HANDBRAKES &HAIRPINS 318

YOUR insight “into the world of RALLY!”

ISSUE 318/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/ WorldRX in Portugal review 09/ MERC review E-mail us/ [email protected] 11/ RA Oregon Trail Rally review Call us/ +27 83 452 6892 14/ BRC RBF Rally review Surf us/ http://wp.me/pkXc 18/ WRC preview All content copyrighted property of HANDBRAKES & HAIRPINS, 19/ Silver Fern 2007-13. This publication is fully protected by copyright and nothing 20/ Closing Shot 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. #OPENINGSHOT The opening round of the FIA World Championship saw steal the show in his PSRX DS3 Supercar. Welcome back to the podium, Hollywood! Picture: WorldRX

04 H&H • #THEHOLLYWOODREPORT Norway’s Petter Solberg won the opening round of the inaugural FIA World Rallycross Championship presented by Monster Energy at the World RX of Portugal fi nal at the wheel of his PSRX DS3 Supercar. It was a double podium for Ford Olsbergs MSE in the Team Championship with team-mates and Reinis Nitiss fi nishing second and third respectively. Words: H&H / Pictures: WorldRX

05 H&H • 06 H&H •• The event was sold out as glorious sunshine greeted fans fantastic to fi nally get this win. It’s like winning my fi rst ever Lydden.” and World RX drivers at the Montalegre circuit, located just rally again and I’m sure even my mum and dad are proud of Russia’s Sergej Zagumennov took the Super1600 fi ve miles from the Spanish border. Two heats were held me! I have to thank my wife (Pernilla) too and I have some of victory and summarised his victory in one sentence: “I always on Saturday for the Supercar, Super1600, TouringCar and the best mechanics, they are fantastic. Finally, I also want to have the pedal fl at down and that’s how Russians like to supporting RX Lites cars, which was followed by two further thank IMG – they do an incredible job. I’ve never seen anyone drive!” Second place was awarded to Nikita Misiulia, with Janis heats plus the semi-fi nals and fi nals on Sunday. promote a sport as well as they have done with rallycross. It’s Baumanis taking the third step of the podium. Saturday’s heats were dominated by Team - amazing.” In the TouringCar category, Norway’s Torleif Lona took Hansen driver , but Sunday it was Solberg Bakkerud joined Solberg on the podium making it a the win in his Ford Fiesta followed by his fellow countryman who stole the limelight by winning both his heats plus the one-two for Norway. Elsewhere, former F1 World Champion Kjetil Larsen in the Skoda Fabia. Anders Braten was third in a semi-fi nals and the all-important fi nal. was unable to make the semi-fi nals after Ford Fiesta. “I am overwhelmed, today is like a dream,” explained a fuel pressure problem and puncture hindered his progress. The fi rst ever RX Lites Cup, a support category of an emotional Solberg who was joined in the six-car fi nal The French-Canadian concluded: “This weekend has been World RX, was won by Sebastien Eriksson with alongside Bakkerud, Nitiss, Belgian driver Koen Pauwels, and like an appetiser and even though it hasn’t gone to plan, I’ve in third. Swedish Touring Car Champion Richard Goransson Volkswagen Marklund’s Topi Heikkinen and . learned a lot. I’m very happy with the team claimed the fi nal podium spot. “I have been fi ghting for a victory for a long time so it is and now we have more time to prepare for the next round at

07 H&H ••• Driver Points after Round One: Team Points after Round One: 01) Petter Solberg - 29 points 01) Ford Olsbergs MSE - 44 points 02) Reinis Nitiss - 24 points 02) Volkswagen Marklund - 39 points 03) Toomas ‘Topi’ Heikkinen - 21 points 03) PSRX - 38 points 04) Andreas Bakkerud - 20 points 04) Team Peugeot-Hansen - 33 points 05) Timur Timerzyanov - 19 points 05) Albatec Racing - 5 points 06) Anton Marklund - 18 points 06) Monster Energy World RX Team - 0 points =07) Koen Pauwels -14 points =07) - 14 points 09) Alex Hvaal - 9 points =10) - 8 points =10) Ramona Karlsson - 8 points

08 H&H •••• #ALATTIYAHTAKESGOLD Qatar’s Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah and Italian co-driver Giovanni Bernacchini stormed to an emphatic victory in the 2014 Jordan Rally, Round Three of the FIA Middle East Rally Championship (MERC), which fi nished at the Dead Sea after 21 timed special stages this past weekend. Words: H&H / Pictures: MERC

10 H&H • The success was Al-Attiyah’s eighth in Jordan and his 53rd in MERC history. “We had a strategy and it worked,” said the delighted Qatari, who now has a 24-point lead in this year’s title race with three rounds remaining later in the year. “The fi rst couple of stages included some sections that had been used already and I was a little cautious because of the varying degree of grip, but I got into my rhythm after that. This is another tremendous win for our team. It is developing into a superb season now. I just need to keep the momentum going.” Bernacchini’s fourth Jordan Rally success marked his 24th regional rally victory and he duly equals Chris Patterson’s record as the joint second most successive co-driver of all time in the MERC behind Irishman Ronan Morgan. Abu Dhabi Racing’s Sheikh Khalid Al-Qassimi/ Chris Patterson won four special stages in total and fi nished behind the fl ying Qatari. A rally-long battle between Abdullah Al-Qassimi and Marouf Abu Samra thrilled the fans. A one- minute time penalty for Al-Qassimi swung the pendulum in Abu Samra’s favour and the pair traded times, and third and fourth places, all rally. But Al-Qassimi hit back and snatched the fi nal podium place on the at the fi nish. Kuwaiti driver Salah bin Eidan was a close fi fth in his . The Jordanian duo of Husam Salem/Nancy Al-Majali dominated the competitive Group N category in their Mitsubishi Lancer EVO VIII and reached the fi nish in a superb sixth overall. Ala’a Rasheed slotted into seventh place in a Ford Fiesta RRC and Ala’ Khalifeh claimed eighth overall. Abu Dhabi’s Mohamed Al-Mutawee and Stephen McAuley led the Junior and 2WD categories from start to fi nish in the fi rst of fi ve DS3 R3s, fi nishing ninth overall and 23 minutes ahead of rivals Saeed Bintowq/Allan Harryman to seal their third successive victory in the Abu Dhabi Racing-Citroën Middle East Trophy. Kuwaiti Group N driver Meshari Al-Thafi ri rounded off the top ten and continues to lead the championship’s showroom category.

Final Overall Classifi cation: 01) N. Saleh Al-Attiyah/G. Bernacchini Ford Fiesta RRC – 03h 00m 53.2s 02) K. Al-Qassimi/C. Patterson Citroën DS3 RRC + 02m 02.2s 03) A. Al-Qassimi/C. Derousseaux Ford Fiesta RRC + 14m 33.5s 04) M. Abu Samra/N. Fanous Skoda Fabia S2000 15m 10.7s 05) S. Bin Eidan/A. Gelsomino Ford Fiesta R5 + 17m 26.7s 06) H. Salem/N. Al-Majali Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VIII + 26m 22.0s 07) A. Rasheed/J. Matar Ford Fiesta RRC + 27m 33.3s 08) A. Khalifeh/A. Al-Hmoud Ford Fiesta R5 + 28m 49.3s 09) M. Al-Mutawaa/S. McAuley Citroën DS3 R3 + 32m 07.2s 10) M. Al-Thefi ri/E. Juma Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X + 42m 09.3s 11 H&H •• #HIGGINSPOWERSTOFIRST Rally Team USA’s David Higgins and Craig Drew dramatically won the Oregon Trail Rally by overtaking team-mates Travis Pastrana and Chrissie Beavis on the event’s penultimate stage. The Oregon Trail Rally is the third round of the Rally America National Championship held in Portland and Hood River, Oregon. Words: H&H / Pictures: Rally America

11 H&H • Action sports icon Travis Pastrana immediately built a lead at had some fortune to get the lead, but Higgins chipped away at at Oregon. We made up two seconds per mile on the fi nal fi ve- Day One’s Portland International Raceway stages and held it. We learned so much here and we are a lot closer than we mile stage to close the 7-second gap to Dillon.” it through Day Two despite Higgins winning all but a single were the fi rst race. I can’t wait for the next round.” Super Production points leaders Nick Roberts and stage. Chicane barrier penalties played a large part in keeping FY Racing’s Adam Yeoman/Jordan Schulze fi nished Rhianon Gelsomino suffered a catastrophic car fi re on SS8. Higgins from overtaking Pastrana, and Higgins began the fi nal third overall for their third career podium and their second Fortunately, the drivers were treated by medical personnel day trailing by 39 seconds... podium this year. and released. The retirement will ultimately knock them out Higgins fi ercely drove to reduce Pastrana’s lead, The Super Production battle came down to the very of fi rst place in the standings. however it was Pastrana’s two fl at tyres on SS17 that sealed last stage with David Sterckx/Karen Jankowski beating Dillon The Oregon Trail Rally delivered another exciting his fate to drop him instantly into second place overall. Higgins Van Way/Andrew Edwards by just 7.4 seconds. Van Way and battle in the Two-Wheel Drive (2WD) category with Ramana then cruised to his sixth career Oregon Trail Rally victory and Sterckx traded the Class lead multiple times throughout the Lagemann/Nathalie Richard securing their fi rst win competing his fourth consecutive Oregon Trail Rally win. event, but it was Sterckx’s lunge on the last stage that gave together. Lagemann stepped away from rally racing in 2012 “I just wish Pastrana didn’t get his puncture so we him his fi rst victory this season. Van Way fi nished second to and decided to run at this year’s Oregon Trail in a 1995 BMW can see the real times,” said Higgins. “It would have been land his fi fth successive podium, and Lauchlin O’Sullivan/Scott M3. He immediately built a lead from the very beginning, close, at least we could afford to cut back on the last stage Putnam hung on to fi nish third in Class. but Ford Fiesta ST drivers Andrew Comrie-Picard and Jeremy because we had nothing left. It was so slick out there with “We had dust issues and chicane penalties early in Wimpey kept the pressure on Lageman to fi nish in second the rain coming down. It was an awesome battle, fantastic for the rally,” said Sterckx. “But we decided to push harder for the place just 31.5 seconds behind. Subaru to sweep the podium.” win; there was no other option. We won the last four stages, “It always feels good to come back ,” exclaimed Pastrana added: “It was such an awesome rally. We and we went faster in the rain than we did in the dry last year Lagemann. “This was a completely new car, experience and co-

12 H&H •• driver for me. We came here to have fun, but we didn’t know Final Overall Classifi cation: if we had the capability to win. This is totally unexpected.” 01) D. Higgins/C. Drew Subaru WRX STI - 01hg 44m 52.8s Comrie-Picard’s second place fi nish will grab the 2WD 02) T. Pastrana/C. Beavis standings lead from Scion Racing’s Matthew Johnson. The Subaru WRX STI + 03m 37.4s Scion driver hoped to add to his 2WD points lead at Oregon, 03) A. Yeoman/J. Schulze but Johnson experienced gearbox problems throughout the Subaru WRX STI - 07m 01.7s event and eventually retired from an engine failure. Honda 04) D. Sterckx/K. Jankowski Performance Development’s James Robinson and Josh Subaru STI + 07m 57.3s Kramer took third in the 2WD Class in their 2009 Honda Fit. 05) D. Van Way/A. Edwards Subaru WRX STI + 08m 04.7s Robinson and Kramer also won B-SPEC to continue his class 06) G. Plsek/S. Quin dominance. Mitsubishi Evo IX + 11m 04.3s Higgins’ overall win extends Subaru’s fi rst place 07) L. O’Sullivan/S. Putnam position in Rally America’s Manufacturers’ Championship and Subaru WRX-STI + 12m 16.5s David Sterckx added to Subaru’s points lead in the Super 08) R. Lagemann/N. Richard Production manufacturers’ standings. Andrew Comrie-Picard’s BMW M3 + 12m 42.3s podium fi nish breaks the 2WD manufacturers’ fi rst place tie 09) A. Comrie-Picard/O. Holter Ford Fiesta ST + 13m 13.8s with Scion, and Honda adds more points to their B-SPEC 10) M. Moran/A. Von Denes lead. + 20m 33.8s

13 H&H ••• #PRYNCEPOUNCESINBRCOPENER Welsh duo Osian Pryce and Dale Furniss had a perfect start to their 2014 MSA British Rally Championship season after ten stages of the Pirelli Carlisle RB Foundation Rally, winning by 46 seconds and making it four BRC wins on the trot. Words: H&H / Pictures: Jakob Ebrey Photography/Pirelli/BRC Media

14 H&H • 15 H&H •• Pryce/Furniss continued their momentum from last fi nal stage suspension problem, the Irishmen were happy with rock which landed right in Cathcart’s eyeline. season to dominate the event and lead the BRC’s new Gravel their performance. Ireland was very well represented on both BRC1 and Cup and Citroën Racing Trophy, although Pirelli Star Driver Just reward for Callum Black’s fi ne performance was BRC2 podiums too, with Dean Raftery and Aileen Kelly taking Daniel McKenna kept them just in sight on his fi rst gravel rally cruelly denied when he and James Morgan slid off on the fi nal the top BRC RallyTwo and leading the Ford Fiesta SportTrophy. of his prize drive season, Arthur Kierans keeping him on the test, allowing David Carney and Ray Fitzpatrick to sneak onto But it wasn’t all plain sailing for the pair who also managed straight and narrow throughout. the all-Citroën DS3 podium. fourth overall on the event. A puncture, bent rear beam and “Very happy, everything went to plan,” said Pryce. Making it two Irish crews for the top three, Carney was stones in the rear brakes were not enough to keep them “We came here to win, but it’s my fi fth time on the Pirelli pleased to move up but admitted that he felt sorry for Black from the Champagne though. Raftery’s haul of points didn’t and probably the fi rst time I’ve had any luck on it, so it’s and thus highlighting the camaraderie in the championship. stop there: top spot in the RAVENOL Oils Newcomers’ Trophy very long overdue. They were just great stages, probably the He complimented the strength of the DS3, learning the car added to his accolades at the start of this six-rally season. smoothest Pirelli Rally I’ve done and we quickly realised that as the event progressed and benefi tting from staying out of Garry Pearson/Dave Robson had set the pace in the at 90 percent we could still beat Daniel [McKenna], so that’s trouble. Class, but an impact sheared the bolts on their power steering what we did. We haven’t taken any risks at all.” Timothy Cathcart/Dai Roberts seemed only to have pump, with subsequent belt failure leaving them with a fl at McKenna did manage to spoil Pryce’s potential perfect bad luck and while they did fi nish sixth of the BRC runners, battery and out of the rally. New to the BRC is Calvin Beattie ten though, fastest on Saturday’s fi nal stage, but even he it could have been much better. Suffering a puncture early (from Northern Ireland), and he put in a great performance to admits it may have been as a result of the Welshman easing on, they changed it quickly, but caught a car when re-joining take second in the BRC2 Class with Emmet Sherry guiding the off a little. Nevertheless, the striking livery of the Pirelli- the track. Sporting a smashed windscreen at Saturday’s fi nal 19-year-old to an untroubled fi rst fi nish in the championship. backed car was certainly impressive at speed and despite a service, it was clear that the car ahead had spat out a large The newcomers beat BRC Challenge graduates Aaron

16 H&H ••• McClure/Elliott Edmondson in a similar Fiesta, although the Co-driver turned driver Kim Baker was over the moon with her Final Overall Classifi cations: Cumbrian will probably want to forget the rally. A broken clutch second place in the Class, splitting two Fiestas and taking fi rst 01) O. Pryce/D. Furniss Citroën DS3 R3T - 01h 25m 26.4s before the start was followed by a puncture on each day of the blood in the Twingo Renaultsport Trophy UK. After thirteen 02) D. McKenna/A. Kierans competition, hampering the Next Big Step supported driver’s years in the co-driver’s seat, the transition to the hot seat was Citroën DS3 R3 + 46.0s progress and leaving him third in the Class. seamless, learning the car on Saturday and having some fun 03) D. Carney/R. Fitzpatrick BRC3 was entirely populated by newcomers to the on Sunday’s four damp stages. Citroën DS3 R3T + 05m 36.2s championship and was won in some style by the BRC’s second Rounding off the top three in BRC3 were Jonathan 04) D. Rafferty/A. Kelly youngest driver in its 58-year history. ’s past Jones/Jez Rogers, another crew with puncture and driveshaft Ford Fiesta R2 + 06m 24.6s karting expertise helped, but he and Carl Williamson had to gel problems and another learning not just the car, but making 05) C. Beattie/E. Sherry Ford Fiesta R2 + 09m 22.2s as a team - something new for the youngster to absorb along pacenotes and the whole BRC experience. A job well done. 06) J. Ford/M. Gilbey with his fi rst ever gravel rally. They didn’t have a completely The next round of the BRC takes place on 30 - 31 Citroën DS3 R3T + 09m 34.1s trouble-free day en route to taking top British Junior Rally May for the Jim Clark Rally. 07) T. Cathcart/D. Roberts Championship points though, limping back to the fi nish with a Citroën DS3 R3T + 10m 25.3s broken driveshaft. 08) A. McClure/E. Edmondson Ford Fiesta R2 + 11m 35.5s 09) G. Greensmith/C. Williamson Ford Fiesta R1 + 16m 25.9s 10) K. Baker/P. Heath Renault Twingo RS R1 + 21m 28.6s

17 H&H •••• #ROUGHANDROCKY Rally Argentina is one of the most comprehensive tests on the (WRC) calendar. During the three days of competition, the WRC drivers have to deal with some very specifi c conditions. Words: H&H / Picture: McKlein.de

Compact, fl owing gravel roads on Day One are followed by more technical stages on the sandy roads of the Santa Rosa de Calamuchita region on Day Two and fi nally, competitors tackle the narrow, rocky roads in the mountains of Traslasierra on Day Three. As one of the key rounds in the WRC, the rally with one of the highest number of spectators on the calendar make for a fantastic celebration of rally action. With passes through the Sierras Chicas, Valle de Calamuchita and Valle de Traslasierra, the gravel route offers a wealth of variation: narrow mountain tracks contrasting with open plains and dramatic moonlike vistas. Incorporating some of the longest stages of the year, a good tempo for each variation is paramount. With no more than four traditional stages per day, those intent on victory can’t risk easing into a comfortable rhythm and that is sure to separate the men from the boys. Crews also need to be 100 percent confi dent behind the wheel: content in the knowledge that their car is set-up to deliver optimum performance over each aspect of the stages’ diverse character. The M-Sport World Rally Team has a strong track record on these stages, and with another line-up dominating the entry list with Blue Oval machines, it will be diffi cult for competitors to keep off the top step. ’s Sebastien Ogier and Jari-Matti Latvala will surely be fi ghting for the podium too, but will and in their Hyundai Shell World Rally Team i20 WRCs be a threat to these teams? Citroën’s facgtory pilots will have their work cut out for them, but the eight-times manufacturers champions are renowned for their hard-work... It will be a thrilling event!

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#CLOSINGSHOT This weekend sees the WRC circus take to the Rally Argentina stages for rough, rocky and magical stages. Will Volkswagen Motorsport’s wünderkind Sebastien Ogier be able to claim another win in 2014? Or, will it be the turn of M-Sport’s Mikko Hirvonen on this rally? Picture: Volkswagen Motorsport

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