Some can say that rally at X Games isn't like stage rally in the woods, but how can you deny the insanity?
August 3, 2008, 10:21 PM
That was the most exciting X Games Rally ever! People can say that rally at X Games isn't representative of stage rally in the woods, but how can you deny the insanity and carnage of two compressed into 2 hours. Rally at X Games comes complete with a double dose of insanity. Funny how the organizers, due to the lack of a rally jump in the stadium until they knocked out the Moto X jumps overnight, keep the rally cars on tarmac practice until the day of competition. ESPN has to ensure that there are a ton of camera's on when people write-off their rally cars. In reality, they are all repairable, but the ease at which they are repaired is variable.
 Bill Lockwood Dave Mirra couldn't quite keep it together after the jump, but gotta give the guy some credit for limping to the finish during the previous heat. We'll see him out here again for sure.
Travis Pastrana endured a brief moment in time when he wasn't favored to win. When Niall McShea's squeaky clean run turned sour, just slightly overcooking right before re-entry into the stadium, the front suspension on the car locked the steering up and McShea had no option but to beach his 2008 STI prepped by Vermont Sportscar by the landing of the big jump. Travis Hanson, the alternate, went on to win the heat and advance to the next round, receiving the cheers worthy of an underdog. Surely the entire rally crew breathed a sigh of relief at McShea's misfortune, as he had been so fast in practice. I hope we'll see more of McShea in the american rally scene. Ultimately, NOS got all the exposure that could ever want as ACP completed his front flip off the gap for a place in history. Mirra and Rally Brat took home Bronze for drilling the wall after taking off for the jump a bit wide.
 Bill Lockwood
And for Silver and Gold, it was Tanner/Chrissie and Pastrana/Bosley. Who's Bosley? That's Colin McCrae's former co-driver, the sub who was called in to drive with TP when co-driver Jim DeChamp broke his back in Moto X Best Trick. Ken Block, made it on to the books here at ESPN by landing a photo in the newest Zoom Gallery. Real estate that he is pretty comfortable in since he's been there once already. After his run, he damaged his radiator, and for the next heat he had three minutes and two options. Number one, keep the motor running and use up those minutes waiting for the race to start. Or, number two, turn it off and hope that it wouldn't seize and use his three minutes later. He chose #2 but didn't get a later. Bummer.
Carnage On The Floor
August 3, 2008, 3:31 PM
Each team has now had a chance to fly over the 70-something footer in
the Home Depot Center. There are a lot of broken radiator's. Ken Block landed a bit hard, requiring a radiator change. Matthew Johnson hit hard on the nose. Co-driver Jeremy Wimpey said that he had his head in the notes and didn't even see it coming—he just felt the impact. "42 [mph] was the number," said Johnson, "I was going for 42, I was seeing 42. Next thing we knew... huge impact."
 Trevor Brown Jr. Nose first, baby.
A number of drivers were jumping for the first time. Jeff Moyle landed
hard. He ripped his oil filter and turbo oil return line off on re-entry into the stadium, and his engine caught fire. But it seemed to be put out after a number of fire bottles went at it.
Rally alternate, Travis Hanson, may have a shot at racing since the attrition rate is so high. "There have been three cars so far that have been less than promising, but it is still the practice and it could be us too," said Hanson. His jump went great and it was his first time ever jumping this big.
Every rally jump is different—this one has some kick.
Niall McShea, the wildcard, said, "Jumping was absolutely excellent,
but we're more concerned about jumping the entrance and the exit to
the stadium. We tested every bit of strength the car had when coming back in to the stadium, and Marshall [co-driver] may have broken a tooth."
Cowboy Kenny said, even with his experience, "I am more nervous than
the car racers because I know what can go bad."
First Jumps of Practice
August 3, 2008, 3:00 PM
We're in ultra-extreme reporting mode today—I am literally running back
and forth from the HDC stadium floor to my desk/pigsty. A Moto brapper just
hit the big gap jump and cleared it no problem. After about 5 runs, Ken Block (rally's sacrificial lamb when it comes to
jumps) decided to come out and test the jump too, taking off just behind the moto
rider.He cleared it no problem, with just a little nose down on the landing.
Tanner Foust, 2007 X Games Gold defending Champion, said, "It's always
hard to get past the danger aspect [of a jump], until you see someone do it, or
you feel it yourself. The word is 46 mph for ideal speed, flat through
the turn in 3rd, check your speed and accelerate off the jump on full
throttle."
Tanner and the Rockstar Energy Team tested yesterday at a
nearby speedway to further dial in their car and address some running
issues with the cars. He said, "It's been an uphill road." Which is
something everyone has been saying —rally is always a challenge.
Travis Pastrana said that the top four teams are all a quarter of a
second apart on the asphalt, so the winner of this race will be ther car that makes the
fewest mistakes.
 Antoine L'Estage sends it.
Rally Practice Gallery
August 3, 2008, 2:57 PM
It's practice time here at the Home Depot Center, and as the invited Rally teams hammer away with last-minute adjustments and makeovers, things are really heating up. Here are a few shots to whet your palate for today's races.
 Bill Lockwood/Ben Haulenbeek The man himself. Will anybody be able to defeat Pastrana today?
 Dave Mirra is new to the game of Rally, but that doesn't make him slow. Look for him to be making some tight turns and smooth transitions during today's race.
 WRC standout Niall McShea is another favorite here at X, and he's looking to steal gold from his American counterparts.
 Antoine L'Estage killed it at the SnoDrift Rally last winter. Let's see how he does on the pavement here at the Home Depot Center.
 We're guessing Ken Block gets to pick where his DC Shoes stickers go on his car. He is, after all, the co-owner and co-founder of the company.
 ACAndrew Comrie-Picard was a little nervous about last year's 75-foot X Games jump, but this year he's feeling more comfortable in the air.
Moro Mania
August 3, 2008, 1:17 AM
 Lockwood Pat Moro with the X Games update for Formula Drift and fellow rally racer Stephan Verdier, who derailed his own road to X Games at Oregon Trail Rally earlier this year. Pat Moro and Mike Rossey [whom I've waved to 900 times, and not had a chance to stop and talk to yet. Sorry Mike] have fresh graphics on their fresh new car. Rumor has it that there's an "X Fest" going on at the rally spectator area, too. I haven't been over there, either. Right now, it's all about rally pits and then the trenches where we are all writing.
This is Pat's second X Games. He's got a new car [which by the way he built himself] that was all black all week. Now, here we are heading into Sunday's competition and the car's now wearing it's new skins from a motocross clothing company that makes all sorts of Travis Pastrana, Chad Reed, and Jeremy McGrath branded clothing.
 Smooth Industries Check out the pic that I stole from the Smooth Industries website. It accurately portrays the way Pat feels when driving. If you had a sweet car like his, you'd feel like this, too. After sorting out a misfire on cylinder #2 early in practice, Pat and Mike have been dialing in their Smooth Industries Subaru STI, and getting used to the course. Pat has worked super hard building his new X Games specific car and qualifying for X Games from the Rally America Production GT class. It isn't as hard to end up in the top spots overall when you're racing an Open Class car, but qualifying for X Games from an overall ranking system using a car with a 100 less horsepower is a feat!
I can't wait to see how he does in Open Class, if he decides to make the jump for next year. He'll probably want to stick around PGT this year to win the championship, though. Unfortunately Pat and Mike have to race against Niall McShea in the elimination round tomorrow. Niall is a PWRC Champion, a European title that Pastrana hasn't even begun to come close to cracking... yet.
Rally at X Games levels the playing field a bit, but there is no way to overlook that Moro, who is just coming into his own in his rally career, is racing against one of the best of the best. If Moro puts the moves on McShea tomorrow it will be an upset that people will talk about for a while.
 Lockwood Pat Moro surfs his car back to the pits.
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