Bleacher Report - Articles by Tony Castaneira

IRC: Basso Takes Victory in the Rally Madeira By 3.5 Seconds

Tony Castaneira — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 12:00:55 -0400

FIAT-Abarth team driver Giandomenico Basso has won his third Rali Vinho Madeira after a gripping battle with local hero Bruno Magalhaes. Basso took the victory with just 3.5s between them after 21 stages.

Basso joins two other men, Americo da Silva Nunes and Pierro Liatti in the record books of three-time winners, and puts himself into contention for the Intercontinental Rally Challenge title and into the lead of the FIA European Rally Championship.

Basso stamped his authority from the start of the first full day, after championship leader Kris Meeke won the opening superspecial on Thursday evening.

It was far from being an easy win. Basso's pace was slowed in the final part of the opening leg, when he lost the reverse gear in his Abarth Grande Punto S2000 and had to drive cautiously to avoid a spin from which he would have difficulty to escape.

Then on the final day with Portuguese star Bruno Magalhaes in his Peugeot 207 S2000 persistent in pursuit, Basso spun just three stages from home. Magalhaes struck back with two straight stage wins to close the gap down to under eight seconds. Yet at the finish the Italian had just enough in reserve to hold on.

"It was fast, nervous and exciting," said an elated Basso. "The team has been working hard and the car was strong. This event is very special to me, and to make my third win here after losing on the last stage last year is fantastic."

No less thrilled to be runner-up against the IRC front-runners, Magalhaes was equally demonstrative. "It's a great honor for me to be able to perform so strongly among such great drivers," he said. "It was a long rally, very tense at the finish but second place really feels like a win to me."

It was championship leader Kris Meeke in his Peugeot 207 S2000 who took an early lead in Madeira with an exceptional drive through the streets of Funchal to claim Thursday evening's superspecial by 0.9 seconds.

But when the rally headed out into the green and mountainous roads around the island, Basso's experience came to the fore and he put together a string of eight fastest stage times to go into the lead at the end of Leg 1.

At the start of Day Two, Basso had a fresh gearbox in his Grande Punto a then set about to trade fastest stage times with Magalia’s.

Defending IRC champion Nicolas Vouilloz won SS18 to close up on Alex Camacho in third-place. Yet the positions were static even though the speed advantage ebbed and flowed from driver to driver.

"We started a little slow, though we were trying to go fast," said Vouilloz. "I'm not really happy about the weekend but the car was good today and we were able to drive to the maximum."

Peugeot filled eight of the top 10 positions. A duel between Meeke and Freddy Loix was proved to be another exciting battle that raged throughout the event for fifth place and may well prove pivotal for the championship.

Meeke held a six point advantage over Loix Going in to the Rally Madeira. Now the Briton has 34 points, Jan Kopecky has 29 and both Loix and Basso have 27.

"This is a very, very special rally," Meeke said. "To come here for the first time and win would be impossible, the top four guys were incredible and to be just over a minute behind after three hours is amazing. The points you win on a bad weekend are the ones that count the most."

Top 10 Finishers

1    Giandomenico Basso (I)    Abarth Grande Punto S2000     3hrs 9m 55.4s
2     Bruno Magalhaes (P)    Peugeot 207 S2000    +3.5s
3     Alex Camacho (P)     Peugeot 207 S2000    +41.7s
4     Nicolas Vouilloz (F)    Peugeot 207 S2000    +49.4s
5     Kris Meeke (GB)    Peugeot 207 S2000    +1m 21.9s
6     Freddy Loix (B)    Peugeot 207 S2000    +1m 28.4s
7     Miguel Nunes (P)    Peugeot 207 S2000    +4m 57.9s
8     Corrado Fontana (I)    Peugeot 207 S2000    +5m 50.6s
9    Michal Solowow (PL)    Peugeot 207 S2000    +7m 29.9s
10    Guy Wilks (GB)    Proton Satria Neo S2000    +10m 40.8s

IRC Drivers' positions after 7 of 11 Rounds

1    Kris Meeke (GB)    34 points
2    Jan Kopecky (CZ)    29
3    Giandomenico Basso (I)    27
=    Freddy Loix (B)    27
5    Nicolas Vouilloz (F)    19
6    Juho Hanninen (F)    14
7    Sebastien Ogier (F)    10
=    Carl Tundo (EAK)    10
9    Alistair Cavanagh (GB)    8
=    Bruno Magalhaes (P)    8

Photo & Quotes: IRC

WRC: Raikkonen Flips Out of Rally Finland

Tony Castaneira — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 23:48:19 -0400

Kimi Raikkonen appears to be out of the World Rally Championship’s Rally Finland after rolling on Saturday’s final stage.

The former Formula 1 world champion was setting really quick times in his FIAT/Abarth Grande Punto despite Suffering by a growing engine problem.

He was running 15th overall and a strong third place among the Super 2000 cars when he rolled on the Vaarinmaja stage in the afternoon.

Reports at the scene imply that Raikkonen's car went over several times, but the Ferrari star and his co-driver Kaj Lindstrom are doing fine.

Tapio Laukkanen, overseeing Kimi Raikkonen's World Rally Championship debut on Rally Finland offered more incite to the incident

“It was a tightening corner with a big rock on the outside. He went a little bit wide, hit the stone. That put the nose of the car into the ditch and he rolled two times or something. There were a few rocks around and they lost one wheel—the car was damaged and they couldn't drive it back.”

Laukkanen working for Tommi Makinen Racing for whom Raikkonen was driving was impressed with his start pupils drive. “Oh yes. I am delighted to see how fast he can drive. But we saw this in the test, he's a big driver. He can drive nice with smooth lines—that's how he is. He's a big talent in the F1 and the same with motorbikes and the snow scooters, he's the same with all of those things.”

Quote: Autosport

Photo: WRC

WRC: Kimi Raikkonen Can't Wait to Race at the Rally Finland

Tony Castaneira — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 01:15:13 -0400

2007 Formula 1, World Driving Champion, Kimi Raikkonen says he can't wait to compete on Rally Finland this weekend and have some serious fun.

“Now I can't wait to race at the Finland Rally, although I'm going there to have fun. We had some very good tests with my Fiat Grande Punto Abarth S2000 and we're ready for racing. I've got great experience in Formula 1 but not in rally driving, although I know a bit what it's about. Getting used to a new track in Formula 1 is quite easy, but in a rally the stages always change,” he enthusiastically stated.

Four time World Rally Champion and fellow Finn, Tommi Makinen commented to Finnish news media about Raikkonen’s competitive abilities in a rally car:

"Based on Monday's tests I think that Kimi will do very well. The car appeared to work fine and Kimi was going astonishingly fast when you consider that he jumped straight out of a Ferrari and got behind the wheel of a rally car."

Makinen pointed out that Kimi’s has to totally change his driving style from the heavy braking that is used in F-1 to the momentum style that is used in rallying.

"Kimi's handling of the car is brilliant. Kimi's driving style is relaxed, confident and professional. It's comfortable to sit beside him when he's driving although normally I don't like to be onboard in anyone's car."

Of course all this positive news about Raikkonen’s World Rally Championship debut just adds fuel to the fire that he will leave Formula 1 after this season and become a full-time rally driver in 2010.

Quotes: Ferrari & YLE
Photo: Ferrari

IRC: Gronholm In Talks To Race Rally Scotland

Tony Castaneira — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 17:54:08 -0400

Marcus Gronholm has held talks with FIAT/Abarth about driving a factory Grande Punto S2000 on the inaugural Intercontinental Rally Challenge Rally of Scotland in November, according to Motorsport News.

"There have been some discussions but nothing more than that," Gronholm said to Motorsport News.

If Gronholm was to participate in the Rally of Scotland, it would be another coup for the Intercontinental Rally Challenge over the rival World Rally Championship. The IRC has gained manufacturers this year, reaching seven, while the WRC has dropped down to two. The season also started with the rally world’s signature event, The Monte Carlo Rally, being run under IRC sanctioning.

Rally of Scotland Clerk of the Course Iain Campbell said, "To get a double world champion like Gronholm would be a great endorsement for the event in its first year. All the main teams are due to be in Scotland and having Gronholm on the entry will provide another star attraction for the many fans we are expecting."

"The stages are a lot narrower than he is used to but they are fast and flowing and I'm sure he'll like them," added Campbell.

Quote: Motorsports News.
Photo: IRC

Emirates Team New Zealand Takes Audi MedCup Regatta at Sardinia

Tony Castaneira — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 15:17:10 -0400

Emirates Team New Zealand cruised to victory in the Audi MedCup Region of Sardinia Trophy after a relatively calm final day of racing, while Islas Canarias Puerto Calero took the GP42 Series Regatta.

Racing for the first time at this regatta in the the Mistral direction, with the windward turn less than one mile from the weather shore, at the top of the U-shaped Bay of Cagliari, the course offered a rich choice of gusts and shifts for the tacticians to work their magic.

Emirates Team New Zealand’s boss and mast-man Grant Dalton was pleased as the Mistral breeze returned to present a final upsurge of wind to allow the Kiwi team to sail cleanly through the final three races to secure the win. It was their second successive Audi MedCup regatta title after also winning last month in Marseille, France.

Dalton spoke of hoping for a decent wind-strength for the final day of racing, declaring his team was just trying to ‘hang on’ after Friday’s changeable sea-breeze conditions.
“We did not sail that well, we started badly once and just with the breeze and so on…. but we sailed with composure too, we managed to not crack under pressure while people were cracking around us, but that is just the way we sail. Credit to the guys, though just having been sailing together for a while. The points flatter us a bit, as they did in Marseille in the end, Artemis were right there, but it certainly did not feel like that after the first race this morning. The second race did not hurt. But I thought our best race was our last race. We knew what had to be done. Matador helped by getting their penalty, but we were sailing ourselves out of the course but we got right back into when the breeze came on.”

Not only did the Emirates Team New Zealand crew ‘hang on’, they sailed with extraordinary persistence and composure while their two principal rivals, Matador from Argentina and Sweden’s Artemis, suffered their own, largely self inflicted problems.

Artemis made rules infractions in both the first and second races. Matador ruined an otherwise strong day when they tacked too close to Emirates Team New Zealand and had to take a penalty as well. Later they dramatically hooked the windward mark buoy and could not release it until they were 100 meters down the final run.

In contrast Emirates Team New Zealand sailed with meticulousness in the final races to score a third, a first and a second place which ensured they topped the final standings by 14.5 points ahead of Matador. Artemis who started the day in second slipped to third place by the end of the regatta.

Emirates Team New Zealand’s second regatta triumph ensures they head for Portimao for next month’s Portugal Trophy having more than doubled their lead, while Matador have climbed to second overall at the expense of defending Audi MedCup Champions Quantum Racing from the USA. Quantum Racing’s best race finish came today with a second in the second contest, but they ended the regatta in seventh place.

In the GP42 Series the Spanish team, Islas Canarias Puerto Calero won four of the final five races to take the Region of Sardinia Trophy, needing only to finish in the final race to be sure of their first regatta win this season.

Audi MedCup Circuit 2009
Region of Sardinia Trophy

TP52 Series
Final standings after 11 races
1. Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL), 1+1+1+5+4+3+5+2+3+1+2= 28 points
2. Matador (ARG), 3+3+4+1+2+7,5+2+5+1+4+10= 42,5 points
3. Artemis (SWE), 2+2+7+3+3+1,5+1+7+9+8+6= 49.5 points
4. Bigamist (POR), 6+5+9+6+1+9+4+1+6+9+1= 57 points
5. Synergy (RUS), 4+8+2+2+5+15+7+6+2+3+3= 57 points

GP42 Series
Final standings after 10 races
1. Islas Canarias Puerto Calero (ESP), 3+2+3+4+4+1+1+1+1+3= 23 points
2. Caser Endesa (ESP), 4+4+2+2+1+3+2+3+4+1= 26 points
3. Airis (ITA), 1+1+4+3+5+2+4+4+2+2= 28 points
4. Roma (ITA), 2+5+1+1+3+4+3+2+5+4= 30 points
5. Turismo Madrid (ESP), 5+3+5+5+2+5+5+5+3+5= 43 points

Audi MedCup Circuit 2009
Overall Points after Alicante (ESP), Marseille (FRA) and Cagliari (ITA)

TP52 Series
1. Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL), 38+27,5+28= 93,5 points
2. Matador (ARG), 36+47,5+42,5= 126 points
3. Quantum Racing (USA), 40+41,5+65= 146,5 points
4. Artemis (SWE), 37+62,5+52,5= 149 points
5. Bigamist (POR), 46+55,5+56= 158,5 points

GP42 Series
1. Islas Canarias Puerto Calero (ESP), 20+23+23= 66 points
2. Roma (ITA), 22+17+30= 69 points
3. Caser-Endesa (ESP), 33+27+26= 86 points
4. Airis (ITA), 21+38+28= 87 points
5. Turismo Madrid (ESP), 35+35+43= 113 points

Quote and Photo: Audi MedCup

Pikes Peak Hill Climb 2009: The “Monster Suzuki" Conquers the Mountain

Tony Castaneira — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 01:15:44 -0400

     2009 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb was won for the fourth time in a row by Nobuhiro “Monster” Tajima, driving his Monster Sport SX4,
The victory was tempered as “Monster” left the Colorado race feeling somewhat frustrated at failing to beat the illusive ten minute barrier again.
      The win was convincing though as he clearly the class of the field in the Unlimited division, beating the second place team by 1:13 with his time of 10 minutes, 15.368 seconds. The Open Wheel class victory went to Paul Dallenbach in a Chevy, finishing with the time of 10:52.097. This year marks the fourth consecutive overall win for Tajima and his team.
       Monster’s Suzuki Hillclimb Special featured a steel space frame, along with carbon and Kevlar composite bodywork based on the Suzuki’s SX4 Crossover.
      The conditions were credited as the cause for the record not being broken this year with Tajima complaining of much loose gravel on the dirt sections. Later in the day the competitors were hit by sudden downpours with the accompanying thunder and lightning. This caused a few delays and left the tarmac sections of the mountain slippery and treacherous.
      Ford had a difficult time in Colorado with numerous problems throughout the week. The two-time World Rally Champion, Marcus Grönholm had seen just about everything in a rally course . . . until he came to Pikes Peak.
     Grönholm drove his production based Ford Fiesta rallycross car, to second in the ‘Unlimited Class’ and fifth fastest time overall. Grönholm also captured “Rookie of the Year” honours as he set a time of 11min 28.963sec up the 12.4-mile, 156-turn course which runs up the famous Pikes Peak Highway.
     Grönholm fought mechanical issues with the turbo charger on his 800-horsepower Fiesta rallycross car which resulted in a loss of power during the crucial final climb to the top.
     "I always wanted to compete at Pikes Peak,” said Grönholm. "Having been here over the last week I have to admit that it is one of the most challenging events I have ever done in my career. This is one of those events that you will want to tell people that you came and competed in.
     “I had heard about Pikes Peak and seen the famous film shot on the mountain with Ari Vatanen 20 years ago, but only when you come here do you realise how much of a challenge it is.

Photo: Suzuki
Quote: Ford

ALMS LMP-2: Dyson and Mazda's Return to Victory at Lime Rock

Tony Castaneira — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 01:30:14 -0400

Dyson Racing notched their first victory in the American LeMans series since 2005, as Butch Leitzinger and Marino Franchitti won at their home track, Lime Rock Connecticut.

Their victory ended a four-race winning streak for Lowe’s Fernandez Racing and Acura in the LMP-2 class.

Franchitti moved ahead of Luis Diaz five minutes into the race, and the Lola-Mazda coupe lapped the Lowe’s Fernandez racing car when the Acura pitted to replace its rear shock and also experienced downshift problems.

By the time Adrian Fernandez rejoined the race, Franchitti was ahead by six laps.
“I don’t think we could have picked a better place (for the first win in the Lola-Mazda),” said Franchitti, who won for the first time in the Series.

“It was a combination of a lot of hard work for both cars I have been so close, either overall or in class, it is really a sweet victory. I’m getting a sore face from grinning.”

Leitzinger gave the team a scare with about five minutes to go, which stopped the grinning where he stalled as he avoided a spinning GT2 car. The Lola-Mazda’s clutch had failed early in the race, and Leitzinger had to restart the car on battery power.

“What a fantastic starter motor,” quipped Leitzinger, who was part of the team’s victory at Mosport four years ago, also in a Lola chassis.

“It felt a little destined to win today. When the car spun out in front of me and then we didn’t have a clutch, trying to go uphill, I thought it was over. But this is how it was going to go and it really was a great day. Marino did a stellar job. It is the first of many for him. I am very proud to drive with him. We are happy to be a part of his first win.”

The Dyson victory was also Mazda’s first in the Series since Mid-Ohio in 2005.

Fernandez and Diaz placed second in class Saturday. Gunnar van der Steur and Adam Pecorari placed third in van der Steur Racing’s Radical SR9-AER, the first race for the team since St. Petersburg last year.

Photo and quote: ALMS

ALMS LMP-1: Pagenaud, De Ferran's Streak Continues At Lime Rock

Tony Castaneira — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 00:11:51 -0400

Simon Pagenaud and Gil de Ferran took their third straight American Le Mans Series win at the Northeast Grand Prix at Lime Rock Park on Saturday. The win came with a little help in the way of a punctured tire suffered by their Acura rivals.

David Brabham appeared to be on his way to a second straight Lime Rock victory with Patrón Highcroft Racing teammate Scott Sharp, but a flat left-rear tire with 13 minutes remaining ended those hopes. Brabham ducked quickly into the pits but could do nothing as Pagenaud crossed the finish line in his Acura ARX-02a 43.776 seconds ahead

De Ferran and Pagenaud haven’t lost since the St. Petersburg street race in early April. It is beginning to appear that the team at de Ferran Motorsports can do no wrong.

“We started in the middle of last year; not only do we have a steep learning curve in sports cars, but we started a team from scratch,” said team owner de Ferran. “We are just over a year old, and we really used these last two months to our advantage. I am quite happy about the evolution of the team. We had a little good fortune today. But it was good. We had a good race.”

It was a fantastic battle between the two Acuras. More often than not, things were nip-and-tuck between the two around the tight and twisty track and through the traffic. Patrón Highcroft seemed to be in ideal position to repeat last year’s maiden overall victory by taking fuel and left-side tires only during its last scheduled stop. The move allowed Brabham to get out of the pits before Pagenaud, who after pitting two laps earlier, came around.

“I honestly didn’t have the pace to come back on him,” Pagenaud said. ““I am going to remember this race forever. I think my heart rate was at maximum all race because of the traffic and the ending.”

In the MICHELIN Green X Challenge, the de Ferran Acura was the winner among the prototype entries for the third consecutive race. The competition awards teams and manufacturers who have the greatest overall performance with the smallest environmental impact.

American Le Mans Northeast Grand Prix Lime Rock Park, Lakeville, Conn.
Saturday’s Combined results:
1. (1) Gil de Ferran, Brazil; Simon Pagenaud, France; Acura ARX-02a (1, P1), 184.
2. (2) Scott Sharp, Jupiter, FL; David Brabham, Australia; Acura ARX-02a (2, P1), 184.
3. (6) Johnny Mowlem, England; Stefan Johansson, Sweden; Ginetta-Zytek 09HS (3, P1), 177.
4. (4) Marino Franchitti, Scotland; Butch Leitzinger, State College, PA; Lola B09 86 Mazda (1, P2), 172.
5. (10) Patrick Long, Oak Park, CA; Jörg Bergmeister, Germany; Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (1, GT2), 167.
6. (8) Chris McMurry, Phoenix, AZ; Tony Burgess, Canada; Lola B06/10 AER (4, P1), 166.
7. (3) Luis Diaz, Mexico; Adrian Fernandez, Mexico; Acura ARX-01B (2, P2), 166.
8. (9) Pierre Kaffer, Germany; Jaime Melo, Brazil; Ferrari F430 GT (2, GT2), 166.
9. (12) Bill Auberlen, Hermosa Beach, CA; Joey Hand, Sacramento, CA; BMW E92 M3 (3, GT2), 166.
10. (11) Bryce Miller, Hoboken, NJ; Wolf Henzler, Germany; Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (4, GT2), 165.
11. (15) Johannes Stuck, Austria; Richard Westbrook, England; Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (5, GT2), 163.
12. (16) Ian James, England; Dominik Farnbacher, Germany; Tom Sutherland, Los Gatos, CA; Panoz Esperante GTLM Ford (6, GT2), 163.
13. (18) Seth Neiman, Burlingame, CA; Johannes van Overbeek, San Francisco, CA; Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (7, GT2), 159.
14. (17) Joel Feinberg, Ft. Lauderdale, FL; Chris Hall, Daytona, FL; Dodge Viper Comp Coupe (8, GT2), 158.
15. (23) Adam Pecorari, Aston, PA; Gunnar Van der Steur, Chesapeake City, MD; Radical SR9 AER (3, P2), 157.
16. (14) David Murry, Cumming, GA; David Robertson, Ray, MI; Andrea Robertson, Ray, MI; Doran Ford GT MK 7 (9, GT2), 153.
17. (19) Wesley Hoagland, Tustin, CA; Bob Faieta, Tujunga, CA; Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (1, C), 149.
18. (21) Ed Brown, Las Vegas, NV; Bill Sweedler, Westport, CT; Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (2, C), 146.
19. (22) Donald Pickering, Reno, NV; Nick Parker, Seattle, WA; Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (3, C), 144.
20. (20) Melanie Snow, Pleasant Grove, UT; Martin Snow, Pleasant Grove, UT; Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (4, C), 142.
21. (13) Tommy Milner, Leesburg, VA; Dirk Müller, Germany; BMW E92 M3 (10, GT2), 142.
22. (7) Clint Field, Dublin, OH; Chapman Ducote, Miami, FL; Jon Field, Dublin, OH; Lola B06/10 AER (5, P1), 139, Drivetrain.
23. (5) Chris Dyson, Pleasant Valley, NY; Guy Smith, England; Lola B09 86 Mazda (4, P2), 63, Electrical.
24. (24) Guy Cosmo, Long Island, NY; John Baker, New York, NY; Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (5, C), 52, Mechanical.

Rally America: Travis Pastrana wins 2009 New England Forest Rally

Tony Castaneira — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 20:03:23 -0400

Travis Pastrana was handed his fourth win of the season at the New England Forest Rally Saturday by his teammate, to extend his lead in the Rally America national championship.

Subaru Rally Team USA's Pastrana entered Round 6 with a 21-point lead and said his strategy from the start was to avoid taking unnecessary risks and get his car to the finish in one piece.

The roads on this event are generally wide and fast, but strewn with massive rocks that can do big damage to competition cars.

"It's hard to know you've got that little more speed in reserve and not use it, but it's that little more that can get you," he said. "We weren't the fastest here this weekend, but I'll take the win however I can get it."

Finishing in one piece was essential because they have a short turn-around before heading across the country to compete in the X-Games.

Pastrana’s Subaru Rally Team USA teammate Ken Block set a blistering pace at the start, but spun early Saturday afternoon, losing more than 20 seconds.

Then Block had a tire puncture which prevented him from making up for lost time in the final stages of the day. So a frustrated Block had to settle for second-place overall.

"It's extremely frustrating," said Block at the finish. "I put myself in the right position to win, and it didn't work out for us."

Despite the disappointing result, Block moves into second place in the Rally America National Championship, behind teammate Pastrana.

Canadian Antoine L'Estage lost time to a power steering failure in his Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X. This dropped him from out of the running for a win in the event but he managed to nurse the car to a third place finish.

"It's good to taste champagne again, but I really wanted to win," said L'Estage after the ceremonial champagne spray. "I thought this morning we had a shot at it."

L'Estage is developing a new Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X that was debuted by Tanner Foust earlier this season under a sharing deal.

They haven’t had much luck with the car so far, dealing with the problems that are typical with a new rally car. But he is confident that the car has potential and he's looking forward to the next round.

Bill Bacon finished in fourth place, and Art Gruszka rounded out the top five.

Roman Pakos took the Super Production class win in a Subaru STi, while John Conley and Keith Rudolph took the two-wheel drive win in their 2003 Dodge SRT-4.

Typically, attrition claimed a number of contenders including Subaru Rally Team USA's Dave Mirra, who dropped out with engine trouble on Saturday, while Andi Mancin retired after Day 1, apparently with engine issues as well.

The MaxAttack! two-wheel drive competition was furious this weekend, with more than two dozen drivers running in the class. Chris Duplessis and Catherine Woods set the fastest two-wheel drive times in their 1990 Volkswagen GTi during the weekend.

The most interesting entry was Lucy Block and Chrissie Beavis in a Volkswagen Golf. Block is married to Subaru Rally Team USA driver Ken Block and Chrissie Beavis is a regular championship co-driver for Tanner Foust and competes in California as a driver in the regional series.

The duo swapped driving and co-driving duties over the weekend. This was Lucy’s first ever event as a competitor.

Two of the bigger names in the Rally America Championship were missing from The New England Forest Rally. Open class drivers Andrew "ACP" Comrie-Picard and Tanner Foust have also opted to sit this event out while they prepare for the X-Games.

The X Games contest is the biggest event on the calendar for invited teams and cars are due on the other side of the continent in just over a week.

No Doubt Pastrana, Block and L’Estage didn’t miss them.

All results are considered informational pending official race processes.

O/A Car # Class I/C Driver
1 199 O 1 Travis Pastrana 2009 Subaru Impreza WRX STi
2 43 O 2 Ken Block 2009 Subaru Impreza WRX STi
3 17 O 3 Antoine L'Estage 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X
4 68 O 4 William Bacon 2006 Mitsubishi EVO IX
5 198 O 5 Arkadiusz Gruszka 2006 Mitsubishi EVO IX
6 494 SP 1 Roman Pakos 2006 Subaru Impreza STI
7 19 SP 2 Timothy Penasack 2002 Subaru WRX
8 8 155 2WD 1 John Conley 2003 Dodge SRT-4

Quotes and Photo: Rally America

Josh Hurley and Ian Baas Dominate Grand-Am Koni Challenge at Barber

Tony Castaneira — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 00:34:24 -0400

Josh Hurley and Ian Baas led 76 of the 83 laps to win the Grand-Am KONI Sports Car Challenge Legacy Credit Union 200 at Barber Motorsports Park.

It was the first career victory for both drivers of the No. 171 APR Motorsport Volkswagen GTI. It was also a home-course victory for APR Motorsport, based in nearby Auburn, Ala.

After leading the opening 36 laps Baas was passed by the No. 111 Subaru of America Subaru Legacy of Andrew Aquilante on the front straightaway. Baas quickly regained the lead on the next lap, and paced another lap before pitting and handing over the driving duties to Hurley.

“The Gunther VW APR crew performed an awesome stop. Said Hurley. By the time my out lap was finished, we had pull 15 seconds out on the Subaru on the pit stop along.”

Hurley's only challenge in the closing half of the race came when the third and final full-course caution waved with 38 minutes remaining, erasing a 12.8 second lead. On the restart, Hurley motored away from Kristian Skavnes, who took over for Aquilante, finishing with an averaged speed of 75.473 mph

“With a half hour to go, a lap BMW spun in front of me and became buried in the gravel. This brought out the full course yellow and negated our 14 second lead. This was doubly worrying as the Subaru has all wheel and is effective with worn tires. Behind him was a Miata that due to low weight is also good on tires. On the restart I was able to pull out a slight gap and fend off the Subaru who then fell back further into a battle with the Miata. This allowed me to open up a four second gap and bring home my first victory of the season and the third for our team. I'm really proud of the Gunther Volkswagen APR Motorsport crew.”

Andrew Carbonell, who took over for 15th-place starter Rhett O'Doski in the No. 146 Freedom Autosport/Mazda Mazda MX-5, passed Skavnes following the restart and finished second, 4.118 seconds behind Hurley.

Skavnes finished third, followed by Owen Trinkler and Jade Buford in the No. 196 Cruise America/Four Winds Mini Cooper S, Bryan Ortiz and Wilden, and Sarah Cattaneo and Mark White in the No. 147 Freedom Autosport/Mazda Mazda MX-5.

Photo: Grand-Am

Quote: Josh Hurley.

Grand-Am: Porsche 250 at Barber Motorsports Park GT Preview

Tony Castaneira — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 23:18:54 -0400

Going for their fourth victory in a row, Leh Keen and Dirk Werner will share the No. 87 Farnbacher Loles Racing Porsche GT3 during the Porsche 250 at Barber Motorsports Park this weekend. Having won four of the last five races, their three-race winning streak is the longest in the Acxiom GT division since the Rolex Series changed to a two-class format in 2005.

Keen and Werner’s early season domination has garnered them a lead of 29 points over defending GT champions Kelly Collins and Paul Edwards.

Collins and Edwards are still seeking their first victory of the year in the No. 07 Drinkin' Mate Pontiac GXP-R, but have managed to within touch of the points leader with three second place finishes. They hope to close the gap with a good showing at a track where they previously had success. The pair won the Porsche 250 in 2007.

Sylvain Tremblay and Nick Ham in the No. 70 SpeedSource/Castrol Syntec Mazda RX-8 return to Barber where they were victorious last year. Coming off a second place finish at Brumos Porsche 250 in Daytona, the pair also won earlier this year at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

The green flag for the two-hour, 45-minute race is set to wave at 2 p.m. CT at the 16-turn Birmingham, Alabama circuit. You can watch the race live on SPEED beginning at 3 p.m. ET.

Photo: grand-am.com

Rally Legend Sebatien Loeb To F-1?

Tony Castaneira — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 23:44:22 -0400

Five-time WRC Champion Sebastien Loeb, announced that he would like to take the Torro Rosso seat if the rumors of Sebastien Bourdais leaving are true.

"If Toro Rosso need a driver I'd love to help out," Citroen driver Loeb told French sports daily l'Equipe on Saturday.

He added, "Who knows, as long as the Formula One and rallying calendars don't overlap anything is possible. If there is a place at Toro Rosso I'm available."

Loeb, currently second in the world rally standings, spent several hours at the headquarters of Red Bull, the sister stable of Italian outfit Toro Rosso, in England three weeks ago.

The 35-year-old, tested with Red Bull last November in Barcelona and impressed those in attendance with his times.

Speculation has been rife that Bourdais could be fired by Toro Rosso after Sunday's German Grand Prix following a series of poor results.

Photo:WRC

IRC Rally Russia: Hanninen and Kopecky Secure a One-Two Finish for Skoda

Tony Castaneira — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 23:25:26 -0400

Juho Hanninen and the Czech Republic's Jan Kopecky secured a one-two finish, for Skoda at all-gravel Intercontinental Rally Challenge Rally Russia. This marks the Czech carmaker’s first victory in the IRC.

Repeating his 2008 performance, Hanninen rapidly emerged in front again this time around. With his Skoda Fabia S2000 running on soft compound tires, Hanninen posted the fastest time on every one of the first two day’s four stages.

This allowed him to complete Friday's action with a lead of almost a minute over his team-mate Jan Kopecky. This launched the Skoda squad on target for a one-two finish, particularly seeing as Giandomenico Basso in his Fiat/Abarth was practically three minutes behind in third place.

The Italian team secured valuable Drivers' and Manufacturers' points with Basso’s third and a sixth place for Anton Alèn.

Guy Wilks completed day one in a remarkable third place with his Proton and finally finished inside the top-five finish after posting some exceptionally fast times recovering from a punctured tire on day two.

Here is a list of times and drivers:

Pos  Driver                      Car            Time/Gap
 1.  Juho Hanninen           Skoda        1h45m15.2s
 2.  Jan Kopecky               Skoda        +  1m20.9s
 3.  Giandomenico Basso  Abarth       +  4m06.0s
 4.  Patrik Flodin               Subaru       +  5m09.9s
 5.  Guy Wilks                   Proton       +  6m33.0s
 6.  Franz Wittmann         Mitsubishi   +  9m07.1s
 7.  Anton Alen                 Abarth        + 12m30.8s
 8.  Boris Zimin                 Mitsubishi   + 15m53.9s
 9.  Alexey Katkov            Subaru       + 19m51.2s
10.  Kaspar Koiytla           Lada          + 20m04.9s

Photo: IRC

IRC Rally Russia: Skoda's Hanninen Leads Day One

Tony Castaneira — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 22:57:50 -0400

Juho Hanninen finished day one of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge Rally Russia with a healthy lead as many of the big names were caught by treacherous conditions.

Leading from the start, Hanninen set the fastest time again as the field came through their second run of the night in the Kutuzovo stage. He extended his lead over Skoda teammate Jan Kopecky by another two seconds over the 10.35km forest stage. Guy Wilks held third place in a fine showing for the new Proton Satria Neo.

Giandomenico Basso slipped to fourth at the end of the day in his Fiat/Abarth Punto. Basso’s teammate, Anton Alen, followed 4 seconds behind in fifth despite high water temperature and bodywork damage from a tire puncture during SS3.

Local favorite and Russian champion Aleksandr Zheludov is now picking up the pace in his Peugeot 207 after fixing the ignition coil to hold sixth. Franz Wittmann's Mitsubishi Evo IX holds seventh overnight despite a pair of tire punctures, one in SS3 and one on the transit to SS4. Boris Zimin is eighth in another Mitsubishi. Kaspar Koilta is ninth and the leading 2WD car in a Lada.

The day’s four stages have taken a heavy toll on the local men with reigning national champion Zheludov's engine woes being minor compared to five-time former Russian rally champion Andrey Zhigunov. He suffered major suspension damage on SS 2 in his Mitsubishi and is dropping out.

Pos Driver              Car         Time/Gap
1. Juho Hanninen       Skoda       28m28.5s
2. Jan Kopecky         Skoda       + 27.5s
3. Guy Wilks           Proton      + 46.5s
4. Giandomenico Basso Abarth      +1m21.1s
5. Anton Alen          Abarth      +1m25.0s
6. Aleksandr Zheludov Peugeot     +2m03.9s
7. Patrik Flodin       Subaru      +2m13.6s
8. Franz Wittmann      Mitsubishi +2m45.0s
9. Boris Zimin         Mitsubishi +3m52.7s
10. Kaspar Koiytla      Lada        +4m37.6s

Photo: IRC

Grand-Am: Angelelli Holds Off Gurney To Win Brumos Porsche 250

Tony Castaneira — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 00:56:03 -0400

Max Angelelli held off a last-lap charge from Alex Gurney to win the Brumos Porsche 250 at Daytona International Speedway, round seven of the 2009 Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series. Angelelli, who also won this event in 2004, won by .270 seconds - the fifth-closest finish in the history of the series.
Together with co-driver, Brian Frisselle, in the No. 10 SunTrust Ford Dallara. Angelelli led the final 33 of the 70 laps to give his team its first victory of the year, and allowed the two drivers to close to within one point of point leaders Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas (199-198). Gurney and his Gainsco/Bob Stallings Racing co-driver, Jon Fogarty are another two points back with 196.

"It was a very fair game," Angelelli said after scoring his 13th career Daytona Prototype victory, second all-time. "It was a good, tough battle. It was really difficult today. Thanks to SunTrust Racing for the good car they gave me. I went out for my stint in the lead, which was really important."

The event, traditionally held in the evening, was moved to 2 p.m. to set up a holiday doubleheader that also included the Coke Zero 400 for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

The No. 45 Orbit Racing BMW Riley took third with Ryan Dalziel and Bill Lester, who scored his first podium finish in Rolex Series competition.
"Our car was good from the moment we unloaded it," Lester said. "We feel like we can be much more formidable, a force to be reckoned with. We're really excited about what the future holds."

Coming from 17th to finish fourth The No. 6 Michael Shank Racing Ford Riley almost missed the race after John Pew crashed late in morning practice, causing major damage to the front end of the car co-driven by Michael Valiante. The team repaired the car with moments to spare before the start...

The No. 61 AIM Autosport Ford Riley of Burt Frisselle and Mark Wilkins, which started last on the 19-car grid after a post-qualifying infraction worked it’s way up the field to round up the top five

The two cautions helped to an average speed of 114.918 mph, the third-fastest race in Rolex Series history.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers Kyle Busch and Scott Speed finished 10th in their Rolex Series debut in the No. 02 Waste Management Lexus Riley fielded by Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates.

Keen, Werner Win Third Straight, Increase GT Point Lead

The No. 87 Farnbacher Loles Racing Porsche GT3, with drivers Dirk Werner and Leh Keen, led the final 29 laps to claim its third consecutive victory and fourth in five races, opening a 29-point lead (221-192) in the battle for the Acxiom GT championship.

"For our success, the key is that Leh Keen keeps our car in the front in the beginning of the race," said Werner, the 2007 GT champion. "In the beginning of my run, Sylvan was not putting pressure on me. He was trying to stay close. I knew he would try to attack me at the end of the race - which he did."

Sylvain Tremblay in the No. 70 Castrol Syntec Mazda RX-8 started by Nick Ham finished 1.531 seconds behind, denying the its third consecutive victory in the event.
Andy Lally and Justin Marks finished third in the No. 67 Construct Corp./No Fear Energy Drinks Porsche GT3. Emil Assentato and Jeff Segal took fourth in the No. 69 FXDD Mazda RX-8. Eric Lux and Wolf Henzler, the winner’s teammates finished fifthe in the No. 86 Farnbacher Loles Racing Porsche GT3.

Round 8 for the Grand-Am Rolex Series will be the Porsche 250 presented by Legacy Credit Union July 19 at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala. The weekend will also include a pair of KONI Sports Car Challenge races.

Photos & Quotes: Grand-Am

Raikkonen To Contest Rally Finland

Tony Castaneira — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 18:12:48 -0400

Kimi Raikkonen will make his World Rally Championship debut next month when he contests his home round of the series, Rally Finland.

The Ferrari Formula 1 driver has competed in three rallies earlier this year, but the ninth round of the WRC season will be his first time on gravel. The Finn, who won the F1 world championship with Ferrari in 2007, tested the Abarth Grande Punto for two days in central Finland earlier this week.

Raikkonen's co-driver will be Kaj Lindstrom, four-time world champion Tommi Makinen’s former co-driver. Makinen's own racing team will run the Abarth for Raikkonen.

Lindstrom admits the 29-year-old Raikkonen will face a difficult task when he starts his first WRC round.

"Rally Finland is not going to be easy for sure," said Lindstrom. "The rallies we have done so far have been smaller events, a three-day WRC round is much longer and more intense than those national events. And it doesn't just start with the rally, we have two days to go through the recce and make the notes. Kimi makes very good pace notes, but there will be pressure on for the recce."

Lindstrom added that Raikkonen’s lack of gravel experience will also make his task tougher next month.

"He has competed on snow and asphalt, but never gravel, but we have tested on gravel," said Lindstrom. "But one of the hardest things for Kimi will be the speed of this event. Rally Finland and the roads used are so fast, like nothing we have done before—that does take time. But, let's not forget, this guy is a pretty good driver! He's very talented and I'm sure he will cope fine."

In his rally debut, Raikkonen finished 13th in the Arctic Rally in January. He ran as high as seventh overall in the Vaakuna Rally, before depositing his Abarth off the road only to recover and finish 17th. His debut on asphalt came in the Rally della Marca in Italy in May, where he crashed out on the third stage.

WRC: Hirvonen Takes Win and Points Lead from Loeb at Rally Poland

Tony Castaneira — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 19:51:25 -0400

Early in this year’s World Rally Championship, people weren’t asking if Sebastien Loeb would win the title again, but if he would win every event.

With two thirds of the season to run, what was unimaginable earlier has happened. Loeb has dropped from the points lead.

Sebastien Loeb started the season with five consecutive wins in dominant fashion but has suffered accidents in the last three, and has even failed to reach the podium in the last two.

Mikko Hirvonen has passed Loeb and now has a one-point lead in the World Rally Championship after clinching victory in the Rally Poland.

"This has been the best rally of the season so far," said 28-year-old Hirvonen. "The roads here are fast and narrow and the crowds provided a superb atmosphere. It's the first time I have won two consecutive rallies and it has put me into the lead of the championship ahead of my home rally in Finland. The weekend was perfect from start to finish. After Loeb's mistake on Friday, I thought I might have an easy drive but it wasn't to be. I had to drive flat out yesterday to stay ahead and it's a fantastic feeling to win after such a great fight.”

Hirvonen began the final leg 12 seconds up on his BP Ford Abu Dhabi teammate, Jari-Matti Latvala, but finished over a minute ahead, after his compatriot crashed out in the final stage, the short 2.5 kilometer Mikolajki super special.

"It was my mistake," admitted a distraught Latvala. "I wasn't driving too quickly but I turned into the bend too early and clipped an oil barrel which was full of sand. The impact broke the steering and I couldn't turn into the next bend and hit the barrier on the opposite side of the road. I've let down the team and damaged Ford's dream of winning the manufacturers' title this year."

A determined Latvala and co-driver Anttila tried to push the car to the finish of the stage and completed a whole lap before being forced to stop and retire. Latvala's late crash hurt the BP Ford Abu Dhabi Team, which had been on course for another 1-2 and a third maximum 18-point haul in succession.

Citroen Total World Rally Team’s Dani Sordo took advantage of Latvala’s mistake and finished second.

The Solberg brothers Henning and Petter ended the Rally Poland third and fourth respectively, both having gained not only from Latvala's exit, but also from the retirement of Sebastien Ogier. Ogier had been in front until he had engine problems in SS16.

Rounding out the top five was Stobart Ford driver Matthew Wilson, followed by local hero and Stobart Ford "guest driver" Krzysztof Holowczyc and then Sebastien Loeb.

Loeb re-started under the SuperRally rules on Saturday after crashing out in SS4. He clawed back with help, up to take two drivers' points and three manufacturers' points for Citroen. Citroen Junior Team men, Conrad Rautenbach and Evgeny Novikov both slowed to allow the Frenchman to pass. Rautenbach and Novikov came in eighth and ninth.

Hirvonen will now go to his home event in Finland at the end of next month, following the summer break, with a one point advantage over Sebastien Loeb in the drivers' standings.

Leading finishers:
Pos Driver               Car           Time/Gap
1. Mikko Hirvonen       Ford        3h07m27.5s
2. Dani Sordo           Citroen     + 1m10.3s
3. Henning Solberg      Ford        + 2m05.7s
4. Petter Solberg       Citroen     + 2m24.3s
5. Matthew Wilson       Ford        + 4m17.5s
6. Krzysztof Holowczyc Ford        + 4m33.9s
7. Sebastien Loeb       Citroen     + 19m15.1s
8. Conrad Rautenbach    Citroen     + 19m20.6s
9. Evgeny Novikov       Citroen     + 19m26.2s
10. Michal Bebenek       Mitsubishi + 23m08.7s

Quote & Photo: BP Ford Abu Dhabi

WRC: Fords First And Second Entering Final Day of Rally Poland

Tony Castaneira — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 00:01:19 -0400

Mikko Hirvonen extended his overall lead in the Orlen Platinum 66th Rally Poland to 12 seconds, after the 13 timed special stages at the end of day two on Saturday afternoon.

“It has been fantastic, a proper fight for the lead, and I've enjoyed today so much,” said Hirvonen. “I struggled a little with being first through the stages, which I also didn't expect. The road surface was damp with hard mud on top after the rain and I was breaking up the surface to leave better grip for those behind.”

The BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team driver remains on course to snatch the FIA Drivers’ Championship advantage from Sébastien Loeb.

Citroen Total WRT driver Sebastien Loeb crashed out on SS4. He ripped a wheel off his C4 WRC 1.2km into the stage, after apparently hitting a tree stump. Both Loeb and co-driver Daniel Elena were OK according to a Citroen spokesman. This marks the third straight rally in which Loeb has dropped out early. This is in marked contrast to earlier in the season where he looked invincible.

BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team team-mate Jari-Matti Latvala maintained second place and Loeb’s teammate Dani Sordo played the tried to maintain pressure on the leading Fords with third overall.

Sébastien Ogier, Henning and Petter Solberg fought a frenzied battle for fourth, fifth and sixth places. Ogier maintained fourth position, but Petter passed his brother into fifth place on the final few kilometers of the 13th stage. Henning’s teammate, Matthew Wilson was secure in seventh position in his Stobart Ford Focus.

The final five special stages on Sunday promise to be a thrilling prospect, with Latvala needing to fend off Sordo’s challenge to give Ford two crucial extra points towards the FIA Manufacturers’ Championship.

Leaderboard after Day 2
1. M Hirvonen/J Lehtinen FIN Ford Focus RS 2hr 21min 45.8sec
2. J-M Latvala/M Anttila FIN Ford Focus RS 2hr 21min 57.8sec
3. D Sordo/M Marti ESP Citroen C4 2hr 22min 24.3sec
4. S Ogier/J Ingrassia FRA Citroen C4 2hr 23min 45.1sec
5. P Solberg/P Mills NOR Citroen Xsara 2hr 23min 52.5sec
6. H Solberg/C Menkerud NOR Ford Focus RS 2hr 23min 53.8sec
7. M Wilson/S Martin GBR Ford Focus RS 2hr 25min 33.8sec
8. K Holowczyc/L Kurzeja POL Ford Focus RS 2hr 25min 59.1sec
9. C Rautenbach/D Barritt ZIM Citroen C4 2hr 27min 11.7sec
10 M Østberg/ J Andersson NOR Subaru Impreza 2hr 28min 21.3sec

IRC: Meeke Takes Win In Belgium Ypres Rally

Tony Castaneira — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 12:28:23 -0400

Kris Meeke took his third consecutive IRC event win by claiming victory in round five of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge.

"I never thought for a minute that I could be in a position to win here, so to be on the top step of the podium on such a prestigious event is a dream come true for me," said Meeke. "I think this is certainly the biggest moment of my career to date.”

The win at the IRC’s Belgium Ypres Rally has lifted the Peugeot UK driver to a six-point lead in the standings over five-time winner of the Belgium Ypres Rally, Freddy Loix, who was the winner of the Belgium Ypres Rally last year.

From the very beginning of the rally, Meeke and Loix were involved in a battle for the lead, swapping fastest stage times. Meeke won eight stages while Loix won seven over the course of the 16-stage event. Meeke edged ahead after SS12, but Loix hinted to have more speed in reserve. His chance for a win vanished on the following stage, when Loix suffered a flat tire which dropped him to fourth.

"Of course it's a shame for everyone that we had the puncture, as before it was a really great fight with Kris," Loix said. "I tried not to push my hardest all the time, because this is not the sort of rally where you can take big risks, but in the end it was a really close battle between the two of us.”

Loix battled back and eventually finished third, maintaining second place in the championship.

Skoda driver Jan Kopecky was the only other driver to challenge the two leaders and was in the top three from the very first day. The only problem that the Czech encountered was a motorcyclist who rode into him on a road section before SS10. Luckily there were no serious consequences.

After Loix's flat, Kopecky moved up into second. He maintained this position to the finish to move up to third place overall in the championship standings.

"Second place is a very good result for us, particularly as we had the accident with the motorcyclist today, which was not a nice feeling as it distracted us," Kopecky said. "Luckily everyone is OK, but it is not a nice thing to happen on a rally. I tried as best as I could, but I think this result is a real testimony to just how good our car is.”

Juho Hanninen, Kopecky's teammate, was third up until the final stage, where he also punctured a tire and dropped down to fifth. Nevertheless, the popular Finn scores his first points of the year. Hanninen's misfortune benefited local driver Pieter Tsjoen, who claimed fourth at the finish in a privately-run Peugeot 207 S2000.

The battle for sixth resulted in one of the closest finishes in the history of the IRC. Luxembourg driver Gilles Schammel, driving a Peugeot 207 S2000, finished just 0.1 seconds ahead of Dutchman Jasper van den Heuvel, at the wheel of a Mitsubishi Lancer.

Fiat-Abarth's Giandomenico Basso lost fourth place on the very final stage after picking up a puncture on the same rock that caused a problem for Hanninen. He claimed the final points in eighth place.

The IRC 2WD Cup was won by Dutchman Marcel Piepers, who was driving a Honda Civic Type R. This gave the Frenchman the joint lead of the IRC 2WD Cup standings.

IRC RESULTS AFTER SS16, BELGIUM YPRES RALLY

1 Meeke / Nagle    Peugeot 207 S2000    2hrs 32m 16.3s
2 Kopecky / Stary    Skoda Fabia S2000    +20.4s
3 Loix / Smeets    Peugeot 207 S2000    +1m40.5s
4 Tsjoen / Chevaillier    Peugeot 207 S2000    +2m35.3s
5 Hanninen / Markkula    Skoda Fabia S2000    +3m35.1s
6 Schammel / Jamoul    Peugeot 207 S2000    +4m06.4s
7 Van den Heuvel / Kolman    Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 10    +4m06.5s
8 Basso / Dotta    Abarth Grande Punto S2000    +4m 24.9s
9 Betti/ Capolongo    Peugeot 207 S2000    +5m48.3s
10 Fontana/Cassina    Peugeot 207 S2000    +6m24.5s

IRC 2WD Cup Winner: Piepers/de Wild    Honda Civic Type R R3

STANDINGS

Drivers

1 Kris Meeke    UK    30
2 Freddy Loix    B    24
3 Jan Kopecky    CZ    21
4 Nicolas Vouilloz    F    14
5 Giandomenico Basso    I    11
6 Sebastien Ogier    F    10
7 Carl Tundo    EAK    10
8 Alistair Cavenagh    GB    8
9 Lee Rose    EAK    6
10 Stephane Sarrazin     F    6

Manufacturers

1 Peugeot    68
3 Ralliart    35
3 Skoda    25
4 Abarth    15

Quotes & Photo: IRC

IRC: LOIX LEADS AFTER DAY ONE IN BELGIUM

Tony Castaneira — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 23:53:24 -0400

Freddy Loix (Peugeot 207 S2000) finished the first day of the IRC’s Belgium Ypres Rally with a lead of just under five seconds over series leader Kris Meeke.

"I'm just trying to drive carefully and keep my concentration," said Loix at the finish. "I know this event quite well but it's still so easy to make a mistake."

Meeke, the winner of the last two IRC rounds, has stayed close to hold a strong second place at the overnight halt. Meeke declared himself 'surprised' to be trading fastest times with his veteran Belgian rival on home soil.

"I'm just driving my own stages," Meeke said. "I'm very surprised to be going so quickly, and I knew that if I came back into service leading the rally I'd be for the high jump! I don't want to beat Freddy."

Jan Kopecky trails the Peugeot pair by 8.4s in his factory Skoda Fabia S2000, with a charging Giandomenico Basso clawing back time for Abarth in the battle for fourth, ahead of Kopecky's Skoda teammate Juho Hanninen by 0.2s.

Leading positions after leg one:
Pos Driver                 Car         Time
1. Freddy Loix            Peugeot     1h03m46.4s
2. Kris Meeke             Peugeot      +    4.9s
3. Jan Kopecky            Skoda        +   13.3s
4. Giandeomenico Basso    Abarth       +   56.9s
5. Juho Hanninen          Skoda        +   57.1s
6. Pieter Tsjoen          Peugeot      + 1m09.2s
7. Jasper van den Heuvel Mitsubishi   + 1m41.0s
8. Luca Betti             Peugeot      + 2m40.6s
9. Corrado Fontana        Peugeot      + 2m41.4s
10. Franz Wittmann         Mitsubishi   + 3m57.1s

IRC 2WD Cup leader: Piepers/de Wild    Honda Civic Type R

Photo: IRC.com

Ericsson 4 Wins The VOLVO Ocean Race, PUMA Wins Leg Nine

Tony Castaneira — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 00:14:55 -0400

With a third place finish in leg nine, Ericsson 4 has clinched victory of the Volvo Ocean Race 2008-09. The team now has a 13-point lead over PUMA, with just 12 points available in the rest of the race.

“We made a few errors on the leg, but we got what we wanted so we're pretty happy,” said Ericsson 4 skipper Torben Grael. “We were very close in Marstrand, but now it's done. It's finished. We can really enjoy it.”

PUMA had reason to celebrate as well. After a formidable fight with the crew of Stockholm-based Ericsson 3, whose crew wanted a win here in front of their home crowd more than anything; PUMA snatched victory on the finish line at the island of Sandhamn in the Stockholm archipelago, and claimed full points for Volvo Ocean Race leg nine.

This was PUMA’s first leg victory in this 10-leg race, although they have done quite well during the in-port racing. Their total score of 95 points strengthens their second place overall.

“It feels fantastic and it's wonderful to be here in Stockholm. We feel a little sad to spoil Ericsson 3's homecoming, but it's a great win, and a hard-earned win,” said American skipper Kenny Read.

Ericsson 3, skippered by the hugely popular, Magnus Olsson, and winners of leg five, the longest leg of the race, had to settle for second place in Leg 9, bringing their overall score to 71.5 points.

“It was very close. That was enough tacks for a lifetime. We wanted so badly to win and now Ken Read has destroyed my party. How mad do you think I am? From now on, I'm really going to pick on him,” joked skipper Swedish Magnus Olsson, when he stepped ashore.

Telefónica Blue, who is fighting PUMA for second place overall, had the awful misfortune of being grounded on a rock outside Marstrand shortly after the start. The crew expects to complete this leg and be in Stockholm in time to contest the in-port race on Sunday and thereby pile the pressure back on PUMA.

Fourth, fifth and six spots were filled by Telefónica Black, Green Dragon and Delta Lloyd.

Leg Nine Finishing Order Stockholm
1. PUMA
2. Ericsson 3
3. Ericsson 4
4. Telefónica Black
5. Green Dragon
6. Delta Lloyd
7. Telefónica Blue SUSPENDED RACING
8. Team Russia DNS

Overall Leaderboard
1. Ericsson 4 (Torben Grael/BRA): 108 points
2. PUMA (Ken Read/USA): 95.0 points
3. Telefónica Blue (Bouwe Bekking/NED): SUSPENDED RACING 86.0 points
4. Ericsson 3 (Magnus Olsson/SWE): 71.5 points
5. Green Dragon (Ian Walker/GBR): 63.0 points
6. Telefónica Black (Fernando Echávarri/ESP): 47.0
7. Delta Lloyd (Roberto Bermudez/ESP): 38.0 points
8. Team Russia (Andreas Hanakamp/AUT): 10.5 points

Honda to Be Seventh Manufacturer to Join the Intercontinental Rally Challenge

Tony Castaneira — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 23:32:30 -0400

While almost every series is suffering from manufacturer cutbacks, the Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC) continues to attract more makes.

Honda will make its debut in the manufacturers' battle this weekend, joining the fray at the IRC’s Belgium Ypres Rally.

Joining Abarth, Peugeot, Proton, Ralliart (Mitsubishi), Skoda, and Volkswagen, Honda is the fourth manufacturer contesting the IRC’s two-wheel drive Cup with Peugeot, Volkswagen and Abarth.

At the Belgium Ypres Rally, Honda will run four Civic Type Rs, developed by JAS Motorsport and entered by privateer teams. Heading the entry is the all-Dutch crew of Marcel Piepers and Erik de Wild.

Then there is the all-Hungarian team of Vizin Laszlo and Zsiros Gabor, together with the Dutch showroom-class entry of Martijn Braat and Jac Gillis.

Finally, the French drivers Jean-Marc Poisson and Olivier Lesigne are also ready to make their mark on the classic Belgian event.

"To see such enthusiasm amongst our customers is our greatest satisfaction," says William De Braekeleer, Motorsport Manager at Honda Motor Europe Ltd. "It's great to see how passionate they are about our brand, and therefore we are delighted to offer them this extra logistic and technical support at the event."

WRC: Hirvonen Closes Points Gap with Acropolis Rally Win

Tony Castaneira — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 00:13:51 -0400

Mikko Hirvonen drove an almost flawless rally and cruised to an easy victory by over a minute in the World Rally Championship Acropolis Rally.

In doing so, he closed the gap on championship leader Sebastien Loeb.

Hirvonen explained his strategy on taking his first victory of the year.

“I drove a clever rally and my plan worked perfectly, with no mistakes and no punctures. I knew that if we finished the rally without problems then we would be high in the order and that was the case. The key to success was to stay on the road and be cautious rather than drive flat out all the way.”

Capping a great event for the BP Ford Abu Dhabi team was Jari-Matti Latvala’s third place to put the team firmly back in the running for the manufacturers’ title.

Loeb’s challenge came to a halt on Saturday morning as he crashed out of the rally. The team’s challenge was further damaged as Dani Sordo was also hit by problems on day two.

The Citroen Junior team’s young drivers salvaged the French manufacturer’s honor by posting some excellent times over the weekend. Sebastien Ogier took his first ever WRC podium as he placed second with teammate Conrad Rautenbach a little farther back in fifth.

Benoit Nogier, Manager of the Citroën Junior Team, was obviously pleased with his driver’s results.

“This made result of the good to all the team. We have come through a difficult start to the season, but the team progressed and the success is perhaps from now on our side. It is the first time that a non-works C4 WRC has finished on the podium in a WRC event. Seeing all three cars safely home is also very satisfying.”

Munchi’s Ford driver Federico Villagra equaled his best ever WRC result with fourth place.

Final Leaderboard

1. Hirvonen/Lehtinen Ford Focus 4h09’42’’5
2. Ogier/Ingrassia Citroën C4 +1’12’’9
3. Latvala/Antilla Ford Focus +1’45’’0
4. Villagra/Diaz Ford Focus + 3’48’’3
5. Rautenbach/Barritt Citroën C4 +3’59’’8
6. Al Qassimi/Orr Ford Focus +7’04’’3
7. Ostberg/Andersson Subaru Impreza +12’24’’9
8. Athanassoulas/Zakheos Skoda Fabia +12’47’’6
9. Al Attiyah/Bernacchini Subaru Impreza +13’09’’9
10. Araujo/Ramalho Mitsubishi Lancer +15’04’’5
11. Arai/Mac Neall Subaru Impreza +16’02’’5
12. Sordo / Marti Citroën C4 +18’41’’0

FIA WRC Manufacturer Standings

1. Citroen Total WRT - 94
2. BP Ford Abu Dhabi WRT - 79
3. Stobart VK M-Sport Ford - 49
4. Citroen Junior Rally Team - 24
5. Munchi’s Ford WRT – 18

FIA WRC Driver Standings

1. S Loeb - 55
2. M Hirvonen - 48
3. D Sordo - 31
4. J-M Latvala - 25
5. H Solberg - 21
6. P Solberg - 20
7. M Wilson - 15
8. Federico Villagra – 14

Photo: ©willyweyens-rallyworld

Mikko Hirvonen Takes Commanding Lead after Day Two of Acropolis Rally

Tony Castaneira — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 16:15:49 -0400

Day Two of the WRC Acropolis Rally 2009 saw dramatic exits and Mikko Hirvonen putting in a mistake-free performance to take a sizable lead into the final day with teammate Jari-Matti Latvala lying in third place overall.

“It was an incredible, but perfect, day for me," said Hirvonen. "I made no mistakes and drove fast enough to lead and cautiously enough not to damage the car.

"My lead is good, but I must remember that this is Greece, conditions are rough, and to take it steady tomorrow," he continued.

"I looked after my tires and didn't hit any rocks. I'm surprised so many people made mistakes, but it shows things go wrong under pressure, especially on technical stages like these.

"I never drove at maximum speed, it was a controlled drive and that paid off.

"Tomorrow's roads are easier than today but there will still be a lot of rocks to avoid. It's good to have such a strong lead because that gives me the time to drive around the rocks, and if I lose a few seconds here and there it doesn’t matter.”

Citroen suffered their worst day of the year, and the BP Ford Abu Dhabi was quick to take advantage. The seemingly indestructible Sebastien Loeb crashed out on the first stage, and teammate Dani Sordo hit a rock, which ended his day on SS9.

This marks consecutive rallies where the five-time World Rally Champion will miss out on the podium after notching five straight wins to start the season.

Loeb was fairly calm after rolling his Citroen over half a dozen times.

“We were on a very fast part of the stage, on a plateau," Loeb said. "There was a right-hand corner, that I perhaps took a little too quickly. I was off-line for the left-hander that followed and I hit a big rock at the apex.

"The front wheel was ripped off and it sent us into a series of barrel rolls. The car is too badly damaged for the team to repair it in time for the final day. In any case, the C4 WRC showed how tough a car it is because we don’t have a single scratch on us after a pretty dramatic crash.

"Clearly, it’s not a good result in terms of the championships because it will cost us a large portion of our points advantage. But whatever happens, we’ll still be in the lead tomorrow evening, and that’s the main thing.”

With the two senior drivers out of contention the Citroen Junior Team drivers Sebastien Ogier, Evgeny Novikov, and Conrad Rautenbach have defended the French team’s honor in the typically tough conditions of the Acropolis Rally.

They enter the final day in second, fourth, and fifth place respectively.

Petter Solberg looked set to grab another podium finish, but his Xsara suffered a suspension failure on SS11, which cost him valuable time and dropped him out of the top-10.

"I was attacking. We hit a rock and destroyed the left front top mount," said the privateer owner/driver, Solberg. "The bumper popped out of the bonnet. We tried to fix it before the stage start and it worked for a little bit and then it broke again. Very were very unlucky.

“It’s not giving up—it’s just that there’s too much damage. The sump guard was hitting the ground for a long time and that’s bent a shaft inside the gearbox and damaged a chassis leg.

"We might have been able to repair it, but I have only one car. If we carry on tomorrow we might get seventh or eighth, but we might not be able to start Poland.

"It has been a good rally, and I must say the car worked very well. On Shakedown I was disappointed—I couldn’t get within two seconds of anybody—but on the rally it was different.

"I was thinking about changing cars later in the year, but I’ve got more faith in this one now.”

Munchi's Ford driver Federico Villagra is sixth in their Focus RS WRC after a trouble-free day.

Stobart Ford’s Henning Solberg had to retire his Focus RS WRC from fifth after hitting a large rock and breaking the car's front right suspension.

Leaderboard, Day Two

1. Hirvonen/Lehtinen Ford Focus 3h07’33’’0
2. Ogier/Ingrassia Citroën C4 +1’40’’1
3. Latvala/Antilla Ford Focus +2’44’’2
4. Novikov/Moscatt Citroën C4 +3’49’’8
5. Rautenbach/Barritt Citroën C4 +4’01’’9
6. Villagra/Diaz Ford Focus + 4’03’’1
7. Al Qassimi/Orr Ford Focus +6’09’’4
8. Solberg/Mills Citroën Xsara +10’12’’1
9. Al Attiyah/Bernacchini Subaru Impreza +11’04’’6
10. Athanassoulas/Zakheos Skoda Fabia +11’13’’4

Photo: worldrallypics.com
Quotes: WRC.com

Rally America: Ken Block takes early lead at STPR

Tony Castaneira — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 00:05:29 -0400

Ken Block set a blazing pace to take the early lead on the opening day of the Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally,

The Susquehannock Trail event has long been known as one of the most demanding events on the calendar since it’s inception in 1977. The 2009 running of the contest features a return to the popular two-day format, with a spectator-friendly daylight schedule and super special stages on each day.

Bill Bacon in his 2006 Mitsubishi EVO IX is in second. Bacon moved up a position after the NOS Energy team of Andrew Comrie-Picard was assessed a penalty for fuelling procedures that dropped them down in the standings.

Block’s Subaru Rally Team USA teammate, Travis Pastrana, finished the day in third after damaging his suspension on the second stage.

Pat Moro is leading the Super Production charge and is in fourth-place overall, followed by Piotr Wiktorczyk.

Pastrana isn’t the only driver having trouble on the opening miles of the rally. Canadian Antoine L’Estage lost boost, dropping a minute to the leader in the first stage. Andi Mancin took a rock to a brake line and struggled to finish the first stage without brakes. Supercross and motocross star Brian Deegan broke a driveshaft on the second stage on his professional rally debut.

The most disappointing news of the day is the report that the Swedish World Rally Team of Patrik Sandell is out of the contest after only one stage.

It is yet to be confirmed, but reports are they suffered an engine failure in their 2007 Subaru Impreza. Sandell had been expected to challenge for the win at STPR. The Swede has won two Production World Rallies so far this year and was the Junior World Rally Champion in 2006.

Photo: Rally America

Marcus Gronholm Goes After Pike's Peak Record

Tony Castaneira — Sun, 31 May 2009 00:05:45 -0400

Two time World Rally Champion Marcus Gronholm will challenge the Pike’s Peak International hill climb on 19 July in a four-wheel drive, 800 horsepower Ford Fiesta.

Gronholm will endeavor to set a new record time in the ‘Unlimited Class’ at Pike’s Peak, in an attempt to be the first to break the 10-minute mark over the 12.4-mile, 156-turn asphalt and gravel course. The existing record of 10min. 1.41sec was set in 2007 by former Suzuki World Rally Team boss, Nobuhiro “Monster” Tajima driving a 3.6 liter twin turbo Suzuki XL-7.

Over the years the event has proved a popular attraction for stars of the WRC. In 1985 Audi Quattro driver Michele Mouton became the first woman to win it, while in 1988 Ari Vatanen and Juha Kankkunen famously took a one-two victory with Peugeot which became the subject of the award winning short film, “Climb Dance.”

Gronholm will be one half of a two car team entered by the Swedish Rallycross outfit Olsberg Motor Sport Evolution. The other car will be driven by the team’s owner, four-time Swedish rally champion Andreas Eriksson, 35.

The Olsbergs MSE Fiesta Rallycross car is powered by a 2.0-litre Duratec Ford engine capable of more than 800 horsepower. The engine used is based on the same Duratec engine that is found in such popular cars as the Ford Focus and Mazda 3.

“We are excited to be bringing the car to Pike’s Peak and to be able to see what it can do in such a unique competition,” said Eriksson. “It’s a legendary event, and we’ve already been there to take a look at the challenge we will face. I’m convinced we’ll be a top contender to break the 10-minute mark.”

The Pike's Peak International Hill Climb dates back to 1916 and is the second oldest motorsports event in America after the Indy 500. It takes place at the famous mountain peak that towers above Colorado Springs in the Rocky Mountains and is often referred to as “The Race to the Clouds.”

INDYCAR: Tony George Ousted As Head Of Indianapolis Motorspeedway

Tony Castaneira — Wed, 27 May 2009 14:28:25 -0400

In the 20 years since he took control of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Tony George has taken what was considered the most important race in the world and made it arguably the fourth most important race of the day.

Under his tenure, George split American open wheel racing with his creation of the Indy Racing League, introduced NASCAR to Indy’s famous Brickyard, and built a road course so Formula One could race for a few years.

While doing this he spent money. Lots of Money!

Numbers are hard to come by, but it is estimated that George has spent more than $600 million during the past 13 years.

Nobody knows the exact costs, but it is common knowledge that he has supplied cars, engines, and parts for other teams including the transition teams from the over-hyped reunification.

He also spent millions on many abortive marketing campaigns. Remember the great Gene Simmons “I am Indy” campaign and song?

Well the spending spree is over. Reports out of Indy have confirmed that George will no longer be CEO of the Speedway after a vote of the IMS board of directors which includes mother Mari, sisters Josie, Nancy, and Kathy, attorney Jack Snyder, and George.

Unconfirmed reports have the family members tired of bleeding money. No doubt the 3.9 rating, lowest ever since they started broadcasting the race live in 1986 garnered by last weekend’s Indy 500 was the last straw.

Volvo Ocean Race: Ericsson 4 Wins the Race Across the Atlantic

Tony Castaneira — Mon, 25 May 2009 22:23:17 -0400

Ericsson 4 crossed the finish line in Galway, Ireland to win leg seven of The Volvo Ocean Race in first position. She finished at 12:54 am, GMT Saturday after taking seven days, 10 hours, 33 minutes and 51 seconds to sail across the North Atlantic from Boston.

A large and raucous crowd was on the dockside, waiting to celebrate the arrival of Green Dragon, their hometown boat, but Ericsson 4 benefited from a raucous welcome as they drew alongside.

After fighting his way ashore, Brazilian skipper Torben Grael said: “It's nice to get first place. It's another big step towards our goal, so we're pretty happy about it.”

The North Atlantic threw everything it could at the seven-strong fleet, which reveled in the fast downwind conditions. Many of the crews have declared the sailing on this leg as the best they have ever experienced and there was plenty to contend with.

Thick fog, a myriad of lobster pots followed by a whale exclusion zone, a scoring gate—which Ericsson 4 rounded in third place—and an ice exclusion zone to negotiate all added to the mix before the high-speed drag race to the finish, which proved to be a nail-biting thriller.

Reflecting on Ericsson 4’s leg, Grael said, “The beginning was tough. There was a big decision once we realized we couldn't get the first two positions at the gate, so we positioned ourselves for the rest of the leg. Then when we got this big front, we split from the fleet, which worked out well, but it was risky and it was a rough ride in. We had to push it to have a good position, so it was tough.”

Ericsson 4 sailed the first half of this leg conservatively, only rising to the top of the pack on 19 May, day four. The remainder of the leg was spent either in first or second place, with the exception of a blip on day six when the team dropped briefly to fourth place.

PUMA just edged out hometown boat Green Dragon to second place, but only by three miles. The only US team in The Volvo Ocean race finished an hour and fifteen minutes behind Ericsson 4. Considering the distance covered in crossing the North Atlantic the closeness of the finish between the top three boats is testimony two how evenly matched the boats are.

Although PUMA has posted a string of second places (legs one, three, four and seven), the coveted winners’ position has, so far, eluded them, but the team was still thrilled with second place, particularly as they lost one of their rudders in the heavy seas two days ago and had to fit their emergency steering.

“This is as good as it gets,” said skipper Kenny Read. “That was some of the best sailing we've ever done in our whole lives. To come back after breaking the rudder like that. This crew is unbelievable. It's almost like we thrive on adversity. We don't know how to be normal.”

Upon their arrival the crew from the Green Dragon was greeted by a huge and noisy Galway crowd.

Ian Walker, skipper of Green Dragon, his first entry in the Volvo Ocean Race, was almost lost for words on arrival in Galway.

“I'm flabbergasted. The number of people, the number of boats. There must have been 500 boats out there. All at four in the morning. Some of them in little RIBs 30 miles offshore, shouting us on. Is the whole town here? Did anyone stay in bed tonight?”

Telefónica Blue finished in fourth place at 2:42 AM GMT. Yesterday, skipper Bouwe Bekking wrote, “We are fighting like gladiators, but we can’t get more speed out of our puppy. We feel we made improvements, but we are still missing that little bit of pace to stay up front.”

The rest of the Volvo Ocean Race entered Galway with Delta Lloyd leading in Telefónica Black and Ericsson 3.

With Volvo fleet safely arrived in Galway, there is a full two weeks for the crews to enjoy the legendary Irish hospitality before the in-port race next Saturday 30 May and the start of leg eight the following Saturday 6 June.

Leg Six Finishing Order Galway

1. Ericsson 4: 8 points
2. PUMA: 7 points
3. Green Dragon: 6 points
4. Telefónica Blue: 5 points
5. Delta Lloyd: 4 points
6. Telefónica Black: 3 points
7. Ericsson 3: 2 points

Overall Leaderboard (Provisional)

1. Ericsson 4 (Torben Grael/BRA)  92.0 points (FINISHED)
2. Telefónica Blue (Bouwe Bekking/NED) 77.5 points (FINISHED)
3. PUMA (Ken Read/USA)   76.0 points (FINISHED)
4. Ericsson 3 (Magnus Olsson/SWE)  60.0 points (FINISHED)
5. Green Dragon (Ian Walker/GBR)  52.0 points (FINISHED)
6. Telefónica Black (Fernando Echávarri/ESP) 36.0 points(FINISHED)
7. Delta Lloyd (Roberto Bermúdez/ESP) 29.5 points (FINISHED)
8. Team Russia     10.5 points (DNS)

Photo and Quotes: Volvo Ocean Race.

WRC: Jari-Matti Latvala ends Sebastian Loeb's winning streak

Tony Castaneira — Sun, 24 May 2009 23:57:02 -0400

Sebastien Loeb's unbeaten run in the 2009 World Rally Championship was ended by Jari-Matti Latvala at the World Rally Championship’s Rally Sardinia.

The Finn has turned his troubled season around which was a string of mistakes, including a ferocious accident in Portugal that saw his car roll 17 times down the side of a cliff.

"It is a big relief," said Latvala. "It was a great thing that I was able to win this rally, it really means a lot to me. It's been unbelievable, but I have also been a little bit lucky with things being on my side. This has come at a really important point."

Road order was expected to be a major factor this weekend and Latvala benefited from his seventh place in the starting line up to lead on Friday, while Loeb and Hirvonen both deliberately slowed at the end of the first day to have more favorable conditions for Saturday. Latvala pressed harder and ended the day 40 seconds in front.

While Hirvonen closed the gap to 9 seconds during leg two, Loeb's challenge for victory ended when he was delayed by a puncture which cost the Citroen driver a minute to change.

On the final day it looked like Hirvonen could pass Latvala before the finish, but running first on the road became an advantage rather than a disadvantage, as dust hung in the very still morning air and ruined visibility for those chasing Latvala. The young Finn pulled away again.

"The dust was a surprise and I was lucky with that. This is a very important win for me. I've had many unhappy moments since my first win, but now I'm back on the top step of the podium. I was starting to question my role in the team but I've proved the team's confidence in me was right and I thank Malcolm Wilson (team director) for that. You saw a new evolution of Jari-Matti here," he added.

Hirvonen struggled with a fever during the rally and 28-year-old was exhausted at the finish. "I have no energy and I've never felt so tired after a rally," he said. "This result, and the timing of it, is perfect for Ford. I thought I could fight for the win but the dust ended those hopes. Everyone behind Jari-Matti expected to have an advantage because he was sweeping the road but, ironically, he was the one who benefited because of the dust. I went off the road on a fifth gear corner in the first stage this morning because I couldn't see so I stopped taking risks.

"Jari-Matti deserves the win after his problems this season and I'm delighted for him. We had a great pre-rally test and the work we did there paid off on the event itself," he added.

Malcolm Wilson, team director for the BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team, as expected, had nothing but praise for his drivers. "They coped with whatever was thrown at them. It's a dream to see Jari-Matti win after a difficult year and I'm delighted to see him full of confidence. Mikko did an outstanding job and if the conditions were different this morning, there could have been a different winner. It was a great team effort and my thanks go to everyone involved," he said.

Loeb recovered to third, beating Petter Solberg on the final loop, but the world champion's was later accessed a two minute penalty because his co-driver Daniel Elena unfastened his safety belts while their car was still in motion when they stopped to change a punctured tire on SS11 on Saturday. The penalty dropped him to fourth on final results.

Loeb's team-mate Dani Sordo was never a factor, due to turbo problems of varying severity on all three days and a damaging rock impact on Friday.

Solberg did not give up third without a fight, but had to settle for fourth, 14 seconds behind Loeb later inheriting third, after Loeb’s penalty.

The series moves into its second half at the Acropolis Rally of Greece on 11 - 14 June.

Leading finishers:

Pos Driver              Car      Time
1. Jari-Matti Latvala Ford     4h00m55.7s
2. Mikko Hirvonen      Ford     +    29.4s
3. Petter Solberg      Citroen + 1m57.6s
4. Sebastien Loeb      Citroen + 3m43.7s
5. Evgeny Novikov      Citroen + 5m11.8s
6. Matthew Wilson      Ford     + 7m29.3s
7. Mads Ostberg        Subaru   + 13m20.6s
8. Henning Solberg     Ford     + 13m21.2s
9. Conrad Rautenbach   Citroen + 19m31.1s
10. Nasser Al-Attiyah   Subaru   + 19m43.7s

Quotes and Photo: BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team

Rally America: Travis Pastrana Takes Oregon Trail Win and Championship Lead

Tony Castaneira — Sun, 17 May 2009 22:00:53 -0400

Travis Pastrana took the win this weekend at the Oregon Trail Rally, and moved into the championship lead.

The Subaru Rally Team USA driver set a blistering tempo to pull into the lead over the hard-packed forest roads early on Day 2, and held it there to the finish. It’s the third win in four starts for the duo in their Subaru WRX STi.

“It was an amazing rally,” said Pastrana. “That’s three wins and a tree this season – not so bad.”

Rockstar Energy’s Tanner Foust put in a steady drive all through the many elevation changes of the Mount Hood area’s hilly terrain and looked for a sure second-place finish when he spun out on the closing stage and hit a rock with their Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X. They managed to hold on, finishing just 3.6 seconds ahead of Andi Mancin.

“It was a pretty clean rally the whole way,” said Foust. “Subarus are known for being really tough and I think our Evo X has proven tough this weekend, too. She brought us all the way home after we hit the rock and we’re pretty pleased to get second.”

Mancin has proven at this event that they can match the pace of Rally America’s top drivers with his first U.S. podium.

“I’m very happy, it’s a very significant result for our team,” said Mancin, who pilots a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX. “These were very difficult stages – but they were beautiful.”

NOS Energy crew of Andrew Comrie-Picard finished in fourth place in their Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX, just 2.8 seconds behind Mancin after flat tire on Day Two cost him a minute to the leaders. It was a disappointment for “ACP”, who had battled hard to regain the podium.

To add insult to injury the finish drops him from first to third in the championship standings, behind Pastrana and second-place Foust.

“That flat tire yesterday was really tough to overcome and the times were incredibly close the end,” said Comrie-Picard. “We had been clawing back time since yesterday but I have to hand it to Andi. He drove a great race.”

Ken Block’s run of bad luck continued. A flat tire and damage to a control arm meant their rally ended early on Day Two. This makes three DNFs in four starts for Block who returned to the action Sunday for a fun run at the regional contest and even though they didn’t score points, they set some of the fastest times of the day.

“It’s getting a little frustrating,” said Block. “I have the speed, I feel, to win every single one of these…I thought I had some bad luck last year and it’s getting worse this year.”

The new competitive Super Production class was won Subaru Rally Team USA’s Dave Mirra, finishing sixth overall. Heavy attrition in the Super Production class this weekend saw Matt Johnson and Piotr Wiktorcszyk retire early and Mirra said all he had to do was hang on and keep it clean.

“A lot of it is just trying to find a pace,” said Mirra. “It’s great to be in this class with so many competitive drivers.”

Dillon Van Way notched another win in the two-wheel drive class Ford Focus. This is the young Van Way’s first season of competition.

Photo and Quotes: Rally America