Ryan are now busy preparing for Southern Ohio Forest Rally next month, where they hope to extend their class winning streak to 3-in-a-row.
Chris would like to thank the following:
Adam Brock of 9HIO Motorsports
David Morrisette of Platto Motorports
Angry Sheep Motorsports
A1CVTech
RacersEdge411
Paul Eddleston of Team Illuminata Motorsports
Motodecals.com
In this episode we welcomed Jamie Beliveau of Beliveau Boys Racing where the whole family seems to be involved. Originally growing up in the Northeast, Jamie is looking to see if he can organize rally events closer to his new home of North Carolina where the sport is notably absent. Growing up running TSDs, driving, co-driving, and even running rally moto, this kid's got the energy and drive to keep on rallying no matter the time or place.
You can follow Jamie and Beliveau Boys Racing at the following links:
In this episode of the Open Paddock RallyCast presented by Oz Rally Pro we reflect on Oregon Trail Rally's past with Chairman Doug Heredos, Clerk of the Course Rebecca Ruston, Volunteer and competitor Dylan Hooker, and driver of the zero car from Team Fugawi? Lee Sorenson.
In this episode we chatted with Steve Gingras who won the SCCA Production GT class championships in 1997 and 1998. That may have been 20 years ago, but a recent return to the stages showed that he's still quick behind the wheel as the next generation, Katie Gingras, can attest. We talked about rallying then, rallying now, and got a ton of stories in between. So kick back, grab a glass of your favorite local brew and enjoy another round at the virtual rally pub we call the RallyCast presented by Oz Rally Pro.
Most of us know Robbie as co-driver to one of the best known talents in American rallying, but he's had another life across the pond as well. Growing up in one of the world's motorsports hubs made racing seem like a normal path to take in life. He's worked with F1 teams, helped restore historics, and even gets behind the wheel himself from time to time. Motorsports has always been simply second nature. So kick back and grab a pint (or a coffee), as we get to know Subaru Motorsports USA's Robbie Durant.
In this episode recorded Tuesday April 21st 2020 we invited two guests to the show by request. Dmitri “Name Dropper” Alpinsky has been rallying in the US and Canada since the late 1990s and AJ Hakala has been co-driving mostly in the western US since 2004. It’s 2 hours of reflections and stories with a pair of competitors from opposite ends of the continent that became close friends through motorsport.
In this episode with chatted with Alex and Rhianon Gelsomino of the Oz Rally Pro driver and co-driver training school. The Coronavirus lock-down has forced them to innovate and by doing so have created some new online courses that provide a great value for experienced and new competitors alike. True to their dedication, they even talk about continuing their training even in the middle of a recent earthquake. Alex and Rhianon also give our listeners some training tips that could be hugely valuable at sharpening your skills while cooped up at home.
As is typical with our podcast, we go off the rails and delve into many other subjects including Irish tarmac rallying, Rhianon's test with Subaru Motorsports USA, FIA's 2022 technical regulations, electrification, the value of rally radio, and reflections on heroes like Colin McRae and Sir Stirling Moss. We hope you enjoy listening as much as we do talking!
