RE: Mt. Washington in 4KQ

[Mark Nelson <mnelson@brls.com>]

Mike-

    I would like to make a couple of corrections on a couple of the
statements you made.

First off, I have to disagree with you on the point that AWD gives
drivers a false sense of security.  I can agree that many drivers (road
drivers) feel that they are invincible with AWD, but anyone that has
been in racing, and has driven an AWD car, can tell you that there is an
undeniable advantage to AWD, as long it is understood.  The downside to
AWD, is that it is extremely difficult to find the limits of the car.
Even Hannu Mikkola and Walter Rohrl admitted in interviews, it was
extremely difficult to find out how far they could push the capabilities
of the car.  Although, if one understands the balance of the car, and
can honestly feel the difference of how the car handles in certain
situation, AWD yields a major advantage.  Unfortunately, most people do
not understand how to feel the characteristics of a car, whether it
understeers, oversteers, is to loose, has too much front brake bias,
etc.  

Rallying can be a dangerous sport, but in a well built car, you can be
very safe when you hit something, rollover, etc.  As Ben Bradley says,
"in rallying there are those who have rolled, and those who are going to
roll."  Accidents, unfortunately, are inevitable in this sport.  Henri
Toivenen (sp?) unfortunately showed that even the best drivers can be
killed in this sport, when his Lancia Delta S4 (AWD), went off a cliff
in the San Remo rally in 1986, killing himself and his co-driver.

The second point, you need to be corrected on is the reason Audi pulled
out of the WRC in 1986.  Audi pulled out of the WRC after the tragic
accident in Portugal (3rd race of the year), where one of the Ford
Cosworth drivers (not Stig Blumqvist) went off course and killed a
couple of spectators and injured several others.  All of the factory
teams dropped out of the rally, and Audi dropped out of the series for
the season.  Audi then came back in 1987 to run Groupe A, in a 200TQ,
with Hannu Mikkola at the wheel.  True this car only made 250
horsepower, but Audi did come back after 1986.  I have never heard of
Audi pulling out because of the understeer of the car.  It was obvious
the car had been mastered by the likes of Walter Rohrl, Hannu Mikkola,
Michele Mouton, Stig Blumqvist, John Buffum, and Paul Choinere, to name
a few, who have been extremely successful with it.  If understeer was
the entire issue, then I doubt you would have even seen Audi compete in
the Trans Am series in 1988, and the IMSA GTO series.  

As you start to drive an AWD car on loose surfaces, you begin to
understand that you have to set the car up entirely different than you
would a street car.  For one thing, you want to keep the brake balance
on the car equal, or even bias to the rear a bit.  The reason for this
is, if you set the car up with front brake bias, the car will not turn
going through a corner on loose surfaces.  Another area that was
developed by Walter Rohrl, and also used by Hans Stuck in IMSA and SCCA
road racing, was the concept of left foot braking.  With left foot
braking, you can keep your right foot on the gas, and keep your left
foot on the brake going through a corner.  This accomplishes two things;
1) it allows the car to steer through the corner better.  2) It allows
the driver to keep the boost pressure up on a turbo car, so when you let
off the brake the car takes off like a rocket.  I have used both of
these methods, even when driving my Dad's Mazda 323GTX AWD turbo powered
pro rally car.

Bruno, Rui, Frank, Choinere, and Buffum, all do (or did) very well with
their cars because they know how to correctly setup their cars.  Believe
it or not, Sprongl and Buffum's cars are much better handling, than
previous Audi Rally cars were in the past.

Anyway, this is just my .02.

Best Regards,

Mark Nelson
================================================================
mnelson@brls.com
Borealis Technology Corp.
SQA Engineer
   http://www.brls.com

1990 Audi "S2" Quattro (Building for SCCA Pro Rally)

Past Audis: 1987 5000CSTQ, 1987 5000CSTQW
================================================================

>I don't like to discourage people from motorsports, but I have to tell 
>you a sad story. I was visiting a friend in his shop to look at newly 
>built 4KQ converted to turbo engine with a great roll cage, fule cell and 
>coilover suspention. The engine in this car came from a red Quattro Coupe 
>that ran Susquehannock Trail Pro-rally in PA four years ago. I belive 
>that it was first event for this car and its driver. As far as I know the 
>engine was stock. There was a severe crash and the driver didn't survive. 
>My friend purchased the engine. I was told by many that this Coupe was 
>inadequatly prpared. Mt Washington autoroad is much more difficult than 
>any stage at STPR even in low powered car like 4KQ. All wheel drive gives 
>inexperienced drivers a false sence of securty. Ultimatly people crash 
>but at a greater speed. This can be more danderous than it seems. One of 
>the reasons Audi pulled out of World Rally Championship after Group B was 
>canceled was because there cars were very uncompetitive do to terrible 
>understeer, compared to other all wheel drive cars of its time. People 
>that rally Audi like Bruno, Rui Brasill and Frank Sprongle are very good 
>at controlling understeer. They alsow know how to create oversteer and 
>carry it through turns to their advantage. There is much knowledge that 
>one must aquire to run safe and with success.
>                            Mike Z