H&H-181

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

Issue 181 • 06 May 2011

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Volkswagen to return to WRC! Start Ramp Service Park Parc Ferme

Bouffier motivated for Corsican IRC Rally fever blows into Emahlaleni WRC Rally d’Italia Sardegna previewed

“The WRC is the pinnacle of rallying; it’s all about being the world’s best and Volkswagen is right up there as one of the world’s best automotive brands” - Simon Long, p6.

The world’s only dedicated rally eMagazine - every week!

Editorial Information Editor Evan Rothman

04 News 04 05

Start Ramp - News Shorts Tragic accident at Olympus Rally

Features s 06 Feature Photojournalist Eva Kovkova

Contributors RallyBuzz, Motorpics, Newspress, Liga Stirna and Olivia Gauch.

All content copyrighted property of HANDBRAKES & HAIRPINS, 2007-11. 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.

06 08 08 09 09 10 10

Volkswagen returns to WRC in 2013 Rally fever blows into Emalahleni Andreucci set for Rally Costa Smeralda Success for Taylor in Britain Tuthill Porsche Challenge: two leaders 96-car entry lists KZN sees new off-road event

12 Events 12 14 15 16

RA: Olympus Rally review BRC: Pirelli Rally review BRCC: Pirelli Challenge Rally review WRC: d’Italia Sardegna preview

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Welcome to H&H! Welcome to issue 179 of HANDBRAKES & HAIRPINS, your FREE weekly insight into the world of rallying.

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Team News Videos there will be lots of other drivers who are also fast on Tarmac but I am confident.”

Sandell prepared for his IRC debut with a test and an outing on Rally Presov in Slovakia. Although the former Junior world champion reported that his test was a success, his rally was hampered when he picked up two front punctures on the same stage and lost eight minutes in the process. H&H

Peugeot’s Bouffier motivated for Corsica Words: Staff Writer Bryan Bouffier says competing on French soil will make him even more motivated when he resumes his bid for Intercontinental Rally Challenge glory on Tour de Corse-E.Leclerc next week.

The Rallye Monte-Carlo winner, currently two points adrift of Juho Hanninen in the race for the 2011 drivers’ title, will contest the all-asphalt event in a Peugeot France 207 Super 2000 alongside co-driver Xavier Panseri.

He said: “I will try to drive in the same way as I do on every rally.

Okay I will be in France so I will be a little bit more motivated but on each race I am always motivated. It won’t change anything.”

Thirty-two-year-old Bryan Bouffier has never rallied in Corsica before but has some experience of the island’s demanding roads when former Peugeot Sport competitions boss and current IRC Motorsport Development Manager Jean-Pierre Nicolas invited him to test for Peugeot on the island a few years ago. H&H

Sandell guns for debut IRC podium Words: Staff Writer Patrik Sandell will target a podium finish when he makes his Intercontinental Rally Challenge debut on Tour de Corse-E.Leclerc next week in a Skoda Swedensupported Fabia Super 2000.

The 29-year-old from Ostersund in Sweden will contest seven rounds of the IRC this season alongside experienced co-driver Staffan Parmander. He says a podium finish will be the perfect way to start his campaign.

“My two best results last year were on Tarmac so I will push for a podium in Corsica,” said Sandell. “I know

Skoda Deutschland commits to four IRC rounds Words: Staff Writer Skoda Auto Deutschland will enter a brace of Fabia Super 2000s on selected rounds of this year’s Intercontinental Rally Challenge.

Seven-time German champion Matthias Kahle, 42, and rising star Mark Wallenwein, 24, will contest Barum Czech Rally Zlin in late August followed by the Mecsek Rallye in Hungary in midSeptember. Kahle will also take part on RACMSA Rally of Scotland in October and the season-closing Cyprus Rally, where Wallenwein could return to the line-up in a second entry.

“I am happy to come back to the international rally scene again,” said Kahle, who won last year’s German title in a Fabia S2000 and will be co-driven

by Peter Gobel. “But of course it will be a difficult task because the teams in the IRC are very evenly matched and the top ones have a big advantage in experience. I look forward to the gravel rallies because I enjoy to drive on that surface very much.”

Wallenwein already has prior IRC experience after contesting Rallye Monte-Carlo in January. He finished 21st alongside co-driver Stefan Kopczyk after being delayed on stage eight with a damaged wheel.

Skoda Auto Deutschland has run a rally team since 2001.

Confirmation of its IRC bid brings the number of Skoda importers actively involved in the series to four and further increases the total number of manufacturer importers participating in the IRC. H&H

Event News Breaking News

MML Sports heads to Latvia Words: Staff Writer MML Sports will be heading for Latvia next week, as the company debuts its Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X in R4 specification on the Talsi Rally, the third round of their national championship. The car will be driven

by Jari Ketomaa, and the company hopes the experienced Finn will be able to demonstrate the advantages offered by this latest specification from MML Sports.

The company has a history of debuting its latest developments in the Baltic nation; two years ago, it unveiled its version of the Group N Evo ,X and last year re-affirmed its speed with British drivers Mark Higgins and Tom Cave both demonstrating excellent pace.

There is currently just a single Super2000 car on the entry list for Talsi Rally, the Skoda Fabia S2000 of Swede Per-Arne Saav for MML Sports to compare the pace of the R4 Lancer against. The new regulations have been developed to improve the competitiveness of Group N/R4 cars against the lighter S2000s.

However, while there is only one S2000, the field is predominantly made up of Group N cars, including several regulars from the FIA Production Car World Rally Championship, which should allow the company to gauge the R4’s pace compared with the heavier cars. The experience of Ketomaa will be doubly beneficial, as the Finn will have come almost directly from Sardinia, where he will have taken part in Rally d’Italia in a Group N Lancer, so will be able to give the team almost instant feedback on the differences and benefits of the R4 car.

In addition to Ketomaa in the R4 Lancer, the company will also run Raimonds Kisiels in the Lancer WRC and the three Russian drivers in Group N Lancers.

The event begins on 14 May amd concludes on the Sunday afternoon at 16h45. H&H

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 181 • 06 May 2011 • Page 05

Tragic accident at Olympus Rally Words: Staff Writer Picture: WorldRallySport.com/Scott Rains On Saturday 30 April tragedy struck the close knit rally racing community during the Olympus Rally based in Ocean Shores, Washington, USA. 31-year-old driver Matthew Marker of Elk Rapids, Michigan did not survive injuries sustained in a racing accident.

Marker was in his fifth year of participating in the Rally America National Championship and was a popular driver among his peers. Marker was known to have ambitions of improving his Championship standings and taking part in building the sport’s popularity.

Matthew Marker’s co-driver Christopher Gordon was not seriously injured in the accident.

The crash occurred when Marker’s car went off the road on a right turn, during SS6, impacting a tree with the driver’s side of the car. Medical personnel responded to the scene quickly, but could not resuscitate Marker.

The sport of rally in North America has not had a competitor-related fatality since 2003.

RallyCar Managing Director, J.B. Niday, knew Marker well describing him as, “a generous, loveable personality that wouldn’t think twice about offering parts to other drivers. He loved the sport and was a unique character from the first day he showed up at the Sno*Drift Rally four years ago.”

Team 600 co-driver Jake Blattner was close to Marker and remembers him as “a very passionate, energetic, hip gear head that used to turn up with glowing neon lights under

his car on the night stages which the fans loved.” Like everyone in the sport, Jake is shaken but remains convinced that the organization does everything it can to keep competitors safe. “It’s a dangerous sport but that’s what sets it apart. Its you against the wild open road and the clock.”

Olympus Rally organisers and RallyCar officials decided to conclude the Rally American National Championship event at the end of Special Stage 6 and will award points based on those finishing times. The coinciding MaxAttack! 2-Wheel-Drive Series also concluded their event out of respect to the deceased and his family and friends. The John Nagel Regional Rally did continue as scheduled on Sunday and National competitors were given the option to enter. H&H

THIS WEEK’S BEST VIDEO << Here is a video tribute to Henri Toivonen from 1986, with scenes of the rally legend in action on the world’s stages for you: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSu2EYrj0Wc Send evanrothman@gmail.com your favourite rallyrelated 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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Interviews Features

Profiles Technical

Volkswagen announces return to WRC for 2013 Words: Evan Rothman Picture: Volkswagen Motorsport Yesterday’s news that Volkswagen will be returning to the FIA World Rally Championship from 2013 has been heralded by the series promoter as further proof of the increasing value of the sport to manufacturers and its relevance to their production cars.

At a presentation in Olbia, Sardinia, yesterday, Volkswagen confirmed a five-year commitment to the WRC with its first full campaign coming in 2013 following an 18-month period of testing and development.

The German firm will develop H&H of its popular a World Rally Car version

Polo model, designated the Polo R WRC, complete with four-wheel drive and a 1.6-litre turbo engine to conform to the new-generation World Rally Car regulations launched for this season.

With Citroen, Ford and – from this week’s Rally d’Italia Sardegna – MINI already battling for glory in rallying’s showcase category, Simon Long, CEO of North One Sport, said VW’s decision to switch its focus from off-road events to the WRC was another boost for the all-action championship.

“The WRC is the pinnacle of rallying; it’s all about being the world’s best and Volkswagen is right up there as one of the world’s best automotive brands,” said Long. “Coming hard on the heels of the BMW and MINI

announcement this is yet another vote of confidence in the future direction of the WRC. The WRC is all about innovation whether that’s on the sporting, technical or promotional side. We’re finding new ways to connect with fans, new ways of developing the sport and the technology beneath it, and that very much mirrors what VW are looking to do as a business and with its Polo.

“We’re providing evidence to car manufacturers that we can give them something unique with which to connect with fans and their audiences around the world. It’s is not just about performance or price, it’s also about an emotional connection with the car - and that’s where the WRC comes in. There’s no other motorsport that provides

Issue 181 • 06 May 2011 • Page 07

such a close link between the road, the competitive action and the showroom.

“The fact that Volkswagen has 10,000 dealers around the world also provides us both with an opportunity to reach out to an ever wider audience.

Volkswagen’s pedigree on the Dakar Rally is a perfect training ground for what they can achieve in the WRC. They’ve shown what they can do on sand – now let’s see what they can do on sand, gravel, ice, asphalt and snow.”

Since it was introduced two years ago, the latest Polo has become one of the most successful models in its category and more than 500,000 were sold in 2010. Produced at plants in Europe, Russia, South Africa, India and Brazil, Volkswagen aims to make the

Polo the most successful small car in the world.

“In two years the Polo has become a global brand,” explained Volkswagen’s head of marketing, Luca de Meo. “The WRC is a global platform and this is one very important reason from a marketing and brand point of view we supported this project. With 13 races on four continents this event has enormous media impact. It is broadcast in more than 80 counties - I think more than 500 million people are enthusiastic about it – but this is just the beginning. It is for sure one of the most important event platforms in the world.”

After four rounds this season Sebastien Loeb, driving a Citroen DS3 WRC, heads the drivers’ standings

from Ford Fiesta RS WRC pilot Mikko Hirvonen. Citroen and Ford jointly top the manufacturers’ table. For more information about the WRC, please visit http://www.wrc.com. H&H

Issue 181 • 06 May 2011 • Page 8

Rally fever blows into Emalahleni Words: Evan Rothman Pictures: Evan Rothman The Ermelo-based Rally of South Africa, a mainstay on the South African Rally Championship calendar, was cancelled just days before the SASOL Rally last month.

The rallying and business fraternity combined their efforts to create the inaugural HMC Hencom Autobody Rally on 13 and 14 May, scheduled for the same dates as the original event to host Round Three of the Championship.

The rally will be based in Emalahleni (Witbank), with the Rally HQ at the Portuguese Club. Eleven stages and 180 competitive kilometers lie in wait for the rally teams, with the action on Day One taking in 45km and three fast speed tests in the Witbank area. Day Two offers competitors and spectators two gravel stages in the Witbank area before moving off to tackle high-speed gravel stages in the Bronkhorstspruit region before returning to the Portuguese Club for the finale.

“We are very grateful to the Highveld Motor Club and their members for stepping in at short notice to organise this event,” said Richard Leeke, president of the Motorsport South Africa Rally Commission. “The local community and businesses have been fantastic in pitching in to help make the HMC Hencom Autobody rally a success and we are confident it will meet the highest expectations of competitors and fans alike,” Leeke added. H&H

Andreucci set for Costa Smeralda Rally this weekend Words: Evan Rothman Picture: IRC Series Italian Rally Championship leader and official Pirelli test driver Paolo Andreucci and co-driver Anna Andreucci (Peugeot Italia 207 S2000) are to taken on the Costa Smeralda Rally this weekend for Round Three of the Italian series.

The 30th Costa Smeralda Rally is based in Olbia on the island of Sardinia, and follows directly behind the Rally d’Italia World Championship event this weekend. This poses a brand new challenge for the Italian Championship crews, as they will compete on roads that have been affected by the passage of all the World Rally Championship competitors.

The Sardinian stages are characterized by soft and sandy gravel, which clean rapidly to reveal some sharp rocks and stones. This makes repeated runs through the stages particularly treacherous and a big test for tyres.

Andreucci, who runs his car on Pirelli control tyres as used in the WRC, will enjoy this: the puncture rate of the control tyres supplied to the World Rally Championship between 2008 and 2010 was equivalent to less than 0.02%.

“It’s going to be an extremely difficult event, but I can’t wait to get

started,” said Andreucci, the winner of the first two rounds of the Italian Championship this year. “Costa Smeralda is going to be quite different to the other rallies we have done so far though. For a start it’s on gravel, but the gravel conditions are going to be harder than those that we normally face, as we are running five minutes behind the entire World Rally Championship field. This is bound to have a very big effect on the roads. The Costa Smeralda stages are normally much rougher the second time through anyway, but this year will probably be the biggest challenge that we have ever seen in Sardinia.”

Nonetheless, Andreucci has an enviable history in Sardinia with four victories there to his name, in 2001, 2006, 2008 and 2009.

Other leading runners on the rally include Alessandro Perico, driving a similar Peugeot 207 S2000 to Andreucci.

The Costa Smeralda Rally takes place over eight stages and comprises a total of 138.58 competitive kilometers.

Former winners of the prestigious Italian event include Markku Alen, Attilio Bettega, Henri Toivonen, Juha Kankkunen and Didier Auriol. H&H

Issue 181 • 06 May 2011 • Page 09

McRae and Delecour lead Tuthill Porsche Challenge Words: Evan Rothman

Success for Taylor and Smart in Britain’s Pirelli Rally Words: Evan Rothman Picture: Jakob Ebrey Photography They say ‘third time lucky’ and it has proved true for Australian rally driver, Molly Taylor, who has posted a confidence-building result in the third round of the British Rally Championship after posting DNFs on the previous two rounds.

The 22-year-old Sydneysider and her Queensland-born co-driver Rebecca Smart finished second in the Fiesta Trophy in their Fiesta R2 and 13th outright in the Pirelli International Rally in Carlisle.

The pair were in 21st outright after the first two stages of the event, run on Friday, April 29, and then slowly made their way through the ranks during a marathon 10-stage battle on Saturday.

“The roads were so fast and I really enjoyed driving them,” Molly says.

“We had two flats in the morning stages on Saturday, but made a lot of progress in the afternoon. We’re really happy to get a BRC event finished after our bad luck in the previous two.

The next goal was to be in the top three in the Fiesta Trophy and we finished second, so we’re extremely happy!”

The Aussie duo had a marathon six-hour drive to London as soon as they finished the British round so they could catch a flight to Italy for this weekend’s second round of the 2011 WRC Academy Cup. It will be run during the full WRC Rally d’Italia Sardegna (May 5-8).

There are three full days of competition in Sardinia but the Academy

field will contest just two days. They spend the third day with their Academy tutors, reviewing their performance in readiness for the next round.

The two Australians are hoping to improve on the eighth position they posted during their debut in the first event of the Academy Cup, the Rally de Portugal in March.

All Academy competitors drive identical Ford Fiesta R2s with a Pirelli control tyre. Molly has bought an identical car for the British series, to ensure better preparation for the ‘main game’.

The British event started and finished at Carlisle Racecourse, kicking off with two 11km runs through Newcastleton Forest on Friday evening, punctuated by an autograph signing event in Newcastleton village centre.

Following the overnight halt, a further 127km, split into 10 competitive stages, were tackled on Saturday, all of them taking place over the dry and dusty gravel roads in Kielder Forest.

The fourth round of the Dulux Trade MSA British Rally Championship sees teams swap from gravel to asphalt roads, when they head north of the Scottish border for the Kelso-based Jim Clark International Rally on 27 and 28 May. H&H

Five-time British Rally Champion Jimmy McRae won round two of the Tuthill Porsche Challenge last weekend, the Pirelli Historic Rally.

McRae finished second in his class overall to seal the lead of the Tuthill Porsche Challenge jointly with Francois Delecour.

McRae was competing on his first gravel event in three years, taking the place of regular Porsche Challenge competitor Andrew Barnes, who had prior commitments. The Scot spent one day testing the car before the start of the Pirelli Historic.

After setting off at a cautious pace, McRae gradually increased his speed to compete with the class leaders.

Despite the dry weather that made the roads very dusty and slippery, McRae stayed out of trouble throughout Saturday’s six stages to record a welldeserved result, co-driven by Pauline Gullick.

“I struggled a bit for pace at the beginning as I hadn’t competed for a while, but I really enjoyed it,” said McRae. “I’d almost forgotten just how much commitment you need in the Kielder stages: they are awesome, but absolutely flat-out all the time and you need total confidence if you’re going to do well. I really don’t have the confidence that I had when I was younger, but I definitely enjoyed myself!

Driving a Porsche on roads like this is always a fantastic experience.”

John Lloyd put up strong opposition to McRae, running just behind the legendary Scot for most of the event. Lloyd/Adrian Cavenagh felt that they could have gone quicker in the morning, but just as they were picking up their pace in the afternoon they were stopped in their tracks by a broken calliper with only two stages to go.

Despite not finishing the Pirelli Historic Rally, Lloyd maintains third place in the Porsche Challenge behind the two rally legends that top the table.

Tuthill Porsche director Richard Tuthill commented: “It’s great for us to have two huge names like Jimmy McRae and Francois Delecour leading our Championship after two rounds, even though they’re guest drivers who aren’t doing the whole series. John Lloyd has done an absolutely great job on both rounds held so far, and I’m sure he’ll be challenging for the win again on our next outing. Our main idea behind the Porsche Challenge is to make it fun, easy and social at a contained cost, in order to give people an experience that they will remember. It’s very early days, but I think we’re on the right track.” H&H

Issue 181 • 06 May 2011 • Page 10

96-car entry for International Rally of Queensland Words: Evan Rothman Pictures: Motorpics A record entry of 96 cars, including 16 international entires, is set to make the International Rally of Queensland on the Sunshine Coast on 13 to 15 May the biggest championship rally spectacle in Australia for many years.

Cars and drivers representing 10 countries, from Australia to Britain and China, will tackle two days and two nights of special-stage competition between Caloundra, 100 kilometres north of Brisbane, and the Mary Valley forests in the Gympie-Cooloola region.

Seeded entry lists published at the weekend include Australia’s most successful international driver Chris Atkinson, two-time FIA Asia Pacific Rally Champion Katsuhiko Taguchi of Japan, British Rally Champions Alister McRae and Mark Higgins, Indian Rally Champion Guarav Gill, Indonesian Champion Rifat Sungkar and the current leader of the Bosch Australian Rally Championship, Sunshine Coast local Ryan Smart.

An undoubted star will be Asia’s most successful rally driver, Karamjit Singh of Malaysia, winner of the Production World Rally Championship, three Asia Pacific titles, his own country’s championship ten times and the Thai Championship, among other titles.

The International Rally of Queensland field is the biggest in the 43-year history of the event as a Championship round; overseas entries are double last year’s number. It will be increased further by the inclusion of a motorcycle class for the first time.

Competitors are entered for the second rounds of the Asia Pacific and Australian Championships, the Australian Junior Challenge and Australian Classic Rally Challenge, rounds two and three of the Queensland Championship and non-championship competitions for All-Comers rally cars and the inaugural Forest Moto for motorcycles.

Event Director Errol Bailey said the rally promised a packed weekend of entertainment for ticket holders.

“This is one of the biggest fields

at an Australian championship rally event in recent memory. With so many cars passing spectators twice each night and twice each day and no more than two minutes apart, it will be non-stop action,” Mr Bailey said.

“From Friday and Saturday under lights at the Caloundra Rally Shootout super-special stage to the Saturday and Sunday Mary Valley stages in the Imbil State Forest, constant activity at the Hella Imbil Service Park and stop-over visits to Kenilworth and Cooroy, this will be a massive weekend whether you’re a committed enthusiast, casual fan or a family having its first experience of this exciting sport.

“Spectators will see some of the fastest rally drivers from around the world and the best cars, like the works Proton Satria Neo S2000s from Malaysia and Group N Mitsubishi Evolutions run by teams from Japan, Australia, China, India and Indonesia. ”At the other end of the field the Classic Escorts, Porsches and Datsuns will be spectacular and the Forest Motos (motorcycles)will add a great new experience.”

Mr Bailey said the big entry list demonstrated a strong following for rallying in Australia and the Asia Pacific region and would bring widespread attention to the Sunshine Coast and Gympie-Cooloola regions.

“A field this size will mean more than 2000 team members, supporters, media and officials visiting for up to a week. Those from outside Queensland make no secret that the Sunshine Coast’s warm autumn weather, scenery, tourist attractions and facilities and the welcome, as well as a cracking competition, are all reasons they enter the International Rally of Queensland,” he said.

“The unprecedented number of overseas entries will ensure widespread media coverage and bigger audiences for our dedicated national and international television broadcasts.” H&H

High stakes for Atlas Copco 400 entrants in KwaZulu-Natal Words: Evan Rothman Pictures: Motorpics National and regional competitors will be playing for high stakes on the Atlas Copco 400 in KwaZuluNatal on 20 and 21 May, Round Three of the Absa South African OffRoad Racing Championship.

The season has reached a stage where some competitors in the Production and Special Vehicle categories will be looking to consolidate good starts, while others will be playing a catch-up game. Added interest comes by way of switching the event from Eston, on the outskirts of Pietermaritzburg, to Dundee.

On the Production Vehicle category front, Nissan crews head the overall and premier SP Class championships for the first time since the demise of the Nissan factory team.

Thomas Rundle and former South African champion Juan Mohr head the standings with Toyota Dealer 400 winners Mike Whitehouse/Matthew Carlson (Regent Racing Nissan Navara), second on the log.

There is also pressure on the factory Team Castrol Toyota Hilux and Ford Racing Ranger teams. Privateers took the major share of victories last season, and this time around privateer teams have won both opening events.

In the Special Vehicle category, reigning champions Kallie and Quintin Sullwald (Elegant Fuel BAT) have opened a comfortable early lead in the overall and Class A championships. Those doing the chasing will be desperate to stop the Phalaborwa-based father-and-son team from stretching their lead.

Race headquarters, the start/ finish and designated service point (DSP) will all be located at the Battlefields Lodge outside Dundee. The Donaldson Prologue to determine grid position for the race will start at 12h00 on Friday 20 May with the start of the race at 08h30 on Saturday 21 May. H&H

G.B.S Survivors’ Network Southern Africa

Reaching out. Connecting survivors.

This support group offers patients and survivors of G.B.S. (Guillain-Barré Syndrome) and C.I.D.P. (Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy) with: • emotional support and informational booklets • hospital/rehab visits to patients (when possible) • online network at http://gbsrsa.wordpress.com Your South African GBS/CIDP Foundation International Chapter is led by: •Evan Rothman •http://gbsrsa.wordpress.com •evanrothman@gmail.com •083 452 6892 GBS/CIDP Foundation International 104 1/2 Forest Avenue The Holly Building Narberth, PA 19072 www.gbs-cidp.org

Event Reports Results

Higgins wins Olympus Rally Words: Evan Rothman Picture: Subaru Rally Team USA Subaru Rally Team USA’s David Higgins/Craig Drew of the United Kingdom were declared the winner of the shortened Olympus National Rally, finishing SS6 with a 15sec lead over the second place Rockstar Mitsubishi crew of Antoine L’Estage/ Nathalie Richard. Subaru Rally Team Canada driver Pat Richard completed the overall podium.

Richard was competing at Olympus as a one-off event with his new codriver, Leanne Junnila.

This is the first American event Higgins has won since winning the 20022003 SCCA ProRally Championship. He went on to win multiple British Rally Championships before replacing action sport icon Travis Pastrana on Subaru Rally Team USA at the beginning of this year. Super Production Class driver Travis Hanson took the Super Production Class win, beating Carl Jardevall in

second and Lauchlin O’Sullivan in third.

Hanson, who placed fifth overall at Olympus, remarkably continues to lead the Rally America Championship points race! SRT USA’s Dave Mirra, a BMX action sports legend and X Games athlete, now trails Hanson by a single point in the standings after finishing the rally 15sec ahead of him to claim fourth overall. Hanson continues to make Rally America history by being the first Super Production team to ever lead the overall Championship heading into the second half of the season.

Antoine L’Estage and David Higgins are now tied for third place in the standings going into the fourth round, the Oregon Trail Rally in Portland, Oregon next weekend.

In the National 2-WheelDrive Class, Mazda driver Wyatt Knox and co-driver Ole Holter narrowly won, defeating the local team of Tom and Don Burress by 10.5sec. Brian Gottlieb rounded out the 2WD podium by finishing 16.5sec against Andrew

Comrie-Picard on his 2011 Scion xD debut. Wyatt Knox also wins the opening round to the 2011 MaxAttack! 2-WheelDrive Series. Chris O’Driscoll won the Ray Damitio Regional Rally in 2007 Subaru WRX, which was run on Day One of the Olympus Rally. H&H

OVERALL CLASSIFICATION 01) D. Higgins/C. Drew Subaru Impreza WRX STI - 32min 44.9s 02) A. L’Estage/N. Richard Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X + 15.6s 03) P. Richard/L. Junnila Subaru Impreza WRX STi + 36.4s 04) D. Mirra/M. Clarke Subaru Impreza WRX STI + 01min 53.5s 05) T. Hanson/T. Hanson Subaru Impreza WRX STi + 02min 08.4s 06) A. Yeoman/J. Schulze Subaru Impreza + 02min 56.2s 07) C. Jardevall/J. Grahn Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VIII + 03min 13.5s 08) L. O’Sullivan/S. Putnam Subaru Impreza WRX STI + 03min 16.9s 09) M. Moyle/G. Barton Subaru Impreza + 04min 03.6s 10) W. Knox/O. Holter Mazda Speed 3 + 04min 11.6s

Issue 181 • 06 May 2011 • Page 13

Kaur aims for the double in WRC Academy Words: Evan Rothman Picture: Following a fantastic start to the WRC Academy season in Portugal last month, the 18 rising stars of rally, including the six Pirelli Star Drivers, are preparing for the fast and narrow stages of the Rally d’Italia in Sardinia this weekend.

The Rally d’Italia, which joined the World Rally Championship in 2004, is the second round of the Academy’s six-event series and will prove to be a tough challenge for even the most well-prepared drivers, as they take on the mixture of terrain that the beautiful island has to offer.

The competitors will need to be alert at all times as they are faced with a mixture of flat open areas that quickly change into winding woodland tracks, as well as sudden water splashes and jumps that need to be approached with precision.

The hard, rock-covered road surface presents a tough challenge as well, because the soft and sandy gravel can cut up badly during the second run through the stages and expose sharp rocks: making tyre choice absolutely vital.

Representing 12 different countries from around the world, the young WRC Academy stars, including the six Pirelli Star Drivers (Fredrik Ahlin, Craig Breen, Jan Cerny, Andrea Crugnola, Brendan Reeves and Molly Taylor) are being trained by rally legends including former World Champion codriver Robert Reid, who is delighted with the success of the Pirelli-backed initiative so far.

All eyes will be on the inaugural winner, Estonia’s Egon Kaur, who set the early pace. The 22-year old drove to victory on the first round in Portugal but knows that he needs to be top of his game to win in Italy: Pirelli’s home rally.

Pirelli, which completed its

three-year tenure as the official tyre supplier to the World Rally Championship last November, will provide its K4 gravel tyres to the young hopefuls and their co-drivers in Sardinia, who will pilot identical M-Sport Ford Fiesta R2s.

Paul Hembery, Pirelli’s motorsport director said: “At Pirelli we have always supported young and talented drivers and so we are delighted to be involved with the WRC Academy.

The ability shown in Portugal was fantastic and along with the intensive behind the scenes training that we provide in partnership with the FIA, we are confident that there is a real future for young drivers in the sport. Sardinia is an extremely challenging event though, so it’s up to the drivers to learn to use their heads as well as their accelerator pedals.” H&H

Issue 181 • 06 May 2011 • Page 14

Bogie wins another BRC round Words: Staff Writer Pictures: Jakob Ebrey Photography David Bogie extended his lead in the Dulux Trade MSA British Rally Championship this weekend when, following a faultless drive, he recorded his second victory of the season by winning the Pirelli International Rally. The Scottish Mitsubishi driver led the third round of the UK’s premier rally series from start to finish and, after completing a total of 93mi/148.8km on Kielder Forest’s demanding gavel roads, he crossed the line over a minute ahead of his closest rival, Ireland’s Robert Barrable in a Skoda.

Starting and finishing at Carlisle Racecourse, the rally kicked off with two seven-mile runs through Newcastleton Forest on Friday evening, punctuated by an autograph signing event in Newcastleton village centre.

Following the overnight halt, a further 79 competitive miles (126.4km), split into 11 stages, were tackled on Saturday, all of them taking place over the dry and dusty gravel roads in Kielder Forest.

Round one winner Bogie was fastest through both of Friday’s stages, which enabled him to return to Carlisle for the overnight halt 9.3sec ahead of Elfyn Evans, who was 11.6sec ahead of Robert Barrable, the Irishman now getting used to his Skoda S2000.

Saturday morning comprised two stages, followed by a remote service halt at a car park overlooking Kielder Water, before the same two stages were contested again. It soon became clear that Bogie was in control and he retuned to the day’s main service at Carlisle Racecourse with a 32sec lead.

His cause was made easier after second-placed Evans had suffered

a puncture in SS6 and lost well over a minute and dropped back to fifth as he drove the rest of the stage with a flat tyre, damaging his car’s brakes and suspension in the process. This left the Skoda S2000s of Barrable and Greer to battle it out for third place.

Bogie consolidated his lead over the day’s remaining six stages by setting the fastest time on all of them. The rest of Barrable’s rally also went well, but for Greer, the final step of the podium was suddenly in doubt when his car started to handle very strangely on stage nine, the back end of his Skoda feeling very loose.

With nothing visibly wrong he continued with caution, until the final stage when the car suddenly turned left and into a ditch. Fortunately he managed to get going again and stay ahead of Evans, who was now in fourth place after Jason Pritchard had a twominute confrontation with another Kielder ditch.

Bogie’s second victory of the season sees him increase his lead in the Dulux Trade British Rally Championship to 58 points ahead of Evans on 51 in second and Greer third with 44.

The Dulux Trade MSA Formula 2 British Rally Championship The fight for supremacy in the F2 category turned out to be the most intriguing battle of the event. Marty McCormack edged ahead on Friday night by just 0.6sec in front of Mark Donnelly and then Craig Breen, who was just 1.2sec further back.

After Saturday morning’s four stages, Finn Jukka Korhonen reclaimed the lead of the two-wheel-drive category after being fastest through SS1. His fortunes were helped at the expense of McCormack’s, who headed the category

at the start of the day, but was slowed when his Citroen developed a gearchange problem.

Meanwhile, F2 Championship leader following round two Siim Plangi was having a rally to forget: After a puncture on SS1, a problem with his pacenotes meant he lost concentration crossing a bridge on SS6, spun his Renault Twingo backwards into a tree, but fortunately was able to continue.

After collecting a 01min 40sec penalty for leaving Park Fermé 10min late - having slept through his alarm on Saturday morning - Mark Donnelly was on a mission and went from 12th to third by SS6. He continued to set a series of blistering times over the next five stages – as did McCormack - who was also fighting back after his earlier transmission troubles.

The upshot of their efforts meant that only 2.2sec separated the top three with just one stage to go. A storming drive by McCormack through the 8.7-miles (13.92km) of Chirdonhead Forest saw him set a time 13sec quicker than anyone else.

Donnelly was also on a charge but, halfway through the final stage, a large stone jammed one of the rear wheels. This made the rear of his Renault slide all over the place and eventually cause him to spin and stall at a chicane, where an agonising 30sec were lost whilst he tried to get the car going again.

At the end of the stage, the time sheets revealed that McCormack had won by a margin of 19.2sec ahead of Korhunen, who finished 10.1sec ahead of Craig Breen, with Donnelly eventually crossing the line 3sec behind in fourth.

Plangi returned to Carlisle in fifth and in doing so, just manage to hang onto his F2 Championship lead by one point

Issue 181 • 06 May 2011 • Page 15

Moore wins Pirelli Challenge Rally Words: Staff Writer

ahead of Breen.

Even though victory in the F2 category was snatched from his grasp in the closing stages, Korhunen came away from the Pirelli Rally extremely satisfied with his weekend’s work, as no only did he claim second place, he was also presented with the Pirelli Star Driver Award at the finish.

Fiesta Sport Trophy / Rally 2 Craig Breen was the class of the Fiesta Sport Trophy field, having led the series for R2 Class Fords from start to finish.

John MacCrone was initially Breen’s closest rival, but an excursion into a Northumberland ditch on the first of Saturday’s stages brought an abrupt end to his weekend’s rallying.

This left Nick Christofaro and Osian Pryce to take up the chase for the remainder of the event and although battling between themselves, never got close enough to Breen to challenge for the lead.

The fourth round of the Dulux Trade MSA British Rally Championship sees teams swap from gravel to asphalt roads, when they head north of the Scottish border for the Kelso-based Jim Clark International Rally on 27 and 28 May. H&H OVERALL CLASSIFICATION 01) D. Bogie/K. Rae Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX - 01h 28m 57.9s 02) R. Barrable/D. Connolly Skoda Fabia S2000 + 01min 02.1s 03) J. Greer/D. Roberts Skoda Fabia S2000 + 02min 39.6s 04) E. Evans/A. Edwards Subaru Impreza + 04min 12.5s 05) M. McCormack/D. Moynihan Citroen DS3 R3 + 06min 05.4s 06) J. Korhonen/M. Salminen Ford Fiesta R2 + 06min 24.6s 07) C. Breen/G. Roberts Ford Fiesta R2 + 06min 34.7s 08) M. Donnelly/B. McNulty Renault Clio R3 + 06min 37.7s 09) J. Pritchard/R. James Subaru Impreza + 07min 19.9s 10) T. Clark/A. Wylie Subaru Impreza + 08min 07.9s

Simon Moore and Emma Morrison claimed their first BRC Challenge victory after an impressive display on the Kielder stages of the Pirelli Challenge Rally this weekend.

Moore took control of the event from the off, setting the fastest time on the opening stage in his yellow liveried Renault Clio, and in turn pushing Round One winner and pre-event favourite Matt Edwards into second place.

The 07sec advantage over Edwards and the rest of the competition grew further after SS2, when Edwards suffered terminal suspension failure. His retirement not only impacted the rally, but will also have a profound effect upon the Championship.

One driver, who was to make a larger impression later on in the day, was the youngster Jack Rowe. The former motocross rider was sitting in seventh place after SS1, but put in the performance of a lifetime to climb to second overall by the finish.

The 13.4mi/21.4km Bower stage provided the second test of the day, but one which Moore gratefully accepted, once again claiming the fastest time ahead of the impressive Rowe.

Behind Moore a tremendous battle was starting to flare up, and one which would last the entire event.

Fourth, fifth and sixth place were separated by only three seconds after SS3 and the top ten by only 01min 46sec.

After another stage winning time by the ever so likeable Moore and Morrison, their third in succession, they had pulled out a lead of 49.9 seconds, and one which they were never to relinquish.

After service the crews headed to the short 5.25mi/8.4km Shepherdshield stage where the fight for the podium was on. Damien Smith/ Frazer Hutchinson were quickest, leading the now four-way Fiesta battle that included the Bulldog Challenge Rally second placed Phil Scholes, with Jack Rowe/Mark McCulloch.

With Fiesta SportChallenge points and pride also at stake, it was a fight no one wanted to be on the wrong end of and the stage times reflected it.

Russ Thompson in another Clio was trying and succeeding to cling onto the Fiestas and the ensuing Ford battle, but it wasn’t to last as his gearbox broke with just one stage to go.

Jack Rowe took his first stage win on Pundershaw to cement his great drive and really put the pressure onto his competitors. Rowe repeated the feat on the final Chirdonhead eight miler/12.8km to secure his second place, a great result for the novice wheelman.

Another ex-motocross rider, Damien Smith scored his second podium of the year, finishing third ahead of Phil Scholes by a mere 10sec.

After missing the podium by

such a small margin Scholes was clearly disappointed, but acted with complete class at the finish. “I’m gutted, I’ve never driven so hard in my life, we picked up a puncture on the last stage but I don’t think I could have caught Damien” he said. “It’s never nice to be on the wrong end of a battle like that but being in battles like this is why we all go rallying” he added after congratulating the podium-sitters.

“That was epic” announced Smith. “We came over the flying finish sideways, and nearly ran out of fuel on the road section back” explained the Yorkshireman. If it wasn’t for the performance of Moore then we would be eulogising over the performance of the second placed Jack Rowe.

The 17-year-old only passed his driving test in December having decided to give up the bike racing due to injuries. The Pirelli Challenge Rally was only his fourth-ever outing, and to take the Fiesta SportChallenge honours and second overall was some achievement.

“We made the right tyre choice this morning which helped the front end grip, but this afternoon was just flat out in fifth throughout the stages.” he said.

A brave move for somebody that had never driven in Kielder before.

But the crown prince and princess of the weekend were Simon Moore/Emma Morrison who dominated the field with a real display of how to tame the awesome Kielder. The north east driver was hot from the off, setting fastest stage time upon fastest stage time to arrive at the finish 37.4sec ahead of Rowe and Alex Lee. “I’m really chuffed; it’s my first ever Challenge win and it was great to know the pace was there after we beat Matt (Edwards) on the opening stage.

The new suspension worked fantastically well and gave us an edge on the fast straights”. But it wasn’t all plain sailing, as he described an incident on the final stage which had all four wheels off the road! “I thought I’d thrown the rally away, I just kept my foot in and the car pulled itself back” he added with a huge sigh of relief.

If you can handle the excitement, the next round of the Dulux Trade MSA British Rally Championship’s support series the BRC Challenge heads to the fast tarmac roads of Scotland.

The Jim Clark Challenge Rally takes the competitors onto tarmac for the first time this season over the weekend of the 27th and 28th May within the Scottish Borders.

To follow all the goings-on during the season, check out the new website at www.rallybrcchallenge.co.uk and follow @BRC_Challenge on Twitter today. H&H

Issue 181 • 06 May 2011 • Page 16

Loeb leads charge in d’Italia Sardegna Words: Evan Rothman Picture: Citroen Racing The news ahead of the WRC Rally d’Italia Sardegna promised an eventful rally weekend, both on the stages and in the Service Park.

This the fifth round of the 2011 World Rally Championship calendar, the host city of Olbia has been bursting at its seams with the world’s motorsport journalists, rally teams and crews and the hundreds of thousands of rally fans.

Excitement at this weekend’s rally was palpable in the air as teams unpacked their kit and rally cars, preparing for the Shakedown Stage on Thursday afternoon. It was, however the media conference held by Volkswagen and their announcement to return to the WRC in 2013, that stole the limelight before the first rally car had even turned a wheel in anger.

MINI Motorsport’s WRC campaign was kicked off this weekend, with Kris Meeke and Dani Sordo making

a surprisingly quick show on their Shakedown runs.

At the time of compiling this issue, and for the sake of delivering fresh content to you dear readers, Handbrakes & Hairpins has covered the first four high-speed stages on Day One. Taking in 18 stages over three days of testing and slippery gravel roads, the Sardinian event is renowned for its technically demanding routes.

At this point of the rally, it is Sebastien Loeb/Daniel Elena (CItroen Total World Rally Team) that now heads the top spot on the leader board. The pairing leapfrogged Mikko Hirvonen/ Jarmo Lethinen (Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team), and now has a 2.4sec lead over their rivals. Evgeny Novikov (Ford Fiesta RS WRC) is in third position overall, showing promising pace on this fast rally in his new rally steed.

An intense battle is brewing between Mads Ostberg (Stobart Ford M-Sport World Rally Team) and Sebastien Ogier (Citroen Total World

Rally Team) for fourth position, as Ostberg powered past the young French ace in SS4.

Irish star Craig Breen (Ford Fiesta R2) leads the WRC Academy category, while Ott Tanak (Ford Fiesta S2000) leads the SWRC category with a healthy 13.1sec lead over Martin Prokop and 184sec ahead of Nasser Al-Attiyah (both crews in Ford Fiesta S2000s).

The afternoon, after regroup and service after SS4, crews then tackle the same morning loop of four stage before finishing up for the opening day of this event.

For live updates, news and information, follow Handbrakes & Hairpins on social media websites Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/ HandHmag) and on Twitter at the URL http://twitter.com/#!/Evan_Rothman.

Also, our website will carry full reports and exclusive images from the event throughout the weekend at this address: http://wp.me/pkXc. H&H