H&H-169

s e k a r b Hand s n i p r i a H & of rallying ld r o w e h t o t in t h your insig

Cover

THE 2011 WRC SEASON IS GO: ALL SET FOR SNOW AND ICE!

ISSUE 169 • 10 FEB 2011

Service Park

Breen readies for 2011, P6 Sandell moves to IRC, P8 Adenco 400 news, P9

Delecour in more IRC? P5

Ken Blocks in 2011, P10

http://wp.me/pkXc

Start Ramp

Parc Ferme

BRC and Irish rally news

PN, P N P12 N,

USA rallying snippets snip

RS, R S P15

WR and IRC WRC news updates new

PG for PROTON in IRC, P11

FIA’s YDEA for 2011, P10

DOCUMENTATION 04

Editorial Information

Editor Evan Rothman

Photojournalist Eva Kovkova

Contributors RallyBuzz, Motorpics, Newspress.

All content copyrighted property of HANDBRAKES & HAIRPINS, 200711. 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

WRC Rally Sweden EXTRA Delecour aims for more IRC in 2011 Fan Foto Framed

06

Features

06 07 07 08 09 09 10 10 11 11

Marathon 2011 season for Breen Detota posts solid start to 2011 Final rally outing for Metro 6R4 Sandell switches to IRC for 2011 Adenco 400 will be community project Hanninen to expand IRC campaign FIA Institute reveals YDEA Ken Block reveals 2011 WRC livery Weather talks in BRC Andersson signs with PROTON for 2011

12 12 14 14 14 14 15

Events Rallye Perce Neige review Galway Int’l Rally results SMM Stages Rally results Skibbereen 100 Isles Navigation Trail Qatar Int’l Rally review WRC Rally Sweden preview

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 H&H! Welcome to issue 169 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

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START RAMP Team & Event News

Videos

H&H AT THE WRC RALLY SWEDEN SHAKEDOWN

Fan Foto Framed

For this space this week, you’ll find more photographs from WRC Rally Sweden’s shakedown stage that took place on Thursday morning, 10 February. All photographs were taken by our photojournalist Eva Kovkova.

THIS WEEK’S BEST VIDEO << Tim Williams represented HANDBRAKES & HAIRPINS at the opening round of the 2011 Rally America season. This talented photographer also filmed the cars in action, and here is his series of video clips: http://wp.me/ppkXc-2uq 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

Issue 169 • 10 Feb 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 Steve White.

DELECOUR AIMS FOR MORE IRC ACTION IN 2011 Words: Staff Writer Picture: IRC Series French rally legend Francois Delecour is hoping to contest some more rounds of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge this season following his successful participation on Rallye Monte-Carlo last month.

The 48-year-old ran as high as second overall at one point and set a fastest stage time before eventually settling for fifth position in a privateer Peugeot 207 Super 2000.

He is now looking to contest the IRC rounds in Corsica and Sanremo – where he has been a frontrunner in the past – after being impressed by the strong level of competition in the IRC in Monte-Carlo.

“I have to say that I was amazed by how quick the action is at the front,” said Delecour, who only had one day of testing before taking the start of the centenary edition of the rally in his Enjolras Sport-run 207. “It was faster and more competitive than even the Monte-Carlo rallies I have done before in the world championship.”

Now Delecour is eager for action again.

“I would like to do some more, definitely,” he said.

“Corsica could be a good rally for me; also Sanremo – but I love going on gravel as well.” H&H

Download H&H’s FREE January Rally Calendar: http://bit.ly/hdWp0A

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SERVICE PARK Interviews

Exclusive columnists

In-depth articles

MARATHON 2011 SEASON FOR CRAIG BREEN Words: Staff Writer Picture: www.rallyprint.com On 24 October last year, Craig Breen secured a place in the inaugural season of the WRC Academy 2011 by winning one of six places at the Pirelli Star Driver Global Shootout in Salou, Spain. After hearing the news, Breen said: “It’s time for me to move on to the next step of my career.” Now as he turns 21 he is about to embark on that next step.

Breen has outlined a marathon 2011 season that takes in 18 events, six based within the WRC Academy and another ten, one off events based in Ireland and the UK. His season begins on the snow and ice of WRC Rally Sweden, where Breen will drive his Fiesta S2000 and the Waterford driver’s schedule also takes in Rally Estonia in July.

The Craig Breen Rallying 2011 season will be prioritised by his participation in the World Rally Championship Academy. The Academy consists of six events, all of which are European based. The series opens in March with the Vodafone Rally de Portugal, round two moves to Italy for Rally d’italia Sardinia in early May. There’s a break until late July when Breen returns to Jyvaskyla for Neste Oil

Rally Finland. All three events in the first half of the season are loose surfacebased and it’s not until round four when the Academy drivers taste asphalt for the first time. Round four in August is located in the Mosel region in Germany with the rally based in the City of Trier.

The second tarmac event follows as the Academy travels to France for the penultimate round and takes place on the first weekend of October. The finale to the inaugural running of the WRC Academy season sees the showdown taking place in Wales on WRC Rally Great Britain in November.

As the Academy Championship is a one-make series, using the Fiesta R2 model, and there are gaps between the Championship events, Breen has decided to concentrate his full attention for 2011 on the front wheel drive R2 car.

The team initially planned to utilise their current Fiesta S2000 and use the gaps within the Academy schedule to enter SWRC events throughout the season, but after re-evaluating the Academy and to maximize his ambitions, the team has targeted gravel and tarmac events at home in Ireland and in the British Rally Championship.

Breen is currently in Norway testing for WRC Rally Sweden. He will use his Fiesta S2000 for his opening

event of 2011, but then the Waterford driver will revert to his Fiesta R2 car that the team recently purchased. He will use this car on non-Academy events during the season. On the six counting Academy rounds, Brren will drive a Fiesta R2 prepared by M-Sport which comes as part of his Pirelli Star Driver Global Shootout prize in 2010.

Craig Breen Rallying 2011 calendar: 01) WRC Rally Sweden: 10-13 Feb (SWRC) 02) Rallye Sunseeker: 26 Feb 03) Willie Loughman Forestry Rally: 5 Mar 04) Rally de Portugal (WRC Academy): 24-27 Mar 05) Bulldog International Rally of North Wales: 2 Apr 06) Pirelli International Rally: 29-30 Apr 07) Rally de Sardinia (WRC Academy) 05-08 May 08) Jim Clark Rally: 27-28 May 09) Ravens Rock Rally: 26 Jun 10) Rally Estonia: 15 – 16 Jul 11) Rally Finland (WRC Academy): 28-31 Jul 12) Stonethrowers Rally: 7 Aug 13) Rally Deutchland (WRC Academy): 18-21 Aug 14) Wexford Stages Rally: 10–11 Sep 15) Trackrod International Rally Yorkshire: 23-24 Sep 16) Rally de France (WRC Academy): 29 Sep-02 Oct 17) International Rally Isle of Man: 28-29 Oct 18) Wales Rally GB (WRC Academy): 10-13 Nov H&H

Issue 169 • 10 Feb 2011

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FINAL RALLY OUTING FOR METRO 6R4 Words: Staff Writer

DETOTA POSTS SOLID START TO 2011 SEASON Words: Staff Writer Pictures: PlaftaPhoto The “I Heart Boobies” rally car driven by Erika Detota finished the Sno*Drift Rally, the first event in the 2011 Rally America Championship series. As a last minute entry, the team made it to Atlanta, Michigan to drive in a field of nearly 50 cars on unfamiliar and treacherous conditions including snow and ice covered roads.

Detota, in her second year of racing, has proven to be quick at adapting to situations on the rally stage, finishing the second day of rallying after some 130 miles (208km), fifth in Group 2 and ninth overall but not without struggles. “We left for Michigan in the middle of a snow storm, got a flat and had trailer troubles all before getting out of our home state.” Due to the delays the team was unable to participate in recce and thus would race without familiarizing themselves with the road surfaces and stage notes.

By the end of the first day, Detota started posting solid stage times.

An off-road excursion late in Day One and a broken tow hook left the team in the back of the pack for Day Two’s restart. Undaunted, Detota drove her way up the standings to finish the event respectively in mid-pack.

“Sno*Drift has been the most challenging rally for me so far, from getting here to adapting to new techniques of driving in the snow,” said

Detota. “I am proud to have finished and have learned so much.”

In support of the Keep A Breast Foundation Detota’s “I Heart Boobies” Subaru was a huge hit with spectators.

“Fans in Michigan are the best!” Detota exclaimed. “Enduring the cold weather to watch us rally is just awesome. I love interacting with fans and was inspired to see so many young girls interested in my team.”

Erika Detota plans to continue her campaign for the non-profit foundation throughout the season to attract awareness for breast cancer prevention. H&H

In the coming weeks, Stuart and Simon Larbey will be competing one last time at the Rallye Sunseeker International based in the forests of Ringwood in their iconic ex-works Metro 6R4.

The MG Metro 6R4 was an iconic “Group B” rally car of the 1980’s, a period renowned for the raw power and immense speed through the gravel forest stages worldwide. After 26 years of competitive rallying, this iconic car will have one final competitive outing before retiring from national events.

The car, currently owned by Stuart Larbey was a former works car, driven by UK rally legend Tony Pond in the famous 1986 Rallye de Portugal Vinho Porto. The 4WD, 6 cylinder MG Metro 6R4 was developed by Williams Grand Prix Engineering in the early eighties to compete on the international stage, achieving 0-60mph (96km/h) in 2.8 seconds, with a top speed of 130mph (208km/h). Despite limited success internationally, the car was and still remains a raucous crowd pleaser, famous for the high pitched roar that echoes through the forests as the car tackles the stages.

Stuart has competed in this infamous car all over the UK for nearly fifteen years and more recently used the car at events such as the Goodwood Festival of Speed, where Stuart won driver of the day in 2006 and 2009 respectively.

Driver, Stuart and co-driver Simon, a father-and-son team from Chichester have been rallying together for the last eight years in the 6R4 and are hugely excited to run this celebrated car competitively one last time. The Rallye Sunseeker has been the team’s local event for a number of years and the father-and-son team have mixed feeling for the event. Stuart remarked: “We are immensely excited and sad to end the cars competitive career in Bournemouth, it has been a pleasure to rally and we would like to thank all the support we have received over the years. Sadly, the car is not as quick as it once was, but does still spit flames from the exhausts! Nevertheless, we feel its right to retire the car now. We look forward to seeing you in the Ringwood forests in a few weeks.” H&H

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Issue 169 • 10 Feb 2011

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SANDELL AND SKODA GO ALL IN ON THE IRC 2011 Words: Staff Writer Picture: GEPA Pictures/Red Bull Rally After several successful season in the World Championships Patrik Sandell will now take the step to Intercontinental Rally Challenge.

At his side is new co-driver Staffan Parmander and backing him is Skoda Sweden in the biggest effort a Swedish importer has made in many years.

Sandell became the Junior World Champion in 2006 and placed second last year in the Super 2000 class competing for the Red Bull Rally Team.

This year the 28-year-old Skoda driver has chosen to leave WRC and together with Skoda Sweden he’s making a big commitment in the IRC with active support from the factory in the Czech Republic.

“When we started planning the season, adding all the factors, we soon realised that the IRC was the ideal solution for us this year,” said Sandell.

“Mainly since the competition in the

Super 2000 class is becoming much tougher there than in SWRC in 2011.”

One of the drivers Sandell and Parmander will have to face is Swede P-G. Andersson, with Sandell’s former co-driver Emil Axelsson in the right-hand seat. The starting field also holds names such as Andreas Mikkelsen, Guy Wilks, Freddy Loix and Han Kopecky. At the first round of the season in Monte Carlo last month around 40 drivers competed.

“If we were to stay in WRC there would be only a handful of drivers competing for the title. Here it feels like ten to fifteen drivers can win every race,” says Patrik Sandell.

But it’s not only the tough competition that attracts Sandell, it’s also the chance to sink his teeth into new and to him unknown rallies.

“I’ve done the Finnish WRC rally five times,” he said. “It’s a really great rally but I honestly don’t know if it’s very developing as a driver to do it a sixth time. I think this challenge will give me more in the long run.”

The step from SRWC also

means that the Swedes no longer compete for Red Bull Racing Team, even though Red Bull stays on as a sponsor. Instead they will race for Czech JM Racing, one of the teams Skoda Motorsport works with.

Having Skoda Motorsport in the Czech Republic onboard as an active partner means a good dose of basic safety in a material sport like Rally. The Swedes will race a Skoda Fabia S2000 Evo 2, with the latest specs guaranteed.

Henrik Svensson, Press Manager of Skoda Sweden: “Skoda celebrates 110 years in motorsports this year so there’s a long tradition and lots of experience behind this venture. It will be very exciting to follow Patrik and Staffan this season and if they succeed this year the future could be very interesting.”

For the Swedes the IRC season will start with Tour de Corse in May but already next week they will start in the Swedish Rally, taking place in Värmland 10 - 13 February. H&H

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ADENCO 400 WILL BE A COMMUNITY PROJECT Words: Staff Writer Picture: Motorpics The Adenco 400, opening round of this year’s Absa Off-Road Racing Championship on 11 - 12 March, has again been turned into a community project by the hamlet of Darling in the Western Cape.

Local landowners, businesses and schools have all thrown their weight behind the event that this year will incorporate about 30 kilometres of new route. The event is organised by the Cape Peninsula Motorcycle and Car Club with route planning and other issues now in their final stages.

“The response from the Darling community and people in surrounding areas has again been tremendous,” said route director Bill Bright. “They have again turned the race into a community project and this has made life a lot easier for the organising team.

“We have also found about 30 kilometres of terrain that has never been used before, and that will add a little extra interest for competitors.”

Bright added the route this year would not traverse the Mamre Trust and Kloof areas, but would now include sections on the famous Groote Post wine estate and the Oatlands Dairy.

“Although there is still some work to be done on finalising the route we are happy that the new sections will add an additional challenge to the event,” Bright added. “The route takes in a wide range of terrain and we have utilised just about every hill in the area.”

Race headquarters will again be at the Darling Club where the People Parc Ferme facility, the social hub of the event, will be in full swing. The race will this year be run over three loops of approximately 120 kilometres, and this will increase activity in the Designated Service Park (DSP) and People Parc Ferme where spectators can meet and mingle with drivers, co-drivers and technical crews.

The event will start with the Donaldson Prologue at 12h00 on the Friday. The prologue will be run over a route of around 45 kilometres and will determine start positions for the race proper the next day.

The race proper will start at 08h30 at the Darling Club and a userfriendly route offers numerous spectator viewing points all within easy access of the start/finish and DSP. Public access to the start/finish/DSP and spectator points is free of charge, and spectator guides will be available at race HQ. H&H

HANNINEN TO EXPAND IRC CAMPAIGN? Words: Staff Writer Picture: IRC Series.

Defending Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC) champion Juho Hanninen is likely to take part on more rounds of the series this season than previously thought, according to Skoda Motorsport team manager Pavel Hortek.

Beyond last month’s Rallye Monte-Carlo, which Hanninen had been dominating until an incorrect tyre choice for two snow-hit stages dropped him back to an eventual sixth place, the Finn’s only other scheduled IRC event was Barum Czech Rally Zlin in August.

Hortek said: “We were very pleased with what Juho did [in Monte Carlo]. His schedule is not confirmed and we cannot say officially, but definitely he will do Barum and I would imagine the rest of the season will be Cyprus, Scotland and some other rallies on asphalt.”

Running Hanninen on the final two rounds of the IRC makes sense for Skoda, with points and a half on offer on RACMSA Rally of Scotland and double points for the final round, the Cyprus Rally in November. H&H

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Issue 169 • 10 Feb 2011

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KEN BLOCK REVEALS MWRT’S 2011 WRC LIVERY IN VIDEO Words: Staff Writer Video link: http://youtu.be/YRpSsCRf4aI

DRIVERS CHOSEN FOR FIA INSTITUTE YOUNG DRIVER EXCELLENCE ACADEMY Words: Staff Writer Picture: Kevin Abbring Following an exceptionally high level of performance demonstrated by all participants in the Selection Event, 12 drivers have been chosen for the first FIA Institute Young Driver Excellence Academy.

The 12 drivers are (in alphabetical order): Kevin Abbring (21, Netherlands) Paul-Loup Chatin (19, France) Albert Costa (20, Spain) Alon Day (19, Israel) Philipp Eng (20, Austria) Robin Frijns (19, Netherlands) Timmy Hansen (18, Sweden) Egon Kaur (23, Estonia) Andreas Mikkelsen (21, Norway) Alexander Rossi (19, US) Richie Stanaway (19, New Zealand) Stoffel Vandoorne (18, Belgium) They will now be coached in the car by former Formula One race driver Alex Wurz and his company Test and Training International, and out of the car by former World Rally Champion co-driver Robert Reid and his company Elite Sports Performance.

Over the next nine months, the drivers will attend six separate workshops of between three and five days at different locations in Europe. The driving elements of the course include the development of technical skills, safety training, attitudes and awareness.

The human performance aspect will feature physiology, psychology, nutrition, media skills and career management.

Richard Woods, Director General, FIA Institute, said: “This selection event has been an incredible story for the FIA Institute. We started out with a process that was open to drivers across the world. After an exceptional response from the ASNs, we chose 18 drivers who arrived here in Austria on Saturday. From those 18 we have the 12 who will go forward for the season.

“But there really are no losers here. Those who haven’t been successful have spent three days in the company of world-class competitors and coaches and have had the opportunity to learn a huge amount. Now we look ahead to our first year with the FIA Institute Young Driver Excellence Academy. The drivers will spend a lot of time with Alex and Robert through this season, learning more about car control, fitness, psychology and, of course road safety.”

The first Academy workshop will take place on 26 February to 1 March in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Ken Block and the Monster World Rally Team are upping the ante for 2011 with a bigger and broader schedule of races and events. In addition to taking on more WRC rounds this year in the all-new Monster Energy Ford Fiesta RS WRC, Block will also be competing in Summer X Games, Gymkhana GRID, and select RallyCar rallies and RallyCross events in the United States.

“2011 is going to be really big for me and the Monster World Rally Team,” says Block “We’re doing more WRC races this year, kicking off the Gymkhana World Tour, racing in Summer X Games, filming Gymkhana 4, plus hitting up a lot of other rally-related events worldwide. We even have a few top-secret projects in the works. I’m a lucky bastard to be doing all this, it’s going to be an amazing year!”

Teasing the season, MWRT is releasing a three-part video series.

The first of the clips reveals the all-new 2011 Monster Energy Ford Fiesta RS WRC with its freshly updated livery. The Fortum Ski Tunnel in Torsby, Sweden set the background for this clip while the Monster Girls provided some additional eye candy.

In addition, Block and the Monster World Rally Team are also pleased to announce three new sponsors for the 2011 season. Joining Monster Energy, Ford, DC Shoes, Pirelli, Dirt3, Spy Optics, Hoonigan, Ryno Organics and Alpinestars will be Mobil 1 Extended Performance, Traxxas and GoPro. The Ken Block and Monster World Rally Team 2011 WRC schedule: WRC Rally Sweden WRC Corona Rally Mexico WRC Vodafone Rally de Portugal WRC Rally Argentina WRC ADAC Rally Deutschland WRC Rally Australia WRC Rallye de France WRC RACC Rally de Espana WRC Wales Rally GB H&H

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WEATHER TALK: HOW VERY BRITISH Words: Staff Writer Picture: Jakob Ebrey Photography Confirming the British obsession with the weather, The Dulux Trade MSA British Rally Championship is pleased to be working in partnership with Meteorological Services for a second successive year in 2011.

The company continues to offer an extremely reliable and accurate weather forecasting service to both teams and spectators for use during all seven events in the 2011 championship season.

Knowledge of weather conditions in advance is particularly important for teams and drivers on both asphalt and gravel. Preparation for wet, muddy roads or bone dry asphalt makes all the difference when it comes to taking those few seconds advantage, so combining an accurate weather report with the correct tyre choice and car setup can be critical to winning single stages or even an entire rally.

Spectators and marshals can also use the service to plan ahead, as the weather forecasts are specific to the events and aim to cover the area of rally HQ, service area and the stages as accurately as possible.

Meteorological Services’ weather forecasts will be available to

everyone from Monday 21st February when the big red “WEATHER” button goes live on www.rallybrc.co.uk or directly via www.brc-weather.co.uk.

Keep checking back as the week progresses, as the forecast is updated each day as the latest meteorological information becomes available. For more information on the Dulux Trade MSA British Rally Championship visit http://www.rallybrc.co.uk. H&H

ANDERSSON SIGNS WITH PROTON FOR REMAINDER OF 2011 IRC SEASON Words: Pictures: PG Andersson’s appearance for PROTON Motorsports on Rallye Monte-Carlo won’t be a oneoff after it was confirmed that the Swede would tackle several Intercontinental Rally Challenge events with the team in 2011.

The 30-year-old from Sweden, who made his debut for the Malaysian manufacturer on the centenary edition of Rallye Monte-Carlo last month, has signed an agreement with the MEM-run squad for the remainder of the season, starting with Rally Islas Canarias El Corte Ingles.

Andersson, a double Junior world champion, said: “It’s fantastic to have a season of driving confirmed.

The Satria is a great car and to have the chance to be working with a manufacturer like PROTON is very good news for me. There is some work to do with the car but in the short time I have been with the team we have made some big steps forward.”

PROTON Motorsports team principal Chris Mellors said: “Anybody who has seen PG driving up close can be in no doubt about the kind of speed he is capable of. We’re really looking forward to working with him this season.”

Details of Andersson’s teammate for the IRC round the Rally Islas Canarias will be announced in the coming months. H&H

Event Reports & Results

Action Photography

L’ESTAGE DOMINATES ALL AT TOUGH RALLYE PERCE NEIGE Words: Staff Writer Pictures: Andrew Harvey Photography Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard of the Rockstar Mitsubishi team opened the 2011 Canadian Rally Championship with a definitive win at the Rallye Perce Neige. Canada’s only true winter rally, the Rallye Perce Neige is also one of the longest, with more than 200kms of competitive stages covered in just one day of racing.

Teams started from downtown Maniwaki in the morning, running two in-town stages before heading into the forest roads west of town. Short and fast, the in-town stages rarely present an opportunity to win an event, but ample chance to lose.

Subaru Rally Team Canada driver Pat Richard and stand in co-driver Leanne Junnila were the first team to tackle the stages in their Subaru Impreza STI. Attacking right from the start, they set the pace to beat for rivals L’Estage/Richard in the Rockstar Mitsubishi. Both drivers hold multiple national titles, and after eight stages, the two teams were separated by less

than 01sec.

“Running first on the road can be really hard, but maybe Pat had the right tyre choice” said L’Estage, referring to the Subaru driver’s choice of his Yokohama snow tyres heading into a midday stage. Conditions were a difficult mix of snow and ice, and start order played heavily into what tyres would work best.

A timing error arriving at the first service resulted in a one minute penalty for the Subaru team, who broke a wheel a few stages later, losing a massive seven minutes while replacing the wheel. Taking a gamble on tire choice, Richard hoped to make up some time to get back into a points scoring position, vital in his hunt for the 2011 Canadian Rally Championship title.

“I can’t make the same choice as Antoine because we’re so closely matched, we’ll get similar times. To make up any time I need to gamble on tire choice and try something different,” said Richard.

With the pressure off, 2010 Canadian, North American and Rally America champion L’Estage was finding

it challenging to drive at the correct pace to keep his first place position secure.

“I have to find the right rhythm.

I can’t go too fast and make mistakes, but it can be harder to keep focus when you slow down.”

Further down the order, a battle was shaping up for the other podium positions. Bruno Carre and Yvan Joyal drove cleanly and smoothly all day, a style that earned the team their first National win at this event in 2010. The team finished second, nearly 30sec ahead of third place.

“It’s a great feeling, and our approach was similar to last year,” said Carre at the finish. “We tried hard to keep out of trouble, and that paid off.”

Swap Shop team-mate Craig Henderson and co-driver Peter Watt were struggling to find the right pace and were uncharacteristically further down the order, making space for 2010 Canadian Novice Champion Ugo Desgreniers and Erik Kirby to move up the leaderboard, in turn battling with “Crazy” Leo Urlichich and Martin Headland. In the final stages, Desgreniers moved into a comfortable

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third after Urlichich drove off the road.

For Desgreniers, the result is a career best, and one year anniversary of the his first rally finish.

“It wasn’t a perfect rally,” said Desgreniers. “The shifter broke and we had to drive with just a short piece sticking up from the gearbox until we could fix it. I’m so happy for the result, it’s amazing to have come so far in just one year.”

Richard and Junnila finished just off the podium in fourth place.

“It’s not what we wanted, and was a tough event, but still, there’s no excuses,” said a frustrated Richard after the rally. “I had a four minute gap to make up to get to the podium, and we made up about three minutes in two stages, but it wasn’t enough.”

Road conditions were especially tough for the two wheel drive teams.

Covered in slick ice, the roads made for slow progress and rough sections also took a toll on the cars. Just one team, Jan and Jody Zedril finished in their two wheel drive Mitsubishi. The brothers managed their pace carefully through the entire event, showing why they are reigning champions.

“This event was so much about survival, just getting to the end.” said Jan. “Once we knew that we were the only 2WD car left, we slowed down to make sure we would finish.”

Interim rally coordinator Terry Epp was very positive about the event, where remote locations and limited communications prove very challenging for organizers. The event has a 46 year history and the reputation of being a marathon event, demanding of teams and volunteers alike.

“We’ve been in a rebuilding process for this event, trying to ensure it has a long future. I’m happy to say that the rally ran extremely well this year and is good hands moving forward.”

The 2011 season continues 26 - 27 May, at the Rocky Mountain Rally, headquartered in Calgary. Though the event has been changed for this season, it still features the high mountain roads and unpredictable conditions that make the event so compelling.

The Canadian Rally Championship is comprised of six events held nationwide in a season that extends from February to November. The series is presented by Subaru Canada, supported by Yokohama Tire Canada and features contingency programs from Subaru Canada and Mitsubishi Canada.

The Canadian Association of Rallysport (CARS) is the official sanctioning body for rallying in Canada.

Rally car racing is often described simply as “real cars, real roads, real fast.” The all-season motorsport sees drivers and their co-

drivers take modified road cars to the limit as they achieve blistering speeds over closed-road courses that typically cover more than 150 kilometers of gravel, dirt or snow-covered roads.

Fans can get up close to the cars in the service areas and catch all the action from specially designated spectator points located at the best spots on the route.

For more information: http://www.carsrally.ca http://www.rallyeperceneige.com H&H

OVERALL CLASSIFICATION 01) A. L’Estage/N. Richard Mitsubisi Lancer Evolution X - 02hr 22m 33.6s 02) B. Carre/Y. Joyal Subaru Impreza WRX STi + 06m 02.3s 03) U. Desgreniers/E. Kirby Subaru Impreza WRX STi + 06m 30.7s 04) P. Richard/L. Junnila Subaru Impreza WRX STi + 07m 07.5s 05) C. Henderson/P. Watt Subaru Impreza WRX STi + 07m 24.2s 06) M. Dube/E. Losier Subaru Impreza WRX STi + 11m 10.9s 07) M. Bourassa/D. Paquette Subaru Impreza WRX STi + 12m 00.6s 08) N. Narini/M. Narini Subaru Impreza RS + 15m 49.4s 09) L. Maxime Rochefort/J. Milette Subaru Impreza + 15m 55.2s 10) S. Vincent/S. Vincent Subaru Impreza + 17m 21.0s

Page • 14

Issue 169 • 10 Feb 2011

Download H&H’s FREE February Rally Calendar: http://bit.ly/fdrmsh

GALWAY INT’L RALLY RESULTS Tim McNulty and Paul Kiely in their Subaru Impreza WRC have scored a very impressive win on this year’s Safety Direct Galway International Rally. Tim and Paul overcame some atrociously wet roads on their way to victory. They now lead the Tarmac Championship.

McNulty had all sorts of bad luck last season when he led many of the Tarmac rounds, but success eluded him. His last Tarmac series victory was the 2009 Killarney Rally of the Lakes.

Perhaps this past weekend’s win will signal the start of a successful run. Tim said at the finish: “This win has been a lot time coming. I have led the rally several times and I’m delighted now to get my hands on the trophy”. For 43 year old Tim this is his first Galway win while for co-driver Paul Kiely this is his fourth Galway Int’l victory.

Kevin Barrett and Sean Mullally drove a very controlled rally in their Subaru Impreza WRC to take second place. Alan Ring and Adrian Deasy were third in their Gp N Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution and bonus points will mean they are second in the Tarmac series. H&H OVERALL CLASSIFICATION International Class 01) T. McNulty/P. Kiely Subaru Impreza WRC – 02hr 09m 47.6s 02) K. Barrett/S. Mullally Subaru Impreza WRC + 05m 06.1s 03) A. Ring/A. Deasy Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution + 06m 08.59s 04) T. Doyle/L. Moynihan Renault Clio + 11m 34.07s 05) S. Moffett/J. O’Reilly Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution + 12m 31.1s 06) R. Forde/R. Ward Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution + 15m 53.5s National Class 01) T. Flaherty/P. Curley Ford Escort – 02hr 20m 23.9s 02) G. Dolan/C. Murphy Talbot Sunbeam + 05m 24.1s 03) N. Pierce/E. O’Leary Honda Civic) + 08m 40.4s 04) J. Folan/G. Myers Subaru Impreza + 12m 52.1s 05) A. Fair/J. Conneely Honda Civic + 13m 03.1s 06) P. Divilly/G. Divilly Toyota Corolla + 16m 44.1s Historic Class 01) E. Murphy/J. McCarthy Ford Escort RS - 0hr 57m 32.1s 02) S. Burke/M. Brady Ford Escort RS1800 + 03m 00.3s 03) J. Power/D. Kelly Ford Escort Mk1 + 05m 17.1s 04) A. Courtney/P. Soutar Porsche 928 + 08m 59,2s 05) N. Keene/S. Henaghan Hillman Avenger + 09m 47,0s 06) M. Johnston/W. Blackledge Austin Mini + 10m 09,2s

SMM STAGES RALLY RESULTS

AL-ATTIYAH WINS AGAIN IN QATAR

OVERALL CLASSIFICATION 01) J. McQuillan/D. McGrath Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution - 25m 55s 02) K. Graffin/G. Beattie Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution + 14s 03) J. Kennedy/J. Rowan Ford Escort MkII + 43s 04) R. Doyle/M. Nugent Ford Escort G3 + 54s 05) M. Williamson/G. Hamilton Ford Ecort MkII + 01m 08s 06) M. McDonald/R. Pitt Ford Escort G3 + 01m 56s 07) P. McErlean/M. McKenna Ford Escort MkII + 02m 06s 08) S. McNeilly/I. Lewis Ford Escort + 02m 26s 09) I. Craig/S. Pollock Ford Escort MkII + 03m 24s 10) M. Braniff/B. Savage Ford Escort MkII + 03m 31s

Words: Evan Rothman

SKIBBEREEN 100 ISLES RESULTS OVERALL CLASSIFICATION 01) A. Kierans/A. McAdoo Subaru Impreza – 32 marks 02) A. Shinnors/G. Shinnors Subaru Impreza – 45 marks 03) R. Cassidy/P. Phelan Vauxhall Vectra – 118 marks 04) D. Whelton/B. O’Sullivan Mazda 323 – 166 marks 05) C. Kelly/S. Johnston Subaru Impreza – 224 marks 06) G. O’Connell/D. O’Donovan Subaru Impreza – 226 marks 07) C. O’Neill/D. Hayes Subaru Impreza – 328 marks 08) D. Quinn/N. McCloughry Toyota Sprinter – 390 marks 09) D. Butler/O. McCarthy Nissan Sunny – 410 marks 10) F. Murphy/I. McCarthy Nissan Sunny – 433 marks Semi-Experts Class 01) D. Whelton/B. O’Sullivan Mazda 323 - 166 marks 02) C. Kelly/S. Johnston Subaru Impreza - 224 marks 03) J. Kenneally/K. Carmody Vauxhall Vectra – 776 marks Novices Class 01) D. Butler/O. McCarthy Nissan Sunny - 410 marks 02) B. McCarthy/S. Quin Subaru Impreza – 496 marks Beginners Class 01) D. Quinn/N. McCloughry Toyota Sprinter - 390 marks 02) F. Murphy/I. McCarthy Nissan Sunny - 433 marks 03) S. Clarke/E. McCarthy Opel Corsa – 460 marks

Qatar’s Nasser Al-Attiyah claimed a record-breaking ninth successive victory in the 2011 Qatar International Rally, round one of the FIA Middle East Rally Championship (MERC), this past weekend.

At the wheel of his new Ford Fiesta S2000, the 2011 Dakar Rally winner overcame a serious propshaft problem on Day Two to overtake the overnight leader Mubarak Al-Hajri and then stamped his authority on the event to win by a dominant margin of 03m 38.8sec. It was the six-time regional champion’s 39th MERC win and a tenth for his Italian co-driver Giovanni Bernacchini.

“I always felt as though we could do it and I say a special thank you to my team for doing a tremendous job in keeping my car going,” said Al-Attiyah.

“Winning in Qatar is always special for me, and it is a great feeling to get the new championship off to a winning start.”

Mubarak Al-Hajri’s dream to become the first individual to win a round of the MERC as a driver and a co-driver was not to be at this event.

The talented and quick Qatari drove consistently quick over the closing stages of the event with to claim a convincing second position in the overall standings, and this also meant he claimed overall victory of the Qatar Rally Championship’s round three with his Subaru Impreza.

The UAE’s Sheikh Abdullah Al-Qassimi became faster as the event progressed in his new Ford Fiesta S2000 and third overall was sufficient for him and his English co-driver Steve Lancaster to claim second position on the MERC standings.

Only ten crews finished this event of high attrition. H&H OVERALL CLASSIFICATION 01) N. A-Attiyah/G. Bernacchini Ford Fiesta S2000 - 02hr 25m 01.1s 02) M. Al-Hajri/Y. Aref Subaru Impreza N4 + 03m 38.8s 03) S. Al-Qassimi/S. Lancaster Ford Fiesta S2000 + 04m 18.2s 04) E. Al-Nejadi/A. Al-Shraah Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX + 13m 05) S. Al-Suwaidi/B. Ghazzawi Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX + 18m 06) A. Hijazi/J. Matar Skoda Fabia S2000 + 20m 05.1s 07) J. Al-Marri/J. Carlin Subaru Impreza N4 + 23m 53.2s 08) M. Al-Marri/K. Koder Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX + 32m 09) N. Al-Majali/N. Shnoudeh Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX + 48m 10) F. Ashknani/H. Gadanfar Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX + 01hr

40.2s 51.3s

03.9s 36.2s 55m 50.6s

Issue 169 • 10 Feb 2011

Page • 15

Download H&H’s FREE February Rally Calendar: http://bit.ly/fdrmsh

ALL SET FOR SNOW AND ICE Words: Evan Rothman Pictures: Eva Kovkova Equipped WRC Rally Sweden media accreditation, HANDBRAKES & HAIRPINS is able to bring news and pictures from the first round of the 2011 WRC season. Our talented photojournalist Eva Kovkova is reporting from the stages and has brought the pictures on this page to you.

The format is a familiar one, with the rally based in Karlstad, a single service park at Hagfors Airport and stages in the Varmland and Dalarna regions.

Seven of the 11 stages (each is used twice) are identical to last year, with only two new venues. Friday’s Lovhaugen test is unique in that it starts in Sweden, before crossing into Norway and returning to finish in Sweden.

Sunday’s Gustavsfors stage is also new for 2011. It has not been used since the 1980s and forms the season’s first Power Stage – broadcast live on TV and offering bonus points to the fastest

drivers.

The rally begins with a super special stage at Karlstad’s trotting track on Thursday evening. Friday’s opening leg is the longest and journeys to the rally’s most northerly point in western Varmland, before the second day ventures east of Hagfors. The final leg is the shortest, staying close to Hagfors before returning to Karlstad for the finish.

Event Itinerary: Thursday 10 Feb: Day One: Karlstad – Karlstad Start Karlstad (20h00) SS1 SSS Karlstad 1 – 1.90km (20h04) Finish Karlstad (20h44) Friday 11 February: Day One (cont.): Karlstad – Karlstad Start Karlstad (06h00) Serv A Hagfors - 15mins (07h10) SS2 Vargåsen 1 – 24.63km (07h58) SS3 Likenas 1 – 20.78km (09h39) SS4 Løvhaugen 1 – 19.26km (10h55) Serv B Hagfors - 30 mins (13h10) SS5 Vargåsen 2 – 24.63km (14h13) SS6 Likenas 2 – 20.78km (15h54) SS7 Løvhaugen 2 – 19.26km (17h10) Serv C Hagfors - 45 mins (19h00) Finish Karlstad (21h10) Total for Day One: 129.34km

Saturday 12 February: Day Two: Karlstad – Karlstad Start Karlstad (05h35) Serv D Hagfors - 15 mins (06h45) SS8 Lesjofors 1 – 15.00km (08h00) SS9 Sågen 1 – 14.23km (09h01) SS10 Fredriksberg 1 – 18.15km (10h06) SS11 Varmullsåsen 1 – 15.42km (11h08) Serv E Hagfors - 30 mins (11h56) SS12 Lesjofors 2 – 15.00km (13h26) SS13 Sågen 2 – 14.23km (14h27) SS14 Fredriksberg 2 – 18.15km (15h32) SS15 Varmullsåsen 2 – 15.42km (16h34) Serv F Hagfors - 45 mins (17.12) SS16 SSS Karlstad 2 – 1.90km (20h00) Finish Karlstad (20h40) Total for Day Two – 127.50km Sunday 13 February: Day Three: Karlstad – Karlstad Start Karlstad (05h30) Serv G Hagfors - 15 mins (06h40) SS17 Torntorp 1 – 19.21km (07h51) SS18 Gustavsfors 1 – 4.16km (08h43) SS19 Rammen 1 – 22.76km (09h37) Serv H Hagfors - 30 mins (10h43) SS20 Torntorp 2 – 19.21km (12h09) SS21 Rammen 2 – 22.76km (13h31) SS22 Gustavsfors 2 – 4.16km (15h08) Serv I Hagfors - 10 mins (15h58) Finish Main Square, Karlstad (17h23) Total for Day Three – 92.26km Rally total (competitive) – 351.00km Total distance - 2,059.89km Number of stages: 22 H&H