Antoine L'Estage Takes Victory at The 2014 Rallye Perce Neige

 

Maniwaki, QUEBEC, February 10, 2014 – Antoine L'Estage (St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, QC) and John Hall (Calgary) of the Yokohama rally team won the 2014 Rallye Perce Neige Maniwaki, the opening round of the Canadian Rally Championship. The pair led the rally from the very first stage, steadily increasing their lead through the event. “It was a very good rally for us,” said L'Estage. “We led from the very first stage and took a bunch of time on all the town stages in the morning, and pushed on the first loop of long stages. We were fastest from the start, fair and square.”

L'Estage and Hall had not competed together prior to Rallye Perce Neige, but were able to hold the pace needed to win without having had any time together in the car before the rally. This is L'Estage's sixth victory at Rallye Perce Neige, and Hall's first win at a national event. “John Hall did really well, and the Yokohama tires were perfect. It's a perfect start to the year, and defence of my championship.”

 

Chief rivals Pat Richard (Squamish, BC) and Nathalie Richard (Halifax), of Subaru Rally Team Canada finished second in the rally. The pair had minor problems early in the day which hampered their efforts. The team won four of the 17 stages, but were unable to match the overall pace of L'Estage and Hall. “We had a good start to the rally, and second place is a good start to the year,” said Richard. “We had some small boost problems, and while we didn't lose a lot of time, we just lost a little bit here and there.

“We had to take a gamble in the afternoon to catch Antoine. We're pretty evenly matched, so I went out on different tires. That kind of choice is the only way to be able to take big time back, and unfortunately, it was the wrong choice. We had enough of a lead over third that we held our position.”

The Richard siblings have reunited in the car after eight years of competing as rivals. The pairing is exciting to many rally fans who love to see the brother and sister compete together.

“It was great to be back in the car with my sister, and to have her back for the whole season.”

A battle ran through most of the rally for the final podium spot. Eventually, and despite transmission problems just past the midpoint of the rally, Alexandre Beland (Val d'Or, QC) and Lyne Murphy (St Constant, QC) clawed up the order to finish third overall. The pair have spent the last season preparing to take on the entire championship series, and the third place was an ideal finish to earn points towards a title bid.

“When we started, we didn't know what kind of pace the other competitors were running. We were 13^th on the road to start, so we had to manage our pace to move up in the running order,” said Beland. “We pushed hard and were reseeded in fifth place after the first six stages. From there, we just had to maintain that pace.

“Tire choice was very hard on that last loop. What we chose worked for us, and we got third place. It's a perfect way for us to start the season.”

Two Wheel Drive action was thrilling, with every team struggling with the icy conditions, and soft snowbanks on the forest stages. Simon Dube (Jonquiere, QC) and Pat Lavigne (Mirabel, QC) were leading for most of the event, when on the penultimate forest stage the pair got stuck on a snowbank. A similar mistake last year forced the team to retire, but competitor Chris Greenhouse stopped to pull Dube and Lavigne back onto the road.

“We had a really good start, and with maybe 80 percent of the rally finished, we went off the road a little bit. It wasn't a lot but we got stuck.,” said Dube, who had a similar problem last year, ending his rally. “Our competitor Chris Greenhouse pulled us out of the snowbank.”

Despite losing eight minutes, Dube had a sufficient advantage over his rivals to retain the lead all the way to the finish.

“It's a winter rally, and anything can happen,” said Dube. “I wanted to finish in the top ten, to earn my seed four, which we did. I'm very happy to win two wheel drive. I haven't won a national since 2011 or 2010, so this is great.”

Second in class went to Martin Walter (North Gower, ON) and Ferdinand Trauttmansdorff (Nepean, ON), one of the few cars with minimal problems during the event. The Ontarian team showed good judgement in setting their pace all rally.

Greenhouse (Cincinnati, USA) and co-driver Billy Irvin (Puyallup, USA) thought they were out of the rally after three stages, getting stuck in a snowbank for over 20 minutes. After reviewing the situation, organizers allowed Greenhouse to continue. The pair finished third in two wheel drive, Perce Neige serving as their first Canadian event together. 

“It's especially cold when you're covered in champagne,” said Greenhouse, after the podium celebrations. “The experience in Canada is great, and the stage roads here are incredible. We'll be back for Rallye Baie des Chaleurs.”

In Production all-wheel drive, the team of Alexandre and Nicholas Ouellette showed the value of local knowledge. Hailing from nearby Messines, QC., the two won their class and finished ninth overall in their Subaru Impreza STI.

Second in class was claimed by Warren Haywood (Chelsea, QC) and John Merry (Ottawa), ahead of third place Bruno Laverdiere (Laval, QC) with Hubert Gaureau (Quebec). 

The Rallye Perce Neige is the only true winter rally in the Canadian Rally Championship. Heavy snowfalls all winter leading up to the event have created some of the best conditions in the last ten years, according to Clerk of the Course, Sylvain Erickson. The first loop of stages took place in town, and are fast, icy stages. The stages making up the second stage saw varied conditions, and a taste of what was to come. Both the third and fourth legs were made up of three forest stages totalling 87km of stage distance. Characterized by challenging technical roads, the forest stages were lined by tall snowbanks and ran deep into the night. To add to the challenge, teams are not allowed to use studded tires. The rally was contested over 209km of special stage.

The Canadian Rally Championship is comprised of six events held nationwide in a season that extends from February to November. The series is presented by Subaru Canada, supported by Yokohama Tire Canada and features a contingency program from Subaru 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.

For more information: www.carsrally.ca or www.rallyeperceneige.com

Rallye Perce Neige Final Results
1. Antoine L'Estage – John Hall – two hours, 28 minutes, 45.4 seconds
2. Pat Richard – Nathalie Richard – 2:30:58.7
3. Alexandre Beland – Lyne Murphy – 2:40:32.4
4. Bruno Carre – Karel Carre – 2:44:39.1
5. Sylvain Vincent – Simon Vincent – 2:48:59.1
6. Andre Leblanc – Rene Leblanc – 2:52:34.8
7. Philippe Dube – Samuel Joyal – 2:53:15.1
8. Nicola Narini – Massimo Narini – 2:56:35.6
9. Alexandre R Ouellette – Nicholas R Ouellette – 2:56:47.2
10. Maxime Labrie – Robert Labrie – 3:00:48.3

FOR MORE INFORMATION - Canadian Association of Rally Sport offices : (855) 640-6444

Photo Credit: Mat Janiak

 

Subaru Rally Team USA Takes Overall Victory at Sno*Drift

Snow, nor wind nor freezing temperatures would stop the Subaru Rally Team mechanics from keeping their driver on the road. Photo Subaru Rally Team 

Hillman Michigan, David Higgins and Craig Drew of the Subaru Rally Team USA, take the victory at Sno*Drift, the opening round of the 2014 Rally America Championship. They were joined in second place by last year’s winner Antoine L’Estage in the Rockstar Energy Mitsubishi Evo, Antoine’s co-driver for Sno*Drift was Marshal Clarke,  rounding out the podium in third in their SP class Subaru was Laughlin O’ Sullivan and Scott Putman.

This year teams would be faced with blowing snow and some extreme cold temps that dipped to minus 20 c with the wind chill at the Park Expose on Friday, day one of this grueling two day rally.  Although the rally has utilized the same stages for many years, organizers will switch directions from year to year to keep teams on their toes.  This year we would see some better snow banks over prior years, which can be an advantage to slow the cars by hooking a wheel into them but also be disastrous if you hook too deep.

Antoine L’Estage would draw the short straw sending him out first on the road, a difficult position to say the least with the blinding snow and unknown icy conditions.

Higgins and Drew took full advantage of Antoine’s line over the first two stages giving them a pair of stage victories on SS1 and SS2 building a gap on 20 seconds on L’Estage.

Peter Fetela / Grzegorz Dorman were one of the first teams
to fall victim to the icy conditions. They would go off on
the first stage of the rally. Photo Greg Dorman/FB

Heading into SS3 “Eberly-Soden” Higgins and Drew would lose time due to overheating and a drop in power in their Subaru.  

 

Between stages 3 and 4  they would try to diagnose the issue  without success. With only one stage before service, Higgins would charge into SS4 “McCormick Lake”, apparently they did not properly insert the hood clips resulting in the hood blowing open and cracking the windshield halfway through the 7.2 mile stage.

 

With the hood now sitting on the windshield blocking his vision, Higgins could do nothing but peer out through the tiny gap at the bottom of the hood or out the side window, “I would just pitch the car a little sideways to see out my side” explained Higgins.

By the end of SS4 as the cars pulled into the first service of the rally, Higgins has erased the advantage he had on L’Estage on the opening stages, due to his problems on SS3 and 4 he was now down 39 seconds to the Canadian.

Any driver who has competed at Sno*drift in the past knows all too well what to expect as they head out for a second pass of any stage, glare ice! and this year would be no exception!.

Still running first on the road, Antoine L’Estage left the service in Lewiston with what would be consider a comfortable lead on Higgins given the conditions.  But on the second pass of “Shoreline” SS5, Antoine would suffer a puncture, rather than changing the wheel within the stage and losing minutes to Higgins, L’Estage pushed on through. Despite his best efforts to keep pace Antoine dropped 31 seconds to Higgins.

Higgins and Drew would continue to pile the pressure on L’Estage over the final stages of day one, heading into the overnight halt they were now up 26 seconds over L’Estage and Clarke.

We had expected to see FY Racings Adam Yeoman in the hunt for an overall podium finish here in his native Michigan, but his rally would get off to a tough start when he got stuck on a snow bank on the very first stage. Adam and co driver Jordan Schulze were eventually able to dig themselves out and get back on the road, but any hopes of a podium finish at Sno*Drift would require divine intervention.

At the end of day one it was rally veteran Laughlin O’Sullivan slotting his SP Subaru into the third overall position. By doing so Laughlin would also lead the hotly contested SP class ahead of Dillon Van Way and 2013 Rookie of the Year Nick Roberts in third, both in Subaru’s.

In 2wd we would see some changes in the Scion and Ford camps for 2014, Andrew Comrie-Picard [ACP] made the switch from Scion Racing to a Team O’Neil /Ford Racing R2 Fiesta.  With Andrews’s departure from Scion it opened the door for Matthew Johnson to make a return to the driver’s seat after a four year hiatus from the sport.  

ACP would get off to a strong start in the R2 Fiesta setting the fast time in 2WD over Johnson in his old Scion on the first 3 stages, but ACP would run aground on a snow bank on SS4 “McCormick Lake”.  Going into the overnight halt ACP had dropped almost 35 minutes to Johnston in the Scion, basically erasing any chance of repeating his 2WD Sno*Drift victory of 2013.  A pair of R2 Fiesta’s driven by Troy Miller and Panos Karpidas would round out the top three in 2WD.

L’Estage would open day two by clipping Higgins by .05 seconds on the opening stage, Higgins would answer the call by taking victories on the next two stages before service.

Coming into the first service on day two; Higgins has increased his lead on L’Estage to 43 seconds. Laughlin O’Sullivan was still holding off Dillon Van Way for third.  Matthew Johnson was holding a commanding overall position at the front of the two wheel drive pack.

Looking back to last year, L’Estage was sitting in much the same position behind Higgins and Drew at the midpoint service on day two, L’Estage and then co-driver Nathalie Richard would start a vicious attack on the closing stages of the rally to snatch victory from Higgins.

 

With the memories of that crushing defeat in 2013 as fresh as the resent snow fall, Higgins was not going to let history repeat itself this time around.  David Higgins and Craig Drew would not give up a single second to L’Estage over the closing stages of this year’s rally; Higgins would take victory on 10 of the 11 stages on day two to seal his victory on the 2014 Sno*Drift Rally.

Antoine L’Estage and Marshal Clarke would coast home in second with Laughlin O’Sullivan taking the final place on the overall podium.  

"Last year Antoine hurt us really bad when he beat us on the last stage at Sno*Drift," said Higgins, "These difficult conditions can change so quickly and you never know what you are going to get.  That just makes me pleased to set the year off and get the points in the bag. Now I am looking forward to getting on the gravel at the Rally in the 100 Acre Wood."

The win at Sno*Drift will be significant in Higgins bid for yet another Championship title in 2014, taking all things into consideration, another title for Higgins is highly likely in 2014.  

 With Ken Block only contesting three rounds of the Rally America Championship in 2014, he will not factor into Championship contention, regardless if he were to win all of the three rounds that he enters.

Rally America fans will also see the return of Travis Pastrana in 2014, but it’s unlikely he will be on pace with either Higgins or L’Estage for that matter in his first few outings.

It’s also unlikely that Subaru will let Pastrana and Higgins go head to head.  

 

 

Although Antoine L’Estage has proven his worth; it has been apparent for some time that his Mitsubishi is no match for the ongoing development budget of the Subaru STI and the Ford Fiesta of Block. Nonetheless, with all that been said, we really do expect to see some great action at each rally this year, regardless of a true challenge on Higgins for the Championship.

In the SP Class, along with his overall podium finish, Lauchlin O’Sullivan took away the victory in SP at Sno*Drift, but he will be feeling the pressure throughout the year from young  guns Dillon Van Way and Nick Roberts who finished respectively in second and third behind Lauchlin.

"It's great to make a comeback after such a difficult 2013 season," said O'Sullivan, "To come out and get this was a work in discipline, especially when there are four up-and-coming SP drivers to compete against. I had to drive in these icy conditions not too fast or too slow. I just had to keep doing my thing and not worry about what the others are doing. I just avoided that one 'gotcha' that could end it."

The return of #46, after a 4 year hiatus, Matt Johnson makes a return to Rally America with a victory at Sno*Drift 2014. Photo Matt Johnson /FB  

In 2WD, Scion Racing Rally xD's new driver, Matthew Johnson, paired with co-driver Jeremy Wimpey took his first victory after spending four seasons away from the sport. Johnson was expecting a challenge from Ford Racing's Andrew Comrie-Picard, but the anticipated battle never materialized following Comrie-Picard losing 35 minutes from getting stuck in a snow bank.

"I'm really happy with this result," commented Johnson, "I've been mentally preparing myself to get back in the driver seat for a couple of years and I'm really fortunate to have this opportunity by Scion Racing. They prepared a great car with a special engine for Sno*Drift, and it really paid off for the team. I couldn't be more excited for the rest of this year!"

James Robinson and Jordan Guitar grab third in
2wd in their B-SPEC Honda. Photo Alex Haugen

Comrie-Picard's misfortune helped move brothers Troy Miller and co-driver Jeremy Miller into second place for their first ever national podium. Troy Miller is in the hunt for the 2014 Rookie of the Year. Honda Performance Development's James Robinson and Jordan Guitar took third for their second 2WD category podium and also took the B-SPEC Class victory in the process. Robinson is the reigning 2013 B-SPEC Champion and he took an important first step in defending his title.

We expect to see ACP come charging back at 100AW next month,  Andrew and Team O’Neil are also expected to debut the new Ford Fiesta R3, which is a turbo charged version.

As mentioned the 100AW rally is next up on the Rally America calendar, although we do not have confirmation yet, we fully expect to see Ken Block and Alex Gelsomeno  on the start line. Travis Pastrana is already on the entry list. Hopefully we will not see the snowy conditions we had in 2013, so drivers can go all out on the fast flowing stages.

 

For more information check in with www.rally-america.com

 

Sources: Rally America.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rally America: Antoine L’Estage Returns with the Tiburon

The Shark gets a New Livery for The New England Forest Rally  Photo/ Libra Racing

 

Newry, ME. – July 20, 2013. With four rounds of the 2013 Rally America Championship in the bag, defending champion David Higgins of the Subaru Rally Team is holding a commanding grasp on the 2013 championship point’s race as we head to Maine for round five. Canadian Antoine L’Estage and co-driver Nathalie Richard have reigned supreme in Maine taking the victory at the New England Forest Rally in the past three years.  It was also in Maine in 2010 where Rockstar Energy Team clinched the 2010 Rally America Championship.  L’Estage and Richard will return to Maine next weekend in their old Tiburon to chase down a fourth victory in a row.

The 2013 season has been a mixed bag to date for the RockStar Energy Team of L’Estage and Richard. After a dramatic come-from-behind victory at Sno*Drift in January, their luck has gone from bad to worse. At round number two, Rally in the 100 Acre Woods, the team would suffer a DNF due to overheating on day one.  At The Oregon Trail Rally in May, where the team would debut the WRC Mitsubishi, a very rare mistake by Antoine on stage 9 resulted in a spectacular crash.  Fortunately, both Antoine and Nathalie were able to walk away unharmed.  The WRC Mitsubishi did not come off as well suffering significant damage and therefore the car was returned to England for repairs.

Antoine had planned to run the WRC Mitsubishi throughout the 2013 Rally America Championship. To help fund this program L’Estage rented his trusty EvoX to Ritfat Sungkar for 2013. With the WRC car back in England and Ritfat in his regular car, Antoine was without a car for STPR and therefore was forced to miss round 4.  

With sponsor commitments on the line L’Estage looked to rent a car for Maine.  “We looked at several cars and were close to a deal on one, but for various reasons it did not happen,” said L’Estage. Without a confirmed car in place, it was looking somewhat bleak for L’Estage and Richard to make their return to the Rally American Championship in Maine.

 It was then that John Buffum of Libra Racing suggested that Antoine use his old Tiburon. The Tiburon was retired from competition in 2009 when Antoine moved to the Mitsubishi EvoX.  

Antoine has had a lot of success in the Tiburon in the past, although somewhat dated now, it may still factor in Maine. Photo Neil McDaid

 “The car has not been used in the Rally America Championship in several years.  There was a lot of work to get everything in place,” said Antoine. “I have to give a big thanks to John and his team at Libra Racing for working so hard to get the car ready.  We will get a test in the car early next week so we can get a felling for everything again and give the car a good shakedown.” 

Although the Tiburon was a very competitive car down through the years for Libra racing, it’s now somewhat dated against the WRC-based Ford Fiesta of Ken Block and the Subaru of David Higgins.  Antoine will also have to adjust back to the mechanical diffs, and will lose the advantage of the sequential box for a dog box. When asked what his goal for Maine was Antoine’s answer was simple, “I am going all out. I have won this rally for the past three years and I will try really hard to make it four. I always go out to win.”

Without question, Antoine will definitely have his work cut out for him to get the victory, as it’s also a must win for Ken Block to keep his championship hopes alive.  But as we have seen in the past, Antoine and Nathalie excel in Maine, and with Block and Higgins chasing the championship, anything can happen. Stay tuned for updates throughout the rally.

For spectator information and the most up to date news, check out www.rally-america.com

By Neil McDaid

 

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

 

 

Antoine L'Estage Brings WRC Mitsubishi To Rally America - TESTING VIDEO FROM CZECH REPUBLIC

 

 

Montréal (Québec), April 2, 2013.-

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 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

 

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

 

Rally America: Battle at The 100AW

Salem, Missouri. After the first four stages of the Rally In The 100AW 2013, Ken Block, who was faced with the daunting task of running first on the road, had somehow managed to open a 19 second lead on Subaru team driver David Higgins after the first leg of the rally. Unfortunately for Ken and his co-driver Alex Gelsomino their impressive drive on the very icy stages would be slowed by an off on SS6. Ken came over a blind crest less than a mile into the stage and hit a patch of glare ice, his Hoonigan Racing Fiesta collided with a large metal gate, proceeded to then take out an 18inch gate before mowing down several small trees before coming to rest in a rest in a farm yard some 6 feet below the road level. Block would have to miss the final stage of day one.  But, his crew has worked throughout the night to repair the car.  All going well Block will return for Day 2 under the super rally rule.

 

 

A very disappointed Antoine L’Estage and co-driver Nathalie Richard, who had been running second on the road, would see the Rockstar energy sponsored Mitsubishi Evo X be sidelined with overheating issues after only 4 stages. Antoine had posted the fastest time on SS2, throwing down his marker on what could have been a great battle over the two days of competition.

 

Not the way David Higgins and Craig Drew would have liked to inherit the lead, but that’s rally and they will take it. Higgins eased into the rally conceding stage victories to Block, L’Estage and Burke before taking the stage victory on SS4. Heading into day two David is now faced with the task of running first on the road. They have over a four minute buffer to Joseph Burke who has now moved to second.

Despite being off the pace of the front runners, Privateer Joseph Burke in his “Snowwhite” Mitsubishi now finds himself in second overall with just over a minute buffer to Laughlin O’Sullivan in third. Burke would be well advised to not go chasing after Higgins over the unknowing conditions on day two but more focus on maintaining, if not adding to his cushion on Laughlin. Burke set the fasted time on SS3 the short but always spectacular Spectator Special in Potosi.

Scion Racing's driver Andrew Comrie-Picard (ACP) and co-driver  Jeremy Wimpey have eased their Scion XD to a razor thin margin over Dillon Van Way in the Fiesta to lead the 2WD battle heading into day two. ACP has only a 14-second lead on Van Way setting up for a tight battle over the final ten stages of the rally.

 

Rally 100AW 2013 - “It’s Not the Size of the Dog in the Fight, It’s the Size of the Fight in the Dog”

Salem, Missouri.  Taking a quote from one of Missouri’s most famous pen men, Mark Twain, “It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog,” I feel that the battle that is about to unfold at Round 2 of the 2013 Rally America Championship will come down to who is willing fight to the bitter end, regardless of the size of the team behind them.

All three of the contenders in this battle are more than capable of taking it to each other. David Higgins comes in with the backing of years of experience from Vermont Sports Car and the development they have poured into his Subaru STI and that willingness to change any part on the car, twice, if needed.

Ken Block brings a newly found pace from his WRC experience and a car of WRC caliber; which is not always a blessing with its mechanical differential, I might add [high speed spins]. Antoine L’Estage comes in with the most seat time and that always mysteriously prepared Libra Racing Mitsubishi.

 

I can’t say for sure if defending Rally America Champion David Higgins has compiled a bucket list, but if he has I would bet there is a box he would like to check off, “beating Ken Block and Antoine L’Estage at Rally in the 100 Acre Wood!”

Although Higgins and co-driver Craig Drew are currently sitting second in the championship, since his return to U.S. Rally, Higgins has been frustrated twice in Missouri. David lost out to Antoine L’Estage in 2011 and again to Ken Block in 2012. But this could very well be Higgins’ year. Should the weather conditions hold as currently forecasted, it is looking like the dust that slowed Higgins charge on Block last year will not be a factor. To ensure the best chance of victory, Higgins and his Team Subaru STI must  throw the caution notes out the window and open big right out of the gate, ultimately  they must be leading going into day two.

Of course, there will be the possibility of sweeping some loose gravel on the stages when running first on the road, but this is only an issue over the first 2-3 stages.

Although we are expecting rain on the Thursday before the rally, both competitive days of the rally as shown as dry at the time of this post.  Water does drain off fast in the Ozark Plateau so, although I don’t expect major dust, we could see some lingering dust going into the closing night stages, it will be a big advantage to be out front at that point. With my expectations of a big push from David Higgins, I will give him a very slight margin to take the overall victory at 100AW next weekend, but as mentioned it will require that the Manx Man not hold back and go all out; not unlike the pace we saw at STPR last year as he clawed his way back to the podium.

Mr. Block has been ruler of all things rally in Missouri.  Although I truly believe that Ken and his long standing co-driver Alex Gelsomino are more than capable of making it # 7 in Salem next Saturday night, they are not unbeatable. Ken’s biggest challenge at 100AW may very well come from himself. Although it is great to win every stage, it is not required for victory, so Block would be well advised to manage his pace.

This is the fastest rally on the Rally America calendar and can, for the most part, be very forgiving should a driver get in the wrong side of the crowned stages.  But it can also take you out in a heartbeat. Every other year the organizers will swap the stage configuration around a little to keep drivers from becoming complacent.  I have to say that the 2013, layout is my least favorite configuration. As Travis Pastrana can also attest to, heading into the  opening stage” Floyd Tower” with the bit between your teeth can prove disastrous.  This is a very deceptive stage with some nasty off camber turns. Pastrana barely made it a mile into this test in 2011, before wrecking hard.

Although nothing can be taken away from Block’s victories at 100AW, he will be the first to tell you they came with a lot of luck. After battling with Ken for victory at 100AW for many years, Pastrana would come closest to unseating Block in 2010; Pastrana was well ahead at the mid-point on day two only to be sidelined by a simple off.

Ken got away with a few big spins in 2012, and also recovered from a puncture to claim victory number 6. With the increased pressure I am expecting from Higgins in the Subaru, I feel it is vital for Ken and Alex to have a super clean run in their Hoonigan Racing Ford Fiesta to keep the streak alive.

Antoine “The Fox” L’Estage comes in with the smallest of the teams going for the outright victory.  L’Estage and co-driver Nathalie Richard are coming into round two as the point’s leaders after their victory at Sno*Drift last month.
Although I do expect to see Antoine setting some fast stage times on the opening day, I can’t see him pushing the same all-out  pace I expect from Higgins and Block. We should expect a more cunning approach from the sly Canadian in his Rockstar Energy charged Mitsubishi.

Antoine will keep both Higgins and Block within reach and should the opportunity arise expect him to mount an attack late on day two. The final stages of this rally are run in the dark and, ironically, they are stages that suit L’Estage and Richard very well. I swear I have seen his eyes turn green at night!

Rounding out our top five predictions for 100AW, we expect to see an interesting battle between another vetern rally dog and an up and coming pup!

Both Lauchlin O'Sullivan and Joseph Burke are coming to 100AW with cars that have just undergone a total rebuild. Laughlin will be back defending his 2012 SP title in a Subaru, while Burke will be making his first return to the Rally America Championship in over a year in a Mitsubishi. Neither should be expected to challenge for the overall victory unless there is some major retirements, but taking into consideration that one of the top three could very well DNF, an overall podium finish for either is not out of the question. Barring no mechanical issues, I would give the edge to Burke, as his flat out style in not unlike that of Block’s and these stages reward pace.

Coming off an overall podium finish at Sno*Drift, Andrew Comrie-Picard (ACP) will have the big push on at 100AW to add to his 2WD championship points tally over the Ford Fiesta brigade.  After running his Scion Racing XD naturally aspirated at Sno*Drift , ACP’s  mechanics have now bolted the turbo back on the XD for more grunt on the long fast stages of 100AW.

With the absence of Chris Duplessis in the 2013 2WD championship, Ford will be hoping that Dillon Van Way and his new co-driver Andrew Edwards will make for a winning combination. Van Way will also be running a turbo charged Fiesta. This could very well be Dillon’s moment to shine, but it will require a little more push on his part to better the experience of ACP.

 Ford Racing/Team O’Neil driver “Fast Eddie” McNelly is also expected to be in the 2WD hunt at 100AW. McNelly got up close and personal with a tree in 2012, while battling ACP.  Although I don’t expect the pace of days gone by, Tim O’Neil makes a welcome return to stage rally this week. Tim will take to the wheel of one of his fleet of R2 Fiestas.  He will be joined by SP championship co-driver Terry Hanson. Maybe, just maybe, we will see some of the magic that Tim dished out in his VW Golf back in the day.

100 Acre Wood Rally 2013 Stage 1 Start Order

Position	Car #	Driver / CoDriver	Class	Vehicle	Speed Factor
1	43	Ken Block / Alessandro Gelsomino	O	2012 Ford Fiesta H.F.H.V	107.22
2	75	David Higgins / Craig Drew	O	2013 Subaru WRX STI	101.49
3	17	Antoine L'Estage / Nathalie Richard	O	2011 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X	100.51
4	90	Lauchlin O'Sullivan / Scott Putnam	SP	2008 Subaru WRX-STI	87.58
5	115	Joseph Burke / Alexander Kihurani	Overall		84.16
6	425	Adam Yeoman / Jordan Schulze	O	2007 Subaru WRX STI	81.81
7	14	David Sterckx / Karen Jankowski	SP	2011 Subaru STI	74.95
8	77	Viorel Dobasu / Karl Atkinson	O	2011 Mitsubishi Evolution X	73.11
9	20	Andrew Comrie-Picard / Jeremy Wimpey	G5	2012 Scion xD	72.18
10	669	Evan Cline / Jake Blattner	SP	2005 Subaru Impreza WRX STi	72.07
11	339	Chris O'Driscoll / Lori O'Driscoll	SP	2007 Subaru WRX	70.41
12	94	Peter Fetela / Ray Vambuts	O	1998 Subaru Impreza STi	70.28
13	550	Justin Pritchard / Ryan Scott	L	2001 Subaru Impreza	68.68
14	377	Mason Moyle / John Hall	SP	2011 Subaru Impreza WRX STI	68.06
15	600	Dillon Van Way / Andrew Edwards	G5	2011 Ford Fiesta	67.44
16	198	Arkadiusz Gruszka / Lukasz Wronski	O	2006 Mitsubishi EVO IX	65.62
17	313	Edward McNelly / Ole Holter	G2	2011 Ford Fiesta R2	65.58
18	319	Chris Greenhouse / Christopher Gordon	G5	2003 Dodge Neon SRT4	64.66
19	99	Garry Gill / Paddy Robinson	SP	2007 Subaru Impreza	64.53
20	44	Henry Krolikowski / Cynthia Krolikowski	O	2000 Subaru Impreza	62.49
21	30	George Plsek /	SP	2003 Mitsubishi Evo	57.85
22	718	Dustin Kasten / Corina Soto	O	1995 Subaru Impreza	57.55
23	700	Rob Weir / Daniel Norkus	O	1996 Subaru Impreza	57.21
24	660	Charles Surdyke / Kim DeMotte	L	1993 Subaru Impreza	53.23
25	888	Jari Hamalainen / Tero Maki	G2	1996 BMW 318iS	51.69
26	37	Billy Mann / Mary Warren	G2	1996 Honda Civic	51.41
27	548	Matt Bushore / Andrew Bushore	G2	1985 Volkswagen Jetta	49.5
28	824	Cameron Steely / Billy Irvin	G2	2002 Ford Focus	44.63
29	542	Matthew Conte / Ron Erickson	L	1994 Subaru Legacy	43.73
30	911	Ron Malott / Paul Malott	G2	2001 VW Jetta VR6	43.09
31	11	Matt Brandenburg / Brian Huntsbarger	G2	1994 BMW e36	43.08
32	244	Ian Topping / Jeff Secor	G2	1980 Volvo 242	41.5
33	298	Christy Carlson / Krista Skucas	O	2002 Subaru WRX	40.33
34	902	James Robinson / Jordan Guitar	P	2009 Honda Fit	39.33
35	636	Samir Kaltak / Rachelle Kaltak	L	1997 Subaru Impreza	38.41
36	335	Verena Mei / Leanne Junnila	G2	2011 Ford Fiesta	37.6
37	696	Bryan Holder / Tracy Payeur	G2	1996 Plymouth Neon	36.16
38	353	Rory Gardiner / Steven Harrell	L	2005 Subaru Impreza 2.5RS	31.31
39	661	Kevin Young / James Dallman	L	1993 subaru impreza	30.7
40	165	Ryan Wilcox / Rebecca Ruston	O	1996 Subaru OBSTi	29.7
41	48	Michael Bond / Jack Penley	O	2006 Subaru Impreza STI	27.46
42	363	James Haas / Misha Avrushenko	G2	1992 Mazda MX-3	26.72
43	602	Brian Schwantner / David Schwantner	G2	1996 Volkswagen Golf	20.48
44	553	Anthony Wood / Sam Wood	G5	1983 Chevy Citation	20.44
45	237	Micah Nickelson / Tyler Ptacek	G2	1987 Volkswagon Golf GTI	19.17
46	25	Aaron Hargis /	G2	1992 Nissan Sentra SE-R	15.24
47	605	Jeff Keller / Jason McDaniel	G2	1963 Saab 96
48	573	Neil Salmons / Brian Penza	P	2008 Honda Civic Si
49	202	Nick Roberts / Nick Judkins	SP	2012 Subaru Impreza WRX STI
50	789	Zach Williams / Kyle Williams	G2	1992 Ford Festiva
51	737	Damian Van Dillen / Matthew Molitor	L	1990 Subaru Legacy
52	39	Futoshi Murase / Kieran Wright	G2	2001 Ford Focus ZX3
53	773	Markus Saarinen / Alicia Saarinen	G2	2003 Mini Cooper
54	575	Christopher Martise / Dylan Stevens	L	1996 Subaru Impreza
55	213	Stephen Sherry / Makisa Sherry	G2	2002 Ford Focus SVT
56	107	Edward Stiefvater / Keith Hummel	P	2013 Ford Fiesta
57	100	William Lauze / Maggie Stiefvater	G2	2011 Ford Fiesta
58	63	Scott Harvey / Brian Arpke	G2	2002 Mitsubishi Lancer
59		David Jefferies /	Overall
60	175	Brent Hercelinsky / Juan Orozco	G2	2012 Ford Fiesta R2
61	19	Timothy Penasack / Marc Goldfarb	SP	2007 Subaru Impreza WRX STi
62	701	Richard Miller / Juanita Miller	G5	1995 Ford Mustang GT
63	154	Travis Clark / Kendal Clark	L	1985 Audi Quattro
64	864	Erik Hill / Chris Van Den Elzen	G2	2001 Ford Focus
65	375	Panos Karpidas /	G2	2012 Ford Fiesta
66	29	Tim O'Neil / Terry Hanson	G2	2012 Ford Fiesta R2

Stay tuned for regular updates with the very best of images throughout the weekend.

Photos and Words by Neil McDaid