REWIND: Ken Block in Mexico
Video looking back on Rally Mexico and Ken Block’s first outing in a Ford Focus RS WRC car.
Ford Fiesta Super 2000 rally car launch
The all-new Ford Fiesta S2000 rally car was unveiled at a launch ceremony at M-Sport’s Cumbrian base in the UK last month. Here’s some footage from that event…
Rally Bulgaria halted by fatality
The World Rally Championship candidate event in Bulgaria was cancelled over the weekend after a fatal accident during the seventh stage. The Peugeot 207 S2000 driver by Swiss driver Brian Lavio went off the road during the stage on Sunday morning and hit a rock on the side of the road. While Lavio was taken to hospital following the incident, Italian co-driver Flavio Gugelmini succumbed to injuries he sustained when the car went off the road. The event, part of the European Rally Championship, was halted following the accident.
Colin McRae charity auction goes live.
Prodrive has announced that it will host an auction of rare and unusual rally memorabilia to raise money for the McRae Vision charities. The items range from one of the last pieces of memorabilia signed by the late Colin McRae to an original Rothmans Rally jacket signed by the competitors in the recent McRae Stages rally, as well as genuine parts from the Subaru World Rally Car. Many of the items have been donated by the McRae family and Colin’s former co-driver Nicky Grist. The auction went live today [October 10] and closes on October 17.
Dakar: Mitsubishi enters four cars again.
Mitsubishi Motors Corporation and its motor sport unit, the Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart team has confirmed that it will once again field a four-car line-up on the 31st Dakar Rally. The event, which will switch to fresh territory in 2009 and take competitors through Argentina and Chile from Saturday January 3 until Sunday January 18, 2009, will see the Japanese manufacturer use the new turbo-diesel ‘Racing Lancer’, with Stephane Peterhansel, Hiroshi Masuoka, Luc Alphand and Joan ‘Nani’ Roma all remaining onboard.
IRC: Tsjoen retires.
Abarth Grande Punto driver Pieter Tsjoen has confirmed that he has decided to quit the sport following the Rally of Ypres, the third round of the 2007 Intercontinental Rally Challenge. Tsjoen’s place in the Abarth Grande Punto will be taken by fellow countryman and former Mitsubishi and Peugeot World Rally ace, Freddy Loix.
Rallye Monte Carlo: SS11 – cancelled.
The organisers of the Rallye Automobile Monte Carlo have cancelled SS11 – La Tour sur Tinee-Utelle 2, at the request of local police due to traffic congestion in the area. As such, crews passed straight through the 18.73 kilometre test to SS12, the final test of the leg, which is due to start at 16.38 hours local time. The cancellation of SS11 follows problems on yesterday’s opening loop, which saw only 11 competitors compete on the first two tests after the route to the start was inadvertently blocked by a truck and a bus. SS3 was subsequently cancelled because of this.
First pics: Kronos Racing livery.
The Kronos Total Citroen World Rally team have revealed their livery for this season, on the eve of the first round of the 2006 FIA World Rally Championship, the Rallye Automobile Monte Carlo. Kronos will fly the flag for Citroen this year, following the French marques decision to take a sabbatical from the sport – before returning in 2007 with the C4. Sebastien Loeb will drive the #1 Kronos Citroen Xsara WRC, while Xavier Pons pilots the second car.
FIA safety delegate reviews Rally Ireland course.
FIA safety delegate, Jacek Bartos visited the North West of Ireland Tuesday to review the course and safety procedures for Rally Ireland 2006. Mr Bartos’ visit to Ireland is an important step in the qualification process for Ireland, as the event bids to join the FIA World Rally Championship from 2007. “Today is a critical day for Rally Ireland’s qualification bid,” confirmed Ronan Morgan, co-promoter of Rally Ireland.
First pictures: New Ford in `06 livery.
Ford of Europe officially unveiled the all-new Ford Focus RS World Rally Car in its 2006 livery Thursday at the Bologna Motor Show. To see images of the new Focus in its ’06 livery – just go to www.crash.net, click on the WRC channel and then under ‘Pictures and Video’, select ‘Latest Pictures’ – 8 images are currently displayed on page 1. Pictures courtesy of Ford.
Galli: GB is fast – and I think quite difficult.
Mitsubishi’s Gigi Galli has revealed that he will adopt the same strategy on the Rally GB this weekend as he did in Germany – namely to be patient and learn as much as possible by completing the whole event. Galli has never previously competed in Wales, although the Italian has undertaken the recce twice, once with Pirelli in 2003 – and once for his own experience in 2004. It will therefore be another steep learning curve for the 32-year-old. “For me, I will have the same attitude [in GB as] I had in Germany, nothing more, nothing less,” he confirmed.
Kresta: Finland like F1 in the forests!
Ford’s Roman Kresta has admitted that he found the pace on the Rally Finland ‘just incredible’. The Czech, who was competing on the event for the very first time, adopted a risk-free strategy throughout as he concentrated on learning the characteristics of the technically difficult Finnish stages. After going off the road and losing further time with hydraulic problems on the opening two legs, the 29-year-old climbed from 30th at the end of leg two to 23rd at the finish. “At last I’ve had a good day Sunday! I just drove to finish,” he noted.