TEAM HONDA RESEARCH

The Scenario:

THR was in contention for the Michelin PRO Rally Production National Championship for Manufacturer and Driver after already clinching the Co-driver Championship. THR needed to win the class and the Donison/Allen Neon to finish 4th for the Driver cup and Neon DNF for the Manufacturer. Therefore THR converted the 3-door Group 2 car into a Production car to greatly improve our odds having two cars in Production. All parts were changed and added to meet Production rules. THR also installed a new engine/mission into the CVT car.

• 51 rally cars entered the National Rally. Championships would be decided for most classes at this event.
• Five cars started in Production class; our Civic CVT and Civic 3-door, two Neons and a Nissan SE-R.
• The rally started Friday at 4:01 p.m. after a Parc Expose at the Dee Ice Rink in downtown Houghton.
• The weather was ideal, sunny and 60. The roads were hard pack and gravel with two tarmac stages. Dust was not a problem. The fall U.P. Michigan sights were spectacular.

THR's Rally Summary:

• The CVT ran well on the first stage but on the second stage we started to experience engine/transmission electronic control problems, probably from a bad ground. This gremlin would set the ECU into "limp home" mode when the car was pushed hard, needing a system reset after every stage for a temporary fix. While discussing car problems, we slid into a tree with enough speed to damage 3 of the 5 Hella lights.
• Throughout the evening the CVT struggled and was in fourth at the end of the night, 4-1/2 minutes behind. A 3-minute road penalty for being late into a time control was also related to roadside diagnostics of the electrical problem.
• The Civic 3-door ran quick, consistent and clean all night. For the last 3 night stages the 3-door was running just behind the CVT on the road.
• The rally ended on Saturday morning about 1:30 a.m. THR performed overnight diagnostics and repairs. The rally started up again at 9:00 a.m. The 3-door started day two in second place, one minute behind the Moen/Moen Neon.
• The CVT ran OK in the morning, allowing us to run hard on the tarmac stages. On Stage 13, The CVT was clocked at 84mph, 2 feet above Earth. This speed was second fastest with the Mitsubishi Evo2 (overall winner) clocking in at 88mph. The 3-door could have been ticketed for 80mph in real life through the speed traps.
• On Stage 14 the CVT rear suspension was severely bent after landing a massive jump. The rally had to be completed with this handicap. Also, the CVT electrical gremlin came back. The overnight diagnostic/repair was not a permanent fix.
• The Civics charged through the woods all day back to back. Spectators said this was good entertainment.

At the Finish:

• Hourt/Cardimen chipped away at the 1-minute Neon lead all day. Official results showed they lost by 1 second after two days of racing! Wait...there's more: Hourt/Dunn ran the Black River Rally last month and lost by 0.5 second. Yes, two second place finishes by 1.5 seconds.
• The CVT came in in third place. The Moen/Moen Neon won Production and locked up the Manufacturer's Championship. The Donison/Allen Neon was 4th; good enough for the Driver's Championship after running seven National events compared to our four US National events.
• You can visit Rally Racing News for details on all the results. Lake Superior PRO Rally Highlights will be on ESPN2, air date TBD.

THR's 1998 Michelin SCCA PRO Rally Final Standings:

• Scott Embree clinched the Production Co-driver Championship for THR after the Ojibwe Forest Rally in August.
• Honda and Jay Kowalik finished second in Production Manufacturer and Driver points.

THR will run the Rally of the Tall Pines in Ontario on November 21. THR is currently leading the Production Sport points for the North American Rally Cup (NARC) which is the Championship for the Canadian Association of Rallysport (CARS) and Michelin SCCA PRO Rally. THR will announce their plans for 1999 with the summary from Tall Pines.

THR needs to thank the following for their continued support:

E-Mail: Team Honda Research