The first two days of the Monte Carlo Rally have come and gone, and thus far the event has seen a number of attrition related factors that have taken out many of the IRC front runners. One thing that has remained the same is the 42 sec. lead that is enjoyed by Mikko Hirvonen. Day-1: The opening day at Monte Carlo was action packed and the M-Sport Fiesta S2000 thrived on the slick and treacherous surface. The Fiesta entered by M-Sport and piloted by Ford’s WRC ace was quickest through…
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Rally – Last Ditch Racing Interview
John Cassidy from Last Ditch Racing was recently interviewed by Gearbox Magazine. John is a frequent contributer here at Open Paddock so we want to give him all the love we can. Step on over to Gearbox and take a look, the interview is very good and the photography is excellent as well. John has competed in several different rally series including Rally America, the Canadian Rally Championship and even WRC and has won the Rally America Eastern Regional Championship for the last two years. The whole Open Paddock crew…
Read MoreRally – Monster World Rally Details
After the initial announcement that Ken Block would be in the WRC and going global with Ford and Monster Energy Drink, that was it. Rallybuzz.com has released an article that explains some details in regards to Chris Atkinson as well as Ken Block’s WRC schedule. When the idea of the deal was first announced last fall, we were put under the impression that Chris would be in a second Ford Focus WRC. The latest details now have the former Subaru WRC driver out of the team until at least the…
Read MoreRally – Update on Last Ditch Racing’s Preparation for Salem
John Cassidy posted a new article at LastDitchRacing.net updating everyone on their preparation for the 100 Acre Wood Rally coming up next month in Salem, MO. I know I’m running the risk of really boring everyone with too many blog posts, but it’s therapeutic and helps me organize my thoughts a bit as the prep continues for our trip to 100 Acre Wood Rally in Salem, Missouri the end of next month. As I mentioned in another post, we’re relocating the battery to the rear seat of the rally car.…
Read MoreRally – Kimi Finally Drives C4
Kimi Raikkonen completed his first run in his new Citroen C4 today ahead of his opening test in the Artic Rally. The Finn met with his Citroen Junior squad and ran approximately 50 kilometers in the Red Bull sponsored machine. Prior to today, Raikkonen had yet to drive a full WRC machine as he has only ran a Fiat Super 2000 up to this point. Kimi is one of the big names that the WRC added in the offseason as he completed his defection from F1. The Artic Rally that…
Read MoreRally – Subaru Confirm Pastrana and Mirra
With the bombshell news that Ken Block had joined Ford in a global effort, the question was who would join Travis Pastrana in the other Subaru? Simple answer for the guys at Vermont and Subaru, but is this new pairing going to perform as well? Dave Mirra will now be moved from the super production ranks to join the open class and team with the four time Rally America champion. Mirra who has been waiting for an opening will make now make the jump to America’s top rally flight in…
Read MoreRally – LDR Team Prep Update
Hey everyone! Wanted to pop on and take a couple of minutes(when I should be sleeping) to let folks know how things are shaping up in our prep for the 100 Acre Wood Rally in Missouri in February. First, I’ll be posting blogs on the lastditchracing.com site. These automatically pop up on Facebook and Twitter if you’re following me there. You can also subscribe to the blog RSS feed if you want. Anyway, prep is going well, although the list is long(always is). Our goal with every race is to…
Read MoreRally – M-Sport Enter IRC
Malcolm Wilson and his M-Sport squad have decided to follow up the much anticipated launch of the new Fiesta rally car with their entrance into the Intercontinental Rally Challenge. The team will compete in the opening round of the championship with Mikko Hirvonen at the wheel. Ford becomes the eighth manufacturer to participate in the IRC, adding a certain level of excitement to the 2010 season. This and the welcome addition of a Subaru car for sale have made this a lucrative off season for the IRC as it looks…
Read MoreRally – Ford and Block Join Forces
After months of “rumor” and speculation as to the future of Ken Block, we finally have our answer and it is more than we could have hoped for. Ford will now team up with Ken for a global sports push in 2010. What does this mean you ask? Ken will drive in the 2010 World Rally Championship in a Ford Focus WRC and run Rally America events in the all new and amazing Ford Fiesta. Specific event breakdown has not been outlined at the moment. This is huge news after…
Read MoreRally – WRC Safari in 2012
One of the largest complaints I have been hearing in regards to the FIA World Rally Championship is the lack of legacy events. Kenya and the Safari Rally are hoping to change a little of that in 2012. The Safari Rally was one of the most beautiful on the calendar and a fan favorite for many years. The event was eventually cut due to lack of funding, but due to some inner workings of the FIA, the event may once again grace the WRC calendar. The event has been on…
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