Rally News

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Re: Rally News

Post by Mar » 21 May 2012, 18:37

What I'm hearing is that they suffered a brake failure.
The other thing I'm hearing (but I can't confirm it) is that it was the police who made the people stand there. I hope the information is wrong because it would be more than idiotic from the people who are supposed to care about citizen's safety. :<>:

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François
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Re: Rally News

Post by François » 21 May 2012, 20:24

There's amateur footage of the car going straight on at the junction (before it hit the crowd). No matter what caused the accident, it's all too obvious these people should never have been standing there. The person filming is only a couple feet away from the road... on the outside of the corner. Absolutely crazy, as is often - unfortunately - the case with rallying accidents involving spectators.

The pilot has been released from custody, it's still early days but the latest reports are indeed pointing towards a brake failure. Very sad that what should have been a minor incident resulted in two casualties and a lot of serious injuries. :(
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Re: Rally News

Post by reppo » 22 May 2012, 09:16

Any spectator should know not to stand on the outside of the corner and organizers should take care nobody goes there. Casualties could have easily been avoided. Let's hope it wasn't police's fault people were there. That would be too absurd.

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Re: Rally News

Post by reppo » 22 May 2012, 13:35

http://www.mtv3.fi/urheilu/ralli/uutise ... testaamaan (in Finnish)
Latvala recovered for testing
Posted on 05.12.2012 10:37 (updated 15.05. 14:10)

Jari-Matti Latvala was this week able to drive Ford's rally tests normally in Portugal.

Latvala was injured a month ago in Lapland. He fell badly on his skiing trip and broke left clavicle, which was operated in hospital.

Latvala, who skipped Argentina WRC rally, targets to recover to Acropolis Rally at the end of May in Greece.

This week, Latvala got to drive two-day tests. He completed a total of 440 kilometers in his Fiesta.

- I am amazed at how well it went. Before that, however, was a little nervous, how the hand would work. I had a support below Hans, so that seat belts would not press so hard on collar bones. A few pain spike felt on larger bumps, but otherwise it went well, Latvala chatted.

MTV3, Miika Wuorela and Tero Koivula

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Re: Rally News

Post by reppo » 22 May 2012, 13:59

http://www.mtv3.fi/urheilu/ralli/uutise ... svaltoihin (in Finnish)
Grönholm to drive rally series in United States
Posted on 05.15.2012 13:31 (updated 14:05)


The double World Rally champion Marcus Grönholm participates in the Global Rally Cross series in United States

The series starting at May 26th, includes total of six races. Grönholm drives the second Olsbergs Motorsport Evolution team's Ford Fiesta.

- Fiesta they built for me is a very perky wheels with 570 horsepower, Grönholm laughed.

- A short series of suits me very well, because it does not take much time. Of course, tests must be done, but the races are short, 44-year-old Grönholm said.

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Marcus Grönholm's Ford Fiesta rally car

At least four of races will be driven with Nascar and one with IndyCar series races, and the track is built in the center of the oval. In addition to Ford other car brands includes among other things Ford, Dodge, Hyundai and Subaru.

Grönholm drove in Olsbergs MSE team 2009 Pike's Peak hill competition, which is the second oldest motor sport event in United States. Last season he drove three Global Rally Cross Series races.

Series program:
• 26.5. Charlotte Motor Speedway (NASCAR Sprint Cup Series)
• 9.6. Texas Motor Speedway (IZOD IndyCar Series)
• 30.6 to 1.7. X Games Los Angeles
• 14.4. New Hampshire Motor Speedway (NASCAR Sprint Cup Series)
• 1.9. Atlanta (not yet confirmed)
• 29.9. Las Vegas Motor Speedway (NASCAR Camping World Truck Series)

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Re: Rally News

Post by Suomileijona » 22 May 2012, 15:37

I'm very happy for Jari-Matti! :) I hope that he'll do well in Greece! :) :pray:

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Re: Rally News

Post by sleenster » 22 May 2012, 16:31

That's terrible :( (not the Jari-Matti thing, but the deaths :()

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Re: Rally News

Post by reppo » 23 May 2012, 12:23

http://www.mtv3.fi/urheilu/ralli/uutise ... elkureille (in Finnish)
Grönholm: This is not the place for cowards
22.05.2012 15:37

Marcus Grönholm goes to reach a new feather to his hat next weekend, when he starts championship hunt of American Global Rally Cross series.

Two-time World Rally Champion will drive all six races of rallycross series with Olsberg Motor Sport Evolution team's 570-hp Ford Fiesta. The opening event of the season will be raced this weekend in Charlotte Motor Speedway together with Nascar race.

According to Grönholm the team has made significant investments to equipments.

- I will drive all races this year, so I'm 100 percent committed to push all out in the series. Nothing else is enough, The Finn from Inkoo tells.

Grönholm drove last season three Global Rally Cross races with Olsberg MSE team's racer.

- I'm now driving a full season for the first time since 2007, when I left World Rally Championship series. Since then I've felt that I had things left undone, "Bosse" says.

Grönholm is not going like fanfaring off to war and blustering for victory at the opening race of the season. Finnish veteran will not have it easy, becouse he is against for example last season's champion Tanner Foust, from WRC series well-known Ken Block and motor sport's multi talent Travis Pastrana.

According Grönholm the series has evolved remarkably. One of the significant factors is that events will be raced together with Nascar, IndyCar, and the X-Games events.

- I am pretty sure that this is not the right place for cowards, Grönholm says.

MTV3

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Re: Rally News

Post by reppo » 23 May 2012, 12:57

http://www.mtv3.fi/urheilu/ralli/uutise ... suosikkini (in Finnish)
Hirvonen about the difficult classic race: It is not my favorite
22.05.2012 20:29

World Rally Championship drivers gets into a trial in this coming weekend, when the traditional Acropolis Rally is held in Greece.

Challenges of the competition include hot conditions and bumpy roads. The temperature in the cockpit gets close to mild [poor :zz: ] sauna - sweat will flow when the drivers steer their racers bouncing on the rocky roads.

- This is not my favorite race, but I do not hate it. We are competing for the championship and therefore we have to take part in rallies, which are different from each other, Citroen driver Mikko Hirvonen says.

- Acropolis rally is one of the classics in the series, and the event has not lost its reputation that it is the most difficult track. However, it must be said that we drive flat out almost all the time!

According Hirvonen, who is third in championship, it is important that preliminary tests for the rally have gone well.

- In the tests we have to get certainty, that the car is stable enough to handle in difficult conditions. Citroen, however, took double win here last year, so I am confident that we will be able to drive for win, Hirvonen says.

MTV3

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Re: Rally News

Post by reppo » 23 May 2012, 12:59

Wonder how tough it turns out to be for Latvala's collarbone :blink:

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Re: Rally News

Post by reppo » 23 May 2012, 14:18

http://www.mtv3.fi/urheilu/ralli/uutise ... yy-elamaan (in Finnish)
Latvala to Greek rocky grounds with titanium plate: "Pain can be lived with"
23.05.2012 16:10

Ford's Jari-Matti Latvala believes that there is no need to ease the feet off the gas pedal on Thursday, when Acropolis Rally starts.

Not even if the recovery from clavicle fracture is still in process.

- The hand movements are hundred persent of what it was before the break. Hand forces are perhaps 90 per cent, Latvala evaluates his recovery from skiing accident.

- There is a ten centimeter titanium plate, which is attached by six screws, to support the clavicle. It means I am able to drive without pain, but of cource it hurts when driving to a very hard bump, but I can live with it, Latvala said.

Fast and partly rough rocky gravel roads of Acropolis Rally with a 30-degree heat tests the car, driver and tyres.

- In this competition I have a sort of support splint on overalls. The idea is to off load the pressure from sternum and clavicle bone. With it I'm able to drive pretty much hundred percent, or it might be that just the most worst parts must be driven a little bit off the pace, Latvala said.

Will tyres hold up?

With the current trend Acropolis rally's route has been streched to more than 400 special stage kilometers. Center of the rally is city of Loutraki.

Rally should be resolved on Friday or Saturday, when there is 170 and 150 kilometer special stages. In Thursday's program there is a time trial and one special stage, and the sixth championship rally finishes on Sunday with fair 65 kilometer stage.

- Friday's roads are the best in the race. They are relatively clean except the beginning eight kilometers of fourth and eighth stages of Elikonas. It's pure crushed stone, and you newer know, will it dig out stones or rock when it is run again, Latvala says.

- Saturday has always been the toughest stage in the race, and so it is now. Before we drove three special stages two times, now it is four stages twice, which in these conditions is very tough for tyres.

The break in competition makes suspicious

Race's favorite for the victory is championship leader Sebastien Loeb of Citroen team, with challengers, team mate Mikko Hirvonen and Ford's Petter Solberg and Latvala.

- We'll see how eight weeks break in competition will show. If I get to the top three, I am satisfied. With small reservations, I hope that I can fight for victory, Latvala says.

MTV3-STT

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Re: Rally News

Post by Suomileijona » 23 May 2012, 15:25

I'm afraid that it is going to be very hard for Jari-Matti! #Fear I just hope that he'll do well and doesn't crash! :pray: #Fear

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Re: Rally News

Post by Suomileijona » 23 May 2012, 15:30

Kimi wants to drive in the R´Neste Oil Rally, but first he has to talk with the team, if his contract permits him that...

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Re: Rally News

Post by sleenster » 23 May 2012, 16:59

I actually like the idea of him doing Rally Finland, but we'll see what the team says. I imagine they don't say no to him very much...

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Re: Rally News

Post by phil1993 » 23 May 2012, 20:08

The problem is that the last time Lotus said 'yes' to a driver go rallying, it ended his career. That said, this is a WRC sanctioned event.

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