HHandbrakesandbrakes airpins HHairpins g he world of rallyin & yyourour insightinsight intointo thet world of rallying IIssuessue 205205 • 1818 OctoberOctober 20112011 hhttp://wp.me/pkXcttp://wp.me/pkXc SSordo,ordo, OOgiergier oorr LLoeboeb fforor SSpain?pain? SStarttart RampRamp Sordo contemplates Spanish rally SServiceervice ParkPark Hirvonen versus the French PParcarc FermeFerme Ford, Fourie win in Bloemfontein ““II wwillill ddoo SSpainpain wwithith CCitroënitroën bbutut oonlynly SSpain,pain, GGBB wwee wwillill ddoo wwithith FFord.ord. MMyy ssponsorponsor wwantedanted ttoo ttryry a CCitroënitroën aandnd iit’st’s a ggoodood oopportunitypportunity ttoo ttryry a ddifferentifferent ccar”ar” - EEvygenyvygeny NNovikovovikov The world’s only free dedicated rally eMagazine - every week! Contents IIssuessue 205205 • 1818 OctoberOctober 20112011 0044 STARTSTART RAMPRAMP 04 Start Ramp - News Shorts EEDITORIALDITORIAL INFORMATIONINFORMATION Editor Evan Rothman 0066 SERVICESERVICE PARKPARK 06 Hirvonen versus the French 08 All to play for at season fi nale 09 Cave impresses in Lancer WRC 10 Molly delighted with Scottish pace Photojournalist Eva Kovkova 11 Pirelli Drivers UK in shoot-out 11 More live WRC coverage in 2012 1122 PARCPARC FERMEFERME 12 SANORRC Human Auto 400 review Contributors Liga Stirna, Patrick Vermaak, 16 SARC MTN Polokwane Rally preview RallyBuzz, Motorpics, Newspress. 18 WRC Rally Spain preview All content copyrighted property of HANDBRAKES & HAIRPINS, 2007-11. 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. 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. Sparco WTX J-5I Helmet Two outer shell sizes • Fibreglass shell • Snell - SA2010/FIA 8858 – 2010 approved • Fitted with intercom and anti-noise earphones • Adjustable microphone boom • Removable washable lining Now in stock Telephone +27 11 6708400 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.ats-motorsport.co.za Team News Event News Start Ramp Videos Breaking News him and his staff of engineers which during the course of the season. North Sordo machine best suits his style of driving. of the border, after a season-long battle, His comments after the Spanish rally will it was Liam Harkness who triumphed on contemplates intently listened to both all in Service the fi nal round, the Colin McRae Stages Park no doubt. H&H rally. Spanish rally Therefore, Cave will be joined by Craig Parry and Harkness by Tony Words: Evan Rothman Marchbank as they head for one of the key rallies of the WRC season. With successive podium results in IRC fans, place Following the engine failure and Germany and France, MINI WRC subsequent retirement of championship Team’s Dani Sordo is walking leader Sebastien Loeb in France, Loeb proudly at Prodrive. The Spaniard your bets now and Ford’s Mikko Hirvonen are now aims to record a third podium in his Words: IRC Media tied for the series lead, with Loeb’s selected World Rally Championship team-mate Sebastien Ogier a mere campaign on his home event in Six drivers can win the three points adrift. The title is now a Spain on 20 - 23 October. Intercontinental Rally Challenge three-way fi ght between the two Citroen Sordo was close to claiming title when the all-action series drivers and Hirvonen and while it cannot MINIs fi rst win in the WRC Rallye resumes on the Cyprus Rally next be won in Spain, it could certainly be de France last month, but keeps his month. lost there. enthusiasm in check: “For Spain it will Bryan Bouffi er, Juho Hänninen, Spain itself is widely regarded be good. We tried to fi nish in the top Jan Kopecký, Freddy Loix, Andreas as one of the most exciting rounds, fi ve in Germany and we fi nished third. Mikkelsen and Thierry Neuville are both when it comes to the level of We will try of course to win in Spain, but still in contention for the prestigious competition and the overall atmosphere. have to say ‘slow down’ because we saw accolade following the penultimate event The Spanish rally fans are incredibly in France how close it can be. For sure of the season in Scotland last weekend. passionate and the party feeling in we can take advantage on the gravel After 11 rounds, Skoda Salou means fans from around Europe during the fi rst day because the road Motorsport driver Kopecký heads the make the pilgrimage for the season’s will be cleaning for me, but we have to standings with 131 points, six ahead last tarmac event. see.” of team-mate Hänninen. Team Peugeot The winners will get to see The factory MINI John Belgium-Luxembourg’s Neuville is third some of the best action, thanks to Cooper Works WRC driver is realistic on 115 with Skoda UK’s Mikkelsen, the their Vital Equipment guide, whose in his predictions for his next rally, winner in Scotland, fourth on 111.5 experience of providing the WRC control understanding that his raly weapon is points. Bouffi er, who represents Peugeot fuel will give unrivalled opportunities. still largely under development. France, is fi fth with 110.5 with BFO- They will also get the chance to see “We need to do some better Skoda Rally Team driver Loix, the only the Peter Solberg World Rally Team in things in the engine and the gearbox, one of the title contenders who did not action, as they join the crew for lunch but the chassis is fantastic for the compete in Scotland, sixth with 103 during the event. confi dence for going maximum attack on points. Commenting, Vital Equipment the stages,” he said. “In the corners the With double points on offer MD Alistair Roberts said: “We have seen feeling of the driving is very good.” H&H in Cyprus and drivers allowed to count an incredible level of competition in the their best seven scores only, the title Junior categories of both the BTRDA and race will be wide open when IRC season the SRC this season and it came down number fi ve concludes in Cyprus from 3 to the penultimate round of the BTRDA - 5 November. H&H and the fi nal round of the SRC before As predicted, we knew who would be joining us in Spain. Novikov moves “Now that has been confi rmed, Words: Evan Rothman I am delighted that Tom, Craig, Liam BTRDA and SRC and Tony will be our guests in Salou at Russian rally ace Evgeny Novikov the end of the month. The rally itself will has confi rmed he will contest a be a very tough fi ght - historically, the Citroën DS3 WRC in the WRC Rally winners in WRC Citroens tend to be stronger on asphalt Spain, moving away from his Ford Words: Staff Writer and the Fords on gravel, so it should be Fiesta RS WRC. a fantastic event to set the scene for M-Sport chief Malcolm Wilson is The winners of the Junior Driver the fi nale. I am obviously very pleased unperturbed by Novikov’s switch, as the category in both the BTRDA and that competitors kindly generated this youngster will contest the fi nal round of Scottish Rally Championship series amount of drama for the fi rst Vital the World Rally Championship in Wales, are eagerly anticipating an early Equipment Run to the Sun prize...” H&H United Kingdom in his Ford Fiesta RS morning fl ight to Salou, thanks to WRC. Vital Equipment, the company that Why the change, then? Novikov provides high-performance Carless answers: “I will do Spain with Citroen Racing Fuel to each series. Vital but only Spain, GB we will do with Ford. Equipment launched its Run to the My sponsor wanted to try a Citroen and Sun competition earlier this year, it’s a good opportunity to try a different to offer the winning driver and car. It’s very interesting for me to try their co-driver a four-day trip to the this car, to compare. It’s very good.” penultimate round of the 2011 FIA Novikov has previouslt piloted World Rally Championship and with the French marque’s rally machines, it, a chance to spend time with 2003 most recently in a Citroën CR4 WRC WRC champion, Petter Solberg. for the 2009 WRC season. His switch In the BTRDA series, it was from Ford to Citroën will mean that the Tom Cave, the 19-year-old from Russian will be the only WRC driver to Aberdovey that topped the tables, along compete in the two different rally cars. with a convincing win in the Production This back-to-back test will reveal to Cup, thanks to four class victories click>> read >> enjoy your insight into the world of rallying http://handbrakeshairpins.wordpress.com Interviews Profi les Service Park Features Technical Hirvonen versus the French Words: Evan Rothman Hirvonen is unsurprisingly keeping cool under Pictures: WorldRallyPics; Citroën Racing the mounting pressure from his Citroën Total World Rally Team rivals. With the honour of not Mikko Hirvonen leads the World Rally only his name but also that of Finland’s rallying Championship’s Drivers’ Standings with a hopes, M-Sport’s pride and Ford’s interest in the fi ve-point advantage.