The fans are awesome! The roads are awesome! And the event is awesome! The conditions this year though were downright dangerous at times and just really slippery and unpredictable the rest of the time. During the press stage there was still snow on the roads and it was incredible! Tons of traction and very predictable. If this rally has real snow on the roads, it will be absolutely magical to race in and a true rally driver’s dream.
The conditions this year were like nothing I’d ever seen or even heard of. There was an inch of crystal clear ice in places that you could see down through to the dirt like looking through still water. Just when you thought you were on a dirt patch you quickly figured out you were on the most slippery ice there is. Then to top it off the warm temperatures melted a layer of water on top just to make it more slippery. By the end of this rally I felt like I was an expert at identifying different types of ice and predicting how much traction it would have. Patience was the key to going fast and not crashing.
I put together a pretty comprehensive video of the rally so check it to get even more details and insight!
-DB/4RacerDave