Doran and Millen Get to Grips with New Jersey Motorsports Park /RallyCross #2



Liam Doran, thrills fans at NJMP as he pushes his Citroen C4 over a jump. This is the first time that a Citroen C4 has competed in the USA. Photo/Neil McDaid



Rhys Millen tries to get to grips with the mighty WRC Hyundai. Although this is somewhat dated WRC technology by today’s standards, this is still an incredible car. Photo /Neil McDaid



Round 2 of the 2010 RallyCar/RallyCross Championship

Millville, NJ October 2, 2010. After several days of torrential rain and high winds, the skys over New Jersey Motorsports Park have finally cleared.

Round 2 of the 2010 RallyCar/Rally Cross Championship is set to get underway today. Many familiar faces from round 1 are back on the line with the addition of a few very exciting new entries.

Most notable being Liam Doran from England who will take to the course at NJMP in his Citroen C4. This will be the first time for USA Rally and RallyCross fans to see this car on U.S. shores. Doran captured third overall in the hotly contested 2010 European Championship. You can be assured that he will be in contension for the overall victory this weekend.

[Doran]"Citroën is not in the U.S. marketplace so the car there is going to be a huge novelty value around driving a Citroën in America. They’ve never seen a C4 out there. I did not see any point in going out there for one race and being one of perhaps three or four Europeans, that’s why I’ve bitten the bullet and gone my own way," said Doran who will have full backup from the Citroën-backed KHM squad in America. "We are taking Kenneth Nyberg and Rickard Johansson [the two lead engineers from KHM] as well as all the parts and support that we need, it will be as close to the way I’ve run in Europe as possible."

Millen’s back!! Hyundai and Rhys Millen Racing will be piloting a Hyundai rally car specifically developed for the World Rally Championship.

"We've really benefited from our Genesis Coupe Formula Drift partnership with Rhys, and so we've decided to expand on that with this move into RallyCross," said John Krafcik, president and CEO, Hyundai Motor America. "Our participation this year is all about learning the ropes of this new series. Next year, we'll campaign with an all-new car that's also going to be an exciting entry to Hyundai's U.S. production lineup."

"I'm excited to be stepping back into the world of rally," said Rhys Millen, professional race driver and founder of Rhys Millen Racing. "It has been six years since I was involved with the inaugural X Games rally event and now with RallyCross here in the U.S., what better way to prove the performance and power of the Hyundai brand."

Stay tuned throughout the weekend for updates and images.

Travis Pastrana & Carl Edwards to Race of Champions

It was officially announced this week that rally driver Travis Pastrana will team with NASCAR driver Carl Edwards at the Race of Champions in November. ESPN and 4-time NASCAR champion Jeff Gordon talk with both competitors in this video.

Kris Meeke confirmed for Mini WRC in 2011/2012

The Mini WRC, based on the Countryman and run by Banbury-based preparation firm Prodrive, was officially launched at the Paris Motor Show on Thursday where it was also confirmed that reigning IRC champion Meeke, 31, would be behind the wheel in its debut season.

The 2011 World Rally Championship will see the Mini WRC contesting six of 13 scheduled rounds, with Mini competing in the full 2012 season.

"The response to our announcement that Mini will return to the world of rallying next year was very positive,” said Ian Robertson, BMW AG board member responsible for sales and marketing.

"The FIA World Rally Championship is the pinnacle of rallying, making it the ideal platform for demonstrating the competitive spirit of our brand. The development of the car is running on schedule and the preparations for the world championship are in full swing.”

Prodrive chairman David Richards said: "This project is a truly passionate opportunity. Mini is a cult brand which left a lasting impression during its previous motorsport campaigns. We are both extremely happy and proud to be on board as a partner when Mini returns to rallying.

"We aim to use 2011 as a preparatory year, amassing experience in order to ensure we are fully competitive from the start of the following season. But let's not underestimate the task ahead of us, nor the stiff competition we will face on the way.

“However, our target is firmly set on winning the world championship title again with Mini."

Source: Kris Meeke/Prodrive

Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard Aim for the Lead of the Championship

 

Montréal (Québec), September 29 2010. –

Recent winners of the North America Rally Cup, as well as the hotly contested Rally America series in the United States, Antoine L'Estage and Nathalie Richard are attempting to also capture the Canadian championship, a hat trick that has only been accomplished once before. Victorious at the Rallye Défi earlier this month, the duo currently holds second place in Canada, three points behind the lead. The gap between a rally win and runner-up is five points, which means that with a victory, the team will jump into the lead with one event remaining. « The Pacific Forest Rally is one that I know well and Nathalie and I have won here on three previous occasions » confides Antoine, who adds : « this rally could be a determining factor in the championship and we’re going for the victory. There are four teams within seven points of each other at the top of the season leaderboard. It’s a tight battle and we know all too well that it’s never over until it’s over.»

The Rockstar Royal Group team is heading into this penultimate 2010 round knowing that the reliability of their Buffum-prepared Mitsubishi Evo X is key. « They’re calling for good weather but honestly, I wouldn’t mind more challenging conditions because our new Yokohama A053 tires are competitive in all types of road conditions. » The 2010 Pacific Forest Rally is similar to previous years, with the addition of two new roads. « We’ll refine our notes during the reconnaissance of the roads that we already know and as for the new roads, Antoine’s very good at making precise notes in two passes and he’s generally fairly confident on stages that we’ve never seen before. One thing is for sure, this will be a good battle for the win ! » explains Nathalie.

In addition to the North American title clinched at Rallye Défi three weeks ago, his third including 2007 and 2008, Antoine L’Estage has two Canadian championship titles (2006 and 2007), one American and twenty-three overall victories in Canada and the United States. Nathalie Richard holds five overall national championships (Canada and USA) and twenty-nine national victories on both sides of the border. The North American title she won at Rallye Défi is her sixth in seven years.

Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard is the only team to participate in the entire 2010 Rally America and Canadian Rally Championships, with the support of Rockstar Energy Drink, Royal Group, Yokohama Tires, Mitsubishi Canada, Drenth Motorsport Gearboxes, Garrett Turbos, Énergie Cardio, Libra Racing, Driver's Edge Autosport (OMP), and VP Racing Fuels. For more information on the team or on rallying in general, visit Coyote Rallye .

Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard, both of St-Jean-sur-Richelieu (QC) are among the favourites in this weekend’s Pacific Forest Rally, in British Columbia, the penultimate round of the 2010 Canadian Rally Championship. At the wheel of their Rockstar Royal Group Mitsubishi Evo X, the team has won four of the past five events in North America and is striving for a sixth win this weekend, which would vault them into the lead of the Canadian title hunt.

Source : Coyote Rallye Media Service,

Travis Pastrana and Dave Mirra Thrill Fans at US Rallycross round #1