s e k a r b d Han s n i p r i a H & he world your insight into t
ber 2009 Edition 99 Septem
of rallying
Cover
Cronje powers to win in Cape
inside this week:
Events
ACP claims victory in Rally Colorado
Features
Walter Rohrl: A Rally Icon
Contents / Issue 99 Welcome to H&H! News • • • • • •
McRae to drive Proton S2000 Ford edges closer to Lancia Gronholm to star at Rally Legend Proton and Wilks in IRC in 2010? Pritchard shines in Belgian rally Duval to return to IRC
Welcome to issue 99 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 Icon: Walter Rohrl Speak: Ari Vatanen interview African Pirelli Star Driver Dakar fitness tests for VW crews 2010 WRC calendar update
Event Reports • • • •
BP Ultimate Rally REVIEW Rally Colorado REVIEW Rally Yorkshire PREVIEW Rally Sanremo PREVIEW
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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Alister McRae to compete in Proton Satria Neo S2000 in Indonesia Alister McRae will drive an MEM prepared Proton Satria Neo S2000 on the next round of the Asia Pacific Rally Championship, Rally Indonesia, which takes place on 03 - 04 October, according to Motorsport News. McRae will replace Karamjit Singh who gave the Proton its APRC debut in Malaysia but crashed out in the early stages. MEM boss Chris Mellors commented to MN: “Alister is an old friend of the team’s and I’m very excited by the prospect of having him in one of our car’s. We hope he’ll do more events with us.
will be launching the first of a series of 14 model cars to commemorate Colin’s career, starting with a model of the 1275 Mini which he autotested when he was 16. The actual car will be there too, taking part in an autotest demonstration. Another car which will be featured in the Corgi ‘McRae Collection’ will be Colin’s three door Ford Sierra Cosworth from 1989, and Jimmy McRae hopes to be driving this car on the event. - Credit: rallybuzz.com
Paddon wins in Rally of Nelson and claims New Zealand Championship
“He’ll probably get a run at MIRA [before Indonesia] but it will help him get a feel for the car, the engine and how the controls work,” added Mellors. - Credit: Motorsport News and rallybuzz.com
A weekend of double success has fallen the way of Geraldine’s Hayden Paddon and co-driver John Kennard by winning the 0800 Boxman Rally of Nelson along with the Vantage New Zealand Rally Championship drivers’ title.
Bruno Magalhaes records fourth win of season in Portugal
Extending the overnight lead held by the 22-year-old Mitsubishi driver, Paddon won three of the six stages held over dry and dusty forest roads south of Nelson. The winning margin was a comfortable 42 seconds over Richard Mason and Hamish Fenemor of Masterton in a Subaru.
Bruno Magalhaes recorded his fourth win of the season with victory on the Rally Centro de Portugal in his Peugeot 207 S2000.
Paddon’s dominance ensured he had enough of a point advantage in the five round Vantage New Zealand Rally Championship series to claim back-to-back titles.
Armindo Araujo finished second 53,5sec behind Magalhaes with his RMC Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X. Fernando Peres claimed third spot in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX.
“It has been a perfect year and this is the icing on the cake. To come away with the rally win is pretty special and a huge testament to the guys in Team Green,” said Paddon.
Magalhaes now moves into the lead of the Portuguese championship as Vitor Pascoal could only manage fifth in his 207 S2000 and slips to second in the standings. Jose Pedro Fontes retired his Aston Martin DBR S9 after crashing out on SS2. - Credit: rallybuzz.com
“With the championship wrapped up yesterday today was all about trying to win the rally. In the second stage we picked up a rock that got jammed in the prop-shaft, which made the car felt like it had a puncture. Then we found it had damaged the differential pump which has been burning out as the day has gone on. It was still OK to drive, it just got a little more sideways than we liked – but it was good fun.”
Ken Block to participate in 2009 Colin McRae Forest Stages Rally Coltness Car Club have confirmed that Ken Block will be coming over to the 2009 Colin McRae Forest Stages Rally and he will be bringing both his Subaru rally car and stunt car with him.
FINAL Boxman Rally of Nelson CLASSIFICATION: 01) H. Paddon/J. Kennard (Mitsubishi) - 02hr 55m 28,3s 02) R. Mason/H. Fenemor (Subaru) + 42,6s 03) P. Malley/M. Read (Mitsubishi0 + 02m 05,4s 04) M. Jansen/J. Farmer (Subaru) + 06m 00,9s 05) E. Gilmour/G. Macneall (Subaru) + 07m 07,3s 06) J. Marston/R. Bennett (Mitsubishi) + 07m 13,5s 07) P. Pigneguy/R. Chalmers (Mitsubishi) + 09m 28,8s 08) K. Thompson/M. Peden (Mitsubishi) + 11m 21,1s 09) S. Forsberg/C. Whyburn (Subaru) + 12m 02,3s 10) R. Bateman/S. Guckett (Mitsubishi0 + 12m 10,2s
Block will also be doing some promotional work for the new DiRT 2 computer game, and there is a possibility that he might be doing something for ‘Top Gear’. As part of the DiRT2 promotion there will be a challenge on the Friday night at Perth Racecourse to try and beat a time set bya certain Kris Meeke! Corgi Models are going to be at Perth Racecourse and they
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
Rally Legend event attracts Marcus Gronholm and Piero Liatti for 2009 The Rally Legend event in San Marino has once again attracted a star studded line-up for the 2009 edition taking place on 08 - 10 October. Names set to take part include Juha Kankkunen (Subaru Impreza WRC 1999), Marcus Gronholm (Peugeot 206 WRC 1999), Miki Biasion (Totip Lancia Rally 037 1983), Piero Liatti (Subaru Impreza WRC 1998), Fabrizio Tabaton (Toyota Corolla WRC 1998), Jimmy McRae (Opel Ascona 400 1982), and Graziano Rossi (Fiat 131 Abarth). There are also, as ever, quite a number of Lancia Delta S4s and Stratos’ featured on the entry. - Credit: rallybuzz.com
Ford edges ever closer to Lancia’s WRC winning record Mikko Hirvonen’s victory on Repco Rally Australia was Ford’s 73rd at World Championship level and puts Lancia’s record of 74 outright wins under serious threat. Victory for Ford drivers Mikko Hirvonen or Jari-Matti Latvala on the next round in Spain would pull the blue oval level with the Italian firm’s record breaking total, which has stood for 16 years. Lancia amassed its 74 wins between 1974 and 1992 - with the first and last coming on the Italian firm’s home round in Sanremo. Ford’s first win came in 1973 but its most productive period has been in the last three seasons, with 25 victories since 2006. Lancia’s total includes Markku Alen’s controversial victory on the 1986 Rally Sanremo, secured after organisers wrongly excluded the rival Peugeot team’s cars for using what they believed was a banned aerodynamic device. The FIA later confirmed the exclusion had been illegal, and annulled the points awarded on the event. But while Lancia’s long standing victory record looks likely to be eclipsed soon, its other record of 10 world titles will take a lot longer to crack. Peugeot remains the closest rival in this contest, with a total of five titles. Top five WRC manufacturers ranked by rally wins (after Repco Rally Australia 2009) 01) Lancia: 74 02) Ford: 73 03) Citroen: 58 04) Peugeot: 48 05) Subaru: 47 - Credit: wrc.com
Proton believes Guy Wilks’ will be strong contender in IRC in 2010 The boss of the factory Proton team believes Guy Wilks’ Intercontinental Rally Challenge campaign has turned a corner following Rally Principe de Asturias in Spain recently. Although Wilks and co-driver Phil Pugh were 19th at the finish after encountering several delays, Chris Mellors said the Proton Satria Neo Super 2000, which his MEM operation was responsible for developing, was at last making notable progress on the back of improvements to the car’s dampers and engine before the event. “Guy’s times have proved we’re competitive and when we make changes to the car what happens after that actually makes sense, which wasn’t happening beforehand,” Mellors said. “We’re planning a two-day test [before Sanremo]
because the most important thing now is to get mileage on the car and keep finding improvements. I’m confident we’re getting there.” Wilks, who underlined the Proton’s promise with the fifth fastest time on the final stage in Asturias, added: “The result wasn’t important, it was the pace that mattered.” - Credit: ircseries.com
L’Estage claims another win in Canadian Rally Championship The reigning North American Rally Champions Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard won the recent Rallye Défi, the fourth of six rounds in the 2009 Canadian Rally Championship. This was a particularly important win for the Quebec team and their Rockstar Royal Group Mitsubishi Evolution X because it enabled them to regain command of the championship as well as to equal North American rally legend John Buffum’s record of four victories at the Rallye Défi. “Everything played out like a dream!” exclaimed L’Estage as he descended from the podium. “Our Rockstar Royal Group Mitsubishi Evo X was perfect and it allowed us to push at the start of the rally. After that, it was just a matter of managing our lead and making it to the end of the rally. If we could’ve written our ideal scenario for the weekend, this would’ve been it. It’s fantastic and everything played out in our favor. We’ve had our share of bad luck this year so it’s great to finally have some good luck on our side.” The battle for first place was very intense on Friday night and early Saturday morning, confided L’Estage: “We were exchanging fastest stage times with our primary adversary, it was really a battle of mere seconds.” Benefiting from a very reliable Rockstar Royal Group Mitsubishi Evolution X, Antoine L’Estage took the lead of the rally after the ninth stage and never looked back. This victory at the Rallye Défi is the team’s second out of four outings thus far in the 2009 Canadian Rally Championship. “The quality of the car preparation is top notch and I have to applaud our entire team, as well as Yokohama for the quality of their tyres in such a challenging event. Everything went according to plan and it allowed Nathalie and I to concentrate on the rally without worrying about anything else. Défi is a difficult rally and for many teams, just finishing is an accomplishment but for us, we were here to come away with the win” added L’Estage. This success gives Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard the absolute lead of the championship with eleven points over second place and only two remaining rounds. It’s the duo’s fourth victory at the Rallye Défi, equaling the 1987 record held by John Buffum and co-driver Tom Grimshaw. “Tying such a prestigious record is really sentimental for Antoine, especially since he now shares it with his mentor and good friend,” commented Nathalie Richard. “The weekend’s result was also imperative in our fight for this year’s championship title. We’re now back in the lead and we’ll do everything we can to keep it that way until the end of the season.” The next stop in the Canadian Rally Championship is in British Columbia. On 02 and 03 October, Merritt will host the Pacific Forest Rally, to which Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard are the defending champions. - Credit: rallybuzz.com
Kris Meeke aims to compete in IRC in 2010 again, toughest competition Kris Meeke has stated that he will continue in the IRC in 2010, even if he wins the series this year, according to Motorsport News. Meeke has yet to finalise a deal for next season, though Peugeot UK has stated it wants to continue in the IRC again with the Northern Irishman driving a Kronos run 207 S2000. Commenting to Motorsport News, Meeke said: “All I can say is I will definitely be in the IRC next year. It is where I want to be and doing these rallies and this championship is an absolute pleasure. Of course I wouldn’t rule out the WRC in the future, but to go there as a customer knowing you don’t have the best machinery and won’t get any testing is not for me.” Meanwhile, Thierry Neuville has been tipped to drive a Kronos run 207 next year with reduced backing from Peugeot Belgium. Nicolas Vouilloz and Freddy Loix are thought to be leaving the team. - Credit: Motorsport News and rallybuzz.com
Hirvonen to run as zero car in November’s Rally of Scotland Mikko Hirvonen will run as zero car on November’s Rally of Scotland in the new Ford Fiesta S2000, giving the car its first public outing, according to Motorsport News. Matthew Wilson will give the M-Sport development car a shakedown in Cumbria next week prior to its first gravel run in October. M-Sport boss Malcolm Wilson said: “We want to get it into the forests as quickly as we can so it’s ready for customers as soon as possible. The car’s coming along well and it’s exciting.” Meanwhile, Marcus Gronholm has been linked to an entry on IRC Rallye Monte Carlo 2010 in a Fiesta S2000, according to reports in the French media recently. Markko Martin, Mikko Hirvonen and Jari-Matti Latvala are also said to be under consideration. - Credit: Motorsport News and rallybuzz.com
Solberg to compete for Citroen Junior Team in WRC Rally GB Petter Solberg will drive for the Citroen Junior Team on the final round of this year’s World Rally Championship in GB, according to the list of manufacturer entries published by the FIA. Solberg secured a Citroen C4 for the final two WRC rounds this season in Spain and GB. It had been thought he would enter both events as a privateer with his own team, but it now appears this will be the case just for Spain. The Norwegian will partner Sebastien Ogier to score manufacturer points for the Citroen Junior Team in Wales. Commenting on his chances for Rally GB, Solberg said: “I will be there fighting at the top, I hope. Like I say, I don’t think
I’ve had a better chance at any time since 2004. If I can be in front of most guys in Finland in a Xsara, then what do you think I can do in this car if everything is okay?” - Credit: wrc.com
Eyvind Brynildsen to drive Skoda Fabia S2000 in Spain and Wales Eyvind Brynildsen will drive a Rene Georges Rally Sport run Skoda Fabia S2000 on the final two rounds of the 2009 World Rally Championship season. Brynildsen had originally planned to contest Norwegian rally championship events in Larvik and Hamar as well as Rally GB. He’s not now going to run the Skoda on the Rally Hedemarken though, but perhaps end the season at home in a Subaru Impreza Sti Cup car. “The plan was that we would run the Skoda on Rally Larvik and at the final WRC round in Wales. Now that I am no longer able to take the Norwegian title I have changed my plans,” says Brynildsen. “We decided to contest the next WRC round, on asphalt, in Spain with the Skoda. Then we will do the gravel surfaced Cambrian Rally in Wales as a test before Rally GB,” he added. Brynildsen was the first competitor on the scene of the fatal accident last weekend during Rally Larvik where an 11-yearold girl was tragically killed when Andreas Mikkelsen’s Subaru Impreza left the road. “It was terrible to see that, we were powerless witnesses to what happened. It is deeply tragic, and I think all the time about the family of the deceased, and for our friends and competitors who were involved in the accident. But at the same time we must look ahead,” said Brynildsen. - Credit: rallybuzz.com
Vouilloz aims for top three finish in IRC this season, tough season Nicolas Vouilloz is targeting a top three finish in this year’s Intercontinental Rally Challenge, even though he has accepted that he can no longer defend the title he won for the first time last season. The Peugeot Belux driver has endured a frustrating campaign behind the wheel of his Kronos Racing 207 Super 2000. However, with two events remaining, he is seven points behind team-mate Freddy Loix, who is in third place in the drivers’ standings. Vouilloz finished third on the recent Rally Principe de Asturias in Spain, a result that could be crucial if he is to achieve his aim. “It would have been better to have finished second and not third but I still can be on the podium in the championship and that’s what I’m trying to achieve,” said the 33-year-old from France. “I was pleased with my speed in Spain and I hope that will continue when we go to Sanremo, where I finished second last year.” - Credit: ircseries.com
on SS8.
Jason Pritchard shines on International debut British Rally Elite member Jason Pritchard shone on his first ever event outside of the United Kingdom when the 21 year old and co-driver Andrew Edwards set the pace on last weekends Flanders Rally in Belgium. Builth Wells resident Jason was using the rally, officially known as Omloop van Vlaanderen, as a shakedown for his brand new Citroen C2R2 Max and despite ultimately retiring after running out of time, the reigning C2R2cup champion had run inside the top twenty all event long and was leading the class when he retired. The rally began with a 15 kilometre stage in the dark of Friday night and although the FCS Laser Mail, North Road Garage and Competition Car Insurance supported pair opted for a cautious start they were very pleased to end the opening day second in class, and ahead of no less than nine other Citroen C2R2 pocket rockets. Saturday morning saw the pairing continue their impressive run until a throttle problem cost them time on the seventh stage. Jason, who built this car himself, was able to replace the offending item between stages but then suffered complete power steering failure on the very next test. A union connecting the power steering to the fluid reservoir had broken, leaking fluid everywhere. Although the problem was quickly fixed the pair had to rely on local generosity for some cooking oil to see them through the next stage and back to service. It was only upon arrival in service that Jason and Andrew were informed that their road side repairs had exceed the time allowance and the talented youngsters were out of the event. I’m gutted and happy in equal measures. We had no chance to test the car before the event and so to be on the pace from the word go is very pleasing. The problems we had are minor but they did cost us a finish. I have to say a very big thank you to Christoff Dejonghe, a local navigator who helped us out enormously with tips and hints during the recce. This was a fantastic experience and we were made to feel really welcome by everyone. Jason and Andrew will contest the gravel based International Rally of Yorkshire in a fortnights time. The Pickering based event is the final round of the 2009 MSA British Rally Championship and Jason is still in with a strong chance of clinching Class R2 honours. - Credit: Geoff Mayes Media
P-G. Andersson takes third victory in Swedish Rally Championship P-G. Andersson claimed his third Swedish championship victory in a row on the Kolsvarundan rally. Andersson, driving his Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX, finished 06sec ahead of former Swedish champion Mikael Lindqvist’s Ford Focus WRC. Jonas Wigren finished third after brake problems with his Focus WRC dropped him from second place
Veteran Mats Jonsson could only manage fourth in Group A after suffering a puncture in his Focus WRC on SS4, but he still leads the category championship. Jocke Nyman continues to lead the Group N standings with a fourth place finish and second in Group N with his Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX. Former Peugeot Sweden driver Jimmy Jorge was fifth overall in another Lancer Evolution IX. - Credit: rallybuzz.com
Duval to return to excitement of IRC for Rallye Sanremo and 2010? WRC event winner Francois Duval will return to the Intercontinental Rally Challenge on Rallye Sanremo in Italy next week and now wants to continue in the series next season. Duval will pilot a works Abarth Grande Punto Super 2000 on the asphalt event, one of the most glamorous and prestigious rallies in Europe, which gets underway on the evening of Friday September 25. “My goal is obviously to make the last two rallies this season and then find a good drive in the IRC next season,” said Duval, 28. Duval, from Belgium, is no stranger to the IRC and the Abarth Grande Punto. He sampled one on the Rally of Portugal IRC event in 2007 and appeared in a Skoda Fabia Super 2000 on the Belgium Ypres Rally in June, where he was an early retirement after going off the road. “It will be a difficult rally with lots of competition but I am not about to repeat what happened in Ypres,” said Duval. - Credit: ircseries.com
Erik Wevers wins Hellendoorn Rally for fourth time to equal Depping Erik Wevers, driving a Ford Focus WRC, has won the 2009 Hellendoorn Rally for a fourth time to equal Dieter Depping’s record. The Netherlands based event (also known as the Golden Tulip Rally) was a round of the European Rally Challenge which Wevers secured this weekend. Dennis Kuipers scooped second spot in his Subaru Impreza S14 after Mark van Eldik spun and stalled the MML Mitsubishi Lancer WRC05 on the final stage to drop to third place. Bernhard ten Brinke continued his good form with a solid fourth place in the Van Merksteijn Motorsport Ford Focus WRC and continues to lead the Dutch championship. Peter Bijvelds won Group N in tenth place driving a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 8, following the demise of Jasper van den Heuvel three stages from the finish. - Credit: rallybuzz.com
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ICON: WALTER ROHRL History Makers
TAKING ON THE GIANTS
Talented drivers and co-drivers abound in the upper echelons of this fast-paced sport. Not necessarily a World Rally Champion, an icon of the sport is a person who inspired the world’s rally enthusiasts, gripped the sports’s headlines and drew hundreds of thousands of spectators to line stages... EVAN ROTHMAN believes that Germany’s Walter Rohrl is a rally icon.
With his motoring career starting at the age of 16 (when he was employed as a driver for the Bishop of Regensburg), covering some 120 000km per year. His first foray into motorsport occurred in 1968, and from there the rally bug took hold...
Group B four-wheel drive machines.
The Regensburg, Germany native Rohrl was a firm World Rally Chamionship favourite with teams and spectators aliek throughout the 1970s and 1980s.
Rohrl later famously switched to Audi Motorsport, who were based in his home state of Bavaria. He only managed to compete in selected events though. Audi Motorsport fielded him into other forms of motorsport, and he also proved his talent in endurance raing in the 1990s, before moving to Porsche as a test and development driver.
What immediately set him apart from other rally drivers was his not only his sheer driving talent but also his dogged determination. Rohrl dominated the Monte Carlo Rally, winning the prestigious event four times for four different brands... It was his Fiat Abarth 131 that carried him to his first World Rally Champion title in 1980, and then in 1982 an outdated and underpowered Opel Ascona enabled him to win the title again in 1982 against the strong competition in the mighty
In 1983 Rohrl nearly grabbed the WRC Drivers’ Champion crown again in a Lancia Rallye 2WD, but the powerful 4WD rally machines forever changed the sport in that year.
His WRC career spanned 75 rallies, included two Championship titles, 14 event victories and an astounding 420 stage wins. His left-foot braking techniques revolutionised the sport, allowing him to tame the ferocious beast that was the Audi Quattro. Walter Rohrl is a rally icon...
SPEAK: ARI VATANEN INTERVIEWED Politics
A NEW ERA FOR MOTORSPORT?
In an exclusive RALLYBUZZ interview Ari Vatanen, the former MEP and 1981 World Rally Champion, reveals why we believe he is the man to lead the FIA forward into a new era. Vatanen’s only challenger in the contest to replace Max Mosley as the head of motorsports governing body is former Ferrari boss Jean Todt, who of course will prove to be a formidable opponent. The elections are due to take place during the next FIA General Assembly on 23 October 2009. RallyBuzz: How are you finding the campaign trail and do you feel you are getting enough support from the member clubs? Ari Vatenen: This campaign is very encouraging because I am managing to talk to many people who want see a new FIA. My candidacy offers member clubs a different path, one of transparency and honesty and most of the members want to see a change happening. RB: What fundamentally can you change within the FIA and what are your main motivations in contesting this election? AV: FIA should be run like any family: with fairness. Motorsport has been my life since I was very young so it is not only a chance to give back something from which I have taken a huge amount over the years, but also to make a positive impact on the world of motor sport and particularly mobility. Mobility and technology represent two pivotal factors in life and through our FIA family we can really make a difference to people’s lives. The role of a president is to defend mobility and sport in it´s all forms. We also need to keep improving our record of road safety and the FIA has to take the global lead in saving human lives. That is a noble cause. RB: You state in your manifesto that there are 1 billion motorists worldwide. What will you do to attract more member clubs to the FIA and make the institution more representative and inclusive? AV: My manifesto states the importance of greater inclusion in the FIA, as you say. Of those 1 billion motorists we can include, say, over 100 million in our family at the moment. With better services, inclusion and a lack of discrimination in the FIA we can, I’m sure, welcome more people into our family. We are looking to remove a large amount of the bureaucracy in the FIA and we will examine our satellite operations. Depending on what we find, we will bring the majority of the FIA’s activity to one central operation to improve efficiencies and effectiveness and these benefits will be passed onto our members. RB: What are your opinions about the future of the WRC and is it heading in the right direction following recent WMSC decisions and the appointment of a global promoter? AV: The WRC is a spectacular Championship but it has been lacking dynamism over the last few years. The appointment of a global promoter will hopefully prove beneficial, but it will
have to be monitored by the FIA very closely. The WRC is a great sport that deserves to be developed and I think the FIA is taking the right steps to improve the chances of the sport succeeding. RB: Will you be making the WRC one of your main priorities if elected and what influence can you have on the series? AV: My role as FIA President, if elected, will be one of pragmatism and fairness, as I have outlined in my manifesto. I will be working with the WRC as I will work with F1. It is like when you play the piano and you get quite good. Then after 25 years they take your piano away from you. You miss it. When you hear it being played, you appreciate it and stand back in appreciation, but then also you see someone who is much younger and much better than you and you realise that maybe it’s time to simply appreciate the music. It’s true that I miss rallying and I want to raise it to new heights. However my main role will be to look at the whole of the FIA and focus not only on motorsport but on mobility as a whole. Society needs mobility to prosper. RB: Have tensions eased between yourself and Jean Todt with the serious campaigning about to begin? AV: Our two campaigns are very different. We are two different worlds and while we disagree it should not ruin our friendship. It is normal to have some tension in an election campaign. We are both trying to get the same job and as a result we will not see eye to eye on everything. RB: Finally, you are being hailed as the ‘people’s choice’ in this election. Have you a message for your many fans around the world? AV: I am honoured to be the ‘people’s choice’, which means that people want a change! A change in actions, a change in attitudes and a change in outlook. I will promote transparency, honesty and fairness and if that makes me the people’s choice, then that’s great. I would like to say to motorsport fans that we are in the same family and I need your support to win this election. I believe that together we can unite the FIA family which is proud of what it does, one that blossoms into something far greater than what it is now! RallyBuzz would like to offer its total support to Ari Vatanen’s campaign as we feel he is the only choice to lead the FIA into the future.
ARC: AFRICAN PIRELLI STAR DRIVER History Makers
HORSEY AND MATOVU CROWNED
26-year-old Kenyan Peter Horsey and his highly respected Ugandan co-driver Moses Matovu scooped one of the top prizes in rallying when the pair won the 2009 African Pirelli Star Drive Award during the Mountain Gorilla Rally in Rwanda last weekend, finishing second overall in the rally as well! TEXT BY GEOFF MAYES MEDIA.
Matovu, who has stood on the podium in Rwanda three times in the past, was enlisted by the young Kenyan due to his experience of competing at the highest level of African rallying. And this experience paid dividends during the 3 day long rally. The pair, driving a Mitsubishi Evo 9, led from the very first stage, building a lead of over three minute by the end of Saturday.
(former African Champion), Richard Leeke of South African and Ralph Stead of Zimbabwe.
They then made a tactical decision to drop time on Sunday morning in order to run further down the field on the final day. This was to safeguard their event as the KCB Mountain gorilla Rally is an ‘open road’ event which means that public vehicles are often encountered on the stages. The pair continued to hold their overall lead on the rally until they picked up a puncture whilst passing a competitor during the final 55 kilometre long stage. Despite a rapid tyre change Horsey and Matovu dropped back to second overall, but were still top Pirelli star crew back into Kigali.
Moses Matovu “All year long I have watched Peter develop. And he was definitely at his finest this weekend! We work really well as a team and I’m looking forward to putting this into practice in the world championship next year!
The panel was made up of experts from the African Continent including Ian Duncan, former Safari Rally winner, Surinder Thatthi (member of FIA World Council), Muna Singh of Zambia
Peter Horsey “This is the biggest thing in my life. I came here wanting to win and I have achieved it with great support from my mum, dad and the service crew. I want to use this as a springboard into the World Rally Championship,’’
Peter and Moses will contest six rounds of the 2009 FIA World Rally Championship in a works runs Group N or Super 2000 car. Horsey will be joined by four other drivers in the 2010 Pirelli Star Driver programme. It will be the second season of the Pirelli-sponsored series designed to offer young drivers from around the world the opportunity to compete at the highest level of world rallying.
RALLY RAID: VW MOTORSPORT IN AROSA Politics
DAKAR FITNESS TESTS Fit for the title defence project: The Volkswagen drivers have prepared themselves for the 2010 Dakar Rally with a five-day altitude training programme.
In Arosa, Switzerland, the traditional fitness week of the “Dakar” winners kicked off preparations for the desert classic. For the pairings in the Race Touareg cockpits, Carlos Sainz/ Lucas Cruz, Giniel de Villiers/Dirk von Zitzewitz, Mark Miller/ Ralph Pitchford and Nasser Al-Attiyah/Timo Gottschalk, extensive fitness units in the Swiss Alps were on the agenda from 14 to 18 September immediately following the successful test in competitive conditions at the Silk Way Rally. After Volkswagen clinched the historic “Dakar” victory in January 2009, the first in the automobile classification by a diesel-powered vehicle, the Wolfsburg-based automobile manufacturer aims to successfully defend the title of the cross-country rally marathon from 02 to 17 January 2010 in Argentina and Chile. The route of the second “Dakar” through South America will run from Argentina´s capital Buenos Aires across the huge mountain ranges of the Andes to the extremely arid Atacama desert in the north of Chile. From there, the teams will return to Argentina, crossing the Andes again and stopping in Santiago de Chile, and then - through the legendary pampas - drive back to the finish in Buenos Aires. “In January we´re expecting a kind of ‘XXL Dakar´ making even tougher demands on the crews and equipment,´” says Volkswagen Motorsport Director Kris Nissen. “Even the inaugural event in Argentina and Chile, which we had decided to contest, was the toughest ‘Dakar´ of all time. Considering the extreme heat to be expected in the so-called southern summer and the literally dizzying heights during the two crossings of the Andes the physical shape of the drivers and co-drivers is one of the crucial factors. In addition to athletic aspects, the fitness week also served to strengthen the strong existing cohesion among the drivers and co-drivers even further.” The four Volkswagen pairings prepared for their individual workout programmes scheduled for the next few months with a diverse fitness programme under the supervision of the Bad Nauheim Sports Clinic. In addition to mountain bike and jogging tours above the snow line a tough hike to the “Hörnli” mountain and subsequent climbing tours to the “Hörnlisteig” and “Rothorn” were on the agenda. Before and after the units the blood values of the “Dakar” athletes were analysed. “The high-altitude training offers several positive aspects to the athletes. For one, it automatically results in a higher specific cardiovascular strain and thus raises the individual´s performance capacity. For the other, our programme is designed to be easy on joints and muscles,” explained Dr Johannes Peil, Director of the Bad Nauheim Sports Clinic. Besides the training units during the fitness week the programme was focused on strengthening team spirit. “We covered quite a bit of vertical distance, both on our bikes and on foot,” reveals Timo Gottschalk, co-driver of Nasser AlAttiyah. “From an athletic perspective, this gave us a pretty good assessment of the shape we´re in. We now know what kinds of things we have to pay attention to during our personal training for the ‘Dakar´. The fact that we completed all the units together has intensified our feeling of being part of one team.” Therefore, a joint social evening of the four “Dakar” duos at a chalet in a rustic atmosphere marked the traditional conclusion of the programme. - Credit: Volkswagen Motorsport
WRC: 2010 CALENDAR UPDATE Looking ahead
RALLY BULGARIA INCLUDED IN WRC FOR 2010
Next year’s World Rally Championship events have been agreed upon following a decision of the WRC commission last week to approve the application of the candidate rally in Bulgaria.
Bulgaria was the sole FIA candidate rally for 2010, meaning that although it was included in next year’s provisional calendar, its place depended on a satisfactory report from an FIA observer attending this year’s Borovets-based event.
remains to be finalised. Currently it is scheduled to finish on 11 July, but a move one week earlier or later seems likely to prevent a clash with the FIFA World Cup Final which takes place on the same day.
However, doubts had been expressed about Bulgaria’s bid to join the WRC after July’s candidate rally ended prematurely, following a crash which killed Italian co-driver Flavio Guglielmin.
Next year’s WRC calendar (with Sunday finish dates): 01) Sweden: 14/02/10 02) Mexico: 07/03/10 03) Jordan: 04/04/10 04) Turkey: 18/04/10 05) New Zealand: 09/05/10 06) Portugal: 30/05/10 07) Bulgaria*: 11/07/10 (date to be confirmed) 08) Finland: 01/08/10 09) Germany: 22/08/10 10) Japan: 12/09/10 11) France: 03/10/10 12) Spain: 24/10/10 13) GB: 14/11/10 - Credit: wrc.com
But after reviewing the FIA observers report at a meeting last week in Paris, the World Rally Championship commission, headed by its president Morrie Chandler, decided that Rally Bulgaria had met the required standard, and would keep its place in next year’s 13-round calendar. Last week’s decision ends Rally Argentina’s bid to be a part of the 2010 series. The South American event had put itself forward as a reserve in case Bulgaria’s application was unsuccessful. Although the events are now certain, the date of Rally Bulgaria
SANRC: IN MOURNING Politics
R.I.P. MIKE VENTER AND ALLEN PORTER
It is with great sadness that the Sasol Konica Minolta rally team has to announce the passing of two of their team’s technicians, Mike Venter and Allen Porter.
Mike and Allen was involved in an accident just outside Laingsburg this morning, on their way in the team’s service van to the BP Ultimate Rally that is scheduled to take place this weekend in the Western Cape. Mike and Allen was part of the ADF Motorsport team that prepares Charl and Greg’s Sasol Konica Minolta rally car.
Team manager, Flip Wilken, said everyone is devastated by the news. “Our thoughts and prayers are with Mike and Allen’s families and friends – they will be dearly missed.” Funeral arrangements will be announced at a later stage.
Evenll etvsent previews and reviews the fu
SANRC: BP ULTIMATE RALLY 19 - 20 September 2009
CRONJE POWERS TO DOMINANT WIN
Mark Cronje and Robert Paisley (Castrol Toyota Auris S2000) dominated the seventh and penultimate round of the Sasol South African National Rally Championship to taking their Class S2000 Castrol Toyota Auris to a 10,4 second victory after winning over half the stages making up the BP Ultimate Rally route. TEXT SUPPLIED BY SASOL; IMAGES BY MOTORPICS.
The Toyota driver’s second ever win was overshadowed by the championship fight that raged through the Malmesbury and Moorreesburg stages between rivals Johnny Gemmell/Peter Marsh (Castrol Toyota Auris S2000) and the defending title holders Hergen Fekken/Pierre Arries (BP Ultimate Volkswagen Polo S2000), who ended third and fifth respectively. Gemmell overturned his three-point championship deficit and goes into the final round of the series in Gauteng in October with a one-point lead; however, as teams must discard their worst score of the year, Gemmell and Fekken are tied on net points with one round of the Sasol SA Rally Championship to go!
While Cronje surged ahead of the field, Enzo Kuun/Guy Hodgson (BP Ultimate Volkswagen Polo S2000) slotted into second place overall, briefly dropping to third on Saturday after Gemmell won SS4, before retaking the spot with backto-back stage wins. Kuun remained the meat in the Toyota sandwich, despite hit a rock in the final gravel stage that broke the steering arm and bent the rim onto the brake calliper. Quick repairs before the final tar stage allowed the delighted driver to claim his third podium in as many events. Gemmell ended the first day’s action in fifth place after suffering from power steering problems, which cost loads of time in the tight tarmac section at the Killarney stages. Running second on the road on Saturday, Gemmell had less
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than ideal grip. He used the damp first stage to mount an attack and keep Fekken behind him but had more than a little help from Fekken himself. Three kilometres into the opening Saturday stage, Fekken had made a rare mistake and tipped the car onto its side. The defending champions lost one minute and 20 seconds before restarting their Volkwagen Polo, and dropped down to sixth overall. Thereafter, they drove flat-out everywhere to make up lost time and made it into fifth place at the finish. Between the two title challengers, former champions Jan Habig/Douglas Judd (BP Ultimate Volkswagen Polo S2000) had a down on power rally machine to contend with and were unable to challenge for the podium, fourth place the best they could wring from the reluctant car on this event. Behind Fekken, Jean-Pierre Damseaux/Andre Vermeulen brought their Team Total Toyota RunX S2000 home sixth overall having been ahead of the Habig/Judd Volkswagen Polo most of the day and just four seconds behind Habig when the bolts in the left rear suspension pulled loose in SS7, leaving the Somerset West driver to complete 18km with a loose wheel. The loss of two minutes cost them their place and allowed Fekken one extra vital point. Fernando Rueda/Cobus Vrey brought their similar Team Total Toyota RunX S2000 home seventh, nearly a minute and a half ahead of the Salom Volkswagen Polo S2000 of Theuns Joubert/Hennie Botes, who battled with a loss of power due to a broken exhaust. Evan Hutchinson/Elvene Coetzee brought their Class A7 Motorite Toyota RunX home to their second-ever Class win, extending their Class championship lead to seven points over their season-long adversaries Stevan Wilken/Greg Gericke (Pannar Seeds/Triton Express Volkswagen Polo A7). Wilken led most of the rally, but lost four minutes in the final gravel stage with a broken accelerator cable. Chris de Wit/Dean Redelinghuys, the outgoing Class A7 champions, lost 26 minutes in SS6 with a misfire and suffered numerous other problems, including a broken driveshaft. Heading the Production Car runners and ending tenth overall were Capetonians Mike Nathan/Derek Jacobs in their Burchmore’s Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX who broke a driveshaft in SS3 and lost more time with a flat wheel in SS5. John Peiser/Brian Hoskins (Speed Cycling Components Subaru Impreza GT N4) ended second in class in spite of damaging their suspension in the final gravel stage. Mohammed Moosa/Grant Martin gave the Toyota Auris model its first rally championship by clinching the Class A6 title in their Team Total Toyota Auris A6. The pair again had a big lead when a flat tyre early in SS5 forced them to stop, allowing Craig Trott/Robbie Coetzee (Team Total Toyota RunX A6) into the lead after losing two minutes 30sec. Moosa fought back hard and under pressure, Trott rolled out of the event in SS7. Etienne du Toit/Patrick Vermaak (Toyota Corolla A6) ended on the final class podium step, while Rodney Visagie/Carolyn Swan (Team Total Toyota RunX A6), who were in the thick of the title fight, retired in SS2 with a broken gearbox.
The closest fight all weekend belonged in Class A5, where Gugu Zulu/Carl Peskin and Andre Cleenwerck/Des de Fortier, both driving identical BP Ultimate Volkswagen CitiGolf A5s, were involved in a mighty scrap. The two team-mates went into the last tarmac stage separated by just 0,2 seconds, where Zulu was able to pull out a slender six second advantage. Vusi Mabanga/Shaun Visser (Team Total Toyota Yaris A5) again finished on the podium to entrench their podium class position. Neither of the class N3 entrants made it to the end of the event. The BP Ultimate Rally was marred by the death of two technicians from ADF Motorsport en-route to the rally on Thursday morning. The Sasol/Konica Minolta Subaru WRX STI of Charl Wilken/Greg Godrich and the service van were destroyed in the accident. A minute’s silence was observed before and after the rally in memory of the team personnel. Twenty of the 30 entries finished. Other retirements were: A. Haigh-Smith/H. Auffrey (Team React Toyota Yaris A5) – engine SS1
A. Amlay/Y. Ganief (Toyota RunX N3) – engine SS2 D. Compton/P. Jordaan (Sasol Toyota RunX N3) –crown wheel pinion – SS6 T. Coetzee/E. Lourens (Midas Subaru Impreza STI N4) – SS5 J. van Niekerk/R. Houghton (New Africa Developments Toyota RunX S2000) – gearbox SS6 The final round of the Sasol South African Rally Championship is the Toyota Dealer Rally Gauteng, taking place on 23 and 24 October. FINAL BP Ultimate Rally CLASSIFICATION: 01) M. Cronje/R. Paisley (Castrol Toyota Auris S2000) - 01hr 31m 32,8s 02) E. Kuun/G. Hodgson (BP Ultimate Volkswagen Polo S2000) + 10,4s 03) J. Gemmell/P. Marsh (Castrol Toyota Auris S2000) + 24,0s 04) J. Habig/D. Judd (BP Ultimate Volkswagen Polo S2000) + 40,4s 05) H. Fekken/P. Arries (BP Ultimate Volkswagen Polo S2000) + 01m 3,7s 06) JP Damseaux/A. Vermeulen (Total Toyota RunX S2000) + 03m 24,2s 07) F. Rueda/C. Vrey (Total Toyota RunX S2000) + 04m 14,6s 08) T. Joubert/H. Botes (Salom Group Volkswagen Polo S2000) + 05m 50,4s 09) E. Hutchison/E. Coetzee (MotoriteToyota Auris A7) + 09m 43,6s 10) M. Nathan/D. Jacobs (AWI Mitsubishi N4) + 12m 46s
RA: RALLY COLORADO 19 - 20 September 2009
ACP CLAIMS DECISIVE WIN IN COLORADO
NOS Energy Drink driver Andrew “ACP” Comrie-Picard scored a decisive victory this weekend at Rally Colorado, Round Eight of the Rally America Championship. TEXT AND IMAGES BY RALLY-AMERICA.COM AND STRUSA. “We’re really excited to win,” said Comrie-Picard, who was codriven by Jeremy Wimpey for the first time at this event. “We were having a really great race with Travis [Pastrana] early on, so it’s a shame it came down to a chicane but it’s great to have the victory.”
Comrie-Picard had been trading times with Pastrana on the first day of the event until the Subaru Rally Team USA driver struck a chicane and incurred hefty penalties. Pastrana has already secured the 2009 title – with just one round remaining
– and the team opted to play it safe and pull Pastrana out of competition for Day Two. The Polish team of Andi Mancin and co-driver Maciej Wislawski finished in second-place overall, after a long battle with Subaru Rally Team USA’s Ken Block in his loaner Super Production class car. Block and co-driver Alex Gelsomino had been running ahead of Mancin until they struck a chicane element on the final stage of Day One, taking a one-minute penalty. Then, as they fought to claw back the time, Block found himself out of the contest with engine trouble on the second-to-last stage. The team’s Open Class rally car is out of commission after a big wreck at Round Seven, and they had taken over Dave Mirra’s ride for this event. Mirra sat this round out due to a conflict with his BMX competition schedule. Block, who is perhaps best known for his sensational online gymkhana videos, has had a run of bad luck in rally competition this season and has DNF’d more times than he’s finished. Yet another poor result drops him into fourth place in the championship, behind Pastrana, Mancin and Comrie-Picard. Third place came down to a tie-breaker between Nathan Conley and co-driver Todd Moberly, and Mark Fox and co-driver Jake Blattner. Both crews crossed the finish line with a time of 01hr 35min 46,0sec but, under Rally America rules, a tie is resolved by counting the number of stage wins between the teams and the final spot on the overall podium went to Conley and Moberly. With Block out, Pat Moro and co-driver Ole Holter inherited the Super Production class lead, scoring valuable points in a tight class championship battle. Heading into the final round, Moro is narrowly ahead of Piotr Wiktorczyk - who was absent from this round. In the two-wheel drive class, Monument, Colorado’s, John Conley took the win. The Rally Colorado event poses unique challenges. Many teams were complaining that they were down on power or overheating during the high desert stages. The altitude and subsequent lack of oxygen at this event saps the rally cars’ power. Despite this drain, the event has a reputation of being a one of the fastest in the series featuring many high-speed sections on flowing roads. The typically variable weather saw the event begin and end under bright, sunny skies, but also a rain delay and two stage cancellations due to mud on Day Two. The rally is headquartered in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, known as “Ski Town”, USA. The small mountain community that’s home to numerous world-class ski and snowboarding events is also home to the largest ski jumping complex in America - used for training by the US Olympic Ski Jumping Team. The ninth and final round of the 2009 Rally America series is the grueling Lake Superior Performance Rally, October 16 – 17, in Houghton, MI. FINAL Rally Colorado CLASSIFICATION: 01) A. Comrie-Picard/J. Wimpey (Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution) - 01hr 30m 18,5s 02) A. Mancin/M. Wislawski (Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution) + 01m 46,7s 03) N. Conley/T. Moberly (Subaru Impreza) + 05m 27,5s 04) M. Fox/J. Blattner (Subaru Impreza) + 05m 27,5s 05) P. Moro/O. Holter (Subaru Impreza WRX STI) + 06m 44,9s 06) J. Keeney/M. Keeney (Subaru Impreza WRX STI) + 09 m27,8s 07) D. Conley/C. Herlache (Subaru Impreza WRX Wagon) + 10m 40,5s 08) A. Gruszka/L. Wronski (Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution) + 12m 17,3s 09) J. Conley/K. Rudolph (Dodge SRT-4) + 18m 03,8s 10) D. Van Way/B. Slocum (Ford Focus) + 25m 31,9s
BRC: RALLY YORKSHIRE 26 September 2009
YORKSHIRE FORESTS TO DECIDE TITLE
The year-long battle between Keith Cronin/Greg Shinnors and Mark Higgins/ Bryan Thomas for the 2009 MSA British Rally Championship comes down to this: whoever wins International Rally Yorkshire takes the title - it’s simple as that! TEXT AND IMAGES BY RALLYBRC.CO.UK. Actually neither really needs to win, but without complicating the issue with tedious calculations, so long as they finish inside the top three (as they have all year), Irishman Cronin needs to beat Higgins for the title and vice-versa. Pirelli TEG Sport’s number one Higgins goes to the ultra-fast North Yorkshire forests on a roll, having taken three tarmac victories in a row as in 2008. He swaps to the faster Subaru Impreza N15 that team-mate Adam Gould has used this year, the youngster offering to swap cars to help Higgins’ title bid. But the triple British Rally Champion is definitely concerned, since this is the first event where Cronin has previous experience, finishing third last year in Yorkshire. Whilst not registered for BRC points in 2008, the then 22year old came home just 39 seconds behind Higgins, who was locked in a battle for the Championship with Guy Wilks, the latter taking the title, but not likely to defend his win in Yorkshire.
the stages, crashing on the Manx and retiring from third with mechanical failure on his home event. Yorkshireman Chris Firth is delighted to be inside the top ten in his debut BRC season. He has not had the best of years though, crashing heavily in the Isle of Man before bouncing back with his second eighth place this year. Reigning Pirelli Star Driver Adam Gould will contest the final event of his prize season in Higgins’ older specification N11 Impreza and is under strict instructions to get the car to the finish for Pirelli TEG Sport team points. The youngster from near Bristol has proved his pace this year, having set excellent podium-worthy times, but three crashes have left him languishing at the bottom of the top ten BRC points table. With the return of Stuart Jones to the JRM Lico team, Pirelli TEG Sport’s potential early victory in the MSA British Teams Rally Championship has been denied.
Cronin does, however have the disadvantage of having crashed out of the previous round in Ulster while leading the event, but the 23 year-old will put that out of his mind for this sprint event which carries a multiplier of one and a half points.
The late addition of Jones to the Rally Yorkshire entry list will mean that Higgins and Gould will be up against both cars in the rival team, regular driver David Bogie making his sixth appearance in the Mitsubishi Evo 10.
Alastair Fisher and last year’s Champion co-driver Rory Kennedy could still take second in the Championship if Cronin falters, currently lying third after an excellent season. The young Northern Irish driver is certainly very close to the pace of the front pair, just over a second a mile behind Higgins at the finish of his home event last month.
TEG Sport’s Lynn Newby had been keeping her fingers crossed that the team could concentrate wholly on overall positions on the event, but the battle will now be a tactical one if the Carnforth-based outfit is to take the prestigious title.
Any driver down to sixth place in the current standings could still mathematically take second at the end of the 2009 season, but disaster would have to strike all the top seeds, certainly possible in such an unpredictable sport. The youngest of the pack chasing third on most of the events in 2009 is Dave Weston Junior, who should go quickly here as he was another to finish well last year whilst not registered for the BRC. His fourth place on the event was one better than Ieuan Thomas, yet another new co-driver for the 19-year old, who has drafted in last year’s Championship runner-up.
With 33 points splitting them and Chesterfield’s all-Mitsubishi JRM Lico team, Higgins and Gould will need to have a disaster to lose the top spot, but as always anything can happen in rallying. Euan Thorburn will be the only driver representing the Revolution Wheels Rally Team again, since Dave Weston Jnr who was tipped to join the fold, opted for a no-registered co-driver and is therefore ineligible to score on the Tamworth team.
Martin McCormack has wrapped up the BRC Junior title and with the final round of the Citroën Racing Trophy being Rallye Le Touquet in France, the fifth-place sitter in the overall standings has opted to contest the event at the wheel of an historic class Escort.
Rally 3 has attracted just a couple of drivers to the event, but the absence of Breen and Diesel Cup winners Steve and Tony Graham, means that Tom Walster cannot now be caught in the BRC’s two litre class. It will be Kris Hall with the pressure of needing a win to snatch second in his Fiesta and it is another FST runner and Jonny Greer’s brother Barry will be Hall’s opposition. He will want to finish the year on a high with just one finish from three starts to his credit.
David Bogie and Kevin Rae will hope that their Team JRM Lico Mitsubishi has benefited from input from 1996 BRC Champion Gwyndaf Evans, who cannot score points in Yorkshire. It will therefore be down to Scotsman Bogie and returning teammates Stuart Jones & Andy Bull to push as hard as they can for another podium, having three third places between them this year.
Rally 1 is still wide open for any of the top three Swift Sport Cup drivers to take, along with the one-make series crown. Gordon Nichol, Molly Taylor or Luke Pinder are all in with a shout for both class and Cup and the maths are simple, winner takes all! The top placed Junior from the Swift Sport Cup also gets his or her place in the Pirelli Star Driver final, only Pinder and Taylor eligible.
Jonathan Greer and recently enlisted Kirsty Riddick have had an up-and-down season, but the Ulsterman could still improve on his 2008 Championship position. Last year he finished sixth on Rally Yorkshire, moving him to fifth place in his first full season. Currently seventh, the memories of the last two tarmac events will need to be forgotten as the crew set about
With the whole event based around the Pickering showground again, it is an ultra-compact route that will face the crews on this, the final round of the 2009 MSA British Rally Championship.
IRC: RALLY SANREMO 24 - 26 September
HIGH SPEEDS EXPECTED IN SANREMO RALLY
This weekend sees the tenth round of the hotly contested Intercontinental Rally Challenge series unfold in Italy for the Sanremo Rally, WRITES EVAN ROTHMAN.
The IRC Sanremo Rally, which is now in its 51st running this year, is regarded as a tarmac grand prix as the rally cars race along in top gear through fast sweeps, curves and switchbacks. Another highlight of this event is the Cuori stage. A 44km challenger, this is not only highly anticipated by the thousands of fans that line the stage but the rally crews too. The first run through Cuori will take place as the final stage of Day One, with the first car due to start the stage at 11pm... The Sanremo Rally starts on Friday in the Piazza Colombo at 6pm with three fast stages, which then flows into one long, daunting stage where performance, endurance and concentration are essential: Cuori. It was introduced for the rally’s 50th anniversary last year. “That will be a long and brutal stage, especially at night,” said championship leader Kris Meeke’s Irish co-driver, Paul Nagle. The first of the 109 entries for the event is due to go into the Cuori stage at 22:43, with headlights blazing and concentration paramount. For all the competitors and spectators, however, it’s one more reason why the Sanremo Rally, which takes place on the shores of the Italian Riviera, is one of the greatest challenges in world rallying. Skoda Motorsport will be represented by Jan Kopecky and Juho Hanninen, while Francois Duval Luca Rossetti and Umberto Scandola will be drifting their works Abart Grande Punto S2000s around the stages, and Kris Meeke, Nicolas Vouilloz and Freddy Loix will steer their race-winning Peugeot 207 S2000s here. In addition, there will be the Proton of Guy Wilks, the Skoda Fabia of Julien Maurin, a privately-entered Abarth for Alessio Pisi and the Skoda Italia-entered Fabia of Piero Longhi. Luca Cantamesa holds the BF Goodrich Drivers’ Team entry for the event but will have a total of 11 other privately-entered Peugeot 207 S2000s to contend with, featuring still more Italian talent aiming to make waves when the IRC stars join them on this most glamorous event. Three of the Group N Ralliart Evo IX cars will take on these normally-aspirated machines, with series regular Franz Wittmann joined by Simone Campadelli and Fabio Gianfico. In the 2WD Cup an equally huge entry sees series leader Denis Millet joined by no fewer than five other Peugeot 207 RC cars as he bids to fend off flying Manuel Villa on this, the penultimate round of the season. Villa, meanwhile, is joined by other Abarth runners as Honda returns in strength to pick up its impressive season so far, bringing guaranteed entertainment throughout the 109-car entry list.