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

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



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



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

 

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



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

 

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

 

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

 



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



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



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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

"Just call me Joni"

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

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

 

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

 

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

SUPERCAR FINAL RESULTS;

1.   Scott Speed, #77 OMSE2 Ford Fiesta

2.   Brian Deegan, #38 OlsbergsMSE Ford Fiesta ST

3.   Toomas Heikkinen, #57 OlsbergsMSE Ford Fiesta ST0

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

5.   Steve Arpin, #32 OMSE2 Ford Fiesta

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

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

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

9.   Travis Pastrana, #199 Pastrana Racing Dodge Dart

10.                Tanner Foust, #34 OlsbergsMSE Ford Fiesta ST



Photos; Neil McDAID / RALLYWORLDNEWS

 

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Photo/ FordRacing   / Matt Kalish -GRC

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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

 

Global RallyCross: Ford Fiesta ST Sweeps The Podium At Bristol Motor Speedway

"Bristol Baby" Toomas "Topi" Heikkinen takes yet another victory in GRC, Topi is flanked by Ford Team mates, Brian Deegan [left], 3rd and Ken Block who finished 2nd. Photo Ford Racing

BRISTOL, Tenn., July 20, Toomas Heikkinen scored his third consecutive victory during the fifth round of Global Rallycross Championship (GRC) at Bristol Motor Speedway today, and helped Ford Fiesta capture its second its second consecutive podium sweep and third this season.

Heikkinen, the Bluebeam OlsbergsMSE Ford Fiesta ST driver, continues to lead the championship points and is the only driver to have made the podium at all five rounds this season.

"This is really good to keep the championship points lead and win my third race here at Bristol," said Heikkinen. "My Ford Fiesta ST is on fire right now and it was a great race for us. I am really enjoying racing in the U.S. and am just happy to have made it to the podium again."

In the Global Rallycross seeding session, Heikkinen was seventh overall, which set him in the third position of the first heat. With a pass on the final lap of the heat, Heikkinen finished second behind Ken Block and ultimately advanced into the main event.

"I didn’t have the best start to my day and did not qualify well, but I got a good start in the main which is what matters," said Heikkinen. "I choose the right line on the inside which put me in a good position and I was able to avoid getting bumped around too much.

"I took the joker lap in the middle of the race because I heard Ken Block may be catching me by the last few laps. Then I heard he was two seconds or so behind me so I just tried to stay focused on keeping the right line to stay ahead and then finished first."

With a win at Bristol, Heikkinen has finished first in both U.S. races.

"This is my second win in the U.S. and my third win with global X Games," said Heikkinen. "The win means so much to me right now and I am so happy and grateful to be here."

For Block, it was his second podium appearance this season. The Hoonigan Racing Division Ford Fiesta ST driver finished just under two seconds behind Heikkinen for second.

"The first turn of the main race was a bummer," said Block. "There were a few cars banging on me and with nowhere to move I didn’t come out well on the first turn. From there I did everything that I could, but ended up two seconds behind Topi in second place."
Block qualified first in the fifth round of Global Rallycross and won both of his heats to ultimately advance to the main event at Bristol Motor Speedway

"I won every heat I was in and qualified the fastest in practice but it really means nothing in the end,’ said Block. "With four laps to go I could see I was getting closer and closer to Topi and I was not going to give up. I put in everything trying to find the quickest line and maybe with three or four more laps I could have had him.

"The first turn is just a crapshoot in Rallycross. I did everything possible to win and got booted around in the first corner and that was it," said Block. "I am very confident at what I am doing in the car, the car is absolutely dialed and it has done everything I want it to do. My team has worked very hard to get the car where it is. I’ve been able to find lines and qualify well so I am going to continue doing everything that I can.

"I enjoyed the venue, it is a beautiful facility and the fans have been great," said Block. "Hopefully next time we come back I am standing on top of that podium."

For Deegan, a third place finish at Bristol earned him his second Global Rallycross podium appearance of the season.

"I was in survival mode in the main event," said Deeegan. "Coming out of the LCQ (last chance qualifier) we didn’t have much time to work on the car and with the fast turnaround into the main I was happy to finish third. There is a lot of luck that goes into winning a race this season, coming out of the first corner unharmed is really what it comes down to."

The Rockstar Energy OlsbergsMSE Ford Fiesta ST driver seeded fourth overall but failed to make the top two in his heat putting him into the LCQ. Deegan finished first in the LCQ followed by Rockstar Energy OlsbergsMSE Ford Fiesta ST teammate Tanner Foust and both advanced into the main event.

"Coming down into the heat qualifier, I don’t know what happen with Tanner and Ken but they just ran right through me and I got into carnage, had a poor finish and forced us into the LCQ," said Deegan. "Luckily I survived the LCQ and went on to the final.

"I started dead last in the final but I was inside," said Deegan. "Sometimes I think the inside third row is better than the front row outside. I figured I’d stay low, out of everyone plowing into each other and that I’d be in the top five within the first few laps. I saw Topi cut high and somehow miss, I think it was Isachsen who plowed through the field and being on the inside I only made a little contact and squeezed through with a podium end result.

"I know I have the speed so I am looking forward to the big race at X Games (Los Angeles) to see what I can do there," said Deegan. There is a whole rest of the season and I think I am steadily getting better. We’ve adjusted stuff in the car and I am starting to get back to where I was a year ago with better starts. That’s what it takes in this sport. I feel confident and feel we made a headway going into LA with my starts so I think that I will be one of the top three dudes to battle for the gold. Every time I go on the track I am in the top three or five with my times and that’s not bad for a dirt biker."

The start of the GRC main at Bristol Motor Speedway included a fast turn around the 30 degree bank followed by a straight dive into the infield. Block was the fastest off the start of the main and had the lead on the first corner until multiple drivers made contact. Tanner Foust had heavy damage to the front end of the Rockstar Energy OlsbergsMSE Ford Fiesta ST forcing him to retire out of the main right away. Heikkinen was able to avoid much contact and took the lead out of the first corner, followed by Steve Arpin and Block. Arpin had trouble with his car, pulling off the track for Block and Deegan to follow Heikkinen for the rest of the race.

Ford had six cars in the Global Rallycross final at Bristol Motor Speedway and won two of three heats for Fiesta ST (Block, Sandell).

Source: Ford Racing



  


 

Subaru PUMA RallyCross Team puts New Hampshire behind them and looks forward to Bristol

 

 

CHERRY HILL, N.J., July 16, 2013 The Subaru PUMA RallyCross Team returned to competition in the USA after overseas Global RallyCross (GRC) rounds in Barcelona and Munich. The fourth round of the GRC was held Thursday, July 12th at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on unique course using part of the track's oval and pit lane while including dirt, tarmac and a jump.  The team's development of the Subaru STI Rallycross cars in the off-season began to pay dividends in New Hampshire where Team leader Sverre Isachsen qualified 3rd Overall and both he and teammate Bucky Lasek were able to progress to the Final.

Reaching the Final for the second time in his burgeoning Global RallyCross career Lasek put  forward his best performance to date.  In the Last Chance Qualifier race Lasek pulled off an impressive late race pass to finish 3rd and move to the Final.  Then in the Final Lasek ran in 5th Overall for a majority of the ten lap Final.  Just a few laps from the finish however a foreign object entered his engine bay and terminally damaged his engine on his 600hp Subaru STI.  "I drove the wheels off my Subaru here and it was great to be running in the top five," explains Lasek. "What happened was very unlucky but anything can, and does, happen in Rallycross and this just makes me even more eager to get to the next round in Bristol (Tennessee)."

Isachsen had a strong qualifying run, setting the 3rd fastest time and advanced to the Final with a second place finish in his Heat race.  In the Final however Isachsen's Subaru got a poor start dropping him to the back of the field, forcing the Norwegian to battle through the field to a 6th Overall result.  "I enjoyed the car here, we had a small issue at the start in the Final but overall we were able to run strong and we just need a clean run now to get the results we know we can achieve."

Subaru driver Dave Mirra had an event fraught with bad luck as a freak mechanical failure in his first heat race knocked him out of contention.  Mirra's confidence was buoyed however by setting the fastest lap time in the first timed practice.

The Subaru PUMA RallyCross Team will now take their Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive 600hp 2013 Subaru WRX STI Rallycross cars to Bristol Motor Speedway for round 5 of the 2013 Global RallyCross Championship.  The event will be broadcast LIVE on ESPN July 20th at 1:30pm ET.

Photo/ Neil McDaid /Stock/ Rally World News

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2013/07/16/5571522/isachsen-6th-lasek-8th-at-hard.html#storylink=cpy

Global RallyCross, “Up the Front Straight and Down the Same Straight”

July 12th, Loudon, NH: Global RallyCross -GRC  makes a one day stop at New Hampshire International Speedway for round number 4 of the 2013 Championship.  After coming off one of the best course layouts to date for the GRC in Munich Germany, it was for the most part back to where we were last year with a course layout that used over 70 % of the Loudon Speedway track, which I have to say can get mundane at times as the gap opens on the long straights.

For 2013 the metal gap jump has been nixed for many good reasons, but unfortunately it was replaced at the Loudon configuration with a dirt hill, that wanted to be a table top jump,  problem was, based on its placement to the chicane the cars couldn't get enough traction in the dirt to get any proper air.

All that been said, the transition from the starting asphalt into the dirt section, then directly into a chicane was definitely the highlight of the track. One point that I must make, although the U.S. GRC track layouts pale in comparison to those in Europe, Americans who are new to European style RallyCross find this extremely exciting racing when compared to Nascar! Enough said.

Ken Block and his Hoonigan Racing Team’s Ford Fiesta set the mark throughout the heats, Block posted the fastest time of the day, netting him the starting position of his choice. Toomas “Topi” Heikkinen, of OlsbergsMSE/Ford Racing who was also driving a Ford Fiesta ST, took second with Tanner Foust of the Rockstar Energy /Ford Racing posting the third fastest making it an all Ford front row.

Into the final, typically the prime lane choice is on the inside of the first corner, for whatever reason  Ken Block would select the middle starting position therefore giving Heikkinen who had the second fastest time the option for the inside line, and he took it!. Maybe Ken was thinking of last year where he got driven in the tire wall on the start, or just felt more comfortable with the launching from the center position, who knows, but I have to think he is reevaluating his starting position today.   

Tanner Foust would line up to Blocks left. Swedish Rally driver, Patrick Sandell [Ford Fiesta], Norway’s  Sveere Isachsen[Subaru STI] and Brian Deegan [Ford ] would make up the second row.   The third and final row would see Travis Pastrana in the Dodge Dart, scrapping his way into the final via the LCQ lined up with Scott Speed [Ford] and Bucky Lasek in the second of the Subaru’s to make the final.

When the lights turned green, Heikkinen seemed to get the better launch nosing just slightly ahead of Ken Block, but Ken would made up the difference by the end of the straight, but Block would lift/brake just before entering the gravel section letting Tanner and Heikkinen past on both sides.  There is no question that Ken Block will fight you to the tooth and nail on any rally stage in the world, and has shown massive skills in his Gymkhana series of videos. But when it comes to RallyCross Ken is  just a little too much of a gentleman, he needs to follow the lead of Heikkinen and the likes of Liam Doran into the first turn, if a headlight fits, push on into the turn.

 As the cars climbed the dirt hill [sorry can't call it a jump] for the first time, it was Foust, Heikkinen, Sandell and Block, with Deegan breathing down Block’s neck. Coming off the dirt hill drivers had the option to take the mandatory joker lap, or drift out onto turn one. From there it was down the front straight [counter to normal track direction] through a chicane before braking hard for the unique “over the wall” ramp constructed at the Magic Mile.  Once over the wall they would head down the same straight, to start the cycle of remaining 9 laps [total 10]. Travis Pastrana’s GRC season would go from bad to worse when the rear of his car slide off the ramp on the first lap resulting in a rear flat, Pastrana would push on, but his race was over, no returning to the pits in GRC.

With a clear track ahead, Foust would make hay and open his lead on Sandell who was battling to hold off his teammate Heikkinen for second. Ken Block and Deegan were door to door until Block opted for the early Joker giving up the position to Deegan. Unfortunately a little extra drift by Block in the joker would also let Bucky Lasek in the Subaru slip through. The racing up front would space out some until Foust took his Joker lap, which let Sandell get on Foust’s rear bumper sliding out of turn one, but Tanner held the line and the lead.

Down to the penultimate lap, Heikkinen was still hounding Sandell for second, as the pair crested the dirt hill Sandell would opt to take his mandatory Joker, opening the door for Heikkinen to try and close the gap to Foust.

Toomas Heikkinen has quickly become the force to be reckoned with in the 2013 GRC championship, coming off the victory in Germany, Topi was clearly looking for a repeat victory in Loudon as he charged all out in his pursuit of Foust on the last lap.

As Foust entered the dirt section for the final time, Heikkinen had somehow closed the gap on the Rockstar Energy driver.  Heikkinen would pile on the pressure on Foust as the charged front straight for the final time.

Tanner would try to protect the insider line as he entered the over the wall ramp, but that’s where it all went wrong for Foust. Tanner would get off the racing line and get into the loose gravel on the inside, resulting in a spectacular wreck into the guard rail.  

With Foust up against the guardrail  Heikkinen slips through on the final turn to grab the victory, Brian Deegan who had overhauled Sandell would now move to second, Sandell would also get by Foust’s crippled car for third. Tanner would manage to get the car re fired and hobble across the line in forth just ahead of Ken Block.

 “I think it was difficult for everyone”, noted Heikkinen after the race, “with the raining and drying. There were a lot of different things. For all of us, we had a tough day—it was tricky to change your setup every time. Even the qualification was a little bit different for everybody. But all in all, it was a great day.

A somewhat dejected Tanner Foust said “That was a tough way to end the race—that’s never fun! Topi was pressuring for the whole race, and then on the very last straightaway, it seemed like he had a little bit of a run. So I thought I’d play it safe—my spotter said he had a chance on the inside, so I played it safe and hit the brakes on the inside corner to protect the turn. But there’s just gravel from all the rain, dragging that mud out. As soon as I touched the brakes, I knew I was in for a pretty wild ride. The car just rotated, went straight into the wall, and then was face-to-face with Brian coming in at 100 miles per hour! The first events of the year, the first six seconds have been the most exciting, and this one, it was the last six. I don’t know what hurts more, but it was a pretty exciting day. Hopefully it was a good show.”

Ken Block who was the man to beat through the heats, ended up in fifth, “It’s frustrating to have the final result that I do after having an amazing qualifying session and first heat,” said Block. “Unfortunately, that’s just how RallyCross goes. That first corner is a total crapshoot. Sometimes you get lucky and get through clean, sometimes you get pinched. Either way I feel that I drove well today and that our car is running strong. Hopefully our luck is more favorable next weekend in Tennessee.”

Ford continues to dominate the Global RallyCross Championship, Pastrana/RedBull racing, are having a challenging year in 2013 in the 2 car Dodge team, but there is glimmers of hope in there.

For Subaru one has to wonder is Global RallyCross tarnishing their outstanding Stage Rally heritage in the USA, a heritage that has seen fans flock to the showrooms for the nearly race ready WRX and STI. While two of the Subaru’s made it to the final in New Hampshire, neither of them finished. No Subaru’s made to the final in Germany in round 3. I expect there will be some hard questions to be answered on the validly of this program for Subaru unless something changes drastically. GRC moves to Bristol Motor Speedway next weekend, track layout will again be interesting, but hopefully they can use a little more infield and less asphalt.

PHOTOS: Ford Racing / Hoonigan Racing
Report: Neil McDaid

Global Rallycross Confirms 2013 Schedule Featuring International Expansion

Los Angeles, Calif. (June 11, 2013) Global Rallycross (GRC) confirms its 2013 schedule will total nine rounds including races on three different continents in conjunction with Global X Games events in Foz do Iguaçu (Brazil), Barcelona (Spain) and Munich (Germany). As one of the fastest growing forms of motorsport, rallycross combines the best aspects of circuit racing, off-road racing and rally competition. The series is made up of four Global X Games events and five GRC events to total nine rounds that will culminate in the crowning of both a driver’s champion and manufacturer’s champion. The 2013 championship features live broadcasts on ABC, ESPN or ESPN2 available in over 198 countries. With more than 15 hours of primetime live content on major networks, the telecast package comprises the most expansive television coverage that the sport of rallycross has ever seen. The series’ star drivers include Ken Block, Brian Deegan, Travis Pastrana, Scott Speed and 2011 and 2012 GRC Champion Tanner Foust. The 2013 Global Rallycross schedule: April 21: GRC at X Games: Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil May 19: GRC at X Games: Barcelona, Spain June 29 & 30: GRC at X Games: Munich, Germany* July 11: New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Loudon NH July 20: Bristol Motor Speedway, Bristol TN August 04: GRC at X Games: Irwindale Speedway, CA August 10: Atlanta Motor Speedway, Atlanta, GA September 22: Charlotte Motor Speedway, Charlotte, NC November 07: Las Vegas, NV *Barcelona rainout makeup race on June 29 For more information: http://www.global-rallycross.com/news/press-releases/global-rallycross-confirms-2013-schedule-featuring-international-expansion/

Second Rallycross Race Added to X Games Munich A second medal race has been added to the X Games Munich competition schedule on June 29th. The race will serve as Round 2 of the Global Rallycross (GRC) season, replacing last month’s rain cancelled event in Barcelona. Round 3 will be contested on the same circuit on June 30th and each event will feature its own practice and qualifying sessions. Both events will count for full points in the GRC standings and X Games will award medals for both rounds. The weekend schedule will be as follows: SATURDAY, JUNE 29, 2013 2:00 - 3:00 Practice & Seeding 3:00 - 3:30 Track prep 3:30 - 5:00 Heats, LCQ, Finals SUNDAY, JUNE 30, 2013 2:20 - 3:00 Practice 3:00 - 3:15 Track prep 3:15 - 4:00 Seeding 4:00 - 5:00 Track prep 5:00 - 7:00 Heats, LCQ, Finals Please tune in to ESPN and www.global-rallycross.com for full coverage and broadcast times.