Rally

Travis Pastrana was handed his fourth win of the season at the New England Forest Rally Saturday by his teammate, to extend his lead in the Rally America national championship.

Subaru Rally Team USA's Pastrana entered Round 6 with a 21-point lead and said his strategy from the start was to avoid taking unnecessary risks and get his car to the finish in one piece.

The roads on this event are generally wide and fast, but strewn with massive rocks that can do big damage to competition cars.

"It's hard to know you've got that little more speed in reserve and not use it, but it's that little more that can get you," he said. "We weren't the fastest here this weekend, but I'll take the win however I can get it."

Finishing in one piece was essential because they have a short turn-around before heading across the country to compete in the X-Games.

Pastrana’s Subaru Rally Team USA teammate Ken Block set a blistering pace at the start, but spun early Saturday afternoon, losing more than 20 seconds.

Then Block had a tire puncture which prevented him from making up for lost time in the final stages of the day. So a frustrated Block had to settle for second-place overall.

"It's extremely frustrating," said Block at the finish. "I put myself in the right position to win, and it didn't work out for us."

Despite the disappointing result, Block moves into second place in the Rally America National Championship, behind teammate Pastrana.

Canadian Antoine L'Estage lost time to a power steering failure in his Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X.  This dropped him from out of the running for a win in the event but he managed to nurse the car to a third place finish.

"It's good to taste champagne again, but I really wanted to win," said L'Estage after the ceremonial champagne spray. "I thought this morning we had a shot at it."

L'Estage is developing a new Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X that was debuted by Tanner Foust earlier this season under a sharing deal.

They haven’t had much luck with the car so far, dealing with the problems that are typical with a new rally car. But he is confident that the car has potential and he's looking forward to the next round.

Bill Bacon finished in fourth place, and Art Gruszka rounded out the top five.

Roman Pakos took the Super Production class win in a Subaru STi, while John Conley and Keith Rudolph took the two-wheel drive win in their 2003 Dodge SRT-4.

Typically, attrition claimed a number of contenders including Subaru Rally Team USA's Dave Mirra, who dropped out with engine trouble on Saturday, while Andi Mancin retired after Day 1, apparently with engine issues as well.

The MaxAttack! two-wheel drive competition was furious this weekend, with more than two dozen drivers running in the class. Chris Duplessis and Catherine Woods set the fastest two-wheel drive times in their 1990 Volkswagen GTi during the weekend.

The most interesting entry was Lucy Block and Chrissie Beavis in a Volkswagen Golf. Block is married to Subaru Rally Team USA driver Ken Block and Chrissie Beavis is a regular championship co-driver for Tanner Foust and competes in California as a driver in the regional series.

The duo swapped driving and co-driving duties over the weekend.  This was Lucy’s first ever event as a competitor.

Two of the bigger names in the Rally America Championship were missing from The New England Forest Rally.  Open class drivers Andrew "ACP" Comrie-Picard and Tanner Foust have also opted to sit this event out while they prepare for the X-Games.

The X Games contest is the biggest event on the calendar for invited teams and cars are due on the other side of the continent in just over a week.

No Doubt Pastrana, Block and L’Estage didn’t miss them.

All results are considered informational pending official race processes.

O/A Car # Class I/C Driver
1 199 O 1 Travis Pastrana 2009 Subaru Impreza WRX STi
2 43 O 2 Ken Block 2009 Subaru Impreza WRX STi 
3 17 O 3 Antoine L'Estage 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X 
4 68 O 4 William Bacon 2006 Mitsubishi EVO IX
5 198 O 5 Arkadiusz Gruszka 2006 Mitsubishi EVO IX 
6 494 SP 1 Roman Pakos 2006 Subaru Impreza STI
7 19 SP 2 Timothy Penasack 2002 Subaru WRX
8 8 155 2WD 1 John Conley 2003 Dodge SRT-4

Quotes and Photo: Rally America

The World Rally Championship is set to be beamed into millions of American homes following a deal between the WRC's promoter, ISC, and the Discovery channel, according to wrc.com.

The WRC is set to be televised weekly from October on the Discovery Channel's HD Theater network and will include rally roundup shows from each round plus special news and features programmes.

ISC CEO, Simon Long, said:

This is tremendous news for the championship and our fans in the United States. It is a ground breaking deal which means the WRC has a high-profile broadcast presence in the United States via a hugely-respected, quality and innovative partner in Discovery Communication’s HD Theater.

We’re looking forward to the opportunity to take the WRC to an ever wider audience in the significant U.S. market, and working with HD Theater to bring more attention to what we firmly believe is an ‘epic motorsport adventure by the world’s greatest drivers.

President and general manager of HD Theater, Clark Bunting, said:

HD Theater has been a pioneer in high-definition programming and we are excited to introduce the FIA World Rally Championships to our American audience. This year we’ve seen the action go from the snow-covered roads of Norway to the hairpin turns climbing the Cordobese Sierras of Argentina, and the adrenaline-fuelled rally action will shine in high-definition.

Early in this year’s World Rally Championship, people weren’t asking if Sebastien Loeb would win the title again, but if he would win every event. 

With two thirds of the season to run, what was unimaginable earlier has happened.  Loeb has dropped from the points lead.

Sebastien Loeb started the season with five consecutive wins in dominant fashion but has suffered accidents in the last three, and has even failed to reach the podium in the last two.

Mikko Hirvonen has passed Loeb and now has a one-point lead in the World Rally Championship after clinching victory in the Rally Poland.

"This has been the best rally of the season so far," said 28-year-old Hirvonen. "The roads here are fast and narrow and the crowds provided a superb atmosphere.  It's the first time I have won two consecutive rallies and it has put me into the lead of the championship ahead of my home rally in Finland.  The weekend was perfect from start to finish. After Loeb's mistake on Friday, I thought I might have an easy drive but it wasn't to be. I had to drive flat out yesterday to stay ahead and it's a fantastic feeling to win after such a great fight.”

Hirvonen began the final leg 12 seconds up on his BP Ford Abu Dhabi teammate, Jari-Matti Latvala, but finished over a minute ahead, after his compatriot crashed out in the final stage, the short 2.5 kilometer Mikolajki super special.

"It was my mistake," admitted a distraught Latvala. "I wasn't driving too quickly but I turned into the bend too early and clipped an oil barrel which was full of sand. The impact broke the steering and I couldn't turn into the next bend and hit the barrier on the opposite side of the road. I've let down the team and damaged Ford's dream of winning the manufacturers' title this year."

A determined Latvala and co-driver Anttila tried to push the car to the finish of the stage and completed a whole lap before being forced to stop and retire. Latvala's late crash hurt the BP Ford Abu Dhabi Team, which had been on course for another 1-2 and a third maximum 18-point haul in succession.

Citroen Total World Rally Team’s Dani Sordo took advantage of Latvala’s mistake and finished second.

The Solberg brothers Henning and Petter ended the Rally Poland third and fourth respectively, both having gained not only from Latvala's exit, but also from the retirement of Sebastien Ogier. Ogier had been in front until he had engine problems in SS16.

Rounding out the top five was Stobart Ford driver Matthew Wilson, followed by local hero and Stobart Ford "guest driver" Krzysztof Holowczyc and then Sebastien Loeb.

Loeb re-started under the SuperRally rules on Saturday after crashing out in SS4. He clawed back with help, up to take two drivers' points and three manufacturers' points for Citroen. Citroen Junior Team men, Conrad Rautenbach and Evgeny Novikov both slowed to allow the Frenchman to pass. Rautenbach and Novikov came in eighth and ninth.

Hirvonen will now go to his home event in Finland at the end of next month, following the summer break, with a one point advantage over Sebastien Loeb in the drivers' standings.

Leading finishers:
Pos  Driver               Car           Time/Gap
 1.  Mikko Hirvonen       Ford        3h07m27.5s
 2.  Dani Sordo           Citroen     +  1m10.3s
 3.  Henning Solberg      Ford        +  2m05.7s
 4.  Petter Solberg       Citroen     +  2m24.3s
 5.  Matthew Wilson       Ford        +  4m17.5s
 6.  Krzysztof Holowczyc  Ford        +  4m33.9s
 7.  Sebastien Loeb       Citroen     + 19m15.1s
 8.  Conrad Rautenbach    Citroen     + 19m20.6s
 9.  Evgeny Novikov       Citroen     + 19m26.2s
10.  Michal Bebenek       Mitsubishi  + 23m08.7s

Quote & Photo: BP Ford Abu Dhabi

Mikko Hirvonen extended his overall lead in the Orlen Platinum 66th Rally Poland to 12 seconds, after the 13 timed special stages at the end of day two on Saturday afternoon.

“It has been fantastic, a proper fight for the lead, and I've enjoyed today so much,” said Hirvonen. “I struggled a little with being first through the stages, which I also didn't expect. The road surface was damp with hard mud on top after the rain and I was breaking up the surface to leave better grip for those behind.”

The BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team driver remains on course to snatch the FIA Drivers’ Championship advantage from Sébastien Loeb. 

Citroen Total WRT driver Sebastien Loeb crashed out on SS4.  He ripped a wheel off his C4 WRC 1.2km into the stage, after apparently hitting a tree stump. Both Loeb and co-driver Daniel Elena were OK according to a Citroen spokesman.  This marks the third straight rally in which Loeb has dropped out early.  This is in marked contrast to earlier in the season where he looked invincible.

BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team team-mate Jari-Matti Latvala maintained second place and Loeb’s teammate Dani Sordo played the tried to maintain pressure on the leading Fords with third overall.

Sébastien Ogier, Henning and Petter Solberg fought a frenzied battle for fourth, fifth and sixth places. Ogier maintained fourth position, but Petter passed his brother into fifth place on the final few kilometers of the 13th stage. Henning’s teammate, Matthew Wilson was secure in seventh position in his Stobart Ford Focus.

The final five special stages on Sunday promise to be a thrilling prospect, with Latvala needing to fend off Sordo’s challenge to give Ford two crucial extra points towards the FIA Manufacturers’ Championship.

Leaderboard after Day 2
1. M Hirvonen/J Lehtinen FIN Ford Focus RS 2hr 21min 45.8sec
2. J-M Latvala/M Anttila FIN Ford Focus RS 2hr 21min 57.8sec
3. D Sordo/M Marti ESP Citroen C4 2hr 22min 24.3sec
4. S Ogier/J Ingrassia FRA Citroen C4 2hr 23min 45.1sec
5. P Solberg/P Mills NOR Citroen Xsara 2hr 23min 52.5sec
6. H Solberg/C Menkerud NOR Ford Focus RS 2hr 23min 53.8sec
7. M Wilson/S Martin GBR Ford Focus RS 2hr 25min 33.8sec
8. K Holowczyc/L Kurzeja POL Ford Focus RS 2hr 25min 59.1sec
9. C Rautenbach/D Barritt ZIM Citroen C4 2hr 27min 11.7sec
10 M Østberg/ J Andersson NOR Subaru Impreza 2hr 28min 21.3sec

If many Rockies fans and baseball experts had their way, Todd Helton would have been shipped off a long time ago.

Less than a year ago, all anyone talked about was how overpaid the 35-year-old was and how he was simply just a shell of the player he once was.

It will be tough to find those same negative voices these days.

The failed Ford Sierra was replaced by a car with good looks and a radical rear wing that was driven by some of the greatest in the world.

After the 1991 World Rally Championship season, the Ford World Rally Team had had enough of its Sierra RS Cosworth Group A car which had countless mechanical problems and could not keep pace with its competitors. They opted to replace it with the all-new Escort RS Cosworth.

Dawning a shorter body and a rear wing similar to that on the late Sierra RS rally car, the Escort RS received praise for its ability to achieve speed and post quickest times. The 1994 season opener, the Rally Monte Carlo was to be the first show of the Escorts promise as Frenchman Francois Delecour took the car to its first victory. Rally greats such as Tommi Makinen, Juha Kankkunen, Ari Vatanen, Miki Biasion and Carlos Sainz were among those that drove the Escort and some to the eight victories the Escort RS had in Group A competition.

The 1997 World Rally Championship season brought about the introduction of the World Rally Car, a heavily modified new car that technically stood out from that of typical Group A cars. While Ford Europe was developing a WRC-spec car, the Escort RS and operations switched over to Malcolm Wilson's M-Sport, and under the team scored two more victories.

The Escort RS made its final appearance at the 1998 Rally Great Britain where two cars finished on the podium under the expert driving of rally greats Ari Vatanen and Juha Kankkunen. The Escort RS was replaced by the Focus WRC for the 1999 season.

Although not considered one of the great rally cars, it is considered by many as one of the best looking and showed extreme promise had it not been for mechanical shortfall. Nonetheless, with eight victories, the Escort RS was a strong car and played a significant role in the mid-1990s rally world.

The Escort RS continues to be used in regional series around the world to this day.

Mikko Hirvonen drove an almost flawless rally and cruised to an easy victory by over a minute in the World Rally Championship Acropolis Rally. 

In doing so, he closed the gap on championship leader Sebastien Loeb.

Hirvonen explained his strategy on taking his first victory of the year.

“I drove a clever rally and my plan worked perfectly, with no mistakes and no punctures. I knew that if we finished the rally without problems then we would be high in the order and that was the case. The key to success was to stay on the road and be cautious rather than drive flat out all the way.”

Capping a great event for the BP Ford Abu Dhabi team was Jari-Matti Latvala’s third place to put the team firmly back in the running for the manufacturers’ title.

Loeb’s challenge came to a halt on Saturday morning as he crashed out of the rally. The team’s challenge was further damaged as Dani Sordo was also hit by problems on day two.

The Citroen Junior team’s young drivers salvaged the French manufacturer’s honor by posting some excellent times over the weekend.  Sebastien Ogier took his first ever WRC podium as he placed second with teammate Conrad Rautenbach a little farther back in fifth.

Benoit Nogier, Manager of the Citroën Junior Team, was obviously pleased with his driver’s results.

“This made result of the good to all the team. We have come through a difficult start to the season, but the team progressed and the success is perhaps from now on our side. It is the first time that a non-works C4 WRC has finished on the podium in a WRC event. Seeing all three cars safely home is also very satisfying.”

Munchi’s Ford driver Federico Villagra equaled his best ever WRC result with fourth place.

Final Leaderboard

1. Hirvonen/Lehtinen Ford Focus 4h09’42’’5
2. Ogier/Ingrassia Citroën C4 +1’12’’9
3. Latvala/Antilla Ford Focus +1’45’’0
4. Villagra/Diaz Ford Focus + 3’48’’3
5. Rautenbach/Barritt Citroën C4 +3’59’’8
6. Al Qassimi/Orr Ford Focus +7’04’’3
7. Ostberg/Andersson Subaru Impreza +12’24’’9
8. Athanassoulas/Zakheos Skoda Fabia +12’47’’6
9. Al Attiyah/Bernacchini Subaru Impreza +13’09’’9
10. Araujo/Ramalho Mitsubishi Lancer +15’04’’5
11. Arai/Mac Neall Subaru Impreza +16’02’’5
12. Sordo / Marti Citroën C4 +18’41’’0

FIA WRC Manufacturer Standings

1. Citroen Total WRT - 94
2. BP Ford Abu Dhabi WRT - 79
3. Stobart VK M-Sport Ford - 49
4. Citroen Junior Rally Team - 24
5. Munchi’s Ford WRT – 18

FIA WRC Driver Standings

1. S Loeb - 55
2. M Hirvonen - 48
3. D Sordo - 31
4. J-M Latvala - 25
5. H Solberg - 21
6. P Solberg - 20
7. M Wilson - 15
8. Federico Villagra – 14

Photo: ©willyweyens-rallyworld

Day Two of the WRC Acropolis Rally 2009 saw dramatic exits and Mikko Hirvonen putting in a mistake-free performance to take a sizable lead into the final day with teammate Jari-Matti Latvala lying in third place overall.

“It was an incredible, but perfect, day for me," said Hirvonen. "I made no mistakes and drove fast enough to lead and cautiously enough not to damage the car.

"My lead is good, but I must remember that this is Greece, conditions are rough, and to take it steady tomorrow," he continued.

"I looked after my tires and didn't hit any rocks. I'm surprised so many people made mistakes, but it shows things go wrong under pressure, especially on technical stages like these.

"I never drove at maximum speed, it was a controlled drive and that paid off.

"Tomorrow's roads are easier than today but there will still be a lot of rocks to avoid. It's good to have such a strong lead because that gives me the time to drive around the rocks, and if I lose a few seconds here and there it doesn’t matter.”

Citroen suffered their worst day of the year, and the BP Ford Abu Dhabi was quick to take advantage. The seemingly indestructible Sebastien Loeb crashed out on the first stage, and teammate Dani Sordo hit a rock, which ended his day on SS9. 

This marks consecutive rallies where the five-time World Rally Champion will miss out on the podium after notching five straight wins to start the season.

Loeb was fairly calm after rolling his Citroen over half a dozen times. 

“We were on a very fast part of the stage, on a plateau," Loeb said. "There was a right-hand corner, that I perhaps took a little too quickly. I was off-line for the left-hander that followed and I hit a big rock at the apex.

"The front wheel was ripped off and it sent us into a series of barrel rolls. The car is too badly damaged for the team to repair it in time for the final day. In any case, the C4 WRC showed how tough a car it is because we don’t have a single scratch on us after a pretty dramatic crash.

"Clearly, it’s not a good result in terms of the championships because it will cost us a large portion of our points advantage. But whatever happens, we’ll still be in the lead tomorrow evening, and that’s the main thing.”

With the two senior drivers out of contention the Citroen Junior Team drivers Sebastien Ogier, Evgeny Novikov, and Conrad Rautenbach have defended the French team’s honor in the typically tough conditions of the Acropolis Rally. 

They enter the final day in second, fourth, and fifth place respectively.

Petter Solberg looked set to grab another podium finish, but his Xsara suffered a suspension failure on SS11, which cost him valuable time and dropped him out of the top-10.

"I was attacking. We hit a rock and destroyed the left front top mount," said the privateer owner/driver, Solberg. "The bumper popped out of the bonnet. We tried to fix it before the stage start and it worked for a little bit and then it broke again. Very were very unlucky.

“It’s not giving up—it’s just that there’s too much damage. The sump guard was hitting the ground for a long time and that’s bent a shaft inside the gearbox and damaged a chassis leg.

"We might have been able to repair it, but I have only one car. If we carry on tomorrow we might get seventh or eighth, but we might not be able to start Poland. 

"It has been a good rally, and I must say the car worked very well. On Shakedown I was disappointed—I couldn’t get within two seconds of anybody—but on the rally it was different.

"I was thinking about changing cars later in the year, but I’ve got more faith in this one now.”

Munchi's Ford driver Federico Villagra is sixth in their Focus RS WRC after a trouble-free day.

Stobart Ford’s Henning Solberg had to retire his Focus RS WRC from fifth after hitting a large rock and breaking the car's front right suspension.

Leaderboard, Day Two

1. Hirvonen/Lehtinen Ford Focus 3h07’33’’0
2. Ogier/Ingrassia Citroën C4 +1’40’’1
3. Latvala/Antilla Ford Focus +2’44’’2
4. Novikov/Moscatt Citroën C4 +3’49’’8
5. Rautenbach/Barritt Citroën C4 +4’01’’9
6. Villagra/Diaz Ford Focus + 4’03’’1
7. Al Qassimi/Orr Ford Focus +6’09’’4
8. Solberg/Mills Citroën Xsara +10’12’’1
9. Al Attiyah/Bernacchini Subaru Impreza +11’04’’6
10. Athanassoulas/Zakheos Skoda Fabia +11’13’’4

Photo: worldrallypics.com
Quotes: WRC.com

Sebastien Loeb's unbeaten run in the 2009 World Rally Championship was ended by Jari-Matti Latvala at the World Rally Championship’s Rally Sardinia.

The Finn has turned his troubled season around which was a string of mistakes, including a ferocious accident in Portugal that saw his car roll 17 times down the side of a cliff.

"It is a big relief," said Latvala. "It was a great thing that I was able to win this rally, it really means a lot to me. It's been unbelievable, but I have also been a little bit lucky with things being on my side. This has come at a really important point."

Road order was expected to be a major factor this weekend and Latvala benefited from his seventh place in the starting line up to lead on Friday, while Loeb and Hirvonen both deliberately slowed at the end of the first day to have more favorable conditions for Saturday. Latvala pressed harder and ended the day 40 seconds in front.

While Hirvonen closed the gap to 9 seconds during leg two, Loeb's challenge for victory ended when he was delayed by a puncture which cost the Citroen driver a minute to change.

On the final day it looked like Hirvonen could pass Latvala before the finish, but running first on the road became an advantage rather than a disadvantage, as dust hung in the very still morning air and ruined visibility for those chasing Latvala. The young Finn pulled away again.

"The dust was a surprise and I was lucky with that.  This is a very important win for me.  I've had many unhappy moments since my first win, but now I'm back on the top step of the podium.  I was starting to question my role in the team but I've proved the team's confidence in me was right and I thank Malcolm Wilson (team director) for that. You saw a new evolution of Jari-Matti here," he added.

Hirvonen struggled with a fever during the rally and 28-year-old was exhausted at the finish.  "I have no energy and I've never felt so tired after a rally," he said.  "This result, and the timing of it, is perfect for Ford.  I thought I could fight for the win but the dust ended those hopes.  Everyone behind Jari-Matti expected to have an advantage because he was sweeping the road but, ironically, he was the one who benefited because of the dust.  I went off the road on a fifth gear corner in the first stage this morning because I couldn't see so I stopped taking risks.

"Jari-Matti deserves the win after his problems this season and I'm delighted for him.  We had a great pre-rally test and the work we did there paid off on the event itself," he added.

Malcolm Wilson, team director for the BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team, as expected, had nothing but praise for his drivers.  "They coped with whatever was thrown at them.  It's a dream to see Jari-Matti win after a difficult year and I'm delighted to see him full of confidence.  Mikko did an outstanding job and if the conditions were different this morning, there could have been a different winner.  It was a great team effort and my thanks go to everyone involved," he said.

Loeb recovered to third, beating Petter Solberg on the final loop, but the world champion's was later accessed a two minute penalty because his co-driver Daniel Elena unfastened his safety belts while their car was still in motion when they stopped to change a punctured tire on SS11 on Saturday.  The penalty dropped him to fourth on final results.

Loeb's team-mate Dani Sordo was never a factor, due to turbo problems of varying severity on all three days and a damaging rock impact on Friday.

Solberg did not give up third without a fight, but had to settle for fourth, 14 seconds behind Loeb later inheriting third, after Loeb’s penalty.

The series moves into its second half at the Acropolis Rally of Greece on 11 - 14 June.


Leading finishers:

Pos  Driver              Car      Time
 1.  Jari-Matti Latvala  Ford     4h00m55.7s
 2.  Mikko Hirvonen      Ford     +    29.4s
 3.  Petter Solberg      Citroen  +  1m57.6s
 4.  Sebastien Loeb      Citroen  +  3m43.7s
 5.  Evgeny Novikov      Citroen  +  5m11.8s
 6.  Matthew Wilson      Ford     +  7m29.3s
 7.  Mads Ostberg        Subaru   + 13m20.6s
 8.  Henning Solberg     Ford     + 13m21.2s
 9.  Conrad Rautenbach   Citroen  + 19m31.1s
10.  Nasser Al-Attiyah   Subaru   + 19m43.7s

Quotes and Photo: BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team

Travis Pastrana took the win this weekend at the Oregon Trail Rally, and moved into the championship lead.  

The Subaru Rally Team USA driver set a blistering tempo to pull into the lead over the hard-packed forest roads early on Day 2, and held it there to the finish. It’s the third win in four starts for the duo in their Subaru WRX STi.

“It was an amazing rally,” said Pastrana. “That’s three wins and a tree this season – not so bad.”

Rockstar Energy’s Tanner Foust put in a steady drive all through the many elevation changes of the Mount Hood area’s hilly terrain and looked for a sure second-place finish when he spun out on the closing stage and hit a rock with their Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X. They managed to hold on, finishing just 3.6 seconds ahead of Andi Mancin.

“It was a pretty clean rally the whole way,” said Foust. “Subarus are known for being really tough and I think our Evo X has proven tough this weekend, too. She brought us all the way home after we hit the rock and we’re pretty pleased to get second.”

Mancin has proven at this event that they can match the pace of Rally America’s top drivers with his first U.S. podium.

“I’m very happy, it’s a very significant result for our team,” said Mancin, who pilots a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX. “These were very difficult stages – but they were beautiful.”

NOS Energy crew of Andrew Comrie-Picard finished in fourth place in their Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX, just 2.8 seconds behind Mancin after flat tire on Day Two cost him a minute to the leaders. It was a disappointment for “ACP”, who had battled hard to regain the podium.

To add insult to injury the finish drops him from first to third in the championship standings, behind Pastrana and second-place Foust.

“That flat tire yesterday was really tough to overcome and the times were incredibly close the end,” said Comrie-Picard. “We had been clawing back time since yesterday but I have to hand it to Andi.  He drove a great race.”

Ken Block’s run of bad luck continued. A flat tire and damage to a control arm meant their rally ended early on Day Two. This makes three DNFs in four starts for Block who returned to the action Sunday for a fun run at the regional contest and even though they didn’t score points, they set some of the fastest times of the day.

“It’s getting a little frustrating,” said Block. “I have the speed, I feel, to win every single one of these…I thought I had some bad luck last year and it’s getting worse this year.”

The new competitive Super Production class was won Subaru Rally Team USA’s Dave Mirra, finishing sixth overall. Heavy attrition in the Super Production class this weekend saw Matt Johnson and Piotr Wiktorcszyk retire early and Mirra said all he had to do was hang on and keep it clean.

“A lot of it is just trying to find a pace,” said Mirra. “It’s great to be in this class with so many competitive drivers.”

Dillon Van Way notched another win in the two-wheel drive class Ford Focus. This is the young Van Way’s first season of competition.

Photo and Quotes: Rally America