Toyota Reveals 2017 WRC Entry at Paris Motor Show with Surprising Sponsor

Today at the Paris Motor Show Toyota Gazoo Racing along with team boss and 4 times World Rally Champion Tommi Makinen, showed off their new 2017 Yaris WRC car with a massive Microsoft logo on the side.  In addition to Microsoft, Toyota Gazoo Racing also added DMG Mori (a machining company similar to Haas), and electronics manufacturer Panasonic.   In the press release, Toyota President Akio Toyoda stated “I believe that, like Toyota, Microsoft aims to enrich society in meaningful ways. Based on the on-going partnership, we aim to further develop…

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Rally America Champion Enters Drive DMACK Fiesta Trophy

It isn’t often we see American rally drivers cross the pond to compete in any rally, let alone a round of the WRC.  Starting today with a short super-special around Lousada, Portugal 2014 Rally America Super Production Champion Dillon Van Way and his British co-driver Andrew Edwards fired up their M-Sport built Ford Fiesta R2 1.0L along with 9 other teams from around the globe for what is considered the best prize in rallying.  Here’s DMACK’s description of the rewards on hand this season. Widely considered as the most affordable…

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2015 New England Forest Rally – OpenPaddock’s Ones to Watch

Many have called this weekend’s 25th Anniversary New England Forest Rally the “Super Bowl” for rallying in America or even an All-Star event.  And the big stars are what is drawing the initial attention to this event, however there is a lot going down at NEFR that goes well beyond the big names we all know so well.   Okay, let’s start with those big names and get it out of the way.  Yes indeed we have the return of Ken Block in his HFHV (Hybrid Function Hoon Vehicle) Ford Fiesta…

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WRC – Liveries, Liveries, and More Liveries

You get a new livery, and you get a new livery, and you get a new livery….it’s that Oprah Winfrey Show time of year where all the major teams release their “New Look” for the 2015 season.  Since every car in the modern WRC has the exact same profile, the teams have to do something to stand out.  I have to tip my hat to both M-Sport and VW for the most dramatic of designs, however one must wonder whether the two teams somehow collaborated before coming up with their…

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RALLY – M-Sport Unveils 2015 Livery for Ford Fiesta RS WRC

  Today was the unveiling of the newest livery for M-Sport’s Fiesta RS WRC.  M-Sport stated that the design was inspired by Hannu Mikkola’s 1979 Ford Escort RS 1800 MKII and the later 1989 Ford Sierra RS Cosworth of Colin McRae, M-Sport’s new design reflects the Blue Oval’s long and prestigious standing within the sport; a modern twist bringing the colour scheme up-to-date for this year’s young and aspiring drivers. Team Principal Malcolm Wilson said: “When designing this year’s livery we were keen to produce something fresh and exciting whilst celebrating…

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Rally – Mikko Hirvonen Announces Retirement

Mikko Hirvonen is one of the fastest drivers and one of the most beloved personalities the World Rally Championship has ever seen. He broke the mold of how most westerners saw Finns, as Mikko was unafraid to show his raw emotions and talk in detail about his successes and failures to the media. He also has one heck of a sense of humor that was well displayed in his travel videos he did with co-driver Jarmo Lehtinen in their first season with Citroen.  By far Mikko’s  greatest successes came from the…

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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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Rally – Kubica, A Rally Legend in the Making?

When Robert Kubica came on to the World Rally Championship scene in the WRC2 category last year, it caused quite a stir.  Rally had another former F1 winner coming over to what many of us rally fans deem to be the pinnacle of motorsport.  This would help draw considerable attention to rally which has been recovering from a period of lackluster spectator and TV viewer counts.  Unlike Raikkonen though, Kubica feels he has unfinished business in Formula 1.  Most recall that Kubica’s F1 career was cut short after a nasty…

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