Montréal
(Québec), April 2, 2013.-
Reigning North American and Canadian Rally Champions, driver Antoine L’Estage (of St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec) and his co-driver Nathalie Richard (of Halifax, Nova Scotia) will contest the remaining events of the Rally America series at the wheel of a WRC Mitsubishi Lancer. In this, the premier American rally championship, it will be the first time a Canadian competes in a modern day World Rally Car that has already contested the World Rally Championship and it is also the first time the British MML Sports team will bring their WRC car to compete in North America.
Antoine
L’Estage and Nathalie Richard step up their game for the remaining rounds of the 2013 Rally America
Championship. After a successful test in the WRC Mitsubishi in the Czech
Republic, L’Estage has made the commitment to bring the WRC prepared Mitsubishi
stateside.
Although
slightly outdated compared with today’s WRC cars, this 2005 spec Evo will still
be a formidable competitor on the North American stages. L’Estage still
lacks the funds of a fully supported manufacture team, but as long as the current
budget lasts this car should put L’Estage
on par with Block and Higgins. Let’s
hope that Antoine can get some solid testing in prior to the Oregon Trails
Rally as it will take some mastering to extract the full potential of this car.
Below
is the Press release from the team:
Reigning North American and Canadian Rally Champions, driver Antoine L’Estage (of St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec) and his co-driver Nathalie Richard (of Halifax, Nova Scotia) will contest the remaining events of the Rally America series at the wheel of a WRC Mitsubishi Lancer. In this, the premier American rally championship, it will be the first time a Canadian competes in a modern day World Rally Car that has already contested the World Rally Championship and it is also the first time the British MML Sports team will bring their WRC car to compete in North America.
 |
| L'Estage will add his new 2013 livery on the WRC Mitsubishi, Rockstar Energy will be the dominant sponsor. |
After having
contested the first two rounds of the 2013 season, including a victory at
Michigan’s SnoDrift Rally in their Mitsubishi Evo X, Antoine L'Estage and
Nathalie Richard will finish off the remaining five Rally America rounds with
the WRC Lancer. "This is big news! To take part in rallies at the
wheel of a car that has been in the World Rally Championship is fantastic and
I’m really looking forward to more great battles with Ken Block and David
Higgins" explains Antoine, who clarifies : "our hard work has come to
fruition in the form of an agreement with MML Sports of the UK, with whom we
already tested the car last November in the Czech Republic. All of our
sponsors play a big role in this as well and we are thrilled to have our partners
on board"
The first
event that the L’Estage/Richard duo will take part in with the WRC Mitsubishi
Lancer will be on the first weekend of May for the Oregon Trail Rally, round 3
of the Rally America series. An important test session will precede the
rally, enabling Antoine to familiarize himself with the car. "Up until now,
I’ve only done a few kilometers with this car, without really pushing it to its
maximum capabilities. We’re in the hunt for this year’s RA title so it’s
essential to get more comfortable with the vehicle before the start of Oregon
Trail" confides Antoine, who, with Nathalie, sits in second place on the
championship leaderboard. The team will also continue the fight to make
2013 its sixth Canadian Rally Championship title, which will be contested in
the Rockstar Energy Drink Lancer Evo X as originally planned at the beginning
of the season. More details concerning L’Estage’s debut in the WRC car will
follow  |
| The MML Sports Mitsubishi has been in service in the hands of several very capable drivers since Mitsubishi's departure from the WRC. Picture Neil McDaid / Donegal 2006 |
