HHandbrakesandbrakes &HHairpinsairpins IIssuessue 241241 • 2200 JJulyuly • hhttp://wp.me/pkXcttp://wp.me/pkXc TThehe wworld’sorld’s onlyonly ffreeree ddedicatededicated rallyrally eeMagazineMagazine - eeveryvery wweek!eek! Models F700K 9 – 36kg @ R2275.00 F500K 0 – 18kg @ R2160.00 F100K 15 – 36kg using the standard seat belt @ R450.00 F100K Telephone +27 11 6708400 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.ats-motorsport.co.za IIssuessue 224141 • 2200 JJulyuly 22012012 EEDITORIALDITORIAL IINFORMATIONNFORMATION Editor Evan Rothman Favourite rally car? Audi Quattro S2 Current favourite WRC driver? Mads Ostberg Favourite WRC rally? WRC Rallye Deutschland Favourite rally? Total Rally, South Africa Tweets too much about rallying, loves nothing more than spectating on a forest rally, and has aspirations of being the world’s greatest rally journalist. He’s also oftentimes seen with a In 2012, we will bring YOU: camera in his one hand and his mobile phone more opinions ringing in his pocket at the most inopportune times. more photographs more competitions more videos as you ASKED for in 2011! Photojournalist Eva Kovkova Favourite rally car? Citroën C4 WRC AADMINISTRATIVEDMINISTRATIVE IINFORMATIONNFORMATION Current favourite WRC driver? Mads Østberg Contributors Liga Stirna, Patrick Vermaak, Motorpics, Favourite WRC rally? Vodafone Rally de Portugal Newspress. Favourite rally? White Nights Rally, Lahdenpohja, Russia All content copyrighted property of HANDBRAKES & Likes to walk in the Swedish snow forests or on HAIRPINS, 2007-12. This publication is fully protected by Portuguese dusty hills, likes to freeze, to get wet copyright and nothing may be reprinted in whole or in part in the rain or to melt from the heat during photo without written permission from the editor. While reasonable hunts for fl ying cars and smiling faces. Also is precautions have been taken to ensure the accuracy of knowing as a press ice bear working for South information from sources and given to readers, the editor Africa :) cannot accept responsibility for any inconvenience or damage that may arise therefrom. FOLLOW US! CCONTACTONTACT E-mail us [email protected] Call us +27 83 452 6892 Surf us http://wp.me/pkXc To receive your FREE weekly HANDBRAKES & HAIRPINS eMagazine, or if you’d like to share this with a friend please send your e-mail address to [email protected]. HANDBRAKES & HAIRPINS is not a SPAM e-mail: email addresses are added to the mailing list voluntarily. OPPENINENING SHOT MMuddyuddy aandnd wwetet rralliesallies aarere nnotot fforeignoreign ttoo tthishis ssport.port. BBut,ut, tthehe VVolkswagenolkswagen RRally,ally, RRoundound FFourour ooff tthehe SSouthouth AAfricanfrican RRallyally CChampionship,hampionship, wwasas tthehe wwettestettest iinn tthishis ccountryountry fforor ddecades.ecades. IItt mmadeade fforor sspectacularpectacular rrallying,allying, bbutut tthehe uusualsual tthousandshousands ooff ffansans lliningining tthehe sstagestages wwereere kkeptept iindoorsndoors wwithith tthehe llashingashing rrainain aandnd iicycy wwinds.inds. TTheyhey mmissedissed ssidewaysideways aactionction ggalore!alore! PPicture:icture: MMotorpicsotorpics START RAMP 07 Team Total at the Volkswagen Rally 09 Craig Breen returns CONTENTS SERVICE PARK 11 IRC Sibiu Rally preview 13 RA New England Forest Rally review 15 SARC Volkswagen Rally review PARC FERME 20 Ashley Haigh-Smith at the Volkswagen Rally 22 Urmo Aava talks Estonian 24 Ken Block and his Gymkhana FIVE START RAMP TTEAMEAM TTOTAL:OTAL: HHOTOT RRALLYALLY AACTIONCTION IINN WWETET Words: Handbrakes & Hairpins Habig/Robert Paisley (Ford Fiesta S2000) and Gemmell’s against their factory-backed rivals for the prestigious Drivers’ Pictures: Motorpics team-mates Leeroy Poulter/Elvene Coetzee never allowed Championship. Craig Trott/Robbie Coetzee (car #62) and Gemmell a moment’s rest in the cockpit of his rally machine. daughter-and-father pairing Stefanie Botha/Willem Hugo (car Waterlogged gravel roads, cold and misty mountains Poulter became stuck in Saturday morning’s loop of stages in #74) proudly fl y the Team Total livery in Class S1600 with and cheering spectators: this was the Volkswagen Longmore Forest after going off the road and was ruled out Toyota RunX machines. Rally. After four rounds of the 2012 South African Rally of the event, and this promoted Mark Cronje/Robin Houghton Damseaux attacked Stage One to set the Championship, the traditional forest gravel stages (Ford Fiesta S2000) to claim the fi nal podium position. The third fastest stage time, and settled into a cautious yet in and around Port Elizabeth produced a close fi nish fi ght for the overall honours was, however, not settled until competitive rhythm on the afternoon’s remaining speed despite the inclement weather conditions. the fi nal stage was complete, where Gemmell fi nished the tests. At the end of Day One, the Somerset West-based rally The third different rally winner this year was rally 12.5 seconds ahead of Habig to seal his fi rst victory ace found himself in eighth position overall and two minutes crowned and the consistently quick pairing of Johnny of the 2012 season. This event saw 34 of the original 42 behind the overnight leaders. Uncomfortable with the Gemmell and Carolyn Swan (Toyota Auris S2000) recorded starters reach the fi nal Parc Ferme. conditions, Damseaux persevered through the treacherous a popular victory at this rally and now move into the lead of Team Total is South Africa’s largest privateer squad, conditions to record a strong 11th position overall. the Drivers’ and Co-Drivers’ Championship title races. boasting four Toyota rally cars in two categories. Jean-Pierre “It was not an easy event,” said Damseaux. “We The event’s 12 stages were reduced to nine due to Damseaux/Grant Martin (car #10) and Mohammed Moosa/ found it diffi cult to get a rhythm going on Day One, and the heavy rainfall fl ooding the stages. This made the fi ght for Andre Vermeulen (car #13) compete in the premier Class heavy overnight rain persisted on Day Two’s stages. We were stage wins all the more vital for the rally’s leaders, and Jan S2000 in Toyota’s Auris S2000 rally weapons and battle it out all in the same situation, so we all had to contend with these conditions and roads.” at the Volkswagen Rally was Team Total’s pairing of Craig Their service crew worked to resolve the issue, but it soon Team-mates Moosa/Vermeulen were immediately Trott and Robbie Coetzee. reappeared on Day Two’s opening special stage to haunt on the defensive after suffering ill luck. The Tzaneen Reeling in the two leaders early on Day Two after Botha in her efforts to prove her speed to her rivals. Botha’s businessman lost precious time in Stage Two when a small fi nishing Day One in third place, Trott pushed his two rivals “never-say-die” attitude rewarded her with a much-deserved rock wedged itself between left rear wheels’ brake and rim in each stage on Day Two. His constant pressure on the fi nish in this demanding event. to jam the wheel and damage the driveshaft. The crew was leader saw Trott slot into second place when this leader went Botha said: “It was not the best of starts, with forced to stop between stages to affect repairs and change off the road in Stage Nine in the Longmore Forest, and he our fi rst day nearly a write-off. We thought we fi xed the wheels in order for their Team Total Toyota Auris S2000 to consolidated his second place in the afternoon’s speed tests. problems with the misfi re at the end of Day One, but it was continue in the event. As the stages were ticked off, Moosa “Second in Class here is a great result for Team back and even worse on Day Two. We never managed to settled into a competitive rhythm to set progressively quicker Total, and we have scored well for our Championship enjoy a trouble-free stage at this event, but our aim for the stage times. ambitions,” explained Trott. “We now have a cushion over Volkswagen Rally was to reach the fi nish and this we did On Day Two’s stages, Moosa’s stage times moved our rivals going into the second half of the season, and the well. It is a relief for us after a tough rally.” closer and closer to the top ten runners’ pace as he Championship is the most important matter for us. We kept Team Total would like to thank the marshals, attempted to recover the lost time from Day One. our rivals in sight throughout the stages and we kept the offi cials and volunteers that endured the rain, cold and “We pushed hard today and maintained a steady pressure on them.” muddy conditions to make their event run effi ciently. pace in these trying conditions,” commented Moosa. “We Daughter and father pairing of Stefanie Botha and Team Total will next contest the Rally South Africa battled with a demisting problem on our windscreen, but we Willem Hugo relished the chance to shine in the gloomy on 16 – 18 August, a new event added to the calendar for worked around it and managed to push on despite this in the weather conditions, and their Team Total Toyota RunX S1600 2012 based in and around Durban, KwaZulu-Natal. slippery stages. This rally is one we will look back on as a proved a worthy adversary against its much newer and For more information on this event and on Team test of character.” more powerful rivals in Class S1600. However, a mysterious Total, please visit http://www.total.co.za, on Facebook at Also contesting for handfuls of seconds for the Class misfi re developed on Stage Two of the event and the pair’s http://wwwfacebook.com/TotalSouthAfrica and on Twitter at S1600 and Two Wheel Drive Championship category honours overall speed was compromised for the rest of Day One.