To say the Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally (STPR) did not go as planned for the Flying Moose Rally Team would be an understatement. With a DNF on each day, the result was far from the team’s goals.
The team fought hard all weekend, consistently performing at the top of the time sheets. Two mechanical failures, a broken tie-rod end on the second running of the grueling Waste Management Stage on Day 1 and a destroyed crank pulley on Day 2, robbed the team of the top place finish they were seeking. On the positive side, Ian and Jimmy showed great pace all weekend and the crew performed admirably during the service breaks.
“Right out of the trailer the car was performing great,” recalls FMRT Driver Ian Topping. “We dialed in our setup during shakedown and we were racing well from the beginning of the rally. We had a few small dramatic moments throughout the rally but we recovered and kept pushing. The DNF on Day 1 was a result of hitting a buried rock. That likely broke the tie-rod before sending the car off the road and taking out a tree. The crew repaired the car, and on Day 2 we continued our good pace. Then on SS13, the crank pulley failed, taking the water pump and alternator with it. We were able to limp to the end of the stage but the car would go no further.
“To come out to this challenging rally and have some great stages only to have the car take a dump is a real shame, especially after the crew worked so hard to get the car to the top level. I really wanted to come away from this event with a good result. At the very least we can say we had good pace and everyone had fun. At the end of the day that is ultimately why we rally. We’ll regroup and be ready for the next one.”
The Flying Moose Rally Team is proudly supported by Thompson Racing Fabrication.
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