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 189 • 01 July 2011
http://wp.me/pkXc
Loix hammers IRC field at home rally Start Ramp Service Park Parc Ferme
Davies takes to Goodwood in his Chev Spark rally car Osram Rally moves to Garden Route for 2011 Toyota 1000 Desert Race reviewed
“A combination of the colour scheme and the car in a lower asphalt-specification set-up brings a sexy, mean and moody look to the Fiesta RS WRC” - Gerard Quinn, p6
The world’s only free dedicated rally eMagazine - every Friday!
Contents Issue 189 • 01 July 2011 04 START RAMP 04 Start Ramp - News Shorts
06 SERVICE PARK 06 07 08 08 09
Ford Fiesta RS WRC - Black Edition Hanson wins 2011 Super Production Class Osram Rally moves to Garden Route Volkswagen starts talent assessment in Finland Higgins smashes Climb to the Clouds record
10 PARC FERME 10 IRC GEKO Ypres Rally review 12 SAORRC Toyota 1000 Desert Race review 14 SRC Scottish Rally review
EDITORIAL INFORMATION Editor Evan Rothman
Photojournalist Eva Kovkova
Contributors Liga Stirna, Patrick Vermaak, RallyBuzz, Motorpics, Newspress. 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.
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. HANDBRAKES & HAIRPINS is not a SPAM e-mail: email addresses are added to the mailing list voluntarily.
FOLLOW US!
Ferodo Racing Brake Pads just keep on winning!
Congratulations to the overall winners of all 4 SA rallies held thus far in 2011, all of them relied on Ferodo Racing brake pads.
Supplied in Southern Africa by ATS Motorsport Telephone +27 11 6708400 E-mail – info@ats-motorsport.co.za Website: www.ats-motorsport.co.za
Start Ramp
Team News Videos
Event News Breaking News
Media Dashboard Click to view
IRC drops Rali Vinho Madeira from 2011 and 2012 calendars Words: Staff Writer Rali Vinho Madeira will not form part of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge in 2011 and 2012, Eurosport Events, the promoter of the IRC, has confirmed. Géraldine Filiol, the Managing Director of Eurosport Events, said: “The organisers of Rali Vinho Madeira have informed us recently that they would no longer be able to honour the terms of their contract with Eurosport Events, notably part of their funding obligations. This has created a number of logistical and operational difficulties and is not what we would have expected from an event promoter. As a result we have decided to remove the rally from our calendar for this year and 2012 when our existing agreement was due to expire.” Filiol continued: “All teams, manufacturers, partners and suppliers were informed as soon as the situation had become clear in an effort to prevent any unnecessary expenditure. They understand and support our decision.” Rali Vinho Madeira was due to form round seven of the 2011 IRC season. It will not be replaced on the calendar, which will now consist of 11 rounds. Drivers and manufacturers will continue to count their best seven scores only. The next IRC event is Sata Rallye Açores from 14 - 16 July. The gravel rally is one of the highlights of the season with its spectacular stages through stunning countryside. All seven IRC manufacturers are set to be represented on the island event where a thrilling battle for victory is in store. H&H
Young guns at Goodwood FOS Words: Staff Writer He has already ‘Spark-ed’ a sensation by becoming the youngest ever works-supported rally driver, and now 16-year old Cameron Davies is going to put himself in the spotlight once again, as the youngest person to drive at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed. What’s more, the reigning Formula 1000 Junior Rally Champion will have a VIP passenger – Lord March’s son, Charles Junior. “It’s a real honour to drive the car at Goodwood, as it’s such a famous motorsport venue,” said Cameron. “It’s not that different to a rally stage in many respects.” Cameron will be partnered in his works-backed Chevrolet Spark by Goodwood owner Lord March’s son, Charlie, also 16, who himself is passionate about motorsport. “I’d like Charlie to experience a Formula 1000 car first hand,” added Cameron. “If he’s into motorsport there’s no better, or more enjoyable way of getting involved. The camaraderie between the F1000 Junior guys is excellent – we’re all from different backgrounds but we have one common interest, and that’s rallying!” Meanwhile, the Spark finished its first ever outing as a fully-fledged rally car at the weekend, after competing in the Caerwent stages near Newport. Cameron and his co-driver, 22-year old Chris Williams, finished 6th overall but were delighted to finish the event unscathed. “The weekend was all about finding the balance in the car,” said Cameron. “We only finished building it on Wednesday, and we haven’t even set it up properly yet, so to bring it home undamaged first time out, with an understanding of how we can make the
most out of it, is critical.” Cameron and Charlie will take the Spark up the hill three times over the weekend, on Friday, Saturday and Sunday mornings. You can follow Cameron’s progress on the Chevrolet UK Facebook site at http://www.facebook.com/ chevroletuk or to find out more about the Formula 1000 Junior championship, go to http://www.formula1000.co.uk. H&H
Loix rewarded with Czech rally Words: Staff Writer Freddy Loix has received the ultimate reward for winning the GEKO Ypres Rally: another outing in his SKODA Fabia S2000. Less than a week after winning the Intercontinental Rally Challenge round on his home soil, Belgian Loix will be heading to Czech Republic to contest the national championship Rally Bohemia with the factory SKODA Motorsport team. The current IRC leader has been called up to replace Jan Kopecky who has been prevented from taking part after his co-driver Petr Stary broke his collarbone in a crash during the preevent shakedown for the Ypres Rally. It will be Loix’s first appearance on the Mlada Boleslav-based rally, which runs from 1 - 3 July. “I have heard that the profile of Rally Bohemia is similar to that of the Barum Rally and that it is a great but difficult rally,” said the 40-year-old Loix, who will be co-driven by regular navigator Frederic Miclotte. SKODA is based in Mlada Boleslav and is also a partner of the event. The company’s motorsport head Michal Hrabanek said: “I am sure that the appearance by the current IRC leader Freddy Loix will make this rally highly attractive and will be a good reason for fans to come here.” 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 189 • 01 July 2011 • Page 05
+27 11 670 08400 www.ats-motorsport.co.za
ATS Motorsport Supplies now an official distributor of Racetech seats Words: Staff Writer Picture: Supplied Leading the world in competition through race seat design and development, Racetech in New Zealand is drawing high praise from competitors and teams the world over. Performance products, such as race seats, are also key safety equipment in rally and race cars. Pushing these products to their limits not only enables manufacturers invaluable insight and data but it also serves as a platform in which to innovate. In the world of rallying, there is no greater challenge than the World Rally Championship. The New Zealand
World Rally Team’s driver Hayden Paddon and co-driver John Kennard strap themselves into their Racetech seats in their Subaru Impreza WRX STi in which they contest the Production World Rally Championship (P-WRC). Paddon’s choice in Racetech seats highlights this company’s superior products. The New Zealand star is no stranger to international rally fans and his native motorsport enthusiasts: he was crowned New Zealand Junior Rally Champion three years running, claimed the New Zealand Rally Championship title twice, was selected as a Pirelli Star Driver in 2010 and most recently finished third in the 2010 P-WRC Championship standings. What’s more, he is currently leading the P-WRC season
after three rounds and will be aiming for his third win of the season in the upcoming WRC Neste Oil Rally Finland at the end of July. On the Racetech seats, Paddon said: “Racetech seats - the lightest and safest!” ATS Motorsport Supplies has been named as the official distributor for Racetech seats in Southern Africa. This company is the largest supplier of specialised motorsport and high performance products in Southern Africa. For more information on these seats and on ATS Motorsport Supplies, visit http://www.ats-motorsport.co.za H&H and at +27 11 670 8400.
+27 11 670 08400 www.ats-motorsport.co.za
Service Park
Interviews Features
Profiles Technical
Media Dashboard Click to view
Ford Fiesta RS WRC turns mean and moody for French test Words: Staff Writer Picture: WorldRallyPics Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team has introduced a stunning new black colour scheme to its Fiesta RS World Rally Car for this week’s four-day asphalt test in north-east France. The car carries the same design that it sported on the opening seven rounds of the series. However, the car’s base colour was black throughout, with white branding on top for Ford and its partners. To complete the appearance, drivers Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila and team-mates Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen wore black racesuits. “A combination of the colour scheme and the car in a lower asphalt-
specification set-up brings a sexy, mean and moody look to the Fiesta RS WRC,” explained Ford of Europe motorsport chief Gerard Quinn. “We mean business in the asphalt rounds during the second half of the WRC season, and our car portrays that in this livery. “Our Fiesta RS WRC test cars are traditionally all-white with limited branding. This was one of the potential liveries we discussed when finalising the colour scheme for our entry cars at the start of the season. We opted for the design seen during the first part of the year, but decided to give the car a new look for the test in France by displaying this livery,” he added. Quinn said the black design was initially for this weeks’ test only, but could be used again during asphalt testing later in the year. He also
emphasised that the livery displayed on the team’s rally cars during the season so far would be retained for the remaining six rounds. The test began on Monday in the Vosges Mountains, the area in which September’s Rallye de France is held. Latvala drove for two days with Hirvonen taking over for the final two days on Wednesday and Thursday. H&H
Issue 189 • 01 July 2011 • Page 07
Hanson wins 2011 Super Production title Words: Staff Writer Picture: Tim Williams Travis and Terry Hanson started the season in a history book and will end it in a family annual. On the way, the son-and-father duo won the 2011 Super Production title with a dominance yet seen in the Rally America National Championship. Travis and his father co-driver Terry stunned themselves and the the Rally America community with a win in the season opener at January’s Sno*Drift Rally in Michigan. It was a U.S. rally first putting the team on the top of the points standings for half the season, another U.S. rally first for a Super Production category team. The Hansons continued to rack up top five overall finishes throughout the season to maintain third place in the Championship, even after Suburu Rally Team USA’s David Higgins started winning events in his faster Open Category machine to take over the Championship after the Oregon Trail Rally in May. The Hanson dominance in the Super Production category kept the team in the top three in overall points going into the final event of the season, the New England Forest Rally (NEFR) in Maine on 15 - 16 July. They’ll enter NEFR
with the Super Production (SP) title in hand, but still a brass ring to reach for. “The SP Class Championship has been our main goal since the inception of the Class,” said Travis Hanson. “It means the world to me to be able to win in a Class that is so competitive and a true driver’s Class. Having my Dad as my co-driver makes this Championship so special. Being able to do this with my Dad makes this much more than just a Championship, just a trophy, it’s a relationship that no-one else has.” Now, the Hansons can focus on defending their third place overall standing knowing that the SP Class is wrapped up. They can enjoy being the highest-placing SP team since the Class was introduced in 2009. “At NEFR we have to keep doing what we have done for the whole season: be consistent, be fast and finish. If something happens to one of the top teams, and we have a great race, there is a chance that we could even score better than third. Who knows? This is rally. Anything can happen,” said Travis Hanson. Even with the SP Championship decided there’ll still be drama in the Category at NEFR. Second and third place in the SP Class promises to be a
battle to watch in New England. Only one point separates Ramana Lagemann in second from Lauchlin O’Sullivan, his team-mate in third place. Lagemann, in fact, is coming on strong in the second half of the season; he’s won the last two SP class events to move into second in the Category. Both Ramana and Lauchlin are experienced rally racers and very familiar with each other’s driving style and racing pedigree. They’ve faced each other as factory drivers (Ramana drove for the Subaru Rally Team USA and O’Sullivan drove for the Mitsubishi Rally Team) during the SCCA ProRally days nearly ten years ago. Now they’ll stare each other down heading into a difficult and predatory NEFR. “Lauchlin and I are great friends,” Lagemann explained, “and after NEFR last year, we talked about how awesome it would be to compete together in the same class this season. Unfortunately, that plan hasn’t really worked out. Either I’ve had car troubles or he has. But now we have a few weeks to prepare for NEFR, and we’re both looking forward to getting on those stages.” H&H
Issue 189 • 01 July 2011 • Page 08
Osram Rally moves from Barkly East to the Garden Route in August for SA Rallying in 2011 Words: Staff Writer The not-so-gentle-art of forest stage rallying returns to the Garden Route area of the Western Cape after an absence of some 16 years with the staging of the sixth round of the 2011 South African Rally Championship, the Osram Rally, in the George and Knysna areas on 26 27 August. The Osram has long been a staple of the national championship and moves from its traditional home of Barkly East in the mountainous lower Drakensberg region of the Eastern Cape. The Clerk of the Course is Mike Vroomen of the Sports Car Club of Bloemfontein, assisted by Joe Fourie of the Algoa Motor Sport Club. The rally will take in approximately 170 to 180 kilometres of mostly Karatara Forest gravel special stages between George and Knysna, probably including one or two of the many small and tricky passes for which the area is renowned. “This will be virgin territory for today’s crews contesting the national championship,” said Fourie, who is currently putting the final touches to the route. “The last time we rallied in this area was in the Volkswagen Rally in the early 1990s, when we started in George and finished in Port Elizabeth.” While many competitors will miss the traditional mountain trial nature of the Osram Rally of previous years, the new event with its forests and mountain passes is likely to be a more than adequate replacement. The organisers are enjoying the enthusiastic co-operation of the forest owners, the Mountain to Ocean Forestry Company, who also own the Longmore Forest between Jeffrey’s Bay and Hankey, which features prominently in the annual Volkswagen Rally. “The national rally championship is turning out to be one of the closest-fought in many years and the continued support of long-time sponsors like Osram is making it possible for us to strengthen this fast-growing and exciting form of motor sport and bring it closer to fans around the country,” said Richard Leeke, President of Motorsport South H&H Africa’s Rally Commission.
Volkswagen to start WRC talent assessment at Rally Finland Words: Staff Writer Picture: Volkswagen Motorsport The countdown is underway – in 2013 Volkswagen will start to contest the FIA World Rally Championship with the Polo R WRC. Until then a rally car with about 300 hp based on the Polo is being developed. To gather initial experience in the World Rally Championship, the team will be contesting selected rallies in 2011 with vehicles from the Volkswagen Group’s Škoda brand. At these rounds top talents are to be given the chance to qualify for a cockpit in the Polo R WRC in a new talent assessment programme under competitive conditions. “In addition to a few top-calibre rally racers we want to present top talents in our 2013 driver line-up,” says Volkswagen Motorsport Director Kris Nissen. “Therefore, we will be giving young racers in particular an opportunity to show their skills at our runs in competitive conditions. This is the best way to see who is doing a good job of driving and would fit into the Volkswagen rally team. It would be great if we could find a new Walter Röhrl or Michèle Mouton using this approach.”
The first run will be at the Finland Rally from 28 to 31 July for which Volkswagen Motorsport has submitted entries for two Scandinavian driver pairings. The rally car will be the 270-hp Škoda Fabia S2000 from the SWRC, a subcategory of the World Rally Championship for vehicles with normally aspirated 2.0-litre engines. The first car will be driven by the pairing Andreas Mikkelsen/Ola Fløene (driver/co-driver). Mikkelsen, aged 22, in his early youth was active in alpine skiing and motocross events and a member of the Norwegian national youth team in both sports. In 2006 he made his debut in rally racing at the WRC round in Great Britain. In the 2011 season the Norwegian who lives in Oslo is driving for Škoda England in the IRC (Intercontinental Rally Challenge). The second cockpit crew carries the Finnish national flag. Joonas Lindroos/Pasi Kilpeläinen will drive down the starting ramp in their native country. Like Mikkelsen Lindroos ranks among the top young drivers in rally sport. The 26-year-old from the small town of Jämsä has been successfully driving in the national championship in the team of the four-time world champion Tommi Mäkinen since 2010. H&H
Issue 189 • 01 July 2011 • Page 09
Media Dashboard Click to view
Higgins smashes Mt. Washington Hillclimb record Words: Staff Writer The course record at the Mt. Washington Hillclimb, one of Americas oldest races, was smashed this past weekend in convincing fashion by professional rally driver David Higgins at the wheel of a Vermont SportsCar-prepared 2011 Subaru Impreza WRX STI. Higgins, from the Isle of Man, broke the course record, which stood for thirteen years, by over 30sec at the revived “Climb to the Clouds”, which was last held in 2001. The new time to beat to the summit of the 7.6 mile (12.16km) sinuous asphalt and gravel Mt. Washington Auto Rd. is 6min 11.54sec, nearly 30sec faster than the outgoing record. The Climb to the Clouds featured nearly 70 competitors driving an eclectic mix of modern rally cars, purpose-built hillclimb cars and a small group of vintage racecars steeped in motorsports history. Weather conditions had been less than ideal throughout the two practice days on Friday and Saturday, with intermittent rain showers that blanketed the Auto Road in clouds. The weather kept the competitors from having a chance to practice on the upper half of the course thus adding to the challenge. On Sunday, however, the weather cleared and two full course timed runs were held although dense fog engulfed the summit for parts of the day. Higgins was the last driver to launch off the start line which helped to build the anticipation of a possible record-breaking run amongst the fans in attendance. Higgins set a blistering pace
on his first run, breaking the record by over 20sec, but had even more speed on tap on his second run where he lowered his new record by a further 8sec. The previous record of 6min 41.99sec was set by Mt. Washington Hillclimb ace Frank Sprongl in 1998. “It was a very big challenge because the road was still wet in spots and would turn very slick suddenly. With the clouds the visibility was so low I could hardly see past the hood of my car,” explained Higgins. “Our Subaru is set up perfectly for a road like this, but I have never raced here before and it was a lot of work to try to learn the course. It’s fantastic to have the record at such a prestigious event.” In second place was Todd Cook in an open-wheeled TCE/Wells Coyote hillclimb car and in third place was Paul Tingaud in his crowd-favorite Audi “Super Chicken” Hillclimb Special. Tingaud held off former Mt. Washington Hillclimb record holder Paul Choiniere, driving a Hyundai Tiburon AWD rally car, by just 1sec for the final podium position. A new speed record of 114mph (182.4km), measured at the Quarter Mile section of the course, was attained by veteran hillclimber Jerry Driscoll at the wheel of “The Patriot”, his bespoke hillclimb car. Driscoll set the outgoing Speed Record of 113mph (180.8km) on the Mt. Washington Auto Rd. course in 1998 driving the very same car. The Mt. Washington Auto Road welcomed for the first time a truck to race up its narrow serpentine course as daredevil Mike Ryan raced his purpose-built Freightliner Cascadia race-truck, with an amazing 1,950hp, in
Pikes Peak International Hillclimb action from 2011 record-breakers
the Hillclimb Special Class. Ryan was an impressive 27th overall. Winning the AWD Rally Class (R1) was Robert Martai with his co-driver Fabian Sannet in their 2008 Mitsubishi Evo X. While the 2WD (R2) Class was won by Chris Duplessis and his co-driver Sarah Trask in their 2011 Ford Fiesta. Of the four Hillclimb Classes, meant for regional hillclimb racers and their cars, the Hillclimb-1 Class was won by Sherman Baumen, while the Hillclimb-2 Class was won by Jamie Melhuish (2003 BMW M3). Melhuish finished an impressive seventh overall. The Hillclimb-3 Class was won by Tim Mather (Nissan Sentra) and Hillclimb-4 Class was won by Nick Wheelock (2004 Subaru Impreza STI). The Vintage Class featured a lineup of prestigious racing cars from the 1930s and 1950s. Although all the entered vehicles are steeped in motorsports history none more so than the extremely rare 1933 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 that won Le Mans with legendary Grand Prix driver Tazio Nuvolari at the wheel. The 8C was shipped across the Atlantic, and in 1937 it raced and won the Mt. Washington Hillclimb. It was raced on Sunday by current owner Peter Sachs. Also competing was a 1934 Reuter Special known as “The Old Grey Mare” and a 1951 Jaguar XK120 known as “The Beast” which Sherwood Johnston piloted in the 1953 to a record-breaking H&H run of 10min 47.6sec. The Vintage Class roster also featured a 1931 Studebaker factory Indy car, one of only three that were built, that won the pole at the 1931 Indianapolis 500 as well as raced and won the Pikes Peak Hillclimb the same year.
Parc Ferme
Event Reports Results
Media Dashboard Click to view
Loix claims win number seven in Ypres Words: Staff Writer Pictures: IRC Series Freddy Loix won the GEKO Ypres Rally for a seventh time this past weekend. Belgian Loix led the Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC) qualifier from start to finish and moves back to the top of the IRC standings as a result. His victory, at the wheel of a Skoda Motorsport Fabia S2000, also puts him joint top with Juho Hanninen in the list of all-time IRC event winners, with seven wins. The GEKO Ypres Rally, a unique event to the world of rallying, is characterised by high-speed tarmac roads featuring sharp corners that require cutting to maintain speed. This nature of the event raises the risk of punctures and accidents, making it all the more thrilling for crews and spectators alike. Loix, who was co-driven by fellow Belgian Frederic Miclotte, was in control throughout the event. Not even rainfall prior to event’s opening test knocked him off his stride as he
sped to a commanding victory by 01min 41.6sec over Peugeot France 207 S2000 driver Bryan Bouffier. Loix claimed all stage wins on Day One of the rally and added three more on Day Two to brought his total for the 18-stage event to a commanding nine stage wins. Hans Weijs claimed an impressive third on his debut behind the wheel of a Fabia S2000 and on his first start in this year’s IRC. Guy Wilks, who started the event strongly and ended Day One second overall, began Day Two on a high aboard his Peugeot UK 207 S2000 after he set the fastest time on Day Two’s first stage. But, a double puncture on SS10 wrecked his hopes and dropped him to 11th overall. Despite a slow puncture causing a spin on SS15 and a further deflation on SS16 holding him back, Wilks snatched fifth on the final stage with the fastest time. “We’re at the finish but we didn’t get the result that mattered and that’s a real shame,” said Wilks. “The car was great, although we didn’t get the luck we needed. But there’s no point thinking about it. We have to put it behind us and move on to the next rally.”
Bouffier was the chief beneficiary of Wilks’ downfall when he moved up to second overall, having overtaken Pieter Tsjoen for the final podium place on SS8. While Bouffier enjoyed a trouble-free run to the finish, Tsjoen was not so fortunate following a bizarre incident on the road section heading to SS11. The six-time Belgian Rally Champion had stopped by the side of the road for a short break, but inadvertently struck a small metal post as he pulled away which damaged his Peugeot 207 S2000’s radiator. Although he made it through the stage, he and co-driver Lara Vanneste were unable to stem a water leak despite frantic repairs and the advice of several rival crews. With Tsjoen out, Dutchman Weijs was now third and embroiled in a close fight with Bernd Casier, which raged until SS14 when the Belgian stopped with power steering failure. Weijs had only managed a two-hour test in his Fabia before the start of the event and his determined performance earned him the prestigious Colin McRae IRC Flat Out Trophy.
Issue 189 • 01 July 2011 • Page 11
Casier’s unfortunate exit promoted Michal Solowow into a fine fourth with his M-Sport Ford Fiesta S2000. But the Pole needed all his ingenuity to rectify a sticking throttle and reach the finish in Ypres’s historic Grote Markt. Like Wilks, Kruuda was also slowed by a spate of punctures while a minor intercom glitch on SS10 didn’t help his progress. However, he belied his lack of experience of asphalt driving to finish sixth and score points for his second event in a row. Toni Gardemeister took a strong seventh on his Ypres debut, but the Finn could have finished higher up the order in his TGS Worldwide Skoda Fabia S2000 had it not been for a time-consuming puncture on SS10. Luca Rossetti, the Ypres winner in 2007, overcame a spin on SS7 and two punctures in the afternoon to claim eighth overall in his Abarth Grande Punto. Bernard Ten Brinke landed his maiden IRC points in ninth with Robert Barrable also bagging his first IRC point in tenth overall following an impressive showing on his Ypres debut. Barrable thought he’d lost the place with an overshoot on the final
stage, but when the pursuing Swede PG Andersson, in a PROTON Motorsports Satria Neo S2000, damaged the leftrear corner of his car early in the test Irishman Barrable kept hold of the position. Andreas Mikkelsen recorded four stage wins for SKODA UK Motorsport after he restarted under SupeRally regulations following his SS1 exit. Thierry Neuville, one of the pre-event favourites for victory in his Team Peugeot Belgium-Luxembourg 207 S2000 also returned for Day Two’s action, but withdrew after SS8 with suspension damage caused by striking a rock. Belgian Jonas Langenakens won the IRC Production Cup with countryman Anthony Martin second in another Ralliart Mitsubishi Lancer. But the standout performance came from Jasper van den Heuvel in his R4-specification Ralliart Mitsubishi Lancer, who finished third in Class despite being delayed through repairing damaged brakes and suspension during the course of the rally. It was the first appearance on an international event for Van den Heuvel and co-driver Martine Kolman since they suffered burns in a crash on
a rally in Germany last August. At the finish, Kolman announced her retirement from competition. Philip Barbier was the leading Subaru Impreza finisher in fifth. Local hero Kris Princen took the IRC 2WD Cup laurels after longterm leader Kevin Abbring lost precious minutes stuck in a ditch on SS14. Irish driver Tommy Doyle was a fine second with Abbring recovering to fourth. Gearbox problems forced IRC 2WD Cup champion Harry Hunt’s retirement on Saturday morning. H&H
OVERALL CLASSIFICATION 01) F. Loix/F. Miclotte Skoda Fabia S2000 - 02h 40m 03.9s 02) B. Bouffier/X. Panseri Peugeot 207 S2000 + 01m 41.6s 03) H. Weijs/B. Degandt Skoda Fabia S2000 + 03m 56.9s 04) M. Solowow/M. Baran M-Sport Ford Fiesta S2000 + 06m 06.8s 05) G. Wilks/P. Pugh Peugeot 207 S2000 + 06m 33.8s 06) K. Kruuda/M. Jarveoja Skoda Fabia S2000 + 06m 40.6s 07) T. Gardemeister/T. Suominen Skoda Fabia S2000 + 06m 57.4s 08) L. Rossetti/M. Chiarcossi Abarth Grande Punto S2000 + 07m 25.0s 09) B. Ten Brinke/D. Thierie Skoda Fabia S2000 + 07m 37.3s 10) R. Barrable/D. Connolly Skoda Fabia S2000 + 07m 53.8s
Issue 189 • 01 July 2011 • Page 12
High drama in Toyota 1000 Desert Race Words: Staff Writer Picture: Motorpics Toyota had to again undergo the pain of missing out on a Toyota 1000 Desert Race victory this past weekend. Without a win on the only marathon event on the Absa South African Off Road Racing Championship since 1999, it looked as though the drought would be broken when the Team Castrol Toyota Hilux pairing of Anthony Taylor and Chris Birkin looked to be cruising to victory at the finish in Kumakwane. Then the notorious Desert Race sting in the tail struck once again, and Taylor/Birkin were delayed by a broken sideshaft 17km from the finish. The incident allowed the Team Ford Ranger TDCi of Chris Visser/Japie Badenhorst to sneak in via the back door for a dramatic victory that once again broke Toyota hearts. Taylor/Birkin eventually limped home around 08min behind the Ford pair after dominating the race for all but 17km. Taylor/Birkin on Friday won the Donaldson Prologue to determine start positions, and apart from a slight wobble on racing section two when they rolled the Toyota Hilux, the pair looked in complete control of proceedings. The Toyota crew started the
day with a handy lead and gradually tightened their grip on proceedings before the racing gods conspired to ruin Toyota’s weekend. After finishing third on the prologue, Visser/Badenhorst endured a tough racing section two with punctures and other niggles. Then it all fell into place with the pair scoring Ford’s first Toyota Desert Race victory since now team manager Neil Woolridge and Kenny Skjoldhammer won in 2001. “The second day wasn’t so good but it worked out nicely today,” said Visser. “A turbo pipe came loose, but that was replaced at the halfway point and after that we were fine.” The Visser family cup overflowed when Chris’ brother Jannie and Joks le Roux came home third in the International Toyota Hilux. It was a second podium finish this season for the North West pair. A typically steady performance took Terence Marsh and George Smalberger into fourth place in the Regent Racing Nissan Navara, with a fine performance from Malcolm Kock/Johann Burger taking them into fifth place in the Kock and Sons Toyota Hilux. Late problems dropped Hugo and Jaap de Bruyn (Micaren Exel Toyota Hilux) down the order and they were eventually sixth ahead of Christiaan du
Plooy/Henk Janse van Vuuren (RFS BMW X3) and three-time winners Duncan Vos/ Rob Howie in the second Team Castrol Toyota entry. Vos/Howie were plagued throughout the weekend by fuel pressure problems. Trademark consistency took farther and son Jack and Sarel Oosthuizen to victory in Class D in a Land Rover, and saw them consolidate their championship lead. The Oosthuizen’s led home Louis Weichelt/ Francis Boersma (N1 4x4 Toyota Land Cruiser). Reigning champions Deon Venter/Ian Palmer (4x4 Mega World Toyota Hilux) lost further championship ground when they retired on day two. It was their third successive non-finish and gave the Oosthuizen’s more breathing space. Perseverance saw Piet Kotze/ Salomon Victor (Toyota Hilux) win Class E ahead of teenagers Jason Venter/Vincent van Alleman in the 4x4 Mega World Toyota Hilux. Venter/Van Alleman were making their National Championship debut. In the Special Vehicle Category, reigning South African champions Kallie and Quintin Sullwald produced a copybook performance to win their second Toyota 1000 Desert Race.
Issue 189 • 01 July 2011 • Page 13
The father and son team from Phalaborwa, in the Elegant Fuel BAT, outlasted former SA champion Evan Hutchison/Danie Stassen in the Motorite Revo with the final margin between the two teams just over 05min. In the process the Sullwald’s consolidated their position at the top of the Special Vehicle and Class A Championships, and added to their success on the 2007 Toyota Desert Race. The Sullwald’s finished second to Hutchison/Stassen on the Donaldson Prologue, and thereafter fought a cat and mouse game with the Motorite crew. The scales gradually tipped the way of the Sullwald’s on the last of the two 200 kilometre loops that made up the race distance. “We never had to get out of the car on the route, and that is the secret to success on this race,” said Sullwald senior. “Our only problem was a gearbox cooler hiccup which was quickly sorted out. We maintained a steady pace throughout and it was the near perfect race.” There was a touch of deja vu for Hutchison/Stassen at the finish. The Motorite Revo died on the line and had to be pushed into the post-race parc ferme. Former Class P Champions Johan van Staden/James Rossouw (Atlas Copco BAT) picked up their best result of the season with their first podium since moving into Class A. In a close finish
they were only 22sec ahead of Shameer Variawa/Siegfried Rousseau, in the Varigo Racing BAT, who were looking for a fourth Desert Race win in a row. A fine performance took Brett Parker, partnered by VZ van Zyl, into fifth in a Jimco. It was Parker’s first top five finish and he and van Zyl held off Class P winners Archie Rutherford/Mike Lawrenson in the Regent Racing Jimco. It was a second win in a row for the Regent Racing team after coming from behind for victory on the recent Atlas Copco 400. Nick Goslar/Andrew Massey (Men’s Health Zarco) were the only other Class P finishers. Jimmy Zahos and Stefan Coetzee (Cobalt Racing Porter) produced their best result of the season to finish seventh overall, with Hermann and Wichard Sullwald right behind them in the Sullwald Racing SVR. The two Sullwald crews arrived in Botswana tied at the top of the Championship with Nick and Ryan Harper (Motorite BAT) two points adrift. The Harpers were day two casualties with the Sullwalds, by contrast to their sister team, going through a weekend of pain. They were plagued throughout by suspension and other problems but held on to salvage valuable Championship points. The conditions also took a heavy toll on Class B competitors with no classified finishers in the category. H&H
OVERALL CLASSIFICATION Production Category 01) C. Visser/J. Badenhorst Ford Ranger - 14h 31m 31s 02) A. Taylor/C. Birkin Toyota Hilux - 14h 40m 04s 03) J. Visser/J. Le Roux Toyota Hilux - 14h 53m 50s 04) T. Marsh/G. Smalberger Nissan Navara - 14h 59m 00s 05) M. Kock/J. Burger Toyota Hilux - 15h 04m 24s 06) H. De Bruyn/J. De Bruyn Toyota Hilux - 15h 12m 16s 07) C. Du Plooy/H. Janse van Vuuren BMW X3 - 15h 37m 40s 08) D. Vos/R. Howie Toyota Hilux - 15h 53m 20s 09) A. Sadiq/C. Doda Nissan Navara - 16h 34m 34s 10) J. Oosthuizen/S. Oosthuizen Land Rover Defender - 17h 46m 55s Special Vehicle Category 01) K-H. Sullwald/Q. Sullwald BAT Spec 4 - 14h 24m 11s 02) E. Hutchison/D. Stassen Revo 4X4 - 14h 29m 45s 03) J. Van Staden/J. Rossouw BAT Spec 5 - 14h 36m 53s 04) S. Variawa/S. Rousseau BAT Spec 4 - 14h 37m 15s 05) B. Parker/A. Van Zyl Jimco - 14h 55m 43s 06) A. Rutherford/M. Lawrenson Jimco - 14h 58m 33s 07) J. Zahos/S. Coetzee Porter - 15h 21m 24s 08) H. Sullwald/W. Sullwald SVR - 16h 11m 31s 09) N. Goslar/A. Massey Zarco magnum - 17h 42m 14s 10) J. Wheeler/P. Herselman BAT Spec 4 - 18h 56m 42s
Issue 189 • 01 July 2011 • Page 14
Media Dashboard Click to view
Jock fulfils “Scottish” dream Words: Staff Writer Jock Armstrong celebrated a dramatic victory at this past weekend’s RSAC Scottish Rally after David Bogie was hit by a puncture just a few miles from the finish. It was the driver’s first win on the “Scottish,” and his first victory in the MSA Scottish Rally Championship since the Snowman Rally in 2010. Bogie had looked set to take top honours on his home event for the second successive year in his Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX after building up a 17sec lead over Armstrong going into the final stage. However, the front puncture knocked Bogie down to third, with Mike Faulkner securing the runner-up spot in his Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI. Armstrong, co-driven by Kirsty Riddick, completed the event’s six stages in a total time of 43min 16.1sec in his Subaru Impreza to finish 12.8sec ahead of Faulkner and co-driver Peter Foy. Bogie and co-driver Kevin Rae, was a further 11.6sec adrift. The result hasn’t affected Bogie’s lead in the MSA Scottish Rally Championship; he has an 11-point advantage over Faulkner, with Euan Thorburn a further point behind. At the finish a delighted Armstrong said he had long dreamed of a “Scottish” win: “I remember doing it years and years ago and I came away 14th overall, and then I was 13th overall and I thought if I do this for the next 15 years I might win it one day! “We’ve always been there or thereabouts, but it’s been a perfect result for us. It’s been a good battle with three local drivers making it onto the podium, and for once I’ve made it to the top step. We’ve had mixed results this season, but hopefully this will be the start of a rolling streak and we’ll persevere and see what happens,” concluded Armstrong. Co-driver Riddick, meanwhile, became the first female competitor to win the event since 1961 when John and Anne Melvin triumphed in a Sunbeam Alpine. From the outset, Armstrong and Bogie set the tone for a hard-fought tussle on the unusually slippery opening test. Bogie was clearly frustrated at the outcome as he came into first service declaring that he hoped it wasn’t going to be the story of the day, while Armstrong put his team to work repairing a broken exhaust. Faulkner was 2.8sec further back, ahead of Wayne Sisson (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX), Thorburn (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX, and Andy Horne (DAM
4100GTi). Bogie pipped Horne by a second on the first of two runs through the Heathhall special spectator stage and was fastest again, 05sec up on Armstrong, on the third test. After taking another quickest time on SS4, Bogie’s lead over Armstrong had extended to 15.1sec, while Faulkner was snapping at their heels a further 4.5sec back. Horne, co-driven by Jim Howie, was clearly enjoying his day and sitting fourth as the crews came into second service. Horne just got the better of Thorburn and Bogie by 0.5sec through the second Heathhall run, while Armstrong was 13th quickest, 2.8sec back. All was set for a final push through the 14 miles (22.4km) of the Ae West speed test. Bogie was on course to pick up his fourth win of the 2011 SRC, Armstrong was sitting 17.4sec further back and with a hard-charging Faulkner just 2.5sec behind Armstrong. As the crowds and officials gathered at the finish to welcome the 4WD competitors, word filtered back that the top three positions had changed in dramatic fashion. A rueful Bogie explained: “We went into the last stage with a comfortable lead, and then five miles [8km] from the end there was a lefthand corner that tightened slightly over a bump. The bump was bigger than we thought it would be and it just pushed the car slightly off line and we went through a kind of shale ditch, and that was just enough to cut the tyre. We drove the last five miles [8km] with a front puncture, so we lost far more time than we would have liked. It’s just one of those things, but to get third overall is a good result for us, and we still stay ahead in the Championship.” For his part Faulkner was happy with a second place, which keeps him in the hunt in the Championship with three rounds remaining. Thorburn, co-driven by Keir Beaton, was relieved to have secured fourth overall and first in Class after a difficult day on the stages. In contrast, Horne was well satisfied with his fifth overall and finishing only 27.8sec behind Thorburn. Wayne Sisson claimed sixth place alongside navigator Andy Bull to better his ninth overall in 2010. Seventh overall and Class 10 honours went to John McLory/David Hood, and local farmer Rory Young (and co-driver Dougie Redpath) brought his Mitsubishi Lancer Evo V to the finish
with an eighth place finish, just 1.1sec behind McLory. Donnie Macdonald/Keir Beaton were a further 5.9sec back in their Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX to take ninth overall. Rounding out the top ten were Chris Collie/Lisa Watson (Subaru Impreza). The leading 2WD Champion Mark McCulloch (Ford Fiesta ST) had been seeded one place ahead of 2010 Junior Champion Peter Stewart in his Fiesta ST. However, the much-anticipated battle for bragging rights between the two ended when Stewart suffered engine failure on SS4. The local crew of Liam Harkness/Kenneth Marchbank were the clear winners of Class 8 in their Ford Escort MkII, ending the event 26th overall. Alasdair S. Graham/Kenny McGuire picked up their third Class 4 win of the season in their Vauxhall Corsa. Alex Pirie, with David Law codriving, again dominated Class 2 in his Vauxhall Corsa, finishing 26sec ahead of second-placed Callum Bendall/James Aldridge in a Ford Ka. For the second consecutive event, Class 3 honours went to husbandand-wife team Tom and Sue Hynd (Peugeot 205 GTi). Ken and Gordon Wood secured maximum SRC points in Class 9 in their Triumph Dolomite Sprint, finishing 35th overall. Of the 95 starters, there were 71 classified finishers with a number of notable retirements. Crews now have a break of six weeks before the sixth round of the Scottish Championship - the Gleaner Oil & Gas Speyside Stages in Elgin on 06 August. H&H
OVERALL CLASSIFICATION 01) J. Armstrong/K. Riddick Subaru Impreza - 43m 16.1s 02) M. Faulkner/P. Foy Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX - 43m 28.9s 03) D. Bogie/K. Rae Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX - 43m 40.5s 04) E. Thorburn/P. Beaton Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX - 44m 03.2s 05) A. Horne/J. Howie DAM 4100GTi - 44m 31.0s 06) W. Sisson/A. Bull Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX - 45m 13.5s 07) J. McLory/D. Hood Subaru Impreza N15 - 45m 44.5s 08) R. Young/D. Redpath Mitsubishi Lancer Evo V - 45m 45.6s 09) D. Macdonald/K. Beaton Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX - 45m 51.5s 10) C. Collie/L. Watson Subaru Impreza - 45m 53.0s