Freitas takes another class win in MML Sports GpN EvoX

Posted: November 7, 2010 9:16 PM - 5276 Hits

Freitas takes another class win in MML Sports GpN EvoX

Posted: November 7, 2010 9:16 PM

Maderian driver Felipe Freitas took another class win on the recent Rali do Faial, the final round of the Madeira Rally Championship, at the wheel of his MML Sports-prepared Mitsubishi Lancer EvolutionX Group N rally car. The local enjoyed another close battle with team-mate Joao Magalhaes to reach the finish ramp in third place overall behind a pair of S2000 cars and nine seconds clear of Magalhaes.

Freitas had a slow start to the event, just sixth fastest on the opening superspecial stage of the event. However, he soon turned this around and by the third stage, was setting second-fastest stage times. He remained well within the top four on each of the remaining stages, with the exception of the event's final timed test, where he was again second fastest, ahead of team-mate Miguel Nunes in a Peugeot 207 S2000.

The result means that MML Sports cars have now won the final event in each of the championships they have competed in: Latvia, Slovakia and now, Madeira.

Commenting on the news, MML Sports Managing Director John Easton said:
"Of course I'm delighted that Felipe took the class win on the final round of this year's championship in Madeira. It's also particularly encouraging as he was able to beat S2000 cars on equal footing, on asphalt. That's a great achievement and one we're proud to have been involved with.

"I'm also pleased that three drivers in our cars have ended their season with a win; Ivars [Vasaraudzis] in Latvia and becoming the 2010 champion in the process, Jaroslav [Melicharek] in Slovakia and now Felipe in Madeira. It's a great feeling to know that, as we head into the motorsport off-season, drivers in our cars will be celebrating throughout the winter and it gives us a real boost as we start to prepare for the 2011 season."

First outright win for Melicharek in MML Sports WRCar

Posted: October 26, 2010 11:06 AM

Slovakian driver Jaroslav Melicharek claimed his first outright rally win last weekend at the wheel of the MML Sports-run Mitsubishi Lancer World Rally Car. Melicharek was completely dominant on the Rally Vsetin, the last round of the Czech Republic series and ends his season in the best possible way, with the win carrying him through the winter off-season.

The one-day event comprised eight stages and the competition was fierce; Melicharek was facing five other World Rally Cars, including Skodas and Subarus.

He was completely at home in the Lancer WRC and this was clear from the start. On the opening loop of three stages, he was fastest on two and second fastest on the third, by just 0.1seconds.

Following the first of the day's two services, he was straight back on the pace, claiming another win, followed by a third and then a second-fastest stage time. However, each of these was by fractions of a second and by the end of the sixth stage of the event, held a healthy 13-second lead.

He took another stage win on the penultimate test of the event while on the last stage, he dropped some seven seconds to the second placed car, simply because he didn't want to take any big risks so close to his first outright win.

Despite the time loss, he still arrived at the finish ramp of the event as the winner, with a margin of 13 seconds.

Commenting on the weekend, MML Sports Managing Director John Easton said;
"I'm delighted that Jaroslav finally got his maiden rally win. It has been clear this year that it was only a matter of time and I don't think it could have been in better style. He completely dominated the event and built enough of a lead that he was able to back off on the last stage to ensure he reached the finish and didn't suffer any last minute problems.

"Jaroslav's results have been improving all season and I think taking the win on the last round of the championship will give him a huge lift in confidence and should have the competition a little rattled over the winter."

Another dominant win for van Eldik in MML Sports WRCar

Posted: October 21, 2010 4:41 PM

Dutch driver Mark van Eldik took another dominant win this weekend at the wheel of his MML Sports-prepared Mitsubishi Lancer World Rally Car on the ADMV Lausitz Rallye in Germany. Team-mate Bert de Jong put in another excellent performance, finishing the event in fifth place.

As a round of no less than nine series, including the German national championship, the entry list was huge, with 57 cars in the national class, alongside van Eldik. He and de Jong were facing a brace of world rally cars, including Subarus and Skodas, as well as Super 2000 cars on the event, based in Boxberg, close to the Polish border.

Unfazed by the competition, van Eldik was on superfluous form from the start of the event, which saw two 15Km stages running as dusk fell on Friday evening. He set his stall out early, claiming the win on both to head into Saturday's six stages as leader.

He carried on where he left off for the second day of the event, claiming the win on each of the six timed tests, to reach the end of the event with a winning margin of almost 40 seconds over Polish driver Leszek Kuzaj.

De Jong was enjoying another good event, third after the first pair of stages but was unable to resist the mounting challenge from the Subaru WRCar of Eric Korda and German and World Rally Championship regular, Herman Gassner Jnr.

He slipped from third to fifth during the second day of the event but was able to defend his top five placing against several charging WRCars behind him.

Commenting, MML Sports Managing Director John Easton said: "I'm really pleased with the results from this weekend. The last time Mark and Bert were out, they both had a difficult rally, so it's even more impressive that they both bounced back and achieved these results.

"Mark was completely dominant on the event, didn't put a foot wrong and took a very well deserved win. Bert said he enjoyed himself on the event, which was quite tricky and is very pleased with the result.

"Overall, a great weekend's rallying."

Excellent performance by MML Sports drivers in Latvian finale

Posted: September 28, 2010 9:42 AM

Drivers of MML Sports-prepared Mitsubishi rally cars enjoyed an excellent performance this weekend, on the finale of the Baltic State's national rally series, Rally Latvia.

Ivars Vasaraudzis was, despite earlier reports to the contrary, still in the fight for the national championship honours and only an outright win would secure the title. Ivars and co-driver Peteris Spredzis adopted their usual strategy, maximum attacked from the first stage; it worked and they took the win on each and every one of the event's nine stages, to claim an emphatic victory, with a winning margin of more than two minutes.

The result means that Vasaraudzis is now the 2010 Latvia Rally Champion, the first time he has laid claim to the title, since drivers of World Rally Cars were only eligible for the National Cup in previous years whereas this year, they were also able to challenge for the national championship honours.

Team-mate Raimonds Kisiels was enjoying his second exceptional rally in a row, following last month's second place on the Kurzeme Rally. He took the second fastest stage time on four of the first six stages of the event, to hold a solid second place as the crews approached the final loop of three stages.

However, there was a sting in the tail for Kisiels, as a sensor in the transmission on his Mitsubishi Lancer WRCar failed and the car's electronics kept it in 'road' mode while on the stages, drastically reducing its power and traction. However, he remained focussed and managed to get to the end of the event in sixth place, having dropped some three minutes in the process.

Another driver of an MML Sports car, Tom Cave, was also going well. This was the first time the 18 year-old had driven the Group N Lancer EvoX and following a pre-event test, was clearly settling in well to the car. He set a series of top seven stage times, acquitting himself well against the local drivers.

However, he would also fall foul of a tail-end problem, as he suffered a puncture on the first of the final three stages and was forced to stop and change the flat tyre, before continuing. He eventually finished the event 18th overall and seventh in Group N but this does not belie the achievement, as the MML Sports team feels that without the lost time, he would have finished sixth overall and second in Group N.

The three Russian drivers, Alexander Novoselov, Mikhail Orkin and Vladimir Sokolov enjoyed their weekend of rallying, finishing in 34th, 37th and 41st overall respectively.

Commenting on the weekend, MML Sports Managing Director John Easton said;
"I'm delighted that Ivars was able to enjoy a trouble-free run and put in his usual performance - complete dominance. He was fastest on every stage to take another win, by a large margin and with it, the overall title for the year. I and the rest of the team couldn't be happier for him.

"Raimonds put in another excellent performance, running a strong second completely on his own merits - he was easily quicker than anyone except Ivars and was looking good for his second podium finish in as many rallies. It's incredibly unfortunate that he suffered the problem he did, stuck in road mode for the last three stages. This is the first mechanical problem he has had and it's such a shame it was this weekend.

"Tom Cave was very impressive on the Group N Lancer EvoX, particularly against the locals, who we know are very quick. He was matching their times on the long stages, which is no mean feat. He was very calm and professional all weekend and settled into the car very quickly. He was looking on course for second in Group N before the puncture but I must say, I'm impressed with him, all round.

"I'm also glad that Alex, Mikhail and Vladimir got to the finish, as it was only the second rally for Alex and the first for Mikhail and Vlad. I know they all enjoyed the experience and I'm also glad that they ran all weekend with no problems at all."

Tom Cave denied sensational result by late puncture on Rally Latvia

Posted: September 28, 2010 9:40 AM

Teenage rally driver Tom Cave was denied a sensational result on Rally Latvia, the finale of the Baltic State's national rally series this weekend. Driving the MML Sports Group N Mitsubishi Lancer EvolutionX for the first time, the 18 year-old was on course for sixth place overall and second in Group N when he was forced to stop and change a flat tyre.

This was the first time Cave had driven the MML Sports EvoX and following a short pre-event test, was settling into the car well. He was pleased with his times over the first three gravel stages of the event, fifth-fastest on the first two and fourth-fastest in Group N on the second run of the superspecial stage.

He was fourth-fastest on the next two stages also, to enter the first of the final three stages 11th overall and sixth in class. However, just 2Km into the 21Km test, he hit a rock mid-way through a fast left hand bend and felt the tyre deflate instantly. He knew the only option for him and co-driver Craig Parry was to stop and change the tyre, which they did, dropping some four minutes in the process.

From that point on, any hopes of a good result were gone but they maintained their focus to the end of the event, finishing in 18th place overall and seventh in Group N. However, the MML Sports team looked at the data and times of other competitors and predicted that, without the time lost by changing the flat tyre, Tom would have potentially finished the event sixth overall and second in Group N.

Commenting at the end of the event, Tom said: "This was a really good rally. The result doesn't really justify how well I feel it went but as we know all too well, that's how it goes sometimes.

"I was really pleased with the times I was setting early on and the car felt really good. At the first service, we decided to raise the ride height after talking it through with my engineer, as the roads were becoming quite cut-up.

"Then, near the start of the first of the last three stages, I came across a huge rock right on the line that I just couldn't avoid. We hit it and the tyre went down instantly. From there on, the rally was effectively over - we kept the pace up enough to make sure we concentrated and brought it home to the finish.

"The MML Sports Group N Lancer was absolutely fantastic. We had no problems with it at all and it was amazing to drive. I'm just gutted that we weren't able to get a good result - even more so when the team told me they reckoned I was on for sixth overall and second in Group N.

"I just hope I demonstrated that we have the pace and did enough to keep the team happy - they put in so much effort and were extremely professional and very complimentary with their feedback. Driving the GpN EvoX this weekend has given me an incredible amount of food for thought..."

Tom's next event will be Rally Scotland in October, the penultimate round of the 2010 Intercontinental Rally Challenge. He will tackle the event for the second year in a row, this time at the wheel of his ex-works Proton Satria Neo Super2000. The team begins its test program this week, to develop a set-up to begin the rally, as well as shake the car down thoroughly after an extensive rebuild.

Group N Mitsubishi Lancer EvoX for Tom Cave on Rally Latvia

Posted: September 17, 2010 12:28 PM

Teenage rally driver Tom Cave will return to familiar territory in a brand new car next weekend, as he contests Rally Latvia, the finale of the 2010 national series, in an MML Sports Group N Mitsubishi Lancer EvolutionX. The 18 year-old has already contested, and won, events in GpN machinery and in Latvia but has yet to sample what is widely regarded as the definitive GpN EvoX.

Having spent two seasons of rallying in Latvia, Tom already has two of the Baltic state's flagship event under his belt. He first competed in a Group N MG in 2007 and in 2009, won class N3 and was the first two wheel-drive car past the post in his former Ford Fiesta ST.

However, this year, things will be a little different as he joins the six-car strong MML Sports squad. The company was formed from the Mitsubishi works rally team and will be running a pair of Mitsubishi Lancer World Rally Cars, as well as four GpN EvoXs, including Tom.

While Tom has amassed significant four wheel-drive experience this season, in both the semi-works Proton Satria Neo S2000 and the 2004 Subaru Impreza, the MML Sports EvoX will be a completely different beast for the youngster from Aberdovey.

However, his two previous excursions on Rally Latvia mean that he should be able to concentrate on learning and getting the most from the car, rather than worrying about developing his set of pace notes for the event.

Tom explains;
"Having done the event twice before and competed in Latvia for two seasons, I have a reasonable idea of what to expect. This means that hopefully, I won't have to revise my notes too much and can spend the recce carefully looking at the condition of the roads and the corners, understanding where I can gain speed and conversely, where to be careful.

"The roads tend to be very fast - much like in Finland - with a soft top surface. The event also draws huge numbers of spectators and has an amazing atmosphere - I'm really looking forward to returning to Latvia.

"I'm really excited to be driving the MML Sports EvoX. I gather that the company has been doing a lot of development work on the car and I'm sure it will be excellent to drive. We have a day of testing just before the rally starts [on Thursday] which will give me a chance to start learning the car, as well as meet the team and the mechanics.

"I think next weekend, the best we can hope for is to bring the car home intact and hopefully, get a solid result. I gather from Mark Higgins that Group N is hugely competitive in Latvia and I know the locals are very quick, so I'm sure it will be a challenging weekend."

The event begins with a superspecial stage on the evening of Saturday 25 September, before a full day of competition on Sunday 26, featuring eight stages before the leading crews arrive at the finish ramp at 17.20, local time.

Busy rally season finale for MML Sports in Latvia

Posted: September 16, 2010 10:48 AM

Next weekend will mark the finale of this year's Latvian Rally Championship and will be a busy one for MML Sports, as it fields no less than six Mitsubishi rally cars for the event. It will run its usual pair of Lancer World Rally Cars, backed-up by a quartet of Group N Lancer EvolutionXs, making it the company's busiest event of the year.

The Lancer World Rally Cars will be driven by regular pilots Ivars Vasaraudzis and Raimonds Kisiels. While Vasaraudzis, co-driven by Peteris Spredzis, is no longer able to win the national championship, he will be looking to round off his season with another win, to add to his tally of three so far this year.

Kisiels will also be looking to capitalise on his best performance to date on the penultimate round of the series, the Kurzeme Rally, when he finished second overall. He will again be partnered by co-driver Arnis Ronis.

MML Sports will also be running four GpN Lancer EvoXs, three for the trio of Russian drivers and one for up-and-coming British rally star, Tom Cave.

This event will be the second competitive outing for Alexander Novoselov, who finished last month's Kerzume Rally in 31st place overall on his rally debut. However, it will be the first outing for both Vladimir Sokolov and Mikhail Orkin, who ran as VIP cars on Rally Talsi but will experience the true heat of competition next weekend.

All three drivers will receive further pre-event training with former British Rally Champion Mark Higgins in the run-up to the event, providing them with the basics of actual competition to build on their experience so far.

The fourth GpN EvoX, MML Sports' development car, will be driven by Tom Cave. The 18 year-old has been competing in both Group N cars and Super 2000 machinery this season and is returning to Latvia, where he earned his international Rally license after three years of competition from the age of 14.

Commenting on the upcoming event, MML Sports Managing Director John Easton said:
"This weekend is going to be our busiest in Latvia since the company was formed. I thought that Rally Talsi in May was good but we have an extra car on Rally Latvia, so that gives us six cars and crews to look after.

"I hope that Ivars is able to put in the performance we've come to expect from him here - to win. It's obviously very frustrating that he now can't win the championship but I'm sure he and Peteris will be looking to end the season with a win on the final round - I'm sure that will go a long way to keeping them going during the off-season.

"I also hope that Raimonds is able to repeat the form he showed on Kurzeme. Everything came together for him there and I think that result will do wonders for not only his ability but also, his confidence.

"It will be excellent to see Alexander, Mikhail and Vladimir back in the team together. Only Alex was able to compete on Kurzeme, so we're looking forward to having all three back in the EvoX and actually competing in the event. I think they will all benefit from Mark's pre-event work and will reap the rewards on this rally.

"I'm also looking forward to seeing what Tom can do with the car. I know he has shown a lot of potential in both older GpN cars and S2000 and also knows this event quite well. The standard of competition in Latvia, particularly on this event, is incredibly high and I hope that he is able to demonstrate that potential in what I believe is the definitive GpN EvoX."

The event begins with a superspecial stage on the afternoon of Saturday 25 September before a full day of competition on Sunday 66 September, comprising eight stages before the first crews arrive at the finish at 17.20, local time.

Two champions in MML Sports' cars on Kurzeme Rally (Mark Higgins to Drive Development Car)

Posted: August 21, 2010 3:27 PM

There will be two champions at the wheel of rally cars prepared by MML Sports on next weekend's Kurzeme Rally in Latvia. Reigning Latvian champion Ivars Vasaraudzis will drive his regular Mitsubishi Lancer WRCar, while triple British Rally Champion Mark Higgins will demonstrate the improvements to the MML Sports Lancer EvolutionX Group N car.

Vasaraudzis is well on track for his second national title at the wheel of the Lancer WRCar, partnered by co-driver Peteris Spredzis. So far this season, he has won every round of the championship in the Baltic state that he has contested and therefore, is firm favourite for the penultimate round of the 2010 series.

If he takes the win on next weekend's Rally Kurzeme and on the final round, Rally Latvia in September, he will take the overall title, his second at the wheel of the MML Sports prepared and run Lancer.

Team-mate Raimonds Kisiels will be driving the second Lancer WRCar and will be looking to consolidate his season, as he gains in confidence and pace with every event.

MML Sports will also field a trio of Group N Lancer EvoX rally cars. Two will be piloted by Russians Mikhail Orkin and Alexander Novoselov while the third, MML Sports' own development car, will be driven by triple British rally champion, Mark Higgins.

MML Sports has developed the Group N EvoX significantly since it's competition debut in Latvia last year and the car that Higgins will drive is 60Kg lighter than the original, as well as having 65Nm more torque available. It also features revised suspension and transmission settings and the company is confident that in Higgins' hands, will demonstrate its competitiveness.

Higgins has also been working with both Orkin and Novoselov in the run-up to the event, conducting training sessions and will carry out a further three-day coaching and test session immediately prior to the start of the rally.

Commenting, MML Sports Managing Director John Easton said; "Kurzeme is going to be a busy weekend for us but hopefully, a successful one. Ivars needs to win in both Kerzume and Rally Latvia to take this year's title and assuming he has no problems with the car, I'm confident that he is capable of doing just that.

"It will be good to see Mikhail and Alexander in the car again. Hopefully the work they have done with Mark will have paid off and they will not only enjoy their first taste of actual competition but also show what they are capable of.

"I think having Mark in our development car will be very interesting. We have carried out a huge amount of development on it since Rally Talsi last year, both in terms of the overall package and the detail and we want to see what a champion driver can do with it. I'm confident that we have made significant progress with the Group N EvoX over the last 12 months and I'm looking forward to demonstrating that next weekend."

The company also featured in a promotional video the organisers of the event produced, which was aired on Latvian TV recently. This pitted Vasaraudzis in the Lancer against an F2 powerboat around a dock and saw the Lancer go head to head with the powerboat in a drag race and round a circuit.

Not surprisingly, the Lancer won out in the drag race but wasn't able to keep up with the powerboat round the circuit. Explaining, Easton said: "It was very interesting to see the powerboat go up against the Lancer. We thought the car may have the advantage off the line but it simply couldn't keep up with the boat around the circuit. Once they reach maximum speed, they tend to stay there until the finish line; they just don't lift through the corners - it's quite a sight to see."

The TV program of the competition is available to watch on the MML Sports website.

The Kurzeme Rally begins with a double run of the superspecial stage through the streets of the host town on the evening of Friday 27 August, followed by seven stages on Saturday 28 August, before the leading crews reach the finish podium at 18.45 local time.

More Details:

www.mml-sports.com

Drivers' eye view of MML Sports rally car

Posted: August 21, 2010 3:24 PM

MML Sports, the company formed from the factory Mitsubishi rally team, has added a unique view of its Group N Lancer EvolutionX rally car to its website. The panoramic interior allows visitors to the site to view the complete interior from the comfort of their computer screen, giving them an impression of the quality and attention to detail that have gone into the car and will also provide a link to MML Sports' unique webshop.

In addition to its fleet of eight Mitsubishi Lancer WRCars, the company has developed its own Group N version of the latest iteration of the famous Lancer range, the EvolutionX. Using experience gained over years of running the official Mitsubishi rally cars, the MML Sports GpN EvoX has proved an instant hit, claiming wins in Madeira against Super 2000 cars and in Indonesia, where it took second place overall on its maiden outing.

Earlier this year, the company added a virtual car builder to its website, allowing potential customers to 'build' their ideal Group N EvoX. This began with the base chassis and allowed drivers to select various specifications and options, including gravel or tarmac suspension and giving them a clear indication of the car's price and performance.

It has now developed a full, 360degree interior view of the car, so that visitors can view exactly what equipment is used but just as importantly, how well put together the car is. The view can also scroll up and down, making the complete 'driver's office' visible through the internet.

In addition to simply viewing the interior of the EvoX, the panorama will also be developed to link across to much more detailed information on the options and components used in the car. For example, if the user clicks on the gearlever, this would open MML Sports' webshop application, detailing the specification and options available for the car's transmission. Other areas of the interior will provide access to detailed information on the engine, electronics and chassis.

Commenting, MML Sports Managing Director John Easton said; "We're very pleased to be able to offer potential customers a full interior view of the MML Sports Group N EvolutionX rally car. In conjunction with our 'car builder' and soon to be launched webshop, we feel that this is the best information package we can give, short of the customer visiting our facility or actually driving the car.

"We know from feedback that the car-builder is extremely useful to our existing and potential customers and I think the interior view tool will help them to understand the quality of the work that has gone into our car, as well as the products we have used on it.

"We feel that it is a successful package, as we have seen in Madeira for example, where both Antonio Nunes and Felipe Freitas have achieved notable success and outright rally wins."

For more information and to view the interior panorama, go to the MML Sports website

www.mml-sports.com

Vasaraudzis heads for Estonia in MML Sports Lancer WRC

Posted: June 20, 2010 6:53 PM

Latvian Rally Championship leader Ivars Vasaraudzis will compete on next month's Mad Croc Rally Estonia at the wheel of his regular MML Sports-run Mitsubishi Lancer WRCar. He and team-mate Raimonds Kisiels will face stiff competition though, as former FIA World Rally Championship drivers Toni Gardemeister and Markko Martin are also expected to take part.

The event is one of the country's premiere rallies and always draws a crowd of world-class drivers. This year, it will include ex-Ford factory driver and now team owner Markko Martin, as well as former works driver, Toni Gardemeister.

Commenting after his win on the recent Madona Rally which consolidated top spot in the championship standings, Vasaraudzis said; "I'm very much looking forward to the Mad Croc Rally Estonia. I have competed in Estonia twice before and although I didn't finish either rally, I really enjoyed the experience and am looking forward to returning in a World Rally Car.

"I know the event is very well organised and its standing means that it always attracts some of the best drivers in the world. And although it will be a big challenge, I am very excited about competing against Markko Martin and Toni Gardemeister, to see how my pace compares with them."

Team-mate Kisiels is also looking forward to the event, though from a slightly different perspective; "Rallying in Estonia will be a new experience for me and one I am looking forward to. I have no experience of such long stages - there are no rallies like this in the Baltics. Also, as Vice President of the Latvian Automobile Federation, I am very interested to see how rallies in Estonia compare with those we organise at home."

Commenting, Managing Director of MML Sports, John Easton, said;
"I think it will be excellent for both Ivars and Raimonds to contest this rally. It will benefit them both to compete outside Latvia and out of their comfort zones, even though the country has one of the most competitive national rally series, as we have seen in the past. I am sure that it will help them both to develop their skills and experience further as a result."

The event begins with a superspecial stage at the Otepaa Tehvandi ski stadium on the evening of Friday 16 July, before a full day of action on the forest gravel roads on Saturday 17 July. There are three more stages to run on the morning of Sunday 18 July, before the first cars are expected back at the stadium for the finish ceremony at 12.30.

Putting the 'World' in World Rally car - Latvia to Barbados then back

Posted: May 27, 2010 4:46 PM

One of MML Sports' Mitsubishi Lancer Evo World Rally Cars will demonstrate the global nature of not only the sport of rallying but also, MML Sports' abilities in May and June, as it travels from Latvia to Barbados then back, spending little more than a few hours in each location.

The car in question was used by Ivars Vasaraudzis to win Rally Talsi, the third round of the Latvia Rally Championship, on Sunday 16 May. It left Latvia to travel back to the UK on Monday 17 and arrived at MML Sports' Rugby, UK base on Tuesday 18th.

It spent the day on Wednesday 19 May being reprepared after its win, while also being converted from gravel to tarmac specification, ready for its next event.

After just one day of work, the car left the UK on Thursday 20 May to fly to the Caribbean island of Barbados, arriving on Friday 21 and clearing customs on Saturday 22nd.

Later that day, it underwent a tarmac test at the hands of local driver Sean Gill, who competed with the car on the Island's famous Rallysprint on Sunday 23rd. He finished the event in fifth place, as he learned the Lancer and prepared for the main event the following weekend.

The car then has a few days off, until Gill again takes the wheel, this time on the traditional rally, running over the weekend of 29/30 May. Once the event is finished, the car will again be prepared to travel, leaving Barbados on 31 May, to arrive back in the UK on 1 June.

There, MML Sports will convert the car back into gravel specification in just one day, on Wednesday 2 June, before it leaves for Latvia on Thursday 3rd, ready for the Madona Rally over the weekend of 5/6 June, again at the hands of Vasaraudzis.

So by the time the car returns to MML Sports' Rugby base on around the 8 June, it will have covered 535Km under its own steam, more than 8000Km towed behind one of the company's support vehicles and 13,500Km in the belly of a Boeing 747.

That's a total distance in excess of 22,000Km, more than halfway around the world.

Truly a World rally car.

Storming weekend for MML

Posted: March 26, 2010 12:38 PM

This weekend saw a pair of excellent results for drivers at the wheel of MML Sports Mitsubishi rally cars. António Nunes narrowly missed out on the Group N class victory on Rally Porto Santo Line, the first round of the Madeira Rally Championship while David Westenbrink claimed fifth in his first outing in the Lancer WRCar on the Tank-S rally, round two of the Dutch series.

Nunes was at the wheel of the MML Sports Gp N Lancer EvoX for the first time and was immediately on the pace. He took the Group N stage win on three of the event's first eight stages, including the event opener, to hold the class lead throughout the day and an excellent third place overall.

The competition was incredibly tight but approaching the final stage, fate was to intervene. Running behind the reigning champion, João Magalhães, on the road, Nunes approached the start line as the skies darkened. Magalhães had already completed the stage when the rain began to fall and Nunes was hampered by damp conditions throughout the 8.5Km stage.

Despite this, he finished the event second in Group N, a tantalising 1.2seconds behind Magalhães on his debut in the MML Sports-prepared Lancer EvoX. He was also fifth overall, an excellent achievement against drivers more experienced in their respective cars.

While Nunes was impressing on his debut, so was David Westenbrink on the Tank-S Rally in Holland. Just like Nunes, Westenbrink was at the wheel of an MML Sports WRCar run by the ATM team for the first time but not only was he driving the Lancer, this was also his first time in a World Rally Car.

He began cautiously, learning the car and how to drive it and steadily improved his pace throughout the 20-stage event. He held 12th place overall in the early part of the event but thanks to his improving times and experience which netted him an outright stage win, climbed to fifth overall by the end of the event.

However, even more encouraging was the fact that without the time loss through a spin and a stall, some 90 seconds, he would potentially have finished third, an excellent debut.

Commenting on the weekend, MML Sports Managing Director John Easton said:
"This was an excellent weekend for us, with both drivers achieving superb results.

"António was very pleased with the speed of the Group N Lancer EvoX as well as the standards of preparation, particularly when you compare his performance against cars which cost considerably more to build. I'm almost as pleased as he is that he was able to achieve and maintain the Group N class lead and would have taken the win had it not begun to rain as he started the last stage.

"David also did very well, for his first time in a World Rally Car. He approached the event perfectly, feeling his way in and his speed improved with every kilometre.

"Again, this was a clear demonstration that the Lancer WRCar is extremely competitive and easy to drive quickly."

MML Sports starts the year with a win

Posted: February 17, 2010 2:13 PM

MML Sports began its 2010 rally season with a win at the weekend, as Ivars Vasaraudzis and co-driver Peteris Spredzis took victory on the Sarma Rally, the second round of the Latvian Rally Championship. Team- mates Raimonds Kisiels and Gatis Lanavas had a more eventful rally but still managed to finish 12th overall despite a series of off-road excursions during the event.

The Sarma Rally is the second round of the national championship and was the first time Vasaraudzis had been in the car since the end of the 2009 season, some three months ago. Consequently, he approached the two first stages of the event, run in darkness on Friday night, with caution as he settled back into competition in the Mitsubishi Lancer World Rally Car.

He was second and third fastest on the two opening tests respectively to hold second overall at the start of the second day. He remained cautious for the day’s opening stage but then established his hold on the leaderboard by setting the fastest time on each of the day’s remaining five stages to arrive at the finish in first place overall, with a winning margin of just shy of a minute.

Things weren’t quite so easy for Kisiels however, He went off the road and got stuck in the snow on the first stage, losing two minutes to the leaders. He suffered the same fate on the fifth stage, dropping almost another two minutes but despite this, a series of top ten stage times meant that he went on to finish the event in 12th place overall, five minutes behind his team-mate.

Commenting on the weekend, MML Sports Managing Director John Easton said; “This was a very good weekend. It was nice to get the win on the first event of the season and encouraging that both cars made it to the finish with no issues.

“Ivars began the event cautiously, taking it very easy in the darkness and on the first stage of day two. But it wasn’t long before he got a push on and got up to his usual position – at the front – where he stayed for the rest of the event.

“Raimonds was pretty rusty by the time he started the event – he hadn’t been in the Lancer WRC for more than four months, so it’s no wonder. But he stayed focussed and I think without going off and getting stuck, would have finished in the top five.”

The Latvian drivers now have a break, as the next round of the championship is the Talsi Rally in May. This gives the series a chance to move out of winter and back towards its normal conditions of fast and flowing dry gravel roads, similar to those made famous by Rally Finland.

Business and pleasure for MML Sports in the winter snow

Posted: January 29, 2010 12:10 PM

February will see ten days of business followed by indirect pleasure for MML Sports. The company will be running two Mitsubishi Lancer WRC05 World Rally Cars on Rally Sarma, the second round of the 2010 Latvian Rally Championship before moving to Lapland to run a corporate driving experience on a frozen lake, again using two Lancer WRC05s.

The second round of the Latvian Rally Championship takes place in the Gulbene region over the weekend of 13 February. As such, it is one of two snow rallies forming part of the championship and marks the beginning of the spring break until the snow has melted and the gravel roads in the Baltic state return to their natural condition.

MML Sports will once again be running a Lancer WRCar for Ivars Vasaraudzis and Peteris Spredzis and another for Raimonds Kisiels and co-driver Gatis Lanavas. The last time both team-mates competed on the same event was Rally Latvia last year, when Vasaraudzis lost time stuck in a ditch but set the fastest time on every other stage and Kisiels struggled to find his form after a prolonged absence from the driver’s seat.

The Sarma is an event both drivers know well and should set a competitive pace, especially considering the developments that MML Sports has made to the Lancer WRC05 since their last outing. This has seen improvements to the engine and driveability, which should further increase both Vasaraudzis’ and Kisiels’ pace.

As soon as the Sarma Rally is finished, the entire team will pack up and move to Rovaniemi in Lapland, northern Finland and right on the edge of the Arctic Circle. This is where the pleasure begins, though not for MML Sports itself.

The company has developed a corporate entertainment package, based around driving the two Lancer WRC05s on a frozen lake course. Participants will receive expert tuition and a demonstration of the Lancer’s capabilities before taking the wheel themselves to see what the view is like from the hot seat.

The first day on the lake will see the participants receive instruction in the various skills required for rally driving and begin their preparation for the morning of the second day. Then they will each take the wheel of the Lancer WRCar for a timed run over the course, to see who has the most talent and who has learned the most in the previous day.

That afternoon, they will take part in a snowmobile safari through the Lappish forests before taking a ‘Viking Sauna’ at the famous Bear’s Den retreat. This involves a plunge into the frozen lake through a hole in the ice but not until everyone has had time to warm-up in the sauna – guaranteed to get the pulse racing and wake everyone up!

The third and final day of the programme see the participants visit the world-renowned home of Santa Claus to meet the man himself as he rests up after his global pilgrimage and enjoy his hospitality before departing for home.

Commenting on the upcoming events, MML Sports Managing Director John Easton said; “I’m very excited about these two very different events. We know that both Ivars and Raimonds are talented drivers and we also know that the Mitsubishi Lancer WRCar is very competitive on snow rallies, so we are looking forward to a good result when they get back into the car.

“The Arctic Sports Star event is something a little new for us and it is also very exciting. Over the years, we have managed countless drive events and hospitality functions on behalf of Mitsubishi but this stretches a little further – it’s more like the events that supported Mika Hakkinen’s appearance on the Arctic Rally in 2003 in a Mitsubishi.

“The participants are all acquaintances of Ivars and Peteris and are rally-mad, so I’m looking forward to delivering a high-quality experience for them. I hope that Ivars will be able to be there as winner ofthe Sarma Rally – that would put the icing on the cake.

“If this Artic Sports Star event is successful, then we will look into running similar events at different times during the year, and in different environments to allow fans to access the sport of rallying and see exactly why it is so popular.”

MML Sports continues Group N EvolutionX development

Posted: January 21, 2010 1:46 PM

Although the break between the end of the 2009 season and the start of 2010 was a short one, it still gave MML Sports the opportunity to turn its attention to releasing more of the potential from its Group N Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X rally car. The next phase of its ongoing programme concentrates on engine developments and weight reduction to ensure its version of the latest offering from Mitsubishi is as competitive as possible.

It was clear from the car’s debut in Talsi in 2009 at the hands of double British Rally Champion Guy Wilks that the MML Sports EvoX Gp N had masses of potential. Since then, the company has been constantly developing the car and has made major advances.

The first area for consideration was the bodyshell itself and the underbody protection. The aim was to reduce the car’s overall weight as much as possible without compromising its strength or reliability. The design engineers went through the bare shell with a fine toothcomb and applied the same techniques to the sump and tank guards, to reduce the finished car’s weight by some 30Kg.

It has also begun a comprehensive engine development program, allowing it to free up more low end performance from the two-litre turbocharged motor, as well as make the maximum gains offered by the FIA’s decision to allow the turbocharger restrictor to become larger for 2010, from 32mm to 33mm.

While on paper this may not seem like a big difference, according to MML Sports Managing Director John Easton, it should make all the difference on the road. “We’ve carried out some initial work with our engine partners HKS on their dynamometer and things are already looking good. I am confident that we will be able to release at least an additional 25bhp from the engine in absolute terms. Once we have completed the engine development work, I will be surprised if the MML Sports EvoX isn’t on par with the current generation of Super 2000 cars on gravel.”

In addition to these specific areas, the company is also continually developing the transmission control systems and the suspension, including development of the BOS dampers using its in-house damper dynamometer. This allows MML Sports to simulate a range of road conditions to assess the effectiveness of design and theoretical set-up changes.

MML Sports is now planning several outings with its Group N EvoX early in 2010 to demonstrate the competitiveness of the car on both gravel and asphalt.

Commenting, Easton said; “Now that last year’s competition season is over, we can spend some time concentrating on unlocking some of the EvoX’s potential. I don’t think we will ever stop developing the car – it’s the only way to move forward and we can put all our resources onto it for the moment.

“However, it won’t be long before this year’s season starts. We’ve already had orders for several new EvoXs so of course, we’ll be adopting the new developments on them and look forward to even more success in 2010.”

MML Sports Ltd flat out preparing for 2010 season

Posted: January 20, 2010 12:01 PM

After an extremely successful first year of operation, MML Sports Ltd has just taken orders for four brand new Group N Mitsubishi EvolutionX rally cars and potentially, two more programs for the Lancer WRC05.

The first order comes from two Russian drivers, looking to put together a program for the Latvian Rally Championship. However, this is far more than a traditional rally program. The customer has never driven a rally car before, except when he was bitten by the big on a recent corporate event. He was recommended to MML Sports and has now charged the company with every aspect of his fledgling career.

This involves not only preparing two brand new Gp N EvoX but also, running the car on-event and providing the highest levels of hospitality. In addition, because the crew has absolutely no experience, MML Sports will be conducting a full driver and co-driver training program, using the very highest calibre of British drivers and co-drivers to teach the new combination the skills of the sport.

Commenting, MML Sports Managing Director John Easton said; “We are delighted to have been recommended and subsequently chosen to run this program. I gather that the gentleman in question was faced with one of the age-old problems – how do I go rallying if I’ve never done it before? Certainly, he could buy a car and go but he decided it was sensible to approach a professional team and be trained in all aspects of the sport and to do things properly.

“We haven’t confirmed who we will be using yet but I would imagine that in terms of driver training, it would be someone like Mark Higgins and for the co-driver, someone experienced like David Senior or Daniel Barritt. It would have to be top level, WRC people to stand the best chance of success.”

Hot on the heels of this program is another, this time based in Madeira. A well-known motorsport team on the Portuguese island has commissioned two Gp N EvoXs for the island’s tarmac championship in 2010. This will again involve build and supply of the two cars, as well as on-event technical assistance from MML Sports. Interest from Madeira came about from a recent addition to the MML Sports website, mml-sports.com. The company has added not only a price list of set-specification cars but also, an interactive car builder, allowing potential customers to build their ideal car and spares package and know exactly what the cost will be.

Easton said; “I am delighted that this innovation on our website has proved its worth within weeks of launch. It allows potential customers to know exactly what their rally car will cost and budget for their season accurately and transparently. We are looking forward to working with our colleagues in Madeira for this season.”

There has also been significant interest in the Mitsubishi Lancer WRC05 World Rally Cars, in both east and Western Europe. MML Sports is close to agreeing terms to run a car in the Slovakian Rally Championship, which shares three rounds with the Hungarian series, where the WRC05 has already clearly demonstrated its winning ways.

And it has also received interest from teams looking to run drivers in several continental championships, again based on success of the Lancer in 2009, where it has led or won rallies in every country that it has competed.

Summing up, Easton said; “2009 was a fantastic first year for MML Sports Ltd. We ran a variety of talented drivers in various countries and we were very pleased with the performance and reliability of the cars. The Gp N EvoX is also looking very promising – our car showed excellent potential in Latvia and the two Indonesian cars did very well on their first outing. We have been continuously developing the EvoX and feel that it will be capable of rally wins in 2010.

“What is more encouraging however, is the feedback from our existing customers and the amount of new business we are now working on for this year. People we have run last year are coming back for bigger programs for this year and with the programs in Latvia and Madeira, I could not have hoped for a better end to our first year in business.”

The company also exhibited its Group N Lancer EvolutionX at the recent Autosport International show at the NEC, the world’s premier motorsport show. It was invited to display the car on the Motorsport Insurance Services stand, drawing attention from visitors as one of the focal points.

Topics: News

Freitas takes another class win in MML Sports GpN EvoX