s e k a r b d Han s n i p r i a H & he world your insight into t
2009 Issue 101 October
of rallying
Cover
Citroen and Loeb win again!
inside this week:
Events
Nissans take charge of title
Events
Thrilling Rally Spain action
Contents / Issue 101 Welcome to H&H! News • • • • • •
Pentti Airikkala passes away New WRC console game for 2010 Tom Cave wins in Latvia Franz Wittmann pleased with IRC Gardemeister in IRC for 2010? Gigi Galli aiming for WRC return?
Welcome to issue 101 of HANDBRAKES & HAIRPINS, your FREE weekly insight into the world of rallying! As always, I hope you enjoy this week’s exciting edition! Yours in Rallying, Evan Rothman
Features • Essentials: Stuff • Icons: Legends of South Africa
Event Reports • • • • •
APRC Rally of Indonesia REVIEW SAORRC: Toyota Dealer 400 REVIEW J-WRC: Rally Spain REVIEW WRC: Rally Spain REVIEW FSTi: Rally Spain REVIEW
Contact To receive your FREE weekly HANDBRAKES & HAIRPINS e-magazine, or if you’d like to share this with a friend please send me 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. All content copyrighted property of HANDBRAKES & HAIRPINS, 2007-9.
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Finnish rally star Pentti Airikkala dies after long illness It is with great sadness that we report the passing of Finnish rally legend Pentti Airikkala who died last week (30 September 2009) following a long illness, aged 64. Pentti won the 1989 RAC Rally (his only WRC win) driving a Mitsubishi Galant VR-4, to record one of the event’s most popular victories after it eluded him back in 1976 following a great drive in a Ford Escort MkII. He is probably best remembered though, when he drove a Vauxhall Chevette HS for the DTV team in the late ‘70s. In winning the 1979 Circuit of Ireland Rally (the year he won the British championship), Airikkala became the first and only ‘foreign’ driver to do so and later regarded this win as the finest of his long distinguished career. “The Circuit of Ireland is a very special rally - very long, very hard, very competitive. I am proud to be the first European to win,” Pentti said at the time. Airikkala would later run a hugely successful rally driving school where he instilled his left-foot braking technique into the pupils. His tutoring would churn out a host of future stars such as Colin McRae and Richard Burns. Current WRC Ford drivers Mikko Hirvonen and Jari-Matti Latvala are also former Airikkala graduates and have the left-foot master to thank for helping to launch their respective world championship careers. R.I.P. Pentti - Credit: RallyBuzz.com
WRC to launch all-new console game for 2010, more realistic WRC’s unique off-road driving experience is coming back Fans of the FIA World Rally Championship will soon be able to get closer to the action after it was announced today that a new official WRC console game is now under development and scheduled for launch in 2010. The agreement with leading Milan based publisher, Black Bean Games, will see the WRC game available across the world for the first time on PlayStation 3, Xbox360 videogame and entertainment system from Microsoft and PC formats. Black Bean Games, and their in-house development studio Milestone, have an excellent track record of successful motorsport games including the SBK Superbike championship and MotoGP. The new official WRC game will provide the sport with major promotional and commercial opportunities, which will continue to grow the reach and appeal of the WRC on a global scale.
Simon Long, ISC CEO, said: “The official WRC game will engage a whole new audience for the sport and we’re tremendously excited at the opportunities to grow our fan base and the profile of the WRC. It provides a hugely powerful touch point for us in which to showcase the WRC to consumers, and it will be the most realistic and playable rally game of all time. We chose to work with Black Bean Games because they have a proven track record making top level games with the official license in two-wheel motorsport.” Virgilio Bixio, Black Bean Games President, added: “We are particularly proud to bring the WRC franchise back into the videogames arena after so many years of absence. Milestone has been working hard on this title and our expectations are really high. We will be able to provide the utmost competitive title that will provide extremely positive results. Furthermore, Milestone’s work is enriched by the overwhelming support we have received from the WRC community.” The official WRC game agreement was secured by ISC, the exclusive worldwide media and commercial rights holder for the FIA World Rally Championship.” Black Bean is a company with much racing experience, mostly known of the SBK series, official Superbikes World Championship title. - Credit: RallyBUzz.com
Mads Ostberg claims Norwegian Rally Championship with easy win Mads Ostberg has won Rally Hedemarken, the final round in the 2009 Norwegian Rally Championship, for a third time in a row. It was a comfortable win for the current Norwegian champion who was using his S12 Subaru Impreza on this occasion as the S14 is being readied for Rally GB. Ostberg finished over three and a half minutes ahead of his nearest rival Sveinung Bieltvedt, who was in a Subaru Impreza N14. Anders Grondal retired his S10 Subaru Impreza from second place with engine failure on SS6 of the Hamar-based event. FINAL Hedemarken Rally CLASSIFICATION: 01) M. Ostberg/J. Andersson (Subaru Impreza WRC S12) - 52m 33,0s 02) S. Bieltvedt/R. Eilertsen (Subaru Impreza WRX STI N14) + 03m 34,2s 03) T. Sveinsvoll/O. Ovestad (Ford Focus RS WRC 01) + 03m 50,0s 04) M. Stenshorne/O. Johnny Andersen (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X) + 03m 53,1s 05) B. Kollevold/V. Engan (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX) + 04m 57,4s 06) A. Kjær/T. Svendsen (Subaru Impreza WRX STI N14) + 04m 58,6s 07) J. Axelsson/M. Andersson (Subaru Impreza WRX STI N14) + 05m 13,9s 08) T. Kvam/S. Johnsen (Subaru Impreza WRX STI N14) + 05m 34,1s 09) P. Tidemand/O. Kristian Unnerud (Subaru Impreza WRX STI N14) + 05m 57,8s 10) C. August Selmer/N-H. Holmen (Ford Focus RS WRC 05) + 06m 42,4s
- Credit: RallyBuzz.com
THE LATEST NEWS FROM THE WORLD OF RALLYING Featuring European rally championships, British rally championships, Rally America events, international rally results and videos, as well as S2000 and WRC news.
www.rallybuzz.com
Alberto Contador visits Dani Sordo at WRC Rally de Espana Reigning Tour de France champion, Alberto Contador was a special guest visitor at the Rally de Espana yesterday and admitted the experience had made him eager to get behind the wheel. The Spanish star, who rides for the Astana team and is ranked number one in the UCI world standings, was joined at the event by his team mate Jesus Hernandez. They were given a VIP view of the rally, including a helicopter trip to watch the action on SS6 and a tour of the Service Park in Salou. Later, as guests of the Citroen Total World Rally team, they watched the midday service and met fellow Spaniard, Dani Sordo and team boss Oliver Quesnel - both fanatical cyclists. Contador said: “I am a fan of cars and enjoy all motorsports. I profoundly respect the drivers as they have the skills to drive these vehicles at such speeds in all kinds of conditions - they deserve my full admiration. “The organisation of this rally is excellent and seeing the facilities and being here is a great experience. Being around the drivers, seeing how the mechanics work on the cars and understanding how everything is measured to the tenth of a second is amazing. “I already knew Dani and he admires cycling as well - I hope the weekend finishes well for him. I would love to drive a race car one day as I have several cars - none of them a race car of course! I really enjoy driving and we’ll see - maybe someday.” Oliver Quesnel said: “I am really interested in cycling; I used to do a lot and I still run two magazines about the sport so it was a pleasure to see Alberto. For me, he is the best you can find - even better than Lance Armstrong. I think he is the greatest cyclist you will find in the world.” - Credit: WRC.com and RallyBuzz.com
Latest developments in race for FIA presidency After meeting with both FIA presidential candidates, the Formula One drivers association GPDA is thought to be most supportive of Ari Vatanen’s campaign. The body met with Vatanen earlier this season, with the Finn an almost constant presence in the paddock since he announced his intention to succeed Max Mosley in this month’s elections. Mosley’s preferred successor, Jean Todt, sat down with the GPDA during his recent visit to the Singapore GP, but it is believed Vatanen still holds sway with the majority of the drivers’ body. When the GPDA met at Suzuka last weekend, some of the stalwarts of the alliance discussed issuing a public declaration of support for Vatanen, but on the basis of remaining politically neutral, the idea was sidelined. - Credit: RallyBuzz.com
Ari Vatanen hits back at Mosley’s comments, FIA presidency hots up Ari Vatanen on Friday took issue with incumbent Max Mosley’s claim that he will “lose badly” the FIA presidential election later this month. Mosley, who has been FIA president since 1993 but wants former Ferrari boss Jean Todt to now succeed him, had hit out at Finn Vatanen’s stance about the corruptness of the current
regime in a leaked letter. But Vatanen, the 1981 world rally champion and European parliamentarian, believes the existing regime is actually on the wrong end of a changing tide. “It happens in smaller elections too and this is a Barack Obama thing happening: we believe we have more than half of the votes already and there is a tendency the tide has turned,” Vatanen, 57, told the Guardian newspaper. The latest events have their origin at the Amman Extraordinary Motoring Conference in Jordan, where the opposition to Mosley and Todt, and the support for Vatanen, was stark. Outraged at the insulting tone of Mosley’s letter to a member of the Jordan royal family, it is said that most of the Arabic motoring officialdom now stridently back Vatanen. A resolution at the conference, reportedly snubbed by Mosley due to Vatanen’s attendance, calls for an independent body to oversee the FIA election on 23 October. “In the interests of democracy, transparency and integrity, we must be sure that this election is held in a fair and open environment through a secret ballot and under close third party supervision,” Jordan’s Prince Faisal said in a statement. In another statement issued late on Friday, the FIA said both Vatanen and Todt can each nominate election scrutineers, with the entire process “overseen, as usual, by a huissier de justice (a French state-appointed public witness)”. The Ugandan motor racing official Jack Wavamunno, meanwhile, claims he was “pressurised” through the means of “threats” by Todt supporters to drop his support for Vatanen. - Credit: RallyBuzz.com
Campana endures disappointing Le Tourquet Rally in France Corsican driver Pierre Campana endured a disappointing end to the Le Touquet Rally in northern France, the penultimate round of the French Suzuki Cup, when he rolled out of the class lead in adverse conditions. Campana - who won the Renault Clio R3 class on the Sanremo Rally just a week ago - felt the frustration as well as the joys of motorsport at Le Touquet, after an accident on the 11th stage in wet weather deprived him of the chance to take a third win in the Suzuki Cup this year. Despite this setback, Campana still has a mathematical chance of taking the Suzuki title and he has vowed to keep pushing hard to the end although the odds are very firmly stacked against him. The Le Touquet Rally is also a scoring round of the French asphalt championship and it is well-known as one of the most demanding events on the Suzuki Cup calendar. The rally started on Friday evening with a superspecial on the seafront in Le Touquet followed by two further speed tests. Campana’s objective throughout the opening stages of the rally was to get re-acquainted with his Group N Suzuki Swift - a largely standard car - after driving the R3 challenger in Sanremo. He ended the opening day third in the Suzuki rankings, having steered clear of trouble in the wet and slippery conditions. The second day was an extremely long one, consisting of 10 special stages. The weather was once more extremely wet, meaning that grip levels were close to zero and Campana had to fight the car as much as his rivals. Several competitors fell by the wayside after being caught out by spins and accidents. Nonetheless Campana took the Suzuki Cup lead on SS9, and by SS11 his advantage was more than a minute and a half. With the roads now drying, Campana and his co-driver Sabrina de Castelli took care to observe every braking point and potential hazard in order to minimise the risk of going off. Following a hairpin on SS11 though, Campana lost the back end of the car under acceleration in a straight line.
Unfortunately the back wheel of the Suzuki dropped into a ditch by the side of the narrow road and pitched the car into a series of spectacular rolls. “When you are using standard road tyres, this is always a risk,” explained Campana. “Our Suzuki does not have so much power, but the fact that we still lost it in a straight line just goes to underline how slippery the conditions were: it was like driving on ice. It’s obviously frustrating but there was nothing that we could really do about it and I’m just pleased that the accident did not result in any sort of injury for myself or Sabrina. We had a good lead and I’m sure that we could have extended it, yet we simply found a patch of road where the grip was less than zero. I’d like to thank the Rougier Sport team for another excellent job in preparing our car, and my long-time sponsor Yacco. Unfortunately the damage to the car is considerable so this sadly puts our participation on the next round into doubt, but this is part of motorsport. We will be doing everything we can to get out again.” The final round of the French Suzuki Cup takes place on the Cevennes Rally over the first weekend of November. - Credit: Quadra Sports
Tom Cave tastes victory in Rally Latvia in N3 Class A bizarre twist of fate gave rally sensation Tom Cave a muchdeserved class win this weekend, when the youngster inherited the N3 class victory on Rally Latvia, the final round of the Baltic nation’s national rally championship, several hours after the event finished. Cave had dominated the class from the off but a last-stage error, when he clipped a rock and broke the car’s steering saw him demoted to second. However, a technical irregularity and subsequent disqualification of the winner’s car meant that Cave inherited the win that had looked like his all day. This was the third time Cave was contesting the event and was looking forward to the chance to push for a result, unhindered by a requirement to finish to gain his license, as he was in the previous two years. From the off, the 17 year-old was on the pace, matching times with locals in Group N Renault Clios, which had dominated class N3 for several years. Tom was putting in stage-winning times and by the finish of the penultimate stage of the seventest rally, had an almost one-minute lead in the N3 class. However, two kilometres from the end of the seventh and final stage, the youngster clipped a rock on the inside of a corner that was not in his pace notes, breaking the car’s steering. He and co-driver Gemma Price were able to continue but at much reduced pace, limping to the end of the stage and to the finish ramp of the event, recording a finish. However, in doing so, they saw their near one-minute lead turn into a twelve-second deficit to the leader and with it, second place. With Tom and Gemma accepting the mistake cost them the place, the class winner’s car was inspected in post-event scrutineering, where a technical irregularity was found and the winner was subsequently disqualified from the event. This meant the win in fact went to Tom and Gemma, a result that
had looked like a foregone conclusion throughout the day. Speaking after the finish of the event, Tom said; “We had a great day but of course, I was gutted to have clipped that rock and given the class win away. However, I was even more amazed when I received a phone call on the way home from the rally late that night saying that the winner had been disqualified and we had got the class win after all. That’s not the ideal way to win an event but at least I had put in the times and had the class lead before we hit the rock. “I felt really at home in the car and on the stages all day. We had a great rhythm in the car, the notes were working really well and everything was going perfectly. We made a few set-up changes to the car as we went along and this worked very well, with us taking time from the competition during the day. “One of the most encouraging things was to hear from the organisers that we were the first crew to give the Renault Clios a run for their money - they have dominated N3 for several years so it was good to show what we were capable of. I think it demonstrates that our performance has developed significantly since the last time I competed in Latvia and I now have confidence in my notes and my driving.” This weekend was the third time that Tom had done the event with co-driver Gemma Price, who returned for the pair’s visit to Latvia. “Gemma did a fantastic job this weekend, as she always does,” said Tom, “and I’m very grateful for all the effort and hard work she has put in over the last three years. While I’m saying ‘Thanks’, I also have to thank the Latvian Automobile Federation again for their support and for organising such a superb series as well as Vytautas Baranauskas from Lithuania, for doing such a good job with the car we used this weekend, which ran perfectly all day.” Tom’s next event will be his home round of the FIA World Rally Championship, Wales Rally GB in two week’s time. Last year, the he became the youngest competitor to ever take part and this year, will compete on his second Rally GB before his 18th birthday. He has yet to decide what car to drive, since he has several tests lined up prior to the event, all leading to the possibility of a new car. However, his regular Ford Fiesta ST currently sits in the Davies Motorsport workshops prepped and ready for action should it be needed. - Credit: RallyBuzz.com
Loix versus Vouilloz in all-Kronos battle for third place in IRC Kris Meeke may well have secured the Intercontinental Rally Challenge drivers’ title with his fourth victory of the season in Sanremo recently, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t anything left to fight for on the season finale in Scotland in November. Although Skoda Motorsport driver Jan Kopecky can’t be caught in second, third place in the final drivers’ standings is still up for grabs between Kronos Racing team-mates Freddy Loix and outgoing champion Nicolas Vouilloz. Loix, from Belgium, is six points clear of Frenchman Vouilloz
with one event remaining. Ordinarily that would be too great a gap for a driver to reduce. However, because Loix has already scored points on the maximum number of seven events, he will have to drop his lowest score: currently the three points he achieved on Rali Vinho Madeira in August, meaning the gap is effectively three points between the pair heading into the gravel event. Vouilloz, who like Loix drives a Peugeot 207 Super 2000, said: “Now that I cannot win the title then a podium finish in third will not be so bad.” - Credit: RALLY-IRC.com
Rallye Sanremo hopes to revive old glories with IRC in 2010 The Intercontinental Rally Challenge could get its first dual-surface event next season after organisers of Rallye Sanremo submitted proposals to the governing body of Italian motorsport, CSAI. Rallye Sanremo has used asphalt-only stages since it joined the IRC in 2006 although, in the past, it ran on gravel and asphalt. If the proposals are approved, the 52nd running of the event will include gravel stages in Tuscany before returning to Tarmac on the hills above Sanremo. “We have spoken to the IRC teams and I think they like the idea,” said Sergio Maiga, the president of Automobile Club Sanremo, the organisation responsible for running the event. - Credit: RALLY-IRC.com
Sebastien Loeb thanks Sordo for assisting in rally win in Spain Rally de Espana winner Sebastien Loeb has thanked Citroen team-mate Dani Sordo for surrendering his own chance to win this weekend in an effort to give him an easier path to victory. Sordo leapt into the lead of the rally on the opening stage and stayed there for much of Friday and Saturday’s competition. On Saturday’s final test, however, the Spaniard deliberately slowed to gift the lead to Loeb, in accordance with the team’s plan to score a one-two, headed by Loeb. Speaking after winning the rally this past weekend, Loeb thanked Sordo for his teamwork: “It was very important for the team and also for me for the Drivers’ Championship to close the gap with Mikko. I was five points behind and now I am one. So I have to say thank you to the team and Dani. “Before this rally we knew we need to score four more than Mikko and I know we need Dani to help and he has done the perfect rally. He accepted not to fight for the win right until the end. He has given his own rally and that must be difficult to accept. So, thank you Dani. I hope we can do something nice
on the next rally,” he added. Loeb acknowledged that Sordo had been a good support driver throughout the year, and would be faster in 2010 - when they will both again be team-mates at Citroen. “In Finland he was really fast. For sure next year, he will be fast everywhere,” said Loeb. - Credit: WRC.com
Franz Wittmann pleased with his IRC Rallye Sanremo performance Austrian driver Franz Wittmann Jr has said he was able to learn plenty during his debut on Rallye Sanremo, the penultimate round of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge, in Italy recently. Wittmann Jr finished 19th on the asphalt event at the wheel of a Interwetten Racing Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX. He was the second highest Mitsubishi driver in the final classification. “It was a totally great rally for me,” said Wittmann Jr, whose car was overseen by the Austrian Stohl Racing squad. “I’ve learned a lot and am very happy to have reached the finishing line after so many turns. “With 24 Super 2000 cars, many Super 1600 cars and lots of Group N Mitsubishis to compete against, the competition was overpowering. But not only were the stage times satisfactory, so was the final result. My car barely had any troubles.” Wittmann Jr and co-driver Bernhard Ettel will complete their IRC campaign in Scotland on 19 -21 November. - Credit: RALLY-IRC.com
Toni Gardemeister is expected to return to rallying in IRC Toni Gardemeister, who was battling for victory on Rally Monte Carlo earlier this season, has said he cannot wait to return to the event next January. Rally Monte Carlo will open the Intercontinental Rally Challenge on 19 - 22 January and Gardemeister ranks it as one of the highlights of his season. - Credit: RALLY-IRC.com
Gigi Galli test drives Citroen C4 WRC for Italian TV show Gigi Galli tested a Citroen C4 WRC a couple of weeks ago (27 September 2009), in the south of France, as part of a feature for Italian TV. Galli spent a day testing the C4 on gravel track near Marseille, the surface was particularly treacherous following heavy rains in the area. - Credit: RallyBuzz.com
Featnsuigrhteinsto the world of rallying your i
ESSENTIALS: STUFF Stuff you never knew you needed
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TIMEKEEPER The MK2 Rally Co-driver watch from Fastime is arguably the best rally timer on the market, and is the same unit as used by most professionals. Updated adn upgraded to this the latest version, the MK2 is now more robust with improvements on the backplate and the bezel. The lense is made of crystal glass instead of plastic, as in the original version, which makes it scratch resistant. There is a choice of nine different modes for you to select but you choose what displays you want to show. There is no need to scroll through any unwanted functions. A full and legible set of instructions come with the watch to guide you the setting up of your watch. For further information, please visit ATS-MOTORSPORT.CO.ZA.
ICONS: LEGENDS OF SOUTH AFRICA History Makers
ON THE TRACK...
The Legends of South African motorsport lived up to their reputations during the Citi Celebrity Challenge at Killarney Race Track recently. For this event the top drivers that have raced for the Volkswagen and Audi brands over the years took to the track in that automotive legend, the Citi Golf.
Sarel van der Merwe, Terry Moss, Chris Aberdein, Glyn Hall and Geoff Mortimer teamed up with current racers Giniel de Villiers, Guy Hodgson, Enzo Kuun and Pierre Arries for two races of six laps. It appears that little has changed over the years – and hardly a car in the field did not sporting dings, dents and scratches from two highly punishing outings. Van der Merwe was strong during the practise sessions, with De Villiers, fresh from a third-place finish in the Silk Way Rally, right up at the sharp end of the field. The qualifying session saw De Villiers claim pole position ahead of Moss by 0,3 of a second with Aberdein in third place on the grid a half-second behind Moss. Apparently no-one has told Hodgson that a rally navigator
isn’t supposed to be quick as a driver. He claimed fourth on the grid, ahead of Van der Merwe and his rally driver in the BP Volkswagen Polo S2000 rally car, Kuun. The first race saw a titanic battle erupt between De Villiers and Moss, the two fighting each other every step of the way around the Killarney circuit. Aberdein took advantage of the battle going on ahead of him to sneak past for first place. With De Villiers and Moss involved in their battle, they had no real hope of catching Aberdein, but this didn’t stop them – or indeed the rest of the field – from trading blows around the corners, more often than not going into the corners side-byside.
Scenes reminiscent of racing last seen in the touring car days led De Villiers later to remark that “little has changed”. According to De Villiers, the driving style that Moss always displayed are still there and any cars that he came across in the field have the dents to prove it. Aberdein claimed the race victory with De Villiers – who finally managed to get clear of Moss in second with Moss third. Race two took place under very different circumstances. By the time the Legends racers had taken to the track for their second outing, the heavens had opened and the track was awash. Standard cars with normal road tyres were going to be predictably difficult to drive and with this set of drivers behind the wheel, it was going to be very interesting. Kuun got off to a very slow start, causing some tense moments as the other drivers dodged their way past. Hall got off the line very well, powered ahead and it looked like Moss would be out of contention after running hugely wide through the exit at Engen corner. Hodgson decided to stick his nose in and gave Van der Merwe some trouble early in the second race. Surprisingly, it was tolerated – to a point. Then Van der Merwe batted Hodgson out of the way to continue his race. Aberdein looked to be putting in another solid performance but ran off the track, putting paid to his chances of getting to the front of the field. Moss, however, was determined to make good on his earlier setback and set about getting through the field with a vengeance. Each of the drivers had their hands full in the adverse conditions but were racing hard despite this. In the corners there was a great deal of sideways action as the racers fought to keep the cars on the track and get the power down as quickly as possible. By the end of the sixth lap, it was Moss (complete with flashing headlights) who had fought his way to the head of the field with De Villiers in second and Van der Merwe who had pushed ahead of Hall for third place. The first race saw Chris Aberdein across the line for first followed by Giniel de Villiers and Terry Moss. Race two was won by Terry Moss with Giniel de Villiers in second and Sarel van der Merwe in third place. Overall results for the day put Terry Moss in first place, Giniel de Villiers second and Glyn Hall – who finished fourth in both races – in third place. The Legends drivers will compete again at the final round of the WesBank Super Series which takes place at Kyalami in Johannesburg on Saturday, 17 October, once Volkswagen Racing have spent some quality time returning their racing Citi Golfs to a more presentable condition. -Credit: TEXT SUPPLIED; IMAGES BY MOTORPICS.
Evenll etvsent previews and reviews the fu
APRC: RALLY OF INDONESIA 01 - 03 October 2009
CROCKER MAKES HISTORY
Australian rally star Cody Crocker has joined the world’s elite when he, last weekend, won his fourth Asia-Pacific Rally Championship title. Competing in selected rounds of the World Rally Championship, he also proven his speed and driving skill on the toughest rally stages too. TEXT AND IMAGES BY RALLYBUZZ.COM.
Subaru rally driver Cody Crocker has created history, becoming the first driver to win four Asia-Pacific Rally Championship (APRC) titles. In extreme weather conditions where the temperature soared to over 35 degrees, the Victorian claimed his fourth straight crown after dominating the sixth round of the APRC, the Rally of Indonesia. Crocker’s victory sees him move one title win ahead of a string of rallying’s greatest drivers, including his Subaru mentor, Possum Bourne, and Sweden’s Kenneth Eriksson, both of whom won three titles. After setting up a lead of one minute on the first day of the 14 stage, 221 competitive kilometre event, Crocker and his MotorImage Impreza WRX STI only needed to finish the final day’s stages to build an unassailable lead over Japan’s Katsu Taguchi (Mitsubishi) and New Zealander Emma Gilmour (Subaru). However, he showed no signs of relenting his four year domination of the APRC, not only winning the event, but increasing his lead over the final six stages to one minute and 29 seconds. “I couldn’t be happier,” Crocker said after crossing the finish line of the final stage. “It’s an incredible feeling to win four APRC titles, and it makes all the effort that Ben, the team and I have put in this year worthwhile. “Having to only score five points in Indonesia to win the championship seemed like an easy task, but to drive at a
sensible pace and retain your concentration over the tough and demanding stages here wasn’t as simple as it sounded. “We’ve had a trouble free rally though,” he added. “Once again the MotorImage Subaru has performed faultlessly and Ben and I have been able to fully focus on getting to the finish and scoring the points we needed. “In heat like we’ve had in Indonesia this weekend, one of the toughest jobs is to keep your fluid intake high and to keep your body temperature as low as possible. “Today’s stages were quite low speed and the car was roasting hot by the end of them, but the team have done a great job on all counts, and we couldn’t be happier.” Crocker now ranks as one of Australia’s most successful rally drivers. Along with the four APRC crowns, his trophy cabinet also boasts three Australian Rally Championship titles. His team-mate, New Zealander Emma Gilmour, finished third in Indonesia behind the Mitsubishi of Katsu Taguchi. Crocker has the chance to further add to his points tally at the final round of the championship, the Rally of China, to be held on November 14 and 15. FINAL APRC Rally Of Indonesia CLASSIFICATION: 01) C. Crocker/B. Atkinson (Subaru Impreza WRX STI) 02) K. Taguchi/M. Stacey (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX) 03) E. Gilmour/C. Mole (Subaru Impreza WRX STI) 04) S. Aksa/H. Mboi (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX) 05) S. Aksa/A. Wibowo (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X)
- Credit: RallyBuzz.com
SAORRC: TOYOTA DEALER 400 02 - 03 October 2009
NISSAN BACK TO WINNING WAYS
The Donaldson Nissan Navara team got back to winning ways this weekend when South African champions Duncan Vos/Ralph Pitchford won a thrilling SP Class battle in the Production Vehicle Category at the Toyota Dealer 400.
Nissan were beaten for the first time in six outings last time out at the Highveld 400, but bounced back in fine style with Vos and Pitchford scoring their fifth win of the season. In the closest finish of the year, the Nissan pair were only 24sec ahead of Castrol Toyota Hilux crew Hein Lategan/Chris Birkin. Third were Ivar Tollefsen/Quin Evans, in a second Donaldson Nissan Navara, with Anthony Taylor/Robin Houghton (Castrol Toyota Hilux) and Hannes Grobler/Juan Mohr, in a third Donaldson Nissan Navara, fourth and fifth respectively. The top eight were rounded out by the factory diesel Ford Racing Ranger of Neil Woolridge/Kenny Skjoldhammer, the SP Laser Nissan Navara of Alfie Cox/Jurgen Schroder and the RFS Toyota Hilux of Chris Visser/Japie Badenhorst. In the closest finish anyone can remember in the SP Class era, the top eight cars were covered by less than six minutes. “That was a race,” enthused Vos with the Nissan star and Pitchford already crowned this year’s overall champions. “The pressure was on from the word go and we had to concentrate for every second. “Ralph and I were a little lucky in that we had a clean run with no punctures and minor niggles to hamper us.”
The unlucky crew were Taylor/Houghton who won the Friday prologue to determine race start positions. They started 46 seconds ahead of the three Donaldson Nissans but quickly lost the lead when they picked up a puncture. Then, on the last of the three laps that made up the race, Taylor/Houghton were right on the tail of Vos/Pitchford. A determined effort to get past the Nissan ended when the Toyota picked up another puncture. “It was a final fling from us on a rocky section with no dust,” said Taylor. “The second puncture was the end. “After changing the wheel we could not get the car started and that dropped us further back.” Lategan/Birkin mounted a late challenge that momentarily raised Toyota hopes. But they were to run out of race distance in what was their best performance of the season. There was also a tight finish in Class D where Dewald van Breda/Johann du Toit, in the Northam Toyota Hilux D4D, finished just 14 seconds ahead of local Mpumalanga crew Johan and Werner Horn in the Malelane Toyota Land Cruiser.
The win saw van Breda and du Toit move a step closer to the Class D championship. Third were Coetzee Labuscagne/Johan Gerber (Raysonics Nissan Hardbody) with early championship leader Cliff Weichelt, now partnered by Johann Smalberger in the N1 4x4 Toyota Hilux D4D, salvaging valuable driver championship points with fourth place. There were only two classified finishers in Class E with Leeroy Poulter/Rob Howie, in the Ferodo Nissan Hardbody, finishing one minute ahead of reigning champions Jannie Visser/Joks le Roux in the RFS Toyota Hilux. With the 4x4 Megaworld Toyota Hilux entries of Deon Venter/Ian Palmer falling by the wayside, Visser and le Roux move into the championship lead with one event to go. Veterans Nardus Alberts/Geoff Minnitt struck a massive blow for the older generation when they won Class A in the Special Vehicle category at the Toyota Dealer 400, the penultimate round of the Absa Off Road Championship, which ended here today. It was the biggest surprise of the season with Alberts/Minnitt, in the Wrapsa BAT, come home ahead of the Regent Racing BAT crewed by Mike Whitehouse/Mathew Carlson. Whitehouse/ Carlson were around five minutes behind Alberts/Minnitt with Naeem Moosajee/Feroz Doodha Moultson (Tyre Rack Jimco) maintaining their 100 percent finish record with third place. Fourth and fifth were Nick and Ryan Harper, in the Atlas Copco BAT, with Mark Corbett/Rudi Balzer fifth in the Century Racing CR1 4x4. It was the first finish for the CR1 in 15 starts, with Corbett/Balzer having to overcome a disastrous Friday prologue to determine race start positions. The big surprise was a first non-finish for the Motorite Revo1 4x4 in the hands of newly crowned South African champions Evan Hutchison and Achim Bergmann. A high-speed encounter with a rock that led to major suspension damage sidelined the new champions. “This was totally unexpected,” said Alberts who was almost forced to retire after suffering a serious back injury in an accident a year ago. “It was at the end of the second loop that we realised we had a chance of winning. “We also hit something about 20 kilometres from the end and were a little lucky to make it to the finish.” Two other fancied crews also fell by the wayside. Gearbox problems sidelined Highveld 400 winners Gerhard du Plessis/ Ferdie Seegers, with a mechanical problem putting paid to Toyota 1000 Desert Race winners Shameer Variawa/Siegfried Rousseau in the Total Porter. The Class P honours went to KwaZulu-Natal crew Don Thompson/Hjalmar van Gesselen (Zarco) who overcame a disappointing prologue to lead home the KEC BAT in the hands of Johan van Staden/James Rossouw. At the finish only 17 seconds separated the two cars. Third were reigning champion Johan and Etienne Bezuidenhout in the Adenco BAT. With David and Gary White (Ruwacon BAT) among the non finishers it was a result that saw the Bezuidenhout brothers reignite their championship hopes. The Class B honours went to Derrick du Toit and substitute co-driver Steve Harris in the Orange Tree BAT. It was du Toit’s fourth win in a row with the Makenete brothers, Keith and Andrew, trailing in around 12 minutes behind the winners. Third were John Telford/Jaco Swart in the Calcamite Zarco Lite. With one event remaining, the RFS 400 in the Magaliesberg, du Toit can now not be beaten in the Class B championship. - Credit: Text by SAOFFROADRACING.CO.ZA; Images by MOTORPICS.
J-WRC: RALLY SPAIN 01 - 03 October 2009
WEIJS POWERS TO VICTORY
The Ducth was Dutch J-WRC driver Hans Weijs Jr who grabbed the top step of the last round of the 2009 Junior World Rally Championship at Rally Spain this past weekend. Added to this, is the prestige that this was his first career victory! TEXT BY WRC.COM; IMAGES BY WILLY-WEYENS @ RALLYWORLD AND RALLYBUZZ.COM.
Driving a Citroen C2 S1600, the 22 year old drove a mature rally from start to finish. “This win is amazing! I’m really pleased to finish the season like this,” said Weijs. “It was a shame that Martin [Prokop] went off, because we were enjoying a good fight, and from then on it was a case of maintaining my concentration and not making any mistakes. Our Citroen has been perfect all event and I’m very happy that this result has secured the ASN title for KNAF Talent First Team Holland.” Simone Bertolotti cme home in second place, recording his career best J-WRC result. “This has been a very hard rally, and our best rally of the season,” he said. “We have made some little mistakes, but others have had bigger mistakes and we have been able to benefit from this. We started well and pushed hard during all three days, and I am very pleased with our pace. This is a very important result for me and the Suzuki team and a wonderful way to end a good season.” Jordi Marti (who was lying in second place for much of the event, but a crash on Day 3 dropped him a place) put on a brave face after a nightmare end to his home rally. The Spaniard damaged the back of his Renault in the SS17 crash, losing the rear door and a spare wheel in the impact with a rock. He lost over a minute in the stage, incurred road penalties for booking into the final stage six minutes late and lost more time limping through SS18. Marti said: “We were unable to test the Renault before the
event, and my confidence grew with every stage we did. We made set-up changes to the car as the rally progressed, and I was delighted to set a fastest stage time on Day 2. We didn’t look at other people’s stage times and just concentrated on doing our own rally, and despite our problems near the end, I am happy with our result.” After retiring with an engine oil leak on day one, Dutchman Kevin Abbring re-started on Saturday with a five minute penalty and completed the event largely for experience, scoring points for finishing fourth and securing fourth place overall in the J-WRC standings. German driver Aaron Burkart needed only to finish second in Spain to score the eight points required to steal the runners-up spot in the J-WRC standings from his Suzuki team-mate Michal Kosciuszko. But after a spin on Friday, and a retirement with broken steering on Day Two, the Suzuki driver came through in fifth place in Spain, the final J-WRC runner, to take third position overall in the championship. FINAL J-WRC Rally Spain CLASSIFICATION: 01) Hans Weijs Jr - 03hr 40min 35,5s 02) Simone Bertolotti + 04min 49,1s 03) Jordi Marti + 06min 22,8s 04) Kevin Abbring + 15min 02,6s 05) Aaron Burkhart + 26min 13s
WRC: RALLY SPAIN 30 September - 03 October 2009
CITROEN CELEBRATES IN STYLE
Success in the World Rally Championship (WRC) is not the effort of a single person. This weekend’s WRC Rally Spain, the penultimate round of the 2009 season, was dominated by the French squad: in a show of teamwork, the Citroen boys claimed the top two steps of the winners’ podium to lay claim to the highly prestigious WRC Manufacturers’ crown again, writes EVAN ROTHMAN.
It was Sebastien Loeb and Daniel Elena (Citroen Total World Rally Team) that stood atop the winners’ podium yet again, stamping their asphalt supremacy over their rivals. WRC Drivers’ Championship leader Mikko Hirvonen and co-driver Jarmo Lehtinen (BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team) secured third place overall in Spain, and dropped four vital Championship points to Loeb. The Drivers’ title fight now has only one point in it, with only one rally remaining… Dani Sordo and Marc Marti (Citroen Total World Rally Team) must be commended on their mature and consistent performance throughout the season. Once again, the Spaniard’s speed impressed not only Citroen bosses but his rivals too: he notched up six stage victories on his home event. Had team-mate Sebastien Loebnot needed to victory here to help him towards his sixth WRC Drivers’ title, Sordo would have comfortably romped across the finish line to take a much-deserved victory. With his confidence soaring in the car this weekend, Sordo looked in charge of the event: without the team weighing on him I think we may have seen him dominate the top of just about every
stage’s timesheets… It is his attitude and approach to this season that is most admirable: “I am proud to have contributed to yet another world title for Citroen,” said Sordo. “This title is the result of a real team effort. You cannot disassociate the engineers, mechanics and everyone in the squad for today’s success.” In a Championship that it literally going down to the wire later this month (as Loeb and Hirvonen are separated by only one point), a cohesive and co-ordinated team will add the extra momentum needed to claim the coveted Drivers’ title for 2009. Whether that be a Ford or a Citroen driver, I feel it depends on the team as whole: and this will be revealed in Wales. Now piloting a car more evenly matched to that of their rivals, Petter Solberg and Phil Mills showcased their 2003 World Rally Championship-winning pace to place fourth overall in a Citroen C4 WRC. Stepping up from a 2006-spec Xsara to the 2008spec C4, Solberg was able to notch up a stage win (on SS14) on his first outing with his new car, and as he was gaining in confidence over the weekend was even posing a threat to Hirvonen’s third place position. Although Hirvonen pushed his car (and himself) to its limits, he was unable to draw close to the two factory Citroen crews. Disappointingly, Jari-Matti Latvala (BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team) finished in sixth place overall, nearly three minutes off Loeb’s winning time. Despite battling setup problems throughout the weekend, Latvala was expected to challenge for a podium position to better assist the Hirvonen and Ford in their Championship bids. FINAL WRC Rally Spain CLASSIFICATION: 01) Loeb/Elena (Citroen C4) - 03h 22min 14,7s 02) Sordo/Marti (Citroen C4) + 12s 03) Hirvonen/Lehtinen (Ford Focus RS) + 54,1s 04) P. Solberg/Mills (Citroen C4) + 01min 12,4s 05) Ogier/Ingrassia (Citroen C4) + 01min 41,6s 06) Latvala/Antilla (Ford Focus RS) + 02min 49,8s 07) Wilson/Martin (Ford Focus RS) + 07min 15,5s 08) Villagra/Perez Companc (Ford Focus RS) + 08min 28,1s
09) H. Solberg/Menkerud (Ford Focus RS) + 09min 07,6s 10) Snobeck/Mondesir (Peugeot 307) + 10min 56s As the Drivers’s Championship stands now, all Loeb needs to do in Wales is to finish ahead of Hirvonen. If they tie for points, then Loeb will be crowned Champion for having notched the most wins this season. Many of the WRC journalists from around the world are convinced that the Welsh event will see Loeb and Hirvonen fighting so hard that they will leave the rest of the field minutes behind. I feel it will be up to the likes of Sordo, Petter Silberg and Latvala to do as much as possible to place as many cars between the Loeb and Hirvonen. Third and fourth place of the Drivers’ title has already been settled, as Sordo enjoys a large gap over Latvala. With this in mind, I expect Sordo to ghost Loeb as closely as possible to help him lift the winners’ trophy as he did here in Spain. WRC Drivers’ Standings: 01) Hirvonen – 84 pts 02) Loeb – 83 pts 03) Sordo – 58 pts 04) Latvala – 39 pts 05) P. Solberg – 30 pts 06) H. Solberg – 29 pts WRC Manufacturers’ Standings: 01) Citroen Total – 151 pts 02) BP Ford Abu Dhabi – 130 pts 03) Stobart M-Sport – 73 pts 04) Citroen Junior – 42 pts 05) Munchi’s Ford – 23 pts WRC Rally Wales takes places on 21 – 25 October. The World Rally Championship hasn’t been this close in years, and the two rivals will undoubtedly be going hammer and tongs on the gravel roads in three weeks! - AT THE TIME OF DISTRIBUTION, THE PHOTOGRAPHY AGENCIES HAD NOT DELIVERED IMAGES FOR FORD CREWS.
FSTi: RALLY SPAIN 01 - 03 October 2009
DREAM DEBUT FOR FIESTA R2: VICTORY
Lambros Athanassoulas marked his return to the Fiesta SportTrophy International with a strong performance that saw him take victory and an impressive 25th place overall as the all-new Ford Fiesta R2 sparkled on its debut at the Rally de Espana. TEXT AND IMAGES BY M-SPORT. Five Fiesta R2s and four Fiesta STs entered the event, with Athanassoulas taking a historic win in the newly recognised R2 category, as the M-Sport developed car matched its rivals for pace throughout the tough asphalt rally.
Ford Team Turkey’s Emre Yurdakul’s Fiesta R2. Majed Al Shamsi and co-driver Allan Harryman completed the finishers in seventh, another good points haul for the Team Abu Dhabi driver.
Anthony Martin took second place, also in a Fiesta R2, to ensure a successful first WRC outing for the car.
Athanassoulas and co$driver Nikos Zakheos got the best possible start to their rally, taking victory on SS1 by five seconds from Breen with Yurdakul grabbing third place on the damp, slippery roads of the Tarragona region to the north of Rally HQ in Salou. Despite developing a brake problem, Athanassoulas further stretched his lead on SS2, with Breen second, ahead of Anglade in third. After his strong start, Yurdakul understeered off the stage, putting him out of the day’s action and earning a 25 minute SupeRally penalty.
Despite Athanassoulas’ victory, his second career win in FSTi and coming soon after a P-WRC victory in Greece, Patrick Anglade and new co-driver Peter Loth remain at the top of the standings thanks to their third place in the tried and tested Fiesta ST. While Craig Breen and co-driver Gareth Roberts did enough to maintain their challenge for a hat-trick of FST titles this year, ultimately taking fourth place. A lack of asphalt experience did not stop Team Abu Dhabi’s Ahmed Al Mansoori completing an impressive fifth place finish with co-driver Killian Duffy in the Fiesta ST ahead of Castrol
Breen took his first stage win of the event on SS3 eating back into the lead of Athanassoulas who took second, with Anglade, finding his rhythm on the Tarmac, in third place. Breen notched up another stage victory on SS4, with Athanassoulas four seconds in arrears and Martin in third place.
The battle for supremacy raged on in SS5 with Athanassoulas taking the win with Breen and Martin completing the top three. But it was the end of the rally for Cetinkaya and co-driver CiCek Guney who rolled off the road sustaining significant damage to their new Fiesta R2. The last stage of the day proved a tough one for Al Shamsi who came off the road, surviving a 25-metre drop. The damage was repaired by his team under SupeRally conditions, incurring a ten minute SupeRally penalty. It was Breen who ended the day on a high though, taking the win on SS6 ahead of Athanassoulas and Martin to take a 3,1 second lead over his nearest rival into Day 2 an impressive feat after electrical problems had hindered performance for the afternoon. The tussle for victory between Breen and Athanassoulas continued from the start of Day 2 with Athanassoulas taking the win in SS7 ahead of Martin with Breen in third. But championship challenger Breen redressed the balance on SS8 edging out Athanassoulas and Martin. The Greek driver took the final stage win of the morning on SS9 ahead of Breen and Martin and the destination of the overall victory looked set to go right down to the wire. It was a dominant performance by the Fiesta R2s. Disaster struck for Breen on SS10 as he misheard a pacenote and rolled into a rock face, forcing the disappointed Irishman to retire for the day. Athanassoulas went on to take the stage win with Yurdakul second and Martin third. SS11 saw Martin and co$driver Eric Bourget (24) take their first stage win of the rally, finishing ahead of Yurdakul and Athanassoulas who, with a big gap over his nearest rival, opted to back off for the closing stages of the day. Yurdakul added his name to the list of stage winners on SS12 with Martin in second and the Fiesta ST of Anglade in third. Athanassoulas completed the day with almost a six$minute advantage over Anthony Martin in second with championship leader Patrick Anglade in third. With his car repaired overnight, Breen, carrying a 15 minute SupeRally penalty, marked his return to the competition with a stage win on SS13 ahead of Athanassoulas and Martin. While SS14 was cancelled for the FSTi competitors after an earlier crash in the stage, normal order was restored on SS15 with Athanassoulas and Martin finishing behind Breen. Yet another stage win for Breen ahead of Athanassoulas and Martin on SS16 showed that he would have been well in contention for the overall win had it not been for Saturday’s error. The Irish teenager followed with victory on SS17 ahead of Athanassoulas, the eventual victor, and Yurdakul in third. On SS18, it was Yurdakul that prevented Breen from taking a clean sweep of Sunday’s stages, coming home ahead of Martin and Anglade as Athanassoulas and Breen both had heartstopping spins within sight of the finish. The result from Rally de Espana now means that Anglade and Breen are locked in battle for championship honours and the pressure is on both drivers for Rally GB in just three weeks’ time.