March 5/6 2005 - - Burnsie the Rally Wagon and the crew attacked the first rally of the year with the usual vigor, and then some!  In the off season the team made many changes to the car, and had little time to do some severe testing.  Unfortunately the team suffered their first and only Mechanical DNF at this first rally of the year, due simply to over-boosting.    

Per the rules the car is now fitted with an EcuTek computer reflash. Altering boost - compensating for the 32mm restrictor on the turbo inlet.  The team spent time on a Dyno and had the car properly tuned, only catch?  We over did it  - Way too much boost it would seem (although the car felt great!!!) Way too much heat.  The Intercooler Y pipe hoses literally exploded from the inside out.  The team ran most all of day 1 with a pencil tip size hole in a hose, and were left with NO boost at all. That hose was swapped (we thought it randomly blew) and next stage... BAM!!!  The replacement hose literally exploded and the car came to halt.... Unfortunately, even with a 3rd hose fitted, wrapped, secured..... the same consequences were suffered on the beginning of day 2....  Thus Burnsie and the team had to pack it in and call it a rally.

 

Good news is that the new STi Limited Differentials fitted into the car (thank you Smart-Service! & Rallispec!) Make a MASSIVE difference!  And that once we retune and get the car sorted out (thank you PDXTuning!)  - look out!!!... car felt great when it was going, but that was such a rare thing this rally... (laugh with me here people!)

 

All in all, strides have been made to go faster, and that's all part of racing and learning.

This should be an interesting season.... even if it got off to a rocky start

We'll be back flying through the stages again soon!!!! - Jamie