Chris Sladek would place 12th overall and first in the L2WD class at the Rally In The 100 Acre Wood last month. Sladek would be behind the wheel of a 2WD car for the first time since 2019 at the event. As Sladek would pilot a 2017 Honda Civic as opposed to the 2022 Honda Passport he ran last season.
What Was Sladek’s Favourite Moment Of The Rally In The 100 Acre Wood
Chris Sladek would say his favourite moment of the event was finishing the powerstage. As Sladek hasn’t raced a FWD car since 2019. Sladek also felt great about his progress within the car, as it’s a car he hadn’t previously driven.
What Was Sladek’s Biggest Challenge?
Sladek would say the biggest challenge he would face at the Rally In The 100 Acre Wood would be getting back into a FWD car after not having driven one in over four years. As last season Sladek would drive a Honda Passport at the events he attended. The Honda Civic is lighter than the Passport, which took a bit of getting used to. As well as getting used to cornering speeds and maintaining traction. As opposed to the brute force, throttle-down mentality of the Passport.
Did Sladek Follow His Strategy?
Going into the event Sladek’s strategy would be to ease into the car and find pace as he learned it. He also wasn’t sure how the grip would be as he was running hard compound tires from 2016. Which is difficult for any driver, more so when they’re learning a new car. Luckily Sladek would be able to find a groove quickly within the car and start pushing for positions.
Why Did Sladek Drive The Civic Over The Passport?
Sladek felt it was time for somebody else to take the wheel of the Rally spec Honda Passport. As he has had plenty of time behind the wheel of the beast during last season. So he and the HART team put somebody else behind the wheel to let them have some fun. Gabriel Nieves would be the one behind the wheel of the Passport at the Rally In The 100 Acre Wood. Nieves would finish 18th overall and fifth in the L4WD class.
Was Sladek Happy With His Final Position?
Yes, he absolutely was happy to take home the class win. As he wasn’t sure what to expect heading into the event, so to be able to come out with a class win was nice. As no driver would complain about taking home a podium finish at an event, especially in a new car.
Did Sladek Have Any Regrets?
Sladek would say he had no regrets at all during the weekend. As he and the rest of the crew had smiles on their faces all weekend.
Photography Credit
Chris Creation Machine: Instagram, Facebook
REI Photography: Instagram, Facebook
Clarissa Votipka, Hot Hatch Racing: Instagram
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.
