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

Ken Block "The Fastest, The Biggest Wreck That I've Ever Had In My Career"

February 17th, 2014 Park City, UT: 2013 was a hugely successful race season for Hoonigan Racing Division’s Ken Block, a driver who happened to have the most diverse and interesting racing schedule of last year.
Now, in preparation for the start of his 2014 race season, Block has released a video that shows and explains how he ended up 2nd overall in the Rally America Championship, after his chase at the title came to an abrupt, and brutal, end back in October at the final event, the Lake Superior Performance Rally.

Due to two simple letters (“in”) missing in his pace notes on one of the final stages of the event, Block and Gelsomino ended up cart wheeling down one of the final stages of the season, end over end, before coming to a stop against a tree.

The missing “in” allowed Block to go slightly wide around a very safe looking corner where his rear wheel went into the weeds and got caught up on a small clump of dirt, sending the Ford Fiesta HFHV into the air. While the crash was violent, the pair were fortunate to walk away from the championship-ending incident with minimal injury.

“This video is a tough one for me to watch,” said Block. “On the one hand, I’m proud of the fact that even after going through such a brutal crash, my first instinct was to try and get the car started again and press on. On the other, I’m still bummed that we were so close to winning the championship and that we lost it in such a spectacular fashion.

At the end of the day though, I’m grateful that the car did the job it was supposed to do and that I get to continue racing.” Block and Gelsomino’s run at the Rally America championship will have to wait another year however.

While the duo will be making their first competitive appearance of 2014 together at Rally in the 100 Acre Wood in Salem, Missouri—an event they’ve won six times previously—they’re unable to contest the entire season due to schedule conflicts with other race events. For details on Block’s race schedule for 2014, as well as seeing the debut of his all-new livery, stay tuned, as he’ll be dropping both on February 17th.

Source ; Hoonigan Racing

From Concord Pond to the House of Drift, David Sterckx heads to the Summer XGAMES

David Sterckx on the attack last weekend on the infamous Concord Pond, the opening stage of the 2013 New England Forest Rally, Sterckx will now turn his hand to RallyCross this coming weekend at Summer XGames. Photo: Neil McDaid

 

Irwindale, CA, July 30th 2013:  After winning his class at the New England Forest rally race this past weekend, David Sterckx now prepares to compete at the Summer X Games in Los Angeles on August 2nd, 2013. The opportunity to race at the X Games came about as Sterckx was working on putting a deal together to race in the Global Rallycross series.

“The chance to race at X Games in Los Angeles has been my goal for a long time now; I am very excited to be able to compete there this year. One minute I am working on a deal to race, the Global Rallycross later this season and then this opportunity came up. I can’t wait to race against the best in rallycross from around the world” stated Sterckx.

 

David Sterckx will be driving one of the Rhys Millen Hyundai's ironically the Veloster Rally Cross car was debuted at Irwindale Speedway in 2012: Action Photo By Neil McDaid/ Rally World New

 

Teaming up with Rhys Millen Racing, Sterckx will be driving a Hyundai Veloster for this event and possibly more in the future.

 

Sterckx explained, “I am really looking forward to teaming up with such an accomplished racer as Rhys Millen. He has so much experience that I can learn from about rallycross and the Hyundai Veloster, this is a great opportunity.”

“I am very thankful for the wonderful support my sponsors are providing me so that I can make the X Games event happen. Ardeca Lubricants, Always Evolving, Exedy, and Oakley have all made this possible” stated Sterckx.

Currently leading the Rally America Super Production rally championship, Sterckx’s goal for the season is to win that championship and secure funding to do the full season of GRC next year and the Rally America championship. Being able to compete earlier than expected in the Global Rallycross Series at X Games will help Sterckx get valuable television and new fan exposure to help in his sponsorship efforts.

“X Games Los Angeles is really an incredible event and experience to be able to compete in. To be able to be a part of that, to meet the best from not only rallycross but also athletes from all different sports, and to be able to have my family, friends, and sponsors all there at the event will be incredible” explained Sterckx.

Sterckx is originally from Belgium and now lives in Los Angeles. He has raced in a wide range of series around the world including competing in the Belgium rally championship, Toyota Atlantic Series, FIA GT World championship, 24hr of Spa Francorchamps, Belgium Touring Car Championship, Formula Nissan, and Formula Renault series. In addition to car racing, Sterckx is also an accomplished European Equestrian Grand Prix rider and trainer.

The Global Rallycross series will be a challenging new series for him to compete in against some of the best in the world. Sterckx wouldn’t have it any other way because what motivates him most is to race against the best of the best, like those at this year’s X Games Los Angeles.

 

Action Photos: Neil McDaid /Rally World News

 

Brendan Reeves takes the Victory for Ford over International podium at New England Forest Rally

 

Brendan Reeves and Co-driver Rhianon Smyth [center] celebrate victory over fellow Australians  Will Orders and co-driver Toni Feaver  [left] who finished second, with Canadian driver Andrew Comrie-Picard  and his American co-driver Jeremy Wimpey rounding  out the podium in third. Photo: Neil McDaid / RallyWorldNews

 

Newry, Maine, July 27th: Brendan Reeves and Rhianon Smyth have won the two-wheel drive category of the New England Forest Rally in Maine, USA, taking an incredible fifth outright in the process.

Driving their Team O'Neil Ford Fiesta R2, it is the Australian pairing's third consecutive category win from the three events they have contested in the Rally America series.
Heading into the second day, Reeves was second in two-wheel drive, trailing fellow Australian, Will Orders, but ahead of all the Rally America title contenders.

With a consistent run over the second day's stages, he was able to move into the lead, and jumped from an overnight 10th outright, to finish fifth."I'm really stoked to get another win," Reeves said at the finish of the event."The day was kind to us. We had a great drive through SS8 in the roughest road of the event, pulling lots of time back, and then Will had some issues and penalties later on.

"We bent a rear beam and damaged our exhaust, but the car kept pushing on and came out on top once again.
"Rhi did and awesome job and Team O'Neil were fantastic to work with."
Reeves and Smyth have now closed the gap to two-wheel drive championship leader, Andrew Comrie-Picard, with two events still to run in the series.

The next round of the Rally America series is the Ojibwe Forests Rally in Michigan on August 23 and 24.

Final 2WD standings - New England Forest Rally
1. Brendan Reeves / Rhianon Smyth, Ford Fiesta R2, 1h48m26.2s
2. Will Orders / Toni Feaver, Toyota GT86, +1h50m46.6s
3. Andrew Comrie-Picard / Jeremy Wimpey, Scion xD, 1h52m40.3s

Rally America: Ken Block keeps Championship hopes alive with his victory at the 2013 New England Forest Rally

Ken Block and Alex Gelsomino power through the last stage to take victory by a narrow margin. Photo Neil McDaid/RallyWorldNews

Newry, ME (July 28, 2013) --Hoonigan Racing's Ken Block and Alex Gelsomino won their first New England Forest Rally (NEFR), round 5 of the Rally America National Championship, on July 26-27^th headquartered in Newry, Maine after a closely fought battle with Subaru Rally Team USA's David Higgins and Craig Drew. The margins between the two teams were incredibly thin and either could have snatched victory. Subaru Rally Team USA drove a nearly flawless event and pushed the Hoonigan camp hard all weekend, but Block and Gelsomino persevered with a 6.5 second buffer at the end.

 

Block and Gelsomino's NEFR nearly came to an end when their Ford Fiesta H.F.H.V. experienced electrical problems on stage 11. They had no intercom communications for nearly 13 miles before the alternator quit on the transit back to service. Open Class rivals Rifat Sungkar and Steve Lancaster, who were in fourth place overall at the time, graciously towed the Hoonigan Racing Team back to the service area so Hoonigan Racing Team could complete repairs and continue their race.

"It took a bit of good luck, it was a great battle with Subaru," said Block, "I know a couple of these stages, so I put the hammer down and built a bit of a lead. I had some small problems and then a big problem with the alternator going out. What a struggle, I put everything into it, and drove my heart out."

Subaru Rally Team Driver David Higgins piled on the pressure to try and close the gap on Ken Block, he would come up just a little short, nonetheless Higgins still holds a firm grip on the championship points lead. Photo Neil McDaid / RallyWorldNews

 

 

The New England Forest Rally marks Ken Block's second consecutive Rally America National Championship victory having won the Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally last June. David Higgins currently leads the Championship Standings, but Block still has a mathematical chance at the title if he outright wins the final two rounds of the season.

 

Rifat Sungkar and Steve Lancaster were able to climb from fourth place to third overall to complete the NEFR podium with a little luck. Over the course of the weekend Sungkar saw a few competitors ahead of him fail to finish. The Rockstar Energy Drink Rally Team of Antoine L'Estage and Nathalie Richard ultimately broke their wheel bolts on stage 11, and privateers Joseph Burke and Alex Kihurani went off on stage 6 and were unable to continue. That left Sungkar alone in third place.

 

The pace and the tough stages at the 2013 New England Forest Rally was just a little much for the Tiburon that Antoine L'Estage took out of retirement for this rally. Photo Joel Sanford / RallyWorldNews

 

Notably L'Estage and Richard have won the New England Forest Rally the last three years in a Mitsubishi EVO X and looked to add their fourth overall victory to keep their streak alive. This time they competed with a Tiburon rally car that has seen plenty of rally action in the past, but the team experienced problems that effectively ended their event on the second day.

David Sterckx and Karen Jankowski get their rally off to a flying start with a hard charge down the opening stage of the rally, the infamous "Concord Pond" Photo; Neil McDaid / RallyWorldNews

 

 

In the Super Production Class, David Sterckx and Karen Jankowski notched a third consecutive class win and also placed fourth overall in the event. This is their fourth podium finish since failing to finish the Rally America season opener Sno*Drift Rally in January. This NEFR win extends their SP Class standings total while keeping third place in the overall Championship standings.

"The New England Forest Rally was hard because of all the sharp rocks," added Sterckx, "We broke some things, but we fixed it all in service and it was good enough to win."

Super Production's Mason Moyle and John Hall took second in the class after an exciting battle with Rookie of the Year contenders Nick Roberts and Nick Judkins. Over the course of the weekend Moyle lost second place to Roberts, yet later snatched the position back when Roberts suffered a strut failure on stage 11. Moyle had suspension damage as well; only he was able to carry enough speed to overtake Roberts and win by 6.1 seconds. This is Moyle's third podium finish this year and Robert's first in his rally career.

 

Keeping the streak alive, Australians Rhianon Smyth and Brendan Reeves celebrate yet another overall podium finish in two wheel drive in their Team O'Neil /Ford Racing R2 Fiesta. Photo: Neil McDaid / RallyWorldNews

 

The Two-Wheel Drive category was an absolute knockdown fight won when Australia's Brendan Reeves and Rhianon Smyth finally overtook fellow Australian rivals Will Orders and Toni Feaver on stage 11. Orders jumped into the lead on stage 1 and fended off Reeves until Orders overheated his brakes on the more technical stages of the event. Reeves seized this opportunity to take the lead with his Ford Fiesta R2. The 2WD win is Reeves and Smyth's third top podium finish since joining the Championship at the Oregon Trail Rally.

Said Reeves, "We've been driving these (Ford Fiesta R2's) for a few years, so we have the experience to win. Car is driving great, we have three wins now, next... we'll try for four."

 

Will Orders made a return to the New England Rally in his newly developed Toyota GT86, despite leading for most of the rally, problems slowed Orders on day two, he would eventually finish 2nd in 2WD. Photo : Neil McDaid / RallyWorldNews 

 

 

Will Orders had won the 2WD Class at the 2012 New England Forest Rally. This time he takes another podium with a newly built Nameless Performance Toyota GT86, the first of its kind in America.

Current 2WD national standings leader Andrew Comrie-Picard and Jeremy Wimpey were able to preserve their points lead by taking third place in class. The team overcame early gearbox problems in their Scion xD and drove a fantastic race to come back as far down as 7^th in class to the podium. Comrie-Picard and Wimpey have made the podium every event this year and just needs to keep that trend going in order to finish the season with their first 2WD national title.

 

Team Honda Research's James Robinson and Ross Forde won Rally America's B-Spec category. Tracy Gardiner and Nigel McGinn took second place. Robinson was a one man show driving and crewing for his Honda Fit, and squeaked out the win running his Honda with a broken engine mount and limited power on the last two stages of the day.

Mark Piatkowski on his way to the regional rally victory. Photo: Joel Sanford /RallyWorldNews

 

The Maine Regional Rally and the New Hampshire Regional were both won by MAP Rally Team's Mark Piatkowski and Robert Maciejski in their Open Light Class 2000 Subaru Impreza 2.5RS.

 

Report By: Neil McDaid 

When Ken Block Attacks, "There is no doubt! It will be flat out".

 

Newry Maine, July 23, It’s a simple stretch of road that a normal everyday person might drive on to get from “a” to “b” without taking much of a notice, it’s mostly a smooth gravel surface, with a few sections of “rough” broken asphalt, and just a few blind crests along the way. But for a few hours each year this simple quiet stretch of country road transforms into one of the most hotly contested Rally stages on the Rally American Championship calender.

In stage mode, its notorious for its flat-out, tree-lined twists and turns with numerous yumps and blind crests, it is “Concord Pond” the stage that Ken Block has claimed as his own. It is one of the shortest but most exciting stages on The New England Forest Rally.

Ken set about taking ownership of the stage in 2007, when the distance was slightly longer at 5.6 miles.

Since then, when he has contested the stage, Ken was untouchable, but while Block was off racing in the WRC in 2012, Canadian Antoine L’Estage would step up the plate in his Team RockStar/Mitsubishi reset the stage record.

Now, just so we have the facts straight, the stage has seen some modification in 2012,  Ken Block and Alex Gelsomino last attacked the stage in 2009 then setting the fastest time. The changes are not significant, but the distance is slightly shorter so there is 4-5 seconds of turns that have been shaved away.

The record for this short 5.38 stage that has a stark resemblance to some of the roads used on Neste Oil Rally Finland now stands at 4:08.0

Unlike in prior years when Concord Pond was the last stage on day one and drivers could hobble back to longer service  with a blown radiator or maybe say on three wheels due to hard landings or clipping bridges. This year this epic test with be the first stage of the rally, there is very little room for error.  

Drivers will have to consider if they will attack all out, or ease into the long two rally with a conservative run on Concord Pond.  They will have two of the longer stages in the rally coming up as SS4 and SS5 both at 16 miles plus following a short stage and service at Rally HQ.

If we were to ask any of the top drivers, with  the exception of a very few what was their plan for Concord Pond, most would bury their hands in the race suit pockets, look at the ground and kick some rocks, and most definitely dismiss its importance. But deep down they all want to dethrone Block on Concord Pond.

As for Ken, I have no doubt in my mind that he will be in his normal Concord Pond mode comes Friday morning the opening day of the 2013 New England Forest Rally. It also should be noted that Ken Block has to yet claim a victory at the New England Forest Rally. Ken needs a victory this weekend to keep any hopes of his first Championship title alive

- 

 The 2wd record belongs to Mainer Chris Duplessis, Chris will unfortunately not contest the rally this year, but you can be assures his stage time will be hunted down by a pair of hard Charging Aussies, Will Orders in a Toyota 86 and Brendan Kelly in an R2 Fiesta.
So again we say- "there is no doubt! It will be flat out".

Stay tuned!

For more information check out www.rally-america.com
Photos and Word: Neil McDaid /RallyWordNews

 

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

 

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

 

KEN BLOCK HONORS QUAD-AMPUTEE WAR IN AFGHANISTAN VETERAN TAYLOR MORRIS WITH A RIDE-ALONG

 

 

February 21st, 2013, Salem, Missouri — When it comes to viral videos on the Internet, Hoonigan Racing Division’s Ken Block knows a thing or two. And, clearly, War in Afghanistan veteran, Taylor Morris, knows a few things as well.

Morris, a Navy Explosives Ordinance Disposal technician, was serving his first tour of Afghanistan in early 2012. However, in May of that year, he became the victim of an IED near Kandahar Airfield. Fortunately, Morris managed to survive the attack, but from that point forward, his entire life was changed. Morris is now a quad-amputee, who, thanks to the amazing support network of his girlfriend, his family and his friends, has been on the road to recovery at a blistering pace. In fact, Morris’ recovery efforts have been so impressive, that he and his friends even managed to put together a video demonstrating his ability to properly hoon a car and, in the process, call out HRD’s Ken Block! (video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxhUJmzTzps)

The video ended up going viral and found its way to Block’s personal email inbox. Inspired by both Morris and his story, Block reached out and invited Morris out to come ride along with him and see if, in fact, his driving was as “weak” as the video call out. Needless to say, Morris accepted the invitation and joined Block during his annual pre-Rally America Rally of the 100 Acre Wood test, held at the Sayersbrook Bison Ranch in Potosi, Missouri.

“It was an epic experience for me,” said Morris “I can't believe our idea for the video we made actually succeeded and we were invited out by one of rally’s most talented drivers in the world for a ride along. It’s been a great experience for me and all of my friends—to be here and have a good time with Ken and the whole Hoonigan Racing Divsion team. Thanks so much to everybody involved!”

“I’m inspired by Taylor,” said Block. “He sacrificed so much for our country and has been through a ton. Yet he still has this incredible outlook and attitude towards life and he’s clearly not letting what happened to him stop him from doing anything. He’s also a really funny, nice guy! It was an absolute pleasure having him and his friends out to our test this week and I think I was able to show him that I can hang with his driving skills!”

To learn more about Morris, his story and his road to rehabilitation, please visit: www.taylormorris.org

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