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
Bouffier wins Monte Carlo Rally
ISSUE 167 • 27 JAN 2011
Features
http://handbrakeshairpins.wordpress.com SARC rumour mill stories, P6 FFuture uture t Baltics B lti WRC rally? P5 Citroën launches 2011, P8
News
Events
IIRC, R P12 SSDR, D P14
BRC and Irish rally news UUSA rallying news aand updates WRC and IRC W ne news updates
Contents / Issue 167 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.
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Daily Online Updates Future Baltics WRC round? Fan Foto Framed
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South African rally rumour mill Monte Carlo TV coverage sets record Ford cancels Arctic Rally test Efforts pay dividends in 2011 Paddon switches car makes Rally Australia not affected by floods Stone headlines Chris Kelly Mem. Stages Subaru returns with contingency scheme Loeb speaks about 2011 challenges Molly Taylor takes part in YDEA 2011
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Events
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Contact
News
IRC Monte Carlo Rally review, part 2 RA Sno*Drift Rally preview
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Welcome to H&H! Welcome to issue 167 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
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e world of rallying
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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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The book is the foremost anthology of international rallying, covering all the major championships from around the world such as the 2010 World Rally Championship, Intercontinental Rally Championship, European Rally Championship, Asia Pacific Rally Championship, Middle East Rally Championship, British Rally Championship etc, etc.
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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:
Bouffier wins Monte Carlo: http://wp.me/ppkXc-2r0
WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP Q&A with Sebastien Ogier: http://wp.me/ppkXc-2sh Q&A with Sebastien Loeb: http://wp.me/ppkXc-2sd Q&A with X. Mestelan-Pinon: http://wp.me/ppkXc-2sa Q&A with Olivier Quesnel: http://wp.me/ppkXc-2s7 WRC Rally Australia news: http://wp.me/ppkXc-2rX Citroën Racing 2011 launch: http://wp.me/ppkXc-2rQ Ford cancels Arctic Rally test: http://wp.me/ppkXc-2rG Paddon switches car makes: http://wp.me/ppkXc-2r2
INTERNATIONAL RALLYING AND OFF-ROAD RACING Taylor shortlisted for shootout: http://wp.me/ppkXc-2st Rally Team for Dreams: http://wp.me/ppkXc-2sk Subaru of America, Inc. contingency returns for RallyCar 2011 season: http://wp.me/ppkXc-2r9
BRITISH AND IRISH RALLYING Stone at Chris Kelly Memorial: http://wp.me/ppkXc-2sy Aitken-Walker and Classic Monte: http://wp.me/ppkXc-2sv BRC champs honoured at awards: http://wp.me/ppkXc-2rV SOUTH AFRICAN AND AFRICAN RALLYING The South African Rumour Mill: http://wp.me/ppkXc-2s3
RECOMMENDED YOUTUBE RALLY VIDEOS: The best rally scenes in HD: http://wp.me/ppkXc-2lV MG Metro 6R4 in action: http://wp.me/ppkXc-2rl P. Solberg on Col de Turini 2002: http://wp.me/ppkXc-2qA Tuthill Porsche Rallye Cars: http://wp.me/ppkXc-2rh Clip of Monte Carlo Rally 2010: http://wp.me/ppkXc-2mf Climb Attack Brazil: http://wp.me/ppkXc-2m4 SudRallye film - Monte Carlo ‘11: http://wp.me/ppkXc-2rs F. Delecour on SS8 of Monte ‘11: http://wp.me/ppkXc-2qC S. Blomqvist in Finland ‘88: http://wp.me/ppkXc-2kv
EUROPEAN AND INTERCONTINENTAL RALLY CHALLENGE Gonon plans more IRC: http://wp.me/ppkXc-2rM Hänninen wins McRae Trophy: http://wp.me/ppkXc-2rO Ellip6 unveils junior plans: http://wp.me/ppkXc-2so Monte tough for Barry and Deasy: http://wp.me/ppkXc-2rZ P. Solberg and Monte Carlo: http://wp.me/ppkXc-2rv H. Hunt does the full Monte: http://wp.me/ppkXc-2rp P. Campana 2WD in Monte: http://wp.me/ppkXc-2re
THIS WEEK’S BEST VIDEO << The Group B era of rallying ended in the second half of the 1980s, but it remains the “Golden Era” of world rallying for many fans. Here is a great video for your viewing pleasure to see why: http://t.co/hbh3VvS 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.
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Issue 167 • 27 Jan 2011
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FAN FOTO FRAMED
Got a great shot from a rally? Send your favourite rally photograph to evan.hhmag@gmail.com to be featured here! Picture by Gavin Rothman of Stuart Pegg (left) and Malcolm Wilson in a rally in South Africa for the Ford rally team.
FIA CONSIDERING WRC EVENT IN THE BALTICS IN NEAR FUTURE Words: Liga Stirna Picture: U. Burzis Last week, in the Latvian capital of Riga, a meeting was held between the Federation International Automobile (FIA), represented by WRC Commission President Jarmo Mahonen, organisers of the World Rally Championship (NorthOne Sport) and representatives from the Latvian, Estonian, Lithuanian and Polish ASN’s to discuss the possibility of organising a future WRC event in the Baltics. The FIA are currently considering changing the format of WRC events, supported by the current FIA president Jean Todd, and this pan-Baltic rally would be the first “experiment.” The rally’s route would include Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, including special stages in each country, with a total stage length exceeding twice that current used in the WRC of 300km, but the total rally distance increase is proportionally less in fact. By comparison – this year’s first WRC round, the Rally Sweden, has a total distance of over 2000km, but for the Baltic rally it would be just 500km more at 2500 km. H&H
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THE SOUTH AFRICAN RUMOUR MILL: THE MOVEMENTS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT Words: Evan Rothman Picture: Evasn Rothman The South African Rally Championship (SARC) is often denounced as just another domestic rally championship, but it boasts the most Class S2000 entries for a national championship in the world and that includes official factory entries from two manufacturers. Adding to the mix are very talented privateers with generous sponsors who enable these teams to challenge the factory drivers for wins. The 2011 season in South Africa is set for another close fight if the rumour mill is to be believed. With past experience, this jaded journalist will only confirm reports once an official press release has been distributed and the event entry list supports this. With the first event in South Africa due to start in about two months, here is an overview of the off-season happenings… Rumour #1: Schalk Burger jnr (from Gauteng) had a stunted SARC year,
after an unfortunate crash in the first round of the 2010 season. His talent has shown him to be on the pace of the top privateers, but SARC fans won’t have the pleasure of seeing him in action this season as he has signed up to contest the full African rally Championship. It is believed that he has travelled to Prodrive’s headquarters to discuss plans to pilot a Subaru Impreza Group N. Rumour #2: Mark Cronje, who prematurely ended his 2010 season campaign with the factory-backed Castrol Toyota Team in an Auris S2000, has purchased a Ford Fiesta S2000 to compete with. His new-for-2010 co-driver will be Robin Houghton. A photograph of Cronje’s Ford Fiesta S2000 has been spread about the Internet, and his sponsors and team colours are as yet unknown. Rumour #3: Motorite has pulled the plug on their rallying campaign, leaving Evan Hutchison and Elvene Coetzee out of the Volkswagen Polo S2000. However, it has been confirmed that Coetzee will be co-driving for Leeroy Poulter in the
Castrol Toyota Team Auris S2000 making her the first female team member of the factory Toyota S2000 team in South African rallying history. Rumour #4: Theuns Joubert (Salom Group Volkswagen Polo S2000) will contest only selected rounds of the calendar for 2011, leaving co-driver Carl Peskin looking for a full-time co-driver seat. Whether he will move in with one or two of the new crews has yet to be confirmed. Rumour #5: the very fast Conrad Rautenbach will return to compete in 2011, and will be hunting for podium finishes and more wins. The biggest rumour is that he will partnered by Jon Williams (he of Pirelli Star Driver fame in 2009) in another Ford Fiesta S2000. Could Peskin join Williams as his co-driver? Who are Rautenbach and Williams’ sponsors for the season? They will undoubtedly be chasing not for top five finishes but for wins. Watch this space! H&H
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Issue 167 • 27 Jan 2011
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MONTE CARLO RALLY TELEVISION COVERAGE SETS NEW RECORD Words: Staff Writer Pictures: IRC Series A new record cumulative reach of 14 million (*) different viewers, an increase of two million from 2010, watched Eurosport and Eurosport 2’s coverage of the centenary edition of Rallye Monte-Carlo, Eurosport Events, the promoter of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge, has confirmed. The world’s most famous rally, which opened the IRC for a third successive season from 19 - 22 January, featured extensive live coverage on Eurosport and Eurosport 2 totalling 12 hours. The cumulative reach achieved was a 16.5 percent rise over the figure recorded in 2010 when 12 million fans tuned in to watch Eurosport’s groundbreaking coverage. One year on from producing unprecedented and extensive live television coverage of Rallye MonteCarlo, Eurosport Events pioneered the use of SimulCam technology in rallying on five stages, the first time ever that the system has been used during live coverage of rallies. SimulCam allows viewers to watch two drivers competing on the same section of a special stage at the same time to discover who is the fastest. Real footage of two drivers covering part of a stage was composited into a single screen sequence to provide an unparalleled comparison and analysis of two drivers’ performances and techniques behind the wheel. A team of 80 people from Eurosport Events was responsible for the television production of all 13 stages of the event including 12 live as they happened. Among the highlights of the coverage were the dramatic seventh and eighth stages on day two of the rally, when a freak snowfall transformed the leaderboard. Eurosport Events also produced a daily highlights programme and a series of 15 short programmes celebrating the 100 years history of the
event, called ‘I Love Monte Carlo’, which were broadcast on Eurosport. “Eurosport’s coverage of centenary edition Rallye Monte-Carlo was a real success and the cumulative reach of 14 million different viewers represents a new record and a tremendous achievement at the start of the IRC’s fifth season,” said Geraldine Filliol, the Managing Director of Eurosport Events. “Not only did we build on our groundbreaking live coverage of this prestigious rally in 2010 with the introduction of SimulCam technology on five stages, we demonstrated once again the IRC’s appeal to a global television audience. The IRC is still a very young series but it’s clearly a big hit with viewers who have embraced the close competition, openness, innovation and spirit the IRC strives to achieve. We would like to thank the Automobile Club de Monaco for their close collaboration in helping us to produce such an exceptional television package for the 100th anniversary of the rally.” The extensive live transmissions are accessible through Eurosport Player, the channel’s online live simulcast service, while video footage is available at eurosport.com websites, the official IRC website (rally-irc.com) and via the IRC iPhone and iPad App. Bryan Bouffier, from France, won Rallye Monte-Carlo in a Peugeot 207 Super 2000. Second place went to Belgian Freddy Loix in a Skoda Fabia S2000. Guy Wilks, from the United Kingdom, completed the podium in another Peugeot. The IRC resumes on Rally Islas Canarias El Corte Ingles from 14-16 April. *Source: TNS Gallup, AGF/GfK Fernsehforschung, Stichting KijkOnderzoek, AGB Nielsen Media Research Sp. z o.o, ARMADATA S.R.L-GfK Romania, KANTAR Media, MMS, BARB – All Individuals – AdvantEdge - All rights reserved. H&H
FORD PULLS OUT OF ARCTIC LAPLAND RALLY 2011 Words: Evan Rothman The Arctic Lapland Rally (28 - 29 January) has been favoured by World Rally Championship crews as a shakedown event for the first (and only snow event) on the season calendar. This year Citroën Racing hasn’t entered any of their crews for this rally, but Ford entered a Ford Fiesta RS WRC for their drivers Mikko Hirvonen and JariMatti Latvala to each contest one of the two legs of event. Unfortunately these plans came to a shuddering halt as Jari-Matti Latvala crashed and severely damaged the designated Fiesta RS WRC on the second day of a test session in Sweden. According to the team, Latvala crashed the car at 150km/h but the crew were fortunately uninjured. However, “the Fiesta RS WRC requires extensive repair work before the test can continue”. The Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team will now focus on repairing their damaged machine so that their drivers can complete their Swedish tests ahead of the WRC Rally Sweden (10 - 13 February). Ford Abu Dhabi’s team director Malcolm Wilson said: “We will repair the damage to the car before continuing our testing in Sweden later this week. We’re confident we can complete all our scheduled test work this week, but unfortunately we need to sacrifice our appearance at the Arctic Lapland Rally to do that. “I’m sorry for all the fans there who were looking forward to seeing Mikko and Jari-Matti in action in the Fiesta RS WRC, but completing our work in Sweden is the best option to ensure our preparations are completed for Rally Sweden,” added Wilson. Latvala explained the accident happened over a sixth gear crest. “It was my error,” he admitted. “I tried to use the snow banks to slow the car, but it rolled in the road before vaulting the snow banks and hitting some trees. The Fiesta RS WRC stood up to the impact remarkably well, and Miikka and I escaped unhurt. The fact that the team can repair it and we can continue to test this week shows how strong it is.” H&H
Issue 167 • 27 Jan 2011
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CITROËN RACING: EFFORTS TO PAY DIVIDENDS IN 2011 Words: Evan Rothman Pictures: Citroen Racing Parties, champagne and silk covers are all part of the world of motorsport. The 2010/2011 off-season had more to celebrate with the farewell of the previous generation of WRC machines and the introduction of all-new cars for 2011. Last week’s issue of HANDBRAKES & HAIRPINS brought you the unveiling of the 2011 Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team and its Fiesta RS WRCs’ new livery. This week, we are proud to present to you the Citroën Total World Rally Team’ campaign for 2011 in detail. For Citroën, the DS3 WRC ushers in a new era for the French car manufacturer, but we will discuss this in a greater detail later in this article. The DS3 WRC follows in the illustrious tread marks of the Xsara and the C4 WRC, both of which won three world titles each. The DS3 WRC is powered by a 1.6-litre turbocharged direct injection four-cyclinder powerplant produced inhouse by Citroën and pushes at roughly the same power as the outgoing WRC crop of machines. As with the mighty C4 WRC, this new engine is mated to a four-wheel drive system with a manually controlled sequential gearbox and a
constant power-sharing system between the front and rear axles. This remarkable machine underwent more than nine months of exhaustive testing last year, complete with tests in extreme weather conditions to examine its reliability. Citroën Total World Rally Team has two aims for 2011: to win the Drivers’ title for the eighth time and to win its seventh Manufacturers’ Championship. Tasked with achieving these tasks are Sebastien Loeb and Daniel Elena (seven-times WRC champions) and young guns Sebastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia. These two crews will fly the official Citroën flag and be the crews the rest of the WRC field will need to beat. It was also announced at Citroën Racing’s 2011 launch function that three DS3 WRCs will be made available to three privateers: Petter Solberg, Peter van Merksteijn and Kimi Raikkonen. What marks this season out as more special than previous ones, is that both their official drivers have worked themselves up the Citroën Trophy ranks, to success in the Junior World Rally Championship and then on to WRC. Ogier has already claimed two wins in his short WRC career, and will most definitely add to this tally in 2011. There is obviously something
special the Citroën caterers feed their rally drivers and co-drivers... Citroën Racing has built 200 DS3 R3s to date. Yes that is right: 200! The scale of their efforts to grow their brand is incredibly impressive. Run as a business enterprise, Citroën Racing’s aims are to make money. This, they have set out, is achieved by building quick, reliable rally cars and creates a support infrastructure that treats all clients equally. With several Citroën Trophy cups running around the world, it comes as no surprise that Citroën are also successful in domestic championships too. That is a massive pool of talent from which to draw on... And, as I have pointed out, Citroën Racing’s efforts in the lower classes do pay dividends. Total has once again signed on as title sponsor for the team, and it will also carry the Red Bull colours. Also, three brands are back for 2011: Michelin, Facom and Alcon. At the very top of this sport, and the business of this sport, has dominated the World Rally Championship for as long as HANDBRAKES & HAIRPINS has been in existence and with the new regulations in play in 2011 we think their driver line-up and engineering excellence will take something extra special to knock them from their winning ways. H&H
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Issue 167 • 27 Jan 2011
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PADDON JOINS THE 2011 SUBARU SURGE Words: Evan Rothman After suffering a slump in 2009 and regaining some lost ground in 2010, Japanese car manufacturer and iconic rally car makers Subaru are riding a new wave of increased support in rallying circles. With the announcement this week that New Zealand’s top rally driver Hayden Paddon (he of Pirelli Star Driver and Production World Rally Car Championship fame in 2010) has switched from his Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X to the Subaru Impreza N4. Changing from a Mitsubishi to a Subaru (and vice versa) is never a decision taken lightly. For the uninitated, this is a move akin to driving on the right-hand side of the car after driving all your life on the left (or vice versa, once again). Its not that one is better than the other, its that the philosophy and approach of each car is in stark contrast to the other. Paddon, the latest and most prominent driver to make the jump from Mitsubishi to Subaru (or vice versa), has laid his plans for the 2011 on the proverbial table. He will contest the 2011 Production Car World Rally Championship (PWRC) in his newly formed New Zealand World Rally Team. The genial New Zealander says the formation of his new team is “a dream come true.” This new team will run under the Hayden Paddon Rallysport Global Ltd flag, the company formed by Paddon and his supporters in late 2010. “The move to Subaru will be a big change for us, especially considering how much we have achieved in a series of Mitsubishis,” said Paddon. “In saying that, I am confident that driving the Subaru will give us a better chance of winning the [PWRC] championship as they are very strong, well balanced cars.
At the end of the day, as long as it has four wheels and a steering wheel, I’m happy! As a youngster I was always a huge Subaru fan, and now to get a chance to drive one in world competition fulfils a childhood dream.” Symtech (a Belgian-based business that specialises in building and running Subaru Impreza rally cars) will prepare Paddon’s new steed. Adapting to the Subaru is another new challenge for the 23-yearold who demonstrated a consistent ability to learn, improve and deliver strong performances in every event he contested last year. Paddon sees the change of car as simply another opportunity to lift his game to a whole new level and challenge for the PWRC class victory. Paddon has nominated the following six PWRC events: Vodafone Rally de Portugal (24 - 27 March), Rally Argentina (26 - 29 May), Neste Oil Rally Finland (28 - 31 July), Rally Australia (8 - 11 September), Rally de Espana (20 23 October) and Wales Rally GB (10 - 13 November). Elsewhere in this issue, we have detailed how Subaru of America, Inc. has once again stated their commitment to rallying in U.S.A. through contingency programmes with generous cash winnings, while in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC) series also sees Subaru closely support pilots of their products too with prizes. The sound and sight of a Subaru Impreza driven in anger through a forest cannot be beat! H&H
RALLY AUSTRALIA STAGES NOT AFFECTED BY FLOODS Words: Staff Writer Areas around the Coffs Coast of New South Wales that will host next September’s Rally Australia round of the World Rally Championship have not been affected by the recent disastrous Australian floods reported around the world. The rally base in the city of Coffs Habour is 400 kilometres south of the Queensland State capital Brisbane, where much of the worst flooding occurred just over a week ago. Although there was some unassociated local flooding due to heavy rain earlier this month in and around the Coffs Coast region, forestry and rural roads on the provisional rally route remain in good condition, Clerk of Course Dr Michelle Gatton said. “However, while Rally Australia is located a long way from the Queensland floods, we are not untouched by the tragedy. “Many rally officials and competitors live in south-east Queensland and either have lost possessions or joined the massive volunteer corps assisting with the cleanup and recovery. The best wishes of all the rally community are with them at this time,” concluded Dr Gatton. Rally Australia, round ten of 13 in the 2011 WRC, will be staged on 8 11 September. Donations to the official Queensland Disaster Relief Appeal can be made online from anywhere in the world: http://bit.ly/g9dBxm H&H
Issue 167 • 27 Jan 2011
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STONE HEADLINES CHRIS KELLY MEMORIAL STAGES Words: http://www.rallybuzz.com Pictures: Newspress With entries still open for next month’s Chris Kelly Memorial Stages sponsored by Mann Construction, the first Isle of Man stage rally of the year is shaping up to attract some of the UK’s leading asphalt drivers. John Stone has already submitted his entry for the 11 - 12 February event in the stunning Skoda Fabia WRC, and it’ll be the first run for the car following an on-going, extensive overhaul at Dutch specialist Erik Wevers’ workshops. With local co-driver Rob Fagg on the notes, the challenge is definitely down to the home drivers, and the ‘buzz’ is that many of the leading crews from the MSA National Asphalt Championship could also head over the Irish Sea, making it an unofficial pre-series warm up. Of the 20 entries in so far no fewer than 14 are from off-island crews, as the popularity of ‘clubmans’ closed roads rallying on the island grows rapidly. Only last week that was enhanced with the announcement that Motors TV will be taking coverage of the rally for the first time. The rally is also making its debut as a round of the ANWCC Stage Rally Championship. Other names already on the entry list include Cockermouth’s Richard and Andy Barnard (Subaru), top historic crew Adrian Kermode and Maurice Beckett (Porsche), Appleby’s Stuart Egglestone (Vauxhall Astra), and the Mitsubishi’s of Andrew Terrington and John Wood from the North West. North Wales crews are regular visitors, with Hugh Jones’ crowdpleasing Escort listed alongside Ian Jones’ Citroen C2, while other returning friends of Manx rallying include Blackburn’s Chris and Heidi Woodcock,
who switch from their regular Mitsubishi to a Proton Compact, Yorkshire’s Kevin Jaffrey and Manchester’s David Coulson. The home crews traditionally leave placing their entry till late, but already on the list for the Eurocars Motorsport.com Manx Rally Championship opener are Andrew Leece and Graham Fargher (Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI), winners of last years Duke Stages, and Tim Collins and Paul McCann in a new Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX. Entries for the rally, which allows reconnaissance of the stages, close at the reduced early rate this coming Friday, 28th January, and at the full rate next Tuesday, 1st February. Full details, regulations, entry forms and ferry/hotel deals can be found at http://www.manxautosport.org. The event is an ideal pre-season opportunity for crews wanting to test, with multiple use of stages. The opening night features nine tests in darkness with centralised servicing at the TT Grandstand, while Saturday brings a full day of eight further daylight stages, with the rally finishing in Ramsey’s Market Square. Throw in the banter at the post event presentation and it’s a weekend you just have to try! H&H
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your insight into th
Words: Staff Writer RallyCar, the sanctioning body for the 2011 Rally America National Championship is proud to announce Subaru of America, Inc.’s continuing contingency award support program for the upcoming season. The Subaru Rally Support Program, which was created in 2005, continues to be the most lucrative contingency program in North American rallying, with over $20,000 available per event for eligible Subaru drivers to earn. The program will again focus support on the popular Super Production class (SP) within the Rally America National Championship where the top finishing eligible Subaru SP driver can earn $7,000 at each round. The Super Production class was created in 2009 by RallyCar to offer a compromise between the top-tier Open class and the more restrictive Production GT class, giving teams options for key modification allowances in an effort to make competition more affordable and competitive. This includes but is not limited to: allowing vehicles to be updated or backdated within a body style of the model, fitting of hydraulic handbrakes, and granting broader brake system modifications. The SP class also allows for 34mm turbo inlet restrictor giving SP cars potentially more power. Click here to view the 2011 Subaru SP Contingency Program Payout Schedule: http://vtcar.com/rally/subarucontingency-program/ H&H
s e k a r b d Han Hairpins e world of rallying
SUBARU RETURNS WITH 2011 CONTINGENCY PROGRAMME
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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MOLLY TAYLOR TAKES PART IN YDEA 2011 Words: http://www.RallyBuzz.com
SEBASTIEN LOEB SPEAKS OUT ABOUT 2011 CHALLENGES Words: Staff Writer Picture: Citroën Racing The reigning World Rally Champion heads into this season with a number of challenging laying ahead of him. At the Citroën racing launch this week, he addressed the media in an interview. How does it feel to drive the Citroën DS3 WRC? SL: “The car feels very different to the C4. The DS3’s shorter and so it’s more agile in the tight corners, but it’s also twitchier in the faster sections. Overall we’re going to have to do more work behind the steering wheel for several reasons: the behaviour of the car caused by its size, the lack of the central differential which shared out the traction between the front and the rear, the return to mechanical gear selection, which means we’ll have to let go of the wheel.” Are you happy with the work done during the winter break? SL: “I think the team’s done a good job, but we haven’t achieved the same level of development on all types of terrain. We’ve spent a lot of time on gravel as it’s the type of surface we’ll race on most frequently in the world championship. I
reckon we‘ve still got a lot of progress to make on snow, but it’s difficult to calculate as we haven’t really got a basis for comparison given the way the new regulations have radically modified the cars’ behaviour.” What do you think of the new regulations? Are they good for the drivers? SL: “Yes, the car’s nice to drive. The performance of the engine means you can really get the best out of the chassis. Of course as always, we’d like more power but I think the new WRCs will be very spectacular. As a driver you have to have the right feel to optimize the trajectories to carry the highest possible speed through the corners.” What does this season represent for you? SL: “It’s a new challenge with far more unknown factors than in previous years. Our rivals have developed their cars and we’ll have to wait for the opening rallies to establish a hierarchy. But even before that I have to be quicker than the guys who have the same car as me. Beating Sébastien Ogier and Petter Solberg will be a tough challenge! I think it’ll be a difficult season, but that only serves to boost my motivation even more!” H&H
Rising Australian rally star Molly Taylor has been chosen to take part in an international competition to become part of the inaugural Young Driver Excellence Academy. The FIA Institute has selected 19 young drivers from around the world to take part in a three-day shootout (6 - 8 February) in Austria, in which Taylor is the only woman. Participants will go through a wide range of assessments including a variety of driving skill tests and competition sections as well as fitness, media techniques, teamwork and psychology. Only 10 out of the 19 will make the cut! “It’s very exciting to make it this far and have the opportunity to attend the selection event,” Taylor says. “I think it’s going to be an intense few days, but I’m up for the challenge.” The 22-year-old Sydneysider already has an exciting year lined up, as one of just six young drivers to win a ‘scholarship’ to take part in the FIA WRC Academy. The WRC Academy is a specially tailored training program designed to develop the best young rally drivers into world-class competitors. They will contest six European rounds of the world series in identical Ford Fiesta R2s. But the Young Driver Excellence Academy is different again. The 19 finalists are from a range of motorsport categories with the shortlist including competitors and champions from rallying, circuit racing and karting. Several drivers have Formula One testing experience. The primary goals of the Academy are to prepare young drivers to compete at the top of their sport; to increase skills in the area of driver and road safety and to actively promote safety, fairness and responsibility both on and off the track. “The Academy programme aims to ensure that our future stars are not just quick but also have the education and attitude that you need to succeed at the very top level,” says Professor Sid Watkins, the President of the FIA Institute. H&H
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BOUFFIER CLAIMS MONTE CARLO WIN Words: Evan Rothman Pictures: IRC Series Thrilling, dramatic, high-energy, disappointment, relief, celebration. These words to me sum up the Opening round of the 2011 Intercontinental Rally Challenge series, the Monte Carlo Rally. Starting on Wednesday last week and running ‘til after midnight on Friday night, as opposed to traditional rallies played out over a weekend, the Monte Carlo Rally still attracted thousands of rally fans to its 13 stages. This the centenary of this illustrious and iconic event, drew a bevy of the world’s finest drivers and co-drivers to battle it out over the famous Col de Turini tests. Weather on this event is changeable, from sunny skies and dry roads in the morning to snow and iced roads in the afternoon. This makes tyre choice vital to not only set fast stage times but to also make it to the end of the stage. As reported in last week’s issue of HANDBRAKES & HAIRPINS, Day One of the rally took in high-speed stages in the Valence region. The first day was dominated by Stephane Sarrazin (Peugeot 207 S2000) and Juho Hänninen
(Skoda Fabia S2000), with Hänninen taking the overnight lead. This was soon turned upside down, in a most dramatic fashion that had 14 million TV viewers glued to their seats as they watched Day Two’s stages unfold before them. With local knowledge in his favour, and gambling on studded tyres, Bryan Bouffier (Peugeot 207 S2000) was able to capitalise on his rivals to romp to the top of the leader board in only two stages from his seventh place Day One overnight position. The snow-coated stages saw Jan Kopecky (Skoda Fabia S2000) lose over 07min, Petter Solberg (Peugeot 207 S2000) dropped almost 03min as did rally leader Hänninen too. Bouffier, the reigning French Rally Champion, once again took matters into his own hands on Day Three, extending his rally lead to 28sec after the first stage of the day. He then managed this lead to perfection, driving within his limits yet also attacking the stages in his drive to the finish line. For this the 100th edition of the Monte Carlo Rally, the organisers only allowed the top 60 runners on the leader board at after SS9 to complete the final loop of four stages on the famous (and treacherous) Col de Turini.
On the Col de Turini, Bouffier had already wrapped up his win such was his confidence on the stages and in his Peugeot, but behind him the remaining podium positions and the valuable points-paying places were yet to be decided. With both factory-backed Skoda Fabia S2000s out of the top five, Skoda’s honour was defended by “Fast” Freddy Loix who claimed second overall after a hard-fought battle with Francois Delecour (Peugeot 207 S2000), Stephane Sarrazin (who went on to finish fourth overall), Petter Solberg and Guy Wilks (Peugeot 207 S2000). Peugeot UK’s Guy Wilks, who made a solid start to his season, was unable to climb higher up the leader board but his consistently fast stage times bid well for wins this season. Sarrazin, the early pace-setter, was amongst the losers on the snowy stages on Day Two as he dropped to fifth overall, but on Day Three he managed to win four stages to reel in the lost time to edge closer to fourth place. In SS11, his car’s gearbox became stuck in one gear, and this saw him lose more valuable time to his competition and drop to fifth, but his Peugeot France mechanics
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Issue 167 • 27 Jan 2011
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swopped out his gearbox in 15min and enabled him to charge through the remaining two stages to not only regain fourth but to move up to third. Sarrazin then took a time penalty to promote Guy Wilks to third, as Sarrazin will not be contesting any other IRC events in 2011 as he concentrates on his circuit racing commitments. Winner of the Monte Carlo Rally in 1994 and highly talented World Rally Championship driver for many a season, Francois Delecour took to this year’s stages with aplomb. Until the snowy stage SS7 and SS8, Delecour was riding comfortably in 7th overall, but with experience second to none on these stages, Delecour made the correct tyre choices to enable him to charge up the leader board. At one time he was in second place, but his older-specification 207 S2000 was not able to keep pace with the factory machines around him. He ended in a commendable fifth. Nicolas Vouilloz, former downhill mountain biking champion 2007 IRC champion, is not afraid of speed. On this event, in which he finished seventh overall, he set a record for the IRC for stage wins: 75! Vouilloz, who suffered early setbacks on the rally after a year’s hiatus
from the sport, showed the pace he is known for, but it was a very determined Hänninen who snatched sixth place and on the morning of Day Three to never look back again as he powered his way to reel in the time he lost on Day two. Petter Solberg, in his IRC debut, was running as high as second on Day Two (until the snow and ice marred the stages) made incorrect tyre choices in his bid to regain lost time. He slipped to seventh position overall by the finish, but in a sad twist of fate his disappointing Monte Carlo Rally event hit new lows as his Peugeot 207 S2000 - which was hampered with alternator problems on the final stage - came to a halt on the road section after the final stage. As he did not arrive at the final Parc Ferme, he was not classified as a finisher of the event. Impressive in his IRC and Monte Carlo Rally debut was exFormula One racer Alex Caffi (Peugeot 207 S2000) to finish eleventh. Pierre Campana (Renault Clio) was the fastest of the 2WD competitors and Florian Gonon (Subaru Impreza) won the Production Cup. Of the 120 registered entries, a whopping 66 cars failed to reach the finish. These included PROTON Motorsports drivers P-G Andersson
and Chris Atkinson, Andreas Mikkelsen (Skoda Fabia S2000), Henning Solberg (Ford Fiesta S2000), Thierry Neuville (Peugeot 207 S2000) and Bruno H&H Magalhaes (Peugeot 207 S2000). OVERALL CLASSIFICATION 01) B. Bouffier/X. Panseri Peugeot 207 S2000 - 03h 32m 55.7s 02) F. Loix/F. Miclotte Skoda Fabia S2000 + 32.5s 03) G. Wilks/P. Pugh Peugeot 207 S2000 + 01m 19.7s 04) S. Sarrazin/J-J. Renucci Peugeot 207 S2000 + 01m 21.9s 05) F. Delecour/D. Savignoni Peugeot 207 S2000 + 01m 22.4s 06) J. Hänninen/M. Markkula Skoda Fabia S2000 + 01m 29.3s 07) N. Vouilloz/B. Veillas Skoda Fabia S2000 + 04m 47.8s 08) J. Kopecky/P. Stary Skoda Fabia S2000 + 07m 45.9s 09) G. Basso/M. Dotta Peugeot 207 S2000 + 08m 46.0s 10) T. Gardemeister/T. Tuominen Peugeot 207 S2000 + 09m 09.0s DRIVERS’ STANDINGS 01) B. Bouffier - 25pts 02) F. Loix - 18pts 03) G. Wilks - 15pts 04) S. Sarrazin - 12pts 05) F. Delecour - 10pts 06) J. Hänninen - 8-ts 07) N. Vouilloz - 6pts 08) J. Kopecky - 4pts 09) G. Basso - 2pts 10) T. Gardemeister - 1pt MANUFACTURERS’ STANDINGS 01) Peugeot - 40pts 02) Skoda - 26pts
Issue 167 • 27 Jan 2011
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SNO*DRIFT RALLY OPENS 2011 RALLY AMERICA SEASON Words: Staff Writer Pictures: Subaru Rally Team USA The new Rally America National Championship season will launch into the freezing winter of Northern Michigan at the end of this week. The Sno*Drift Rally will slide amongst the trees and frozen roads in Atlanta and Lewiston, Michigan. The images are post card beautiful. The stories are best-seller dramatic. The hot competition always heats up Sno*Drift’s frigid temperatures. Returning for the 2011 season is the Subaru Rally Team USA with BMX Legend and X Games star, Dave Mirra, and a new driver familiar to long-time rally fans, Britain’s David Higgins. Higgins is the 2004 British Rally Champion and the replacement in the seat left vacant by action sports star Travis Pastrana, who announced last month he’ll participate in NASCAR’s Nationwide Series. Higgins brings exceptional rally experience to the team having won the 2002-2003 SCCA ProRally Championships and is considered an instant top challenger for an American championship again. Meeting the Subaru blitz will be returning 2010 Rally America National Champions Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard from Quebec, Canada. Earlier this month they were named to the American Auto Racing Writers & Broadcasters Association All-American team for their success last season. They’ll be at Sno*Drift defending their title in an improved Rockstar Energy Drink sponsored Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X. The team had a phenomenal 2010, winning both the American, North American and Canadian Rally Series in addition to securing a bronze medal at X Games 16 Rally Car Racing event. Ex-Subaru Rally Team USA driver Ramana Lagemann almost won
the Super Production (SP) Class title last year. He steps up in 2011 with a new, more powerful Open Class “Team RallyTire” car to challenge the top of the field. In 2010 he won three of the four events he entered in the Super Production category and missed the title by just a few points at the end of the season. San Francisco Bay Area star Lauchlin O’Sullivan, one of the fastest rally drivers in North America with two consecutive championships for 2WD cars, also makes an appearance in the SP Class as an early favourite against other established SP drivers, more notably 2009 SP winner Jimmy Keeney. The always entertaining 2 Wheel Drive Class will see Chris Duplessis, last year’s national class winner, defend his title against a more focused young Dillon Van Way, 2009 2WD Class National Winner. Duplessis just announced his plans to compete in a newly built 2011 Scion xD to be called the “SPARCO Rally xD”. He’s a crowd favourite for his championship skills to drive a slow car VERY fast. Since the inception of the Rally America Series in 2005, the Sno*Drift Rally is traditionally the kickoff to the Rally America series that began in 2005. It features two days of racing on Montmorency County snow and ice. It is the only snow-covered event on the six event national schedule and normally attracts more than fifty domestic and international teams and legions of fans. Those fans will have plenty of opportunities to meet their favourite drivers and watch the snowy rally action over 120 miles (192km) of competition roads and a fan-friendly Super Special stage. It’s that Super Special that draws considerable attention during the event. It’s a location where spectators
can view an entire stage on a closed course and a spot where photographers and videographers can capture at least a taste of stage rally action. It takes place on Saturday at the Lewiston Sand & Gravel Pit off of Buttles Road. Parking is extremely limited. Admisssion is $5, however, organizers are providing free bus rides from Atlanta School and Lewiston Ace Hardware beginning at noon. Details of those opportunities are available on the event website: http://www.sno-drift.org. Sno*Drift begins in downtown Lewiston Friday at 13h00 with the Parc Expose. That’s essentially a car show before the competition day starts. Fans can meet drivers one-on-one and collect a spectator guide providing driving instructions to nearby viewing areas. The Saturday action begins in downtown Atlanta at 08h00 with another Parc Expose. Guides and event schedules can also be found at the event http://www.sno-drift.org. Sno*Drift organizers are proud to have Ralph Thayer Mazda join its Sno*Attack, a 2 Wheel Drive Class competition supporting grassroots rally competition. The Top 5 overall finishers of Sno*Attack have a chance to split $5,000 in prize money. Detroit area auto dealer, Ralph Thayer Mazda, is a traditional supporter of SCCA Rally Cross events and steps up its involvement in performance rally. More information can be found at www.sno-drift.org and www. thayerauto.com The Sno*Drift Rally features two separate regional events. The Sno Regional and Drift Regional Rallies will be run on Friday and Saturday respectively, again, to support grassroots and regional competitors. H&H