Make no mistake about it, from afar or on television the gap Travis Pastrana will jump tomorrow might look like an easy feat, but size it up in person and the insanity really sets in. Today, I had the pleasure of touring the jump site and garage, as well as spending a few moments with Travis before he attempts his record-breaking rally car jump on New Year’s Eve.
In the garage area sat two Subaru Impreza WRX STIs prepped by Vermont SportsCar—dubbed Jump 1 and Jump 2—as they were being wired with TV cameras and antennas. The cars begin life as ordinary STIs but are then stripped down and fully transformed by Vermont into caged-out, fully-tuned, fire-breathing rally machines. Producing somewhere between 350 to 400 hp depending on the restrictor-plate size, the STIs are fitted with all the same brake, suspension, and safety bits as Travis’s competition car but a few things are tweaked for this jump. When I chatted with Vermont president Lance Smith, he pointed out the main differences between Jump 1 and Travis’s rally car: weight distribution, increased rear suspension travel, and a revised rear wing. He noted that all these changes were important because Jump 1 is going to be sustaining a flight time and distance much longer than a rally car would. And so, weight (the overall car weighs about 3000 lb) had to be added to the passenger area to stop the car from pitching to the driver’s side as it flies through the air and the rear suspension travel had to increase to absorb the landing. Also, the shock bushings were altered for a less aggressive rebound so when the car leaves the ramp (at near full compression) the rear end has a bit less kick upwards, thus staying on a better plane through the air. The rear wing was dialed in to provide about 220 pounds of downforce at 100 mph, again to keep the rear end down.
Our physics lesson continued as Travis enthusiastically gave us a few minutes of his time, discussing the conception of the jump as well as the unpredictable factors. When asked how the idea came about he said initially he wanted to do a 200-foot jump from skyscraper to skyscraper in New York City! But after considering the wind factor, he’s glad that’s not the stunt because a 5-mph headwind is a difference of 40 feet on the backside of a jump. Do the math and you’ll soon realize that what seems like a light breeze to us would be the difference between a successful landing and serious injury, even death, if Travis fell short due to a last-second wind change. Even now with the current pier-to-barge gap of some 240 feet, the wind plays an ever-important roll on the takeoff speed, and therefore landing, of Jump 1. Travis is aiming to get the STI to about 95 mph at launch, but again that speed will depend on the wind.
Landing and stopping in time are another two important elements Travis discussed. With less than 170 feet of runoff, Travis has to land the car smoothly and stop before hitting barriers at the end of the barge. He noted that if the car doesn’t “grease” the landing, meaning all four tires meet the backside ramp properly, things are going to end badly as the STI will bounce and tumble down the barge. Interestingly, though, I learned that Travis has actually figured out how to control the plane of the car in mid-air, much like on a dirt bike. Applying brakes or throttle can change the attitude of the car while in flight, which will aid Travis in making the correct landing. Simply stunning.
There are many factors that have gone into the calculation of this stunt and many more that are just as random, so be sure to tune in tomorrow as Travis attempts to make history.
Related posts:
- Travis Pastrana to Attempt World Record Rally Car Jump on New Year’s Eve
- Travis Pastrana Subaru Impreza WRX STI – Auto Shows
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