Welcome
Welcome to the website for The Rally Fan Special - a rally car team funded by donations from rally fans and fans of the BMW E30 (BMW 3 series produced from 1984 - 1991). We are a true privateer team. I bought my car, a 1991 BMW 318i on Craig's List for $500. I constructed the car myself with help from my friends and rally race it with Rally America and NASA Rallysport. Fan donations are used primarily for entry fees and rally tires, but are used for maintenance of the rally car, fuel, etc.
I wish I had corporate sponsors. Life would be good. But absent corporate sponsorship, this is the only way I know how to fund my rally efforts. Unfortunatly, the days of true privateers finding corporate sponsors for anything other than Nascar has passed. As such, I ask you, my friends and fans of BMWs(paticularly E30's) and rally to join the team and help out. Even a small donation goes a long way in helping an E30 BMW compete at the highest level of Rally in the United States against much larger better funded teams.
What do you get in return for you donation? Not that much in grand scheme of things - it won't go to cure cancer, etc. But you will get live updates during the event (as communication coverage permits and if you want them), you will get full write-up's after the event complete with photos and in car video, and at certain levels of donations you will get your name, or photograph of you on the car, and receive a Rally Fan Special t-shirt and or Team shirt, but most importantly you will be helping a privateer fullfill his dreams by sponsoring his rally team. And we promise to have a ton of fun rallying a car funded by rally fans for rally fans.
The Next Event
Chaos Motorsport is doing everything possible to make the 100 Acre Wood Rally, but our application for Rally Mexico has been accepted and it is the weekend after the 100 Acre Wood. So the plan is to save the car for Mexico.
100 Acre Wood Rally February 26-27, 2010
The 100 Acre Wood Rally is the second race of the Rally-America Championship Series and is known as one of the most scenic. Named after the storybook home of Winnie the Pooh, the 100 Acre Wood Rally is a picturesque race with enough twists and turns to test every driver's ability. Set in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains of Missouri (Salem, MO) this race is always a favorite due to its pristine surroundings and fast, tight roads. Although you won't see Winnie the Pooh or any of his friends, you will see some of the best rally driving on some of the best rally roads in North America. The event is sanctioned by Rally America Inc. www.rally-america.com.
The roads on the 100 Acre Wood Rally are known as some of the best roads in the nation for rallying. Fast, tight, twisty, and dry, this course is set up to test even the best driver's skills. However, the ever changing Missouri weather in February can lead to rain, sleet, hail or even snow which can bring a dangerous and exciting element to the race.
WRC Corona Rally Mexico March 4-7, 2010
Mexico returns to the WRC Calendar in 2010 amid a year long fiesta to mark the 100th anniversary of the Mexican Revolution and the 200th anniversary of its independence. With Rally Argentina sitting out the 2010 season, Mexico is the only country in the American continent to host a round of this year's championship, making it a popular destination for stateside rally fans.
The rally is a relative newcomer to the WRC calendar but has proved a popular addition since its debut in 2004, with a compact series of well-organised, high-speed gravel stages through the Sierra de Lobos and Sierra de Guanajuato mountains and the plains around the cities of Guanajuato, Leon and Silao.
The high-altitude stages make for spectacular viewing with a mixture of mountain peaks and flat open valleys. The altitude has downsides, though, as the engines struggle to breathe in the thin air and suffer a drop in power of about 20 per cent. The road surface is dry and sandy, but rocks can get on the road, so drivers have to balance high speeds with caution.
A new Street Stage run around the Service Park in Leon's Poliforum centre has been added for 2010. Trialled in 2009, when organisers put on a 'Rally of Nations', the stage proved to be a big hit with the fans.
The Car
1991 BMW 318i (soon with S14 Power, Alpha N, and a close ratio gearbox)
Bilstien shocks
Eibach springs from Ground Control
4.45 LSD modified by Jim Blanton
engine mounts and Camber Plates by Vorshlag
DTM style short shifter by AKG Motorsport
Recaro Seats
Schroth Harnesses
Kosei K1 Wheels from The TIre Rack
Michilin Rally Tires from Libra Racing
The Team
William Caswell, Team Principal, Driver
Ben Slocum, Team Manager & Co-Driver for Rally Mexico
Chris Simon, Crew Chief
Sam Smith, Master of Propaganda, Co-Driver
Ben Thongsai, Yoda of All Things BMW, Crew Chief