H&H-27

handbrakes &hairpins issue 27

Image: Citroen Sport

INSIDE

SWRT: Driver Fitness WRC moves to Argentina

Latest IRC news

this week:

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WRC Rally Argentina PREVIEW

27 - 30 March 2008

Image: RallyStuff.Net

The fourth round of the World Rally Championship heads once more to the Americas this coming weekend, taking in the classic Argentina rally stages. Taking its cue from the vibrant culture and the thousands of enthusiastic WRC fans lining the narrow, but fast and sweeping roads, the drivers have always put on a brave display of their masterful driving skills in a bid to bring their car across the finish line in first place. The scenic countryside will not distract the drivers from extracting the utmost potential from their WRC machines, and the high mountain roads with their sheer drop-offs will also not deter the bravest of the brave from keeping their right foot planted solidly to the floor pan of their weapons.

WRC Rally Argentina is an event long renowned for having the most varied stages, and the 2008 event is no different for the route twists through Punilla, Calamuchita and Traslasierra valleys and climbs to an engine-power-robbing altitude of 2 100m. Here, like the previous rally this year, WRC Rally Mexico, drivers will be expecting 20-25 percent engine power loss over the course of the weekend to add further to the unpredictable nature of this tough event. The roads marked for the Special Stages are characterised by its loose surface gravel, which becomes severely rutted over the weekend. With some stages being re-run later in the rally, one can imagine the damage caused by all the cars on the surface. Needless to say, this makes road position vitally important for the front runners. And with the absence of tyre mousse for 2008, tyre punctures are an almost inevitability this weekend... Indeed,

Image: RallyStuff.Net

Image: RallyStuff.Net

there will be high drama, and plenty of action!

Another element of the harsh Argentinean event to bear in mind is that of the presence of several major crests and water splashes.

However spectacular these are to witness, they do tend to break rally cars. A number of cars were forced into retirement on the WRC Rally Mexico recently due to engine problems and suspension failure, and with these obvious hazards to contend with the drivers will need to find a balance between speed and caution.

WRC Rally Argentina has always had a high rate of attrition, and this year looks set to be no different from previous events as the route is largely unchanged.

WRC Rally Argentina, now in its 28th running, comprises of a total of 21 stages covering 347,91km of competitive speed tests and a total of 1 619,45km of road section. Ten of these stage will be re-run. The Service Park is based in the town of Villa Carloz Paz, near Cordoba.

Looking at the record books, the Citroen Total World Rally Team have proven unbeaten here since 2004 thanks to the highly talented Sebastien Loeb and Daniel Elena. (Who can stop this pairing this year?) Last year’s event was one many teams would love to forget quickly, for there was no team left untouched by mechanical faults over the course of that weekend. Drivers crashed out heavily, suffered broken engines, failed suspensions and troublesome gearboxes and electronics. Heavy rain fell hours before the rally start, and this did not make the going any easier for competitors.

Image: Citroen

Sport

For this year, the event organisers have brought the rally forward six weeks earlier than last year’s, and many sources have stated that weather at this time of the year is unpredictable in that region of Argentina. The mud on last year’s stages made for slippery surfaces, and saw many privateer crews being caught out by the changing surface conditions. Pirelli will only be making available a hard compound tyre for this weekend. It will be interesting to see how teams adapt this tyre to suit their mighty fast WRC monsters for this event.

Image: Citroen Sport

Marcus Gronholm chased Loeb to the finish in 2007, followed by Mikko Hirvonen and Jari-Matti Latavala in third and fourth place respectively. For this year, I predict Loeb to take the win (again), followed by the two Fords of

Hirvonen and Latvala, and then the Subarus of Petter Solberg and Chris Atkinson.

The Suzuki World Rally Team have been busy behind closed doors, hiring and firing staff with the aim of making their Suzuki SX4 WRC car more competitive this season. Their major problems have stemmed from engine maladies, and they have reportedly sorted those worries out last week so are looking to bounce back this weekend. The determination and sheer driving skills displayed by Petter Solberg and Chris Atkinson have lifted the Subaru World Rally Team’s hopes above even their expectations for this season, and I am certain they will continue to impress with the Impreza WRC2007 until the 2008 car becomes available. All in all, I wish I was there!

Image: RallyStuff.Net Drivers’ Points 1) M. Hirvonen - 21 pts 2) S. Loeb - 20 pts 3) J.M. Latvala - 16 pts 4) C. Atkinson - 14 pts 5) P. Solberg - 9 pts 6) G. Galli - 7 pts 7) F. Duval - 5 pts 8) A. Mikkelsen - 4 pts

LEADERBOARD Manufacturers’ Points 1) BP Ford Abu Dhabi WRT- 37pts 2) Citroen Total WRT - 25 pts = Subaru WRT - 25 pts 4) Stobart VK M-Sport WRT-16pts 5) Munchi’s Ford WRT- 6 pts 5) Suzuki Sport WRT - 5 pts

P-WRC Rally Argentina PREVIEW

27 - 30 March 2008 When the Production World Rally Championship makes its first of two trips south of the equator for the forthcoming Rally Argentina, one question will be on the lips of the frontrunners - will the Group N Subarus be able to carry the fight to Mitsubishi?

On the opening round, last month’s Swedish Rally, five of the top eight places were filled by Lancers after three days of flat-chat action on the icy roads around Karlstad.

And the winner, reflecting the region’s utter domination of the WRC’s winter rally, was a Scandinavian: Juho Hanninen. The one certainty on the next round is that Hanninen will not win; the Finn passes on the trip to Villa Carlos Paz, as do Armindo Araujo, Eyvind Brynildsen and Evgeny Vertunov.

The Subaru Impreza drivers will be relieved to hear of Hanninen’s absence as they continue to dial themselves into the all-new Impreza WRX. Defending champion Toshi Arai finished Sweden in sixth place. He arrives in South America mindful that he needs a big haul of points to keep that defence on track. “Sweden was difficult,” admitted the two-times P-WRC champ. “The car felt down on power on the straights. It was not so good. The handling felt better, but what we needed was more power. The trouble was with the ECU (Electronic Control Unit - the car’s brain) so we will have to see if the changes here have helped. I like Argentina, though - it’s a good rally with very nice stages.”

Prodrive, one of the major teams building and running Impreza N14s, is confident it has the found the power to tackle the Lancers head-on in Argentina. A spokesman from the firm said: “We’ve done an awful lot of testing after Sweden and we’re very confident with what we’re running now.

This was a completely new car for us, and it took some time to get to grips with the changes to the electronics - but we’re there now. We’re ready for Argentina.”

et

Image: RallyStuff.N

Image: RallyStuff.Net

In the absence of Hanninen’s, the championship leader is actually in a Subaru, albeit it last year’s model. Series new boy Jari Ketomaa will aim to build on his solid start to the season in Sweden. Ketomaa’s pace has been hot enough to carry him to domestic success at home in Finland, but he’s facing a global challenge in the P-WRC this season. Some of the toughest competition in Group N this week, was nowhere to be seen on round one; the wildcard entries for Argentina are as strong as they will be for any round of this year’s series - with Marcos Ligato and Sebastian Beltran (both in Mitsubishis) ready to make the most of their one P-WRC point-scoring opportunity this year. Don’t be surprised to see either of the local heroes out front when the cars arrive in Cordoba Stadium for the final stage on Sunday afternoon.

And, as if that’s not exciting enough, there’s another outing for the Peugeot 207 S2000 of Patrik Sandell and a 2008 P-WRC debut for American superstar Travis Pastrana - who will have Colin McRae’s former co-driver Derek Ringer alongside him.

- Credit: www.wrc.com.

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Citroen Sport and Red Bull join forces

Citroën Sport is pleased to announce the arrival of Red Bull as a new partner of its programme with the Citroën C4 WRC and its crews Sébastien Loeb/Daniel Elena and Dani Sordo/Marc Marti in the FIA World Rally Championship. It is the combination of the Citroën brand’s international reputation, Team Citroën Total’s outstanding performance record and the exceptional personality of the drivers (three Manufacturers’ titles, plus four consecutive world titles for Sébastien Loeb and Daniel Elena) that perfectly

matches the vision of Red Bull – creator and global leader of the energy drinks market – which is looking at developing closer ties with the French market.

Citroën Sport Director Olivier Quesnel is delighted with this association which will begin from the very next round of the 2008 World Rally Championship, Rally Argentina (March 27-30). “We are extremely happy to have this exciting new opportunity to work with such a dynamic company as Red Bull. The images of our respective firms are very complementary and this partnership will be beneficial since it slots in perfectly with rally sport and with Citroën, which is a particularly active brand.”

Red Bull GmbH is based in Fuschl am See, near Salzburg in Austria, and is present in more than 130 countries across the world.

The philosophy behind Red Bull’s partnerships in the world of sport is based on building strong associations with sportsmen and women who excel in their particular domains. Red Bull joins Team Citroën-Total’s existing partners for 2008, namely Pirelli, Le Coq Sportif, Eurodatacar, Citroën Financement, Magneti-Marelli, Sabelt, Transalliance, OZ Racing and Météo France Sports.

- Credit: Citroen Sport.

Citroen’s record in the FIA World Rally Championship: 4 consecutive FIA World Rally Championship Drivers’ and Co-drivers’ titles with Sébastien Loeb and Daniel Elena (2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007), 3 FIA World Rally Championship Manufacturers’ titles (2003, 2004 and 2005), 3 FIA Junior World Rally Championship titles (2001, 2002 and 2005), 44 outright wins (since 1999 until Mexico 2008) 95 podium finishes (since 1999 until Mexico 2008)

Fuel Stop: News Briefs Strong field of entries received for BRC 2008 The Tesco 99 Octane MSA British Rally Championship is shaping up to be a real epic, with a bumper crop of entries in its 50th year.

By mid-March, 37 drivers and 35 co-drivers had registered exceeding the total amount received last year with over a month still to go to the first round. A good spread of entries has been received across all four classes including the inaugural Suzuki Swift Sport and the Citroën C2R2 Cups. Registrations have come from England, Scotland, Wales and both sides of the Irish border as well as Denmark, Sweden and Finland . While competitors of all ages are welcome to the championship, the average has reduced, with an increase in junior drivers and co-drivers sampling the BRC for the first time.

“We are delighted with the increased interest and entries for the 2008 season, the competition is shaping up to be the hottest yet and there are still so very good calibre drivers yet to sign up.” said BRC manager Mark Taylor, “I think it shows that there is a demand for high quality, well organised events, providing great camaraderie amongst the crews and teams, a real “rally” experience with recce and plenty of stage mileage to go at. We offer an opportunity to win money in every class and the Pirelli Star Driver competition will be hotly contested in 2008, providing the eventual winner with a fully funded top flight drive in 2009.” - Credit: www.brc.co.uk

Registered Drivers and Cars (as at 14 March 2008):

Name

Guy Wilks Juho Hänninen Mark Higgins David Higgins Phillip Morrow Darren Gass Stuart Jones Rob Swann Andreas Sjölander Wyn Humphreys Jonny Greer Daniel Barry David Meredith Hugh Evans Karl Simmons Melis Charambous Dale Robertson James Wozencroft

Class R4 R4 R4 R4 R4 R4 R4 R4 R4 R4 R4 R4 R4 R4 R4 R4 R4 R4

Car Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 MG ZR Super 2000 Subaru Impreza N14 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 MG ZR Super 2000 Subaru Impreza N14 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 Subaru Impreza N14 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 Subaru Impreza N14 Subaru Impreza N12 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6 TBC

Name

Simon Hughes Stephen Graham Fin McCaul Brian O’Mahony Adam Gould Luke Pinder Jason Pritchard Andrew Hockridge Martin McCormack Nathan O’Connor Martin Roberts SD Roy Gordon Nichol Nick Rowland Niki Bjerg Henry Catchpole Richard Boot Ross Forde

Class R4 R3 R3 R3 R2 R2 R2 R2 R2 R2 R2 R2 R1 R1 R1 R1 R1 R1

Car TBC Vauxhall Astra D BMW 120D Renault Clio Super 1600 Ford Fiesta Ford Puma 1.4 kit Citroën C2R2 Citroën C2R2 Citroën C2R2 Citroën C2R2 Citroën C2R2 MG ZR 1.8 Suzuki Swift Suzuki Swift Suzuki Swift Suzuki Swift Suzuki Swift Suzuki Swift

Ricardo Trivino excluded from WRC Rally Mexico The FIA has confirmed that Ricardo Trivino, who finished eighth on Rally Mexico, has been excluded from the event for wearing the wrong specification of driving gloves.

Rally Stewards originally excluded Trivino on the second day of the competition, following a report from the FIA assistant technical delegate that Trivino was wearing incorrect safety equipment. Trivino, who was driving a privately entered Peugeot 206 WRC, initially decided to appeal the decision and was allowed the complete the rally. But as the appeal was not subsequently confirmed, the decision of the Stewards becomes final.

Exclusion from the rally means Trivino loses the drivers’ championship point he scored, which now passes to J-WRC competitor Sebastien Ogier.

This is how the amended top ten looks: 1. Sebastien Loeb Citroen C4 WRC 3 hr 33 min 29.9sec 2. Chris Atkinson Subaru Impreza WRC 3 hr 34 min 36.0sec 3. Jari-Matti Latvala Ford Focus RS WRC 3 hr 35 min 09.6sec 4. Mikko Hirvonen Ford Focus RS WRC 3 hr 37 min 08.6sec 5. Henning Solberg Ford Focus RS WRC 3 hr 38 min 27.8sec 6. Matthew Wilson Ford Focus RS WRC 3 hr 39 min 58.8sec 7. Federico Villagra Ford Focus RS WRC 3 hr 52 min 32.9sec 8. Sebastien Ogier Citroen C2 S1600 3 hr 58 min 54.8sec 9. Jaan Molder Suzuki Swift S1600 4 hr 00min 26.7sec 10. M. Kosciuszko Suzuki Swift S1600 4 hr 02min 00.0sec - Credit: www.wrc.com

Sebastien Ogier a record breaker!

Sebastien Ogier’s post event promotion to eighth place on WRC Rally Mexico final classification makes him the first J-WRC competitor ever to score a WRC championship point!

J-WRC newcomer Ogier and his co-driver Julien Ingrassia made the best possible start to their 2008 season by winning the opening round of the Junior series, Rally Mexico, in their Citroen C2.

Ogier’s original finishing position of ninth overall was already a record breaker - the best ever result for a J-WRC driver - but following the exclusion of Ricardo Trivino for wearing the wrong type of driving gloves Ogier moved up another spot and into the record books.

“Of course I am very happy as I think this is a record and it is a big achievement for my first rally in the World Championship,” said Ogier. “But the most important thing for me is the J-WRC and to keep my first position there. I just have to continue this way. Now Julien and I are going to Argentina to do the recce as it’s on the calendar for 2009. We don’t yet know what we will be doing next year but we want as much experience and preparation as possible.”

The 24-year-old’s next competitive outing will be on the second round of the J-WRC, Jordan Rally. - Credit: www.wrc.com.

Portugal makes final preparations The Vodafone Rally of Portugal – which will run as the second round of the IRC from May 8- 10 – has unveiled its detailed route, promising “a show more than a rally.”

The event will start with a new spectator superspecial through the historic streets of Faro during the evening of Thursday May 8. The opening full day (May 9) includes three special stages run twice: Loule (a new version of a classic stage), Vascao (a brand new special stage) and Sao Bras de Alportel (which is similar to previous years).

The second day showcases another three special stages, also run twice: Santana da Serra (a new version of the Silves-Ourique stage), Ourique (which is already known form previous editions) and finally Almodovar (a new version of a classic stage with a different end). Some star drivers have already indicated their intention to compete in Portugal. As well as Didier Auriol, there will be young Belgian Francois Duval (also in an Abarth Grande Punto) and up-and-coming Finn Juho Hanninen, driving a Group N Mitsubishi Lancer.

For more information, please visit: www.rallydeportugal.pt. - Credit: IRC.

IRC Supporter Events signs Rallye Couer de France Eurosport Events, the promoter of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge, is delighted to announce the Rallye Coeur de France as the latest inclusion in its IRC Supporter Event programme - and the inaugural French event to be run within the IRC framework.

Rallye Coeur de France is one of France’s leading asphalt rallies - providing some of the most technically demanding stages in the country. The competitive action on this premier division rally runs between the towns of Tours and Amboise to the backdrop of the stunning Loire valley. The event will start on August 29 and finishes after two days of flat-out driving on August 30.

Rallye Coeur de France is the seventh Supporter Event to join the IRC, following in the wake of the Arctic Rally - which ran to high acclaim in January. The other events – Sata Rallye Azores, Targa Florio Rally; Safari Rally; Rally Halkidiki and Poland Rally – are all running in the coming months.

The President of Eurosport Events, Jacques Behar, said: “We welcome the Rally Coeur de France into the Supporter Event programme and look forward to getting to know this new partner rally, increasing the event’s profile and sharing the values that characterise the events on the IRC calendar. We are proud to welcome the Rallye Coeur de France into the IRC Supporter Event programme, as the very first rally event in France to fit within the IRC brand.”

Philippe Saillant, Vice President of the Rallye Coeur de France, added: “Joining the IRC Supporter Event programme underlines once more the determination of the event organisers, partners and local authorities from the Loire region to make the Rallye Coeur de France one of motorsport’s key events, in the finest traditions of rallying.”

2008 IRC Supporter Events (to date): 1) Arctic Rally (FIN) - January 24-26 2) Targa Florio Rally (ITAL) May 23-25 3) Safari Rally (EAK) June 27-29 4) Sata Rallye Acores (P) July 3-5 5) Rallye Coeur de France (FRA) August 29-30 6) Halkidiki Rally (GR) September 26-28 - Credit: IRC.

Tirabassi tests his Peugeot 207 S2000 Frenchman Brice Tirabassi – the 2003 Junior World Rally Champion – has tested the Peugeot 207 Super 2000 that he will use on this year’s Intercontinental Rally Challenge in the South of France.

Tirabassi completed four days of testing in the BSA-run Peugeot in the Vaucluse region, to increase his familiarity with the car prior to the start of his title campaign this year and try out some new parts. The area contains lots of different types of gravel, which enabled Tirabassi to carry out some useful testing work for both Turkey and Portugal. The 30 year-old had his first taste of IRC action with the car on last year’s Sanremo Rally, and he is looking forward to a full campaign this season.

“We tested lots of things that will be very useful for us this year,” he said. “I have to say that I am very happy: the car and the team are working very well. I am very much looking forward to the season, and I hope that we can be challenging for some top results.”

- Credit: IRC.

Mazda2 voted SA’s Car of the Year 2008

The Mazda2 1,5 Individual is the South Africa Guild of Motoring Journalists’ Car of the Year for 2008 – marking the inaugural win for the Japanese brand in the country’s premier automotive competition. The announcement was made tonight (Tuesday, March 18) at a gala dinner held at Kyalami, near Johannesburg, attended by nearly 800 representatives of South Africa’s motoring industry.

The winning model was one of two Mazda derivatives nominated to take part in the 23rd running of the Wesbank-sponsored competition – the other being the Mazda5 2,0 Active. In all, nine cars were chosen to vie for top honours – the highest number of vehicles yet to be nominated as participants in the annual competition.

In deciding the winner, each finalist was subject to a rigorous, three-day evaluation session at the hands of a 28-member jury at Gerotek’s vehicle testing facility near Pretoria, the models put through their paces in a series of assessments to determine the benchmarks they set for the vehicle classes in which they compete in the market.

Dynamic ability, performance, safety, engineering quality, technological innovation, styling and comfort were among the factors considered, along with value for money, running costs, fuel economy and emission standards.

The Mazda2 – unveiled in March last year at the Geneva Motor Show in Switzerland before making its debut in South Africa in October – came home ahead of Fiat’s Bravo 1,4 T-Jet Sport; Honda’s CR-V 2,2 I-CTDI; Land Rover’s Freelander 2,2 TD4 HSE; Lexus’ LS 460; the Mazda5 2,0 Active; Mercedes-Benz’s C220 CDI Elegance; Nissan’s Qashqai 2,0 Acenta and Toyota’s Corolla 1,8 Exclusive.

The SAGMJ said in a statement that while all of the models in the competition were deemed to represent examples of outstanding automotive technology and engineering, the winner was the vehicle that, in the eyes of the jury, set the example for class rivals in terms of quality, all-round excellence and value for money.

“The Mazda2 1,5 Individual bears all the hallmarks of an exemplary automotive product – it sets benchmarks for its class, has been awarded a five-star safety rating, incorporates a broad range of impressive features and represents excellent value. It is truly a worthy winner, a performer beyond expectation,” said Car of the Year chairman Steve Dlamini-Kabini.

The Mazda2 joins models from Alfa Romeo (156 2,0 T-Spark, 1999); Audi (A4 1,8, 1996; A4 1,9 TDI, 2002; Sportback 2,0T FSI, 2006); BMW (735i, 1988; 316i, 1993; 528i, 1997; 320D, 2001); Ford (Fiesta Fun, 1998); Honda (Civic 1,8 VXi Sedan, 2007); Mercedes-Benz (260E, 1987); Nissan (Maxima 300 SE, 1992); Opel (Monza 160 GSI, 1991; Kadett 140, 1994; Astra 160iS, 1995); Renault (Clio RT 1,4, 2000; Megane 1,9 dCi, 2004;) Toyota (Corolla Twin Cam Sprinter, 1986; Corolla GLi, 1989; Corolla Sprinter, 1990); Volkswagen (Polo 1,4 TDI, 2002) and Volvo (S40 2,4i, 2005) in the Car of the Year Winner’s Circle.

Doreen Mashinini, marketing manager of Mazda South Africa, said before the announcement that the brand was proud to be the only manufacturer in the competition with two models to be nominated as finalists. “Both the Mazda2 and Mazda5 are worthy contestants and we hope that one of the two will bring home the title,” she said. - Credit: SAGMJ.

SWRT Team Feature: Driver Training and Fitness

The sport of rallying, especially at the competitive sharp end of the World Championship, is incredibly tough and demanding of both cars and drivers.

Teams of engineers channel huge focus and resource into the development of the vehicle side of the equation, but what of the human element?

It’s well known in motorsport that, while engineers are working to find tenths of a second, a driver who tires halfway through a stage suffers reduced focus and slower reactions, leading to the potential loss of seconds, not just tenths.

The job of ensuring the drivers are their absolute peak falls to John Mills, the Subaru World Rally Team’s performance trainer. This doesn’t simply mean that John sets them a training routine and stands back, as he explains: What are your main responsibilities within the team?

“They’re twofold really. I look after the drivers and everything connected to their physical performance, but I also have a responsibility for the members of the team. I work very closely with the drivers on training routines before, during and after each event, but I also accompany them in their training. By running alongside the driver, for example, you can push them to make the activity more effective. I also work closely with them on nutrition and diet issues. Food is fuel for the body, and it’s essential for their performance and also reducing the changes of injury and illness.”

How do you train rally drivers?

“Both types of fitness are important here: cardiovascular and physical strength. They can drive 400 kilometres a day for five days over the course of a rally which is very demanding on their arms and upper body. It’s not like driving a road car – everything here happens faster and the often rough and rocky roads make it far more demanding. Secondly, temperatures inside the car can be above 40 degrees Celsius on some events, so the risk of fluid loss and heat fatigue is huge.

“The exact training and routines I use depend on the preference of the drivers, but there are core activities that we will do.

Running makes up a lot of the work, as it’s great for legs, cardiovascular fitness and even upper body conditioning. Then we’ll use free weights to build strength and endurance. Free weights are great as they work the supporting muscles as well rather than just one isolated muscle group, making them more applicable to the general demands of driving. We’ll also do exercises like sparring for cardio work and to help coordination and balance.

“There are elements and limitations we have to remember though. The drivers don’t want to get too heavy and carry excess weight in the car, so that can limit the amount of weight training they do. We also tend to stick to cardio work only just before and when on rallies, as the last thing they want is to pick up an exercise-related injury that slows them down in the car or means they can’t compete.”

How did you start in the profession of fitness training?

“I started working with amateur sportsmen after university, and by working hard and having a real passion for what I was doing, worked my way up the ranks to the elite. I moved into the corporate world looking at staff fitness and health and safety, and then a position for staff trainer arose at Prodrive. I have more of a focus on the performance of the drivers now.

With so much diversity in the championship, with lots of air travel and some really demanding environments such as extreme cold or high altitude, it requires all of my time to get right!” - Credit: SWRT.