David Higgins claims Overall Victory For Subaru In Oregon, While WRC Acadamy Driver Brendan Reeves dominates in Two Wheel Drive

Yet another clean run by Subaru Rally Team driver David Higgins results in victory for the Manxman. Photo/Neil McDaid

 

Portland, OR (May 6, 2013) – David Higgins and Craig Drew claim victory for Subaru Rally Team USA at The 2013 Oregon Trail Rally, while all hell unravels around them.

With the return of Ken Block to the 2013 Rally America Championship, and Antoine L’Estage debuting the mighty WRC Mitsubishi Lancer for the first time on America soil, the buildup to round three of the Rally America Champions was on a high we have not seen in American rally in a few years.

Coming off what can only be described as totally miserable conditions at Rally in The 100AW, the bright sun and eighty degree temperatures were a welcome from the snow and ice of the opening rounds of the 2013

Antoine L’Estage would draw first pick for road position, and would opt for third on the raod, Higgins would take the risky position of sweeping the loose gravel while Block would tuck into second on the road.

As always the Oregon Trail Rally starts with a few short spectator stages over a mixed surface at Portland International Raceway, barring no issues the time gap between the top cars is usually marginal.

For the entertainment of the rally fans on hand, the slower cars are set off first and the speed then builds to a frenzy with the top teams running last on the stage.

With the cars fitted with mostly RallyCross style tires to handle the changing conditions, Higgins and Block would take stage wins on the first two stages, with Higgins edging out Block by just .08 of a second heading into stage 3.

As the song goes “If it weren't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all” Rallying is a lot about the driver, the car, but it’s also about a hell of a lot of luck, good and more often than not bad.

As we mentioned in our past report, we were not expecting to see Antoine L’Estage breaking any records on the opening stages of the rally as it would take some stage miles to get acclimated to the WRC car, after two stages Antoine and co-driver Nathalie Richard were clearly off the pace already 16 seconds behind leader Higgins.

As Antoine prepared to launch the mighty Mitsubishi off the line on SS3, the first of two stages run in the dark,the car went into road mode, this essentially killed all his lights and drastically reduced the power. Antoine would limp through the last two stages in the dark and nursing the car back to service.  

 

Early problems basically took away any chance of victory for Hoonigan Racing's driver Ken Block. Photo/Neil McDaid

Without going into a lot of detail, let’s just say that Ken Block has had very little in the form of “good” luck at Oregon Trail Rally.

SS3 the same stage where things went array for L’Estage, Block would also run into trouble losing his right front wheel.  Running on only three wheels and the right front break rotor, Blocks Fiesta lit up the night sky as a stream of sparks trailed him around PIR.  Somehow he completed the stage and went on to complete the last short test of the night.

Running  for the most part unopposed on the final two stages of day one, David Higgins built a gap of 38 seconds on L’Estage and 48 seconds on Block, as their service crews set to repair the damage.

Onto day two, the rally would move to the Hood River area,  the first true test of the rally, Gillhouley South, at only 4.8 miles in length this stage is a real eye opener for the drivers and crews as it twisted its way over the ridge and down the other side of the mountain. 

Block and L’Estage would take full advantage of Higgins as he swept the loose gravel off the surface, slowing his pace. Block claimed the stage victory over L’Estage with Higgins taking third.

Feeling more and more confident behind the wheel of his first WRC car, L’Estage and co-driver Natalie Richard posted fastest times on the next two stages which included the notorious Fir Mountain stage, the longest stage of the rally at 15 miles.

On the opening 3 stages of day two, more than 5 cars either rolled or were sidelined with  mechanical issues.
After a short service, the cars headed out to repeat the first three stages, Ken Block was on the attack over the second pass of Gillhouley South taking the stage victory.

Before it all went horrible wrong, Antoine L'Estage and Nathalie Richard putting on a show for fans at Portland International Speedway. Photo/Neil McDaid

SS9 the second pass on “8000 UP” a new stage to the Oregon Trail rally, we would see the dramatic departure of Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard as their Mitsubishi plunged off the road and down the hill side, eventually colliding and coming to rest against some trees.   Both Antoine and Nathalie were able to walk away from their massive accident for the most part unharmed. The extent of the damage to the car is still under evaluation but it’s unlikely we will see the very popular Canadian and Rally American Champions at the next few Rally America rounds.

Higgins would take the stage victory on SS9 as Block limped through with a puncture.  Block would charge back on SS10 and 11 piling the pressure on Higgins with stage victories over these technical tests.  Block's aggressive style often cutting deep in the corners netted him yet another puncture on SS12.

Despite only winning 2 of the 8 stage victories up for grabs on day two, David Higgins and Craig Drew for the most part managed to have a clean run and therefore continued to build their lead on Block as he struggle with punctures and drive problems.  

Day two took it's toll on
cars as drivers struggled for vision through
the dust. Photo/Neil McDaid 

David Sterckx and Karen Jankowski were having a great run netting them third overall while also leading the SP Class.
While all the drama was unfolding off the front on day two, WRC Academy driver Brendan Reeves and sister co driver Rhianon Smyth were running riot over the 2WD class. At the end of day two Reeves in the Team O’Neil Ford Fiesta R2 had a built a two minute advantage over Andrew Comrie-Picard in the Scion, with Dillion Van Way in another Fiesta rounding  out the top three in 2WD.

Day three would see the teams heading further west of Portland to the Dufur area for four of the five closing stages of the rally.  We fully expected that Higgins would loss time to Block on the final day as he slowed his pace in hopes of a clean run to the podium.  Despite a blistering run by Block on Day three, taking stage victories on all five stages, it barely made a dent in Higgins lead.  

David would check through the final control almost two minutes ahead of Block, Indonesian driver Rifat Sungkar on his Rally America debut edged out David Sterckx by the narrowest margin for the final spot on the overall podium.

"I've got to thank Subaru for providing such a reliable, durable and fast car to Drew and I," said Higgins, "Once we amassed a big lead it afforded us the opportunity to really dial back the speed on Sunday and reduce the risks. We didn't win stages outright but knew it was the right strategy for victory. This is a very challenging event and I enjoy the big mix of character in the stages.  There is still a long season ahead but we are in a really good spot now in the points."

David Sterckx and Karen Jankowski digging a little deeper on their way to the SP class victory. Photo/Neil McDaid

In the Super Production (SP) Class David Sterckx and Karen Jankowski reinserted themselves into class contention with an SP victory. The pair led the SP class from the start despite experiencing engine problems on day one. Sterckx has been showing improved pace on the opening rounds of the 2013 SP Championship, he would  build a 4 minute lead over his fellow SP competitors to claim his second SP podium of the year.


"The rally was a real pleasure because I am finally getting closer to the limit since last year was only my first year on gravel," said Sterckx, "Karen and I have a good communication and we are getting more comfortable with the notes. Tires were very important this weekend and our Pirelli tires were unbelievable.
So many teams had multiple flats this weekend but we didn't have a single one, which was a big advantage for us. We had issues with our engine but the Subaru engines are so strong it held together all weekend."

Brendan Reeves shaking things in a Team O Neil Ford Fiesta R2. Photo/ Neil McDaid

Hood River, OR local Dave Henderson with co-driver Terrence McDowell fought a furious battle of seconds with 2012 Super Production Class Champions, Lauchlin O'Sullivan and Scott Putnam for second place. Henderson overtook O'Sullivan on stage 15, and O'Sullivan suffered a massive rollover on stage 16.

This is Henderson's second consecutive SP national podium at the Oregon Trail Rally. Henderson also won all three regional rally events - Wagons Ho!, Shunpiker Stages and the Trails End Regional Rally.
Third place in Super Production was awarded to another Oregon driver, Mike Goodwin, with co-driver Michael Milos, after event officials discovered a timing error that moved current SP points leaders Evan Cline and Jake Blattner into fourth place.

Coming off a few stellar years on the WRC Academy we had big expectations of Brendan Reeves and Rhianon Smyth on this their first rally in the United States. The pair teamed up with Team O’Neil/Ford Racing in an effort to reel in the Scion Racing Team driver  Andrew Comrie-Picard who opened commanding points lead with victories on both of the opening rounds of the 2013 2WD championship.

Mission accomplished!! Tim O Neil celebrates the victory with Rhianon Smyth and Brendan Reeves on this their first Rally America 2wd win. Photo/ Neil McDaid

From the opening stage of the rally it was clear that Brendan was in a league of his own, not only was he devouring the 2wd class he was also matching times with a lot of the SP and Open class cars. Brendan and Rhianon took stage victories on 16 of the 17 stages in the rally, only giving up stage 14 to ACP in the Scion.

"What an amazing feeling it is to come to America for the first time and win the class convincingly," Reeves said. "We had a trouble-free run thanks to Team O'Neil and the effort they put in. The Ford Fiesta R2 was brilliant even on today's blindingly fast stages, and Rhianon did a great job calling the notes."

 

Team Scion driver Andrew Comrie-Picard attacked hard on Sunday but could not close the gap to Reeves in the Fiesta. Photo / Neil McDaid

Fellow Ford Fiesta drivers Dillon Van Way and Andrew Edwards drove a relatively problem free race and held third place for much of the event until Comrie-Picard experienced overheating issues on the last stage.

Comrie-Picard lost significant power and ceded second place to Van Way. The Scion team had to be towed into the final controls by three different teams to finish the event and take third place in class.

Van Way and Edwards now have two second place finishes this year and Comrie-Picard's third place finish helps to keep his 2WD points lead in the standings. Notably, Edward McNelly and Ole Holter was not able to finish the Oregon Trail Rally when they went off-course on stage 5.

The carnage in Oregon will for sure have an impact on the entry list heading into round four of the Championship, STPR in Wellsboro PA in just a few short weeks.
Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard have confirmed their withdrawal; It’s highly unlikely that Lauchlin O'Sullivan and Scott Putnam’s car will be repaired by then, although they have used loner cars in the past. Follow us on Twitter for any updates as they become available. A full entry list and spectator information will be available for STPR at www.rally-america.com

By: Neil McDaid
Sources: Rally America

 

 

Championship Leader Higgins Expected To Face Tough Battle In Oregon this Weekend

Antoine L'Estage and Nathalie Richard getting to grip with the mighty WRC Lancer on the shakedown stage at Portland International Raceway. Photo: Neil McDaid

Portland, Oregon [May 3rd 2013] Back to defend their 2012 Oregon Trail Rally victory, Subaru Rally Team USA’s David Higgins and co-driver Craig Drew, seek to extend their National Championship points lead at Oregon this weekend. The 2013 season is off to a great start for the Subaru Rally team with a second overall at the Sno*Drift Rally and also taking the outright victory at The Rally in the 100 Acre Wood.  

Master Hooigan- Ken Block will be looking to get his Championship hopes back on track with a victory in Oregon this weekend. photo: Neil McDaid 

As always Higgins and Drew  have their work cut out for them keeping Hoonigan Racing's Ken Block and  Alex Gelsomino along with the Rockstar Energy Drink Team of Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard at bay. But what maybe a greater factor for victory will be road position, it has been unusually dry in the area over the past week, and with temps expected in the upper 80's over the rally weekend, dust is going to be a major issue. 

Unlike WRC events where there are 10 or more road positions to choose from, Rally America front runners have only three options, to run first on the road and sweep the loose gravel, but avoid all dust, or run second or third hopes for a cleaner line and also gamble  that the organizers will extent the dust window enough for a clear view. Saturday will surely be the toughest in regards to dust with the tree lines stages, Sunday should be less of an issue with the wide open stages on the high plaines of Dufur. 

Ken Block and co-driver Alex Gelsomino, have returned to the 2013 Rally America Championship after a two-year break with one goal in mind, and that was to capture a Rally America Championship title. Despite many impressing victories by Block and Gelsomino down through the years, they have yet to secure a Championship. 

Unfortunately the 2013 Championship battle has got off to somewhat of a disastrous start for Block, with electrical problems at Sno*Drift and an off at 100AW, Block and Gelsomino find themselves back in 11th place in the points battle. For Block to keep any chance at the title hope alive he must grab the overall victory this weekend in Oregon. 

Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard have stepped up their game for the balance of the 2013 season with an upgrade to a WRC Mitsubishi Lancer.

Although the 2005 MML Sports Lancer may be seen as somewhat outdated among the current class of WRC cars, this is still a very potent machine in the hands of the right driver.  As this is the first outing for L'Estage and Richard in the new car, we don't expect to see Antoine setting any blistering stage times on the opening day of the rally, although a stage victory is never out of the question for this talented Canadian driver. Come Sunday with the flat out stages in the Dufur area, I fully expect to see Antoine pushing near the limit.

Indonesia’s Rifat Sungkar will add an International flavor to the rally, Rifat is making his American debut. Sungkar is a WRC France Group N winner and will pilot  Antoine L'Estage's  Open class Mitsubishi EVO X. Although  Sungkar is an 8-time Indonesian Rally Champion its hard to gauge how he will match up to Higgins, Block and L'Estage, or will he be able to match the past of other Rally America SP class drivers. Rifat will have irish co-driver Marshall Clarke to calling the notes, Marshall has a lot of prior experience on the Rally America stages, and should ease the learning curve for Sungkar.

WRC Academy driver Brendan Reeves is expected to  shake up the 2WD battle as he make his debut on the Rally America circuit. Photo Neil McDaid 

Scion Racing Rally xD’s Andrew Comrie-Picard and Jeremy Wimpey have been tearing it up in 2013, with outright victories at Sno*Drift and 100AW the Scion Racing Team has already a sizable lead in the 2WD points battle.

Ford rivals, Edward McNelly and Ole Holter are holding second in the points battle, but have yet to match the speed of the Scion in the experienced hands of ACP.  

With the notable absences of Chris Duplessis in 2013, Ford's chances of retaining their Championship title for the R2 Fiesta is slipping fast. For the Oregon Trail Rally Team O'Neil has brought in a ringer of sorts in one Brendan Reeves in hopes of reining in the Scion. 

Reeves who hails from the land down under has been a top runner on the WRC Academy in the past few years. Reeves will be joined by his regular co-driver and sister Rhianon Smyth. We got a brief glimpse of Reeves pace on the short shakedown stage last night, and to say the lease this is one very impressive driver, question is will the Team O'Neil built R2 Fiesta stand up to the pace of the WRC level driver?  

Northwest Rally fans will surely be vocal in the support of local 2WD hero Cody Crain, Crane will make a return to the Rally American for the first time tin 2013. Look for Cody's  little green Civic to be a full tilt as this local driver will know these stages better than most. 

The Oregon Trail Rally is the third round of the Rally America National Championship and is the only three day event on the national calendar. Each competition day is a separate regional event producing a regional winner. The Oregon Trail Rally begins on Friday, May 3rd at Portland International Raceway with four fan friendly stages before moving to Hood River, OR on Saturday and Sunday.

Photos: Neil McDaid 

Sources: Rally America, Oregon Trail Rally

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Scott Speed to Debut Global Rallycross' Star Car at X Games in Brazil

LOS ANGELES, CA. (April 12, 2013) — Global Rallycross is all about introducing new and forward-thinking elements to race competition. In the spirit of that innovation, Global Rallycross is proud to announce the implementation of the Star Car, a competitive twist for Global Rallycross. To debut the Star Car at the X Games in Foz do Iguacu, Global Rallycross brought Scott Speed on board to take the wheel.

“The Star Car idea was sparked initially as means to create an element of surprise and suspense to both fans and drivers for each of the nine Global Rallycross events this season,” said Colin Dyne, Global Rallycross CEO. “But as the idea has become a reality for Global Rallycross, it is an exceptional element that allows for talented drivers like Scott Speed to get a taste of what Global Rallycross really has to offer.”

In each race of the 2013 season, Global Rallycross will select the Star Car driver who will compete against the regular field of Global Rallycross drivers. With that in mind, every Star Car driver is selected specifically, each bringing a different quality to the series.

For Speed, Global Rallycross selected him to debut the Star Car in Brazil because of his personality, driving ability and his overall fit for Global Rallycross. Speed has raced across the globe, winning two European Formula Renault championships before driving 28 races in Formula 1 in 2006 and 2007. Since transitioning to stock car racing, he has won in the Craftsman Truck Series and spent five seasons at the Sprint Cup level.

"I've always been open to looking for other racing series I can try," said Speed. "So when this thing came up, obviously the series has grown, it's gotten bigger and bigger, and I've always had my eye on this series and how it's coming. And when the first race was on one of the off weekends that I had, I immediately began working on something to be able to try it."

The Star Car will be run by OMSE2, a satellite operation of defending GRC champions OlsbergsMSE. The Star Car will be the same model of Ford Fiesta that took four race victories and the top two spots in last year's GRC standings.The Star Car will make its debut at Global X Games in Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil, on April 21.

Subaru Rally Team USA Offers up a Teaser from their New Series "Launch Control "

"Launch Control", an original web series that will give you a behind-the-scenes look at Subaru Rally Team USA and the Subaru PUMA RallyCross Team throughout the 2013 race season! The first episode hits mid-April 2013

Sebastien Loeb Confirmed for Pikes Peak 2013

Sebastien Loeb pictured here with Ken Block during his last visit to the USA, Loeb walked away with the Gold at XGAMES 2012. Picture Neil McDaid

Colorado Springs, April 3 One of the world’s most decorated auto racing stars is coming to Pikes Peak this summer.
Nine-time WRC World Rally Championship winner Sebastien Loeb of France has entered the 2013 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, adding more international luster to the nation’s second-oldest motor sports event behind the Indy 500 and helping to make the field the best in the race’s storied history..
The 91^st running of the race will be held on Sunday, June 30 with the help and support of title sponsors Discount Tires, Hankook Tire USA and TCI Tire Centers.
Loeb will be behind the wheel of a Peugeot 208 T16 Pikes Peak which is being built for the Race to the Clouds, and details of the high-powered auto will be released later this month. He’ll be entered in the powerful Unlimited division.
His entry in the 12-driver Unlimited division means that he will up against the legendary Rhys Millen, who established the all-time speed record on the Peak last year with a clocking of 9:46.164 in the Time Attack division. Millen has moved to the Unlimited field this year in a new purpose-built Hyundai PM580T.
Peugeot’s entry marks its first attempt on Pikes Peak – America’s Mountain, since back-to-back triumphs in its 405 T16 model in 1988 and 1989 by Ari Vatanen and Robby Unser in the Open Rally division, which now is the Unlimited division.
Driving for Citroën’s World Rally Team, Loeb won every World Rally Championship from 2004-2012 and is running in second place in this year’s series. He’s being loaned to Peugeot for Pikes Peak in an attempt to win the famed race, which began in 1916.
Loeb finished second in the 2006 24 Hours of Le Mans, and was named the French Sportsman of the Year in 2007 and 2009.

Last summer, he won the Gold medal in Rally Car Racing at the X Games in Los Angeles in addition to his lengthy list of triumphs. He’s won the Monte Carlo rally in seven of the last eight outings, too.
“Pikes Peak is a one-off outing which has the potential to generate extensive media coverage and which meets the constraints of the current context.” said Peugeot CEO Maxime Picat. “It is a legendary race that has inspired all the Brand’s teams who have mobilized behind the project which targets outright victory. It is also a tough, exceptional challenge which leaves no room for error. In other words, it’s exactly the sort of challenge that Peugeot adores.”
Peugeot has maximized its chances of winning by enlisting the support of some of the biggest and best partners for the project, including Total, Red Bull, Michelin as well as nine-time World Rally champion Loeb.
“Our objective is to win,” continued Picat, “so we needed to stack up as many cards as possible in our favor by joining forces with the very best partners for this unique project. Indeed, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Citroën for this one-off ‘loan’ of its exceptional champion. Citroën’s support is emblematic of the cohesion that reigns within the PSA Peugeot Citroën group.”
PPIHC Tickets Available Now
Fans of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb can purchase tickets now for the June 30, 2013 race and assure themselves a spot on the Peak for what promises to be the best in the event’s long and storied history.
General admission seats are priced at $40.00 each, and the popular Family Four-Pack is priced at $135.00 when purchased in advance.
Tickets may be purchased on the PPIHC official website: www.ppihc.com

Source: PPIHC
Picture: Neil McDaid