Rally Poland WRC (J) - 26-28 Jun 09

Video Clips - Loeb & Novikov's Crashes

Posted: June 27, 2009 12:19 AM

Tom Cave to make WRC return in Poland prior to Goodwood appearance

Posted: June 26, 2009 2:31 PM

The UK’s first minor international rally driver, Tom Cave, will make his return to the FIA World Rally Championship next weekend, when he takes part in Rally Poland, the eighth round of the 2009 series. Following a complete rebuild of his Group N Ford Fiesta and two successful UK tarmac outings since his last WRC round, Rally Portugal, the 17 year-old is looking forward to his return to the WRC and to gravel.

Rally Poland is also making a welcome return to the WRC, after an absence of 25 years. Last forming part of the WRC in 1973, this year’s event will be completely new to the entire WRC family, levelling the playing field and allowing drivers and teams a rare chance to demonstrate exactly what they are capable of. And it’s this fact that is firing Tom up the most, as he anticipates the stages based around the host town of Mikolajki, some 240Km from Warsaw in an area of outstanding natural beauty surrounded by forests and lakes.

At the suggestion of former champion co-driver Phil Mills, Tom found videos of the stages that make up the event and was pleasantly surprised by what he saw; “The Polish stages look very similar to those in Latvia, where I competed for two years, so I’m hoping that my experience there will help me next weekend,” he said.

“The stages look a little narrower than Latvia with more crests and a lot of people liken it to Rally Finland but without the jumps. The surface also looks quite sandy, so while it will probably be okay for the front-runners, it may well end up fairly rutted by the time we get there.”

The event is also a round of the Fiesta Sporting Trophy International, the one-make series featuring the same specification Fiestas as Tom’s. Therefore, he is also looking forward to mixing it with the FSTi regulars once again, as he did in the few stages his car held together in Portugal, where he was consistently in the top three Fiesta stage times.

“As Poland is a round of the Fiesta series, I’d like to think that we can be in amongst the action with the regulars. If we could be in the top three Fiestas, that would be ideal. However, what I’m really after is a solid result this weekend, after the disaster in Portugal and to prove that last year’s Wales Rally GB result wasn’t a one-off. I think next weekend, we’ll drive our own event on the first leg then assess where we are and whether to up the game and push for a result.”

There will be another variable for Tom next weekend, since neither of the two co-drivers who have worked with him recently, regular Gemma Price and stand-in Phil Pugh, are available. Therefore, another highly experienced and professional co-driver, Craig Parry, will co-drive for Tom in Poland. While the two haven’t competed together before, Parry has been working in Poland with a local driver for the last two years, so his local knowledge and experience combined with Tom’s drive and pace should stand the crew well on the Polish stages.

There’s also another good reason for Tom to get a good result and keep his Fiesta in one piece: He has been invited to display his car on the International Rally Drivers Club stand at the world-famous Goodwood Festival of Speed the weekend after the event and drive it on the event’s famous rally stage. Tom is a member of the IRDC and his Fiesta will sit alongside a classic Lancia Fulvia rally car, showcasing two ends of the rallying spectrum as well as demonstrating its capabilities in action over the three days. Understandably, Tom is thrilled at the prospect.

“It’s a real privilege to be invited to show our car on the IRDC stand at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed and to take part on the rally stage. It’s one of the most famous motorsport events of the year and to be part of it would be incredible. The car will have to travel straight there from Poland, so that’s another reason to make sure we get to the finish with no silly mistakes!”

This year’s Rally Poland begins with a short superspecial stage around Mikolajki on the evening of Thursday 25th June before a double run of three stages on Friday. Saturday sees a further six stages, three each run twice before four more on Sunday, followed by a second run around the Mikolajki superspecial stage to finish the event.

Stobart aim for Pole position in new world rally challenge

Posted: June 24, 2009 2:02 PM

Stobart VK M-Sport Ford drivers Matthew Wilson and Henning Solberg take a step into the unknown next week as they aim to rise to the challenge of the newest rally on the FIA World Rally Championship calendar, Rally Poland. But there will be one Stobart driver who will be familiar with the rally, three-time Rally Poland champion Krzysztof Holowczyc, who joins the team for this event.

Based around the popular tourist town of Mikolajki in the north-east of the country the drivers and their Ford Focus RS WRCs will take on 352kms over 18 stages around the Mazurian Lake District and forests of the region. Average speeds are expected to be higher than anything seen so far this season with hard, wide roads featuring prominently. But the drivers will also come up against narrow, sandy roads lined by hedgerows.

With the Acropolis Rally of Greece still fresh in their minds, Wilson and Solberg will be looking to reproduce the form that saw them each take a stage victory on the final day of that rally. But with Rally Poland appearing on the schedule for the first time since 1973, when only three crews were classified as finishers, it will be an unknown quantity for all of the drivers.

Despite its absence from the WRC in recent years, Rally Poland is one of the oldest rallies in the world, second only to Monte Carlo, and will celebrate its 66th edition next week. The 55 crews entered are sure to receive a warm welcome from the tens of thousands of local fans who are expected to flood Mikolajki for the rally.

Many of them will be there to cheer on Polish motorsport hero Holowczyc, one of the most famous drivers in the country. Now a Member of the European Parliament, sitting on the Committee on Transport and Tourism, Holowczyc remains a high-profile personality in his home nation. He last won Rally Poland in 2005 and has a career-best finish of seventh in a WRC event which he achieved in Argentina in 1998. That result remains the best ever by a Polish driver in the history of the WRC.

Wilson will benefit from the experience of co-driver Scott Martin who competed on the event in 2007 with Barry Clark. Having posted top-six times on 10 of the 12 stages that he contested in Greece, Wilson will be looking to put in another strong performance next weekend.

Solberg struggled with the set-up of his car during the Acropolis Rally and had his podium challenge ruined on day two when he hit a rock and damaged the suspension of his car. But the Norwegian and co-driver Cato Menkerud have been working hard on perfecting the set-up of the car with their engineer and are hoping to make a strong start to the rally.

The rally kicks off on Thursday night with a ceremonial start in the host town followed by a 2.5km Super Special Stage on a newly built track next to Service Park. On day one the stages head along the north coast of Sniardwy Lake taking in long stretches of forest roads to the north and east of the Service Park. The day includes two passes over the 33.17km Paprotik, the longest stage of the rally.

Day two will see the drivers cover the terrain around many of the 45 lakes of the Mazuria region with Sunday’s action moving closer to the Service Park before finishing with a final Super Special Stage. Stobart VK M-Sport Ford team news since Acropolis Rally of Greece

Matthew Wilson and Scott Martin have been preparing for a long-distance cycling trip in France that they will embark on just days after returning from Poland. Wilson has also been busy testing the new Fiesta R2 at M-Sport’s facilities in Cumbria. He will take part in a pre-rally test in his Ford Focus RS WRC in Poland on Monday.

On Saturday Henning Solberg is contesting a round of the Nordic Rallycross Championship in Trondheim driving his 600bhp Ford Fiesta. Krzysztof Holowczyc visited M-Sport to spend a day testing the Ford Focus RS WRC in Greystoke forest with co-driver Lukasz Kurzeja. They will also take part in the pre-rally test in Poland on Monday.

Stobart VK M-Sport Ford driver Matthew Wilson said:
“I think that Rally Poland is going to be a big challenge but I am really looking forward to it. It is going to be quite tough. There will be some fast stages like in Finland but also some quite narrow and technical stages. It is great that Scott has done it before and he knows what to expect; that should be a big help to us. The last day of the Acropolis Rally went really well so we are feeling confident going into this rally. We have got a test on Monday so that will give us plenty of opportunity to perfect the set-up.”

Stobart VK M-Sport Ford driver Henning Solberg said:
“I’m looking forward to Poland and I enjoy the challenge of a new event. As we saw in Greece, events with new stages can mix up the results and it puts the non factory drivers on a more level ground. I think the stages will have a bit of everything so the secret will be adapting to these new conditions as soon as possible and making an accurate set of pacenotes on the recce. I’ve been unlucky with a few events this year so hopefully that will stop now and we can concentrate on the next gravel events.”

Stobart VK M-Sport Ford driver Krzysztof Holowczyc said:
“For us this rally is not new and it is going to be fantastic to be on a road that we know well in one of the best cars out there. It is very important for the fans in Poland to be able to see the best rally drivers in the world. I think that there will be a massive number of people who come out to watch. It is very exciting for us to be part of one of the best teams and I think it will be a surprise for some people to see a driver who doesn’t take part in the WRC regularly go quite fast on the stages.”

Stobart VK M-Sport Ford team principal Malcolm Wilson said:
“Rally Poland is a new event for all of the drivers, so to some extent it’s a step into the unknown. But Scott’s experience there in 2007 should be a great help to the team. Matthew and Henning had their share of problems at the Acropolis Rally, but they demonstrated resilience in putting those behind them. Their stage wins proved the kind of pace that they both are capable of. Matthew posted top-six times on ten stages in Greece, and I am sure that he will be able to maintain that performance in Poland and get the good finish that his consistency merits. We are delighted to have Krzysztof Holowczyc joining us for this rally and his local knowledge and experience will be of benefit to the whole Stobart team.”

Revitalised Ford squad journeys to Poland in search of hat-trick

Posted: June 24, 2009 2:01 PM

Back-to-back victories have rejuvenated BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team's world title challenge ahead of next week's journey into uncharted territory in Poland. Rally Poland (25 - 28 June) is the first of two all-new fixtures in the 2009 FIA World Rally Championship and the last of a compact mid-season flurry of three events in just six weeks.

Wins for Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila in Italy last month and for team-mates Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen last weekend in Greece, Ford's 70th world rally victory and the 40th for M-Sport, enabled the consistent Hirvonen to move within just seven points of the lead in the drivers' standings. Maximum points in the manufacturers' series on both rallies with the Focus RS World Rally Car allowed Ford to close the gap to 15 points with five rounds remaining in the 12-event campaign.

Rally Poland is the second oldest in the world behind the classic Rallye Monte-Carlo, and returns to the series for the first time since 1973 when it formed part of the inaugural FIA World Rally Championship for Manufacturers. On that occasion only three of the 62 starters finished the two-day rally that covered 55 speed tests and 750 competitive kilometres – more than twice the length of next week's encounter.

Until 2005 this was an asphalt rally but since then it has been an all-gravel event over fast and flowing roads in the hilly Mazurian Lake District in the north-east of Poland. Its location means large crowds are expected as fans can gain easy access from across central Europe.

The special stages are a mix of forest and open countryside and to keep speeds in check organisers will position hay bales at obvious cuts in corners, affecting the natural flow of the tests and rewarding neat and precise driving. The tracks weave through picturesque green countryside that many have likened to Finland, and while the surface is generally sandy with plenty of loose gravel on top, many roads are harder after extensive improvement programmes.

Hirvonen, whose Greek victory was his eighth WRC success, has watched a DVD of the stages issued by organisers to help competitors understand the nature of the roads ahead of the recce. "The stages look really fast and very similar to Finland, but without as many crests as we have at home," said the 28-year-old Finn. "They are medium width and soft in places so they may cut up during the second pass. There has been a lot of rain in that area recently and the forecast for the rally suggests showers, so the sandy surface could turn very muddy if that is the case."

Hirvonen has a good record on new roads and admits that preparation is vital. "I know that I make good pace notes for new stages and it's crucial to get them right to have a chance of winning. The bales must be in exactly the right place for the recce because on fast roads it's vital we know their exact position otherwise the pace notes can be too slow or too fast, and that risks either losing time or making a mistake.

"After Greece, I'm back in the championship fight and the next two events, in Poland and Finland, are on fast gravel roads which should suit me," added Hirvonen.

Latvala, who lies fourth in the drivers' points table, also plans to make good use of the organisers' DVD before the recce. "After finishing the test this week I have three days before the recce begins so I will take some time to look at the stages closely. From what I have seen the roads remind me of Finland but the surface appears to be softer. It appears it may cut up, but because it is sandy it is unlikely there will be rocks in the ruts," said the 24-year-old Finn.

"The recce for a new rally is important. Normally it should be possible to ensure the pace notes are accurate in the two passes we're allowed. Of course, there are always a few corners that are not exactly correct but when you consider how many bends we note during a normal two-day recce, this isn't too surprising.

"When using existing notes to practise a stage I can drive a little quicker than when making brand new notes. It requires much more concentration to make new notes, but it's also easier to make notes for faster roads than it is for slower stages because less information is required," added Latvala.

Team News
* Tyre partner Pirelli will provide BP Ford Abu Dhabi with just the one regulation tyre pattern. The Scorpion gravel tyre will be available in soft compound only. Teams are not allowed to hand-carve additional cuts into the rubber and each car can carry two spare wheels.

* The team has a four-day test in Poland in preparation for the rally. Latvala's two-day stint ended Friday before Hirvonen took over for Saturday and Sunday.

* Five other Focus RS WRCs will start.
Henning Solberg / Cato Menkerud and Matthew Wilson / Scott Martin are nominated by the Stobart VK M-Sport squad, which has also entered Krzysztof Holowczyc / Lukasz Kurzeja in their home rally.
Dutch crews Dennis Kuipers / Kees Hagman and Rene Kuipers / Erwin Berkhof will drive privately-entered 2006-specification cars.
The rally is the third round of the Fiesta SportingTrophy and seven Fiesta ST cars have been entered.

Citroen Previews

Posted: June 24, 2009 1:58 PM

Citroen WRC Preview

Citroen WRC Junior Team Preview

FSTi competitors face exciting new challenge in Poland

Posted: June 24, 2009 1:56 PM

The 2009 Fiesta SportTrophy International reaches its halfway point next weekend as the drivers take on Rally Poland for the first time. Second round victor and championship leader Patrick Anglade will lead the way, but Rally Poland will also see the first appearance of reigning FSTi champion Emre Yurdakul. He will be joined by Castrol Ford Team Türkiye team mate Burcu Cetinkaya to take on Russia’s Denis Grodetskiy and the Team Abu Dhabi drivers Majed Al Shamsi, Ahmed Al Mansoori and Bader Al Jabri.

Making its first appearance on the FIA World Rally Championship calendar since the 1970s, Rally Poland will provide a new and exciting challenge for all of the 55 entrants, including the seven FSTi competitors. With average speeds during the rally, which is based around the town of Mikolajki, expected to be higher than many other rallies this season, it will be a different test for the drivers than anything they have experienced so far this year.

The Fiesta SportTrophy International, supported by Pirelli, gives the competitors a chance to experience rallying at international level, pitting themselves against the best drivers in the world. The championship winner will receive an all-expenses-paid test in the latest specification Ford Focus RS WRC with Ford factory driver Mikko Hirvonen and the chance to discuss the test over dinner with the flying Finn and M-Sport Managing Director Malcolm Wilson. A prize fund has also been introduced and the winner of each rally will receive a €1,500 M-Sport voucher.

Anglade (21) from Germany showed speed and maturity as he put in a measured performance in Sardinia to take the win and leapfrog Craig Breen at the top of the FSTi drivers’ standings. He and co-driver Björn Röhm (29) hold an 18 point lead at the top of the table and, with two rounds of the championship gone, will be looking extend that in Poland.

Emre Yurdakul (26) could be the main threat to Anglade as he launches the defence of his title. Having missed the opening two rounds of the championship, he has a stern test ahead of him to overhaul the lead of the young German. FSTi will be a whole new experience for Burak Erdener, he joins the team as Yurdakul’s co-driver.

Burcu Cetinkaya (28), a strong contender in last year’s FSTi, also returns for another crack at the title and, like her Castol Ford Team Türkiye team mate Yurdakul, has a new co-driver for Rally Poland as she pairs up with Bahadır Gücenmez.

Veteran FSTi competitor Denis Grodetskiy and co-driver Safiony Lotko earned their first ever FSTi points in Sardinia. The Russian put his experience to good use taking four stage wins on the final day of competition there. He will be hoping to build on that in Poland, the closest FSTi event to his home, and present a real challenge to the championship leaders.

Bader Al Jabri (24) leads Team Abu Dhabi’s FSTi challenge after Round 2 of the competition where he took two stages wins and finished in second place overall. The young Emirati and co-driver Alan Harryman will be looking to gain another podium finish in Poland.

But team mate Majed Al Shamsi (29) and co-driver Steve McAuley were hot on his heels in Sardinia, finishing third and taking four stages wins and he will be pushing to be the fastest Team Abu Dhabi driver over the fast roads in Poland.

Meanwhile, Ahmed Al Mansoori (22) must put the disappointment of his crash in Sardinia behind him as he aims to repeat his FSTi Round 1 performance in which he gained a podium finish.

Rally Poland will also play host to the new Fiesta R2 as it continues on its tour of Europe. After beginning the tour in Belgium this week, M-Sport’s newest car will make a stop at the Super Special Stage of Rally Poland next Friday where invited guests will be driven by FST International Shootout winner Matthias Boon (BEL).

FSTi leader Patrick Anglade (21) from Germany said:
“We have a perfect basic position. Right now, 18 points separate us from second-placed Craig Breen, who will not be taking part in the rally in Poland but I think we have to count in the Turkish team since they have been participating in the FSTi for two years and know their car by heart. It would be nice to come first in my division once more after the victory in Sardinia. Our possible score then would allow us a more relaxed attitude concerning the next event, the really difficult rally in Finland. To finish the rally there is our first priority because we do not and cannot afford a 'flop' at the moment.”

FSTi Driver Goals (Rally Poland) Patrick Anglade (GER) – the young German is aiming to pick up his second consecutive FSTi victory and maintain his place at the top of the table.

Denis Grodetskiy (RUS) – after struggling with mechanical problems in Portugal, things came good for Grodetskiy in Sardinia. He will be hoping to build on the stage wins that he achieved there.

Bader Al Jabri (UAE) – competition is hot between the young Team Abu Dhabi drivers and Al Jabri will be aiming to stay ahead of his team mates in the championship with another strong performance in Poland.

Majed Al Shamsi (UAE) – so close to the pace of his team mate Al Jabri last time out, Al Shamsi will be looking to find the extra seconds earn another podium finish and beat his team mates.

Ahmed Al Mansoori (UAE) – the least experienced of the Team Abu Dhabi drivers, Al Mansoori is on a steep learning curve, but is showing signs of speed. His crash in Sardinia put him out of the rally so he will be hoping to make it to the finish in Poland.

Emre Yurdakul (TUR) – having missed the opening two rounds of the competition reigning champion Yurdakul has a lot of ground to make up. He will be aiming to get on the top step of the podium straightaway and make his mark on the championship.

Burcu Cetinkaya (TUR) – the Castrol Ford Team Türkiye driver ran her team mate Yurdakul close in the championship last season and will be looking to go one better this year so a good start is essential.

Entry List

Posted: June 7, 2009 5:34 PM

• Rally Poland (Rajd Polski)

Supporters and Accommodation Website

Posted: April 23, 2009 2:31 PM

Supporters and Accommodation Website - Rally Poland

Grönholm hopes to start in Rally Poland

Posted: April 23, 2009 2:30 PM

Marcus Grönholm hopes to start in Orlen Platinum 66 Rally Poland, despite the fact that the double FIA World Rally Champion (2000, 2002) - a winner of 30 WRC rallies - decided to retire at the end of the 2007 season. His fierce battles with Sébastien Loeb were the pinnacle of the WRC in recent years.

However, a leopard never changes its spots and Grönholm returned, quite unexpectedly, to special stage competition in the recent Portugal round of this year‘s WRC. He was classified as high as second overall after three stages, but damaged the car later in the event and was forced to retire.

In Portugal, Grönholm drove the latest version of the Subaru Impreza WRC, which was built and serviced by Prodrive.

“We plan to start with Marcus in Orlen Platinum 66 Rally Poland,“ said Richard Taylor, Prodrive’s sporting director. “We are looking for the required budget. We shall be happy to have Polish companies on board. Marcus and myself had a chance to visit the beautiful region of the Mazurian lakes in the past. Having nice memories from our visits, we hope to finalise our plan and come back to Poland at the end of June.“

• Rally Poland (Rajd Polski)

Event Website / Details

Posted: January 1, 2009 12:01 AM

• Rally Poland (Rajd Polski)