The American Truck Repair Rallyteam (ATR Rallyteam) did something very uncommon at STPR last month, but what was it?
What Is The ATR Rallyteam?
The American Truck Repair Rallyteam (ATR Rallyteam) is a Rallyteam consisting of driver Myron Georgakopoulos. The team has only competed at two ARA events this season. Making their season debut at the New England Forest Rally in July. The team would place 12th nationally at the rally. Finishing five in a half minutes behind Sumit Panjabi. The teams’ second rally of the 2022 American Rally Association season would come at the Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally. The team would place 20th regionally, a minute and 43 seconds behind Rich Smith. In the overall standings, they would finish 34th overall, one minute and 22 seconds behind Brandon Semenuk. Semenuk would be that far down the standings after retiring on day one due to going off the road.
What Did They Do?
It’s a common occurrence in a rally to have a puncture or two during a rally. It’s not as common to see a driver drive a rally on three wheels. Well at the Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally that’s what ATR Rallyteam driver Myron Georgakopoulos did. Georgakopoulos would suffer a puncture on SS14, after going into a big ditch. Hitting this ditch not only caused a puncture but would also damage multiple things. Georgakopoulos was forced to drive SS15 and SS16 with this damage as a result of no service at any time between those stages. Most drivers would’ve called it quits at the end of SS14, but Georgakopoulos would push on regardless of the damage.
When I asked Georgakopoulos why he decided to continue to push on he gave me three reasons. The first of those reasons being he needs to finish rallies for his novice restrictor to be removed. Secondly, Georgakopoulos would think of his father who is his Rally mentor who told him “You have to finish rallies. Don’t drive crazy, finish the rally.” Finally, STPR was the final Rally of 2022 for Georgakopoulos so he said “Whatever, let’s finish it, I’m not letting this weekend end early. Colin McRae would finish it.”
What Would Cause The Damage
As previously mentioned Georgakopoulos would go off the road into a big ditch on SS14. Which would cause the damage, but why would this happen? Georgakopoulos’s 2002 Subaru Impreza WRX was supposed to have a Locking Center Differential or DCCD controller to prevent understeer and so on. Georgakopoulos’s old controller would catch fire at the New England Forest Rally and he couldn’t get a new one before STPR. Due to this Georgakopoulos was forced to drive STPR without one. At the midday service on day two Georgakopoulos would change tires as well as lower the tire pressure for SS14.
As on SS13, he would find the car to slide too much, along with understeer and oversteer. On SS14 Georgakopoulos would go into a hairpin and the car would understeer. Thus causing the car to go into a ditch. Hitting the ditch would cause the control arm to bend. Along with the tie rod, hub, ball joints, top mount and axle.
My name is Joe Moore. I am a writer for Belly Up Hockey, Belly Up Racing, and Belly Up Sports. You can find me on Twitter.
