RALLY – Colin Clark’s WRC Australia Preview and “Bingle”

The Voice of Rally, Colin Clark entertains us along with fellow WRC Live Radio correspondent George Donaldson with a preview of this weekend’s Rally Australia. [youtube_sc url=”http://youtu.be/smccH-cHiws”] In addition to the beautiful scenery and wildlife of Eastern Australia, Colin also got an up close and personal taste of the dangers these stages can produce.  In a guest ride with none other than 2013’s Rally America 2wd Champion, Brendan Reeves, Colin got a ride he’ll never forget.  After a big jump at high speed they go off the road and crash,…

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Rally America – Serious Problems Ahead

Remember last season where every major class came down to the final event to decide the championship?  Two of those titles came down to the final day, and one wasn’t sealed until the final stage.  It was simply epic.  There were some great battles between Ken Block and David Higgins all season long.  David Sterckx overcame his mechanical issues from the previous year to take the championship in Super Production and Mason Moyle had his best season yet finishing second in the class.  In 2wd Brendan Reeves showed us American’s…

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Rally – WRC’s Manufacturing Winner is M-Sport

Wait, does that title infer what I think it does?  Didn’t Volkswagen win the FIA WRC manufacturers title in a dominant fashion last season?  Yes, Volkswagen did win the manufacturer’s title as far as the FIA is concerned, but please note that I said “manufacturing” not “manufacturer” title. First let me be clear, I’m not a Ford fanboy or a Malcolm Wilson fanboy or anything like that.  Regardless I think I can make a good case as to why M-Sport is the current rally manufacturing winner even if they don’t…

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BREAKING NEWS – Brendan Reeves Takes 2wd Rally America Championship!

After what has to have been one of the best championship battles in Rally America history, Brendan Reeves and Rhianon Gelsomino pulled off the win and with it the 2013 2wd Rally America National Championship crown!     At the end of Day 1, Brendan Reeves and Rhianon Gelsomino piloted their Team O’Neil Ford Fiesta R2 into 13.4 second lead over Andrew Comrie-Picard and Jeremy Wimpy’s Scion XD.  Both drivers pushed as hard as possible in Saturday’s drier conditions.  Reeves’ lead didn’t last though as ACP clawed back to a…

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BREAKING NEWS – David Higgins 2013 Rally America Champion

BREAKING NEWS – Confirmed reports are saying that Hoonigan Racing Division’s Ken Block and Alex Gelsomino rolled their HFHV Fiesta on Special Stage 12 about a mile from the finish.  That means Subaru Rally Team USA’s David Higgins and Craig Drew are the 2013 Rally America champions.   It was a great battle while it lasted with Ken Block clawing back about 5 seconds from a 13 second deficit.  I think the visiting former British Rally Champion – Guy Wilks – said it best “…Better to go going hard than…

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LSPR Day 1 – Rally America Championship Still Too Close To Call

If you don’t follow rally racing, then this would be a good time to start.  These are the events that rally fans dream about.  A final championship battle that wages between great competitors who are willing to go flat out and not conserve anything to be crowned champion.  Mother nature threw a bit of a curve ball preventing top speeds, but the battle continues with leaders barely ahead of their rivals.   Hoonigan Racing Division’s Ken Block and Craig Drew started first on the road in wet slippery, or as he put…

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Rally America Season Finale – Champions To Be Crowned

It all comes down to this weekend.  The final race of the 7 round Rally America Championship season.  There is nothing left to conserve.  It will be win it or bin it at the Lake Superior Forest Rally on the forest roads outside Houghton, Michigan.     Thanks to the Federal Government shutdown taking so long to be resolved, the originally scheduled stages for Friday that were on federal forest lands are no longer available.  Instead Saturday’s scheduled stages on private lands are going to be repeated on Friday as well.…

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Review – 2013 New England Forest Rally

The long summer break for rally in America is over. It had been two months since STPR and teams were more than ready to get back into the action at the New England Forest Rally, the 5th round of the Rally America Championship.     As a quick recap, back at STPR Ken Block and co-driver Alex Gelsomino finally got the win they had been waiting for all season. Their win came rather easy as his closest rivals weren’t a factor. Antoine L’Estage didn’t have a car to compete in…

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2013 Oregon Trail Rally – Day 3

I’m finally getting around to finishing this up. Taking the time off for a rally means having to make it up when you get back.  Still very much worth it though! Day 3 of the Oregon Trail Rally is all about speed. Those teams that survived to make it to the final day of the rally would be treated to the open rolling hills east of the Mt. Hood forest. Here the roads are smooth, fast, and flowing with hardly a tree in sight. Drivers should be able to hit…

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2013 Oregon Trail Rally – Day 2

Day 2 of the Oregon Trail Rally is where the real test of vehicle strength and driver endurance would occur.  Just outside of the picturesque town of Hood River, the forest roads here are some of the most technical and the most dangerous on the Rally America calendar.  The surface is rough with large stones that can be pulled out.  A wrong pacenote here can be a very dangerous thing with giant trees and large drop offs around every corner. Ken Block was eager to gain back the time lost…

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