H&H-161

s e k a r b d Han s n i p r i a H & ld of rallying r o w e h t o t in t h ig your ins

Cover

The 2010 season in photographs

Issue 161 • 02 December 2010 http://handbrakeshairpins.wordpress.com

Features

Pastrana to Nascar, P8 KKuipers uipers i ffor Ford, P9 USRC news and calendar, P10

News

Events RRAC, AC PP11 AAC, RROC, O P10

BRC and Irish rally news USA rallying news and updates WRC and IRC W ne news updates

Contents / Issue 161 04

Editorial Information Editor Evan Rothman Photojournalist Eva Kovkova Contributors RallyBuzz, Motorpics, Liga Stirna, Newspress.

All content copyrighted property of HANDBRAKES & HAIRPINS, 200710. This publication is fully protected by copyright and nothing may be reprinted in whole or in part without written permission from the editor. While reasonable precautions have been taken to ensure the accuracy of information from sources and given to readers, the editor cannot accept responsibility for any inconvenience or damage that may arise therefrom.

News

04 05 05 05

News updates Social Media Fan Foto Framed Araujo in WRC in 2011

06

Features

06 07 09 09 10 11

2010 season in photos Pastrana to NASCAR for 2011 Kuipers to drive Fiesta RS WRC in 2011 USRC reveals 2011 calendar Sullwalds crowned champions in 2010 Toyota privateers win in 2010

10

Events

12 13

Race of Champions 2010 review RAC Rally 2010 review

Welcome to H&H!

Contact E-mail us evan.hhmag@gmail.com Call us +27 83 452 6892 Surf us http://wp.me/pkXc To receive your FREE weekly HANDBRAKES & HAIRPINS eMagazine, or if you’d like to share this with a friend please send your e-mail address to evan.hhmag@gmail.com.

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Welcome to issue 161 of HANDBRAKES & HAIRPINS, your FREE weekly insight into the world of rallying.

As always, I hope you enjoy this week’s exciting edition.

Yours in Rallying, Evan Rothman

THE LATEST NEWS FROM THE WORLD OF RALLYING

RallyBuzz.com features European rally championships, British rallying, RallyCar events, international rally results and videos, as well as S2000 and WRC news.

www.RallyBuzz.com

s e k a r b d n Ha Hairpins

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e world of rallying

your insight into th

Bringing you the latest international rally news, extensive event previews and reviews, indepth feature and technical articles, awardwinning photography and insightful columnists, HANDBRAKES & HAIRPINS is distributed to your e-mail inbox each week for FREE in the form of a high-quality 2MB .PDF file.

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Ferodo Racing Brake Pads just keep on winning!

Congratulations to all the championship & rally winners using Ferodo Racing brake pads in 2010

Please contact us to reserve your brake pads for next season

Telephone +27 11 6708400 E-mail – info@ats-motorsport.co.za Website: www.ats-motorsport.co.za

News

>>MORE NEWS For even more news, with daily updates, visit http://wp.me/pkXc

HANDBRAKES & HAIRPINS

Team & Event News WRC IRC South African Rallying DAILY ONLINE UPDATES For your convenience, here are the news items in this easy-toclick menu page: WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP Araujo lines up for WRC in 2011: http://wp.me/ppkXc-2gk Kuipers to drive Fiesta RS WRC: http://wp.me/ppkXc-2gm EUROPEAN AND INTERCONTINENTAL RALLY CHALLENGE Campana second in championship: http://wp.me/ppkXc-2gb BRITISH AND IRISH RALLYING Broad mentor to Craig Breen: http://wp.me/ppkXc-2g8 Tuthill Porsche wins class on RAC: http://wp.me/ppkXc-2gq

INTERNATIONAL RALLYING AND OFF-ROAD RACING Toyota Hilux in Off-Road Series: http://wp.me/ppkXc-2gp Off-Road Championship for charity: http://wp.me/ppkXc-2ge USA AND RALLYCAR RALLY NEWS AND EVENTS USRC announces 2011 calendar: http://wp.me/ppkXc-2gv RECOMMENDED YOUTUBE RALLY VIDEOS: Jumping from Rally of the Tall Pines: http://wp.me/ppkXc-2fV Raikkonen at Wales Rally GB 2010: http://wp.me/ppkXc-2fg Block sideways in Wales Rally GB: http://wp.me/ppkXc-2fi Bernardo Sousa in Wales Rally GB: http://wp.me/ppkXc-2fq

THIS WEEKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S BEST VIDEO << The end of the 2010 World Rally Championship season is here, with the Wales Rally GB completed this past weekend. Here is a great video for your viewing pleasure: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bk7xitr2TgU At the top of each page, a tabbed section contains video clicks we recommend viewing. In other tabbed sections, we have linked articles posted on our website that will add more perspective and insight into the article it accompanies. Together with the videos, HANDBRAKES & HAIRPINS aims to offer readers a fully-interactive reading experience.

Send evanrothman@gmail.com your favourite rally-related videos to to be featured in this section. Or, send us a twitter to @Evan_Rothman or a message on Facebook.

THE LATEST NEWS FROM THE WORLD OF RALLYING

RallyBuzz.com features European rally championships, British rallying, RallyCar events, international rally results and videos, as well as S2000 and WRC news.

www.RallyBuzz.com

s e k a r b d Han Hairpins

&

your insight into th

e world of rallying

Bringing you the latest international rally news, extensive event previews and reviews, indepth feature and technical articles, awardwinning photography and insightful columnists, HANDBRAKES & HAIRPINS is distributed to your e-mail inbox each week for FREE in the form of a high-quality 2MB .PDF file.

To receive this FREE eMagazine (in .PDF format), please send an email to evanrothman@gmail.com.

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NEWS

Features

Issue 161 • 02 December

Events

WATCH: Northern Loop Productions’ feature video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j54i7Fpw0HM

FAN FOTO FRAMED

Kris Meeke takes on DiRT3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nW51xjuA0GU

ARAUJO LINES UP FOR WRC IN 2011

Got a great shot from a rally? Send it to evanrothman@gmail.com to be featured here!

Picture: Evan Rothman

Words: Staff Writer Two-time Production Car World Rally Champion Armindo Araujo is poised to take the step up to the World Rally Car category next year, having pledged his future to the WRC after winning his second title on the recent Rally Great Britain, reported www.WRC.com.

The Portuguese driver has been tipped to drive a MINI on his home event next year, but he is hoping to put together a programme that will keep him in the top flight for the whole of the 2011 season.

Araujo has competed in a World Rally Car at home before, having driven a Mitsubishi Lancer WRC on the 2007 Rally of Portugal. But after stamping his authority over the Production class for the last two seasons, he feels that the time is right for a long-term move to the premier category.

The 33-year-old, who won his titles with Mitsubishi Ralliart Italia, said: “My goal is to keep driving in the World Rally Championship with a World Rally Car and that is what I am working towards. The plan is to do all the rounds but obviously this depends on the budget. If I can’t do all the rounds, I will do as many as I can. We’re all working very hard indeed, and we’re talking to all the manufacturers, not just MINI. I’m quite confident that we will get something, but nothing is actually signed yet.”

Araujo’s long-time backers, Portuguese phone company TMN, have indicated that they would be willing to continue their support next year – although more money would need to be found to finance a full WRC campaign. “All my sponsors are staying on,” added Araujo. “And we have some new ones too.” H&H

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Features

Interviews Exclusive columnists In-depth articles

2010 SEASON IN PHOTOS Words: Evan Rothman and Eva Kovkova Pictures: Eva Kovkova In 2010 the rally enthusiast was spoilt for action. From clubmans’ classes, regional, to national and international rallying, HANDBRAKES & HAIRPINS brought you closer to the electrifying action through its feature articles and extensive event reporting on these pages and on social media platforms Facebook and Twitter.

This feature space is dedicated to the unsung heroes: those behind the camera lenses and computer screens.

HANDBRAKES & HAIRPINS’ very own photojournalist Eva Kovkova, from Saint Petersburg, Russia, has travelled Europe exhaustively to photograph not only the World Rally Championship (WRC) but also the Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC) series in great detail.

For this year, HANDBRAKES & HAIRPINS enjoyed exclusive behind-thescenes from the WRC and IRC, as well as

from the recent Silk Way Rally in Russia.

Kovkova, a highly talented photographer and enthusiastic rally fan like myself, has enjoyed every minute while on assignment as can be seen on these pages.

With deep gratitude to Eva Kovkova, brings you this exclusive 2010 HANDBRAKES & HAIRPINS Photo Review. Enjoy!

In Eva’s own words: “As this year comes to end, this rally

News

FEATURES

Issue 161 • 02 December

Events

Kimi Raikkonen at WRC Wales Rally GB 2010: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8nMExX0k_c

season is over, it’s time to say a few words and to collect impressions.

“The World Rally stars danced on snow, in the mud and dust, and HANDBRAKES & HAIRPINS’ correspondent followed them through it all: in –33˚C as in Russia or in +33˚C in Portugal. Yeah, it’s me, my name is Eva Kovkova and I’m glad to see you reading this wonderful magazine!

“One year ago I met Evan Rothman, the editor of HANDBRAKES

Ken Block powers through Wales Rally GB: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2KFSIuouVU

& HAIRPINS, and a very nice person.

The result of our cooperation is seven covers, 11 photo reportages, three articles, but the result, that I really feel is the pleasure of working with this great magazine, of working side-by-side with extraordinary people, professionals in journalism and photography from around the world at the rally events.

“There were good times and bad times, a lot of work and lack of sleep. But, I think you will agree: this

atmosphere, this energy, this pleasure can’t be compared with anything else.

“I am grateful to Evan and HANDBRAKES & HAIRPINS for the possibility and opportunities and for all nice words that I heard about my work.

Hope to see you next year on these pages!

“With best wishes for Christmas and the New Year!” H&H

Issue 161 • 02 December

News

Mads Ostberg in Wales: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVWG5_BtfAE

FEATURES

Events

NLP’s tribute to the Ford Focus RS WRC: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3ZPk1kVfaA

PASTRANA LEAVES RALLYCAR FOR NASCAR IN 2011 Words: Evan Rothman Pictures: Subaru Rally Team USA Famous for sporting the number 199 throughout his motorsport career thus far, this adrenaline junkie left his mark in rallying in his native USA after five full seasons competing in the RallyCar series (formerly Rally America).

The 27-year-old Travis Pastrana has won an astounding 11 gold medals at the X Games to date in both rallying and freestyle motocross (FMX) categories, and claimed four RallyCar/ Rally America National Championship titles.

For 2011 Pastrana has ended his close association with Subaru USA and the Subaru Rally Team USA to focus his talents on NASCAR. Contesting the NASCAR Nationwide Series next season, he will pilot a Toyota Camry prepared

by Michael Waltrip Racing under the Pastrana-Waltrip Racing banner.

“I’ve been following NASCAR closely for years as a fan of the sport

with competing in the sport a lifelong dream,” said Pastrana in a recent interview. “I’ve decided it was time to try and turn that dream into reality and with the help of the Bechtel family, Michael Waltrip Racing and Wasserman media group I’m now one step closer.”

Pastrana will contest at least seven rounds of NASCAR Nationwide Series next year, with the aim of running in at least 20 the following season.

When Pastrana announced his intentions of leaving the Subaru Rally Team USA, no one expected it was to join NASCAR. His five-year tenure with Subaru in the RallyCar Championship brought him four national rally titles and 17 wins. His rally career started off when he was invited to compete in the Race of Champions in 2003, and the rally bug bit hard then. The following year he started rallying for the Vermont SportsCar Rally team and in 2006 he was signed to the Subaru Rally Team USA. This new team, backed by Subaru USA, were gunning for rally domination, and with Pastrana at the wheel they achieved just that.

Rallying in the X Games also netted Pastrana medals, with his first gold in the sport coming in 2006 when he defeated Colin McRae in a nail-biting final by just 0.53sec.

He entered international WRC rallies in the Production category (P-WRC), but to no real success. His best placing came in the WRC Rally Mexico in 2006. The famous #199 will, however, still be attracted to rallying as it is rumoured that Toyota will be entering the X Games and would like him to pilot their machine. H&H

News

FEATURES

Issue 161 • 02 December

Events

WRC Rally Sweden 2010 highlights: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VCW0UW_07Q

WRC 2008 highlights: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mThzqHaU2s

USRC 2011 CALENDAR Words: Staff Writer Picture: Motorsport Memories The United States Rally Championship announced the following Calendar for the 2011 Season.

KUIPERS TO DRIVE FORD FIESTA RS WRC FOR 2011 Words: Staff Writer Picture: M-Sport Dutch rising star Dennis Kuipers will drive a Ford Fiesta RS World Rally Car in next year’s FIA World Rally Championship. The newly-developed car will be run by Ipatec Racing in conjunction with Cumbria-based M-Sport.

The 25-year-old Dutch driver piloted the award-winning Ford Fiesta S2000 with M-Sport for this year’s championship and produced a series of strong results including a ninth-place finish at Rally Turkey.

Following his successful debut with M-Sport, Ipatec Racing have agreed terms for Kuipers to continue working with the UK based team next year.

More details of the final programme are still to be confirmed but Kuipers will contest 10 WRC rounds next year including the season’s opening rally in Sweden, 10 – 13 February.

Dennis Kuipers said: “I’m very happy to continue in 2011 with the M-Sport family. For us this year was a very educational year and we had some

good results with the Ford Fiesta S2000.

We think that the experience we gained this year with the Fiesta S2000 is a good base for the new Ford Fiesta RS WRC. I’m really looking forward to next year to drive the Fiesta RS WRC and to see where we stand compared to the other WRC drivers. We are aiming for the best possible result in the WRC next year.”

M-Sport Managing Director, Malcolm Wilson said: “It is a real pleasure to welcome Dennis [Kuipers] back to the M-Sport family for 2011. He produced a series of consistently strong results in the Ford Fiesta S2000 this year and has shown progression throughout the year. Dennis was a joy to work with over the season and I look forward to welcoming him back into the team for next year.” H&H

01) New York Winter Rally, January 15 – 16, 2011 (snow/gravel) 02) Rally New York USA, April 15 – 16, 2011 (tarmac) 03) Rally Idaho, June 18 – 19, 2011 (gravel) 04) Gorman Ridge Rally (California), August 26 – 27, 2011 (gravel) 05) Prescott Rally (Arizona), September 30 – October 1, 2011 (gravel) 06) International Rally New York, October 22 – 23, 2011 (gravel) The United States Rally Championship will continue taking bold steps to make national competition more affordable and accessible to a larger number of rally teams. 161 drivers and co-drivers participated during the 2010 season of the United States Rally Championship.

As in the previous years, it is the largest competitor participation of any series in North America with an influx of new drivers and co-drivers.

The United States Rally Championship consists of a combination of snow, gravel and tarmac events.

Events of the United States Rally Championship allow for two-pass reconnaissance and pace notes. Snow, gravel and tarmac, full reconnaissance and pace notes make the United States Rally Championship unique in North America as no other series in North America encompasses all these features.

More information on the United States Rally Championship is available at www.usrallychampionship.com. H&H

Issue 161 • 02 December

News

Mads Ostberg in Wales: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVWG5_BtfAE

FEATURES

Events

NLP’s tribute to the Ford Focus RS WRC: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3ZPk1kVfaA

TOYOTA PRIVATEERS WIN IN 2010 Words: Staff Writer Picture: Motorpics

SULLWALDS CROWNED CHAMPIONS FOR 2010 Words: Evan Rothman Pictures: Motorpics The father-and-son team of Karl-Heinz and Quintin Sullwald in the Elegant Fuel BAT claimed the 2010 South-African National Special Vehicle Championship in a dramatic season finale.

The Elegant Fuel crew went into the event with a six point deficit and turned in a workman like performance to secure their second National Championship title.

The Donaldson Prologue saw the top ten special vehicles start first on a wet and muddy 70km route. The muddy slopes proved to be too much for the high horsepower cars and numerous crews had major problems becoming stuck and being blocked by fellow competitors. The Elegant Fuel crew lost over 20min and all hope of an overall win, but knew they were not out of the championship running yet.

“That was extremely frustrating, we could not race at all and were lucky to get to the finish in these conditions,” said Quintin. “Tomorrow is going to be a long hard day of racing, and it’s not over yet in terms of the championship.”

The race proper took place the following day, and was route of 360km through dry and dusty roads and also included a complete reverse of Friday’s prologue. The Elegant Fuel BAT started

hard and fast and were making up a lot of time and positions; at the halfway compulsory stop, they had gained more than 10min on the rest of the field. The second loop produced a flat wheel in heavy dust and the Elegant Fuel team decided to back off the pace and make sure of the Championship points.

The Sullwalds cruised home in seventh place and still managed to set the fastest time on the day.

“Once again the BAT ran faultlessly and we were having a lot of fun working our way through the field. We knew that the Total Porter had unfortunately retired and we managed our pace on the second loop accordingly,” said Karl-Heinz. “This entire season has been a huge team effort, and all the praise must go to our technical crew who put in a huge amount of work.

Elegant Fuel has also made a huge impact on the professionalism of the team and without their support we would not have been able to compete at this level.”

The Elegant Fuel BAT enjoys a mutually beneficial partnership with Sullwald Racing, Rockstar Energy Drink, Leatt-Brace and Bravery Clothing. Follow Sullwald Racing on Facebook for race results, reports and behind-the-scenes footage. H&H

The Toyota Hilux has become the vehicle of choice for privateer entrants in the ABSA South African Off-Road Championship with the reliability and durability of the standard vehicle crossing over into the racing derivatives.

During the 2010 season these inherent strengths of the Hilux provided the platform for Chris Visser/Japie Badenhorst to take the overall Production Vehicle and Special Production Vehicle Championships.

“Our congratulations go to Chris and Japie. Determination and consistency paid off for them this past season with three wins and two second places in the eight events giving them a clear advantage over their nearest competitors,” says Ferdi de Vos, Toyota’s General Manager, Corporate Public Relations and Motorsport.

“The privateer pair eventually finished the season 25 points, a full race win. This was the first time in more than a decade that a privateer team ended the season as Production Vehicle Champions.

“The Hilux was equally competitive in Classes D and E where the vehicles are closer to showroom specification. Deon Venter/Ian Palmer secured the Class D Championship in their 4X4 Mega World Hilux while Pikkie Labuschagne took the honours for the drivers’ championship in Class E in his RFS-Mega World 4X4 Hilux. Our congratulations go to them as well.”

Toyota’s dominance in the Production Vehicle Class was underlined with two more Hilux wins for Castrol Team Toyota, one win apiece for Duncan Vos/Rob Howie and Anthony Taylor/Robin Houghton. The remaining three events saw the spoils divided amongst BMW, Ford, and Nissan with one win each.

Toyota ended the season with a winning margin of more than 400 points in the Manufacturers’ Championship. H&H

News

FEATURES

Issue 161 • 02 December

Events

WRC Rally Sweden 2010 highlights: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VCW0UW_07Q

WRC 2008 highlights: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mThzqHaU2s

ICONIC RALLY CAR LIVES ON FOR RALLY FANS Words: Evan Rothman Pictures: The Internet Beautiful machines are shied away from here at HANDBRAKES & HAIRPINS’ offices, and motorsport produces some of the most eyecatching cars and bikes for us all to drool over.

Despite dust, mud, rocks and forests throwing up obstacles and obstructions for cars and crews in rallying, no matter how much mud and dirt the Lancia Stratos HF collected while in stages, it remained a thing of pure beauty. Those Italians in their white lab coats sure do know a thing or two about styling!

The Lancia Stratos HF was rallied in the 1970s and 1980s to great success (and was an instant classic and collector’s item when it was sold in showroom floors), but this car has an interesting tale to tell.

It started a new era in rallying as it was the first car designed from scratch for the then new-regulations.

The three leading men behind the entire rallying project were Lancia team manager Cesare Fiorio, British racer/ engineer Mike Parkes and factory rally driver Sandro Munari. The sweeping lines of the bodywork were designed

by Bertone (those clever designers) and the technical layout was loosely based on a Lancia Fulvia V4 concept car called the Stratos Zero (which was first shown at the Turin Motor Show in 1970). The shape of this car, although wedge-shaped and unusually short

and wide, provided maximum traction.

Interestingly, this is the same premise used by Audi to create their Group B monster the Audi Quattro.

In 1971 the first prototype was unveiled (chassis number 1240), and it was painted a fluorescent red. In the design phase, engineers had already figured that a wrap-around windscreen would be beneficial, and they managed to keep this design element over to the prototype. This allowed for maximum visibility for the driver and co-driver, but was not ideal for rear visibility (as there was none to speak of, and which is not necessary in rallying). Ranges of three different engines were selected, but engineers and executives could not come to a conclusion on this matter until 1972.

The Lancia Stratos undertook extensive testing and was even raced several times in 1972 and 1973 before production began in 1973. No less than 400 cars were required for homologation purposes, and the car was successfully homologated for the 1974 World Rally Championship season in Group 4, the then top class. The factory also decided to equip the car with the fantastic Ferrari Dino V6 motor, but this engine was phased out in 1974 after Ferrari delivered the final 500 of these engines to Lancia for the Stratos. This engine was beefed up for rallying, with output in the region of 280HP and even to 560HP thanks to a single KKK turbocharger (and these turbo motors were not eligible for Group 4 points and were also not nearly as reliable as the naturally

aspirated versions).

This Lancia Stratos HF won the World Rally Championship in 1974, 1975 and 1976 at the hands of driver Sandro Munari. It might have gone on to win more titles had it not been for internal politics within the Fiat Group.

Fiat later introduced the Fiat 131 Abarth to rallying, thereby crushing and halting all further development and resources of the Stratos HF. To highlight the poise of the Stratos, it claimed the Monte Carlo Rally win in 1979 at the hands of a privateer team, Chardonnet Team. Bernard Daniche continued to fly the Stratos flag high, taking victory in the Rally Tour de Corse in 1981 as a round of the World Rally Championship and it ended the successful career of this iconic machine.

This is surely one of the most beautiful cars and most successful rally cars. Long live the Lancia Stratos HF! H&H

Events

Interviews Exclusive columnists In-depth articles

ALBUQUERQUE CROWNED CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS Words: Staff Writer The Race of Champions took place this weekend in the ESPRIT Arena in Dusseldorf, Germany.

The ROC Nations Cup The Nations Cup took place first, and it was local heroes Team Germany who defeated Team Great Britain (GB) in the final to win the ROC Nations Cup after a thrilling contest featuring the world’s top motorsport stars.

Legends from all aspects of motorsport did battle for national pride in the ROC Nations Cup, behind the wheel of various vehicles, including the awesome Audi R8 LMS, on a purposebuilt parallel track at the ESPRIT arena.

The ROC Nations Cup trophy has been won for the last three years by Sebastian Vettel and Michael Schumacher for Team Germany and they did not disappoint a big crowd.

Schumacher squared up against Team GB’s Plato in identical KTM X-Bows for the first race of the best-of-three final and made the perfect start by winning by just under two seconds.

The action switched to Audi R8 LMS cars for the second race, which Priaulx won to keep the contest alive and set up a head-to-head with Schumacher for the title.

An incredibly tight deciding race in ROC Cars saw Schumacher narrowly defeat Priaulx and clinch Team Germany’s fourth ROC Nations Cup crown to the acclaim of their home fans.

Earlier in the evening, Team GB as group winners and runners-up Team France progressed through the roundrobin Group A to line up a best-of-three semi-final.

Team Nordic, featuring Tom Kristensen and Heikki Kovalainen, were eliminated on the tie-breaker of combined times while Alvaro Parente hit a wall in a KTM X-Bow as he and Team Portugal team-mate Filipe Albuquerque were knocked out.

In the first semi-final, Team GB prevailed in two races, with Plato beating Alain Prost in a VW Scirocco before Priaulx just finished of Loeb in a Porsche 911 to eliminate Team France.

In the other group, Team All Stars (Mick Doohan & Tanner Foust) and Team USA (Carl Edwards & Travis Pastrana) were knocked out as Team

Germany and Team Benelux set a semifinal date.

In that contest, the home fans were given a performance to remember as Schumacher beat Bertrand Baguette in a ROC Car while Vettel followed that up with an immensely popular win over Jeroen Bleekemolen in a KTM X-Bow. The ROC was held over two evenings, with the Nations Cup drawing an official attendance of 36,189 fans.

Race of Champions Filipe Albuquerque delivered a thrilling performance to eclipse 15 superstars of motorsport and win The Race of Champions at his first attempt on an exciting event.

In front of a packed ESPRIT Arena, the Portuguese driver defeated World Rally Champion Sébastien Loeb 2-1 in the best-of-three Grand Final on the specially-constructed parallel track to earn the title of “Champion of Champions.”

The Race of Champions pitted 16 of the biggest names in motorsport against each other in head-to-head combat in a variety of different cars.

ROC South Europe winner Albuquerque’s route to the final took him past Formula 1 world champion Sebastian Vettel in a very tight semi-final following his quarter-final triumph against fellow Portuguese driver Alvaro Parente.

Loeb reached the Grand Final courtesy of a quarter-final win over eight-time Le Mans winner Tom Kristensen followed by victory against would touring car star Andy Priaulx in the powerful Audi R8 LMS. In another quarter-final, an epic clash saw home favourites, and F1 rivals, Vettel and Schumacher clash in KTM X-Bows. Victory went to the younger man by just over half a second.

Priaulx beat Bertrand Baguette in the other last-eight tie.

The action began with a bang in the round-robin group stage, which featured four groups of four drivers fighting it out for the right to line up in the knock-out quarter-finals.

In the very first race of the day, Heikki Kovalainen suffered a huge accident after the chequered flag when his Audi R8 LMS ploughed through the barriers and hit the concrete wall hard.

The F1 driver escaped injury but needed a precautionary visit to a local

hospital for checks which prevented him taking any further part. He and Jeroen Bleekemolen were eliminated from Group A as Loeb and Baguette progressed.

Group B saw motorcycling hero Mick Doohan miss out along with Travis Pastrana, who suffered a stall, a lastcorner defeat and a spin in his three races. Priaulx won all three races while Kristensen also went through.

It was close too in Group C, where Albuquerque and Vettel took the top two spots, knocking out NASCAR front-runner Carl Edwards and X-Games gold medallist Travis Foust.

The final group of the first round featured an incredible combined 11 F1 world championships and Schumacher beat Alain Prost by just over a second in a closely-fought contest in the ROC Car. Schumacher won all three firstround races with Parente going through as runner-up. Current British touring car number one Jason Plato missed out, as did Prost, who spun out of his last race in the KTM X-Bow. A total of 64,052 fans attended The Race of Champions over the course of the weekend. H&H

News

Features

EVENTS

Issue 161 • 02 December

Petter Solberg - spectacular in Wales: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXF_SCEjizw

Bernardo Sousa in S-WRC Wales Rally GB: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZhkX7cFf-g

ROGER ALBERT CLARK RALLY 2010 ROUND-UP Words: Staff Writer Picture: Maurice Selden Tuthill Porsche has won its class on the Roger Albert Clark Rally, thanks to 28th place overall for company founder Francis Tuthill and his journalist co-driver Franca Davenport.

The duo in the Tuthill Porsche 911 triumphed despite going off after hitting a rock on Saturday evening, which meant that they took several maximum lateness penalties.

A spin on Friday and a puncture on Sunday also hampered their progress, but in spite of these setbacks – as well as bad weather that made headlines all over the country – Francis and Franca brought home a great result on their first rally together, and the first rally that Francis had contested in four years.

Their 3.0 litre Porsche 911 was in exactly the same specification as will be used for next year’s Tuthill Porsche Challenge. The engine in the car is also identical to the one that recently took world rally legend Michele Mouton to second overall on the Rallye International du Maroc.

Thick snow, which covered

practically every stage of the Robert Albert Clark Rally, could not have presented a greater contrast to the African desert. Once more though, the Tuthill Porsche proved to be completely reliable in the harsh conditions.

The Roger Albert Clark Rally covered four days and was designed to capture the spirit of the old RAC Rally, with competitors travelling the length and breadth of the country from November 26-29. There were several delays and interruptions due to the bad weather, which only added to the challenge.

“We had a lot of fun,” said Francis at the finish on Monday afternoon. “I think we were both a bit rusty, but towards the end of it we were beginning to show what the car can do.

Apart from the ones of our own making, we had no problems at all, which I think is a great tribute to the quality and driveability of these cars.”

Franca, who contributes to the Daily Telegraph, added: “It was quite hard to get used to reading notes from maps, particularly after having had some experience of pace notes in the past. But Francis at least pretended that some of what I was saying made sense, and we

had an absolutely great time! To get the class win too was the icing on the cake.

It’s a fantastic experience that I would recommend to anyone.”

For more details about this weekend’s Roger Albert Clark Rally please visit: www.rogeralbertclarkrally.org. H&H