Rally News

[olivierk]

No idea either about TV promoters.

Has anyone heard anything about the 2013 calendar? FIA were meant to discuss it on May 9, but there hasn't been a word reported about those discussions that I could find, only speculation before the meeting about SAfrica and maybe Brazil going in and Greece or maybe Italy out. Does anyone know which way they're leaning?

[reppo]

Sadly it looks like WRC is becoming an acronym for Who Really Cares No matter what I think about Bernie, WRC has a need for their own 'Bernie'.

[reppo]

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/100005

...Mahonen admitted the loss of the deal, reckoned to have been a long-term commitment worth around £2.5m per season, was a significant blow to the series.

"This is quite a big loss to the championship," he said.

Nokia's involvement in the series was at the centre of the long-term plans for developing the new media coverage of the series.

Mahonen continued: "We didn't see it as just money coming in, Nokia was going to be a partner. It was a very good platform."

Mahonen admitted the loss of the WRC promoter at the start of the year was a contributing factor in the demise of the partnership.

The Finn confirmed the identity of the new promoter would be revealed at the June 15 World Motor Sport Council meeting. Mahonen refused to rule out the possibility that the job would be taken in-house at the FIA.

Hopefully WRC returns to TV. £2.5m is like nothing when compared to F1. With that you could maybe get a half of a racing seat in HRT. With so many car manufacturers interested in the series, why is finding the money or promoter so difficult

[phil1993]

Lucky escape for Mikko

[drew09]

Scary footage. At least they are okay.

Worse news:
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/100020

Uh oh...

[Mar]

Mikko and Jarmo were lucky, but at least they were inside the car, but the guys recording are the really lucky ones in this story. That was close. At least they are all okay.

And yeah, more and more "good" news about the championship. Now it's the events. At least the drivers are not striking yet.

[olivierk]

It's really, really, really hard for me to understand how an enterprise as big as the WRC can be brought down by removal of E2.5m of Nokia Sponsorship, or need to gouge E1.5m out of event organisers for timing. That sort of money couldn't even buy a WRC car and run it for the season. How can the FIA possibly not be able to meet these costs out of its own pockets? Or the manufacturers? It's literally unbelievable to me.

Seb Loeb could pay those costs personally out of his own pocket without difficulty ( http://www.celebritynetworth.com/riches ... net-worth/ ) but the FIA can't? How can that be?

[reppo]

Seb Loeb could pay those costs personally out of his own pocket without difficulty ( http://www.celebritynetworth.com/riches ... net-worth/ ) but the FIA can't? How can that be?

It's because FIA is stupid. They sell 100 years F1 rights for nickels. They are not so good doing business. But Jean Todt has a soft spot for rally. I'm sure he want to make WRC big business too - and I don't mean in a bad money greedy way but a big entertainment for fans and teams. He is not stupid either and has seen rally from both sides of the windshield. Wasn't he a rally co-driver and almost win WDC when Vatanen hit the jackpot. He got his revenge when he beat Ari in FIA's presidential election

[Suomileijona]

Lucky escape for Mikko

Very sceary! I'm happy that they are ok!!

[reppo]

Looks like veterans can't stay out of racing. Grönholm to rallycross and now Manfred Stohl
http://www.wrc.com/news/stohl-set-for-w ... ?fid=16831

Stohl set for WRC return

Manfred Stohl is set to make a shock FIA World Rally Championship comeback in New Zealand later this month.

Stohl, who claimed six podiums in the WRC during his driving career before focusing on his own rally team, has been entered in the Stohl Racing-run Brazil World Rally Team Ford Fiesta RS WRC normally driven by Daniel Oliveira, who has decided not to compete on the Brother-backed event from 21-24 June.

“There are still some negotiations but if it goes ahead it will be a one-off,” said Stohl, who turns 40 in July. “I have not driven the car before and the other drivers will be very competitive so it won’t be easy but New Zealand is very much one of my favourites.”

Stohl’s last WRC appearance was on Wales Rally GB in 2007 when he finished eighth overall in a Kronos Racing Citroen Xsara. He has been a regular in the Austrian championship since then in a gas-powered Mitsubishi Lancer.

Oliveira, meanwhile, will return to the WRC on ADAC Rallye Deutschland in late August.

“From the beginning Daniel decided he would not be doing New Zealand because he wants to concentrate on the rallies later in the season,” said Stohl, who will be co-driven by Tina-Maria Monega.

[reppo]

Meanwhile Latvala has been doing something else
http://speedmagazine.net/2012/06/08/for ... in-france/

Ford rally star Latvala sets world speed records in France

BY DESIREE BLANC – JUNE 8, 2012
POSTED IN: CARS & TUNING, MOTORSPORTS MIX

Ford World Rally Team driver Jari-Matti Latvala set four world speed records* in a Focus 1.0-litre EcoBoost road car during a two-day event in France, during which 16 new records* were created.

The 27-year-old Finn, who spearheads Ford’s challenge in the FIA World Rally Championship, was part of a 12-man team which set 16 Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) speed world records* over distances ranging from 1km (0.6 miles) to 4104.7km (2550.5 miles).

Latvala joined 11 drivers, including eight journalists from France and the United States, for the record attempt at the CERAM test circuit in Mortefontaine, France. They drove three 125PS Focus 1.0-litre EcoBoost cars, identical to those sold in Ford dealerships throughout Europe.

Latvala set the ‘sub-1.0-litre class’ world records* for times recorded covering 1km and 1 mile from both a standing start and a flying start. He also drove the opening leg of a 24-hour timed session, during which new records* were set for the highest average speed over six, 12 and 24 hours and 500 miles, 1000km and 1000 miles.

“This little engine punches way above its weight when it comes to performance,” said Latvala, whose regular ride is a 304PS Ford Fiesta RS World Rally Car. “The records prove the Focus 1.0-litre EcoBoost can be lots of fun – as well as a very frugal car.”

To be eligible, each car was required to be run-in under the supervision of an official FFSA (Fédération Française du Sport Automobile) steward, after being selected from the Ford manufacturing facility in Saarlouis, Germany.

The highest average speed recorded was 191.056 km/h (118.716 mph) during the setting of the world record for the highest average speed over one hour*.

The 125 PS Focus 1.0-litre EcoBoost is capable of 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) acceleration in 11.3 seconds and a top speed of 193 km/h (120 mph). It delivers fuel efficiency of 5.0 l/100 km (56.5 mpg) and CO2 emissions of 114 g/km**.

The full list of Latvala’s records is as follows*:

RECORD AVERAGE SPEED
Standing start 1 kilometre 113.522km/h
Standing start 1 mile 79.402mph
Flying start 1 kilometre 176.168km/h
Flying start 1 mile 108.548mph
Highest average speed over 1000 km (joint) 164.361km/h
Highest average speed over 500 miles (joint) 102.656mph
Highest average speed over 1000 miles (joint) 103.357mph
Highest average speed over 6 hours (joint) 165.555km/h (102.871mph)
Highest average speed over 12 hours (joint) 166.784km/h (103.634mph)
Highest average speed over 24 hours (joint) 171.029km/h (106.272mph)

And as far as I can understand French (which I don't) following video is from record drive:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MFhcGx_pvM

I suppose in the video Latvala breaks the record of most boring motor sport video ever

[reppo]

http://www.mtv3.fi/urheilu/ralli/uutise ... nsa-usassa (in Finnish)

Grönholm continued his winning series in U.S.
10.06.2012 10:21

Marcus Grönholm drove a second consecutive victory in the American Global Rally Cross series and leads the series with maximum points.

Grönholm, competing in Ford, dominated the race in Fort Worth, Texas, from qualifying starts to the final.

In finals the real fight started after two restarts. Grönholm succeeded in start and in race tactics. He dove into the short so called wild card lap at the beginning of the race and immediately ran away to the lead, which holded to the finish.

- In finals I got really bad start at first, and it was not perfect at the second time either. I was quite lucky when red flags interrupted the race twice. The last start went right to the spot, and things stayed together all the way, Grönholm recapitulated the finals.

- All I need now is physiotherapists. I'm probably not the only one with a gentle back after those jumps, Grönholm referred to jumps built onto Texas Motor Speedway rallycross track.

MTV3-STT

[phil1993]

Awful news from the Targa Florio.
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/100411

[ourafilmes]

The cars are stronger every year but accidents like this can happen at anytime...
RIP!

[Frozenkage]

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/101750
Apparently redbull is gonna promote wrc