Rally-emag
The digital rally magazine Issue 42, February 2017
lz a f p d n rla
y l l a r t f no*Dri
y l l a r gouw
Haspen
S
saa
o u n ters
Er
nc
i
E pic E s ’ k
Rally Sweden
Erik van ‘t Land/Rallypicture
A man reborn. Jari Matti Latvala escaped the shadows of Sebastien Ogier at Volkswagen by joining Toyota. The confidence Tommi Makinen instills in his driver shows, the Latvala of old is reborn.
Erik van ‘t Land/Rallypicture
It was never going to be easy for Hayden Paddon. After his Monte Carlo incident Rally Sweden was just about driving at speed again.
Erik van ‘t Land/Rallypicture
Conditions on the stages were perfect, but it took the organizers a lot of work. How much longer will we be able to enjoy Rally Sweden in the snow?
Erik van ‘t Land/Rallypicture
Never the fastest, always the best looking. Lorenzo Bertelli returned to the WRC in Sweden for his final outing in a 2016 WRC. #Shine.
Editor’s note Makinen’s gamble
By Steven van Veenendaal
Team managers will always down- together and keep his cool, he’ll play the importance of Rallye Mon- pose a very serious threat to Ogier. te Carlo as a predictor of things to come in the upcoming season. The rally is too specialized, too different from anything else we will encounter during the season to give an accurate impressions of the performance we can expect from their cars. But it seems that rather than there being a lot of truth in those statements, it’s more a matter of calming expectations when the results are good, and staying positive when the results take a turn for the worse. After Sweden we can pretty much confirm that what we saw in Monte Carlo is likely to be what we will see during the rest of the championship. Ogier is still the man to beat, although not quite as dominant as he was in his Volkswagen days. The combination of Thierry Neuville and the Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC appears to be the outright fastest as Neuville took commanding leads both in Monte Carlo and Sweden. A couple of small mistakes with big consequences have kept the Belgian from winning a rally yet this season (apart from the Legend Boucles a Bastogne, but you know what I mean). If Neuville can get it all
brows were frowned when Makinen selected Latvala to join the Toyota team rather than the much younger and perhaps quicker and more reliable Mikkelsen. It led to nicknames as Toyota Team Finland but so far, that all-Finnish team is performing remarkably well. Hanninen is struggling to keep up without taking too much risks, but Latvala is back to his old self. The Finn was clearly suffering in the limelight of Ogier and lost his confidence as he was beaten time and time again by his French superstar teammate. But let’s not forget that the Volkswagen was very much Ogier’s car. He had developed from the outset to suit his driving style. We have seen in the past how deadly the combination of superhuman levels of talent, combined with a perfectly aligned car can be. Remember Loeb in the Xsara/C4/DS3? Maybe that’s why Makinen was willing to take a gamble on Latvala. In his Mitsubishi days Makinen was the unstoppable force and many team mates succumbed to his dominance. He freed Latvala of that situation and Latvala is givThe most remarkable story of the ing back with a second place and season so far is the resurgence of a win and is currently leading the Jari Matti Latvala. Seemingly at championship, it’s more than Toythe end of his career many eye- ota could have ever dreamed of.
Remember Loeb in the Xsara/C4/ DS3? Maybe that’s why Makinen was willing to take a gamble on Latvala. In his Mitsubishi days Makinen was the unstoppable force and many team mates succumbed to his dominance. He freed Latvala of that situation and Latvala is giving back.
Rally-eMag is brought to you by:
Rally-emag / February 2017
Words:
Harry van Veenendaal Steven van Veenendaal Tara Hurlin Sven Kollus
Images:
Erik van ‘t Land Tara Hurlin Sven Kollus
Publisher: Issuu.com
Join us via social media! Facebook: facebook.com/emagrally/ Twitter: @emagrally
This month February 2017 12
Editor’s note
20
Sweden
36
Belgium
44
Germany
all
wrc brc grc
Makinen’s gamble
Continues where the Monte stopped
Haspengouw Rally
Saarland-Pfalz Rallye
50
50
U.S.A.
56
The World
ara eee
36
Sno*Drift Rally
Erik’s Epic Encounters in Monte Carlo
Rally-emag / February 2017
20
44
Rally-emag / February 2017
Like the pictures
Would you like vices of our prof photographers?
Then don’t hesit at info@rallypic
s in Rally-eMag?
to use the serfessional ?
tate to contact us cture.nl
Need some words too? No problem! Out team can offer the full package of images and texts in English and Dutch.
wv
S w e d e n
continues where the Monte stopped
Rally-emag / February 2017
Words: Harry van Veenendaal, Images: Erik van ‘t Land
After the Monte result everyone’s expectation of the season to come had changed. Bookmaker’s favourite Kris Meeke had a stroke of bad luck and the same applied to the fastest man in the field Thierry Neuville. On the other hand Toyota scored a second place. OK Ogier won, but he was not in an almighty Volkswagen, but in a Ford, that by the way surprised us in a positive sense. The considerable budgets of the manufacturer’s teams were equalled by the sheer craftsmanship of Malcolm Wilson’s M-Sport. But that was Monte-Carlo, always a special event in the championship. Then came Sweden, the Monte result was confirmed, will this be the trend for the season?
Rally-emag / February 2017
Sweden’s organizers desperately want to secure their slot on the calendar as the only real winter rally; therefore they moved the service centre to Torsby, an allegedly more snow secure location. Rally HQ however was still in Karlstad. If it was because of this move we will never know but snow conditions were much better than the last few years. There was lots of the white stuff available and the typical heavily studded narrow snow tyres could be used to their full ability. So finally we could talk about a proper winter rally again.
Rally-emag / February 2017
Speeding on a special stage On the Knon stage (stage 9), fastest man Ott Tänak recorded an average speed of no less than 137.8 kilometres per hour. As we know FIA regulations stipulate that competitors in a rally should adhere to road traffic regulations but on the stages competitors of course, go as fast as they can. In Sweden we saw an exception to this rule. It was not the police that complained about the speeds, but the FIA safety delegates. After having seen Tänak’s speed they cancelled the second running of this stage due to safety hazards as of course safety, both for spectators and competitors should have top priority with the safety delegates. As usual in these kinds of actions there was quite a bit of debate. Drivers said speeds were so high because of the long straights. “They are boring, but not unsafe,” was their comment. Others said that these same delegates earlier had approved
of the stage being run, so should now stay silent. But we feel the decision the stewards made was the only right one. Safety may never be compromised! If the professional feeling of a delegate says no, who are we to say otherwise? One thing becomes clear however. The speed of the new generation of World Rallycars apparently is higher than anticipated. Especially on long straights the new aero package enables much higher speeds than before. Ask Mads Østberg, he knows what it is like to drive the car without the rear wing. So the cancellation was right. But the question remains what can we do about this, without putting all kinds of artificial barriers on long straights. This demands a new awareness with organizers and safety delegates to find solutions. The solution can never be: we do nothing and see what will happen. Our sport is too precious for that.
Rally-emag / February 2017
Most drivers liked the winter conditions and were looking forward to use their new machines making full use of the Michelin ‘X Ice North 3’ tyres on the slippery surface. One of them was Sebastien Ogier, but he reminded us that on the first day he has to start first on the road and that it would be hard due to the circumstances. “A podium position, in itself would be a miracle,” he smiled. Meantime everyone was wondering: ‘was the Monte result a coincidence or was it a taste of things to come? As usual the rally started on the Färjestad Trotting Course in Karlstad. A stage popular with the fans but a typical example of a stage where you can’t win the rally but you surely can loose it here. The overcast Thursday night with sub zero temperatures and a forecast of some light snow perfectly fitted the scenery for a proper winter rally. The many spectators in their appropriate apparel completed the picture. They saw the drivers start in couples of two. Favourite of many of them, Jari-Matti Latvala gave them value for their money
as he did not only beat Ogier in a man- down. Q to-man fight, but he also scored a scratch ing abou that made him the overnight leader. noon. D historic Into Norway they are The Friday stages as usual venture into 2017 WR Norway. The first Friday stage starts in find the r Sweden, then runs into Norway and finishes in Sweden again. The weather is Back to I cold and the road is covered in a mixture For the of snow and ice. Much to the delight of Ogier w Sebastien Ogier, there had hardly been should b any snow overnight, making his road snow has sweeping duties a little bit easier. After starts as his first run it became clear Neuville’s ini- ing stage tial speed in Monte-Carlo was no coinci- even was dence. On the 18-kilometre Röjden stage ond run he scored a scratch. He repeated this on (See box the entirely new Hof-Finnskog stage. vice they Latvala interrupted this winning streak it is Jarion the following Svullrya stage but Neu- that mom ville took the next three stages and Ott and on V Tänak won the last stage of the day, but he shows it was Neuville, just like in Monte-Car- scratch i lo who was leading the rally. Latvala was stage en second at just under 30 seconds. Ott tracted b Tänak third another 20 seconds further it must
shakedown tyre trouble During shakedown we saw very different times. Every seeded driver had to drive a minimum of three passes, Henning Solberg and Valery Gorban where the only ones to cover four runs. All their colleagues thought three would do. Topping the list was Mads Østberg, Breen, Paddon, Meeke and Sordo completed the top five. They all had logical reasons for going as fast as possible. Østberg and Breen had their first taste of driving the 2017 generation car and both Paddon and Rally-emag / February 2017
Meeke needed to prove to themselves that they were back on track again after their Monte memories. They all reached their fastest time in their third run. The time between 1st and fourth was 0.6 seconds. Surely they were charging. Sordo recorded his fastest time on his first run and being over 2 seconds slower then the quartet leading the ball. His other times were over 40 seconds slower. Latvala was tenth and Ogier was only seventeenth, 18 seconds slower than Østberg.
What was was tyre used duri total num allowed t lot of com for use du ulations c tacle of th exactly w to keep a
Quite a few drivers are complainut the ruts, especially in the afterDuring the midday service halt the cars had used some stages and considerably narrower than the RC’s. This makes it very hard to right line, as the wheels don’t fit.
Ikea country first time in a very long time will not be heading the pack. He be happy with that, as some fresh s fallen on the stages. Ott Tänak a rocket and wins all three mornes. On the first stage of today he s too fast which caused the secnning of Kron to be cancelled. xed text). After the midday sery continue, but now on Hagfors -Matti Latvala who is fastest. At ment Thierry thinks it’s enough Vargåsen, including Colin’s Crest s who really is the fastest. “This is is a surprise”, he comments at nd. “I drove well, but I was disby a strange smell in my car. I think have been the screen heater”.
s happening? The reason for this all preservation. The number of tyres ing shakedown was included in the mber (32) of tyres competitors were to use during the whole event. So a mpetitors liked to preserve the tyres uring the actual rally. These new regcould seriously jeopardize the speche shakedown. Cruising cars are not what spectators want to see. A thing an eye on during the next rallies! Rally-emag / February 2017
Disaster for Neuville Mads Østberg, who on Friday lost his wing and felt what it was like to drive a 2017 spec car without this aid, had set his mind on breaking Eyvind Brynildsen record of flying 45 metres on Colin’s Crest. However on the corner before the famous crest he came out a bit wide and lost some speed. “Is it furthest?” he asks. The stage end reporter has to bring the bad news as he landed his car one meter short of Brynildsen’s record.
From Vargåsen it is quite a long ride to Karlstad where for the second time this rally, the horse-trotting track is the venue for a special stage. At his run lightning strikes for Neuville. In a tight left hand corner he steers into the bend only centimetres to early. His left wheel fully turned in, touches a barrier that breaks the wheel loose from the steering rod. Being a passenger in his own car Neuville slams into a concrete fence and can only conclude he lost his rally in winning position, again.
Battle for a few seconds After Neuville’s demise it was Latvala again who was leading the rally. But he was far from safe. Tänak, eager to bag his first WRC victory was just 3.8 seconds behind and Ogier is ‘only’ 16 seconds adrift. So let’s see what happens at the PowerStage, with both Neuville an Meeke on a high to score a few extra points.
some time. At the same time Latvala seemed to have activated his afterburners as he flew over the first stage, increasing his lead by just over seven seconds. He continued in the same speed and almost doubled the gap between him and Tänak. You’d think by now it would be enough for the Finn but no he simply proceeded and even won the PowerStage, so five extra points. All of the sudden Latvala and Toyota promote from underdog to championship contender. The same persons as in Monte-Carlo occupied the podium in Sweden only Ogier and Latvala swapped places. So it’s Latvala, Ogier and Tänak who are now the men to beat.
Latvala on a high The three way Sunday battle was soon reduced to two way battle as Ogier made, as he said himself: “a silly mistake” In the very first corner on Sunday morning he went wide and lost Rally-emag / February 2017
Rally Sweden
Key stats from the snowiest round of the WRC Itinerary
Event data
DAY 1 - 9.02.2017 SS1
Super Special Stage Karlstad 1
1.90
Shortest stage
DAY 2 - 10.02.2017 SS2
Röjden 1
18.47
SS3
Hof-Finnskog 1
21.26
SS4
Svullrya 1
24.88
SS5
Röjden2
18.47
SS6
Hof-Finnskog 2
21.26
SS7
Svullrya 2
24.88
SS8
Torsby 1
16.43
Based in
Torsby
Surface
Snow
Date
9 / 12-2-17
Stage distance
332 km
Number of stages
18
Total distance
1415 km
1st
latvala
2nd
3rd
tanak
Ogier
DAY 3 - 11.02.2017 SS9
Knon 1
31.60
SS10
Hagfors 1
15.87
SS11
Vargåsen 1
14.27
SS12
Knon 2
SS13
Hagfors 2
15.87
SS14
Vargåsen 2
14.27
SS15
Super Special Stage Karlstad 2
1.90
Longest stage
Final results 1.
Latvala-Anttila
Toyota Yaris WRC
2:36:03.6
2.
Tanak-Jarveoja
Ford Fiësta WRC
+29.2
3.
Ogier-Ingrassia
Ford Fiësta WRC
+59.5
4.
Sordo-Marti
Hyundai i20 WRC
+2:11.5
5.
Breen-Martin
Citroën C3 WRC
+2:51.2
6.
Evans-Barritt
Ford Fiësta WRC
+5:26.6
7.
Paddon-Kennard
Hyundai i20 WRC
+5:31.2
DAY 4 - 12.02.2017
8.
Lefebvre-Moreau
Citroën DS3 WRC
+7:14.7
SS16
Likenäs 1
21.19
9.
Tidemand-Andersson Skoda Fabia R5
+9:11.1
SS17
Likenäs 2
21.19
10.
Suninen-Markkula
+10:02.9
Torsby 2 (Power Stage)
16.43
SS18
cancelled
31.60
too fast!
Powerstage
Ford Fiësta R5
drivers Standings
MOST STAGE WINS neuville/latvala
6
(35%)
Event leaders: Latvala (SS1), Neuville (SS2-3), Latvala (SS4), Neuville (SS5-SS14), Latvala (SS15-SS18) notable retirements Lorenzo Bertelli
Ford Fiesta WRC 16
Mechanical
Anders Grøndal
Ford Fiesta R5
Mechanical
1.
Jari-Matti Latvala
Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT
48
2.
Sébastien Ogier
M-Sport World Rally Team
44
3.
Ott Tanak
M-Sport World Rally Team
33
4.
Dani Sordo
Hyundai Motorsport
25
5.
Craig Breen
Citroën Total Abu Dhabi
20
6.
Elfyn Evans
M-Sport World Rally Team
18
7.
Stéphane Lefebvre
Citroën Total Abu Dhabi
10
8.
Thierry Neuville
Hyundai Motorsport
8
9.
Hayden Paddon
Hyundai Motorsport
7
10.
Andreas Mikkelsen
Skoda Motorsport
6
Manufacturer Standings 1.
M-Sport World Rally Team
73
2.
Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT
53
3.
Hyundai Motorsport
40
4.
Citroën Total Abu Dhabi WRT
26
Rally-emag / February 2017
Erik van ‘t Land/Rallypicture
Ooh la la. Difficult times in the Citroen camp. The C3 WRC is nog performing to expectation. Craig Breen is the highest ranking driver at the moment, having done the Monte in the ‘old’ car.
Malcolm Wilson’s team was still on a high when they arrived in Sweden. They had the usual three cars for Ogier, Tänak and Evans and an additional car for Mads Østberg who drove the car for the new Adapta/ Jipocar team. Sebastien Ogier was a bit ambiguous in his expressions. “We had a dream start to the season at Rallye Monte-Carlo,” he said. “But we can’t let that distract us. If we can secure another podium here, it would be fantastic and I see no reason why we can’t be quietly confident of that, but at the same time it will require a lot of hard work behind the scenes.” But the M-Sport was right there on the spot. Ott Tänak was chasing his still illusive first victory and had it not been for ‘ a silly mistake’, Ogier would have been fighting for the lead to. Østberg was hampered by a rear wing that started a career of its own, but proved the car is really in contention.” The weekend’ balance was another double podium and a solid lead in the manufacturer’s championship. “It’s an incredible result for the team”, said a delighted Malcolm Wilson.
Image: Erik van ‘t Land
M-Sport world rally team
“We had a dream start in Monte Carlo” - Sebastien Ogier
Image: Erik van ‘t Land
Hyundai motorsport
“It was really a case of battling myself, rather than the stages.” - Hayden Paddon
Rally-emag / February 2017
For the second time in a row the Korean’s had a difficult weekend. Again they showed that the new i20 is probably the fastest car around, especially in the hands of Thierry Neuville. Seven scratches, six of them by Neuville show the car’s potential. A small mistake on the Karlstad super special however cost them dearly and it deprived them from an otherwise almost certain victory. Dani Sordo showed again why he was chosen. Mr reliability delivered again. Though not always feeling at ease in the wintry circumstances he scored some valuable points by ending in fourth place. His comment made clear he agrees with us: “We need to take the consistency from Monte-Carlo and Sweden and build on this for Mexico, where I will be aiming for the podium.” For Hayden Paddon it has been a difficult weekend after their bad start of the season in Monte-Carlo, the Kiwi needed to get back his confidence: “It’s not been the start to the rally that we wanted. It was really a case of battling myself, rather than the stages.” Fourth and seventh place, with some PowerStage points was not enough to make this a good weekend for the team.
No smiling faces at Citroën. Their weekend was definitely not what they wanted. Before the season they were tipped to be the team to beat. But on their second appearance they couldn’t convince us yet. Kris Meeke was definitely not feeling confident and therefore lost some valuable time. Craig Breen, on his first competitive ride in the C3 obviously had to get used to the car. There was a peculiar situation with the cars as they were among the top runners in the beginning but later on seemed to loose time. Kris Meek said he drove well, but added that his times did not show that. When this kind of frustration hits, the small mistake is always looming somewhere around the corner. On Saturday this mistake came when Meeke went into a ditch and lost many minutes and his point’s scoring position. In the PowerStage they were fourth, scoring two championship points. Craig Breen ended in fifth, just like in Monte-Carlo and is now the best Citroën driver with his fifth place in the driver’s championship. Stéphane Lefebvre driving the ‘old’ DS3, scored an 8th place that gave him some points for the driver’s title.
Image: Erik van ‘t Land
Citroen total abu dhabi wrt
Citroën is off to a bad start. The cars seems a bit too tail happy, leaving the drivers struggling for confidence.
Image: Erik van ‘t Land
toyota gazoo racing wrc The happiest team in the service area was without a doubt the Toyota team. And we can see why: changing from the underdog to the champion to be is quite an achievement. No one understands better than Tommi Mäkinen that it is still ealy days, but being in this position had not been part of his expectations. But the chemistry between him and Jari-Matti Latvala is very clear. “What shall I do?” asked Latvala. “Don’t bother about the car but just drive.” Latvala just did that and was teaching everyone a lesson by winning all stages on Sunday. Not just securing his win but go flat out and win the PowerStage as well. Who would have given one cent for the chances of Latvala to be leading the championship? We have to admit we did not. But it is very good for the championship. All four teams are pretty equal so this can be a very nice season and Toyota is playing an “Don’t bother about the car. important role in it. We are still very sorry Volkswagen Just drive.” left us, but this outcome could not have been anticipat- Tommi Makinen to Jari Matti Latvala ahead of the final day of ed. Latvala is freed from some kind of burden and canRally Sweden with victory in sight for Latvala. not only drive fast but with his remarks about the car he seems to inspire the whole team and the result is there. Rally-emag / February 2017
order the 2017 calendar now! action pictures of the wrc teams driving all over the world! For 15â‚Ź (ex. shipping order now at info@rallypicture.nl
Just like the previous two years, in 2017 the Belgian Rally Championship is stacked with talented drivers in quality cars. After a disappointing season last year Kris Princen made the switch from Peugeot to Skoda and immediately finds himself as one of the title favorites. However with a late shock announcement by Peugeot Belux it is clear that he will not have it all his own way this year. Kevin Abbring returns to the French lion, having previously driven for them in the European Rally Championship. His pedigree as an ex-Volkswagen and current Hyundai factory driver prompt him into the role of one of the main contenders. With plenty of young guns to challenge those two favorites, one thing is for sure. It’s game on this year on the Belgian rallies. words: steven van veenendaal Images: Dre galiart
T
he season kicked off with the Haspengouw was also quickly caught out. He thought to have escaped Rally in and around the town of Landen. Late an off on the second stage, but the damage done to his February can show the first signs of spring, radiator resulted in overheating problems further down but there were no such pleasantries this time the road. around. Heavy rain before the event soaked the roads and the surrounding mud turned the asphalt roads into Abbring struggles an ice-like terrain. It meant a slip-and-slide show early Up front Kris Princen blitzed into an early lead. He inched on. Mostly everyone find himaway from Vincent Verschueren or herself sliding off the road on the opening stages while Abat some point early on. Luckily bring was struggling with his most stages are lined by forgivtires and quickly dropped half a ing meadows, allowing most to minute. “We started on the soft continue after their off-road extires, which should have been cursions. Not everyone was so the best choice in cold temperalucky though. Benoit Alart tradtures like these. But they didn’t ed his Skoda Fabia WRC for an work at all. Also we have to be R5 version but his debut in the realistic, this is one of the least car ended in a battle with a tree. technical rounds of the year so The tree won. Renties youngpower really matters. We all ster Polle Geussens stepped up know we are about 15 bhp down from the R2 Fiesta to the R5 but to the Skoda’s.” Kevin Abbring Rally-emag / February 2017
“This is one of the least technical rallies of the year so power really matters”
peugeot goes dutch In attempt to break Skoda’s dominance in the Belgian Rally Championship Peugeot Belux looked across the border for their driver. In Kevin Abbring they found their guy, and given his pedigree it’s a straight up steal to bring Abbring in. The Dutchman joined Volkswagen in 2011 and finished second (in WRC2) on his first outing at Wales Rally GB. A couple of months later Abbring won the WRC2 class at the Monte Carlo Rally and looked set for stardom. His results took a hit though further down the season and he was released from the team at the end of the season. In an attempt to revitalize his dream of landing a WRC drive, Abbring made the bold decision to take a step back in the hope of taking two steps forward again afterward. He joined the French Volant Peugeot 208 R2 Cup and flat-out dominated. His reward was a full season in the ERC in a Peugeot 208 R5 for the Peugeot Rally Academy team, teaming up with Craig Breen. It would become a season of mixed fortunes, with near wins in Greece and Ypres eventually ending up in retirements. He did land podium finishes in the Azores Rallye and the Tour de Corse. That, and probably his stunning drive in
Ypres that year, was enough to land him a contract with Hyundai’s WRC team. The last two years Abbring has been the main development driver for the i20 R5 and i20 Coupé WRC cars (playing a crucial role in developing the car that now enables Thierry Neuville to shine in the WRC) but failed to impress in his limited competitive outings. Despite the lack of results to show for it, Abbring proved on multiple occasions that he has the speed and potential to challenge the WRC front-runners. Irregular outings and switching back and forth between the R5 and WRC cars didn’t help his rhythm, something that a full season in Belgium will definitely bring. However smart the selection of Abbring may have been, it wasn’t a very popular one. Many Belgian rally fans feel that the Belgian importer should have given the seat to an up and coming Belgian driving, of which there are plenty around. Let’s see how long it will take Abbring to steal their hearts and make them cherish the fact that the championship brings yet another top level driver to the Belgian stages. Given Abbring’s aggressive and spectacular driving style, our guess is that it will not take long at all.
Rally-emag / February 2017
Here comes the sun After lunch the sun breaks through the clouds and teams up with strong winds to quickly dry the damp roads. It prompts a sigh of relief from the crews as the conditions dramatically improve. Abbring takes advantage of the improved weather situation and racks up two wins on the first two stages. On the second two stages of the loop Princen counters and takes two wins of his own. Should Abbring have had any hopes of making the fight up front exciting again, they are immediately dashed again by the confident Princen, who is loving his new car:
“Now I know why we struggled so much last year. With the Fabia R5 you don’t have to take risks to set top stage times.” - Kris Princen Abbring meanwhile was disappointed with himself “Those second two stages are more tortuous then the first two, we really should have been faster there.”
Rally-emag / February 2017
Bring it home With just the final loop of stages remaining and his lead back to comfortable levels Princen just has to finish the rally to win it. He eases of, but learns a valuable lesson “I knew our car was better so once I had opened up a lead I took it a bit more careful, avoiding too deep cuts to prevent puncture. But when you ease of the throttle with these R5 cars, you immediately lose a lot of time.” He did lose a lot on the final loopwith Verschueren closing in to under 5 seconds and Abbring to 13. But any margin is enough and thus a delighted Princen got to taste the champagne again after two difficult seasons. Verschueren was a close second and knew he had lost the rally due to tyre choices and remained philosophical “In the morning loop I had to few cuts in the tyres for the wet conditions and then in the second loop I had too many cuts for the dry conditions.” It’s clear that there is a lot more to expect from the Belgian rallies this year. Three top drivers, finishing within fifteen seconds of each other, what more can any rally fan ask for?
Rally van haspengouw Final results
Results of the BRC opener drivers Standings
1.
Princen-Kaspers
Skoda Fabia R5
1.14.13,6
1.
Kris Princen
Skoda Fabia R5
20
2.
Verschueren-Hostens
Skoda Fabia R5
+4,8
2.
Vincent Verschueren
Skoda Fabia R5
16
3.
Abbring-Tsjoen
Peugeot 208 R5
+13,0
3.
Kevin Abbring
Peugeot 208 R5
12
4.
Cornelis-Debaeke
Citroen DS3 R5
+3.02,3
5.
Kenis-Vanoverschelde
Mini Cooper S1.6 2000T
+4.38,6
4.
Franky Boulat
BMW M3 E36
12
6.
Debackere-Bostoen
Skoda Fabia R5
+5.39,5
5.
Bert Cornels
Citroen DS3 R5
10
7.
Boulat-De Busser
BMW M3 E36
+7.13,3
6.
Bastien Rouard
Citroen DS3 R3T
10
8.
Verstaen-Botson
Opel Astra G
+7.32,5
7.
Guillaume de Mevius
Peugeot 208 R2
10
9.
Vanbellingen-Vanrijkele
Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X
+7.57,9
8.
Henri Schmelcher
Porsche 997 GT3
10
10.
Rouar-Poncelet
Citroen DS3 R3T
+7.59,2
9.
Christope Verstaen
Opel Astra G
9
Mini Cooper S2000 1.6T
8
10. Guino Kenis
Rally-emag / February 2017
Fabian Kreim wins Saarland-Pfalz Rallye
Reigning German rally champion Fabian Kreim wins the first round of the German Rally Championship at Saarland-Pfalz Rallye. Fabian Kreim showed some impressive nerve strength in the closing loop of the Saarland-Pfalz Rallye. It was beginning to rain in the last loop. On the penultimate stage of the rally he lost 20 seconds to his rivals, but on the Power Stage he was faultless and did not only win the stage but also the whole rally. words & Images: sven kollus Flat out media agency
“The last loop was very tricky due to the starting rain and in comparison to our rivals we did not have the right tire choice. Nevertheless we were able to win the closing stage of the rally which was also the Power Stage and this makes me extremely proud”, said Kreim.
ended up in fourth on his first rally after a long break. “We are happy, but to lose out on the podium by 1.1 seconds makes me a little bit angry. The third place was possible, but we had some small issues which cost us time”, said Wallenwein.
The biggest disappointment towards the end was for Dominik Dinkel in another Skoda Fabia R5 run by BRR. He was in second place starting into the last loop, but as the stages began to get more and more tricky and slippery he lost ground and found himself on a fifth place in the finish. “We were running on slicks and that was absolutely the wrong decision“, he explained angrily. He also had some positive words: “Except the last loop our speed was good and we will fight back at the second round of the championship.“
Prince Albert von Thurn & Taxis in a Wevers Sport run Skoda Fabia R5 ended the rally in sixth place. The former circuit racing driver was using the rally to prepare his first full rally season in the European Rally Championship (ERC). “For me as a circuit driver it is quite tricky to adapt to such difficult road conditions, but it is getting better and better and I am getting used to the car more and more by every kilometer“, he explained.
Peugeot works driver Christian Riedemann was benefiting of Dinkel‘s problems and fought back to second place. “Unfortunately we had a spin on the first stage and lost about 15 seconds which are missing now, but we are happy to start the season with a good result”, Riedemann concluded. Former autocross driver René Mandel was securing third place with a strong performance in his Ford Fiesta R5, while Sandro Wallenwein in another Skoda Fabia R5 showed some good pace and Rally-emag / February 2017
Austrian Chris Brugger ended his first rally in the Ford Fiesta R5 on seventh position. “We have failed”, was his disappointing opinion. Hyundai’s developing program in the NG i20 R5 for Korean Chewon Lim ended on an eight place overall. “We were improving step by step, but due to a turbo issue on the first day we had no chance to end up higher in the rankings”, he explained. Germans reigning 2WD champion Philipp Knof finished his first rally in a 4WD car in 9th place in his Peugeot 207 and was the fastest of the older spec Super 2000 cars.
Rally-emag / February 2017
Huttunen shines to glory in his Opel Adam R2 Fastest 2WD-car was Finn Jari Huttunen in an Opel Adam R2, who was able to keep Mitsubishi driver Hermann Gassner behind and ends up as tenth overall. Dane Jacob Madsen in another Opel Adam R2 was blindingly fast and up to 11th place overall after losing lots of time on stage two being held up by multiple cars. In the end, he picked up a 30-second penalty before the last stage to end the rally in 13th place. Carsten Mohe (Renault Clio R3T) was not able to match the Danes pace, but finished second in the 2WD category. „For sure we can go faster”, said Mohe, “but I have to have an eye on the championship and don’t risk too much. Sometimes you have to calm yourself down and drive intelligent“, Mohe explained. Tamara Molinaro from Italy, who will tackle the Junior ERC this season, was using the rally as a test and finished in 26th place overall in her beautiful looking Opel Adam R2.
Rally-emag / February 2017
Saarland-Pfalz Rallye
Results of the GRC opener drivers Standings
Final results
1
F. Kreim
Skoda Fabia R5
30
2
C. Riedemann
Peugeot 208 T16 R5
21
+ 0:44.2
3
R. Mandel
Ford Fiesta R5
19
Skoda Fabia R5
+ 0:45.3
4
S. Wallenwein
Skoda Fabia R5
14
Skoda Fabia R5
+ 0:46.9
5
D. Dinkel
Skoda Fabia R5
10
von Thurn & Taxis - Degandt
Skoda Fabia R5
+ 2:49.0
6
A. von Thurn & Taxis Skoda Fabia R5
9
7
Brugger - Wicha
Ford Fiesta R5
+ 2:49.5
7
C. Brugger
Ford Fiesta R5
6
8
Lim - Wydaeghe
Hyundai NG i20 R5
+ 4:50.8
8
C. Lim
Hyundai NG i20 R5
4
9
Knof - Rath
Peugeot 207 Super 2000 + 4:51.3
9
P. Knof
Peugeot 207 Super 2000
2
10
Huttunen - Linnaketo
Opel Adam R2
10
J. Huttunen
Opel Adam R2
1
1
Kreim - Christian
Skoda Fabia R5
1:17:35.9
2
Riedemann - Wenzel
Peugeot 208 T16 R5
+ 0:15.7
3
Mandel - Zenz
Ford Fiesta R5
4
Wallenwein - Poschner
5
Dinkel - Kohl
6
+ 5:16.6
Rally-emag / February 2017
Rally America National and Regional Championship Round 1 of 8 Photography and text by Tara Hurlin
Rally-emag / February 2017
Rally America Banks On Sno*Drift For It’s Opening Season January is the opening season of the Rally America National and Regional Championship, starting with Sno*Drift, held in Atlanta, Michigan on January 27-28, 2017. There are no snow days for rally fans, frostbite be damned. The conditions seen at this rally are more challenging than any race in the United States. Despite my dislike for the cold, the thing that I look forward to most in a new year is the smell of race gas enhanced by the crisp winter air, and that is exactly what Sno*Drift brings. The weekend’s conditions were ranging from slush to ice, and by day two the unmaintained gravel roads were exhausted. Some areas were full sheets of ice, but fortunately no major damage was incurred, aside from the typical lost bumpers, obliterated tires and mechanical failures. Tractionized tires and blocky rubber treads carved out by tire groovers were a common sight. It’s events like this where proper tires will make or break the race. Rally-emag / February 2017
The American rally season kicked off in traditional fashion with a studless blast through snowy Montmorency County, MI at the Sno*Drift Rally.
Image: Tara Hurlin
Sno*Drift spectators are some of the most hardcore fans that I have met. I join them every year in knee-deep snow, hugging my photography equipment closely while hiking to each stage, slip-sliding the entire way. Then together we anxiously wait in frigid 20-degree or below temperatures just to catch a glimpse of a rally car in action. Amazing things happen when a car goes off the course in front of a crowd of spectators. For example, the Fervor Rally Sport team was caught by an ice-slicked corner and thrown deep into a ditch, all four tires buried in the snow. After the team hopped out to assess the damage, I heard a doubtful voice echo from behind the car; “We are never getting out, we would need like 40 people!” Suddenly, despite several layers of bulky cold-weather gear, at least 20 people (maybe more) swarmed like bees on honeycomb, ran across the hot course, and pushed each other up against the 1997 Subaru Impreza at full force. Jaws dropped as the car leapt back into the competition and arms flew in the air in celebration. Co-driver Derek VandenBroek was so bewildered by the
spectator’s support that he offered high-fives to all of the fans before re-entering the vehicle. As far as rankings, this year’s Sno*Drift was a unique event. The lighter, less powerful Open Light cars were highly competitive, but by the end, Jon Kramer and Jared Lanzy took first in class in their 1993 Subaru Impreza. The most competition was found in the 2WD Class with 15 teams and eight different manufacturers. Local driver Shawn MacDonald and co-driver Joel Krumbach started in 33rd out of 39 teams, but they wasted no time in taking the lead and finishing first in their class with
“We are never getting out, we would need like 40 people!” Suddenly, despite several layers of bulky cold-weather gear, at least 20 people (maybe more) swarmed like bees on honeycomb.
their 1996 Honda Civic. What’s even more impressive is this was their first race. Arkadiusz Gruszka and Lukasz Wronski kept a steady pace throughout the entire rally in their Green APU Mitsubishi Mirage. They finished first place overall, 3 minutes ahead of Reid Andress and Neil Moser. Stage Rallies aren’t only about racing to win. It’s about sharing a passion for the cars that are built to make it through any terrain, in any weather conditions. It’s about comradery, trust, and the challenge to be not only the best driver or navigator, but also your best self. Rally racing brings the best out of everyone, my personal favorite being the regional grassroots teams. Sure, the teams are racing to win, but if any car ends up in a sticky situation, taking care of each other becomes first priority. Most drivers will stop to pull a competitor out of a dangerous spot when spectators aren’t available to assist. The rally community devotedly works together to keep this awe-inspiring sport alive in the United States for years to come.
Final results: 1. Arkadiusz Gruszka/Lukasz Wronski, 2014 Mitsubishi Mirage RS, 2:20:45.9 2. Reid Andress/Neil Moser, 2003 Subaru Impreza WRX, 2:24:00.4 3. Nathan Usher/Marianna Langosch, 2002 Subaru Impreza WRX Wagon, 2:24:20.5 4. Jon Kramer/Jared Lantzy, 1993 Subaru Impreza, 2:25:19.8 5. Henry Krolikowski/Cynthia Krolikowski, 2000 Subaru Impreza, 2:25:56.0 6. Zachary Whitebread/Allen Piper, 1994 Subaru RS, 2:31:49.3 7. Steve LaRoza/Alison LaRosa, 2007 Subaru Impreza WRX STI, 2:33:56.2 8. Shawn MacDonald/Joel Krumbach, 1996 Honda Civic, 2:35:26.2 9. Justin Kollien/Daniel Garant, 2013 Ford Fiesta, 2:37:13.0 10. Grzegorz Bugaj/Elizabeth Dziubanski, 2011 Subaru Impreza WRX STI, 2:37:48.3 Rally-emag / February 2017
Rally-emag / February 2017
Erik’s Epic encounters we s feel
lway
We a
n...
wede
in S lcome
Local rally radio!
It’s all bout the rush... Eyvind
Finn
ish
ling
M
al arsh
is
hard
k wor
fan
s ar
e lo
ving
doing
a “Pett
er”
201
7
“Toyot
a Team
e!
These Norwegians are everywher
Finland
”