H&H-173

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

RALLY MEXICO A DUSTY WRC THRILLER

ISSUE 173 • 10 MAR 2011

Service Park

Testing times for IRC, P7 Sullwalds in charge, P6 Al-Attiyah DQ in Mexico, P5

Bulldog Int’l entries, P6

Block, Ostberg in 2011, P8

http://wp.me/pkXc

Start Ramp

Parc Ferme

BRC and Irish rally news

USA rallying W WRC,P12 snippets snip

OR, O R P14 New-look Toyota squad, P10

WRC and IRC WR news updates new Edwards takes second, P11

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

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Start Ramp - News Shorts Al-Attiyah disqualifed in Mexico Fan Foto Framed

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Features

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Sullwalds in title hunt for 2011 Bulldog Int’l entries streaming in Testing times for IRC’s top crews Block and Ostberg: On a chage in 2011 Maximum attack for Toyota squad Champs change camps Gearbox woes for Grint Edwards impresses with second

12

Events

12 14

WRC Rally Mexico review SAORRC Adenco 400 preview

Contact E-mail us evan.hhmag@gmail.com Call us +27 83 452 6892 Surf us http://wp.me/pkXc

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Welcome to issue 173 of HANDBRAKES & HAIRPINS, your FREE weekly insight into the world of rallying.

As always, I hope you enjoy this week’s exciting edition packed with news on Craig Breen’s growing CV, news from the USA, the UK and of course the rallying mecca that is Europe. To top it all, as crews ready for the respective South African Off-Road and Rally Championships, we bring you a big read once more this week.

Yours in Rallying, Evan Rothman

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Videos

EIGHT MORE ROUNDS FOR TONI IN IRC

NEW WMSC RULES FOR RALLYING

Words: Staff Writer

Words: Staff Writer

Toni Gardemeister will return to the Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC) on Rally Islas Canarias next month for the start of an eight-event campaign in a Škoda Fabia Super 2000.

Finn Gardemeister, who has formed a partnership with tyre firm Hankook, has been a regular on the IRCcounting Rallye Monte-Carlo in recent years but confirmation of his seasonlong campaign marks his first major foray in the series.

“The Škoda is a proven car in the IRC and the Hankook tyres have performed brilliantly on these events in the last couple of years so I’m delighted with the package we have put together,” said the 35-year-old, who will drive for his own TGS Worldwide operation alongside navigator Tapio Suominen. His programme will take in: Rally Islas Canarias (14-16 April) Tour de Corse (13-15 May) Prime Yalta Rally (2-4 June) Geko Ypres Rally (23-25 June) Barum Czech Rally Zlín (26-28 August) Mecsek Rallye (9-11 September) Rallye Sanremo (22-24 September) Rally of Scotland (14-16 October) H&H

The World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) met this week and among the raft of regulation changes to be edified into the various codes, this article outlines the decisions pertaining to rallying and cross country racing.

For the 2012 FIA World Rally Championship calendar has been “examined and will be officialised” before the end of the month, meaning that the WMSC wants to reduce the number of clashes of WRC with Formula 1.

With a revision of the minimum seat weights, the limit will be shifted from 150 to 160kg from 01 January 2012 in order to increase safety. Also, crews will be allowed a greater freedon on seat material, to enable competitors to use homologated seats with carbon shells at a more reasonable cost.

In the FIA Cross Country World Cup, an FIA Cup for T2 drivers and teams has been created with immediate effect to promote the series. This will be complemented with an FIA Cup for T4 drivers and teams in 2012.

With a great impact on the series, from 01 January 2013 forced induction petrol-engined vehicles in

Fan Foto Framed

the T1 category will be prohibited from competing in the Cross Country World Cup for safety reasons. H&H

BRC RALLYE SUNSEEKER H&H RALLY REPORT Words: Staff Writer Picture: Evan Rothman The 2011 season-opening BRC event the Rallye Sunseeker was as thrilling as expected, and provided many thrills and spills for the rally enthusiasts to soak up.

Video clips are used courtesy of “almostmarvellous”, audio clips are from www.rallybrc.co.uk and pictures are from Jakob Ebrey Photography for http://www.rallybrc.co.uk. H&H

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 173 • 10 Mar 2011

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Kris Meeke and Dani Sordo test the MINI Countryman WRC: http://wp.me/ppkXc-2CX

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.

AL-ATTIYAH DISQUALIFIED FROM WRC RALLY MEXICO RESULT Words: Staff Writer Picture: M-Sport Rally Mexico S-WRC winner Nasser Al-Attiyah was excluded from the results after the end was concluded after his Ford Fiesta S2000 was found to be in breach of the technical regulations.

Al-Attiyah won the S-WRC category by 13.5sec from fellow Fiesta S2000 driver Martin Prokop, finishing seventh overall.

However, at post-event scrutineering Al-Attiyah’s car was found to be in breach of the rules after the valve in the fuel cell ventilation system did not conform to technical regulations.

Following a hearing attended by BARWA World Rally Team management, the event stewards excluded Al-Attiyah from the results. The team decided not to appeal the decision.

This means Martin Prokop was promoted to winner of the S-WRC category in Mexico. H&H

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

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ENTRIES ROLL IN FOR BULLDOG INT’L RALLY Words: Cartersport Motorsport Media Picture: Jakob Ebrey Photography

ELEGANT FUEL BAT RARING TO GO RACING Words: Staff Writer Pictures: Motorpics The 2010 South African Off-Road Racing Champions are eager to start their title defense in the Western Cape town of Darling this weekend.

Karl-Heinz and Quintin Sullwald will compete in their completely re-built BAT Spec 4 that brought them their past two Championship crowns.

With new crews and new machinery entering the Championship, the father-and-son team are under no illusions that it will be an easy season.

“We have the best technical and support crew putting in huge amounts of time and effort to ensure the BAT Spec 4 is in the best possible condition,” said Karl-Heinz. “We have completely rebuilt the car and all its components for the 2011 racing season. The Spec 4 has proven itself to be one of the most reliable and consistent cars in the field and we are confident that we have

a competitive package to defend our championship with.”

The Adenco 400 round one of this year’s ABSA National Off-Road Racing Championship always proves to be a tough challenge for both crews and their vehicles. This event will start with a 60km Donaldson Prologue on Friday 11 March with the main event set to start at 08h30 on Saturday morning.

“We have been fortunate to retain all our sponsors and partners from last season,” commented Quintin. “We really enjoy racing in Darling. We like the terrain and there is always a good turnout of spectators. The quality of the premier Special Vehicle Class is ever increasing and we are looking forward to the challenge. It’s going to be important to score points in the first round to have a good base to start our title defense from.” H&H

With the opening round of the Dulux Trade MSA British Rally Championship (BRC) providing a thrilling spectacle on February’s Rallye Sunseeker, thoughts are now turning to another epic battle to be played out when round two of the series visits the Bulldog International Rally of North Wales on 1 - 2 April 2011.

Down in deepest Dorset, Scottish pair David Bogie and codriver Kevin Rae took the win in their Mitsubishi, but their eventual winning margin of 21.8sec didn’t reflect the intensity of battle between the fellow Mitsubishi pairing of Welshmen Tom Cave and his co-driver Craig Parry who could hardly be separated during the day.

Making his BRC debut in a four-wheel drive car, Elfyn Evans brought his Subaru home in third place in Bournemouth, just ahead of team-mate Adam Gould and with just over 30sec separating the top four crews at the finish, battle will be resumed when they converge on Welshpool in less than a month’s time.

Already entries are rolling in for the 51st running of the Wolverhampton & South Staffordshire Car Club Ltdorganised event, which is sponsored by Bulldog Security Products Ltd of Much Wenlock for the 15th consecutive year.

The event will be based for the second year at Welshpool Livestock Sales at Buttington Cross and as well as the International rally, it also incorporates The Bulldog Historic Rally, The Bulldog Challenge Rally and The Bulldog National Rally. H&H

Issue 173 • 10 Mar 2011

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Are these rally rookies? http://wp.me/ppkXc-2za

TESTING TIMES FOR IRC’S TOP CREWS Words: Evan Rothman Pictures: IRC Media Skoda UK Motorsport signed rising star Andreas Mikkelsen to drive their Sokda Fabia S2000 in this season’s Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC) series. The fast and fearless driver started his association with the UK team with dramatic exit on the very first stage of the IRC’s 2011 opening round the IRC Monte Carlo Rally held in January.

With an abundance of talent and rallying instinct, Mikkelsen’s new team never doubted its choice of the youngster and co-driver Ola Floene, and this has been backed up by a win in Corsica at the weekend. Although this was not a round of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge series, the outing served as an invaluable testing opportunity for the whole team.

The asphalt-based Ronde De La Giraglia event was held in the northern Cap Corse area of the island with ten demanding stages for the crew to sink their teeth into.

Asphalt stages are not all alike. Those used for this event were reportedly smooth, twisty, bumpy and very abrasive - a wide range of differing conditions for the engineers and Mikkelsen to overcome to set fast stage times.

Don’t forget that this was to be a test for Mikkelsen, and he wasn’t allowed to simply put the hammer down to try to win the rally in the first stage. A detailed testing plan had to be adhered to: Andreas started conservatively and gradually increased his pace, while the

team experimented with various damper and spring settings and engine mapping settings throughout the event.

After gaining important testing results and settings for use later in the season (and to benchmark conditions and set-up for the upcoming Isla Canarias round and the third round in Corsica the following month), Mikkelsen found himself at the top of the winners’ podium. With the confidence and speed he showcased throughout 2010, he drove this weekend’s event maturely to win outright by 02min 28sec.

“The main purpose of this rally was to do some miles as part of our preparation for Gran Canarias, and for us it was really good training in an environment which was a proper rally, not only testing,” commented Mikkelsen.

“With the stages here in Corsica repeated, we could gradually increase our speed without taking any risks because we got to know the roads so well. We started this event at a normal pace and by the last stage we were pushing quite a bit and the feeling is fantastic with the Fabia S2000 now. It’s been a really good rally and I feel like we are back where we should be. It’s great to record Škoda UK Motorsport’s first victory too!”

Meanwhile the IRC series has been gaining more momentum with a bevy of highly acclaimed drivers committing themselves to compete on selected rounds this season.

The most interesting name to appear on the entry list for the next event is that of Patrik Sandell, who has moved from the SWRC (S2000 World Rally Cup) with his Skoda Fabia S2000.

Sandell has stated this series to be more competitive than the SWRC, and I tend to agree, as there are not just five or six SWRC cars per event but in excess of 20.

Mikkelsen is one of the fastest drivers in rallying at the moment, and of the top five or so quickest S2000 drivers in the world at the moment. He does have stiff competition, though. Portugal’s Bruno Magalhaes (Puegeot 207 S2000) is not a driver to be discounted on his on-form days, and with him growing in confidence and experience each passing event he will soon be a contender for regular podium results.

The same can be said of Thierry Neuville (Peugeot 207 S2000), as this youngster is truly a rising talent. Like Jari-Matti Latvala used to be in the WRC and Mikkelsen in the IRC, he needs to drive more consistently and maturely to record the results he needs to satisfy his sponsors and to jot down on his CV. Should the PROTON Satria Neo S2000 become more reliable this season, then P.G. Andersson will be a driver to threaten the established IRC podium regulars. However, the PROTON seems unlikely to challenge the Peugeot, Fords and Skodas this season.

The factory Skoda team with Hanninen looking to dominate this year’s series will be pushed haerd by team-mate Jan Kopecky, and Mikkelsen will need to target one or both of these drivers if he is to succeed. However, there is still the Guy Wilks (Skoda Fabia S2000) threat too... Bryan Bouffier? Him too!

This is all a recipe for a tremendous remainder of the season! H&H

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Issue 173 • 10 Mar 2011

Watch the MINI WRC Evolution: http://wp.me/ppkXc-2AG

BLOCK AND OSTBERG: ON A CHARGE IN 2011 Words: Evan Rothman Pictures: MWRT and WorldRallyPics Ken Block is renowned for his jaw-dropping hooning antics in his famous YouTube videos, but he’s also a driver with considerable rallying talent. This was once more shown in Mexico this past weekend, his first repeat event of his nineevent WRC career. Mads Ostberg, who has blazed a path to the front of the pack after his spectacular drive in Sweden, has impressed all in the Service Park with his controlled and mature driving.

The WRC attracts the world’s biggest stars, aspiring champions and larger-than-life personalities. Its 13-event calendar runs over vastly different terrain each weekend and, in doing so, is unmatched in its demanding challenges it throws up for both crews and machines. The American driver Block, however, is not afraid of taking on the rally establishment and treacherous speed tests with his unique style and attitude. With a year’s WRC experience behind him, and his second Rally Mexico under his belt, Block showed all in the Service Park that he’s capable of running as a regular top ten in the WRC.

Block and co-driver Alex Gelsomino’s 2011 foray into the Mexican hills didn’t go according to plan, seeing them run into frustrating electrical issues on the start ramp before the event had officially been waved off. With the potential to finish in the top eight here, Block’s unfortunate luck saw them stumble through the weekend: Block/ Gelsomino were forced to restart under SupeRally regulations not once but twice. Consequently, Block was handed a hefty time penalty that ruled them out of the top ten. Another 20min was added to their overall time as a yet another mysterious electrical problem dropped them further down the leader board. The American’s never-say-die attitude saw him post an impressive series of stages times when his car’s electrical gremlins were under control.

In his attempt to reel in lost time and to post quicker stage times on a repeat stage on Day Two’s afternoon loop of speed tests, Block clipped a tree stump and it snapped a control arm to force him to retire once more from the event. He did however restart on Day Three under SupeRally rules.

“It’s hard not to focus on the mechanical issues we had this event, since without them, I would have likely

had the best overall finish of my WRC career,” said Block. “But regardless, from a driving perspective, I am very happy with our times here compared to last year. This is the first event we have gone into with notes already prepared, giving us an advantage we haven’t had before. And with this only being our ninth WRC event ever, I feel confident on our continued development this season, when we are already showing on pace to be sixth or seventh overall.”

“WRC Mexico is one of the toughest events on the calendar, partly due to the high altitude’s effect on the engines and the rugged terrain, so despite the electrical issues that plagued the team this event, I am very happy with Ken and Alex’s performance here as well as their perseverance each morning to press on after all the problems,” said team manager Derek Dauncey. “Ken [Block] was consistently only 1.1-seconds per kilometre off of the fastest Ford driver and 1.3-seconds per kilometre off the top time on each stage, which is an excellent pace for a driver who hasn’t even completed a full season of events yet.”

M-Sport Stobart Ford’s Norwegian ace Mads Ostberg has surprised all with his outright pace and

Issue 173 • 10 Mar 2011

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Ken Block jumps over Colin’s Crest Arena jump at WRC Rally Sweden 2011: http://wp.me/ppkXc-2zc

adaptability at slotting in at the sharp end of the field in brand new Ford Fiesta RS WRC. Finishing runner-up in Sweden last month, Ostberg made no qualms that his blistering pace in Sweden would not be replicated on the hot and dry gravel stages of Mexico as he’d not tested the new Fiesta RS WRC in these conditions before. Like his fellow Ford driver Block, Ostberg made an unfortunate start to his Mexican fiesta with a puncture early on Day One’s stages in the rocky Sierra de Lobos Mountains. Losing four minutes in the process, Ostberg pushed throughout the remaining stage kilometres of Day One to move up to 11th overall.

Over the following two days of rally action, the 23-year-old Mads Ostberg kept his right foot planted firmly to the floorboard to steadily reel in the top runners of the rally. Belying his complete lack of experience on this event, for it was his debut on the Rally Mexico, he powered to an impressive fifth position overall at the end of Day Three. Leaving no doubt in the minds of his rivals,

Ostberg would have been a contender for more points on this rally had it not been for that early puncture. In this sport, it is the recovery that crews make after such an incident that highlight their abilities and Ostberg has once more proven he belongs in the topflight category of rallying.

“I didn’t feel like taking any risks [on Day Three], our result was more than we had hoped for,” said Ostberg. “We gave away some positions after our puncture on Friday and we won some back [on Saturday and Sunday], so that is good. You cannot expect to come to a rally like this without much experience and to be at the top. The character of the roads was so changeable with some very different types of gravel. It is all about learning where you can push and how to drive on those types of conditions. We have come here to gain experience of every stage, to improve our pacenotes and to learn as much as we can for future years. We really didn’t expect to finish this rally in this position, so we are very happy.”

M-Sport Stobart Ford Team Principal Malcolm Wilson said: “Mads was very unlucky with the time he lost from Friday’s puncture, but he has done remarkably well to battle back and to finish fifth [on Sunday], especially as it is his first time here.”

With the likes of Block and Ostberg wowing spectators and challenging their rivals in the Service Park, the World Rally Championship lacks not in entertainment or competition.

Their different driving styles, one with neat and fast corner entry speeds and the other with a more aggressive and adrenalin-fuelled style, the one in his 30s and the other still in his early 20s, it adds yet more appeal to this demanding Championship. With both in Ford Fiesta RS WRCs, it is plain to see that they are on the pace in terms of speed with their factory colleagues and will surely give the Citroen crews sleepless nights in the future. The remaining 11 rounds of the series can but only get more exciting; roll on Rally de Portugal! H&H

Page • 10

Issue 173 • 10 Mar 2011

Watch the MINI WRC Evolution: http://wp.me/ppkXc-2AG

MAXIMUM ATTACK FOR CASTROL TEAM TOYOTA Words: Staff Writer Pictures: Evan Rothman It’s maximum attack for Toyota Motorsport and Castrol Team Toyota as it enters its second year under the stewardship of Glyn Hall.

“Last year was a transition year for the organisation as it changed management and moved to a new workshop,” says team principal Glyn Hall. “We faced a number of challenges but kept the Toyota flag flying high with by winning the Rally Manufacturers’ title for Toyota for the 19th time and doubled up with the Off Road Manufacturers’ title as well.

“For the 2011 season we have implemented a series of wide ranging improvements to the Auris S2000 rally car and designed an all new Hilux Double Cab for the ABSA Off-Road Series. We also welcome some fresh faces to the team with two new co-drivers on board.

“During the past year the level of competitiveness in the top class in rallying has increased dramatically, in part due to the arrival of fully imported vehicles. During the course of the last season we did a full competitive analysis of the Auris and realised that we had to make a number of focused improvements to the vehicle.

“Weight will always be an issue in competition vehicles and here the Auris has been at a little bit of a disadvantage compared to its competitors which are in the main derived from smaller class vehicles. A full analysis of the chassis resulted in us finding a number of areas where we could trim weight off. We revisited

the FIA S2000 rules to see if we had taken full advantage of these to eliminate unnecessary brackets and other elements that are used in the standard vehicle but have no purpose in the rally vehicle and found a number of areas where we could trim weight.

We also worked hard at slimming down components with a focus on weight but without compromising strength and reliability. The result is a much slimmer Auris for 2011 with a very worthwhile weight reduction that brings us close to our competitors.

“The next element that we felt could be improved on was the suspension. A change in the rules by the FIA resulted in the overall width of S2000 rally cars being increased by 20mm. We have been able to take advantage of this to widen the track of the Auris for added stability. At the same time we implemented a number of other changes in the suspension, including the adoption of the latest generation dampers.

“As far as the engine is concerned there is only so much that can be done within the framework of the regulations. Like the weight however, we took a close look at the engine to identify areas that we could improve on and arrived at a number of solutions that will add an edge to the Auris.

A feature of Toyota Motorsport’s enduring success has been the close working relationships developed with sponsors. For the 2011 season all the team’s major relationships have been extended.

The relationship with title sponsor Castrol is a particularly notable

one that has proved to be one of the most long lasting and successful in the history of South African motorsport. For 2011 Castrol will once again be the title sponsor with the team entered in both rallies and off-road events under the Castrol Team Toyota banner.

The Innovation Group that joined Toyota as a major sponsor in 2009 and continued to build its relationship with this successful team during 2010 has committed to the 2011 season. The Innovation Group acts as the administrator of a range of aftermarket ToyotaCare products that add value to the Toyota ownership experience.

The Imperial Group came on board with Toyota Motorsport last year as the team’s supplier of logistics support. Imperial provides the Hino truck tractor that hauls the Castrol Team Toyota transporter to both rallies and off road events with total efficiency.

Imperial also provides on event transport for the team in the form of a Quantum crew bus and other team member transport.

While not an element of the official works team structure, another enduring Toyota sponsorship relationship that goes back many years in the form of support for privateers is the involvement of Total South Africa.

Total is once again on board to provide valuable support for JP Damseaux and Mohammed Moosa in the S2000 class and Craig Trott and Stefanie Hugo in the A6 class, all in Toyota RunX chassis, for the 2011 season. H&H

Issue 173 • 10 Mar 2011

Page • 11

Ken Block jumps over Colin’s Crest Arena jump at WRC Rally Sweden 2011: http://wp.me/ppkXc-2zc

CHAMPS SWITCH CAMPS Words: Staff Writer Picture: Motorpics A bombshell burst on the Absa Off Road Championship with the recent announcement that South African champions Chris Visser/Japie Badenhorst have left the Toyota fold and will drive for the factory Ford Racing team when this year’s championship gets underway with the Adenco 400 this weekend.

Visser/Badenhorst, who last year won three races on the way to winning the Production Vehicle and SP Class Championships in the Visser Transport Toyota Hilux, will take over the Ford Racing Ranger from Neil Woolridge/ Kenny Skjoldhammer. After campaigning together for more than a decade, the veteran former South African champions will take a sabbatical from racing.

“In looking for a replacement crew we decided that Chris and Japie had all the requirements necessary to take the team forward, and we are delighted they accepted the invitation to join Ford Racing,” said Woolridge.

“Chris and Japie were faced with a tough decision, but for us to have the current South African champions on board is a win.”

The unassuming Visser said the offer to join Ford Racing had caught him and Badenhorst by surprise. The pair was set to campaign last year’s championship winning Toyota Hilux this season when the approach came from Ford Racing.

“Neil’s call came out of the blue, but it is a huge honour to be asked to drive for a factory team and Japie and I are very proud,” said Visser. “The fact that we are the current champions means extra pressure, but we are looking forward to the challenge.” H&H

GEARBOX WOES SLOW GRINT Words: Staff Writer Picture: RallySportMedia.com Youngster James Grint had his hopes of a top ten finish on the Malcolm Wilson Rally dashed when the Greased Lightning-backed Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX suffered transmission problems, the same problems that had blighted the team in pre-season testing.

Grint and co-driver Steve Greenhill managed to limp their car home to finish the event in 13th overall and sixth in Class N4.

The idyllic Cumbrian town of Cockermouth played host to the second round of the BTRDA Forest Rally Series this past weekend for the Malcolm Wilson Rally. The event took in 72km of gravel roads around the forests of Comb, Grizedale and Greystoke. The opening loop of stages saw Grint setting top three times in Class and battling for honours well within the top ten. “The car is getting better and I’m gaining more confidence. The Pirelli tyres grip so well I can just throw the car in and power out of the corners.”

The crew, still learning their new car, headed into the second loop of stages full of confidence, only to be hampered by their gearbox issues: losing second gear in Grizedale and having to nurse the car through the remaining three stages.

The pair finished 13th overall and sixth in Class: “I’m very happy to get to the finish considering the problems we’ve had,” said Grint. “I’m focused now on getting the car fixed and coming back, even stronger on the Somerset Stages next month.” H&H

EDWARDS IMPRESSED WITH SECOND Words: Staff Writer Picture: RallySportMedia.com Millers Oils ‘Rising Star’ and Swift Group-supported Matt Edwards took a fine second overall on Sunday’s Mid Wales Stages Rally piloting the Geoff Jones Motorsport Subaru Impreza on his first event of the 2011 season.

The Newtown-based event saw a strong field tackle of the best forest stages in the country, with Edwards/ Collis immediately on fine form.

The pairing were able to set second fastest stage times on both the opening tests ahead of a number of more powerful WRC Class cars in their Grp N Subaru Impreza.

After a service at the Sweet Lamb complex, the second half of the rally took place in the very fast and flowing Myherin Forest, where another two long stages would see the conclusion of the rally.

The duo continued to increase their pace as they acclimatised to the car. The resulting stage times showed a great improvement over the course of the day, pulling them even further clear of the closest challenger and to within 02sec on the final stage of Tom Cave.

Second position at the end of the event was a great reward stated Edwards: “Today has really ticked all the boxes for us in terms of what we wanted to achieve. It was also good to get out on some fantastic stages and get back in the groove ahead of our first championship round on 02 April, as unfortunately we don’t have the budget to carry out any major practice or testing before that. All in all, we have gained a lot from the day and really enjoyed the event.” H&H

Event Reports & Results

Action Photography

RALLY MEXICO A DUSTY WRC THRILLER Words: Evan Rothman Pictures: Citroen Racing, WorldRallyPics It was the first gravel event of 2011’s World Rally Championship and it produced the expected cheers from the rally fans and the hammer-and-tongs fighting spirit from the rally crews. Frenchman and seven-times World Rally Champion Sebastien Loeb and Daniel Elena topped the timesheets come the finish ramp, to record their fifth consecutive victory on Rally Mexico.

As expected, Loeb controlled the pace of the field from the front, but had stiff competition from his rivals.

His cool head and experience over the rough and demanding terrain saw the best driver of the weekend stand atop the winners’ podium.

What wasn’t expected was the pace of this new generation of WRC machines: in comparison to the previous running of this event, the fastest stage times this year were as much as 13sec quicker!

What wasn’t expected was the outright speed and reliability of the Ford Focus RS WRC on an event strongly

favoured by Citroen Racing over previous editions: the top ten overall positions were dominated by the Blue Oval’s crews, while Citroen only managed to see one factory entry reach the finish and privateer Petter Solberg finish fourth overall.

Having said that, Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team’s Mikko Hirvonen/Jarmo Lehtinen and Jari-Matti Latvala/Miika Anttila finished over 01min 38sec and 02min 23sec respectively behind the winners Sebastien Loeb/ Daniel Elena’s Citroen Total World Rally Team DS3 WRC. With absolute carnage on and between stages, no one expected to see the crews and cars be punished to the degree they were in the Mexican hills and mountains, but Loeb/Elena were consistently quick and drove a measured rally to see them bring in the Citroen DS3 WRC’s first win.

Loeb was embroiled in a rallylong battle with team-mate Sebastien Ogier/Julian Ingrassia, both crews testing the mettle of their machines.

This, not to be the last of a Loeb-Ogier battle in 2011, came to an anticlimatic conclusion on the first stage of Day Three. Ogier and Loeb were

trading places at the top of the leader board, with only a handful of seconds separating them. If I was a betting man I don’t know whom I’d place my hard-earned money on,as Ogier was showing all why he deserved the factory Citroen seat and Loeb was driving in his characteristic inch-perfect style. Ogier was in the lead of the rally at this point and pushed hi scar’s grip levels to their maximum in a bid to outsprint his teammate, but it ended in tears. (Click here to see a video of the crash: http://youtu.be/XlsAo8wOWhE).

That left Loeb, all on his own, to cruise through to the finish. For rally enthusiasts, however, there was plenty of action behind the fighting French at the front. Mikko Hirvonen, rally winner in Sweden, came home in second place overall and his lead in the Drivers’ Championship standings still intact with a healthy nine points over Loeb. Hirvonen, due to his leading the Championship, served as road sweeper on Day One. The slippery gravel cost him valuable time as fought to keep in touch with the leaders. Running behind the rally leaders on Days Two and Three, Hirvonen was able to make up some of

Issue 173 • 10 Mar 2011

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How the studded WRC car’s studded tyres work: http://wp.me/ppkXc-2z8

the lost time but was too far off Loeb, Ogier and Petter Solberg to hassle them for position.

Team-mate Latvala drove maturely through the stages, but his speed was hindered by two punctures.

Without these punctures, I wonder whether Latvala would have battled it out with the Citroen boys…

Petter Solberg’s enthusiasm and love of the sport is infectious. To see him at the front of the rally field, fighting for a win, is magical: his commitment behind the wheel was unmatched in Mexico’s speed tests. However, the Norwegian ace suffered mechanical problems on Day One that ruled him out of contention for the overall win but in for a podium finish.

With aggression and talent, Solberg whipped his Citroen DS3 WRC through the twists and turns of the stages, but his rally almost also ended abruptly when his gear lever broke off causing him to spin 360 degrees to then continue on his way to the stage finish.

This bizarre moment can be seen here: http://youtu.be/aQm0btlJQH8.

As the fastest privateer in Mexico and his pace in Sweden, Solberg

has signaled to the factory teams he is in the hunt not only for wins but for the Championship title.

Mads Ostberg/Jonas Andersson (M-Sport Stobart Ford World Rally Team) finish in fifth place with a powerful recovery drive, followed by his team-mates Henning Solberg/Ilka Minor who braved a unfortunate spate of mechanical gremlins to end the treacherous event in sixth place overall.

The only other remaining WRC Class machine to finish was that of Ken Block/Alex Gelsomino (Monster World Rally Team). They too suffered a host of electrical issues to drop them well down the leader board, saw them retire from the event a handful of times and restart under SupeRally regulations to bring his Ford Fiesta RS WRC to parc ferme in 11th overall.

There remain many unanswered questions after this event. Many are still wondering about the pace of the two cars, the Citroen DS3 WRC and the Ford Focus RS WRC. Which is faster and more reliable? It would be unwise to stick my neck out at this stage to proffer a name, and it helps nothing when even the drivers of these cars don’t know the

answer. This is the first season of the last few that I feel all drivers have a fair and straight shot at the Championship title. And, that includes privateer entries.

Don’t miss WRC Rally de Portugal later this month when we head to the scene of Ogier’s first WRC win. H&H

OVERALL CLASSIFICATION 01) S. Loeb/D. Elena Citroen DS3 WRC - 03hr 52m 27.0s 02) M. Hirvonen/J. Lehtinen Ford Fiesta RS WRC + 01m 38.4s 03) J. Latvala/M. Anttila Ford Fiesta RS WRC + 02m 23.9s 04) P. Solberg/C. Patterson Citroen DS3 WRC + 07m 38.4s 05) M. Ostberg/J. Andersson Ford Fiesta RS WRC + 08m 43.5s 06) H. Solberg/I. Minor Ford Fiesta RS WRC + 11m 10.0s 07) M. Prokop/J. Tomanek Ford Fiesta S2000 + 13m 35.0s 08) J. Hanninen/M. Markkula Skoda Fabia S2000 + 14m 48.7s 09) F. Villagra/J. Perez Companc Ford Fiesta RS WRC + 48m 17.2s 10) O. Tanak/K. Sikk Ford Fiesta S2000 + 53m 42.8s Drivers’ and Manufacturers’ Championship standings can be viewed here: http://www.wrc.com/results/

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Issue 173 • 10 Mar 2011

BRC Rallye Sunseeker - Review by HANDBRAKES & HAIRPINS http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usY9NHtRayY

TOUGH SEASON STARTS IN DARLING FOR OFF-ROAD Words: Staff Writer Bringing months of speculation and off-season antics to an end, this weekend’s Adenco 400 race kicks off the 2011 ABSA South African Off-Road Racing Championship in Darling, Western Cape.

Special Vehicle Category: The overall and Class A title fights went all the way to the wire last season, and there is every indication that much the same scenario will emerge this time around. There is no shortage of potential race winners in Class A, and last year twice showed that given the right circumstances Class P crews can also win overall.

Reigning champions Kallie and Quintin Sullwald (Elegant Fuel BAT) lead the Class A challenge in Darling. They will also need an abacus to keep track of potential challengers led by Herman Sullwald in the Sullwald Racing SVR, and Shameer Variawa/Siegfried Rousseau who will this season campaign the exBevan Bertholdt BAT Spec 4 that will now run in Total Motorsport colours.

Both crews were involved in last year’s Championship battles and nothing is likely to change. Nick and Ryan Harper join Evan Hutchison/Danie Stassen in the Motorite squad with the team taking on a formidable look, with the Harpers in a BAT and former champion Hutchison and Stassen in the Revo 4×4.

Keith du Toit/Ashley Thorn (White Star Racing BAT) and Guy Henley/Warwick Goosen (Century Racing Jimco) were a shock one/two on the RFS Magalies 400 last year, and one cannot rule out further surprises. The aggressive Jimmy Zahos/Stefan Coetzee (Cobalt Racing Porter) scored a couple of podium finishes last season, but it will be a case of all eyes on Johan van Staden/ James Rossouw in the Atlas Copco BAT Spec 5. The Pretoria crew made history last season when they became the first Class P crew to win a national race overall and finally finished third in the Special Vehicle Championship.

The possibility of Class P crews again being in the right place at the right time to win races cannot be ruled out, and that adds spice to the equation.

With van Staden/Rossouw now in Class A the Championship is thrown wide open, and again there is no shortage of challengers.

Archie Rutherford (Regent Racing Jimco) won the RFS Magalies 400 overall, former champions Johan and Etienne Bezuidenhout are reunited in the

Adenco BAT. Marius and Jolinda Fourie (PHB BAT) were perhaps the stand out rookie crew to emerge last season, while John Thomson/Clinton McNamara showed plenty of pace in a Zarco.

Pace is no problem for Colin Matthews/Alan Smith (Century Racing CR3) and they will be disappointed if they don’t win races. Andrew Makenete/ Thabo Mochebelele will be unknown quantities in a Zarco, but a combination of experience and some new faces gives the Class an exciting look.

Experience will be the watchword in Class B with veteran Wolf-Peter Pfumfei returning to regular national competition in a WPP. He will be up against the equally experienced Coetzee Labuscange and daughter Sandra in the Raysonics Zarco. Keith Makenete also has plenty experience and will now be partnered by Letlatsa Lehana in another Zarco.

Production Vehicle Category: The surprise announcement on the eve of the Adenco race, that current South African Champions Chris Visser/Japie Badenhorst have joined the factory Ford Racing team, has added impetus to the start of a season dripping with the potential for drama. After more than a decade of competing together, former Champions Neil Woolridge/Kenny Skjoldhammer will hand over the Ford Racing Ranger to Visser/Badenhorst.

Quality fields and half a dozen or more potential race winners at each of the eight championship events provide the makings of another highly competitive and interesting season. After winning just three of last season’s races between them the factory Castrol Toyota Hilux and Ford Racing Ranger teams will be under pressure to put the privateers in their place.

Toyota has also lost stalwart Robin Houghton and Anthony Taylor will be partnered with Chris Birkin. Former Champions Duncan Vos/Rob Howie stay together in the second factory entry, and with only two wins last season – one apiece for Vos and Taylor – team principal Glyn Hall will be hoping for a better return this year.

Although hurt by the loss of Visser/Badenhorst, the Toyota factory effort is backed up by a solid band of privateers, and Atlas Copco Toyota Hilux crew Gary Bertholdt/Andre Vermeulen are also potential race winners. Malcolm Kok/Johan Burger could develop into a formidable combination, while Pieter Ruthven/Rudi Britz (Ruwacon Toyota Hilux) and Dana and Willem Vos (Vossies

Toyota Hilux) had their shining moments last season. There will still be a member of the Visser family in the Toyota ranks: former Class E Champions Jannie Visser, brother of Chris, and Joks Le Roux will campaign the Championship-winning Toyota Hilux.

The RFS BMW team has a pair of jewels in former champions Hannes Grobler/Hennie ter Stege. Their win on the Toyota Kalahari Botswana 1000 Desert Race was a highlight of last season and experience could see them develop into immediate Championship contenders. A second RFS BMW X3 is also in the pipeline for Christiaan du Plooy/Henk Janse van Vuuren. They will run a Toyota Hilux in the Western Cape, and will be looking for a steady start to their campaign.

Terence Marsh was surprise winner of the Sun City 400 last year, and the two-car Regent Racing Nissan Navara squad will also aim at consistency and regular top five finishes. Marsh will this year be partnered by George Smalberger while Mike Whitehouse and Mathew Carlson continue an association that has seen them build a reputation for reliability.

The early focus on Class D will be the battle between reigning champions Deon Venter/Ian Palmer (4×4 Mega World Toyota Hilux), and teenager Lance Woolridge/Ward Huxtable in the Ford Racing Ranger.

With Woolridge and Huxtable out of the Class E equation the favourites at the opening race will be Gerald le Roux/Willem Pretorius (Ruwacon Ford Ranger).

Race headquarters, the start/ finish and designated service point will all be located at the Darling Club. The Donaldson Prologue to determine start position will start at 13h00 on 11 March and the race at 08h30 on 12 March. H&H