Workshop
ROLL AND RECOVERY
Time reaches a standstill as the vehicle goes airborne in a full barrel roll. Dirt cascades in all directions as the forward momentum rolls the WRX back onto its wheels. The harsh impact crushes the wind from the driver's lungs as the WRX settles from its violent spin.
Accidents happen. It is a fact of life that with attempts come mishaps, and through these failed attempts, we find some semblance of mastery. So it is in this fact that we discover our character. Will we be the type of person who gives up after an accident? Or someone who stands back up brushes the dirt off, and tries again. Recently in the SWAE team's attempt to master the art of rally car driving, we suffered an accident, a mishap made on a routine run that led to the destruction of our Subaru WRX.
Before we flip to how the WRX got airborne, let's return to the day prior. After weeks of deliberation, opening ideas to the SWAE community, and hours in the shop for wrap application, the Subaru had taken on its new look. Emblazoned with the SWAE orange and wrapped in the SWAE Ouroboros, the team was beaming with pride to unveil the WRX in all its newfound glory.
With the vehicle all primed and looking incredible, we decided to take it for its first big outing to Cruise Kalispell. A weekly meetup in the Flathead Valley featuring cars of all makes and models. Onlookers were excited to see the latest project from SWAE on the roadways. The colors were flashy, and the vehicle ran great. After such a fun evening, taking the car back and making a few practice runs on the rally track seemed only fitting.
Staying In The Race
The first few runs on the track had gone off without a hitch. The dirt had been solid, and time trials were trending positively. However, after a few light sprinkles on the track from some rain showers, the car lost traction and went into a complete flip. The momentum was strong enough to return the vehicle back to all four wheels. The hood suffered damage, in addition to the fender and headlights. It had only been 23 hours since it rolled out of the shop in “show ready” condition, and now the WRX would have to be rolled back in the shop for repairs.
The driver had been banged up but luckily avoided a hospital trip. The team got to work fixing up the vehicle, backed by freshly ordered new parts. In a team effort, we rallied together to ensure the car would return to usable shape quickly. After a few weeks, the car began to resemble its previous condition inside and out.
Three weeks after the accident, the Subaru is back to ship shape and ready for the track again. This is what it means to attempt difficult and new things - a willingness to accept the consequences of mishaps and the reasoning to analyze why it happened. It's safe to assume the track will be off-limits on rainy days. The driver is ok, the car is repaired, and we can all begin the next chapter in our aspirations to take SWAE into the rallycross racing scene behind the wheel of our Subaru WRX.
