Video: Hayden Paddon - John Kennard - PWRC WORLD CHAMPIONS
Posted: September 23, 2011 12:46 PM
Video review of the recent Rally of Australia where Hayden, John and the New Zealand World Rally Team were crowned 2011 Production World Rally Champions.
THE Coffs Coast of New South Wales hosted the most successful round of Rally Australia in the event’s 21-year history, according to the final attendance total announced today.
The World Rally Championship event, which finished last Sunday, attracted 92,223 people over three days and three nights to ticketed and non-ticketed venues, surpassing the crowds at previous events in Western Australia and the NSW Northern Rivers.
The rally, won for the third straight time by Finland’s Mikko Hirvonen of the Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team, has drawn praise from many quarters, from competitors to championship authorities and spectators.
Rally Australia General Manager Michael Masi said today the event’s success had provided strong momentum to negotiate for a return in 2013 and beyond.
“Now that we’ve had a few days to catch up on the final attendance figures and the general reaction, it’s clear we are in a great position to secure a longer-term place in the FIA World Rally Championship,” Mr Masi said.
“The final attendance total of 92,223 – including repeat visits by multiple-day pass holders - is significantly beyond the initial figure of 86,000 we disclosed on the morning after the rally.
“It’s also well above our expectations for this first event on the Coffs Coast, but we need to do still more analysis and planning and there are quite a few steps ahead before we could possibly announce further dates.
“Rally Australia will put together a business plan and discuss the options with our partners in State and local government and the championship organisers.
“We would like to be back here in 2013, which is the first available opportunity, and then annually in order to maximise the potential of our supporters and partners and of our organising team.”
Mr Masi said the strongest factor influencing Rally Australia’s future had been the quality of the welcome from the Coffs Coast community.
“Everywhere the teams and other visiting internationals went they were overwhelmed by the warmth of the welcome.
“There is clearly a great rally heritage in this region, with memories of the legendary Southern Cross International rally still fresh and the roads were described by drivers such as Mikko Hirvonen as among the best in the rally world.”
“I’d like to thank the people of Coffs Harbour and the surrounds for putting their best foot forward and showing the world how to make a great event.
“We could not be more proud of how all the stakeholders came together. Yes, we know we will need to tweak a few things, but this is the first time it was run and we’re confident we can sort things out.”
Mr Masi said he was grateful for the comments of World Rally Championship Manager Michelle Mouton, a legendary figure in world rallying, reported on wrc.com.
She was reported saying during her visit from France: “I have been happily surprised by the number of people attending the ceremonial start and the people at the autograph session before the rally was incredible.
“The organisation has been good on this event and they have a good base for the event here. For me, this event was very positive - the promotion has been very good. In the newspaper, all they talk about is the rally.”
Mr Masi said: “Michelle Mouton is one of the most esteemed people in the WRC, not only as the current championship manager appointed by the Federation de l’Automobile, but also as a highly successful former competitor. To read her positive comments has been enormously rewarding.
“We also received comments from key people such as the head of championship promoter North One Sport Simon Long along with Nokia Director of Global Sponsorships Billy Wright that Rally Australia was one of the best events they had attended this year.
“These comments should give everyone involved on the Coffs Coast the incentive to work towards a bigger and better event in 2013.”
Ford places four Fiesta RS WRCs in top five at Rally Australia
Posted: September 12, 2011 11:35 AM
• Ford Fiesta RS World Rally Cars claimed four of the top five positions in Rally Australia, round 10 of the FIA World Rally Championship, today.
• Ford's fiesta-time was headed by Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen, who took the top step of the podium for Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team after four days and almost 370km of competition.
• Team-mates Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila were second, with the third team car of Abu Dhabi's Khalid Al Qassimi and Michael Orr finishing fifth.
• Fourth place went to British crew Matthew Wilson and Scott Martin, driving for the M-Sport Stobart Ford squad.
Hirvonen back in the WRC fight at Rally Australia
Posted: September 11, 2011 10:14 PM
FINLAND’S Mikko Hirvonen has reinvigorated the fight for the 2011 FIA World Rally Championship by winning a dramatic Rally Australia on the New South Wales Coffs Coast today.
Hirvonen, co-driven by countryman Jarmo Lehtinen, began the final leg of the three-day event 22.7 seconds behind Ford teammate Jari-Matti Latvala.
But when Latvala slowed to enable his fellow Fiesta RS WRC driver to get ahead, Hirvonen took a lead he wouldn’t relinquish.
In the process the Finn scored his first victory in the WRC since Rally Sweden in February – 212 days ago – to end Citroen’s run of success and close to 15 points off the championship lead held by Citroen’s Sebastien Loeb.
Celebrations on the victory podium beside Coffs Harbour’s ocean beach capped a memorable 21st Rally Australia.
Staged in a new location 300 kms south of the 2009 event, it drew wide praise from the WRC drivers and supporters for the quality of the roads and the warmth of the welcome throughout the Coffs Coast community.
The locals in turn showed their appreciation of the WRC competitors representing 22 nations by turning out in their many thousands at spectator points in the country and on the Coffs Habour Jetty waterfront.
Latvala made it a one-two for Ford on the podium, while Petter Solberg was third in his privateer Citroen DS3 WRC.
“This is a fantastic feeling and a very important result for the team and for my championship chances,” said Hirvonen, 31.
“I have to say a big thank you to my team and also to Jari-Matti for slowing down.
“I’m back in the game but we have to work really hard now to improve our pace on tarmac [the surface of the next two rounds].”
Latvala, who won nine of the 26 Special Special stages during the event, was 14.7s behind Hirvonen at the finish.
“Of course it would have been great to have won the rally, but it was a great result for the team,” Latvala said.
Solberg’s capture of third place marked the Norwegian’s second podium of 2011.
“I’m very happy because I’ve been waiting a long time for that. The team has done a very good job and it’s great to be on the pace again. It’s thanks to them,” Solberg said.
Matthew Wilson equalled his career-best finish of fourth in his M-Sport Stobart Fiesta following a consistent performance alongside co-driver Scott Martin. The Britons have now scored points on eight events this season.
“The conditions were absolutely horrible on Friday so I’m absolutely overjoyed with this result,” Wilson said.
Team Abu Dhabi’s Khalid Al Qassimi claimed his highest finish at world level, in fifth after a controlled drive in his Fiesta.
“It’s a fantastic feeling and thanks to my co-driver Michael [Orr] for supporting me and to the team. It has been a perfect weekend and this is an historical result for Abu Dhabi because no other driver from our country has reached this level before.”
Sixth outright similarly was a huge achievement for young New Zealander Hayden Paddon, who with co-driver John Kennard clinched the Production Car World Rally Championship title driving a Subaru Impreza.
Haddon is the first winner of a rally world championship from Australia or New Zealand.
His class rivals Michal Kosciuszko, from Poland, and Ukrainian Oleksandr Saliuk finishjed seventh and eighth.
Mexican Benito Guerra took ninth with Sebastien Loeb battling back from his roll on Friday to claim the final point in 10th after his Citroen team ordered Sebastien Ogier to drop back on the penultimate stage.
To do this Ogier started the second run through the 30 km Plum Pudding stage five minutes late to incur a 50-second penalty and fall behind Loeb on the road before parking up nearing the end of the stage for almost 10 minutes.
“On this rally the team made this choice because there is big pressure from Mikko who closed the gap a lot in the championship because of our mistake,” said Loeb.
Ogier said before the start on Thursday evening that he would follow team orders, but was downhearted when he was forced to surrender a points’ finish that would have been fitting reward for the way he fought back from his crash on Friday.
“I received a team order and I respected this,” he said.
But when asked if the loss of what would have been two drivers’ championship points would spell the end of his title ambitions, Ogier said: “I have no comment about that. You can draw your own conclusion but no comment for me.”
Ogier’s frustrations intensified when he slowed again before the finish of the Power Stage to ensure he didn’t take any bonus points away from Loeb, who claimed three extra points for topping the times on the rally-closing test. He eventually finished a despondent 11th.
Dutchman Peter van Merksteijn Jr recovered from his exit on Friday due to a double puncture to finish 13th in his privateer Citroen DS3 WRC.
Henning Solberg rolled on today’s third stage but recovered to 14th with John Spencer finishing as the leading Australian driver in 15th.
American Ken Block came home 19th overall in his Monster World Rally Team Fiesta after crashing out on Friday morning. But there was no finish for Brazil World Rally Team’s Daniel Oliveira, who went off the road in his MINI John Cooper Works WRC on today’s second stage.
Evgeny Novikov also hit trouble on the same Plum Pudding test, rolling heavily in his M-Sport Stobart Fiesta. The Russian was ninth at the time.
Points for Citroën and Loeb
Posted: September 11, 2011 10:12 PM
Laying aside their personal interests, the Citroën Total World Rally Team crews drove a team race and finished Rally Australia in tenth and eleventh places in the overall classification. Sébastien Loeb / Daniel Elena’s and Sébastien Ogier / Julien Ingrassia’s performance helped their team to keep a good lead in the Manufacturers’ World Championship. Sébastien Loeb scored four points and still holds first place in the drivers’ ratings with three events to go till the end of the season.
The final leg of Rally Australia of around 100 kms began in warm sunlight. It included two passes through the long Rally Plum Pudding stage. The quick, narrow route lined with big tress in the forests north east of Coffs Harbour provided a new challenge for the drivers.
Like the previous day, Sébastien Ogier and Sébastien Loeb did not take any risks as their main aim was to finish and score the maximum number of points in the Manufacturers’ World Championship. Nonetheless, Loeb found his marks in the Clarence stage and set the quickest time in the sector used at the end of the rally for the Power Stage.
At the end of the first loop, Ogier was in tenth place overall with his team-mate twelfth. After a 30-minute halt in the Coffs Harbour service park, the crews restarted to cover the same 3-stage loop.
Taking into account the perfect score by their rivals in the context of the two world championships and in order to maximize the chances of their best-placed driver in the Drivers’ World Championship, Citroën asked Sébastien Ogier to cede his position to Sébastien Loeb in the second-last stage. This decision had little bearing on the Manufacturers’ World Championship placing as the two Citroën Total World Rally Team crews scored the points for sixth and seventh positions.
Rally Australia finished with the Power Stage in which the first three are awarded bonus points. Loeb achieved his aim and set the fasted time adding three points to his tally. Thanks to the four he scored this weekend he still has a 15-point lead over Mikko Hirvonen before Rally France: “After our off on Friday we had to do everything to lose as few points as possible. In addition to finishing the rally to score points in the manufacturers’ title chase, I set myself a personal aim of winning the Power Stage,” said Seb. “Again I’d like to thank the technical team which enabled us to rejoin the race with a competitive DS3 WRC, which was the same case for my team-mate. We’ve managed to limit the damage and our aim is to get back on the winning trail in Alsace!”
In the Manufacturers’ World Championship the Citroën Total World Rally Team has a comfortable lead of 62 points.
Podium finish for Petter Solberg/Chris Patterson in Australia
Posted: September 11, 2011 10:10 PM
Petter Solberg and Chris Patterson’third place was the best result by a Citroën DS3 WRC in Rally Australia. Peter van Merksteijn Junior and Erwin Mombaerts in the other car prepared by Citroën Racing Technologies finished just outside the points in the drivers’ classification, but scored points for the Van Merksteijn Motorsport team.
This year, the first day of Rally Australia, moved to Coffs Coast in New South Wales, was marked by very heavy rain. In these dreadful conditions several crews went off. Petter Solberg and Chris Patterson were quick and consistent, and used their considerable experience to finish in third place overall.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen such muddy roads,” said the Norwegian driver who has won in Wales on four occasions. “I spun a few times and lost time but we were still in the race. The car handled perfectly even if our setup wasn’t really the best adapted to enable us to push hard in these extreme conditions.”
On Saturday and Sunday, the 2003 world champion matched the pace of Mikko Hirvonen and Jari-Matti Latvala to score his second podium finish this season: “We improved throughout the weekend. I’m delighted to be back on the podium. We’ve been waiting for a result like this for a long time. It’s a great reward for the whole team to be back on the pace.”
The Norwegian was third quickest in the Power Stage scoring another point and consolidating his fifth place in the Drivers’ World Championship. The Petter Solberg World Rally Team is still lying fourth in the manufacturers’ title chase with three events to go till the end of the season.
Peter van Merksteijn Junior and Erwin Mombaerts were among the crews who ran into problems during the first day and had to stop after puncturing two tyres in SS6: “We were keeping up a good pace without taking risks. We were going quicker and quicker in each stage. I’m disappointed that we didn’t finish the day, but we were able to restart and score points in the manufacturers’ classification.”
The Citroën DS3 WRC in the colours of Van Merksteijn Motorsport moved up the time sheets and fettled in its setup as the rally continued. The Dutch driver set four times in the top 8 on Saturday afternoon. He kept up a steady pace the next day and saw the flag in thirteenth place adding four points to the team’s score in the manufacturers’ classification. “I really didn’t know what to expect in this rally before the start. The stages are fantastic and the people are very welcoming. We’ve had a great event and we’ve gathered a lot of experience in a new gravel rally. It’s very encouraging for the end of the season.”
FOURTH PLACE FOR BRITAIN’S WILSON AT RALLY AUSTRALIA
Posted: September 11, 2011 9:56 PM
M-Sport Stobart Ford’s Matthew Wilson has matched his best ever result in the FIA World Rally Championship after finishing fourth at Rally Australia this weekend. It marks the British driver’s best result with current co-driver Scott Martin.
Wilson finished fifth at both Vodafone Rally de Portugal and Jordan Rally in the Ford Fiesta RS World Rally Car earlier this year but the Cumbrian driver has been unable to match his fourth place finish from 2007’s Rally Japan until now.
The beautiful coastal resort of Coffs Harbour played host to this year’s Rally Australia but heavy rainfall rendered Friday’s stages virtually undriveable with its slippery clay-base surfaces. The road conditions caught out some of the world’s best WRC drivers including seven-time World Rally Champion Sebastien Loeb who was forced to retire after going off the road.
Evgeny Novikov was on flying form during Friday’s treacherously slippery stages. The Russian driver - who celebrates his 21st birthday later this month - proved his ability to match the pace of the WRC front-runners by setting the second fastest time on Stage 6, moving him up to fourth place.
Stage 7, however, proved troublesome for Novikov who was forced to retire after hitting a rock 2 km into the stage which broke his car’s left steering arm.
Henning Solberg took advantage of his M-Sport Stobart team-mate’s misfortune and the Norwegian driver was elevated to fourth. Solberg and co-driver Ilka Minor finished the day in style by setting a third fastest time in their Ford Fiesta RS WRC on the evening’s closing Super Special Stage.
Wilson reported that Friday’s road conditions were some of the most difficult he had encountered but the 24-year-old took the challenge in his stride and delivered five top five stage times throughout the day. The English driver was fifth going into the second day.
The final two days of Rally Australia were greeted with perfect blue skies and glorious sunshine and Wilson had a clear run through Saturday’s opening loop despite a small handling problem. Some differential adjustments were made at the midday service and the British driver reported a better set-up for the afternoon pass.
Solberg had a strong start on Saturday morning and posted a string of top five stage times. However, 18 km into Stage 15 Solberg’s hopes for a season best was abruptly ended as the Norwegian driver was forced to retire with an electrical problem.
Novikov returned under SupeRally regulations for Saturday’s stages and had a relatively trouble-free day which catapulted the 20-year-old Russian from 15th to lie tenth going into the final day.
Sunday morning saw Novikov move up into ninth but during the 30 km Plum Pudding stage, the driver rolled his Ford Fiesta RS WRC 7 km into the stage due to a wrongly marked pacenote from the recce. Both Novikov and co-driver Denis Giraudet were OK but significant damage to their Ford Fiesta RS WRC forced the pair to call it a day.
An equally dramatic morning followed for Solberg who rolled his car 1.5 km towards the end of Stage 23 after braking late at a junction. Solberg and Minor were able to roll their car back onto four wheels with help from spectators and made it to the end of the 4.58 km stage but suffered cosmetic damage, a shattered windscreen and nearly three minutes time loss.
The M-Sport Stobart team worked hard on Solberg’s car at Service H and despite two flat tyres on the day’s closing Power Stage the driver pulled into the final service pleased to have made it through a difficult rally and placed 14th overall.
Wilson had a clear run through Sunday’s stages where the young Briton consolidated his fourth place finish and 12 well-deserved driver points. Wilson is now only four points adrift of achieving his best ever result in the FIA Drivers’ Championship standings and sits just four points adrift of Norway’s Mads Østberg who remains in sixth.
Matthew Wilson said:
“It’s been a really difficult weekend but I’m really happy with our result, especially with Scott beside me as this is our best finish with him as my co-driver. Today I haven’t been trying to push - we needed to do the sensible thing and find a comfortable pace to ensure we didn’t make any mistakes. Friday was incredibly difficult – the roads were so slippery and it was one of the hardest days rallying I’ve had. You know it’s a difficult day when a seven-time World Champion retires! We enjoyed yesterday’s stages and the conditions but I was disappointed when Henning stopped with his problem as it wasn’t the way we wanted to move up the leaderboard. The car has been working well today and we were just driving at our own speed as the gap to Petter [Solberg] was too much to risk making any silly mistakes. I’m now hoping that this result will help to get us something sorted for next year.”
Evgeny Novikov said:
“Of course, I am feeling disappointed. Today we had a wrong pacenote from the recce – I had it marked down as a flat section but we went too wide on a fast left-hand corner and the car went up on two wheels. From there we rolled maybe four or five times – it was one of the biggest crashes I think I’ve had. At this point there was nothing we could do but hope it didn’t hit one of the trees as we were in sixth gear going flat out at the time. Denis and I are both fine and I would like to thank M-Sport for building us a very safe car. We have had some problems this weekend but when everything was working well I was happy with our speed.”
Henning Solberg said:
“Today I just tried to come back and do better than yesterday. I wanted to push on the first pass on the Power Stage to see how fast we could go but I braked too late after a junction and hit a tree stump which flipped the car. I was sitting upside down for about a minute and waiting for some spectators to come and help but we got ourselves out and tipped the car back over with some help from people nearby. We lost a couple of minutes and broke our windscreen but we kept it going. The team did a good job of sorting the car at service but we had a broken right rear shock absorber this afternoon so I could not push on the Power Stage like I had planned. Then I got two flat tyres after the water splash but I have made it to the end and although I am a little disappointed that we had our problem yesterday I am happy to finish.”
M-Sport Stobart Ford Team Principal Malcolm Wilson said:
“It’s been an incredibly difficult weekend here in Australia and one of mixed fortunes for the M-Sport Stobart Ford World Rally Team. Evgeny has impressed once again with his pace but unfortunately he was unable to keep it on the road to make it to the end with a fitting result. Henning has also had a mixed weekend – it was great to see him up to fourth yesterday but he was unlucky with his problem which knocked him out of the top ten. As for Matthew, I’m really pleased to see him finish in fourth place. He’s been very close on two occasions this season but has narrowly missed out so I’m delighted he and Scott have managed it this time. The pair have been working very hard this year and they thoroughly deserve this result after such a difficult event.”
Hirvonen and Latvala steer Ford to first and second in Australia
Posted: September 11, 2011 9:54 PM
Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team claimed a dominant one-two finish in Rally Australia today. Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen won this 10th round of the FIA World Rally Championship by 14.7sec in a Ford Fiesta RS World Rally Car, ahead of fellow Finns Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila in a similar car.
It was the team's first double success since May 2009 in Italy and the result promoted Hirvonen to second in the drivers' standings, just 15 points from the lead with three rounds remaining. Khalid Al Qassimi and Michael Orr claimed a career-best fifth in the team's other Fiesta RS WRC.
Overnight leader Latvala, whose own hopes of championship success vanished earlier in the season, was happy to support his team-mate's title bid. He went into the penultimate speed test with a 13.4sec advantage over 31-year-old Hirvonen, but slowed near the finish to allow him to move ahead.
Hirvonen was quick to pay tribute to his colleague. "At the start of the season we agreed to help each other, and Jari-Matti showed today what a team player he is. He had a great opportunity to win this rally but he gave it up to help me in my fight for the championship and I appreciate that. Two years ago I lost the world title by a single point, so every point counts," he said.
Ford held the upper hand since midway through Friday's treacherously slippery rain-soaked opening leg near the east coast rally base of Coffs Harbour, midway between Sydney and Brisbane. Hirvonen headed Latvala after the first day, before Latvala took advantage of more favourable conditions on the rapidly drying gravel roads to move ahead yesterday.
The 26-year-old started today with a 22.7sec advantage and with no pressure from behind, the pairing were able to control their pace to the finish after 26 special stages and 368.96km of predominantly dirt-road competition. Latvala claimed two bonus points after setting second fastest time on the final live TV Power Stage.
"My thanks go to the whole team," added Hirvonen, for whom this was a 14th WRC victory. "We've waited for this for a long time and I know we can continue to fight for wins and titles together. It's been a hard season and we've been under great pressure. We controlled the weekend well as a team and I'm delighted for Ford that we're returning home with a one-two."
Latvala reflected on a rally in which he displayed winning pace. "I know I had the speed to win here and that's good for my confidence, but I wanted to support Mikko. It's about attitude and how we handle it. Our challenge for the manufacturers' title suffered from my mistakes and this was my opportunity to pay something back. We have a good spirit inside Ford and you can't win without that.
"I want to be in this team and we all work well together. I had a passion to win here, but I had to look at the bigger picture and this was the time to support Mikko. Yesterday morning was the key time in the rally. We punched in a series of fastest times and I knew then that we could both control the result," he added.
Al Qassimi steered clear of trouble to exceed his targets. "This is a historic day for motorsport in Abu Dhabi," he said. "My plan was to be as close to the top five as possible and I more than met my expectations. I enjoyed a clear run in difficult conditions and mixed terrain. I was extremely nervous through the final few stages because I didn't want to push and risk losing my position, but it was a sensible and mature performance."
Ford paid tribute to the victims of the 9/11 terror attacks by carrying memorial stickers on its Fiesta RS WRCs today to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the tragic events in Washington and New York.
Ford Abu Dhabi team director Malcolm Wilson admitted at the finish that he was relieved. "This was a terrific result for the team after a difficult season and it has put Mikko back in the title fight. We were convincing winners and it was a great effort from every individual in the team. Conditions on Friday were treacherous and Mikko and Jari-Matti were under huge pressure to lead from the front," he said.
Ford of Europe motorsport chief Gerard Quinn said: "The team has taken some hard knocks this season. But we've never given up and here in Australia we kept our cool in tricky circumstances to bring home a fantastic one-two result after so many near misses previously."
News from other Ford teams
M-Sport Stobart Ford crew Matthew Wilson / Scott Martin finished fourth in a Fiesta RS WRC, equalling Wilson's career-best result. Team-mates Henning Solberg / Ilka Minor rolled on the final stage this morning but recovered to finish 14th despite losing almost three minutes. The squad's third Fiesta RS WRC, crewed by Evgeny Novikov / Denis Giraudet, retired from ninth after a heavy roll on the second stage this morning. Both crew members were unhurt. Monster World Rally Team's Ken Block / Alex Gelsomino completed the Fiesta finishers in 19th after recovering from a first day crash.
Results
Posted: September 11, 2011 9:38 PM
1. M Hirvonen/J Lehtinen FIN Ford Fiesta RS WRC 3hr 35min 59.0sec
2. J-M Latvala/M Anttila FIN Ford Fiesta RS WRC 3hr 36min 13.7sec
3. P Solberg/C Patterson NOR Citroen DS3 WRC 3hr 36min 43.8sec
4. M Wilson/S Martin GBR Ford Fiesta RS WRC 3hr 44min 44.2sec
5. K Al Qassimi/M Orr UAE Ford Fiesta RS WRC 3hr 48min 32.3sec
6. H Paddon/J Kennard NZL Subaru Impreza N16 3hr 53min 28.3sec
7. M Kosciuszko/M Szczepaniak POL Mitsubishi Lancer 3hr 55min 00.3sec
8. O Saliuk/P Cherepin UKR Mitsubishi Lancer 3hr 57min 07.5sec
9. B Guerra/B Rozada MEX Mitsubishi Lancer 3hr 58min 47.9sec
10 S Loeb/D Elena FRA Citroen DS3 WRC 4hr 06min 01.9sec
Video: Offs: Loeb/Novikov/Henning Solberg
Posted: September 9, 2011 1:38 PM
Loeb
Novikov
Henning Solberg
Video: Colin Clark previews Rally Australia 2011 + Power Stage
Posted: September 8, 2011 9:03 AM
Citroën ventures into unknown territory!
Posted: September 2, 2011 4:54 PM
Three weeks after the tarmac of Rally Germany, the WRC heads off down under for Rally Australia, which will be run on gravel. The Citroën Total World Rally Team, victorious in the last eight rallies, is aiming to continue its winning streak with its crews Sébastien Loeb / Daniel Elena and Sébastien Ogier / Julien Ingrassia. Another double would give Citroën its seventh world title!
Rally Australia, run in the Perth region on the west coast of the country for several years, moved to New South Wales in 2009. After a year’s break due to the rotation with the New Zealand Rally, the event is back on the calendar with a new route based around Coffs Harbour. The little town bordered by the Pacific Ocean is equidistant between Sydney and Brisbane, and is preparing to welcome the teams taking part in the World Rally Championship. The organizers have come up with an itinerary combing gravel and forest roads mixing twisty and very quick sections. The Coffs Harbour super special tarmac stage will be covered six times, but it should not be taken lightly as the total distance comes to over 22 km.
The Citroën Total World Rally Team has won eight of the nine rallies held so far this season so it arrives in Australia as the hot favourite. The DS3 WRC remains unbeaten on gravel and should enable its crews to put on a scintillating performance on these unfamiliar roads.
Sébastien Loeb, the current leader in the Drivers’ World Championship after scoring four victories (Mexico, Sardinia, Argentina and Finland), has a 25-point lead over his team-mate, Sébastien Ogier, who has also won four times (Portugal, Jordan, Greece and Germany). The seven-time world champion will be handicapped as he will be first out on the road: “I’m getting used to it on gravel! You just have to factor in this parameter. Obviously, we don’t know these stages, but it looks like we’ll have dry weather so I expect to lose a lot of time on the first day. But we’ve also proved that we can win despite this handicap, and we’re determined to score the maximum number of points in this rally. Thanks to our lead in the world championship, we don’t have to take a lot of risks.”
Sébastien Ogier scored his first victory on tarmac in Germany and also went into second place in the Drivers’ World Championship. “On several occasions this season we’ve seen that a race can be turned on its head at any moment. So you have to stay concentrated and be ready to seize the slightest opportunity. I’m happy to be back in Australia, in a new event what’s more. In these conditions where experience is of less importance, I generally feel more at ease. I hope it’ll be the same thing in this round and that we’ll have a good scrap.”
With a 91-point lead in the Manufacturers’ World Championship, the Citroën Total World Rally Team has a slight chance of clinching its seventh world title. To achieve this it has to stretch its lead to more than 129 points. As a double counts for 43 points, it’s on the cards!
Three questions to Xavier Mestelan-
Pinon
The Citroën DS3 WRC has won eight of the nine rallies run so far this season. How do you explain this success? This overall result has given a great deal of satisfaction to the Citroën Racing technicians and engineers who have never stopped working to make the car quick and reliable. It’s the fruit of painstaking work based on ten years’ experience at the top level in rallying. But this score doesn’t really tell the truth about the fight put up by our rivals. Quite a few rallies have been won by seconds, - or even less! We’ve never come out on top, easily and our rivals are never far behind in terms of sheer performance. We’ve managed to make the difference because of our reliability as none of the Citroën Total World Rally Team cars have been eliminated by mechanical problems.”
Has the DS3 WRC received many updates since the start of the season?
“Because of the technical regulations we can’t update the car as quickly as in the past. But we still have a few areas left and we can have options homologated every three months. We’ve already used two of the five jokers granted by the FIA for the car’s first year. These modifications have been made to the suspension and the steering. Where the engine’s concerned, we’re now working more in view of 2012. We have evolutions aimed at improving the overall performance and reliability as we’ll have to do six rallies with the same engine!”
Rally Australia will be run over a new route. How have you prepared for this race down under?
“We’ve defined the car’s setup according to the type of weather we’re expecting and the layout of the stages. According to the information we’ve collected we can expect very quick and relatively car-friendly stages. Even so, each rally has its own special features and we don’t exactly know what we’ll have to cope with. As in all the rallies the race engineers will go through the stages to assess the difficulties of the route from a purely technical point of view. If necessary, we can make some adjustments during the preparation of the cars.”
AUSTRALIAN ADVENTURE AWAITS AS STOBART HEAD DOWN UNDER
Posted: September 2, 2011 3:18 PM
The M-Sport Stobart Ford World Rally Team will face their biggest challenge of the season as they travel to unfamiliar territory in Australia to tackle the tenth round of the FIA World Rally Championship.
Coffs Harbour - famous for its stunning coastline and as the birthplace of Hollywood film star Russell Crowe – will host this year’s Rally Australia and see WRC drivers tackle 28 gravel stages covering 382.60 km in the shires of Nambucca, Bellingen, and Clarence Valley. It will mark the first time since last year’s Rallye de France that the WRC crews will face a completely new set of rally stages at an event.
Evgeny Novikov will be competing at Rally Australia for the first time next week in his Ford Fiesta RS WRC, but the Russian is no stranger to contesting new events after tackling Rally Mexico for the first time back in March. Despite a series of unlucky setbacks in the WRC this season, the 20-year-old driver has also posted a string of blisteringly quick stage times and has been running in the top three on two occasions already this year.
Novikov will be partnered by experienced co-driver Denis Giraudet and the pair have been nominated as official point-scorers for the M-Sport Stobart Ford World Rally Team in Australia.
Matthew Wilson and co-driver Scott Martin have had a strong season, having failed to finish on only one round of the championship in their Ford Fiesta RS WRC. The pair have taken seven points-finishes in nine events and will be looking to maintain their consistent record in Australia.
Wilson finished sixth at 2009’s Rally Australia and will looking to emulate a similar result at this year’s event. The 24-year-old driver will be the second nominated points-scorer for M-Sport Stobart in Australia.
Norway’s Henning Solberg and co-driver Ilka Minor will be the third crew to fly the flag for the Cumbria-based squad down under. Solberg will be contesting Rally Australia for the third time next week and will be looking to beat his personal best of seventh from 2009’s event.
Since ADAC Rallye Deutschland Solberg has been preparing for the 2011 Solberg Extreme Motor Show, and on Wednesday he travelled to Stavanger along with his brother Petter and M-Sport Stobart team-mate Mads Østberg for the annual event in Norway. The event was held at Viking Stadium, which was transformed into an all-asphalt playground for thousands of excited spectators.
Before heading north to Coffs Harbour Solberg and Wilson will both make a stop in Sydney, where they will take part in promotional activities planned by the rally organisers - including a visit to the famous Sydney Tower.
Matthew Wilson said:
“I’m really looking forward to Australia but it’s going to feel strange going to a completely new rally location as we’ve not had one since France last year. For sure it’s not going to be easy as we have to prepare new pacenotes from scratch, but everybody has to do the same so it’s a good challenge and will make it a level playing field for everyone competing. I really don’t know what to expect from this rally – I’ve heard that most of the stages have been used for national rallies but that some of the others haven’t been used competitively for a number of years. We’ve got a few runs on the Super Special which always provides an incredible atmosphere and it’s great for spectators too.”
Evgeny Novikov said:
“Australia will be a difficult rally as we’ve never been there before but we have to start first and then we'll see how it goes. The World Rally Championship has no easy stages and I am sure that Australia will be no different, but I think that we must concentrate on a good recce and only push when we feel confident that everything is going well. This year my task has been just to finish and not anything more than that. This time it will be a fairer rally for everyone as nobody will know the roads. I just want to get out there, enjoy myself, get more experience and hope that a good result will follow.”
Henning Solberg said:
“I really enjoy the long-haul events – they’re exciting and have a good buzz about them. The last couple of rallies have gone quite well but I’d really like to push more on this rally and get back into the top five again. It’s a new rally so I don’t know what to expect but I’ve heard that the roads will be less aggressive than the stages they used for 2009’s event. From what I know a lot of them are forest-based so they’re sure to be quite fast, but these are the type of roads that suit my driving style best. I will just try to learn as much as I can about them on the recce and hope that I can find a good feeling at Shakedown so I am ready to push from the start.”
Fresh start in Rally Australia for Ford Abu Dhabi drivers
Posted: September 2, 2011 9:41 AM
Next week's new-look Rally Australia (8 - 11 September) offers a step into the unknown for Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team's drivers. A new base at Coffs Harbour, on the northern coast of New South Wales, means Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen and team-mates Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila must quickly get to grips with roads never seen before in the FIA World Rally Championship.
The pre-event recce on Tuesday and Wednesday will be key to their preparations for this 10th round of the series. The crews will have just two limited-speed passes over the gravel special stages, a mix of forest tracks and public roads in the countryside near Coffs Harbour, in which to make and refine their pace notes.
In June tyre engineer George Black visited the area, almost halfway between Sydney and Brisbane, on a fact-finding trip to ensure the team is as well-prepared as possible before its arrival on Australia's eastern coast.
"There is a mix of hard base roads, some tight and twisty and others that are fast and flowing," he said. "Some parts closely resemble the countryside in which the rally used to be held in Western Australia. Other areas are similar to the famous Whaanga Coast stage in New Zealand, with dense rainforest vegetation.
"The public (shire) roads are well-maintained, with trees close the edge of the road in many places. If drivers put a wheel off-line it will be easy to hit one. Most stages travel through dense forest, so the low angle of the sun in mornings and evenings could be tricky. It creates a 'strobe-like' effect as it flashes through the branches and it could be hard to read the road," added Black.
Coffs Harbour is the hub of a thriving banana industry and the home of Oscar-winning actor Russell Crowe. It is a fast-growing holiday city, nestled between the Great Dividing Range, Australia's largest mountain region, and the golden beaches of the Pacific Ocean. But the scenery will be the last thing on Hirvonen's mind when he takes to the wheel of his Ford Fiesta RS World Rally Car.
"When competing on a new rally it's essential to learn quickly," said the 31-year-old Finn. "Accuracy when making pace notes is important because we only have one run in which to make them and a second pass to check them. But getting a feel for the characteristics of the roads is equally vital.
Hirvonen won Rally Australia's last two appearances in the championship in 2006, his maiden WRC success, and 2009. "A hat-trick would be a welcome conclusion to the weekend. I'm looking forward to being back on gravel after the asphalt in Germany. I enjoy Australia and the rally usually has a relaxed feel which helps with the preparation," added Hirvonen, who is third in the drivers' standings.
Latvala lies fourth in the points table and has three previous starts in Australia to his name. Fourth place in 2009 is his best result. The 26-year-old Finn also relishes a return to gravel and believes he can relieve the frustrations of a disappointing weekend at Rallye Deutschland last month.
"I enjoy fast gravel rallies and I want to be fighting for victory next weekend," he said. "There have been some frustrating times this year because we've lost rallies by small margins, but we know the Fiesta RS WRC is competitive and I'm confident we can turn that around. Australia would be the perfect place to start.
"We're going to a new location and that means the preparations must be slightly different. After the recce we'll take a close look at our videos of the stages. When I've competed on stages several times before, the roads are fixed in my memory, so there's not so much to learn from watching the videos. But on new roads there's always a benefit to watching them. It helps develop an understanding of the characteristics of the stages," added Latvala.
Khalid Al Qassimi and Michael Orr will drive the team's other Fiesta RS WRC and the duo are nominated to score for Team Abu Dhabi. This will be Al Qassimi's third Rally Australia and he is aware that a sensible approach will be required over new roads.
"I understand the stages will be of a different nature to those we drove in 2009. The weather forecast indicates showers during the rally and on hard-based roads conditions could be slippery. The key is to find a balance of good pace in the dry, and a compromise of speed and safety if it's wet. Missing a braking point on slippery roads can lead to an overshoot or worse," said Al Qassimi.
Team News
* Michelin's Latitude Cross gravel tyre will be used by the Ford Abu Dhabi drivers and will be available in hard compound only. Teams are not allowed to hand-carve additional cuts into the tyres and each car can carry two spare wheels.
* Four privately-entered Fiesta RS WRCs are also entered. Matthew Wilson / Scott Martin and Evgeny Novikov / Denis Giraudet are nominated by the M-Sport Stobart Ford team, which has also entered Henning Solberg / Ilka Minor. Monster World Rally Team's Ken Block / Alex Gelsomino will also be at the wheel of a Fiesta RS WRC.
* The Ford Abu Dhabi Fiesta RS WRCs will carry roof liveries voted for by Ford fans on the team's Facebook page. The drivers were asked to describe their driving style and approach to rallies, which generated the image of a predator. An associated theme was developed for each driver, with Latvala adopting a bear, Hirvonen taking on a wolf and Al Qassimi assuming a falcon. Ford's Facebook users then selected their favourite artwork for each driver to be displayed on the cars.
* Mikko Hirvonen will visit Ford's stand at Frankfurt Motor Show later this month. Hirvonen will give driving demonstrations in a Fiesta RS WRC around the Blue Oval's outdoor display area as well as meeting fans and signing autographs on the stand on Friday 16 and Saturday 17 September.
Rally Route
The rally is based around the single service park at Coffs Harbour Airport. It begins with two passes over a mixed surface super special stage at the city's Jetty Precinct on Thursday evening, stages which are repeated at the end of both Friday and Saturday. The first full day on Friday heads west for tests around the small town of Ulong. Saturday is the longest day of the rally, journeying south of Coffs Harbour for stages in the Nambucca and Bellingen shires. Sunday's final leg heads north to the Clarence Valley shire before the finish in the heart of Coffs Harbour. Drivers tackle 26 stages covering 368.96km in a route of 1246.78km.
Team Abu Dhabi PWRC Drivers Hope for more luck in OZ
Posted: September 2, 2011 9:08 AM
Team Abu Dhabi Drivers Majed Al-Shamsi & Bader Al-Jabri along with Co-Drivers Killian Duffy & Stephen McAuley are hoping for a change of fortunes in Australia after a disappointing result for both crews on the last PWRC round in Finland.
Bader Al-Jabri and Stephen McAuley were caught out on a slippery junction on SS1, resulting in them hitting a tree and damaging the car. They were unable to join under Superrally, so their experience of Finland, and time in the car was shortlived.
Majed Al-Shamsi & Killian Duffy had a mixed Rally Finland, a strong start on SS1 resulted in them catching a car, the dust of the car infront slowed their progress, subsequently breaking their windscreen. The crew then had car set-up issues, Majed unhappy with the car under braking, and had no confidence to push on the stages, eventually, Majed found a set-up to his liking, and set some competitive stage times. But on ss17, near the start, a jump caught out the crew pitching the car into the trees and into immeadiate retirement.
It is both Abu Dhabi drivers first full season in a 4WD car, and they are building on their experience on each event. After Finland, Majed is 13th Overall, and Bader is 17th Overall in the PWRC standings.
Rally Oz week starts with a PWRC test on Monday 5th where both drives are anxious to get a lot of Km’s testing under their belt before the rally starts on Thursday.
Sebastien Loeb among six of world’s fastest drivers to make Sydney CBD public appearance on Fathers Day
Posted: August 31, 2011 10:51 AM
SIX of the world’s fastest rally drivers, including seven-time champion Sebastien Loeb, will race into Sydney to meet their fans on Fathers Day next Sunday.
Loeb, Mikko Hirvonen, Jari-Matti Latvala, brothers Petter and Henning Solberg and Matthew Wilson will sign autographs from 12 midday in the city’s Pitt Street Mall, near the corner of Market Street.
And joining them will be Wallabies squad member James O’Connor, helping to celebrate the start of two major international events on the following weekend, the FIA World Rally Championship on the Coffs Coast and the Rugby World Cup in Auckland.
The “superstars of gravel grand prix” are on their way to contest Rally Australia, round 10 of the 2011 WRC on 8-11 September.
Alongside the FIA Formula 1 World Championship, the WRC is one of the planet’s most popular, prestigious and toughest motorsport contests.
Teams will arrive in Australia after competing in extreme conditions in countries including Mexico. Argentina, Sweden and Jordan.
Citroen driver Sebastien Loeb has his sights set on a record eighth straight world championship and is leading the drivers’ standings as he readies his Australian assault.
Norwegian Petter Solberg, the 2003 world champion, also will represent Citroen at the Sydney autograph signing, while older brother Henning plus Hirvonen, Latvala and Wilson will represent Ford.
Sunday’s autograph signing will be the drivers’ only appearance in Australia outside the Coffs Coast rally and an event not to be missed by rally fans.
FAST MOVING GOODS – M-SPORT’S GLOBAL LOGISTICS CHALLENGE
Posted: August 30, 2011 11:47 AM
Next week M-Sport, the company chosen by Ford to run their rally programme in the FIA World Rally Championship, will travel to Rally Australia but have you ever wondered how the Cumbria-based company transports its Ford Fiesta RS World Rally Cars and service park infrastructure across the globe?
M-Sport’s air freight securities co-ordinator Ashley Fowler is in charge of managing the air freight which is transported down under.
Hi Ashley, could you explain a little bit about what you do?
I’m a rally technician at M-Sport but I’m also our air freight securities co-ordinator and responsible for ensuring that everything is transported for our long-haul rallies, which have included Mexico, Argentina and Australia this year. My main responsibilities are managing transportation targets, liaising with air freight suppliers, monitoring dangerous goods, weighing all items and compiling a comprehensive list of everything that is sent in the air freight. It is an extremely complex process, which can have costly mistakes if not done the correct way, so I need to make sure everything is done properly and by the book.
How is everything transported to a long-haul event?
At the start of the year seven shipping containers left M-Sport and will not return to M-Sport until December. Inside the containers are nine recce cars, service park infrastructure, consumable parts, hospitality tents and spare parts. The containers travelled by sea in time for the first long-haul event in Mexico, and from there it went to Argentina. Since then they have travelled from Buenos Aires to South Africa (although the containers were not taken off the ship in Africa) and then by sea to Singapore. The containers were taken off at Singapore and put on another vessel which then went on to complete the final leg to Brisbane.
It’s quite funny to think that at any point in the rally season that we have shipping containers somewhere in the world – our logistics department and I are constantly keeping track of where our containers are throughout the year.
Is everything else sent by air freight?
Yes - we have our rally cars and three “AMP” boxes which need to be sent via aircraft.
AMP boxes are air freight boxes designed and built to aircraft standards. They have been designed with the correct dimensions to go straight into hold without any changes needed. The boxes which carry the spare parts and the rally cars will all be flying on the lower deck of an Airbus passenger aircraft from London Heathrow via Singapore to Sydney. From there they will be transferred by road to Coffs Harbour where the rally is taking place.
Each box has a metal seal which has paperwork attached with it. The seal is closed at M-Sport and will not be touched again until the boxes arrive at the destination airport. Part of my responsibility is to ensure the seal has not been tampered with when they leave M-Sport and I have to keep a close eye on this process.
The Ford Fiesta RS WRC is smaller than the Ford Focus RS WRC, so in logistical terms this makes it a little easier for us when flying for long-haul events this year. When we transported the Ford Focus RS WRC we were limited to Boeing 747 jumbo jets or freighters, but we can now send the cars three or four days later as we have a greater choice of aircraft which can carry our new cars.
What percentage is sent in shipping containers rather than air freight?
It’s difficult to say as it depends how many cars we have competing on a particular long-haul round, but as an estimate I’d say 85% is sent on the shipping containers and 15% is sent air freight.
Apart from cars, what else do you need to take?
It depends on how many cars we are taking how much we take for each event. Obviously we’ve got our containers which have travelled by sea which houses our recce cars and infrastructure.
For Australia we are sending three spare engines but each rally varies as to how many spares will be going in air freight.
In terms of weight for air freight, can you give us some figures?
It’s up to us how much weight we can take, but we have a target for each event which we need to work round. We try to keep to a limit that each box weighs three tonnes and our total weight target for all three AMP boxes is nine tonnes.
Each car and pallet weighs approximately 1.9 tonnes each.
What are the biggest difficulties when it comes to transporting everything?
I think it’s probably the amount of organisation that is involved. In the weeks leading up to a long-haul event, I send an email out to everybody in the different departments at M-Sport asking them to bring me what they want to be sent as air freight to try and get ahead of the game.
We have a dedicated area of the workshop that is closed off and it takes about a week for me to go through everything that is being sent out, compile my list and pack the boxes. Obviously I need to be completely aware of what is being sent, ensuring it complies with regulations and also that the boxes include absolutely nothing which could be considered as dangerous goods.
Australia and New Zealand’s customs are strict - we need to be extra vigilant so this is an added difficulty I need to take into account for this particular rally. Every item we take has to be clinically clean - and each AMP box has to be completely fumigated to ensure there is no grass, mud or other substances left on the boxes. We can’t take the risk of any containers being held up at customs as this could have drastic consequences on the rally.
So when do you arrive in Australia and when does the rest of the team fly out?
I leave for Australia next Thursday (1st September). The rest of the team fly out of Manchester via Abu Dhabi on Saturday 3rd September and arrive into Coffs Harbour on Monday 5th September. Rally Australia – the tenth round of this year’s WRC - will run from Friday 9th – Sunday 11th September.
How many M-Sport employees will be going out to Australia?
Including drivers there will 85 employees altogether. It’ll probably be the first time that so many Cumbrians have descended on Coffs Harbour all in one go, I’m not sure the locals will know what’s hit them!
SPECTACULAR 101-CAR FIELD LINES UP FOR RALLY AUSTRALIA
Posted: August 20, 2011 8:37 AM
A SPECTACULAR field of 101 cars will start Rally Australia on the New South Wales Coffs Coast next month.
After all entries were confirmed today, organisers reported 31 starters, including 25 from overseas, for round 10 of the 2011 FIA World Rally Championship on 8-11 September.
Companion events bring the total entry to the biggest for an Australian championship rally in recent years.
Round four of the Bosch Australian Rally Championship has attracted 43 cars from around the country and the Coffs Coast Classic Rally will start 27 cars.
Rally Australia’s sporting chief, Clerk of Course Dr Michelle Gatton, said the huge number of cars heading for the Coffs Coast promised a feast of world-class motorsport for spectators.
“This is really something to look forward to. The absolute best rally drivers from overseas and Australia will be here in just 20 days and the action will be unforgettable,” Dr Gatton said.
“Our own target was to achieve 100 entries and we have done that even after a couple of late withdrawals. It is an excellent result that should encourage a big crowd of spectators,” Dr Gatton said.
Aussies to get wildcard entries at WRC Rally Australia
Posted: July 23, 2011 6:25 PM
TWO Australian drivers will be given a chance to take on some of the world’s best when the stars of the World Rally Championship hit the roads of the New South Wales Coffs Coast for Rally Australia in September.
Organisers of Rally Australia on 8-11 September are inviting applications for Australian Guest Driver, or wildcard, entries in the Production Car World Rally Championship (PWRC) category of the event.
The two successful applicants will be eligible to score World Championship points, depending on their finishing position, and to measure their performances against top international competitors.
As well as being seeded near the front end of the anticipated field of up to 100 cars and likely to be the first Australians to tackle the stages, the wildcards will be allocated space within the PWRC area in the Service Park, a privilege for any up-and-coming local talent.
Rally Australia Clerk of Course Dr Michelle Gatton said wildcard selection would be a rare opportunity for the lucky Australians to showcase their talents without having to leave the country.
“Like athletes in many sports, Australian rally drivers usually have to scrape together big budgets to travel overseas for experience and to get international attention,” Dr Gatton said.
“For some at certain points in their careers, this wildcard program could be a once-in-a-lifetime chance.”
Applicants’ cars must comply with the PWRC technical regulations, which include use of the specified, or “control” tyres and fuel.
Rally Australia entrants face challenging three-day event
Posted: July 8, 2011 12:09 PM
ORGANISERS of Rally Australia have produced a challenging three-day event which will see competitors tackle 28 Special Stages over 368 kilometres in the Coffs Coast region of New South Wales.
Entries opened today for the rally, which will be staged on 8-11 September.
Rally Australia will host round 10 of the 2011 World Rally Championship (WRC) and two companion events, the Coffs Coast Forest Rally for the Bosch Australian Rally Championship fourth round and the Coffs Coast Classic Rally.
“The roads selected vary widely in character and surface, from fast-flowing gravelled shire roads to narrower forestry tracks many would remember from years gone by,” Clerk of Course Dr Michelle Gatton said.
“The Coffs Coast region has had unusually high rainfall this year and in general I am extremely pleased by the condition of the roads following these adverse conditions.
“Crews will contest six gravel stages to the west of Coffs Harbour on Friday, eight to the south on Saturday and six to the north on Sunday.
“This format has allowed us to move to a central service option for all three days of competition, a format which most competitors and teams favour.”
The Service Park will be at the Coffs Harbour Airport general aviation precinct, a central location close to rally headquarters and the Super Special Stage.
Crews will kick-start the event with two passes on the Coffs Harbour Super Special Stage on Thursday night, with subsequent visits on Friday and Saturday nights.
Rally Australia will finish on Sunday afternoon with a globally-televised 4.58 km Power Stage in forestry north of Woolgoolga.
Dr Gatton said Australian competitors should take advantage of incentives to enter Rally Australia and challenge the world‘s best.
“We are expecting the biggest spectator crowd of any rally event in the country so it is an excellent opportunity for Australian crews to showcase their skills and team sponsors,” she said.
“As well as the thrill of being part of a WRC field and comparing their stage times, there are specific bonuses in the form of extra points for Bosch Australian Rally Championship competitors and a generous entry fee discount.”
Opening of entries another milestone in Rally Australia countdown
Posted: July 8, 2011 12:07 PM
ENTRIES for the 21st Rally Australia opened today, marking another milestone in the countdown to Australia’s round of the 2011 World Rally Championship (WRC) on the New South Wales Coffs Coast on 8-11 September.
Organisers expect up to 100 cars will contest the WRC 10th round or one of two companion events, the Coffs Coast Forest Rally for the Bosch Australian Rally Championship and the Coffs Coast Classic Rally.
“We’re now winding up for the most prestigious global motorsport series after Formula 1 to arrive on the Coffs Coast in just over eight weeks’ time. The opening of entries is an important milestone in our preparation schedule,” the event’s sporting chief, Clerk of Course Dr Michelle Gatton, said.
“Entries close in a month, so we’ll soon know what the competitor field will look like.
“In fact, we know already that World Champion Sebastien Loeb, Sebastien Ogier, Mikko Hirvonen and Jari-Matti Latvala, representing the top WRC manufacturer teams from Citroen and Ford, will be coming because they are committed to the full 13-round WRC.“
“Add in some high profile privateers and a strong field of Australian drivers, some of whom are certainly world-class and I promise spectators will experience a weekend of unforgettable motorsport.
Dr Gatton repeated a call to Australian competitors to enter the WRC round and challenge the world‘s best.
“There are great reasons for Aussies to step up to the WRC. They will be able to measure their abilities against the international benchmark, achieve a high-point in their driving careers and do so while earning bonus points in the Bosch Australian Rally Championship and a significant discount on the entry fee,” she said.
WRC, Coffs Coast Forest Rally and Coffs Coast Classic Rally cars all will participate in the official start festivities in Coffs Harbour on Thursday 8 September and undertake two runs every night in front of big crowds on the Super Special Stage.
Spectator tickets are now on sale from Ticketek, offering fully-catered viewing locations on the daytime rural stages and at the nightly Superspecial Stage in the Coffs Harbour Jetty precinct.
Spectacular and Challenging route for 2011 Rally Australia
Posted: June 8, 2011 4:07 PM
A SPECTACULAR and challenging route will take the world’s best drivers through forests and farming land and along the sea front on the World Rally Championship’s (WRC) inaugural visit to the New South Wales Coffs Coast for Rally Australia this September.
The route, announced today, covers a total of 369 kilometres on 26 timed competitive stages within a radius of approximately 75 kms north, west and south of the rally base and encompassing the Nambucca, Bellingen, Coffs Harbour and Clarence Valley Shires.
Rally Australia, Round 10 of the 2011 FIA World Rally Championship, will start with rally car displays, driver presentations and entertainment in Coffs Harbour, 535 kms north of Sydney, on the evening of Thursday 8 September.
It will finish on the city’s waterfront on Sunday afternoon 11 September.
The battle for one of the most prestigious prizes in world motorsport, featuring drivers including seven-time champion Sebastien Loeb and Citroen teammate Sebastien Ogier from France, Ford aces Mikko Hirvonen and Jari-Matti Latvala from Finland, Formula 1 champion Kimi Raikkonen, Norway’s Petter Solberg and American Ken Block, will showcase the Coffs Coast with dedicated television coverage in more than 180 countries.
The final test, a feature of all WRC rounds called the Power Stage, will be broadcast live around the world from the Clarence Valley.
Organisers expect up to 100 cars to enter, including those contesting the Coffs Coast Forest Rally round of the Bosch Australian Rally Championship and the Coffs Coast Classic Rally.
Spectator points will be provided throughout the route, but the biggest crowds are expected at the Super Special Stage to be run on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights in The Jetty precinct on the Coffs Harbour waterfront.
Daytime stages on all-gravel shire and forestry roads have been designed to take the rally to hinterland areas on Friday, southern areas on Saturday and the northern areas on Sunday.
Other spectator attractions will include the Service Park in the general aviation area of the Coffs Harbour Regional Airport, where teams will be based for up to two weeks before the event and cars return for service during the competition.
Rally Australia’s chief sporting official, Clerk of Course Dr Michelle Gatton, said the final route was the result of many months of road surveys and consultations.
“Designing a course to meet the specific requirements of the World Rally Championship is a complex task,” Dr Gatton said.
“We need to not only identify roads that offer an appropriate challenge to the world’s best drivers, but also to ensure they provide good viewing opportunities and ready access for spectators, television, photographers and emergency services.
“Each stage will be run once in the morning and once in the afternoon, on one day only. Public-road closure periods will be as short as possible and residents will have additional access.”
Dr Gatton said rally staff and volunteers had contacted directly-affected residents and land owners along the route to ensure their needs were accommodated.
“Since last November we have contacted in excess of 1200 residents. There have been surprisingly few issues and generally overwhelming support,” she said.
“Additionally, we have spoken to the four local councils, Aboriginal Land Council representatives, Chambers of Commerce and other business organisations, tourism groups and sports clubs.
“We have commissioned ecological, cultural heritage and dust and waste-management reports.
“The final result is that the World Rally Championship teams and entourage will be coming to a region that is ready to welcome them and recognises the community social and economic opportunities they will bring.
“In turn, we will be setting the drivers a challenge on roads that will bring their skills to the fore and give our spectators a fabulous show.”
Rally Australia Route Summary:
Number of Stages: 26
Competitive Distance: 369.04 kms total
Transit distance between Stages: 868.20 kms total
Event Total: 1237.24 kms
Shortest Stage: Super Special Stage 3.77 kms, Thursday/Friday/Saturday nights
Longest Stage: SS 22 & 25, 30 kms, Sunday
Power Stage: 4.58 kms
Timetable:
Thursday 8 September
• 4.30 pm Rally Show and Official Start
• Super Special Stages 1-2
Friday 9 September
• Gravel Special Stages 3-8 (North-West & Hinterland)
• Super Special Stages 9-10
Saturday 10 September
• Gravel Special Stages 11-18 (South)
• Super Special Stages 19-20
Sunday 11 September
• Gravel Special Stages 21-26 (North-East) including Power Stage
• Official Finish Coffs Harbour
Aussie WRC star bids to compete at Rally Australia
Posted: May 24, 2011 11:29 AM
AUSTRALIA’S most successful international rally driver, Chris Atkinson, has launched a bid to take on stars of the FIA World Rally Championship such as Sebastien Loeb, Mikko Hirvonen and Petter Solberg when Rally Australia comes to the New South Wales Coffs Coast next September.
Atkinson, 31, is holding talks with Citroen, Ford and Mini teams about a drive on the 8-11 September event as he looks to increase his tally of 67 WRC starts.
The Europe-based Gold Coaster revealed his ambition to British magazine Autosport after contesting the FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship at the International Rally of Queensland on the Sunshine Coast last weekend.
Atkinson drove alongside World Champion Petter Solberg in the Subaru World Rally Team from 2005 until it withdrew from the sport at the end of 2008.
He completed one round in a privateer Citroen C4 in Ireland in January 2009 and then, after amassing a total of 14 top-five WRC finishes, joined the Malaysian factory Proton Motorsports team in the APRC from 2010.
“I’m determined to get back to the World Rally Championship and this is a step towards that goal,” Atkinson said in the article, WRC.com reported.
“It’s not decided yet what car I’ll drive [but] it’s fair to say all of the cars look pretty exciting. Right now, I’m focused on getting everything in place. The car I’m driving is integral to that, but it’s about getting the funding right.”
Despite his lack of recent running in the WRC, Atkinson is hopeful his APRC experience of driving Super 2000-type cars - which have similar handling characteristics to World Rally Cars – and that this year’s Rally Australia is using an all-new route, will ensure he is competitive on the gravel roads.
“It [will be] a level playing field, but don’t forget those guys are out in their cars every three weeks - I haven’t driven one yet,” he said.
“The bigger picture is about getting back to the WRC and competing on my home round is a must.”
Atkinson’s hopes received a boost when Mini WRC Team principal David Richards admitted he would be keen to have the Australian in one of his cars if the squad added a seventh event to its limited debut-season schedule.
“I’ve spoken to Chris about it and I’d welcome him back if there’s a budget to do it,” Richards told Autosport.
Atkinson last competed in his home rally in Western Australia in 2006, finishing ninth.
Rally Australia roads a long way from Queensland floods
Posted: January 23, 2011 7:19 PM
AREAS around the Coffs Coast of New South Wales that will host next September’s Rally Australia round of the World Rally Championship have not been affected by the recent disastrous Australian floods reported around the world.
The rally base in the city of Coffs Habour is 400 kilometres south of the Queensland State capital Brisbane, where much of the worst flooding occurred just over a week ago.
Although there was some unassociated local flooding due to heavy rain earlier this month in and around the Coffs Coast region, forestry and rural roads on the provisional rally route remain in good condition, Clerk of Course Dr Michelle Gatton said.
“However, while Rally Australia is located a long way from the Queensland floods, we are not untouched by the tragedy.
“Many rally officials and competitors live in south-east Queensland and either have lost possessions or joined the massive volunteer corps assisting with the clean-up and recovery. The best wishes of all the rally community are with them at this time.”
Rally Australia, round 10 of 13 in the 2011 WRC, will be staged on 8-11 September.
Donations to the official Queensland Disaster Relief Appeal can be made on-line from anywhere in the world by visiting www.qld.gov.au/floods/donate.html
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