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Wales Rally GB [J] - 1-3 Dec 06Posted: December 10, 2006 9:58 PM - 12896 Hits
Round 16 - 2006 World Rally Championship
Rally Winners: Marcus Gronholm/Timo Rautiainen Photo: Roy Dempster Posted: December 10, 2006 9:58 PM
McCLOSKEY ENDS SEASON TIED FOR FIRST Connor McCloskey, partnered by Damien Connolly, ended their 2006 rally season tied for first place in the Mitsubishi Evo Challenge Junior category. The season finale was a debut on Wales Rally GB for the youngster from Kilrea in Northern Ireland and it wasn’t without its difficulties. With just a small amount of testing and a two month gap since Rally Yorkshire, Connor approached the UK’s round of the World Rally Championship with some trepidation. The 220 mile event was also a scoring round of the British Rally and Mitsubishi Evolution Challenge Championships which the pair has contested all year and they opened their account well. The ceremonial start in Cardiff on Thursday evening attracted thousands of spectators to cheer the crews on their way, but the action started in earnest on Friday morning. After the first loop of foggy stages in the south Wales forests, they had nearly halved their seeding number, lying 45th overall against the best drivers in the World. The next test followed without incident but on stage five, disaster struck. A right rear puncture caused suspension damage which left them limping through nearly thirty miles of stages and a twenty mile road section before service in Swansea. “The rear suspension arm was damaged but the lads managed to change it well within the half hour service.” explained Connor, “But we dropped around six minutes. The worst thing was that we had got inside the top forty and were moving steadily up the leaderboard as we gained confidence.” By the re start on Saturday the crew had re-focussed on finishing the event and they had good runs through the renowned Crychan and Epynt stages. “We had picked up speed again and were going at a sustainable pace,” said Connor, “So I was mad at myself when we went off on the Halfway stage. The pacenote was “keep left for square right over crest” but the car went light and we ended up hitting the bank on the left hand side. It pitched us up into the air on the nose of the car so I was glad when it landed back on its wheels.” He continued, “We lost about two and a half minutes and picked up some front end damage.” Back at service the damage was found to be mainly cosmetic and they continued without drama to the final stage of the day in Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium. “We had a great time,” said Connor, “although apparently the exhaust came adrift at the start and we dragged it round the stadium. The spectators loved it but I have to apologise to the marshal at the finish as we nearly knocked her off her feet with it!” However the FIA regulations allow for competitors to take a time penalty for missed stages, so they still classified as finishers in 49th place. The second place in the Evo Challenge was enough to level them on points at the top of the Junior Championship, but a tie break gave the win the rival Philip Morrow who won the opening round in May. “Today has been a disappointment but we have had a great season.” said Connor, “It has been an excellent opportunity to compete against some of the best drivers in the country and on this event, the world. We have built a foundation for next season’s campaign and I am particularly proud to have contested Rally GB. It was undoubtedly the toughest event that I have done and we both enjoyed the experience immensely.” he concluded, “I have been very fortunate to have had the support of the Fisher Foundation this year and I would particularly like to thank them for helping me during the season. I wish whoever takes the award for next year every success.” Connor and the team would like to thank Egger (wood based panels), The Fisher Foundation, Euro Components, KBB Doors, Pirelli and Shell Racing Fuels for their continuing support in 2006 Results and Reflections. Finland’s Marcus Gronholm gave BP-Ford their first Rally of Great Britain victory for 27 years ending the 2006 World Rally Championship (WRC) with eight outright wins for the Ford Focus RS WRC and the FIA Manufacturers Championship. Austria’s Manfred Stohl achieved his best result of this year’s 16 round WRC with second place in his OMV Peugeot 307, 20 seconds ahead of four times Rally GB winner, Petter Solberg partnered by Welshman Phil Mills in their Subaru Impreza WRC 2006. Estonian Jaan Molder won the Junior World Rally Championship (JWRC) category in a Suzuki but the overall junior title was claimed by Sweden’s Patrick Sandell, despite finishing 33rd in his Renault Clio. Scotland’s Barry Clark finished 30th overall, first in both his capacity class and the Fiesta Sporting Trophy International. This performance assured him of the “Rookie” title in the JWRC. Finland’s Anton Alen (23), son of rallying legend, Markku, finished 13th overall and won the Production Category in his Subaru Impreza. Wales Rally GB was the sixth and final round of the Tesco 99 Octane British Rally Championship which also incorporated the Mitsubishi Evolution Challenge. Gwyndaf Evans (Dolgellau) won the six-round Mitsubishi series, earning a prize-drive in the 2007 British Rally Championship. The mix of Nationalities amongst the major award winners reflected the popularity of Wales Rally GB, which attracted competitors from 32 countries and an entry of 118 cars – the largest in this year’s WRC and the best UK total for five years. Wales Rally GB – the 62nd edition - returned to Cardiff on Sunday (December 3rd) on scheduled time after all 17 special stages were completed without disruption or serious accidents. Alister McRae, younger brother of 1995 World Champion Colin, debuted the Toyota Super 2000R, a four-wheel-drive version of the Toyota Corolla. Of the 111 official starters, 82 were classified as finishers. Spectator attendances also reflected the events popularity. Over 12,000 people visited the Swansea Service Park on Friday and Saturday and an estimated 25,000 were seated in Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium for the second running of the world’s first indoor special stage. Better value spectator tickets resulted in Friday and Sunday day passes selling out. The 2007 Wales Rally GB is scheduled to be based in Cardiff with the ceremonial start on Thursday 29th November. MACHALE STOPS ON PENULTIMATE STAGE Irishmen Gareth MacHale and Paul Nagle parked their Focus WRC at the start of the penultimate stage of Rally GB after a gearbox oil leak, deciding not to risk an under bonnet fire. They were still classified as finishers, taking advantage of the WRC rules again, which allow competitors to take a hefty five minute penalty for each stage not completed. Their eventual 16th position overall was despite a second day clutch problem which had dropped the pair five minutes when they missed the Cardiff Super Special Stage. The condition of the forest stages had been treacherous from the very start but they became more difficult as the event progressed, after three days of wind and sporadic torrential rain. The final 70 miles was packed into Sunday morning and the crew began running third on the road. “With the stages being so wet, the surface was incredibly slippery again,” said Gareth, “and the two cars in front weren’t enough to clear the loose stuff.” Part way through the first stage they came across Mikkelsen off the road which they slowed for to check the crew was OK. But that left just one “road sweeper” and the tracks even more slippery. The result was a quick spin which dropped them around fifteen seconds but the only damage was to Gareth’s pride. With over a minute to the car behind and just 45 seconds to the car in front, Gareth had decided to have a push in the last pair of stages but a strong smell of gear oil forced them to stop at the start of the penultimate stage to investigate. “We could see fluid on the sump guard and there was a smell of hot oil.” said Gareth, “So we decided not to attempt the last two stages in case it got on the exhaust and caused a fire. Its just one of those things.” “It is a unique event in the WRC calendar and I’m disappointed not to complete all the stage miles,” said Gareth, “But it is another round of the Championship that we can add to our list of experience for next year. The weather has been against everybody this weekend and I’m glad to see that we managed to set some good times in the difficult conditions.” Gareth would like to thank Sanyo Air Conditioners, ABB, Garyaron Homes, All Sports Logistics, Maxol Lubricants, Tom Hogan Motors, Corcoran Builders and the Irish Rally Calendar for their continued support. Encouraging debut for Alister McRae in Toyota Super 2000 Alister McRae described the debut of the Toyota Super 2000R rally car in the FIA World Rally Championship on this weekend’s Wales Rally GB as “… extremely encouraging.” Alister’s pace in the car improved steadily throughout the event and culminated in four fastest stage times in Group N, the category the car will run in the 2007 WRC. However, the success was tinged with disappointment, as McRae went off the road on the final stage of the event and although the car was undamaged, he was unable to rejoin and therefore retired. McRae and co-driver Gordon Noble had little more than a day’s testing in the Toyota S2000 prior to the start of the event but despite this, they and the RED World Rally Team, the worldwide agent for the car, made significant progress optimising the car’s settings to gain traction on the wet Welsh stages. After the ceremonial start at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff on Thursday evening, the event began with three stages on wet roads after a night of heavy rain. Alister began the event by settling into the driving style required for the new car, which he said was different from the Group N cars he was used to. Despite this, he set stage times comparable with the midfield of the Group N pack. However, in the first of the afternoon’s stages, Alister picked up a puncture and lost time as he continued to the end of the stage. As Group N cars are not allowed to run anti-deflation mousse like the World Rally Cars, he had to be careful for the rest of the day, as his only spare was now flat. In spite of this, the gap to the front-running Group N cars dropped steadily through the day, ending at less than 0.5 seconds/kilometre deficit. The second day again dawned wet and Alister and Gordon continued where they left off. However, Alister felt that there was more potential to come from the engine, since it seemed to be lacking some strength. The team carried out adjustments at the mid-day service and the improvements were immediate. On the first of the afternoon’s stages, Alister set the second-fastest time in Group N and then went one better on the middle of the three stages, setting the fastest time in the class. However, the elation would be short-lived, as on the penultimate stage of the day, one of the car’s suspension joints failed, leading to a driveshaft being pulled out of the front differential. With no drive, Alister was unable to continue and retired from the day. However, he was to return for the third and final day under the SupeRally regulations, which allow recovered and repaired cars to continue competing. The pace shown on the second day was again apparent as the crews competed on the first loop of two stages on Sunday morning. Alister was again fastest over both of the stages, as well as the first in the repeated loop in the afternoon. However, the exceptionally tricky conditions caught him out as they had so many other drivers. He missed a braking point on the slippery mud and slid off the road. The car was undamaged but he wasn’t able to get it back onto the road. So despite an excellent showing of speed in the car, he was denied the result which he and the RED team felt was deserved. Speaking at the service area after the event, Alister said; “I feel the event has gone very well, especially when you consider it’s the car’s first outing in the WRC and we carried out less than two days pre-event testing. The changes we made on the second leg clearly worked well and the four stage wins are testament to the potential of the Toyota Super 2000R. “The small problem we had on Saturday was completely unexpected and we’ve identified and rectified it already, so I am confident that won’t reoccur. The objective for this weekend was to get as many miles as possible on the car to learn about it’s pace and behaviour on gravel and I feel we’ve done just that. Of course it is disappointing not to get the result that I feel we all deserve, after the effort that has gone into it but overall, I’m pleased with the weekend. “I’d like to say a big thank you to GHI Contracts and Lloyd Helicopters for supporting us here this weekend. GHI Contracts’ and Lloyd Helicopters’ directors have been down here all weekend and out in the stages, cheering us on. It’s gratifying to know that they have been able to see just how much potential there is in the car and be part of its debut and first class stage wins in the WRC.” RED World Rally Team Principal Neil Gatt was also pleased with the weekend’s work, despite not achieving the deserved result. “If you’d asked me, on Thursday evening, if we would be pleased with four Group N stage wins over the weekend, I would have said ‘Yes’. To achieve that against a field of some of the quickest and most talented Group N drivers, as we’ve seen here this weekend, is extremely encouraging. I’m delighted that we were able to compete on equal terms and beat those drivers, who were battling throughout the event and did not let up their pace at all. This was a quality set of fastest times and gives an indication of the car’s future potential.” Champion takes third BRC win of year. Yorkshire’s Ryan Champion emerged victorious from a gruelling three days’ rallying in Britain’s biggest sporting event, Wales Rally GB, the final round of the Tesco 99 Octane MSA British Rally Championship (BRC). The Mitsubishi Motors UK driver kept his head and crucially his car on the road when so many of his rivals and fellow competitors in the event suffered offs or mechanical woes in one of the most challenging events on the World Rally Championship calendar. Within sight of the win drama struck as his Evo IX’s engine began to overheat and Champion had to crawl through the final stage, thinking that his rally win was blown. Such was the extent of the problem that the car was parked on the road section following the stage and this meant that a SupeRally time was given for the stage and Champion had indeed won. “We started this season just wanting to be competitive so to get three wins over the year is fanstastic,” said Champion who adds his Wales Rally GB win to victories taken in the Pirelli International Rally and International Rally Yorkshire with co-driver Craig Thorley. “The temperature kept creeping up on the final stage and when it got to 120 degrees we stopped and put more water in twice on the stage. When we got on to the road section we had to stop as we wouldn’t have made it back. We’d led the rally for the last two days driving for the win so it’s good to get it.” On actual stage times SJR Hankook driver Stuart Jones would have taken the win after a ballistic final day performance. Jones and co-driver Craig Parry blasted up the order, but the SupeRally rules ultimately denied them. “We took a lot out of the boys ahead on the last stages, we were at 200% and I took out my brain at the beginning of the final stage and just went for it,” said Jones. “We lost ten minutes on the first day and be in the position where we could have taken a BRC win shows just how hard it was out there.” Champion’s drive with the Mitsubishi Motors UK squad comes from him winning the Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution Challenge last season. This year’s prize has been won by 1996 British Rally Champion Gwyndaf Evans after a rollercoaster in the points standings through the course of the event, which he led at the end of the first day. “I was pleased to be leading the rally at the end of the first day and we were 15 minutes up on Jonny Milner,” said Evans. “Then the gearbox let go on the second day and I thought that was it. I even congratulated Jonny at the side of the road.” The Evo lead was handed to Jonny Milner, but this proved short-lived for the 2002-03 BRC champion as he half-rolled when avoiding rocks and trying to maintain a conservative run on Saturday. This meant that Evans could now accumulate points from the Service Park to take the title. Milner’s only chance was for the Evo runners ahead to retire – and not make it back to the Service Park to be eligible for SupeRally - but the Yorkshireman continued his run ever hopeful. “They say things happen for a reason but it’s not fair,” said Milner. “We’ve completed so many stages this season. SupeRally can be frustrating. It used to be to finish first, first you have to finish, but we did get back into the event for today so we used it too.” Milner’s hopes were well and truly extinguished when he ended his event with a punctured radiator after hitting a straw bale in the final stage. He wasn’t the only BRC runner to exit before the end, with then second-placed Julian Reynolds rolling out from what could have been the rally win with Champion’s problems. “Our wipers stopped working and we tried to avoid a massive puddle,” said Reynolds. “Unfortunately the car ran wide and we hit a gatepost and rolled about 60 foot down the ravine. It was purely a mistake but there’s nothing I could do about it.” David Higgins in his return to the BRC scored the final podium spot after being pipped by the charging Stuart Jones on the final day. “The rally was good, but hard work,” said the previous BRC champion. “I made a mistake on tyre choice on the last two stag as I thought it would be a lot harder, but it started to rain, but Stuart was flying.” In the Super 1600 class MSA British Rally Elite member James Wozencroft took the lead after Guy Wilks suffered from gearbox problems early in Leg 2 and the Ludlow lad impressed with his measured drive to take the event class win and title as well. It wasn’t all plain sailing. “We had a puncture on the last stage and lost about seven minutes,” said Wozencroft. “It was frustrating to end like that, but what an event! We’ve had a great rally and I’ve learnt so much this season, it’s been fantastic to take the title.” In the R3 class Barry Clark – who has been more usually seen in the BRC in a S1600 Fiesta - dominated. He won by a margin of over 19 minutes, also taking the FIA J-WRC Rookie crown and Fiesta SportingTrophy win at the same time. “In the N3 class we were up against more powerful cars so it’s great to win the class. I hadn’t even realised we were leading the R3 class too so that just goes to show how well it’s gone.” R1 champions Fin McCaul and James Smith returned after their wishbone failure on Saturday and battled the treacherous conditions in their 1400cc VW Polo, setting quicker times than more powerful and four wheel drive machinery. “It’s been a great event,” said McCaul. “I’m delighted to have finished all but the Super Special. I’ve had so much fun I want it to go on for another three days.” 2006 British Rally Champion Mark Higgins retired from his run in the WRC element of the event on Saturday but was able to reflect on a superb season. “I was very happy to be in the overall top ten on Friday,” said Higgins. “It’s been a great season and it was good to see my team doing so well through the event too.” McShea/Shinnors score well despite woes. The Stobart VK Subaru squad endured cruel fate on the final day of Wales Rally GB as both Julian Reynolds and Niall McShea exited the running of the final day of Britain’s biggest sporting event from front running positions. Whilst both cars did not complete the event, the final round of both the Tesco 99 Octane MSA British Rally Championship (BRC) and the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), they still registered strong finishes in the event, with Reynolds taking fourth in the BRC and McShea eleventh in the N4 class. Reynolds had been in a strong second position and making up time on event winner Ryan Champion when his windscreen wipers interfered with overhanging branches. With their wipers’ water clearing abilities rendered useless, Reynolds moved to avoid one of the massive puddles on the stage, but instead collected a gatepost and rolled his car. “Our wipers stopped working and we tried to avoid a puddle,” said Reynolds. “Unfortunately the car ran wide and we hit a gatepost and rolled about 60 foot down the ravine. It was purely a mistake but there’s nothing I could do about it.” McShea impressed all onlookers in his sole outing for the Stobart VK Subaru squad, taking over Mark Higgins’ drive after the newly-crowned champion opted to run this event in a WRC car. His final day’s running was cut short when a bottom ball joint failed and he exited the running. He had been forth in class at the end of the second day and would have led the BRC competitors had he been entered for that Championship. “Everything seemed okay in service last night then on the first stage today we broke the ball joint 11 km in,” said McShea. “We didn’t hit anything so it’s just one of those things. We were leading Ryan Champion who led the BRC runners and we weren’t even happy with the setup of the car, there was plenty more speed to come. It’s been an excellent opportunity and I know I could do well if I got in the car again.” Hat Trick of Victories for Champion and Mitsubishi This weekend saw the third Tesco 99 MSA British Rally Championship victory of the season for the Mitsubishi Motors UK Works Rally Team, when Ryan Champion and his co-driver Craig Thorley won the sixth and final round on the Wales Rally of Great Britain. With the event also being the last round of the World Rally Championship the route comprised 242 competitive miles in the South Wales forests, making it the longest and most demanding rally in the British series – a factor which meant the victory was even more rewarding for the Mitsubishi team. Champion (from Castleton, North Yorkshire) and Thorley (from Pocklington, East Yorkshire) started the rally looking to make it a clean sweep in all three of the season’s gravel surface events, having won the Pirelli Rally in May and the Rally Yorkshire in October. They were also keen to pitch themselves against many of the overseas drivers in similar Group N Production Class machinery. The event began with a ceremonial start from Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium on Thursday evening, the first leg of competition starting on Friday morning with six stages in the forests to the north east of Swansea. The initial loop of three stages saw Champion and Thorley take things cautiously, the Yorkshiremen looking to keep out of problems right from the start, albeit suffering a puncture at the end of the first stage. However, their pace was still enough to see them second of the British Championship runners just behind Stuart Jones, also in a Mitsubishi and enabled them to hold fifth position in Group N. Champion began to increase his pace for the second run through the same three stages in the afternoon taking the lead on stage five, when Jones stopped due to a faulty electrical sensor. Champion also had a scare on the same stage when he bent his car’s intercooler having hit a severe bump in the road. Then, on an extremely slippery and narrow section at the end of SS6, he spun and dropped 30 seconds, letting the Mitsubishi of Gwyndaf Evans past and into first place as a result. Day two comprised another three stages run twice, this time in the Brecon Beacons – plus a spectacular indoor stage at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium that evening. Although starting the day in the lead, Evans suddenly found he was losing gears and after just one stage his car came to a standstill on the road section to SS8. As cars pulled into the Swansea service halt following SS9 Champion found he was in front by a healthy margin of nearly half a minute and backed off a little to conserve his car and to make sure he didn't make any mistakes – especially in the rougher and more slippery sections. After running the morning’s three stages again in the afternoon and entertaining the crowds in the stadium that evening, Champion stretched his BRC lead to over one and a half minutes as he brought the works Mitsubishi back to Swansea for the overnight halt. Although finding it difficult to establish a rhythm over the final four rain-swept stages of Brechfa and Trawscoed on Sunday morning, Champion maintained his position and things looked good for the Mitsubishi team’s third British Championship victory of the season. But then on the 17th and final stage he saw the car’s temperature gauge start to climb. Then, a few miles later the engine started to lose power and although stopping to add water there appeared to be no cure. Even after nursing the car though the remainder of the stage, the engine eventually overheated on the road section back to the service halt. Initially things looked grim, but International rally regulations allow retired cars to be transported to the finish and still feature in the results, although a penalty of five minutes, plus the time of the fastest car in the class, is applied for each non-completed stage. As the car had expired in the final throes of the event a penalty for one stage was added to the Mitsubishi team’s time, but as Champion had by then amassed a lead of over five and a half minutes, his lead was safe and the win he and the team has wanted so much was secure. He also ended the event fourth in the Production Class and in an excellent 16th place overall. It was a dramatic end to an exciting and eventful season for the Mitsubishi Motors UK team, with drivers Ryan Champion and Rory Galligan recording three firsts, one second and two third places during the season. These results see Champion finish second in the BRC driver’s standings, the best he could hope for after the championship had been decided in the preceding round. Mitsubishi also move up to third in the British Team’s Championship, their title aspirations made almost impossible because of the way the points are allocated. The team now turns its attentions to 2007 and another season with two cars entered in the British Rally Championship – one of which will be driven by the newly crowned Evolution Challenge Champion – Gwyndaf Evans. The Cirencester-based Mitsubishi Motors UK works rally team is supported by: Pirelli, HKS, Shell Helix, PIAA, Speedline Corse and Performance Friction Brakes. The team’s Lancer Evolution IXs are built by ADR Motorsport of Chesterfield, who are also responsible for running the cars on events. Team Quotations Ryan Champion - Driver “I’m so pleased to have won the final round of the British Championship. We could have done without the last stage dramas though! My focus throughout the event was to achieve this result and just let the others around me get on with their own events. It’s a great end to what has been a great season for Craig and I and I really must thank the team for all they have done - for giving me their utmost support, providing me with the best car in the championship and for the opportunity to compete for the British title.” Paul Brigden – General Manager, Mitsubishi Ralliart “That was exciting! It just goes to prove that in rallying it’s not over till it’s over, but I am delighted to have ended the season with another win – especially on an event which is as demanding as the Wales Rally GB. We’ve had our ups and downs this year, so victory in the BRC on this event is a great way to finish and testimony to all of the team’s hard work. I must thank the team for what they have done this year, plus all of our sponsors and supporters, without whom our motorsport programme would not be possible.” Tesco 99 Octane MSA British Rally Championship Round Six - Wales Rally GB Final Results 1st Ryan Champion/Craig Thorley (Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX) 3:50:35.6 2nd Stuart Jones/Craig Parry (Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX) 3:51:19.7 3rd David Higgins/Ieuan Thomas (Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX) 3:51.21.5 4th Julian Reynolds/Alun Cook (Subaru Impreza) 3:56:16.4 5th Barry Clark/Scott Martin (Ford Fiesta) 4:04:23.2 6th James Wosencroft/Robert Fagg (Suzuki Ignis) 4:06:30.6 7th Rob Gill/Anders Howard (Subaru Impreza) 4:10:02.3 8th Connor McCloskey/Damien Connelly (Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX) 4:12:20.9 9th Phillip Morrow/Daniel Barritt (Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX) 4:16:15.8 10th Guy Wilks/Phil Pugh (Suzuki Swift) 4:17:06.8 Jones wins as Evans takes the EVO Title What a finish! The sixth and final round of the 2006 Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution Challenge could not have been more exciting if it tried. Not only did it take place on the UK’s most spectacular rally of the season – the Wales Rally GB – but the final outcome and the prize of a works Mitsubishi drive in 2007 was decided right at the very end on a tie-break. Stuart Jones and his co-driver Craig Parry drove their socks off to take their second Evo Challenge victory of the season, with Connor McCloskey/Damien Connolly second and Phillip Morrow/Daniel Barritt third. But on the last of the event’s three days, attentions turned to the title chase between Jonny Milner/Nicky Beech and Gwyndaf Evans/Huw Lewis, the Welshmen finally collecting the spoils by the narrowest of margins. This year’s Evolution Challenge has followed all six rounds of the Tesco 99 Octane MSA British Rally Championship, which concluded on the Wales Rally GB, the final round of the World Rally Championship. Six Evo Challenge crews were entered – a figure which represented 50% of the British Rally Championship entry. With a route comprising 17 stages and a total of 242 competitive miles, the event is over twice the distance of a normal BRC round. With this in mind, Challenge organisers opted to award points for each of the three days: 1 to 5 on Friday and Saturday and the usual 12, 10, 8, 7, 6… scores allocated based on Sunday’s final results. This scenario allowed all six Challenge drivers a mathematical chance of claiming the title, although it was Milner and Evans who had the advantage, with just two points separating them before the start. Day one featured three stages run twice in the forests north east of Swansea, where Evans immediately took the lead from Morrow and then Jones. Milner was initially delayed when his car’s turbo started to lose its boost and he then lost 12 minutes on SS3 when a fuel pipe disconnected itself after a hard landing. Neil McCance/Francis Regan also had problems on SS3 when a steering arm broke, sending their Mitsubishi off the road, into a ditch and out of the event – an unsporting season’s end for the series’ most ‘sporting’ driver. Milner’s car was fixed at the service halt and he set about making up for lost time. Jones, also on a charge, was catching cars ahead of him, but he was stopped in his tracks on stage five when a camshaft sensor failed. However, with the event being run to International rules, competitors could continue under SuperRally regulations and if they are able to repair their cars, a penalty of five minutes plus the time of the leading car in the class is applied for each non-completed stage. Therefore, all was not lost for Jones. With other crews experiencing punctures and problems in the slippery conditions, the results at the end of the first day showed that Evans had pulled out a lead of nearly nine minutes from Jones, McCloskey, Morrow – and more significantly for him – Milner. Having reported that he would now drive at 80% in order to conserve the car and stay on the road, Evan’s plans were thwarted when his car’s gearbox expired following the first stage of the day, leaving him no choice but to opt for SuperRally tactics. However, with another six stages left that day and a further four the following day, the accumulation of time penalties signaled that he had handed the advantage back to Milner – Evans even congratulating his rival at the side of the road. But the story was far from over and on SS10, whilst trying to keep out of trouble by staying away from the stones at the side of the stage, Milner’s car slid off the road, down a bank into some trees. Having recovered the car and returning to the service area for repairs, he too implemented his SuperRally option – and now it really was close. After six stages on the Brecon Beacons, the final timed test was a spectacular affair in front of thousands of spectators in Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium, the Evo Challenge drivers putting on a great show – Jones displaying his speed and talent that had seen him record times quicker than that of the International Production Class drivers competing in this event. After much contemplation and tapping of calculators during the overnight halt, Evans found he had no choice but to continue under SuperRally regulations for the final day and was left to watch the results come in for a nail-biting four remaining stages. Following the second day’s allocation of points the battle for the Evo Challenge title was now down to just him and Milner. However, with the Yorkshireman now fourth and Evans listed as fifth, it meant that Milner had to get ahead of at least one of the three drivers in front of him if he was to claim the crown. Being nearly 20 minutes behind it looked like an impossible task, but on the very first stage of the day Morrow hit a rock and removed a front wheel and on the second McCloskey went off when his car’s steering rack came adrift in the rough conditions. But luck was not on Milner’s side and he slid into a straw bale on the very last stage, damaging his car’s radiator and losing time in the process. At the finish ceremony back in Cardiff it was an electrifying few minutes while the final times came in, the results confirming that Evans was in fact 2006 Evolution Challenge Champion. But it was close: he and Milner had finished on the same tally of points, but as Evans had won the opening round of the series he was finally declared the winner. “After everything that’s happened today and we’ve finally come out on top – I can’t believe it,” said Evans. “At the start of the season I didn't really consider the implications of winning the Evolution Challenge, but as the season progressed the realisation of what was on offer for the winner became more and more apparent and it then became my target – so to win and get a works Mitsubishi drive in the British Rally Championship next year is absolutely fantastic! It’s the best prize in rallying.” After a stunning performance Jones came home to comfortably win the final round of the Evo Challenge from McCloskey and then Morrow, these two young Irishmen tying on points for the PIAA Junior Award – Morrow taking the spoils with the tie-break rule coming into play - again! He will now benefit from a day’s tuition at John Haugland’s snow and ice driving school in Norway. At the finish Jones said: “I’m pleased to have taken my second Evolution Challenge win of the season. Although the car stopped on the first day, I’m happy with the way things went from then on and very satisfied with my stage times. However, I must congratulate Gwyndaf on winning this year’s Evolution Challenge. It’s a great result for our team.” The Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution Challenge is backed by Mitsubishi Motors UK Ralliart and sees the continued support of its associate sponsors Walon, Pirelli, PIAA, Speedline Corse, Shell and Mintex. 2006 Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution Challenge Round Six Wales Rally GB – Results 1st Stuart Jones (Welshpool)/Craig Parry (Llanymynech) – 3:51:19.7 2nd Connor McCloskey (Kilrea)/Damien Connelly (Monaghan) – 4:12:20.9 3rd Phillip Morrow (Lisburn)/Daniel Barritt (Burnley) – 4:16:15.8 4th Jonny Milner (Huggate)/Nicky Beech (Lewknor) – 4:27:58.5 5th Gwyndaf Evans (Dinas Mawddwy)/Huw Lewis (Machynlleth) – 4:33:07.8 Retirements SS3 Neil McCance (Comber)/Francis Regan (Cushendall) – Steering (J) = Junior driver. MORROW BATTLES THROUGH IN WRC DEBUT Lisburn rally driver Phillip Morrow, together with his co-driver Daniel Barritt from Burnley, ended his Tesco 99 Octane MSA British Rally Championship campaign by competing in last weekend’s Wales Rally GB – the final round of the World Rally Championship. For Phillip, it was the first time on a WRC status event and he didn't disappoint, setting a series of stage times which faired well against many of the International drivers, as well as the British Rally Championship and Evolution Challenge regulars. With the event featuring 242 competitive miles in the South Wales forests, it’s the longest and most demanding rally in the British series, being more than twice the distance than any of the others and, with heavy rain before and during the event, the stages were made far more treacherous than usual. Things started well for Phillip and his team, the Evolution Challenge organizers awarding them with the Walon trophy, for the best-prepared car in the Mitsubishi series. After the Ceremonial start on Thursday evening at Cardiff’s Millenium Stadium, the competition got underway on Friday, with three stages run twice in the forests north east of Swansea. Realising there was a long way to go, Phillip sensibly opted for a cautious start and, after the first stage, was delighted to be holding a position of 20th overall and second in the BRC and Evolution Challenge standings. All looked to be going well until stage four, the second run through Port Talbot Forest, when the rough road surface punctured a front tyre, which then lead to a broken shaft in the transmission. Although managing to get through the stage, closer inspection confirmed that the car wasn’t going any further and therefore Phillip decided to get back to the service area for the team to carry out repairs. With the event running to International rally regulations, retired crews may still feature in the results provided they take their car to the finish of each leg. A penalty of five minutes, plus the time of the fastest car in the class, is applied for each non-completed stage – a scenario which meant that Phillip was able to continue on Saturday. Day two comprised another three stages run twice, this time in the Brecon Beacons – plus a spectacular indoor stage at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium that evening. With Phillip now running near the back of the field he not only had to contend with a very cut-up road surface, but he was also catching up slower cars ahead of him. Adjusting his driving accordingly, the only problem on Saturday was another puncture and he ended the day having climbed back up to 37th overall, 7th in the BRC and, most importantly, 2nd in the Evolution Challenge, as he was at this stage still in with a chance of clinching the title. With just four forest stages left on Sunday Phillip could see the end in sight, but a sharp rock at the side of the road in the first stage of the day ripped a tyre off the rim and, with the steering bent, he had no choice but to stop and just get the car to the finish. After all of the problems, Phillip was glad to be classified as the 51st finisher in the overall standings, 9th in the BRC and 3rd in the Evolution Challenge: “It wasn’t our best event, but I’m pleased we were able to feature in the results. As this was our first World Rally Championship event it was great experience and I was pleased with my stage times against the more established drivers who regularly compete at International level.” Even though things didn't go exactly to plan, Phillip still walked away with the PIAA Junior Award, the prize being a day at John Haugland’s snow and ice driving school in Norway. Phillip and the team now look forward to 2007, when the 23 your old Ulsterman intends to put all of this season’s experience to good use. Phillip’s 2006 campaign was supported by Pirelli, Morrow Fuels, Fitzsamuel Insurance, Lyons European Haulage, Lagan Motor Factors, DGM Motorsport, Kelly’s Toyota, Proflex, PIAA, Speedline Corse, AMS gear kits, BADMC and RPM Promotions.
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PRE EVENT NEWS
30/11/06 Meeke in thick of world title fight in Wales Having established himself as the fastest driver in this year’s Junior World Rally Championship, Kris Meeke will now take part in a seven-way scrap for the title on this week’s Cardiff-based Rally Great Britain. The 26-year-old Northern Irishman, driving a PH Sport-prepared Citroen C2, has won more stages in the five rallies he has tackled than any other driver in the Junior series. A combination of misfortune and mechanical malady have, however, robbed him of near-certain victories in Spain, Corsica and Finland. Meeke showed his mettle with an astonishing fight-back drive and victory in Germany, booking his place in the what is certain to be a thrilling final round. Meeke knows, however, that he remains an outside bet for the title, courtesy of the points which slipped away earlier in the season. Despite that, the double British junior champion will, once again, be at his very best in the Welsh woods this week. Rally Great Britain gets underway in Cardiff tomorrow (Thursday) evening with a ceremonial start at the Millennium Stadium in the centre of the city. From Friday morning onwards, however, it’s flat-out motoring through the fastest and most technical stages anywhere in the World Rally Championship. It’s also the last time for Meeke and co-driver Glenn Patterson to show their devastating turn of speed in the C2. Meeke said: “It’s great that this is my home rally, with good support and all of that, but beyond that, these stages are just fantastic. I’ve been out on the recce today and you forget just how good they are. They’re so flowing and quick, brilliant. I think we’re going to miss out on the really cold weather, it seems it’s going to stay mild and probably quite wet.” “That makes the stages sticky and heavy going, but it also means we’ll miss out on the ice. Ice on this kind of event isn’t great news, everybody’s on the wrong tyres and it’s so easy to get caught out. This way, we’ll have it wet, but it’ll be a straight fight.” “I know this rally quite well, but I don’t have any better experience than the likes of P-G Andersson or Urmo Aava, they would have done it almost as many times. It’s a common misconception that I have years of experience on these roads. I will be starting out to go fastest and just drive the way I have driven all season. This year really has frustrated the hell out of me. We’ve been in the lead everywhere; the C2 is fastest enough to win the championship, I’m fast enough, but it seems the combination of the two of us is destined to miss out. I’m not going to stop trying. Okay, it’s a long shot for the title, all I can do is win the rally and that’s just what I’m going to do.” Meeke tested the C2 in the Black Mountains region of south-western France last week and feels, once again, the car is in tip-top condition. “The test was perfect: the stage was fast, the rain was coming in sideways and the fog was terrible – just like it will be on Rally GB. We’ve had the perfect preparation, now it’s time to get on with the task in hand.” Rally Great Britain will finish back in the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff on Sunday. The three days of competition is based in Swansea, with the action taking place through the Vale of Neath forests. 26/11/06 Six of the Best Challenge for Evo Glory Next week’s Wales Rally GB hosts the sixth and final round of this year’s Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution Challenge – and what a finale it promises to be, with all six drivers entered in with a mathematical chance of lifting the title and consequently win the opportunity to be a Mitsubishi works driver in the 2007 British Rally Championship. As well as the curtain-closer for the Evo Challenge, the event is also the final round of the World Rally and Tesco 99 Octane MSA British Rally Championships. Although this will be the first time the Mitsubishi series has been part of this event, it is likely to be the subject of most interest as it’s the only one of these three Championships that has yet to be decided. With 23 of the 140 overall event entries registered as British Championship contenders, the six Evolution Challenge crews represent 26% of the BRC field. With 242 miles and three days of competition in the South Wales forests, it’s the longest event of the season for the Evo crews and therefore, to spice-up the battle for what is regarded as the best prize in British rallying, Challenge organizers have chosen to award points for each day: Friday and Saturday will see 1 to 5 points on offer for the top five crews, with the usual 12, 10, 8, 7, 6…. scores allocated for Sunday’s final results. This, plus a point for starting the event, means that a total of 23 points are up for grabs, a figure which, after one dropped score is taken into account, has allowed all six Evo Challenge drivers to retain their title hopes. Best placed to secure the Mitsubishi crown are seasoned Rally GB protagonists, Jonny Milner and Gwyndaf Evans, Milner having competed on 10 previous occasions and Evans no less than 17 times. With two Evo Challenge wins each this season, on paper there is just two points in it, so neither can afford a non-finish - or sit-back to let the other take the advantage on all three days. The next two drivers in line for the title are Phillip Morrow and Neil McCance – both on 40 points and contesting their first ever WRC rally. Morrow readily admits that if it wasn’t for Super-Rally regulations he would not still be in with a shot at the Evo Challenge title, following a season of mixed fortunes which has included three non-finishes. McCance has also had his ups-and-downs this year but says that he never gives up before the end of a season and therefore sees this as a great opportunity to fulfill his ambition to compete on the Rally GB – even after he nearly destroyed his car on a local event a few weeks ago! However, both Ulstermen will only be able to lift the title if Milner and Evans don’t finish next weekend – and it's a similar story for the next two Mitsubishi runners, Stuart Jones and Connor McCloskey. Jones is another who has had indifferent fortunes this season, albeit winning a round of the Evo Challenge on the Jim Clark Rally in July. Renowned for setting a blistering pace on events which have used the same forests as the Rally GB, he is likely to be a front-runner and could well play a significant part in the eventual outcome. Unlike Jones, McCloskey makes his debut on a WRC event next week, this being his first ever Rally GB. The young Ulsterman is realistic about his chances of Evo Challenge glory and regards his season in this year’s British Championship as having been a great boost to his rallying experience. The Wales Rally GB commences with a ceremonial start in Cardiff at 7.30 pm on Thursday, with the competition getting underway at 8.30 am on Friday for six stages in the forests just east of Swansea. Saturday sees another six forest stages, this time on the Brecon Beacons, plus a spectacular run through Cardiff’s Millennium stadium in the evening. Sunday hosts four stages, two in Brechfa and two in Trawscoed forests, before crews head back to Cardiff for the finish. The event will also decide the result of the Evo Challenge’s PIAA Junior Award, which is currently being led by Morrow and the Pirelli Cup, which is headed by series leader Milner. The Evolution Challenge offers driver the best prize in British motorsport – the chance to become a Mitsubishi works driver in the British Rally Championship. The series is backed by Mitsubishi Motors UK Ralliart and sees the continued support of its associate sponsors: Walon, Pirelli, PIAA, Speedline Corse, Shell and Mintex. Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution Challenge entries (in start number order) 66 Gwyndaf Evans (Dinas Mawddwy)/Huw Lewis (Machynlleth) 71 Jonny Milner (Huggate)/Nicky Beech (Lewknor) 74 Stuart Jones (Welshpool)/Craig Parry (Llanymynech) (J) 75 Phillip Morrow (Lisburn)/Daniel Barritt (Burnley) (J) 82 Neil McCance (Comber)/ Francis Regan (Cushendall) 88 Connor McCloskey (Kilrea)/Damien Connolly (Monaghan) (J) (J) = Junior driver. Britain’s best line up against world stars. BRC Preview Competitors in the Tesco 99 Octane MSA British Rally Championship are poised and ready for their final – and most gruelling – outing of 2006; Wales Rally GB on December 1-3. The event is both the final round of the FIA World Rally Championship and the Tesco 99 Octane MSA British Rally Championship and there are four major titles from the British perspective to be decided on this event. The drivers’ Championship was decided on October’s International Rally Yorkshire with Stobart VK Subaru driver Mark Higgins taking an historic third title, his second in a row. Welsh-residing Manxman Higgins has taken advantage of his early championship win to secure himself a drive in a WRC car so it really will be a battle of best of the rest and second spot in the drivers’ championship can still be taken by any one of eight drivers in the GpN and S1600 only championship. “It’s a long time since I competed in Wales Rally GB, the last time I did it was in 2000,” says two time BRC champion, Jonny Milner who is currently second in the points before drop scores. “There’s a twist in the tale for me as the event has essentially double points for the Mitsubishi Evo Challenge which runs as part of the BRC so that’s where my focus will lie.” The Evo Challenge title is indeed up for grabs and any of six drivers could win that title and the prize of a works drive for Mitsubishi Motors UK, a position occupied by Ryan Champion this season. “What a way to end the championship!” says Champion, who is behind Milner in the points, but ahead after drop scores are accounted for. “To do well you’re going to have to stay out of trouble as it’s a long event compared with what we’ve done so far this season.” The Teams’ title is still at stake with a fight between Dealer Team Suzuki and the Stobart VK Subaru squad. Suzuki are ten points ahead, but there are 30 points available so all is to play for. “The Teams title standings look good for us but we still need to finish the rally and score points,” says Suzuki driver James Wozencroft. “If we win it will be a fantastic thank you for the squad for all the hard work over the season.” The Stobart VK Subaru squad face an uphill struggle to get the title as Higgins cannot score Team points in the WRC car so leaves the battle to Welshman Julian Reynolds. “We did the Bulldog Rally in preparation for Wales Rally GB and we won Group N there,” says Reynolds. “We spent a lot of time working on setup and I’m happy that we have a good car for the event. Last time I did it I finished in 16th overall and the first amateur home so I’m hopping for a good run.” The Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution Challenge is to be decided with Milner, the 2002-2003 BRC champion having a thrilling head to head with 1996 champ, Gwyndaf Evans. “It’s a long time since I drove on Wales Rally GB and the event’s in Gwyndaf’s back yard so it’s going to be a tough one,” says Milner, who contested the event in 2000 and finished 11th overall and second Brit home. “ The S1600 title is another to be decided. Leading the points battle before drop score is Suzuki driver Wozencroft, who is also a ‘wildcard’ FIA Junior World Rally Championship entry on this event. “Our wildcard J-WRC entry means we’re going to be trying hard and it will be a good measure to see how we stack up against the best in the world,” says Wozencroft. “It will be my first Wales Rally GB and it’s quite daunting as it’s such a big event, even though I’ve driven some of the stages before.” The Rally 3 champion is yet to be decided too, with Justin Dale and Matt Beebe with the potential to be crowned. “The class title is one thing, but my season this year has been all about battling bigger machinery,” says Dale. “I’m hoping for a better time that when I last did the rally as I ended up on my roof!” Beebe meanwhile will contest Wales Rally GB for the first time. “I can wait,” he says. “It’s going to be a great battle, not just with Justin in the BRC but also measuring ourselves to the WRC competitors.” Already R1 champions this year, the combination of Fin McCaul and James Smith look forward to the event which has been the focus of their season in their Volkswagen Polo. “I’ve enjoyed all the rallies this year and it’s been our first season on our own notes,” says McCaul. “We didn’t realise we’d have to make them for Wales Rally GB until part way through the season so it’s been interesting!”
BRC takes to the streets. Rally stars meet the fans in Welsh capital. The top cars and competitors of the Tesco 99 Octane MSA British Rally Championship will take to the streets of Cardiff before the ceremonial start of Wales Rally GB on Thursday 30th November. The Tesco 99 Octane MSA British Rally Championship parade will start at 16:30 at Tesco Extra on the Excelsior Estate just off the M48 and A470 and ten minutes from Cardiff city centre. Cars will be on display in front of the store and drivers will sign autographs for rally fans for 30 minutes before leaving for Cardiff City Hall in convoy. The cars will be in the Winter Wonderland display from 17:30 – 18:00 and drivers will meet the fans. The cars then depart in convoy once more for the Millennium Stadium and a further autograph session will be held between 19:00 – 19:30. “Wales Rally GB is Britain’s biggest sporting event so it is fantastic news for the Tesco 99 Octane MSA British Rally Championship that we will be on show in front of the world’s media and entertaining the numerous sports fans in Cardiff in the build-up to the start of the event,” says BRC Manager, Mark Taylor. Alister McRae ready to debut Toyota Super 2000 after successful test Alister McRae is ready to debut the Toyota Super 2000R rally car in the FIA World Rally Championship on this weekend’s Wales Rally GB. The Scot has just completed a successful two-day test of the new car and is looking forward to returning to the WRC on the last event of the 2006 season. This weekend’s event will be only the second time a car built to the Super 2000 specification has completed on a WRC event and the first for the Toyota. The car has already proved extremely successful in the South African Rally Championship and McRae has recently been appointed development driver by RED, the UK rally team which has become worldwide agent for the car. Making its competition debut on McRae’s home event was a logical choice; although the final round of the WRC is not a qualifier for the Production car World Rally Championship, the category which S2000 car will run in from next year, there is always a strong Group N field. This will allow McRae, RED and Toyota to assess the car’s competitiveness in one of the most representative environments in the WRC. McRae and RED have a long-standing relationship, with the team running Alister throughout his campaign in the 2004 P-WRC. And Rally GB is an event which he has a huge amount of experience on, as well as considerable success. He won the Group N category of the event in 2004 and in 2001, was fourth overall in the Hyundai Accent WRC, the car’s best result to date. The car for this event was delayed in transit from South Africa and this meant that the team’s two day test had to be quickly rescheduled. However, despite that, McRae was impressed with the Toyota S2000. “The car was very well put together when it arrived and the purpose of the test was to adapt the settings to suit the conditions here this weekend,” said the Scot. “In South Africa, the rallies are driven blind, so the base set-up was more biased towards rear wheel-drive. Therefore, the majority of the work we did over the two days was adjusting the suspension and transmission set-up to generate more traction and grip, which you need for these stages. Overall, it’s been a very good test – we know that there is still some work to do but I feel we now have a very good base set-up for European gravel rallies and WRC events.” Buoyed by the success of the test and the competitiveness of the car, McRae is understandably looking forward to returning to the WRC on his home event. “I am really looking forward to this rally and competing on home soil again. The main objective for the weekend is to get as many miles as possible on the car and get some good feedback. The car certainly feels as quick, if not quicker, than Group N but until we get on the stages, we won’t know for sure.” Despite not having competed in the WRC for almost two years, McRae is confident that he will be back on his usual pace quickly. “I’ve done a few events this year but not that many in the second half of the season. So it may take a stage or two to get my eye fully in but I think that once we’ve got a few kilometres under our belt, we’ll be able to push hard as usual. The only real unknown is how the car behaves on the very high speed sections: the test was on tighter and twisty roads, where it worked very well but I’m sure the same will be the case on the faster parts. “This is my first time in Super 2000 in competition as well as the car’s first rally outside South Africa, so if we can be matching the pace at the head of Group N or even stretching it a little, I’ll be very pleased.” Alister will be supported in his Wales Rally GB entry by GHI Contracts, a leading fit-out & refurbishment principal contractor, in both the corporate and public sectors. GHI Contract’s Business Development Director, Ken Daggers explained the relationship; “We have been closely involved with the McRae family, Alister, Colin and Jimmy, for a number of years now,” he said. “We have sponsored the McRae Stages Forest Rally in the past and have also taken a selection of guests on Alister’s Corporate Rally Experience events, which we found extremely successful. So we were naturally keen to support Alister as he debuts the Toyota Super 2000 in the WRC. We are very familiar with both Alister’s work and that of the RED team and are very excited at the prospect of being involved in a new category of car, such as Super 2000.” He will also be supported by long-time partner John Lloyd, of Lloyd Helicopters, a name familiar to many rally fans as a competitor and supporter of British Rallying. The final round of the 2006 WRC is the culmination of 12 months of competition across the globe. With three of the four championships already settled, subject to publication of the official results by the FIA (The WRC Drivers and Manufacturer’s championships, as well as the P-WRC), the fourth, the Junior World Rally Championship will be decided this weekend. However, this means that there will be no team orders and no crews will be driving with anything other than victory in mind, ensuring the best competition over the southern Wales stages. This year, the event takes place well into the UK winter, having run in September for the last two years. This means that the weather will play a large part in the proceedings, with winter conditions possible like rain, fog and ice all part of the event. The stages are located either on forestry roads or the military ranges at Epynt and the first day, Friday 1 December sees the crews tackle six stages in the Vale of Neath. The second leg, Saturday 2 December takes them to the Epynt military ranges while the third day, Sunday 3 December is based on the Brechfa forest to the
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