Honey Jar Challenge Returns to 100 Acre Wood Rally

Officials with the 100 Acre Wood Performance Rally Group, organizers for the immensely popular Rally in the 100 Acre Wood, announced today that the 2nd annual Honey Jar Challenge will be presented by Lou Fusz Subaru.

The Honey Jar Challenge will run simultaneously with the Rally in the 100 Acre Wood on February 24th and 25th, 2012. The goal of the Honey Jar Challenge is to raise the awareness of grassroots regional rally teams in a meaningful shootout style event. Any regional All-Wheel-Drive (AWD) team is eligible to enter the two-day challenge and the top-five overall finishers will split $2,500 in prize money, with the coveted Honey Jar trophy presented to the winner.

“Subaru as a brand, especially the performance WRX and WRX STI models, have a renowned rally heritage and are also noted for their performance in general. By Lou Fusz Subaru announcing their sponsorship of the AWD Honey Jar Challenge they show their support to the grassroots AWD teams running this first-rate local event,” said Curt Faigle, chairman for the rally.

Sanctioned by Rally America, the Rally in the 100 Acre Wood will cover over 120 racing miles that will test rally teams from all across the country (and several foreign countries) on a variety of gravel road surfaces. Set in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains, this rally contains some of the most scenic roads on the Rally America calendar. Each day will begin with a rally car show and opening ceremony.

On Friday, February 24th, the cars and competitors will be on display in Steelville, near the Meramec Music Theater, from 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM. Saturday's activities kick off at 8:00 AM on Fourth Street in downtown Salem. The public is invited to join in the festivities, see the cars up close, pose for photos, get autographs, and meet the teams at the start of each day and at the service areas in Steelville on Friday and the Viburnum High School parking lot on Saturday. Teams will compete throughout each day, passing multiple spectator points, before returning to Salem Saturday night at the Dent County court house at 8:05 PM. There is no admission charge for any of these events.

Spectator Guides will be available at various community locations and online at the rally website, www.100aw.org. The guide will include detailed maps and directions to each spectator location and a full event schedule.

About Lou Fusz Subaru:
Lou Fusz Subaru (with locations in Creve Coeur and St. Peters) has a skilled and knowledgeable sales staff with many years of experience satisfying customers' needs. The staff at Lou Fusz Subaru will help you find the Subaru vehicle you want. At Lou Fusz Subaru we offer a searchable online inventory of new Subaru cars in St Louis, along with well-maintained used cars by today's top manufacturers. Come on in and take a test drive! Our sales staff will help you find that new Subaru or quality used car that you have been searching for. Visit: subaru.fusz.com & www.fuszsubaru.com

TOP RALLY TEAMS DESCEND ON RALLY IN THE 100 ACRE WOOD

Round 2 of the Rally America National Championship Set for February 24-25, from Salem, MO

WILLISTON, VT (February 10, 2012) -- Round two of the 2012 Rally America National Championship takes place in the majestic Ozark foothills of the Rally in the 100 Acre Wood on February 24-25^th in Salem, MO. Up to 70 of the top national and international rally competitors will challenge the fast, hard-packed dirt roads following a very slippery opening round at Michigan's Sno*Drift Rally in January.

The Rally in the 100 Acre Wood promises more great battles across all car classes. The roads are fast, tight and twisty and the conditions are extremely variable, creating an excellent playing ground for teams to compete for National Championship points.

 Subaru Rally Team USA and 2011 Rally America National Champions, David Higgins and Craig Drew, got off to a great start winning the season opener to lead the Series over the Rockstar Energy Drink Rally Team Canadian duo of Antoine L'Estage and Nathalie Richard. At last year's Rally in the 100 Acre Wood, L'Estage and Richard secured an important overall win, and in the process beat their Subaru Rally Team USA rivals.

"I'm really looking forward to 100 Acre Wood," said L'Estage. "I love these fast roads! The competition will be tough, but I'm going there to win!"

Both L'Estage and Higgins will need to pay close attention to a slew of new talent entering the fray who could play spoiler to their Rally America National Championship dreams.

A powerful new entry, Krzysztof Holowczyc (pronounced Kristoff Holovich) of Olsztyn, Poland, will join the Art Logistics Racing Team with co-driver Maciej Wislawski in a 2006 Mitsubishi EVO IX for his American debut. Holowczyc brings a deep racing resume having won three Polish Rally Championships, 1997 European Championship title and has placed as high as 6^th overall at a World Rally Championship event. This year Holowczyc drove a factory BMW X-Raid in the Dakar Rally to place 10^th overall.

Canadian Rally Championship (CRC) regulars, Leonid Urlichich and Carl Williamson, made a splash in their Sno*Drift debut proving that they are podium contenders on the American circuit. Urlichich is carrying momentum off his best CRC ever after making 7 podiums in 8 events and a Tall Pines overall victory last November. The team is now challenging for the Rally America National Championship crown and looks to improve their Sno*Drift standings and place even more pressure on other top-tier teams.

The competition in the Super Production (SP) class promises to be much tighter on Missouri's fast gravel than on the treacherous frozen stages in Michigan last month. Travis Hanson and Terry Hanson won this class at Sno*Drift in dominant fashion with a 15-minute lead over second place. Hanson is expected to enter the Rally in the 100 Acre Wood to continue his defense of his 2011 Super Production title following significant engine repairs that threatened to force his exit from Sno*Drift.

Hanson will face a contingent of SP top talent. Ex-factory Mitsubishi Rally Team driver, Lauchlin O'Sullivan with co-driver Scott Putnam switched back to a 2003 Mitsubishi EVO at the beginning of the year. Though unfamiliar with his ride he sits second in class and within striking distance of assuming the SP lead early in the season.

In the National Two-Wheel Drive class, fan favorites Chris Duplessis and Karl Atkinson in their 2011 Ford Fiesta R2 seek to build upon their class lead after an impressive Sno*Drift outing where they finished 15 minutes ahead of the Scion xD Rally Team of Andrew Comrie-Picard and Jeremy Wimpey. Duplessis is always favored to win, but Comrie-Picard displayed a special tenacity coming back from fifth in class to a 2^nd place finish.

The Rally in the 100 Acre Wood will begin at 12:00pm on Friday, February 24, with a Parc Expose. Fans can attend the Parc Expose to seek autographs and pick up spectator information before heading to various spots in the woods to watch the exciting rally action.

Another Parc Expose will kick off the action on Saturday, February 25th in downtown Salem at the intersection of 4th & Main Street at 8:00am. Two Super Special stages will take place that day at the Potosi Lions' Park beginning at 2:40pm. All Parcs Expose and race viewing are free to attend.

Fans who cannot attend in person can catch some live event streaming and video recaps, as well as regularly-updated stage times and results, at Rally-America.com.

For a complete schedule of the event, please visit Rally-America.com. A spectator guide with driving instructions to viewing areas will be available on the website soon.

The 2012 Rally America National Championship is proudly supported by VP Racing Fuels - the Official Fuel of Rally America, Exedy Racing Clutches, Hawk Performance Brakes, ParkNBlend and RECARO seats.

About Rally America:

Based in Williston, VT, Rally America, Inc. sanctions the Rally America National Championship, the premier performance rally series in the United States. In 2012, Rally America will be conducting six National Championship events at venues across the country, from Seattle, Washington to Newry, Maine. Rally America competitors reach speeds of well over 100 mph in modified street cars on natural-terrain courses consisting of gravel, dirt or snow. More information about the Rally America National Championship and the sport of rally can be found at http://www.rally-america.com.

Entry is now open for Tarmac Rally New York USA 2012

Entry is now open for tarmac Rally New York USA 2012
that will take place in Rock Hill, New York on April 21 - 22, 2012:

* One of the only two tarmac National Championship rallies in North America, over 100 stage miles, all new special stages
* A unique 20-mile tarmac stage that will be run two times
* Super Specials at private Monticello Motor Club - spectators welcome
* Two-Wheel-Drive United States Rally Championship and All-Wheel-Drive United States Rally Championship - USRC
* Separate classification for Rear-Wheel-Drive cars, Pre-Modern cars, Hillclimb cars and Road Racing cars
* Each day is a separate round of New York Rally Championship - NYRC and and a round the newly introduced Tarmac New York Rally Champ
* Prize fund, two-pass reconnaissance, pace notes and shakedown
* No fee for shakedown or reconnaissance, the entry fee includes Saturday night dinner for competitors and their service crews
* Robert Cella, AC2RC will again generously sponsor three teams - apply to cellamet@citlink.net

Rally NewYork Web Site - http://www.rallynewyork.net/

L'Estage takes the opening round of the 2012 Canadian Rally Championship

2012 Rallye Perce-Neige overall podium. Photo Andrew Harvey

MANIWAKI, QUEBEC, February 5, 2012 - Antoine L'Estage (St-Jean-Sur-Richelieu, QC) and Nathalie Richard (Halifax) opened their 2012 season by winning the Rallye Perce-Neige in Maniwaki, QC, the first event in the Canadian Rally Championship, Presented by Subaru and supported by Yokohama. Perce-Neige is just the second event for L'Estage in his new car, and already, he's comfortable, setting the pace from the first stage.

Smart tire choice and road position allowed L'Estage and Richard to open up a small lead over rivals Pat Richard (Squamish, BC) and Alan Ockwell (Toronto) of Subaru Rally Team Canada. Richard and Ockwell landed heavily on a jump on the second stage, damaging the car and losing boost, and then losing brakes. Despite this, the pair was only 27 seconds back from the lead at the first service. They would only run a few more stages before parking their car with driveline problems.

“We led from the first stage, and spun and lost time on the fourth stage, and then got back on track,” said L'Estage.  “We didn't make any other mistakes for the rest of the day and it's a great way to start the season. I don't know [why we're so successful]. Things are clicking and it works.”

For Nathalie Richard, the Rallye Perce-Neige is her 100^th career start, a fact that makes the win even more gratifying. “We both really wanted to come here and win this one,” said Richard. “These weren't easy conditions,  and it's a great way to start the season. We're just doing what we're doing and it seems to work.”

Podium regular Leo Urlichich (Toronto) and co-driver Carl Williamson (Swansea, GB) got off to a rough start. Timing mistakes on the first few stages led to six minutes in penalties, and the pair were pushing to make up time and positions – perhaps a bit too hard. A spin on a fast straight damaged the back end of the car, but the two were luckily able to continue. Incredibly, between a fast pace and misfortunes of rivals, the pair were able to climb up the order, finishing second overall.

“It is amazing. We tried hard,” said Urlichich. “Everyone made mistakes, the car had a few problems, I definitely made mistakes, Carl unfortunately made a mistake, but we all fought back for a second place on the podium.”

Sylvain and Simon Vincent (Terrebonne, QC), who were aiming for a top five finish, also benefitted from other's troubles, and the cagy veteran was well aware of what strategy leads to success. “You have to pace yourself at a rally like this,” said Sylvain at the midday service stop. “It's such a long event, you need to make sure you don't get too tired, too early. You can lose concentration and make mistakes.”  A mistake is exactly what destroyed the podium hopes for Bruno Carré and Yvan Joyal, both of Laval, QC. The pair rolled late in the rally, and though they managed to finish, they dropped from second overall to eighth. That allowed Sylvain Vincent to move up to third overall, earning valuable points towards his goal to rank in the top ten lifetime driver rankings.

“I was aiming for a top five, as that would be perfect,” said Sylvain. “It means good points, which is really important! It is really hard with the competition we have, to get into the top five at a gravel event, but on ice and snow, it is a bit easier.”

A runaway 2WD victory for Peter Kocandrle and co-driver Angela Cosner. Picture Andrew Harvey

In Two Wheel Drive, a battle appeared to be brewing early on between the team of Peter Kocandrle and Angela Cosner, and Thierry Ménégoz and Guillaume Béchard. After two stages, the teams were just 0.1 seconds apart. However, Ménégoz struggled to find grip and dropped down the order before retiring. Kocandrle took advantage of his growing lead and lessened pressure to open a lead of more than 20 minutes over his closest competitor.

“Everything was great until the last four stages. I had my first flat on stage, and a bit of an off, but someone helped us out. Then we got stuck behind a car and followed for a while and then backed off, and then they spun and backed right into us, breaking one of our lights,” said Kocandrle.“We came here to set some points in place for the year and try to build things for this year and maybe run the North American championship. The guys at Open Road Motorsports have been awesome,  and they've really looked after us.”

The Rallye Perce-Neige is the first round of the six event Canadian Rally Championship, and is made up of 16 stages, totalling 248km of competitive distance. Canada's only true winter rally, roads are covered in ice and snow, but teams are forbidden from using studded tires, requiring a smooth hand at the wheel for a driver to be successful.

"The roads are fantastic. Tortue is already the biggest challenge in Canadian rally, just to make it to the end is an accomplishment,” said Sylvain Erickson, Clerk of the Course. “This year, teams had to do it twice. The speed of the guys was really great, everything worked out to be very impressive.”

The Canadian Rally Championship is comprised of six events held nationwide in a season that extends from February to November. The series is presented by Subaru Canada, supported by Yokohama Tire Canada and features contingency programs from Subaru Canada and Mitsubishi Canada. The Canadian Association of Rallysport (CARS) is the official sanctioning body for rallying in Canada.

Rally car racing is often described simply as “real cars, real roads, real fast.” The all-season motorsport sees drivers and their co-drivers take modified road cars to the limit as they achieve blistering speeds over closed-road courses that typically cover more than 150 kilometers of gravel, dirt or snow-covered roads. Fans can get up close to the cars in the service areas and catch all the action from specially designated spectator points located at the best spots on the route.

Full coverage of the championship will air on RDS and TSN. Check local listings.

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

Rallye Perce Neige Final Results

1. Antoine L'Estage – Nathalie Richard – two hours, 45 minutes, 18.8 seconds

2. Leo Urlichich – Carl Williamson – 2:53:56.0

3. Sylvain Vincent – Simon Vincent – 2:59:11.5

4. Mathieu Dubé – Eric Losier – 3:01:01.2

5. Simon Losier – Brian Maxwell – 3:02:43.7

6. Joel Levac – Stéphanie Lewis – 3:02:58.8

7. Steeve Hobbs – Jean-Mathieu Tremblay – 3:03:38.9

8. Bruno Carré – Yvan Joyal – 3:04:17.2

9. Warren Haywood – John Hall – 3:15:07.9
10. Maxime Rochefort-Laframboise – Jerôme Milette – 3:17:47.0

Back to Back Podiums for Antoine L'Estage and Nathalie Richard

Antoine L’Estage and Natalie Richard pictured here last weekend  charging to second overall at Sn*Drift Rally. A quick turaround by Libra Racing and it was onto Rallye Perce-Neige where they claimed the overall victory. Picture: Neil McDaid / Rally World News

Maniwaki (Québec), February 5, 2012.- Quebec driver Antoine L'Estage (of St-Jean-sur-Richelieu) and his co-driver Nathalie Richard (of Halifax, Nova Scotia) won this weekend’s Rallye Perce-Neige, the opening round of the 2012 Canadian Rally Championship. In their brand new Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X, the Rockstar Energy Drink duo and reigning Canadian and North American champions, start the 2012 national season in the best possible way and set a new record for the most victories at this event. 

        

"It’s a convincing victory, winning the rally with a gap of over eight minutes ahead of second place" confides Antoine L'Estage, who adds : "I felt much more comfortable with the  new car than last weekend in Michigan.  Nathalie once again did a fantastic job co-driving, we didn’t have a single mechanical issue, and our Yokohama tires allowed us to push as much as we needed to throughout this very long rally.  We can really say that it was the perfect scenario for us".

Winners of nine of the sixteen competitive stages in the 2012 Rallye Perce-Neige, Antoine L'Estage and Nathalie Richard once again proved from the beginning how competitively John Buffum has built yet another Lancer Evo X. "Leading the Canadian and North American championships – there’s no better way for us to start our season" concludes Nathalie Richard who was celebrating her 100^th rally, of which she has won no fewer than thirty-eight!

        

The next outing for the Rockstar Energy Drink team is set for the last weekend of February in Missouri, where Antoine L'Estage, Nathalie Richard and the entire team will return to the Rally America series to defend their 2011 victory at the 100 Acre Wood rally.

Antoine L’Estage holds four North American championship titles (2007, 2008, 2010, 2011), four Canadian titles (2006, 2007, 2010, 2011), one American title (2010), and thirty-two overall victories in Canada and the US. Nathalie Richard holds seven overall national championship titles (4 Canadian and 3 American), as well as thirty-eight overall rally wins on both sides of the border. She also holds a record seven North American Co-Driving Championship titles (2004 – 2011, excluding 2006).

Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard participate in the 2012 Rally America and Canadian Rally Championships with the support of Rockstar Energy Drink, Formica Group, Fenetres Concerto, Mitsubishi Canada, Yokohama Tires,  Drenth Motorsport Gearboxes, Garrett Turbos, Énergie Cardio, VP Racing Fuels, Exe-Tc Suspensions, Hawk Performance Brake Pads, Driver's Edge Autosport, and Libra Racing. For more information on the team or on rallying in general, visit antoinelestage.com.