Ste Agathe, QUEBEC, Sept 9, 2012 - After
taking a lead on the very first stage of the 2012 Rallye Defi, Ken Block (Park
City, Utah) and Alex Gelsomino (Park City, Utah) drove through bright sun,
heavy rains and over rough roads on their way to victory. The Monster World
Rally Team pair led the rally from start to finish, thrilling the fans at the
fourth round of the 2012 Canadian Rally Championship.
“It wasn't all that easy, but it was a lot of fun,”
said Block after the rally. “These roads here are quite amazing, so I really
enjoyed myself.”
Clouds and rain rolled in overnight, and Saturday
offered a different challenge to drivers. Roads stayed wet as thunderstorms
rolled through the region all day. The high humidity also caused a number
fogged windshields, cutting already reduced visibility.
Block and Gelsomino continued to maintain their lead
trading times with Antoine L'Estage (Ste-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que.) and Nathalie
Richard (Halifax) through the second day. Although L'Estage has won the Rallye
Defi six times, he did not have an answer to the pace of the leader and
finished the event on the second spot on the podium.
“There were a lot of different challenges this
weekend,” said the reigning Canadian rally champion. “We knew Ken would be
really fast. I think he's improved a lot as a driver, and they have basically a
World Rally Championship car. We have to be realistic, our cars are not quite
like that.
“I thought on my own turf I could match him, and I was
driving really hard. It's always good to have good competition. It's always
very fun to drive as hard as we could on Friday.”
Driving at the limit all weekend took a toll on
L'Estage's car. Suffering two flat tires with seven kilometres remaining in the
stage, L’Estage was forced to drive without stopping, losing more than 90
seconds and dropping even further back. Problems in the transfer case meant the
crew had to rush to replace the part during the midday service.
“Today was not a great day, but at the end we're in
second place,” said L'Estage. “It's very good points for the Canadian and North
American championships, so it's not bad. I don't like to be second, but if we
look at the big picture, it's not bad.”
Crazy Leo Urlichich (Toronto) and Carl Williamson
(Swansea, Wales) battled both difficult conditions and an occasionally
difficult car all weekend.
“I've never been this tired at the end of a rally, to
be honest,” said Urlichich, who is second in the Canadian points standings. “I
feel very happy. We were off the pace a bit this afternoon. I don't know how
much is the driving and how much is the car.”
On the very first stage, the pair suffered driveline
problems, losing power to the right rear wheel of the car. The pair had to
contend with the problem for another three stages before they could have the
service crew attempt repairs.
As a result, further components suffered damage, while
at the same time, the car began to overheat, a symptom of failing head gaskets.
After a furious effort by the team to replace both the
gearbox and the engine overnight, things appeared to improve for the team. But
failure of a shift cable meant they had to take a penalty for leaving service
late.
Despite these issues, the team was able to keep a
secure hold on third place, rounding out the podium.
The first four stages of the rally were so rough, that
they claimed ten cars. Saturday's difficult conditions cut the field down even
further, with only 13 of the original 29 cars arriving at the final time
control.
Pat Richard (Squamish, B.C.) and Alan Ockwell
(Toronto) were one of the teams eliminated early, when mechanical problems
sidelined the team just a few hundred metres from the finish of the third
stage. It was a devastating blow to the team, who needed a strong performance
to revive their championship ambitions.
“Friday morning, those stages were really really
rough,” said McNelly, who was competing in his second Canadian event, having
won Rallye Baie Des Chaleurs in July. “We picked our way through
it. We made it to start today.”
The Rallye Defi was dramatically changed from last
season after competitor input. New roads were found to add to the stage
distance and the challenge, and were widely praised by the competitors at the
2012 edition.
“We had a great event this year,” said rally organizer
B. Gilles Lacroix. “Partly it was the weather, and partly it was the new stages
we put together. I think the first four stages made a big difference.”
The Canadian Rally Championship is
comprises six events held nationwide in a season that starts in February and
ends in November. The series is presented by Subaru Canada, supported by
Yokohama Tire Canada and features contingency programs from Subaru Canada and
Mitsubishi Canada. The Canadian Association of Rallysport (CARS) is the
official sanctioning body for rallying in Canada.
Rally
car racing is often described simply as “real cars, real roads, real fast.” The
all-season motorsport sees drivers and their co-drivers take modified road cars
to the limit as they achieve
blistering
speeds over closed-road courses that typically cover more than 150 kilometers
of gravel, dirt or snow-covered roads. Fans can get up close to the cars in the
service areas and catch all the action from specially designated spectator
points located at the best spots on the route.
Full
coverage of the championship will air on RDS and TSN. Check local listings.
Rallye Defi Final Results
- Ken Block – Alex Gelsomino – one hour, 33 minutes, 26.0 seconds
- Antoine L'Estage – 1:36:46.3
- Leo Urlichich – Carl Williamson – 1:40:35.2
- Simon Losier – Philippe Poirier – 1:46:11.1
- Maxime Labrie – Robert Labrie – 1:47:23.8
- Maxime Rochefort-Laframboise – Jerome Milette – 1:48:01.6
- Marc Bourassa – Daniel Paquette – 1:51:15.1
- Max Riddle – Aaron Neumann – 1:52:07.3
- Warren Haywood – Jennifer Daly – 1:54:33.1
- Alexandre Oullette – Nicholas Oullette – 1:57:56.8
FOR MORE INFORMATION - Canadian
Association of Rally Sport offices : (855) 640-6444
Photo Credit: Mike Proulx
