Rhys Millen And Emma Gilmour To Compete In 2014 Global RallyCross Series

Rhys Millen And Emma Gilmour To Compete In 2014 Global RallyCross Series

FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., Mar. 24, 2014 – Hyundai and Rhys Millen Racing (RMR) are again joining forces to create a groundbreaking new team for the 2014 Global Rallycross Championship (GRC) series. For 2014, Hyundai and RMR continue their assault on dirt- and tarmac-based circuits throughout North America with highly-tuned Veloster Turbo rallycross cars. The new two-car team will feature Pikes Peak champion and veteran racer Rhys Millen, with New Zealand rally champion Emma Gilmour behind the wheel of the second Veloster racecar.

“We can’t wait for the 2014 Global Rallycross season to get started with our new team and freshly-tuned Veloster Turbo racers,” said Steve Shannon, vice president of marketing, Hyundai Motor America. “Global Rallycross is the perfect racing series for the compact, fun-to-drive Veloster, and the RMR Velosters are sure to be pushed to the limit every race this season with rally veterans like Rhys and Emma at the helm. We’re proud to team up with two drivers known for their precision and consistency, and we are especially excited to give Emma the opportunity to be the first female driver in Global Rallycross.”
HYUNDAI/RMR VELOSTER TURBO
Hyundai Veloster Turbo employs a unique third-door design and an efficient, direct-injected, lightweight aluminum powertrain. The Turbo model boasts a hefty 63 horsepower advantage over the normally-aspirated model, generating an impressive 201 horsepower from only 1.6 liters of displacement. The fully race-prepared RMR Veloster Rallycross turbo engine generates more than 600 peak horsepower from its four-cylinder turbocharged and intercooled powerplant, for explosive acceleration out of corners.

2014 RMR Veloster Turbo Rallycross Enhancements

• Upsized turbocharger, wastegate control, ECU tuning, and Wiggins turbo clamps
• XTRAC® center differential, handbrake hydraulic coupler and handbrake lever
• Reiger Racing® internal bumpstop struts with roller bearings and roll control
• New Veloster Turbo rallycross front and rear fascia with new rear wing design

RHYS MILLEN
“The Global Rallycross series holds even more promise for the Hyundai/RMR team in the 2014 season, with great opportunities to leverage valuable racing and technical experience earned by the team in recent years,” said Millen. “The RMR Veloster is perfect for GRC by giving enthusiasts a glimpse of affordable, fun-to-drive production cars exploited to their full race potential in an action-packed rallycross series. Even more, I’m especially proud to have Emma as a teammate; with many top rally drivers hailing from New Zealand, her consistent top performance is sure to impress at every stage of the series.”

World Champion driver Rhys Millen set an overall world record at the 2012 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, earning “King of the Mountain” status in the RMR Genesis Coupe. In the 2012 Global Rallycross Championship Series, the Hyundai/RMR team finished second in manufacturer’s points and third in driver’s points. Millen’s driving credentials further include extensive movie and advertising stunts, 2008 Formula Drift World Champion, 2005 USA Drifting Champion, seven Pikes Peak world records and the 2008 New Year's Eve Las Vegas truck flip at Red Bull: New Year. No Limits. Behind Millen’s success in the driver’s seat is an experienced team of engineers and expert fabricators in race preparation and tuning.

NEW RMR DRIVER: EMMA GILMOUR
“I couldn’t be more honored to join the Hyundai/RMR Global Rallycross team for the 2014 season,” said Emma Gilmour, New Zealand rally veteran. “Rhys is known worldwide for his precise and consistent rally skills, and my years of successful rally experience are a perfect fit for the RMR team effort. It’s a true privilege to be the first female driver in the GRC series, and I’m confident my performance will open up more opportunities for a number of great female rally drivers in the future.”

Emma Gilmour: Recent Racing Results 2012

• 2^nd Overall, New Zealand Rally Championship
• 2^nd Overall, Group N Rally New Zealand

2011

• 2^nd Overall, New Zealand Rally Championship

2010

• 2^nd Overall, New Zealand Rally Championship
• 2^nd Overall, PWRC Rally New Zealand
• 2^nd Overall, Asia-Pacific Rally Championship, Whangarei

GLOBAL RALLYCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP SERIESThe 2014 Global RallyCross Championship season features 10 race events, including the ESPN Summer X-Games^®. The X-Games were one of the first public venues introducing the concept of rallycross to U.S. racing enthusiasts. The GRC circuit at each venue features a series of tight turns and a large jump where the cars become airborne, with most of the circuit visible to GRC fans for the duration of the heat. The 2014 GRC season will kick-off at the Caribbean island of Barbados at the BBC Top Gear^® Festival, Saturday, May 17, where fans are invited to get up-close with both drivers and technicians in the GRC paddock area. RMR fans will be able to view both RMR rallycross and production versions of the Veloster.
2014 GLOBAL RALLYCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE

• May 17-18: Barbados, Top Gear^® Festival
• June 7: Austin, X-Games^®, ESPN
• June 21-22: Washington, DC
• July 19-20: New York, NY
• July 25-26: Charlotte, NC
• August 2-3: Detroit, MI (Riverfront)
• August 22-23: Daytona, FL
• September 19-20: San Pedro, CA
• September 26-27: Seattle, WA (DirtFish)
• November 5: Las Vegas, NV (SEMA)

    
Source; RMR

Ken Block Doesn’t often Go To Missouri, But When he Does, Locals Ask Him for Directions!

 February 18th, 2014, Park City, UT:  After their horrific wreck at final round of the 2013 Rally America Championship, Ken Block and Alex Gelsomino are back in the rally car  this morning for two days of testing in preparation for The 100 Acre Wood Rally, one of the two rounds that the team will compete in this year. The car has been fully rebuilt and the Hoonigan Racing team are also debuting their new  2014 livery, the team also 

announced Blocks full race schedule for the year, making him one of the busiest drivers in Rally..

 “I’m stoked with how the new liveries for my Ford Fiestas have turned out, as well as the race schedule we’ve been able to put together for 2014,” said Block. “Once again I’ve been fortunate enough to put together a highly diverse schedule that has me going around the world. I’m competing in the full Global RallyCross Championship, doing a handful of Rally America events, competing in a WRC round in Spain, doing the Monza Rally Sprint for the first time ever with Valentino Rossi as a teammate, returning to the Monster Energy Gymkhana GRID finale in Madrid, heading back to Japan to do more Gymkhana demos and, most interestingly, racing in three of the World RallyCross Championship rounds for the first time ever. I’m pretty sure nobody has a better job than me this year!”

 

 

In addition to having an action-packed year planned, Block has once again reinvented his race look for the 2014 season with a graphics package that will be incorporated across a full line of signature product including apparel from Hoonigan, sunglasses from SPY and RC cars from HPI.

“Every year I’m challenged with outdoing my livery from the season before,” said Block. “Luckily, I think we were able to do it once again. This year’s livery mixes animal pattern and 8-bit, which I love. We’ve come up with a sort of digital zebra graphic that I think is awesome and also brings me back into that familiar black and white color scheme I had starting back in 2010. I think the fans are going to enjoy this look.”

 

To catch Block and his all-new livery in action, be sure to follow along this coming weekend as he takes part in Rally America’s Rally in the 100 Acre Wood, where Block will be looking to reignite his winning streak for that event.

Block’s 2014 schedule:

 

Global RallyCross Championship:

• -    GRC Barbados: 5/18/14
• -    GRC X Games Austin: 6/17/14
• -    GRC Washington D.C.: 6/22/14
• -    GRC New York: 7/20/14
• -    GRC Charlotte: 7/26/14
• -    GRC Detroit: 8/3/14
• -    GRC Daytona: 8/23/14
• -    GRC Los Angeles: 9/20/14
• -    GRC Seattle: 9/27/14
• -    GRC Las Vegas: 11/5/14

 

Stage Rally:

• -    Rally America Rally in the 100 Acre Wood: 2/21-22
• -    Rally America Suesquehannock Trail Performance Rally: 5/30-31
• -    WRC Spain: 10/24-26
• -    Monza Rally Show: 11/22-24

 

World RallyCross Championship:

• -    WRxC Norway: 6/14-15
• -    WRxC France: 9/6-7
• -    WRxC Turkey: 10/11-12

 

Gymkhana demos:

• -    Japan: 7/5-6
• -    Gymkhana GRID, Madrid: 11/1-2

Source: Hoonigan Racing

SUBARU CONFIRMS DRIVER LINE UP FOR THE 2014 RED BULL GLOBAL RALLYCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP

 

Despite some challenging times in the 2013 Global Rallycross Championship, Subaru are committed to staying the course in their bid for victory in GRC. Photo Neil McDaid / Rally World News

Cherry Hill, N.J., February 6, 2014 – Subaru of America, Inc. has confirmed their return to the Global Rallycross Championship (GRC) for the 2014 season. Former three-time European Rallycross Champion and 2013 X Games Rallycross Medalist Sverre Isachsen will return to the team, along with Bucky Lasek, one of the World’s most iconic skateboarders, who began professionally racing with Subaru in 2012. Joining the squad at the X Games Austin round of the GRC will be action sports superstar Travis Pastrana. The team will field 2014 Subaru WRX STI Rallycross cars prepared by technical partner Vermont SportsCar.

“The sport of Rallycross continues to gain interest in the USA,” stated Rob Weir, Motorsports Marketing Manager. “We’re seeing GRC’s proposed TV coverage and fan experience at events this season as a win-win. The turbocharged, all-wheel drive powertrain of a Rallycross car is extremely similar to a production Subaru WRX STI; so the sport, along with rallying, is the ideal platform to display the performance abilities of Subaru Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive.”

Sverre Isachsen led the Subaru Rallycross program in podiums and total points last season. “I’m very happy to return with Subaru to GRC. We worked very hard to improve our results last season. This year I know we can win,” stated Sverre Isachsen.

Bucky Lasek was awarded the prestigious GRC Sportsman of the Year last season; which is voted on by fellow GRC competitors. “I’m really looking forward to getting behind the wheel of my Subaru again, as well as working with such a devoted team,” explained Lasek. “We gained momentum last season as we developed the STI for Rallycross; and 2014 looks to be a defining year for us!”
In addition to the Global Rallycross program Vermont SportsCar manages Subaru of America’s efforts in the Rally America National Championship, where the team has won seven of the last eight Titles.

For 2014 Travis Pastrana will return to Subaru, he will not only compete in GRC but will also return to the Rally America Championship. Photo Neil McDaid /Rally World News 

Subaru recently announced the return of Travis Pastrana who joins defending Rally Champion David Higgins at Subaru Rally Team USA. Pastrana will also join Lasek and Isachsen at the GRC Round at X Games Austin in June.

The Subaru GRC team will start their season in the 2014 WRX STI that features a 600 horsepower, turbocharged Subaru Boxer Engine and Subaru Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive, with plans to debut the all-new 2015 Subaru STI later in the year. “We’ve had the new 2015 Subaru STI in our shop for some time now, and are deep into the development process on this new car,” explains Lance Smith, Team Principal at Vermont SportsCar. “Our engineering team is extremely impressed with the advancement in chassis and handling performance. Both our Rally and Rallycross cars will take a big evolutionary step in performance with this new design.”
The highly-praised Subaru Launch Control video series, which achieved over 11 million views in 2013, and gave racing fans a never before seen view into the Subaru Rally & Rallycross programs, will return for a second season later this year. Subaru has also launched an all-new motorsports website at www.subaru.com/rally, offering expanded images and videos for motorsports enthusiasts.

Source: Subaru Rally

SPEED WINS THE BATTLE AT THE DIRT TRACK, BUT HEIKKINEN WINS THE WAR

Toomas "Topi" Heikkinen clinched the 2013 Global Rallycross Championship at The Dirt Track, at Charlotte Motor Speedway, along with a cool twenty thousand dollars for also winning the Sylvania SilverStar zXe Cup.



Another 1-2-3 for Ford. Heikkinen may have won the war, but third overall was the best he could manage in a tough final battle. Scott Speed (center) took the overall victory at Charlotte, with Brian Deegan rounding out the podium.



Yet another classic first turn pile up in the GRC final at Charlotte. We find it hard to understand, other than it makes for an exciting TV show for the fans, how the manufactures can continue to let  destruction and hard hitting continue. Scott Speed got the hole shot on the restart and basically cruised to victory, while others continued to battle it out behind.

 

Subaru continues to make great improvements in power and reliability in their Rallycross program, but getting a clean run in the final is still a massive challenge for all involved.  GRC seems to loose the black flag when the TV schedule tightens up. Despite a lot of rough driving in the final only one black flag was displayed.



If all GRC finals were like this!! Far and away the best battle of the day was between Brian Deegan in the Rockstar Ford Fiesta and Sverre Isachsen in the Puma Subaru. Deegan and Isachsen went door to door throughout their heat, with Sverre nipping Deegan on the line for the victory for Subaru.

 

Brian Deegan scored a fine second place in the final but it could have been an overall victory had he not been barged from behind and turned around by Scott Speed in the first try at the final.

 

One of the top privateers to compete in the Global Rallycross since it inception, Stephan Verdier made a return to the action in Charlotte behind the wheel if a Rhys Millen Racing prepared Hyundai. Stephan was quick through the heats, and despite a little tangle with Ken Block in the final he still managed a top five finish. Stephan is one of those quick privateer drivers that we truly hope can get a chance to prove his worth in a factory backed car for 2014.

 



Ken Block would again dominate in the heats posting fastest times in both of his heats. Ken continues to struggle with his reaction time off the line in the final.



Hoonigan Racing's Ken Block would have pole position for the final, but he would be lose his advantage off the line by the F1 reaction speed of  Scott Speed, which left Block getting caught up in the first turn carnage. Despite a front tire puncture in the opening laps Block would charge on and eventually finish 7th overall.



Travis Pastrana's Red Bull / Discount Tire sponsored Dodge team are suffering a very similar fate as Subaru had earlier in the year. Despite some good speed from Travis in the heats, the Dodge was crippled in the final by what seemed like minimal contact. The cars need some more development to make them a little more durable for the tight, tough racing in the GRC.

After a long development phase, Pat Morro final took the wraps of his new Chevrolet Sonic. As with any new car, Pat and his team would work on bugs throughout the weekend. Although Morro does not have the full backing from Chevrolet on the project, this first outing shows that the Sonic has potential. Morro is also in development of a second Sonic for 2014. Pat will be back in action in Las Vegas in the final round of the 2014 Global Rallycross Championship.  The mostly asphalt course in Vegas will be better suited to the Sonic which lacked suspension travel for The Dirt Track.

Dave Mirra started his Rally career in 2008 with Subaru. He has competed in both the Rally America Championship and battling in the Global Rallycross Championship since it inception. Despite some challenging moments along the way Dave has got on the podium in both series on more than one occasion. In the weeks leading up to the penultimate round of the GRC in Charlotte an announcement hit the newswire that Mirra and Subaru were parting ways, thus leaving Dave without a drive for the final GRC rounds. With the support of PUMA, Dave would work out a deal with Liam Doran to drive his Prodrive prepared Mini in Charlotte. Dave's transition to the Mini was seamless. A quick change of livery and Mirra was throwing down some impressive lap times in practice. Onto the heats, Dave would get a controversial black flag for what seemed to the officials as a jump start. Despite a stop and go penalty Mirra was able to battle back to within striking distance of Pastrana who was leading the heat.  Unfortunately, Mirra would tag a barrier while on Pastrana's rear bumper which resulted in a spin..

Mirra would not make it to the final after he was barged off  the track by Tanner Foust who struggled with a jammed throttle. 

after the event Mirra told GRC "First and foremost, I want to thank PUMA, Liam Doran, and Prodrive for the MINI. It was an unbelievable car, super fast. I won practice yesterday, qualified second today, clearly was reeling in some other heat drivers in the other races, but things just didn’t go right. I got called for a jump start—Joey (Mancari) came back and reviewed it and said it wasn’t a jump start. We went to the LCQ and all hell broke loose. I’m pretty bummed about the race. It kind of stinks, because I know I was very fast.”

Despite not getting a chance to battle for the victory in the final, Mirra showed some great potential in the Mini. We have some unconfirmed reports that Mirra could be in a second Mini in Las Vegas. We hope to see Mirra back in a permanent ride for 2014.

 

Tanner Foust was not on his game in Charlotte. He got caught up in a first corner wreck in the heats which would result in the first red flag of the day. Fans and fellow competitors were concerned as Foust did not emerge from the car until it was turned upright. We would find out later that Tanner was pleading with the safety crew to roll the car onto his wheels so he could take the restart. Despite the fact that Foust was un injured in the soft roll, the rules state that he needed to go to the medical center after an accident. Foust would return for the LCQ, but mechanical issues would ground him for the final. 

"Just call me Joni"

Joni Wiman [center] remains perfect in GRC Lites competition, winning his fifth consecutive race at The Dirt Track on Charlotte. This victory, over Geoff Sykes [left] and Sebastian Eriksson, extended Wiman’s points lead to 29—clinching him the inaugural series title.

Although the GRC Lites are a far cry from an affordable entry point in the Global Rallycross Championship, they definitely are an exciting addition to the series. It will be interesting to see how the GRC Lite will roll out in 2014 and who will be driving.  

 

For the second race in a row, Wiman failed to secure the hole shot in the final, this time falling behind Kevin Eriksson as a rough start dropped deJong through the field. But Eriksson’s good luck faded fairly quickly, as a cut right rear tire dropped him through the field like a stone until he eventually ended up seventh.

 

Geoff Sykes managed to avoid trouble at the start to coast to an easy second place, while jostling between the rest of the field allowed Sebastian Eriksson, who had missed his second heat race, to climb from ninth to fourth in the first lap. He battled with deJong once again, reminiscent of their duel in Atlanta, but held third place.

SUPERCAR FINAL RESULTS;

1.   Scott Speed, #77 OMSE2 Ford Fiesta

2.   Brian Deegan, #38 OlsbergsMSE Ford Fiesta ST

3.   Toomas Heikkinen, #57 OlsbergsMSE Ford Fiesta ST0

4.   Stephan Verdier, #4 Rhys Millen Racing Hyundai Veloster

5.   Steve Arpin, #32 OMSE2 Ford Fiesta

6.   Bucky Lasek, #81 Subaru PUMA Rallycross WRX STI

7.   Ken Block, #43 Hoonigan Racing Division Ford Fiesta ST

8.   Sverre Isachsen, #11 Subaru PUMA Rallycross WRX STI

9.   Travis Pastrana, #199 Pastrana Racing Dodge Dart

10.                Tanner Foust, #34 OlsbergsMSE Ford Fiesta ST



Photos; Neil McDAID / RALLYWORLDNEWS

 

Déjà vu, Toomas Heikkinen, Unchallenged as he claimed his Fifth Consecutive GRC Victory

 

Report By: Neil McDaid

Atlanta, Ga., August 10, 2013 – Finland’s Toomas Heikkinen continues to be untouchable in the 2013 Global RallyCross Championship, as he runs out front unchallenged in his Bluebeam OlsbergsMSE Ford Fiesta ST for the entire final. Toomas has now unofficially clinched the 2013 Drivers Championship, which we expect will be made official at Charlotte in September thus capping off a fantastic year for Heikkinen and Ford Racing.

Heikkinen who had cruised to victory in his heat race earlier in the day lined out on the front row for the final where he was flanked by fellow Fiesta drivers Ken Block to his right and Tanner Foust to his left. With the track configuration for Atlanta, it seemed that the middle lane was working best for most in the heat races in an effort to avoid the first turn shenanigans, as always Heikkinen made good use of his lane choice.  

 

Foust and Heikkinen launched hard off the line and were neck to neck heading into the first right hander and onto the gravel section, once again Topi would shine taking the perfect line and gaining the advantage on Foust.

Foust and Heikkinen would come together again going though the first left hander, but again the Finn would prevail and maintain the lead.

Although there are few that can question the speed and ability of Ken Block on the Global RallyCross tracks, Ken himself can’t seem to get the monkey off his back when it comes to the finals. Ken set fastest times in both qualifying sessions, and posted second fastest to Heikkinen in qualifying, after recovering from a spectacular roll I might add. Ken’s lack of luck in the final continued, Block would stall on the starting line, Ken would eventually get the Hoonigan Racing RX43 Fiesta going but he retired shortly thereafter. Although Ken has yet to take an outright victory in the GRC, he has medaled at XGames Munich and has also made the podium in Bristol.  

Back to the front and  it was all Heikkinen, chased by Foust then Brian Deegan, both Heikkinen and Foust opted to get the joker out of the way on the first lap, while Deegan took the long way around. From there it was Déjà vu as Heikkinen sailed off the front, although Foust keep pushing and closed the gap on a few occasions, he never at any time had Heikkinen on the ropes and under pressure.

Heikkinen, Foust, Deegan, Speed and Sandell are all run out of the OlsbergsMSE shop in California. One would assume that all the Ford Fiesta ST’s are equal, but if I recall correctly, Marcus Grönholm’s Fiesta always seemed to have a little more than the rest last year.

Again not to taking anything from Topi, but his car seems to have that extra little sprinkling of fairy dust, Topi was able to pull away from Tanner with ease on the front straight, and why not, Heikkinen is after all the official OlsbergsMSE team driver.

Subaru who had seen more downs than ups in Global RallyCross in 2013, have finally found their “a” game, the cars are much quicker than in prior events and the drivers are embracing the change.

Dave Mirra, who has qualified for his first GRC final in 2013, was all over Brian Deegan in his heat race, and won the LCQ with a last lap pass. Mirra was taking names on the first lap of the final until he was barged off the track by Scott Speed while sitting in fourth place, thus ending what could have been a podium finish. Speed was issued a black flag for his actions while Mirra slid though the grass to scramble back onto the track.

Dave Mirra’s teammate Sverre Isachsen would overhaul Scott Speed for forth before the end of the second lap. Brian Deegan who had been running strongly in third place, pulled to the side of the track on lap 6 with engine problems, therefore conceding third to the Subaru’s Isachsen.

Off the front it was business as usual for the young Finn Heikkinen, who has taking the Global RallyCross scene by storm in 2013. Tanner Foust, who had little or no answer for the speed of Hekkinen, would get a left front puncture on the closing laps; Foust had to turn his attention to protecting his position from the hard charging Sverre Isachsen who was closing the gap for second.

It really hard to take anything away from Tomas Hekkinen, his dominance over the rest of the field in the Global RallyCross has been remarkable. Yes he has had a lot of luck in the first turn, but I have so say his lines are razor sharp and he stays committed no matter what’s going on around him.

 “It was quite a different race for me since I am now trying to win the championship,” said Heikkinen,. “I had a really great start in my Ford Fiesta ST in the final race, took the joker on the first lap, and was able to keep the lead.”

 “I have come such a long way from last season,” said Heikkinen, “I am confidant once again in the race car and think that I have the best car out there. It is always a battle, but I am very happy to be on top right now.”

 The runner-up finish was the second straight for Foust in the Rockstar Energy OlsbergsMSE Ford Fiesta ST and third podium appearance this season.

 “This track was really a difficult track and it once again came down to how you did on the start and avoiding collisions in the first corner,” said Foust, “Second never feels great, but I am glad to be on the podium again.

 “Topi had a great start. I thought I was gaining on him, but with three laps to go I got a puncture on the front left tire,” continued Foust. “I didn’t realize I had a puncture until I went through the water and was instantly sideways at the top of fifth gear going 100 mph.  That’s when I knew there was something wrong and from then on it was a matter of managing the position in second and keeping ahead of the rest of the field.”

For the Subaru Puma team, their hard fought battles throughout the earlier rounds of the 2013 GRC have finally started to pay off, the teams number one driver Sverre Isachsen has now finished on the podium in the last two rounds.  “I’m really happy right now. Today was extra good, because we had to go through the LCQ, and in the final I was completely last on the grid” said an elated Isachsen after the final.  “So it was even better for me personally to fight, and it was really a hard fight the whole way, of course. Third place this weekend as well is perfect. If you come to the final, everything can happen.”

 Dave Mirra was able to overcome been barged off the track on the first lap and clawed his PUMA sponsored Subaru back to forth overall. Mirra spoke regarding his final, “I got spun in the corner after the jump, but I fought back. Things happen in rallycross. I was very, very happy with my pace—I know in the LCQ I was reeling people in the that section, the whole dirt section, so I felt like I showed that I could drive at a fast pace. The crew really, really work hard to get that car dialed, and I’ve been sitting back waiting. Now that it’s here, it’s fun to go out and drive a car that you know is reliable and fast, and you know that you can put some times down. I’m very excited. The Subaru PUMA Rallycross Team did really well. They’re awesome, they work hard, and they get the credit—then I get the car and get to drive it. It’s pretty awesome.”

I for one had some high hopes for the Pastrana/ Dodge Team coming into Atlanta, the team has been going through many of the challenges with the car that like Subaru had been experiencing, were looking for a turnaround at Atlanta.  They had called on the services of WRC driver Henning Solberg to team up with Russia RX Champion Timur Timerzyanov to fill in for Pastrana and Bryce Menzies who both had conflicting commitments this weekend.  Unfortunately the cars was not on the same plan, booth Solberg’s and Timerzyanov cars gave trouble throughout the day, yielding yet another disastrous outing for the Dodge camp.

For the teams coming off back to back racing weekends, three weekends for Ken Blocks crew [New England Forest Rally] they will be looking forward to a little breather before heading to Charlotte Motor speedway in September. From what we understand, GRC will not utilize the actual speedway this year, but will use the dirt track which is adjacent. For more information and tickets, check out www.global-rallycross.com

 

GRC ROUND 7 FINAL RESULTS

1.       Toomas Heikkinen

2.       Tanner Foust

3.       Sverre Isachsen

4.       Dave Mirra

5.       Timur Timerzyanov

6.       Brian Deegan

7.       Scott Speed

8.       Ken Block

9.       Steve Arpin

10.    Henning Solberg

11.    Patrik Sandell Sandell

12.    Bucky Lasek


Sources: Global RallyCross / Ford Racing

Photos/

Matthew Kalish- GRC /

Ford Racing

 

Heikkinen Takes Gold to Clinch The 2013 GRC Championship for Ford at Summer XGAMES .

Fans come to their feet for the start of the Supercar final  at the House of Drift, this was the first time back to Irwindale for the GRC since 2012.

 Los Angeles, August 4, 2013. The dominance of Toomas Heikkinen in the 2013 Global RallyCross [GRC] continued this weekend at the 2013 Summer XGames. Despite getting momentarily caught up in the first turn mayhem, Topi basically checked out with his #57 OlsbergsMSE Ford Fiesta ST  and drove a flawless race to his forth consecutive GRC victory while also collecting a forth XGAMES medal in 2013.

GRC is finally looking a lot like real RallyCross, the track layout at Irwindale speedway was less focused on a big jump but more on a track that tightened in all the right places, creating some great door to door racing and passing in the dirt sections.

The Final got off to a roaring start with an overzealous Sverre Isachsen jumping the start, for which he was black flagged for, but the jump start seen Isachsen leading into the first turn, and he was out in front avoiding the mayhem that unraveled behind him. All hell broke loose behind Isachsen, watching it live it was and still is hard to cast blame on any one driver.  You can decide for yourself with the unlimited rewinds available on YouTube.


 How we see it, Ken Block gets into a big drift around turn one, Ken and Topi come together for a few seconds, Ken then comes down the track and collides with fellow Monster Energy driver Liam Doran in the Mini, who was coming up on the inside line. At this point there seems to be little if any damage to the cars, just some tight racing and rubbing.

 It seemed like Liam Doran then turned right into Block, retaliation for the earlier contact? well things just unraveled from there. Block spins in front of Doran, Heikkinen barges into Block helping to spin him around.  Brain Deegan also gets caught up in the pileup and retires. Patrik Sandell tries to slip up the inside and ends up going crashing into the water barriers.  

Somehow Toomas Heikkinen slips through virtually unharmed into the first hairpin, Tanner Foust is alongside his door, with Travis Pastrana kissing his rear bumper. Block gets the RX43 re fired but has a rear flat and some heavy rear suspension damage. Always the showman, Block does a few laps burning the tires off the car for the fans before pulling off the track, thus ending a very disappointing XGAMES for HooniganRacing.

Subaru’s Sverre Isachsen went all out on the first lap, knowing full well he had to open a gap to negate the impact of his stop and go penalty. Sverre is passed by Heikkinen, Foust and Travis Pastrana while he sits in the penalty box.

Tanner sets his sights on Heikkinen while Sverre went to work on chasing down Pastrana for third, or more important, the XGames bronze medal.

It may have taken Vermont Sports Car a few races to get their car up to speed, but they definitely had Isachen’s STI dialed in for XGAMES. It only took Sverre one lap to reel in the Red Bull Dodge of Pastrana, his Puma sponsored Subaru sailed past Travis in the dirt section on the 3^rd lap.

Subaru is not alone in their frustration in tracking down the Ford Mafia in 2013, Travis Pastranan’s Dodge team has yet to podium in 2013. Bryce Menzies did not make the final after putting his Dodge in the wall in the LCQ. The Dodge Dart seems big and cumbersome compared to the high energy Fiesta’s, , , Travis also seemed to have no answer for the Subaru as it sailed past, Pastrana’s hopes for a podium and a medal faded to grey in the early laps.

Scott Speed would also put his Fiesta into the wall in the final allowing Rhys Millen to move into 5^th behind Pastrana, this was Millen only showing in GRC in 2013 as Hyundai pulled out of rallycross at the end of 2012.

Off the front it was all Heikkinen, the Flying Finn barely put a tire wrong as the laps clicked down, Tanner Foust closed the gap on several occasions, but it was like Heikkinen was just toying with Foust as he seemed to be able to pull away at will.

Tomas Heikkinen  center flanked by Tanner Foust, [left] and Sverre Isachsen as they celebrate their victories at Summer XGAMES 2013.

 In the end it was all Heikkinen in the BlueBeam/ Fordracing Fiesta ST, Tanner Foust who’s Fiesta is also prepared in the same OlsbergsMSE shop in CA, slides through in second for the Silver.” It’s cool! It’s cool to have a lot of points” proclaimed Heikkinen as he stood on the roof of his Fiesta at the finish line, “Still we’re leading, and now we have a little bit less pressure, but the next race is in six days, and we have work to do. I think the gap opened a little bit, because Tanner didn’t win his heat and I got the one extra point, plus three points more in the final. (Since last year) I just made my own work, what I had to do. I exercised at home and the gym to get myself ready for this season. Everything is good right now, and I’m not doing anything else than smiling”. With the podium finish by Heikkinen and Fousts  at XGAMES, they clinched the 2013 GRC Championship for Ford Racing.  With 39 point lead over Tanner Foust in second; the championship is Heikkinen's  barring a disaster. I would also hate to see Topi, easing back and letting someone else win for the sake of the sport, he should go for the win and let the chips fall where they will.

 Subaru’s front man in the GRC,   Sverre “The Viking Warrior” Isachsen finally, finally got the monkey off the teams back by holding Pastrana at bay, to bring his Subaru STI home and third. This is the first XGames medal and GRC podium for Subaru in 2013. “It was awesome! I had a good start. They said it was a jump start” proclaimed Sverre after the final “but anyway, we sat in the penalty box, took our punishment, and then went back in the race. It was a perfect race the whole way. Third place today is like winning for us at Subaru. Of course we’ll go for it in Atlanta as well. We’re taking the car small steps at a time and hopefully can try to get to the top”.

Without question the carnage that is happening in the GRC is unlike anything in any other form of professional motorsport around the world.

But if the goal of the organizers was to create excitement, check that box already, it sure is exciting for the fans. We also need to remember that is a made for TV series, and is directed in the background by a TV schedule.  Despite the frustration of drivers that are left licking their wounds after getting taken out in the first turn, the racing “seems” to continue to gain momentum, there is talk of Chevy and others planning to campaigning cars in 2014.  

As for the remaining rounds of the GRC in 2014, with the Championship in the bag for Ford we expect to see a reduced field over the final two races, which will be held in Atlanta and Charlotte. We also expect to see organizers tweaking the rule book, or should I say begin to write a rulebook. Either way, stay tuned this is by far the most exciting new form of racing happening the USA at this time.  

Photo/ FordRacing   / Matt Kalish -GRC

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