Eric took FTD at the auto-x on Sunday that neither Andrew or I made it to… with the broken car. This is significant, not because Andrew or I could have taken it from him, but because he did it in an A3 Golf and not a WRX, or Sti, or 2.5RS or Legacy, or Talon, or Audi or any other car that drives all four wheels.
Pop pop pop pop… BANG BANG BANG.
And suddenly it looks like my questions have been answered: maybe 2wd does still stand a chance when it’s up against 4WD on the slippery surfaces. I mean, certainly it stands a chance on the asphalt, but I always imagined that on gravel, or snow 4WD was always going to be too strong.
Of course… I’m not saying that 2WD is equal… instead… I’m saying that the advantage of 4WD is not so great, that a fantastic drive can’t over come it. I always thought a reasonable 4WD driver could do better than the best 2WD guys…
Forgive me… my experience is somewhat limited here. After all… I’ve only ever watched one stage, of one Pro-Rally, and I’ve only run in like… FIVE of the CSCC winter auto-x events. Up until now, 4WD has dominated.
Last weekend… second place in FWD, would have taken second place in 4WD. Eric is not the only outstanding driver in FWD.
Of course… RWD is still far far OTB, which puts a major condition on my new realization, but I’m willing to reserve final conclusions for later… like next year, when someone starts bringing their own car to the events again.
Note: My heart will break a little if I get beaten by a low powered FWD… VOLKSWAGEN. Stay tuned for the next event. I’m hoping hard, our new axle gets here in time…