Roll Call 4WD Proteges!!!

[blownb310]

Any of you guys do road rallies with your 4WD Proteges? If not, here's what you're missing out on:


I use my 4WD Sentra primarily for winter tsd rallies, like in the Finger Lakes Region of SCCA winter rally series. This past weekend I ran in their 2nd event this season down in Ithaca, NY.


You guys might like this one. This is Rick Barnes' Mazda 323GTX rally car. These are cool cars, and just like the 4WD Protege's, good examples are getting hard to find.


The turbocharged 1.6 liter Mazda engine in Rick's 323GTX.


The daylight pics were all taken before the event. The events themselves are run in the dark, hence all of the additional lighting on most cars.


Getting ready to start leg 1 of the event.


This was taken at a checkpoint, where all cars pause and stage before starting the next section. Winter rally events like these are run on relatively deserted mountain roads at night. Most of the 160 mile route was on dirt/gravel surfaces. Usually they are snow covered, but this weekend's event lacked good snow cover. I ran on unstudded Firestone Winteforce tires and got along just fine on the mostly dirt surfaces with some intermittant patches of ice here and there, which kept us on our toes!

How about some 4WD Protege rally stories?

Mike

[808]

I run at least one road rally a year. It's a tour event though so no tricks or anything it's for charity so it's just for fun and then we all bbq afterwards. it's a lot of fun. I'm hoping to have the rally car ready for "The Road Not Taken" next year... Good ole' Rick Barnes, he's a good guy.

[atledreier]

I do some trackdays now and then, but nothing like this. I'd probably die from fright running all out on those roads!

[808]

It's not all out. Road rallies/TSD's (Time Speed Distance) are run at legal speeds. You're trying to hit the same times as "car 0" You're going for a particular time not fastest time.

[atledreier]

Ah, cool! Wish we had those rallies here.

Trackdays are really great fun, though. Get to use the power of the BFD a little, then!

[blownb310]

It's not all out. Road rallies/TSD's (Time Speed Distance) are run at legal speeds. You're trying to hit the same times as "car 0" You're going for a particular time not fastest time.

True, but in northeast winter series events, speeds are much more challenging than tsd events run during the other three seasons. Mostly because it's dark so early this time of year. The fact that you can see headlights coming the other way in the dark is the biggest benefit when you're using all of the road to stay on time. And I usually don't see more than one or two locals all night. That's how rural the routes are chosen here in NY. Believe me, when the twisty narrow rural roads are snow covered and you're trying to maintain an average speed of 45 mph, you're driving about as fast as you can, pretty much all the time.

Mike

[808]

Oh I know... you're challenging the road to slow you down at a certain point.

But it's still nothing like the stage rallies Jay and I, and a few others on here do. I certainly enjoy the challenges of both.

[1st Gen]

I'm going to have a 1990 4WD BPT some time this summer. All I have to do is put it together now. There's a few more purchases and lot of work but it's looking good.

[SgtRauksauff]

Haven't found a TSD around at all. Drove "The Lizard" of NASIOC fame, in my '92 EGT, but that was more of a cruise through cool roads than anything timed.

Hell, maybe I'll have to MAKE a TSD around here at some point. If I only had the time....

--sarge

[lazerbluepro]

I'm a new and proud 4wd protege 5 speed owner . Let the fun begin.

[deathscort93]

fill me in on finding a awd protege. since its going to be hard enough to find a gtx any time soon. i have rally in my blood and i need a fix. i guess its 90 and 91 they only made them. anyone kno how many total.

[jay]

About 1100 or so got sent to the US.

[808]

Registered numbers from last year.

Make model year body style trim name count
mazda protege 1990 sedan 4 door protege 4x4 482
mazda protege 1991 sedan 4 door protege 4x4 75

[jay]

Even more ridiculously rare than I thought? Dayum.

[808]

Those are just registered ones.. round up a bit for ones parked for years, barn finds, etc.
I'd guess just under 600 remaining.