HANDBRAKES &HAIRPINS 323

YOUR insight “into the world of RALLY!”

ISSUE 323/CONTENTS EDITORIAL INFORMATION 01/ Cover Editor/ Evan Rothman 02/ ATS Photojournalist/ Eva Kovkova 03/ Editorial Information Contributors/ Liga Stirna, Kris Karnitiss 04/ Opening Shot CONTACT INFORMATION 05/ RA review 08/ ERC auto24 Rally review E-mail us/ [email protected] 13/ Closing Shot Call us/ +27 83 452 6892 Surf us/ http://wp.me/pkXc

All content copyrighted property of HANDBRAKES & HAIRPINS, 2007-13. This publication is fully protected by copyright and nothing may be reprinted in whole or in part without written permission from the editor. While reasonable precautions have been taken to ensure the accuracy of information from sources and given to readers, the editor cannot accept responsibility for any inconvenience or damage that may arise therefrom. OPENING SHOT Each week we’ll be inviting YOU to select our Opening and Closing Shots. We’ll post up five images on our Facebook Page (facebook.com/handhmag) for you to choose. Karl Kruuda was pinning his Peugeot 208T16 R5’s accelerator pedal flat everywhere in Estonia. Picture: ERC Media. HIGGINSHIGGINS WINWINSS FFOURTHOURTH TITLTITLEE WORDS: H&H PHOTOS: SRT USA, Jordan Apgar/

Subaru Rally Team USA’s David Higgins and Craig Drew overcame a late New England Forest Rally scare to take their fourth Rally America National Championship title this past weekend. The scare occurred when British rally competitors Higgins/Drew opened up a 01min 34.5sec lead over rival team-mates /Chrissie Beavis in their impreza WRX STI heading into the last leg of the New England Forest Rally. Higgins struck a rock on SS10, causing major suspension damage. At the end of the stage, Higgins was in the process of repairing the damage when a fi re fl ared and he received a face full of fi re extinguisher spray. Higgins’ lead over Pastrana was cut to 31.1sec. Following a service, Higgins pushed through the last three stages despite the discomfort to take his fourth consecutive Rally America title and sixth U.S. National Championship overall victory in an outstanding career to date. “We still had a reasonable lead when we left service,” said Higgins. “The rally isn’t over when it’s over. We went out to win the last three stages to win the rally, and more 06 H&H •• importantly to win the Championship. America has been very kind to me.” Pastrana drove a great rally to fi nish in second place, his fourth podium fi nish this season. FY Racing’s Adam Yeoman/Jordan Schulze broke a two-event DNF streak to take third overall and make it a Subaru podium sweep. Super Production’s Dillon Van Way/Andrew Edwards secured a consecutive Class victory and a fourth place overall result. His victory helps extend his Super Production points lead over Nick Roberts/Rhianon Gelsomino with two events remaining. Roberts/Gelsomino had led the event until Van Way took over the Class lead on SS6. On SS8, Roberts went to wide into a corner and got stuck. The team was not able to extract themselves and unfortunately was forced to retire. Roberts’ retirement moved Gary Gill/Nathalie Richard into second in Super Production for their fi rst podium, and Rookie of the Year candidate Mickey Moran with co-driver Alice Von Denes took third. Another Championship was decided at the New England Forest Rally with Ford Racing’s Andrew Comrie-Picard (ACP), co-driven by Ole Holter, taking the Two-Wheel Drive category victory. ACP survived challenges from Scion Racing’s Matthew Johnson/Jeremy Wimpey, and Datingsite.com’s Troy and Jeremy Miller to take his fi rst career 2WD title. Johnson got as close as 05.7sec to ACP on SS5 until transmission problems surfaced and forced the team to replace it during service. Johnson claimed second place, with Troy and Jeremy Miller third in Class. Hometown favourite Chris Duplessis and British co- driver Phil Hill took the B-SPEC Class win in a Ford Fiesta over Honda Performance Development’s James Robinson/Brian Penza in their Honda Fit. But it is James Robinson’s fi nish at the New England Forest Rally that mathematically secures his second B-SPEC National Championship.

Final Overall Classifi cation: 01) D. Higgins/C. Drew WRX STI - 01h 24m 53.3s 02) T. Pastrana/C. Beavis Subaru Impreza WRX STI + 44.3s 03) A. Yeoman/J. Schulze Subaru Impreza WRX STI + 07m 00.6s 04) D. Van Way/A. Edwards Subaru Impreza WRX STI + 07m 53.5s 05) P. Fetela/D. Jozwiak Subaru Impreza WRX STI + 08m 35.4s 06) A. Comrie-Picard/O. Holter Ford Fiesta ST + 09m 12.1s 07) M. Johnson/J. Wimpey Sicon xD + 11m 54.0s 08) T. Miller/J. Miller Ford Fiesta R2 + 12m 41.8s 09) G. Gill/N. Richard Subaru Impreza + 14m 40.9s 10) C. Duplessis/P. Hall Ford Fiesta R2 + 17m 21.0s 07 H&H ••• TANAKTANAK TAKETAKESS THE TRTROPHYOPHY This was one of the most thrilling events yet in “the ERC’s 2014 season. The gravel roads could rival Finland for high-speed action, and the drivers responded by attacking the stages with energy.” WORDS: H&H Estonia on Day One along with his family. Prime Minister PHOTOS: Kriss Karnitis Rõivas spent time with François Ribeiro, Motorsport Director of ERC Promoter Eurosport Events, and ERC Co-ordinator Ott Tänak claimed the victory on his home event, making it Jean-Baptiste Ley. Afterwards he commented that it had been six different winners from seven rounds of this season’s FIA a “very enjoyable experience.” European Rally Championship (ERC). Interestingly, it was fi ve Alexey Lukyanuk fought back from a dramatic spin on years after his legendary team boss Markko Märtin won the SS2 to beat Rainer Aus to the ERC Production Car Cup spoils. high-speed gravel event too in his Ford Focus WRC! The perennially underfunded Russian was fastest in Class on Tänak led from the start in his MM Motorsport Ford all but two occasions in his Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X. this Fiesta R5, which he shared with co-driver and fellow Estonian driver posted speeds of 215km/h on Day One, and rivalled Raigo Mölder. The 26-year-old Tänak was fastest on 10 of the even Tänak’s stage times and speed in a car that is 400kg 14 gravel stages and was also quickest on the auto24-Tartu lighter and faster. It was an heroic drive from the Russian who City street stage in front of 30,000 spectators. showed his skill behind the wheel of is EVO X, and it left many But it wasn’t entirely straightforward for Tänak who fans wondering when this talented driver will be asked to take had to overcome a few minor technical issues, including a the next step in his career by a European team. faulty pop-off valve, to triumph in the stunning Estonian Sander Pärn overcame illness to claim ERC 2WD countryside ahead of rapid Russian ERC Production Car Cup glory on home soil after early leader Eli Evans dropped back winner Alexey Lukyanuk and Timmu Kõrge, who made it two when he twice went off the road on Day One. The Australian Estonian MM Motorsport drivers on the podium. Lukyanuk’s champion, who was fastest on two stages, eventually retired heroic performance earned him the prestigious Colin McRae after damaging the radiator on his Honda Civic Type R following ERC Flat Out Trophy for the second time in his ERC career. a heavy landing on Day Two. Quentin Giordano was second in “We managed to do a good pace all the rally,” said class overnight after bagging back-to-back stage wins on Day Tänak. “Somehow we got a good lead after Friday so [Day One. However, he retired when he rolled on SS11. Simone Two] was about trying to enjoy and stay concentrated. The Tempestini dropped out of a podium place with an engine organisers have done a perfect job although it’s not so easy to issue, but there were no such problems for ERC Junior regular do a big event like this in a small place like Estonia. But they Fabio Andfoli, who fi nished a fi ne second, one place ahead made a big event with lots of spectators.” of defending champion Zoltán Bessenyey. The Honda driver’s Behind Kõrge, Rainer Aus fi nished a strong fourth third place puts him back into the title lead. Max Vatanen took in a Mitsubishi Lancer EVO IX with Finland’s fourth. extending his ERC title advantage in fi fth place for Skoda This was one of the most thrilling events yet in the Motorsport in his Fabia S2000. Karl Kruuda (Peugeot 208T16 ERC’s 2014 season. The gravel roads could rival Finland for R5) took sixth with German Sepp Wiegand seventh in a high-speed action, and the drivers responded by attacking the second factory Fabia S2000. Estonian Kruuda, 21, had been stages with energy. a favourite for a podium prior to the start but a power issue dropped him out of contention on Day One’s opening leg. Like Lappi, Wiegand struggled to match the pace of the turbo Final Overall Classifi cation Of ERC auto24 Rally Estonia: runners in his normally-aspirated machine but still scored 01) O. Tänak/R. Mölder important ERC points. - 01h 49m 36.4s Roland Murakas fi nished eighth, Frenchman Sébastien 02) A. Lukyanuk/A. Arnautov Chardonnet ninth in a Citroën DS3 R5, while Kristian Sohlberg Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X + 47.1s completed the top ten. Chardonnet and Sohlberg were using 03) T. Kõrge/E. Pints the event to prepare for the round in Ford Fiesta R5 + 55.4s Finland next month, with the Estonian gravel roads providing 04) R. Aus/S. Koskinen Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX + 02m 11.7s more than a test for these rally racers. 05) E. Lappi/J. Ferm Big names to see a DNF on the stages include Siim Skoda Fabia S2000 + 02m 17.2s Plangi, who made his debut in a Peugeot 208T16 R5, started 06) K. Kruuda/M. Järveoja Day Two just 05.6s behind Kruuda but a broken clutch and Peugeot 208T16 R5 + 02m 56.8s puncture in the afternoon dropped him back before he rolled 07) S. Wiegand/F. Christian into retirement on the fi nal stage. Raul Jeets and co-driver Skoda Fabia S2000 + 03m 24.1s Andrus Toom also crashed out in the closing stages too, going 08) R. Murakas/K. Adler Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X + 03m 41.8s off the road on the penultimate test. Robert Consani retired 09) S. Chardonnet/T. de la Haye with engine failure on Day One’s penultimate stage. Citroën DS3 R5 + 04m 47.7s The Prime Minister of Estonia, Taavi Rõivas, joined 10) K. Sohlberg/P. Flythström thousands of fans when he visited two stages of auto24 Rally Ford Fiesta R5 + 05m 59.0s 10 H&H ••• 11 H&H ••••

CLOSING SHOT Each week we’ll be inviting YOU to select our Opening and Closing Shots. We’ll post up five images on our Facebook Page (facebook.com/handhmag) for you to choose. Timmu Korge flies in his home event, auto24 Rally Estonia. Picture: ERC Media.