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 ANNOUNCES NEW OWNERSHIP AND 2012 RALLY SCHEDULE

Golden Valley, MN, September 22, 2011 – Rally America, Inc., the premier sanctioning and Rally promotion organization in the United States, announced today the seamless transition of ownership to Vermont business professional, Bill Fogg. Fogg has twenty-five years of entrepreneurial success in distribution, manufacturing, software development, telecommunications and marketing. Fogg is also a founding partner in a business development company that invests in a number of technology start-up businesses.
Managing Director, J. B. Niday, will continue in his long-standing role along with Mike Hurst, Rally America’s Competition Director, Paul Giblin, Rally America’s Director of Business Development, and Ananda Siverts, the organization’s Marketing Director. The Rally America staff, new and old, is also quick to acknowledge the founder of Rally America, Doug Havir, for his many contributions to the development of the Rally America National Championship Series.
“First, I want to express my appreciation to Doug Havir for establishing and building Rally America,” said J.B. Niday, “Bill Fogg and his team bring great, new talents and resources to Rally America, as well as fresh ideas and perspectives.”
Fogg has been working with Rally America personnel as well as professionals from other companies to assist in planning for the expansion of Rally America’s reach into homes around the globe. “I want to expose as many people as possible to Rally and turn them into rabid fans,” said Fogg, “Rally America is in a unique position to put Rally and Rallycross in front of the mainstream public.” Fogg believes that Rally America’s future success will be built on the vision and depth of its management team and a history of producing safe and exciting Rally events.
As part of that vision, social networking, live streaming, and online video channel development will be enhanced or launched during the 2012 season. “I have spoken with top performers in the sport, team owners, sponsors and manufacturers, and they all agree that now is the time to bring Rally and Rallycross to the masses,” Fogg said.
Fogg first attended a rally three years ago with his sons Jon and Tom when long-time friend and Rally driver Chris Putzier suggested they give it a try. “We had no idea what to expect at the New England Forest Rally in 2009 but we had a great time, it was a wonderful family experience with the boys and an exciting introduction to the sport of Rally,” said Fogg. “I’m thrilled with the opportunity to put my years of business experience and entrepreneurial spirit to work for Rally America.”

The 2012 Rally America National Championship Series schedule has been created in partnership with local Rally event organizers. In the upcoming season, Rally America will make the series more accessible and build more excitement for fans, sponsors, drivers, and teams.

For 2012, the six Rally events will stretch from coast to coast and are scheduled to run through September. Rally America organizers have moved the Seattle, Washington-based Olympus Rally to September from April and have pushed back the Portland, Oregon-based Oregon Trail Rally by a few weeks to allow more time between it and the Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally in Wellsboro, PA in early June. This new National Championship schedule for 2012 accomplishes two goals. First, it extends the Rally season into the fall, and secondly, it eliminates the compacting of half the Championship into less than two months. Rally America is in the process of evaluating the addition of a seventh National Championship Series event in 2013.




Sno*Drift Atlanta, MI January 27 - 28
Rally in the 100 Acre Wood Salem, MO February 24 – 25
Oregon Trail Rally Portland OR May 4 - 6
STPR , Wellsboro PA June 1 - 2
New England Forest Rally Newry, ME July 13-14
Olympus Rally Seattle, WA September 22 – 23

MONSTER WORLD RALLY TEAM - Block's New Ride

JULY 25, 2011, Los Angeles, California – Ken Block revealed his newest weapon—a multi-purpose race car, built specifically to compete in stage rally, rallycross and gymkhana events—this past weekend at the Gymkhana World Tour in Los Angeles, California.



The Hybrid Function Hoon Vehicle (H.F.H.V.), or just ‘Hybrid’ as it has been dubbed, gets its name not from its method of propulsion, but instead from its ability to transform and race at the highest level for each of these motorsport disciplines, making it one of the most unique and versatile competition vehicles ever built. 

“Many people may not realize this, but despite the fundamental similarities between stage rally, rallycross and gymkhana, in order to be the best at each, you must have specific built vehicles,” says Block. “My WRC Fiesta just can’t do what my Gymkhana Fiesta can, and vice versa. But having to campaign three separate cars is a nightmare, so we built one car that can be transformed to suit each form of racing I do on the highest level.” 

The chassis of the H.F.H.V. is based on M-Sport’s current 2011 Ford Fiesta RS WRC car, but in order to achieve the power outputs required for both rallycross and gymkhana, the 1.6L engine has been replaced with a Pipo Moteurs-built 2.0L, inline-four cylinder. This mill is based off the power plant found previously in the Ford Focus RS WRC car, a motor that has over 10 years of development.

The result is a massive 600hp and 665 ft. lbs. of torque when using the 45mm restrictor required by the Global Rally Cross series. While the 2.0l engine makes the H.F.H.V. ineligible for WRC competition, the addition of a 34mm restrictor will allow the car to compete in the Rally America series. Engine management is handled by Cosworth Electronics.

Mated to the Ford EcoBoost motor is a custom AWD system designed by Sadev. The drivetrain features a 6-speed Sadev sequential transmission and three adjustable Sadev mechanical differentials. Different gear ratios are used for each of the Hybrid’s three modes. To handle the varying surface conditions, specific Reiger suspension set-ups have been developed for each of the three modes. 

“The H.F.H.V. is the best of all worlds for me,” says Block. “The current WRC Fiesta is the greatest handling car I have driven, but it lacks the sheer grunt that the 2.0L engine in the WRC Focus created. The H.F.H.V. brings those two things together, and the result is a manic beast that is just too much fun to drive.”  

The transformations from each of the modes range from half a day, to a whole day’s work. The rallycross and gymkhana set-ups are the most similar, but each discipline still requires different gear ratios, entirely different suspension settings, as well as a different wheel and tire combo in addition to engine mapping adjustments. The conversion to stage rally, however, is even more involved, including an entire relocation of the cooling system from back to front, a smaller brake set-up, the addition of a Recaro Ultima seat for a co-driver, a smaller turbo and items such as functional headlights to replace the faux lamps to make the H.F.H.V. road worthy. 

The H.F.H.V. was a collaborative project between the Monster World Rally Team and a assortment of some of the world’s top technical partners.  

Ken Block will race the H.F.H.V. at Summer X Games 17, taking place in Los Angeles, California, July 30th and 31st. Until then, follow the team at monsterworldrallyteam.com, facebook.com/KenBlockRacing and facebook.com/MonsterWorldRallyTeam.

Higgins Nips L'Estage For a Hotly Contested Susquehannock Trail Rally Win

Wellsboro, PA (June 5th, 2011)  -- Subaru Rally Team USA's David Higgins and co-driver Craig Drew win the 2011 Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally (STPR) by a narrow margin of 1.3 seconds over rivals Antoine L'Estage and Nathalie Richard. Higgins had a 37 second deficit halfway through day two after losing intercom at the start of Stage 8 and puncturing a tire on Stage 9, but came back to lead the rally by 2.5 seconds going into the final stage. This is the third time Higgins has taken the outright STPR win in his career, having won the event back in 2002 and 2003.

The Rockstar Mitsubishi crew of Antoine L'Estage and co-driver Nathalie Richard finished in a close second place after controlling the rally lead up until the second to last stage. The privateer driver set a blistering pace from the start despite being down on power and went on to win six of the event's fourteen stages including both passes of the Super Special at the Tioga Fairgrounds.

The Susquehannock Trail Rally is round five of the six-round Rally America Championship and is based in Wellsboro, PA. STPR features some of the fastest, roughest gravel stages in the Series with technical sections and 'gotcha's' scattered throughout. Severe dust caused visibility issues until about Stage 8, when heavy rains in the area challenged teams with slippery roads. The changing weather conditions contributed to an already heavy rate of attrition, putting several of the top crews and many regional competitors out of the event or out of contention.

The podium was rounded out by Ramana Lagemann and co-driver Chrissie Beavis, who once again placed third overall and first in the Super Production (SP) class. Lagemann nearly retired from the rally early on day two after running out of fuel on Stage 7 only three miles from the finish. Lagemann's Subaru sputtered to a stop on the following transit, but rival SP class driver Travis Hanson displayed excellent sportsmanship by towing him back to Service. Travis Hanson and co-driver Terry Hanson placed fourth overall and second in class, clinching the 2011 Super Production title at STPR. The remainder of the Super Production field fell victim to attrition, leaving Lagemann and Hanson as the only crews in the class to finish the event.

In Two-Wheel-Drive (2WD) competition, Chris Greenhouse piloted his 1995 Plymouth Neon to his first-ever National class victory. Greenhouse and co-driver Billy Mann finished sixth overall with a 38 second lead over the second fastest team in their class and were the quickest 2WD crew on both passes of the Super Special. Brian Gottlieb and co-driver Pat Darrow placed second in class in their 1989 Honda Civic with a comfortable cushion of over one minute on Dillon Van Way. Van Way and co-driver Jake Blattner placed third in 2WD despite losing time on Stage 7 after rolling their 2011 Ford Fiesta.

2010 Two-Wheel-Drive champion Chris Duplessis is the first in North America to build and field a Ford Fiesta R2, which made its U.S. debut at STPR. Duplessis and co-driver Catherine Woods' rally came to a disappointing end after breaking a control arm tie rod near the finish of Stage 12. Duplessis was sitting sixth overall and was well over 8 minutes ahead of his 2WD rivals when he retired.

The 2011 Rally America National Championship comes down to the wire at the sixth and final round, the New England Forest Rally based in Newry, Maine this July 15-16.

Hanson and Hanson Head West for Round Three of the Rally America Championship

Hanson focused on Super Production title in Washington

Littleton, NH, 26th April 2011 - Travis Hanson will begin next weekend's Olympus Rally holding the lead in

both the overall standings, and the Super Production class standings, yet his feet remain firmly on the ground
as his aim is the Super Production championship.

As usual, Travis will be co-driven by his father Terry. The pair are looking to deliver a good result, after last

 years disappointment on the Washington based Olympus Rally.

To-date in 2011, the Hansons have enjoyed an unprecedented level of success, which began in the first round

of the championship when they steered their Super Production specification 2007 Subaru Impreza WRX STi

to outright victory at the Sno*Drift rally.

In claiming the overall win they became the first ever Super Production class competitors to win a

Rally America National event outright, and in-turn assumed their deserved place in the Rally America history.

Following up the victory at Sno*Drift, the T. Hanson Motorsports' pairing delivered another good

performance at the Rally in the 100 Acre Wood in Missouri, as they claimed fourth overall, and first

in their class.

The long break between the second and third rounds of the Championship left Travis longing to get back

behind the wheel. "I am excited to get back in the car after a long break in the schedule. Some of the roads

at Olympus are my favorites because of the beautiful scenery and because of their fast flowing nature,"

said Travis.

Speaking of the challenge they face in keeping ahead of the manufacturer backed entries,

Travis said "It will be hard to stay in front of the charging open class cars of SRT USA and L’Estage,

 if we have another strong finish, it is still possible for us to continue to lead the overall championship."

Even though Travis is more than happy to sit at the top of the outright championship standings, he has

made it clear that his focus is on the Super Production title. "This however is not our main goal” he says.

The next three rounds of the championship comprise the Olympus Rally (April 30 - May 1), Oregon

Trail Rally (May 13 - 15) and Susquehannock Trail Rally (June 3 - 4), and with all in fairly close succession,

Travis believes consistency is the key.

"The next events are all within 5 weeks time, and stretch cross-country 3000 miles one way. I believe the

drivers that are the most consistent at these events will have the upper hand in the championship,” said Travis,

adding "It is our goal to be a consistent team and one that is always there fighting for a spot on the podium".

Concluding, Travis spoke of the close nature of the Super Production class, and it's ever increasing speed.

"The competition of this class is really good with ex-factory Subaru and Mitsubishi drivers pushing the class

 faster. We’ve had a great start to the season and we are excited for the next event.”

The T. Hanson Motorsports setup is propelled by a small group of highly motivated and dedicated people,

whose commitment to the cause is second to none.

The vital contributions of each and every team member,

along with the support from Team O’Neil Rally School, Olson’s Auto Body, OSLV, Exedy Clutches,

Big Boulder Park and Broken Motorsports is the reason behind the great success the team has enjoyed

to-date in 2011.

Photo/ Neil McDaid

ESPN adds Global RallyCross series

ESPN and Global RallyCross Championship (GRC) series organizer RallyCross Management have reached an exclusive agreement for the inaugural race series to receive coverage across ESPN's multiple media platforms. The first race of the series kicks off at Irwindale Speedway in Irwindale, Calif. March 25-26, with two additional races at Old Mill Rally Park in Snoqualmie, Wash. and Pikes Peak International Raceway in Fountain, Colo.

Following the success of rally events at X Games, including the first X Games RallyCross competition at last summer's X Games 16, the GRC series will be distributed on a tape-delayed basis domestically in the U.S. on ESPN and ESPN2 and to more than 100 countries through international network distribution. ESPN3.com will provide live coverage on the 24/7 live broadband sports network and on ESPN Mobile TV. Additionally, original web-exclusive content will be created for digital distribution across non-linear ESPN platforms throughout the social media landscape, including ESPN and X Games official Facebook pages.

"ESPN is thrilled to have the Global RallyCross Championship exclusively on our services around the world," said Scott Guglielmino, senior vice president of programming and Global X Games. "We look forward to working with RallyCross Management and bringing together world-class drivers and manufacturers to showcase this exciting form of motorsports racing to ESPN audiences around the world."

Three-time X Games rally gold medalist Tanner Foust, said, "RallyCross has huge potential in the U.S. and is almost the perfect spectator motorsport with the whole track visible from one seat, insane racecars that are pushing, shoving, sliding sideways and jumping. The added bonus of ESPN's involvement brings in a lot of the stars from the X Games, and anyone who's ever seen the X Games understands what ESPN is capable of doing for action sports."

2011 Global RallyCross Championship Schedule
Race	Dates/Telecast Date	Network/Time
Irwindale Speedway	March 25-26/April 17	ESPN2 10am - 12pm
Old Mill Rally Park	April 15-16/May 14	ESPN 4:30 - 6pm
Pikes Peak International Raceway	June 17-18/June 25	ESPN 9-10pm

Top teams and drivers will be drawn from the U.S. and European RallyCross championships, including past X Games rally competitors. RallyCross combines the best aspects of circuit racing, off-road racing and rally competition to deliver intense, crowd-pleasing action in a variety of diverse fan-friendly environments. Featuring as many as six drivers lining up to start at once, competitors will pilot modified high-horsepower compact cars through race traffic over a challenging short course that features jumps, off-camber turns, hills and transitions between pavement and gravel.

More information on Global RallyCross Championship can be found on www.global-rallycross.com.

T. Hanson Motorsports Ready to Challenge the Rally in the 100 Acre Wood

Salem, MO – Coming off a historic performance in the opening round of the 2011 Rally America National Championship, Travis Hanson and co-driver Terry, are off to the foothills of the Ozarks for the Rally in the 100 Acre Wood.  The Hansons secured a place in American motorsports history while recording the first-ever overall victory for a Super Production class car, during last month’s Sno*Drift rally, in Michigan.  The popular victory was made even more impressive by virtue of the fact that they were able to beat factory-backed, professional efforts in their privateer Subaru STi. 

This weekend the father-son team will face renewed challenges from fellow Super Production competitors as well as the Open Class teams who find themselves looking up at the Hansons in the standings.  The event is based in Salem, Missouri and runs through the scenic, Mark Twain National Forest and is known to be a challenging race due to the high speed nature of the roads and changing conditions.  

In the past, the teams have been confronted by road surfaces that range from dry, to slick and ice to snow during the same weekend. A fact not forgotten by Travis who remarked, “Hundred Acre Wood is a favorite event of mine and we have had success here before. With conditions changing from day to day at times, you’re never sure what to expect which adds to the challenges we’ll face if we want to follow up our win." Last year the team won the SP class along with 5th place overall. 

Between Sno*Drift and 100 Acre Wood T. Hanson Motorsports has spent considerable time searching for sponsorship. “In order to make our efforts sustainable for the rest of the year, we have to find some support,” explained Travis. “We have proven that we are competitive, our car prep is good now we just need some color on that white car!”

Team O’Neil Rally School in New Hampshire has stepped up as a supporting sponsor for the remainder of 2011. Travis is an instructor at Team O’Neil. “The education I have received from Team O’Neil over the past few years has been instrumental in my success,” stated Travis. “Team O’Neil is the best driving school in North America and I am proud to wear the Team O’Neil flag.”

Currently residing atop both the overall and Super Production standings in this season’s Rally America National Championship, both father and son are eager to return to the stages and continue their drive for a title. “Our season began in the best possible way,” said Terry, "and we hope to see another solid finish." 

For more information on T. Hanson Motorsports, please contact: t.hanson523@gmail .com

Follow us on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/T-Hanson-Motorsports/359173874033 

Follow us on Twitter at: www.twitter.com/thanson523 

To partner with T. Hanson Motorsports, please contact: tommyknightid@gmail.com 

Photos/ Neil McDaid / http://www.rallyworldnews.com/

Ken Block's all new WRC Ford Fiesta and 2011 Schedule

Ken Block and the Monster World Rally Team are upping the ante for 2011 with a bigger and broader schedule of races and events. In addition to taking on more WRC rounds this year in the all-new Monster Energy Ford Fiesta RS WRC, Block will also be competing in Summer X Games, Gymkhana GRID, and select RallyCar rallies and RallyCross events in the United States. 

“2011 is going to be really big for me and the Monster World Rally Team,” says Block “We’re doing more WRC races this year, kicking off the Gymkhana World Tour, racing in Summer X Games, filming Gymkhana 4, plus hitting up a lot of other rally-related events worldwide. We even have a few top-secret projects in the works. I’m a lucky bastard to be doing all this, it’s going to be an amazing year!”

Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard - Ready to Defend Their Canadian Title

Montréal (Québec), February 3rd, 2011. – The 2010 Canadian, American, and North American Rally Champions, Antoine L’Estage of St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Qc and Nathalie Richard of Halifax, NS will return to competition this weekend to contest Maniwaki’s Rallye Perce-Neige, the first round of the 2011 Canadian Rally Championship.

L’Estage, the Rockstar Royal Group team driver, is looking for his fourth victory at the Rallye Perce-Neige after winning this challenging winter event three times in the past five years. «The Rallye Perce-Neige is an event that I always enjoy and the time I’ve had in my Mitsubishi Evo X in the past two weeks has left me really excited to contest this rally » indicates Antoine L’Estage, who adds : « even with a such a fantastic season last year, Perce-Neige was the only rally that we didn’t score points at. I want to redeem myself this year and come away with top points. Winning is obviously a main objective but the priority, as always, remains our need for important championship points ».

The Perce-Neige rally is known for its tricky snow and ice-covered roads, something that does not stress Antoine L’Estage, who relies on his Yokohama tires : « having this lineup of Yokohama tires available to us is key, including the best intermediate winter tire for performace rallying » he indicates.

At the wheel of his Rockstar Royal Group Evo X, Antoine L’Estage knows that repeating his record-breaking 2010 season will be difficult, but anything’s possible : « winning the “Triple Crown” (Canadian, American, and North American titles) does not come by easily. I’d like to do it again but my priority is the Canadian championship. My entire team is geared up and highly looking forward to the Perce-Neige rally » he explains.

Last weekend in the United States…

The Rockstar Royal Group team took part in last weekend’s Sno*Drift Rally in Michigan, Round 1 of the 2011 Rally America season, the premier American series that was won last year by the L’Estage/Richard duo. After winning the first three competitive stages of the rally and building up a 20 second lead, the team’s rally was ended early in a small snowbank. The contact resulted in a damaged radiator, causing the motor to overheat once the team got going again. « It was a very positive start to the rally because we were able to show our speed but we couldn’t risk continuing after the car started overheating » shared the Quebec driver. L’Estage’s main rival in the Rally America series also retired early from the rally, denying either team a points advantage in their hunt for the title. Antoine and Nathalie return to the American season at the end of February for Missouri’s Rally in the 100 Acre Wood.

Antoine L’Estage holds three North American championship titles (2007, 2008, 2010), three Canadian titles (2006, 2007, 2010), one American title (2010), and twenty-five overall victories in Canada and the US. Nathalie Richard holds six overall national championship titles (3 in Canada and 3 in the USA), as well as thirty-one overall rally wins on both sides of the border. She is also a six-time North American Co-Driving Champion (2004 – 2010, excluding 2006).

Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard participate in the 2011 Rally America and Canadian Rally Championships with the support of Rockstar Energy Drink, Royal Group, Yokohama Tires, Mitsubishi Canada, Drenth Motorsport Gearboxes, Garrett Turbos, Énergie Cardio, Libra Racing, Driver's Edge Autosport (OMP), and VP Racing Fuels. For more information on the team or on rallying in general, visit antoinelestage.com

Joseph Burke Moves to Open Class for 2011

Atlanta, Georgia. January, 23, 2011 - Embarking on their second season in the Rally America National Championship, Joseph Burke and co-driver Alex Kihurani look to improve on their impressive 2010 results. Although the team only contested five of the six rounds of the series, Burke still managed to capture the Rally America Rookie of the Year honors. For 2011, Burke will make the move up to the open class as he contests all six rounds of the Rally America Championship. Burke will be on the line in a Mitsubishi during the first round this week at Sno*Drift.

Team Manager Seamus Burke commented on the move, “We saw some limitations in 2010 running in the SP class.  After evaluating the options and to give Joseph the opportunity for a podium it was better to have him step to an open class car.”

Joseph had the opportunity to run an open class Kearney Motorsports Subaru in 2008, 2009 and 2010. He finished an impressive second overall at International Rally New York 2008 and captured an overall victory at Black River Stages in the same year.

Looking towards Sno*Drift, the team’s main goal is to be there at the finish. “Although we would like very much to stay within the top five at Sno*Drift, I am going into this rally with the understanding of just how tough the conditions can be,” explains Joseph.  “This will just be my second rally on snow and ice so I will depend heavily on my co-driver and team manager for direction.”

Burke’s co driver Alex Kihurani and his father and team manager Seamus Burke have competed at Sno*Drift on multiple occasions, with Seamus getting to the podium several times.

“It’s kind of hard to explain, but slow is fast at Sno*Drift,” explains the senior Burke.  “When it’s icy there is a lot of dodgy off-camber stuff in there.  We will have to gauge the conditions when we get there and decide a plan from there.”  Seamus goes on to say, “From watching some of the in car video I am really pleased with the chemistry that Joseph and Alex have developed in the car.  To be in the hunt for a podium these days you need to be 100% committed to the notes.”

Joseph also had a chance to try some European RallyCross in the fall of 2010, “I really enjoyed the tight racing, but I have to say that I am really looking forward to getting back out onto the stages.”

The team has been working hard to secure some new sponsorship for 2011 and beyond and is currently working with some exciting opportunities. “For Sno*Drift  we are again teaming up with Team MS-Racing for Research and Awareness of Multiple Sclerosis as well as our sponsors Atlanta Activewear and Rally World News,” commented Burke.

http://www.josephburkemotorsport.com/

Photos/©Neil McDaid

Ford in Search of Victory Hat-Trick in Land of the Rising Sun

After winning the last two versions of Rally Japan in 2007 and 2008, BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team returns to the Pacific Ocean island of Hokkaido next week intent on sealing a third consecutive win there. Rally Japan (9 - 12 September) takes the squad back to its preferred gravel roads, the team having won two of the last three loose-surface rallies with its Ford Focus RS World Rally Car.

This 10th round of the FIA World Rally championship is the last of the 2010 season to journey outside Europe and returns to the series after a year's absence. Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen climbed onto the top step of the podium in both 2007 and 2008 while team-mates Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila are on form on gravel, having won in New Zealand and Finland recently.

The rally is again based in Sapporo, Japan's fifth-largest city, in the central Do-oh region of Hokkaido, the country's most northerly island. It is the biggest motorsport event
in Japan, with more

Tanner Foust/ RallyCross Video at New Jersey Motorsports Park

Lagemann Finishes Strong In First Ever U.S. RallyCross!

Millville, NJ - August 29, 2010 - After an exciting and challenging weekend of racing, rally driver Ramana Lagemann finished a creditable 4th place overall at the inaugural RallyCar U.S. Rallycross round held at New Jersey Motorsports Park.

Driving a 2008 Ford Fiesta run by the Swedish Olsbergs MSE team, Lagemann quickly adapted to the challenge of piloting the firebreathing 500 horsepower Rallycross machine. Despite no prior testing, and using just one set of used tires for the entire weekend, Lagemann managed to run with the top contenders throughout the event.

“This was certainly one of the most exciting experiences I’ve had behind the wheel of racing car in a long time!” recounts Lagemann. “It was a challenge to adapt so quickly, and though I am disappointed not to have finished on the podium, by the end of the weekend my cheeks were sore from grinning so much, and I’m pretty sure the thousands of fans in attendance felt the same!”

Lagemann’s entry in the Rallycross was unexpected as the car became available only a few short days prior to the start. Hasty preparations commenced, and a few logistical issues aside, the biggest challenge facing the Dent Sport Garage supported team was the fact they were unable to source any new tires for the event. Rallycross courses are typically comprised of tarmac and gravel sections, and the races are sprints of less than 5 laps, so having tires that get up to temperature quickly and work well in varying conditions is paramount.

During practice sessions, Lagemann evaluated a tarmac rally tire as well as a road racing slick that had been custom grooved by the crew. Unfortunately, both options proved unsatisfactory, and Ramana’s only remaining option was to utilize a set of used rallycross tires liberated from the back of the team trailer.

“Once we figured out our tire situation, we set about dialing in the car,” explains Lagemann. “The NJMP course is much faster with longer corners than a typical European rallycross track, so we kept stiffening the chassis to suit it. However, we couldn’t continually lap the course because we didn’t want to burn up our only set of tires.”

Considering their limited running, the team finished an impressive 3rd overall after the first heat race on Saturday, and had high hopes of improving their position. Luck would not be on their side on Sunday however, as the car suffered a series of minor problems that cut short testing and resulted in a DNF in the second heat. The team battled back however, and took a commanding win in the third heat, which placed the #74 Ford Fiesta third on the grid for the A Final.

In the race, Lagemann had a strong start and worked his way up to second place overall before it was red flagged due to fellow competitor Travis Pastrana going off course and knocking over several tire and water barriers. When the A Final restarted, Lagemann slotted in behind Ford teammate Tanner Foust. Almost immediately however, the rear bumper of the #74 Fiesta came loose and began rubbing on the right rear tire. “All of a sudden I saw smoke pouring off the back of the car, and though I realized pretty quickly it was due to tire rub, I lost focus for about half a lap,” confesses Lagemann. “I was able to maintain a quick pace, but it was quite hot outside and by the fourth lap my tires just started sliding around too much and I lost two positions.”

“I want to thank everyone who supported us this weekend, and especially the crew for their tireless work on the car,” concludes Lagemann. “I hoped to bring home a podium finish for all of their efforts, but it just wasn’t in the cards. Regardless, I know we accomplished a great deal, bearing in mind all of the challenges we faced.”

The #74 team hopes to be back at the next round of the RallyCar US Rallycross series, but that will only be possible if additional sponsorship can be secured. Fortunately, Rallycross proved to be incredibly exciting with a spectator friendly format. With undeniable growth potential, plans are already in motion to improve all aspects of the series in upcoming events. Round 1 is set to air on ESPN2, check local listings for air times.

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Source: RLagemann /PR

Photo credit: Neil McDaid/RallyWorldNews.com