Forest Rally Stage
Point-to-point rally stage through dense forest. Narrow dirt roads, blind crests, and the constant threat of trees. This is pure rally , no second chances, no runoff areas, no mercy.
Best Cars for This Track
Point-to-point through dense forest with zero runoff, this is pure rally and you need a car that fits the vibe. My personal best came in a Group B Audi Sport Quattro, A class, rally tires, slightly longer final drive for the fast dirt straights. The narrow dirt roads demand a car that's narrow enough to not clip trees, wide body kits are a straight up handicap here and I see people with widebody Porsches bouncing between trees like a pinball. A class is the sweet spot, the lower speed gives you time to react to blind crests and sudden direction changes, S1 is just too fast for the visibility you get through the trees.
The meta pick honestly is the Lancia Stratos if you can handle it. Mid-engine, short wheelbase, rotates like a dream through the tight forest switchbacks. But it's twitchy af and will punish any throttle mistake with a tree to the face, zero forgiveness, just instant reset. For consistent lap times I recommend the Subaru Impreza 22B, AWD stability on the loose dirt, predictable handling, and narrow enough to squeeze through the tight sections without clipping. Tune it for acceleration and handling, top speed above 240kph is wasted on this stage. And install the brightest headlights you can, some forest sections are dark and you literally can't see the corner exit until you're in it, and stuff like that.
Racing Line Breakdown
Point-to-point means no practice laps, you get one shot per run and that's it. I've memorized this stage through like 200 runs and the line that works is counterintuitive in places. The blind crests, there are four of them that matter, you need to know what's on the other side before you crest. The first big blind crest after sector one goes into a tight right with a ditch on the outside, I position the car left before the crest so I'm already set up for the right hander I can't see. Co-driver calls help but honestly after enough runs you just feel the rhythm, the stage has a flow where each corner sets up the next, and when you're in the zone it's like the trees aren't even there.
The narrow forest section in the middle third, this is where races are won or lost. The road is barely wider than your car and the trees are inches from your mirrors, one twitch and it's over. I run the center line here, not the racing line, cause the racing line puts you within a tire width of a tree on corner exit and one lag spike means instant death and a smashed controller. The sacrifices: sacrifice apex speed for safety through this section, you'll make up the time in the open final sector where the road widens and you can actually use all the power. Smooth steering inputs through the forest, any sudden movement unsettles the car on loose dirt and then you're in the trees, stage over, enjoy the loading screen for the next 30 seconds.
Common Mistakes
Going too wide, that's the number one killer on this stage. The racing line assistant shows you taking kerbs and runoff that don't exist, this is a forest with real trees that have real hitboxes and zero mercy. Stay within the road edges, every time, no exceptions. Second mistake, panic braking before blind crests. I see people slam the brakes at every hilltop cause they're scared of what's beyond, and they lose seconds every single time. Brake before the crest if you know there's a corner after, but if you don't know, lift, don't brake, and react on the other side. Simple.
Third thing, tire choice. So many people show up with off-road tires on a dirt rally stage and wonder why they have no grip, it's like bringing a knife to a gunfight. Rally tires are the play, always, they have the right compound for packed dirt with loose top layer. And the final mistake that gets everyone, pushing too hard on the last sector cause you can see the finish. The final 2km are faster and more open, but there are still trees at the edge of every corner waiting to end your run. I've binned a top 100 time in the last three corners more times than I care to admit, the greed is real. Finish the stage, then celebrate, not before, and you'll actually get the result you earned.
Weather and Seasonal Tips
Rain in the forest is brutal, way worse than on open tracks. The dirt turns to mud and grip drops by what feels like 40 percent, not the usual 15, and every corner becomes a gamble. The tree canopy traps moisture so the track stays wet longer than open stages, and fallen leaves on the racing line become little patches of zero grip that you can't see until you're sliding on them. I run wet tires with one click softer suspension in rain, lets the car absorb the mud ruts without bouncing. The blind crests become even blinder cause the rain reduces visibility through the trees, you're basically driving from memory at that point. Fog is the worst weather on this stage, you can see maybe 30 meters ahead and every corner is a leap of faith. For foggy seasonal events I honestly just accept I'm not setting a personal best and focus on finishing clean, half the field will DNF anyway and a clean finish is usually a podium.