H&H-202

s e k a r b d Han s n i p r i a H & rld of rallying o w e h t o t in t h ig s your in

Issue 202 • 26 September 2011

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Six wins for Ford in South Africa Start Ramp Service Park Parc Ferme

Campana frustrated in Sanremo Black Beauty makes competitive debut BRC Int’l Rally Yorkshire reviewed

“Our involvement in the WRC Academy is part of our continous plan to help develop the next generation of world championship stars” - Paul Hembry, Pirelli, pg 4.

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Contents Issue 202 • 26 September 2011 04 START RAMP 04 Start Ramp - News Shorts

06 SERVICE PARK 06 07 07 08 09

Team Total rocks the Cape Eco fuel set for use for crews in South Africa Rally of Scotland heats up New owners for Rally America 2012 Black Beauty makes competitive debut

10 PARC FERME 10 12 14 16

SARC Toyota Cape Dealer Rally review IRC Rally Sanremo review BRC Int’l Rally Yorkshire review WRC Rallye de France preview

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.

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Start Ramp Campana frustrated in Sanremo rally Words: Staff Writer Rally star Pierre Campana endured a weekend to forget at Rallye Sanremo after a series of technical issues hampered his progress from the very opening loop of the event.

The Corsican ace battled valiantly in spite of the many challenges that presented themselves over the twoday rally to claim eighth place after the 13 special stages.

The dramas began on the third stage of the opening loop on Friday following two competitive opening stages, as his car developed an engine sensor fault which forced his engine engineers to make changes at the first service. Unfortunately, further problems related to the engine resulted in a difficult second loop, which was made worse with a broken gear lever during the fifth stage.

Pierre had aimed to use the final Friday stage, the 44km Ronde, to make up valuable time. He was performing extremely well, on the pace of the front-runners at the 30km split, but an inexplicable puncture slowed him significantly towards the end of the stage and prevented him from making up the lost time.

Saturday saw much of the same frustration with the car suffering engine misfires throughout the morning, which necessitated substantial work from the team during the lunchtime service. The team did a fantastic job in a bid to cure the problems but there were still issues that stopped Pierre from working his usual Sanremo magic. It has been a tough two days for Pierre, his co-driver Sabrina de Castelli and the Munaretto team, but Pierre hopes to turn this disappointment and frustration into positives at next weekend’s World Rally Championship event in France.

Pierre Campana said: “What a tough Sanremo rally for us all! It seems that no matter what we did, there was no improvement, so actually to finish the event in eighth is a big achievement in itself. I must thank the Munaretto guys who worked so hard and remained committed to resolving our issues right to the end. Things started to go wrong from the third stage when we had an engine sensor fault but then got worse during the day with the snapped gear lever in SS5 and most frustratingly the puncture in SS7. We were running strongly and right on the sort of pace I expected to be at when out of nowhere we picked up a puncture. There seemed to be no reason for it, but it is typical of the weekend we have had. Today was tough from start to finish and I can only thank everyone involved for persevering. Thanks also to my sponsors

Team News Videos

Perin for their backing this weekend, as well as Sparco, VP Racing and the entire Munaretto team. I hope we’ll have the opportunity to come back fighting at an IRC event in the not too distant future. Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Peugeot on a tremendous victory today.” H&H

Rowe and Lund clinch FIRC rally crown for 2011 Words: Staff Writer Hull driver Andy Rowe and Northamptonshire co-driver Cat Lund were crowned Flanders International Rally Challenge (FIRC) champions at Sunday’s (25 September) Hemicuda Rally in Koekelare, Belgium.

Having been up to second place in the early stages of the rally, the pair eventually finished in sixth place overall and were first FIRC and first British crew.

The British crew have mounted a successful 2011 campaign in the FIRC against the other French, Dutch and British crews, winning the all the FIRC events except for Rally of Wervik, where they retired with a blown turbo.

It is the second year in a row that the crew have won the FIRC championship and the pair were delighted with their result. “Rallying in Belgium is always a pleasure and we have received some amazing hospitality and made some great friends,” commented Rowe. “We are looking forward to coming back in 2012”, added Lund.

Following the Hemicuda Rally, the next outing for the ceew will be the Mull Rally on 14 - 16 October. H&H Hemicuda Rally Results: 01) Viaene/Vyncke - Subaru Impreza 02) Lietaer/Noppe - Ford Escort 03) Braeckevelt/Messelis - BMW M3 E36 04) Vermeirsch/Degroote - Ford Sierra 05) Coene/Thores - Mitsubishi Lancer 06) Rowe/Lund - Mitsubishi Lancer 07) Cornelis/Deforche - Ford Escort 08) Dolfen/Declerck - Renault Clio 09) Beyne/Maerten - Mitsubishi Lancer 10) Verschueren/Maes - Opel Ascona

WRC Academy stars in France Words: Staff Writer The inaugural FIA WRC Academy intake heads to the Alsace region of France this week (September 29October 1) for the second asphalt event of the season, rated as a

Event News Breaking News

Tarmac rally like no other due to the inconsistent nature of the terrain and road surface.

Based on the outskirts of Strasbourg, close to France’s border with Germany, the event features a wide variety of stages of differing surfaces, widths and gradients in vineyards, mountain regions and town centres.

With gravel sections also featuring on the competitive route, the world rally hopefuls will be required to overcome a tough test in their Pirelli-equipped Ford Fiesta R2s.

To ease the task facing the competitors, which is increased by the likelihood of inclement weather, Pirelli, the official tyre supplier of the WRC Academy, will make available 16 P Zero RX5 tyres and 12 P Zero RE7 tyres to each crew. They are permitted to use a maximum of 18 tyres once the event gets underway on Friday morning (September 30). Two spare tyres are made available for the pre-event shakedown on Thursday afternoon but cannot be used on the rally proper.

The hard compound RX5 is designed for optimal performance in warm and dry conditions. Conversely, the RE7 was developed to provide improved grip in the event of rain and cold temperatures, a feature of last year’s Rallye de France.

By offering crews two choices of tyre, Pirelli engineers hope to be able to provide more vital experience when the WRC Academy runners make the step up to the World Rally Championship in future, as well as teaching them about correct tyre usage.

“Our involvement in the WRC Academy is part of our continuous plan to help develop the next generation of world championship stars,” said Pirelli’s motorsport director Paul Hembery. “With a level playing field created due to the fact all drivers have to use the same Ford Fiesta R2s and Pirelli control tyres, our young talents can discover just how pivotal tyre choice can be to the outcome of a rally.”

Among the WRC Academy runners in action on Rallye de France Alsace are six Pirelli Star Drivers, who are competing this season through a scholarship from the FIA, motorsport’s world governing body, and the Italian tyre firm, which has underwritten the cost of season of international competition. The Pirelli Star Drivers for 2011 are Irishman Craig Breen, the winner of the previous WRC Academy event in Germany last month, Swede Fredrik Ahlin, Czech Jan Cerny, Italian Andrea Crugnola, plus Australians Brendan Reeves and Molly Taylor.

Rallye de France Alsace forms round five of the six-event FIA WRC Academy Cup and features a total of 17 stages over a competitive distance of 296.77km. H&H

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Service Park

Interviews Features

Profiles Technical

Team Total rocks the Cape Words: Evan Rothman Pictures: Motorpics In just one stage of the Toyota Cape Dealer Rally the leader board was turned on its head. The rally’s nine stages and 196km of competitive action proved to be highly entertaining, but it was stage 7, the 39kmlong third stage of Day Two, in which the event was transformed from a dominant one-two display from Toyota to a podium with lacking in Toyotas.

This the seventh round of the South African Rally Championship was characterised by high-speeds, tight corners and jumps that saw competitors thrillingly flying through the air. Rally cars’ endurance and reliability was tested to their maximums, with only 25 of the 47 original entrants reaching the finish on Saturday afternoon.

Warm weather, cloudless skies and midges were the order of the day for the thousands of spectators who lined the stages to cheer on their favourite crews. Western Cape is renowned for its enthusiastic motorsport fans, and this weekend’s event provided action from the top drawer.

After Day One’s 69.31km of stage action, the rally was led by the Toyota Auris S2000 machines of Johnny Gemmell/Drew Sturrock and Leeroy Poulter/Elvene Coetzee with the Ford Fiesta S2000 of Conrad Rautenbach/ Nicolas Klinger rounding out the podium.

With five stages set for Day Two, four contested on gravel and the tarmac finale extravaganza at Killarney Race Track, the overnight podium was dramatically different at the finishing ceremony. Rautenbach claimed his third win of the 2011 season with a winning margin of 23 seconds over Enzo Kuun/Guy Hodgson (Volkswagen Polo S2000) and Charl Wilken/Greg Godrich (Ford Fiesta S2000).

Team Total is proudly South Africa’s largest privateer rally team, powering four cars in two different Classes. Chasing a podium position throughout the nine stages was former winner of this rally Jean-Pierre Damseaux and Carolyn Swan (Team Total Toyota Auris S2000), who finished fourth overall, some 43 seconds off third place overall.

“It was a great rally for us and we were fighting for the podium,” said Damseaux. “We pushed hard for a strong result, and it has given us the confidence we need with our new rally car. We know that a few things on the car need

to change, and we have the data we now require for this. But, those rally winners were very quick. The pace is so hot this season that if you hesitate just for a moment before a corner once or twice in a stage, your stage time will not be competitive; it is fast out there!”

He added: “We will push even harder on the final rally of the season next month. We are getting to grips with the car and we showed that by finishing as the fastest Toyota rally car on this event, not for the first time this season.”

In eighth place overall, and the second Team Total crew home, was the Toyota Auris S2000 of Mohammed Moosa and Grant Martin.

This the pairing’s second top ten finish in two events, Moosa and Martin are beginning to tap into the potential of their new rally car.

“It was just a few small things that added up to a rally time for us that was just off the pace,” said Moosa. “Our experience of the rally was fantastic, as the event was fast and well-run, with the roads and stages for this year making for a great rally. We learned a great deal about our car again on this event. It is a learning curve for us at the moment and we will be developing the car over the coming weeks to reel in our rivals on the next rally.”

The Two Wheel Drive Championship, comprising Classes S1600 and S1400, is contested by two Team Total crews: multiple Class champions Craig Trott/Robbie Coetzee and South Africa Rally Championship’s only all-female crew of Stefanie Botha/Angela Shields.

A retirement at the end of Day One for Botha/Shields was due to engine gremlins in their Toyot RunX S1600, relegating Team Total’s two rally ladies to spectators fr Day Two. Driving with verve on Day Two’s five stages, Trott/Coetzee climbed the leader board from fifth in Class S1600 to finish the event second in Class and adding valuable points to their Championship aims.

“We gave it out all on this event, and we did the rallying with our heads,” said Trott. “The rally was very fast and we drove within our limits to make certain of a podium result. Our strategy paid off and we are smiling.”

Team Total next competes in the series’ finale on 21 – 22 October 2011.

For news and photographs live from the event, visit us on Facebook at http://on.fb.me/pBFCpZ and on Twitter at http://bit.ly/jBLu4j. For more information, please H&H visit http://www.totalmotorsport.co.za.

Issue 202 • 26 September 2011 • Page 07

Eco fuel set for use by crews for rallying in sunny South Africa Words: Staff Writer A circular from controlling body Motorsport South Africa allows competitors to use eco fuels starting with this past weekend’s Toyota Cape Dealer Rally in the Western Cape. Competitors may now use an ethanolbased gasoline blend with a maximum ethanol content of between 84 and 86 percent measured by mass.

The gasoline component of the blend will be 95 octane unleaded petrol. The MSA regulation added that national championship competitors may be required to nominate at any time during a season the brand and type of fuel to be utilised by them.

The fuel, complying with rules and regulations, can be from any supplier, or the ethanol/gasoline blend.

Competitors may then only utilise the brand and type of fuel they have nominated for the rest of the season.

A competitor who then wants to change the type of fuel nominated must give written notice to the MSA Rally Commission before the start of any round of the championship.

The competitor would then be required to use the newly nominated fuel choice for the remainder of the season.

MSA chief executive officer Francois Pretorius said the move strengthened the organisation’s commitment to preserving the environment.

In 1996 MSA became the first national sports federation in South Africa to adopt an environmental code and appointed a specialist environmental panel as part of their structure.

Through this management structure MSA ensures that the highest environmental standards are met during the organisation and hosting of more than 1,200 motorsport events annually in South Africa.

It also promotes environmental education among all motorsport role players and approximately 16 000 licensed competitors.

“We are deeply conscious of the role we can play in preserving our environment,” Pretorius said. “We will continue to take the lead in this regard, and the introduction of bio fuel into rallying is another indication of our commitment to do all we can to make our planet a better place on which to live.” H&H

Rally of Scotland heats up Words: Staff Writer Picture: IRC Media Next month’s RACMSA Rally of Scotland (7 - 9 October) has attracted one of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge’s most exciting entry lists of 2011 with the top eight drivers in the current championship standings plus home heroes Alister McRae and David Bogie all set for a high-speed battle on the star-studded event.

A record 38 international entries – 26 of those in the IRC’s top car Class – from 17 different countries have registered so far for the event.

Among them are the top eight drivers in the current IRC standings.

This year’s Rally of Scotland is the penultimate round of the highprofile IRC that this past weekend was in action in Sanremo, Italy. Two weeks later the globetrotting series will arrive in Scotland for its only UK round of 2011 with spectacular high-speed action on daunting gravel surface stages through the forests of Perthshire and Stirlingshire.

Starting from Stirling Castle on the Friday (7 October) and finishing at Scone Palace on the Sunday (9 October), the event’s route will total more than 1000km – 800 of those will be on main public highways through surrounding towns and villages as some of the world’s top rally drivers and cars share the roads with everyday motorists and their vehicles while en route to timed competitive stages in nearby forests. Throughout both Friday and Saturday and overnight into Sunday, all cars will be held and worked on by the teams at the event’s Central Service Park at Perth Airport.

Highly professional crews representing Skoda, Peugeot, Ford, Subaru, Citroen, Renault and Honda are on the entry list.

Andrew Coe, Chief Executive of International Motor Sports which organises the Rally of Scotland, commented: “We are delighted to have attracted such a phenomenal line-up of teams, drivers and cars. This is fantastic news for all of our partners, the many local motor clubs and volunteer marshals and officials who play such a vital role in the smooth running of the event. And of course for the thousands of public – be they die-hard fans of the sport or casual observers – who will be attending the weekend.”

Adding to the action on Rally of Scotland, 25 entries have been received for the supporting National event that will follow hot on the heels of the IRC’s stars on Saturday’s and Sunday’s stages and which represents an opportunity for many club-level crews from across the UK to shine on an H&H international stage.

Issue 202 • 26 September 2011 • Page 08

New owners for Rally America 2012 Words: Staff Writer Pictures: Handbrakes & Hairpins Archive Rally America, Inc., the premier sanctioning and Rally promotion organization in the United States, announced today the seamless transition of ownership to Vermont business professional, Bill Fogg. Fogg has twenty-five years of entrepreneurial success in distribution, manufacturing, software development, telecommunications and marketing. Fogg is also a founding partner in a business development company that invests in a number of technology start-up businesses.

Managing Director, J. B. Niday, will continue in his long-standing role along with Mike Hurst, Rally America’s Competition Director, Paul Giblin, Rally America’s Director of Business Development, and Ananda Siverts, the organization’s Marketing Director. The Rally America staff, new and old, is also quick to acknowledge the founder of Rally America, Doug Havir, for his many contributions to the development of the Rally America National Championship Series.

“First, I want to express my appreciation to Doug Havir for establishing and building Rally America,” said J.B. Niday, “Bill Fogg and his team bring great, new talents and resources to Rally America, as well as fresh ideas and perspectives.”

Fogg has been working with Rally America personnel as well as professionals from other companies to assist in planning for the expansion of Rally America’s reach into homes around the globe. “I want to expose as many people as possible to Rally and turn them into rabid fans,” said Fogg, “Rally America is in a unique position to put Rally and Rallycross in front of the mainstream public.” Fogg believes that Rally America’s future success will be built on the vision and depth of its management team and a history of producing safe and exciting Rally events.

As part of that vision, social networking, live streaming, and online video channel development will be enhanced or launched during the 2012 season. “I have spoken with top performers in the sport, team owners, sponsors and manufacturers, and they all agree that now

is the time to bring Rally and Rallycross to the masses,” Fogg said.

Fogg first attended a rally three years ago with his sons Jon and Tom when long-time friend and Rally driver Chris Putzier suggested they give it a try. “We had no idea what to expect at the New England Forest Rally in 2009 but we had a great time, it was a wonderful family experience with the boys and an exciting introduction to the sport of Rally,” said Fogg.

“I’m thrilled with the opportunity to put my years of business experience and entrepreneurial spirit to work for Rally America.”

The 2012 Rally America National Championship Series schedule has been created in partnership with local Rally event organizers.

In the upcoming season, Rally America will make the series more accessible and build more excitement for fans, sponsors, drivers, and teams.

For 2012, the six Rally events will stretch from coast to coast and are scheduled to run through September. Rally America organizers have moved the Seattle, Washingtonbased Olympus Rally to September from April and have pushed back the Portland, Oregonbased Oregon Trail Rally by a few weeks to allow more time between it and the Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally in Wellsboro, PA in early June. This new National Championship schedule for 2012 accomplishes two goals. First, it extends the Rally season into the fall, and secondly, it eliminates the compacting of half the Championship into less than two months.

Rally America is in the process of evaluating the addition of a seventh National Championship Series event in 2013.

The 2012 Rally America National Championship Series dates and locations are as follows: Sno*Drift: January 27 - 28 Rally in the 100 Acre Wood: February 24 - 25 Oregon Trail Rally: May 4 - 6 Susquehannock Trail Rally: June 1 - 2 New England Forest Rally: July 13 - 14 Olympus Rally: September 22 - 23 The company also announced it was reverting back to its original name Rally America, Inc. H&H

Issue 202 • 26 September 2011 • Page 09

Black Beauty makes competitive debut Words: Staff Writer Picture: Handbrakes & Hairpins Archive Ford will field its official Fiesta RS World Rally Cars in a stunning black colour scheme for the first time in competition at this week’s Rallye de France (29 September - 2 October). Following a concerted campaign by fans on the team’s Facebook page, Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team’s three cars will carry the livery which proved so popular during testing in France in June.

The design is the same as the Fiesta RS WRCs sported on the opening 10 rounds of the FIA World Rally Championship. However, the car’s base colour is black throughout, with white branding on top for Ford and its partners.

Ford received a massive vote of approval after the livery was unveiled in the summer. A Facebook group was set up to petition

the team to use the new-look in a rally, and Ford of Europe motorsport chief Gerard Quinn opted for the Strasbourg-based asphalt round.

“We listened to what our fans wanted and discussed the idea with our partners at Abu Dhabi and Castrol,” he said. “They were in favour, and I believe this colour scheme allied with a close-to-the-ground asphalt set-up brings a sexy, mean and moody look to the Fiesta RS WRC. It was one of the potential liveries we discussed when finalising the design for our cars at the start of the year,” he said. H&H

Parc Ferme

Event Reports Results

Six rally wins for Ford in 2011 Words: Staff Writer Pictures: Motorpics Zimbabwean Conrad Rautenbach and French co-driver Nicolas Klinger (GreenFuel Ford Fiesta S2000) won the Toyota Cape Dealer Rally near Cape Town this weekend and regained the lead in the South African Rally Championship with one round remaining.

In a dramatic final day of the two-day event that started in Table View and ended at the Killarney Race Track, the Ford privateers completed the 196km of special stages in a time of 01hr 39min 16.3sec.

Second was the factory BP Volkswagen Polo S2000 of reigning champions Enzo Kuun and Guy Hodgson, who finished 23sec behind the winning Ford after starting the day in ninth place, over half a minute off the leaders.

Privateers Charl Wilken/Greg Godrich (Basil Read/bizhub Ford Fiesta S2000) claimed the final podium position after winning three of the day’s stages and finishing 29.6sec in arrears.

Making up the top ten were Team Total’s Jean-Pierre Damseaux/Carolyn Swan (Toyota Auris S2000) in fourth, Hein Lategan/Johan van der Merwe (Pirtek Peugeot 207 S2000) fifth, Leeroy Poulter/Elvene Coetzee (Castrol Toyota Auris S2000) sixth, Jon Williams/Cobus Vrey (Team Sasol Ford Fiesta S2000) seventh, Mohammed Moosa/Grant Martin (Team Total Toyota Auris S2000) eighth, Mark Cronje/Robin

Houghton (Team Sasol Ford Fiesta S2000) ninth and Jan Habig/Robert Paisley (BP Volkswagen Polo S2000) tenth.

Rautenbach had started the day in fourth place, behind overnight leaders Johnny Gemmell/Drew Sturrock in a factory Castrol Toyota Auris S2000, Poulter/Coetzee in the second factory Toyota and the Wilken/Godrich Ford.

Showing his intentions early on, Rautenbach won the opening two stages (stages five and six) and drew level with Gemmell, relegating Poulter to third. Seldom does a manufacturer win the event it sponsors and SS7 set the seal on Toyota’s disappointment.

Gemmell dropped out with an overheating engine after damaging the radiator when the Toyota landed heavily over a yump in SS5. He and Scottish co-driver Sturrock had won both of Friday’s gravel stages (stages one and two) and started on Saturday with a 23sec lead over Rautenbach/Klinger.

Poulter/Coetzee suffered a flat wheel 6km into SS7 and lost over a minute as they drove the remaining 32km on the flat. This dropped them to joint fourth with Team Total Auris privateers Damseaux/Swan and behind Rautenbach, Wilken (who won the stage) and Kuun.

The wily veterans Kuun/Hodgson meanwhile were having the kind of day that won them the championship in 2010. They won SS8 and moved up to second overall with the final

Issue 202 • 26 September 2011 • Page 11

15km tar stage at Killarney remaining.

Wilken confirmed his tarmac superiority – he also won both Killarney stages on Day One - by taking this final stage ahead of former track stars Poulter and Cronje.

Cronje’s chances of a fourth win in a row disappeared when he lost time on the opening day with an overheating engine. As the championship leader after the previous round, he started the Toyota Cape Dealer Rally in first position and his radiator became clogged with grass seeds as he swept the road. He was further delayed on Day Two when he elected to drive through SS5 on a flat wheel and lost time when the flaying rubber ripped off large parts of the bodywork.

Factory BP Volkswagen drivers and former champions Jan Habig and Hergen Fekken were also out of luck. Habig lost time with a broken propshaft on SS7 and Fekken lost 40sec on SS6 when he slowed with an overheating engine after damaging the radiator. Thanks to their hard-working Volkswagen service crews they were able to carry on. Fekken was further delayed on SS7 with a flat wheel.

Notable retirements in the premier four-wheel drive Class S2000 other than Gemmell/Sturrock included Giniel de Villiers/Ralph Pitchford (BP Volkswagen Polo S2000) who were having a good run before they hit a gate

post and ripped off a rear wheel on the eventful SS7.

Winners of the Two Wheel Drive Championship (for the S1600 and S1400 Classes) were brother and sister Christoff and Celeste Snyders (Sabertek Volkswagen Polo S1600), who finished 16th overall and increased their championship lead in the process.

Second, 2min 9sec behind, were former champions Craig Trott/Robbie Coetzee (Team Total Toyota RunX S1600), who in turn were 1min 14,4sec ahead of third-placed Tjaart Conradie/Kes Naidoo (Silverton Engineering Toyota Auris S1600).

Ashley Haigh Smith/James Aldridge (React Ford Fiesta S1600), who had led at the Day One overnight stop from Conradie, Snyders, Guy Botterill/ Simon Vacy-Lyle (Yato Tools Toyota RunX S1600) and Trott, dropped out with engine failure on SS7. Conradie took over the lead only to give the initiative to Snyders and the ever-consistent Trott when he lost 5min with a difficult wheel change after a puncture. Botterill also retired with engine problems.

Dolf Coetzee/Henry Adams (Toyota Tazz S1400) were the sole survivors in the S1400 Class, finishing 24th out of the 25 finishers. Class championship leaders Megan Verlaque/ Hilton Auffray (BP Volkswagen Polo S1400) and closest rivals Henk Lategan/ Barry White (Q8 Oils Volkswagen Polo

S1400), both went out on SS3 at Killarney with blown engines.

Coetzee/Adams just made it to the Class win, running out of petrol at the end of the final stage and having to push their car into parc ferme).

The final round of the championship is the Polokwane Rally in Limpopo Province, a new event on the calendar, on 22 and 23 October. H&H

Overall Classification: 01) C. Rautenbach/N. Klinger Ford Fiesta S2000 - 01h 39m 16.3s 02) E. Kuun/G. Hodgson Volkswagen Polo S2000 + 23.0s 03) C. Wilken/G. Godrich Ford Fiesta S2000 + 29.6s 04) J-P. Damseaux/C. Swan Toyota Auris S2000 + 01m 13.8s 05) H. Lategan/J. Van der Merwe Peugeot 207 S2000 + 01m 16.1s 06) L. Poulter/E. Coetzee Toyota Auris S2000 + 01m 19.7s 07) J. Williams/C. Vrey Ford Fiesta S2000 + 02m 05.8s 08) M. Moosa/G. Martin Toyota Auris S2000 + 03m 06.0s 09) M. Cronje/R. Houghton Ford Fiesta S2000 + 03m 17.3s 10) J. Habig/R. Paisley Volkswagen Polo S2000 + 03m 52.5s

Issue 202 • 26 September 2011 • Page 12

Neuville clinches IRC thriller Words: Staff Writer Pictures: IRC Media Thierry Neuville has won Rallye Sanremo following a thrilling finish to the Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC) round on the Italian Riviera this weekend. Driving a Team Peugeot BelgiumLuxembourg 207 S2000, Neuville surged ahead on the demanding asphalt event with one stage remaining, having cancelled out an overnight deficit of 16.6sec.

By going fastest on the final test, Neuville and co-driver Nicolas Gilsoul did just enough to beat Skoda UK Motorsport pair Andreas Mikkelsen and Ola Floene for their second IRC victory of 2011 and ensure Peugeot’s capture of the IRC’s trio of classic events, Rallye Monte Carlo, Tour de Corse and now Rallye Sanremo.

Furthermore, it was the fourth time in 2011 that a round of the all-action IRC has been decided by a margin of less than two seconds following close finishes in Canary Islands, Czech Republic and Hungary earlier in the year.

Neuville’s success has also underlined the pace of Peugeot’s 207 S2000, which has led the way on the demanding narrow and twisty roads in the hills overlooking the Mediterranean Sea for a third year in succession.

Neuville said in an interview: “I was flat out on that last stage, it was incredible and

I can’t believe the result. I pushed really hard, it was such a nice battle over the weekend, so intensive because the IRC is such a competitive championship. The car felt good, I am so happy.

I hope this win won’t be the last for me.”

Freddy Loix had started Day Two of the rally leading by 2.7sec having moved ahead of Mikkelsen after winning Day One’s night stage in his BFO-Skoda Rally Team Fabia. Mikkelsen, who had led from the opening stage of Day One, reclaimed top spot on Day Two’s first test when Loix made his characteristic slow start.

Mikkelsen remained in front until Loix retook the lead after going fastest two stages later. He started SS11 a mere 2.5sec in front only to crash on a fast downhill section approximately halfway through the test, fortunately without injury to neither he nor codriver Frederic Miclotte. With his car blocking the narrow road, organisers were forced to cancel the stage.

Neuville won the penultimate run, one of four stage wins during the final day, to start the final test 0.3sec ahead of Mikkelsen. Despite a determined charge, the 22-year-old Norwegian was unable to land his maiden IRC victory, having led for much of the event.

Loix, whose efforts earned him the prestigious Coilin McRae IRC Flat Out Trophy, could have moved to the top of the IRC standings if he’d claimed maximum points and rival Jan Kopecky remained in fifth place, having

Issue 202 • 26 September 2011 • Page 13

been unable to replicate the pace that has carried him to back-to-back victories in Czech Republic and Hungary. As it is, by inheriting fourth, Kopecky’s comfortable lead remains intact heading to the penultimate round in Scotland next month.

Bruno Magalhaes rounded out his 2011 IRC campaign with a strong fifth place for Peugeot Sport Portugal.

Aside from a handful of set-up issues and a lack of brakes on Day One’s night stage little troubled the multiple Portuguese champion, who set a number of competitive times in his 207.

M-Sport Ford Fiesta S2000 driver Umberto Scandola began Day Two as the leading Italian, but a steering problem on SS10 dropped him to seventh overall behind countryman Alessandro Perico in a privateer Peugeot.

Pierre Campana’s bid to emulate the fourth-place finish he recorded on Tour de Corse was hampered by a plethora of mechanical problems, which required the fitting of a new loom and injection rack. He took eighth.

Toni Gardemeister extended his point-scoring run in this year’s IRC to eight events after the Finn brought his TGS Worldwide Fabia home in ninth position. It was the first time he’d finished Rallye Sanremo in five attempts.

Factory Proton driver

Giandomenico Basso had been in the fight for a top finish, but a spin on SS5 and an off-road moment on the night stage when his intercom failed and he couldn’t hear the instructions of his co-driver Mitia Dotta, dropped him out of contention. Alternator problems on Day Two’s morning caused further frustration, but he fought back to deny Swiss Peugeot privateer Gregoire Hotz the final point on the very last stage.

Peugeot UK’s Guy Wilks crashed out on Day One’s first test. Australian Chris Atkinson also failed to complete the opening run when his Proton Motorsports’ Satria Neo S2000 stopped with a suspected electrical failure. Karl Kruuda retired on Day One’s night stage when a loss of brakes resulted in him sliding into a wall and breaking his Fabia’s front-right wheel.

Florian Gonon claimed his third victory in the inaugural IRC Production Cup after heading home Italian Ralliart Mitsubishi Lancer driver Marco Cavigioli by a comfortable margin. Gonon, driving a Subaru Impreza, was fastest in the category on all but one stage. Irishman Eamonn Boland was third with Corrado Perino fourth. Johan Heloise failed to finish.

Davide Medici secured his maiden win in the IRC 2WD Cup after seeing off the challenge of fellow Italian Stefano Albertini, who lost ground with

set-up issues on the final day. PierreAntoine Guglielmi, the winner of the IRC 2WD Cup in Corsica earlier this season, finished third with Roberto Vescovi taking fourth. Honda’s challenge unravelled when Sandro Sottile crashed on SS4 and Martin Kangur retired following a spate of mechanical problems on Day One. Harry Hunt, the defending IRC 2WD Cup champion, battled back from a tough opening day to claim ninth with Elwis Chentre tenth in a Skoda Fabia R2. Michele Tassone was the leading Abarth finisher. H&H Overall Classification: 01) T. Neuville/N. Gilsoul Peugeot 207 S2000 - 02h 19m 57.8s 02) A. Mikkelsen/O. Fløene Skoda Fabia S2000 + 1.5s 03) B. Bouffier/X. Panseri Peugeot 207 S2000 + 16.0s 04) J. Kopecky/P. Starý Škoda Fabia S2000 + 01m 09.1s 05) B. Magalhães/P. Grave Peugeot 207 S2000 + 01m 26.0s 06) A. Perico/F. Carrara Peugeot 207 S2000 + 03m 47.8s 07) U. Scandola/G. D’Amore M-Sport Ford Fiesta S2000 +4m05.9s 08) P. Campana/S. de Castelli Peugeot 207 S2000 + 04m 28.0s 09) T. Gardemeister/T. Suominen Škoda Fabia S2000 + 05m 24.1s 10) G. Basso/M. Dotta Proton Satria Neo S2000 + 07m 26.9s IRC Production Cup: F. Gonon/S. Arlettaz - Subaru Impreza WRX IRC 2WD Cup: D. Medici/D. De Luis - Renault Clio S1600

Issue 202 • 26 September 2011 • Page 14

Bogie clinches British Championship Words: Staff Writer Pictures: IRC Media David Bogie and co-driver Kevin Rae crossed the finish line of this weekend’s International Rally Yorkshire in third place and, in doing so, became 2011 Dulux Trade MSA British Rally Champions. The Scottish pair’s six podium finishes – three of them wins – from the season’s six rounds were more than enough to provide them with their first British title.

Elfyn Evans/Andrew Edwards in the Pirelli Star Driver Subaru led the event from the start and did all they could to try to lever the title away from Bogie and Rae. It was the Welshmen’s second rally win of the season, the result confirming them as runners-up in the Championship, whilst Jonny Greer and Dai Roberts finished a strong second in the rally and third in the Championship.

With the announcement on Thursday that October’s International Rally Isle of Man had been cancelled, this weekend’s Yorkshire event took on a completely different complection, as suddenly it became the final round of the 2011 Dulux Trade MSA British Rally Championship. It also meant that, because the Manx-based rally was to represent two points-scoring rounds, that competitors had to count all of this season’s scores and could not drop a round.

Therefore, all Bogie had to do was to finish 13th or higher to confirm his place in the history books. However, as anyone who has experience of the sport will know it’s not that easy!

This year’s Rally Yorkshire kicked off with a ceremonial start on a warm and dry

Friday evening at Scarborough’s West Pier, where the BRC cars and crews congregated on the sea front for a promotional gathering that attracted hoards of spectators. All of the event’s competitive action took place on Saturday in the picturesque forests of the North Yorkshire Moors, which featured nine special stages and a total competitive distance of 132km.

SS1 was a 23km run through the infamous Dalby forest, which caught many competitors unawares, with the slippery conditions making grip levels a lottery. Unsure whether it was the indifferent road surface or the rock he hit a few 100meters before, fast-Finn Jussi Kumpumäki was the first BRC driver to exit the event, when his Fiesta left the road on a tightening right-hander 10km into the stage.

Unfortunately, heavy contact with a felled tree meant he was going no further and, although all of his car’s wheels were still pointing in the right direction, the front of the Ford was too badly damaged to continue.

Others also lost time in the conditions: Mikko Pajunen dropped 30sec when he planted his Renault Twingo in the bushes; Callum Black reported he was perhaps a little over-cautious and F2 front-runner Martin McCormack even admitted that it was one of the worst first stages he had ever had.

The slippery gravel surface played into the hands of the four-wheel-drive runners and, with nothing to lose, Evans blasted through the stage to lead Greer by 12.9sec. The Skoda Fabia S2000 pairing were in turn 27.4sec ahead of Bogie, who had sensibly opted to take it steady, with thoughts of the British title in the forefront of his mind - whilst fastest of the two-wheeldrive cars was the Renault Clio of Peter Taylor in

Issue 202 • 26 September 2011 • Page 15

an impressive fourth.

The next three stages provided a surface that was more to the drivers’ liking, especially McCormack who elevated himself from seventh to fifth by the time crews entered the auxiliary service halt north of Pickering. The first loop of four stages had also provided a close battle between the one-makes, with Desi Henry and Joe McGonigle swapping places in the Citroën Racing Trophy and Kit Leigh, Nick Cristofaro and Osian Pryce in the Fiesta SportTrophy all just a handful of seconds apart.

At the front of the field the leading four was unchanged as they embarked on another two stages.

However, Evans threw nearly half of his 18sec advantage away with a spin on SS5, putting Greer within 10sec of him before the main service halt of the day back in Scarborough.

SS5 and SS6 turned out to be significant for the Fiesta drivers too, when Cristofaro’s car broke a driveshaft leaving the start line of SS6 and Leigh’s car lost third gear. In contrast, Alex Laffey’s rally was going well in his new Fiesta and he was rapidly getting back his confidence following his crash in Ulster last month.

The last leg of the day comprised a further three stages, all of them a second run of previous venues.

The first of these saw McCormack overhaul Taylor, which meant that, once again, the Citroën DS3 driver was ahead of the Formula 2 field.

For Bogie, this last loop of stages was the most important of his rallying career and possibly the hardest, as he knew he had to drive cautiously but, at the same time, maintain a level of concentration that would ensure

he made no mistakes. In fact, he was feeling so stressed during the last stage, he even had to open a window as he thought he was going to be sick.

But it was a faultless performance from the young Scot, his co-driver and his Mitsubishi, which meant that he returned to Scarborough to be crowned the 2011 Dulux Trade MSA British Rally Champion. An equally polished performance by Evans saw him record his second BRC victory of the season and claim second place in the Championship whilst Greer did likewise to finish second and third respectively.

McCormack’s fourth place rewarded him with the British Formula 2, R3 Class and Junior titles, whilst Taylor’s fifth place and excellent pace during the event earned him the Pirelli Star Driver nomination. Mikko Pajunen’s day-long battle with his Autosport Technology Renault Twingo team-mate Siim Plangi was finally resolved in the Pajunen’s favour. It was a great fight back by the Finn following his stage one excursion, his efforts seeing him collect the spoils for the R2 Class.

The performance of the two Renault drivers this season has meant that, even before this weekend’s final round, Autosport Technology were already confirmed as Teams’ Champions.

Other Champions crowned at the end of the event were Louise Cook, who becomes British Ladies Champion; Osian Price who scoops the Fiesta SportTrophy and Desi Henry, who does likewise in the Citroën Racing Trophy.

At the finish a delighted David Bogie said: “It’s hard to sum up how I feel. I’ve been chasing this result all year and the dream has now come true. This has been the hardest rally of my life by

far. I had to make sure we got to the finish and we did everything possible to achieve this. To win the title is a reward for everyone who has supported me: the team, my family and, of course Kevin, who has done a great job. It’s a huge achievement and I still can’t quite believe it!” H&H Overall Classification: 01) E. Evans/A. Edwards R4 Subaru Impreza - 01h 15m 56.8s 02) J. Greer/D. Roberts R4 Skoda Fabia + 28.3s 03) D. Bogie/K. Rae R4 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX + 01m 55.5s 04) M. McCormack/D. Moynihan R3 Citroen DS3 R3T + 05m 27.4s 05) P. Taylor/A. Roughead R3 Renault Clio R3 + 05m 40.1s 06) C. Black/P. Wakely R3 Suzuki Swift S1600 + 06m 53.4s 07) M. Pajunen/J. Salo R2 Renault Twingo + 07m 11.9s 08) S. Plangi/M. Sarapuu R2 Renault Twingo + 07m 23.4s 09) V. Dubert/S. Sitarz R3 Citroen DS3 + 08m 47.0s 10) D. Henry/N. Burns R2 Citroen C2 Max + 09m 49.4s BRC’s Honour Roll: Drivers’ Championship: 01) David Bogie - 110 pts 02) Elfyn Evans - 100 pts 03) Jonny Greer - 95 pts 04) Marty McCormack - 74 pts 05) Mikko Pajunen - 49 pts 06) Adam Gould - 47 pts 07) Siim Plangi - 45 pts 08) Tom Clark - 40 pts 09) Callum Black - 37 pts 10) Mark Donnelly - 36 pts Formula 2 Rally Championship: 01) Marty McCormack - 98 pts 02) Mikko Pajunen - 75 pts 03) Siim Plangi - 74 pts 04) Osian Pryce - 62 pts 05) Callum Black - 59 ptd Teams Rally Championship: 01) Autosport Technology - 174 pts 02) M-Sport Ford - 102 pt 03) Team C2R2 Max - 95 pts 04) 586 Sports - 69 pts

Issue 202 • 26 September 2011 • Page 16

WRC has a French affair this weekend Words: Evan Rothman Picture: Handbrakes & Hairpins This weekend sees the World Rally Championship head to the Alsace region in north-eastern France for the alwaysexciting WRC Rally de France.

For the 2011 edition, the rally returns to Strasbourg, the seat of the European Parliament, for a second time after its move away from Corsica last year. The city, located on the German border, nestles between the Vosges mountains to the west and the Black Forest to the east.

The Vosges features strongly in the route, with the opening two legs including special stages in the mountain range. The roads there vary considerably, blending narrow, bumpy sections through forests with fast, wide parts where speeds will near 200km/h. In contrast, vineyard roads on flat open plains and two street test locations offer a completely different challenge.

“The stages are bumpy and abrasive in some sections, but the biggest surprise last year was how much we could cut the corners and the amount of mud and dirt that was dragged onto the roads,” said the recent WRC Rally Australia winner Mikko Hirvonen of the Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team. “They were very messy. I think the organisers are taking steps to prevent so much cutting, but we won’t know what difference that will make until the recce. When we check our pace notes in the recce we must be careful in deciding which corners we can cut and which we can’t. Where there is a drop-off from the edge of the road, we must think closely about whether it’s worth risking a puncture by cutting, or not. Winning in Australia removed some pressure, but we must carry that success

forward and fight for the Championship in the final rounds.”

The rally retains the same broad format as last year, with Strasbourg’s Zénith concert arena as the base and main service park. The opening two legs have been switched from the previous edition, so after Thursday evening’s start ceremony in the city centre, Friday’s opening leg journeys south-west through vineyards in the Bas-Rhin department and onto the lower slopes of the Vosges mountains. The second day heads deeper into the Vosges for higher altitude tests near Colmar, which hosts a short service midway through the leg. It includes the climb of Le Grand Ballon, the rally’s high point at 1340 metres, and ends with a new street stage in Mulhouse. Most of the short final day north of Strasbourg is new, although the Haguenau street test is retained and the second pass forms the live TV Power Stage with bonus points for the fastest three drivers.

The afternoon finish is outside the European Parliament in Strasbourg. Drivers tackle 23 tests covering 337.43km in a route of 1289.90km.

With home support, the two Sebastiens (Loeb and Ogier), teammates at Citroën Total World Rally Team, are favourites to claim the rally win. Loeb, who is simply sensational on this sealed surface, will come under pressure from Ogier on the tests.

Undoubtedly charging hard on this weekend’s rally will be the Ford Fiesta RS WRCs of the M-Sport Stobart Ford World Rally Team, the privateer Citroën DS3 WRC of Petter Solberg and a gaggle of other drivers that will be aiming for valuable Championship points in the twilight H&H of the 2011 World Rally Championship.