Between the beautiful scenery and rough challenging roads, The New England Forest Rally (NEFR) is always a favorite for fans and rally teams. This year was no different. Having only been here once before, the Flying Moose Rally Team was looking to rebound from their double DNF weekend at the Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally (STPR).
From the outset of Recce, the team knew they had their work cut out for them. Dusty conditions and fast roads with lots of rally ending rocks embedded in the tight stages meant the rally was going to be difficult.
From the beginning, the car felt at home with Ian and Jimmy clocking the fastest times in class in Friday’s three stages. They were handed 10 second penalties on each SS1 and SS2 for hitting chicane pylons, dropping their SS1 time to third in class. Despite the penalties, they took home 1st in class in the Maine Rally. The result was not without cost. The car took a major beating on the 16.9 mile Icicle Brook North (SS2), destroying most of the exhaust and severely bending two wheels.
The team repaired the car as much as possible in preparation for the New Hampshire Rally on Saturday, hacking apart the now useless muffler to build a heat shield for an engine mount, oil line, and gearbox from the open header exhaust. The car wasn’t perfect, but it was drivable and still competitive.
Adversity plagued the team from the starting line of Saturday’s first stage. The throttle cable was pinched, leaving the throttle stuck wide open. This meant Saturday’s first two stages were driven cautiously with the goal of just surviving to get into service. In the short first service, the team was able to fix the throttle cable, complete the normal service items, and send the car back out. Unfortunately, Saturday’s third stage was where things went from bad to worse when Ian hit a rock in the middle of the road after sliding out of a Left 4 Plus. The resulting two flat tires with one spare and 60 miles left in the leg meant there was little chance of limping to the next service. After about 12 miles, Ian and Jimmy realized that the car had had enough, so they stopped at a store well stocked with ice cream, sandwiches, and various beverages, to enjoy the remainder of the day as best they could.
Driver, Ian Topping: “The team did a great job all weekend and I’m very proud of our result on Friday. The car was fantastic to drive, but things got frustrating on Saturday, first with the stuck throttle then with the rock that I was unable to avoid. The potential is definitely there; the car is fast and the team does outstanding work, we could have better luck is all. Regardless, I know the entire team had fun and that’s ultimately why we’re here!”
Co-Driver, Jimmy Brandt: “With the exception of our numerous problems, everything felt good. Our success on Friday was great but Saturday was disappointing. We’re looking forward to keeping everything, especially the exhaust and wheels, intact on the next event.”
The next event for FMRT is Summer Sno*Drift in Atlanta, MI.
The Flying Moose Rally Team is proudly supported by Thompson Racing Fabrication.
You can follow FMRT on the following social media outlets:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/flyingmooserallyteam
Twitter: @FlyingMooseRT