The 2011 season got started with one of the craziest rallies in recent memory! Way to usher in a new era for the Fiesta and DS3. The previous two days of the rally were unpredictable except for one point. Whoever was first on the road usually lost time due to fresh snow. Mikko Hirvonen was to be first on the road this morning and he would prove that to be false as he set some blistering times in the mornings stages on what was really nothing more than fresh ice.…
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Rally – Sweden Day 2 Review
While the 1st leg of Rally Sweden had all the excitement of the new cars and teams taking to the stages proper for the first time, the second leg would be business as usual. Mads Ostberg was the surprise of the first day, how much time would he lose and how far could Mikko stretch the lead? We found out the answer to those questions in what was one amazing day on the stages. Mikko Hirvonen would move quickly to take the lead from Day 1 leader Mads Ostberg. As…
Read MoreRally – New Ford Fiesta RS WRC dominates opening day at Rally Sweden
FROM: ABU DHABI FORD WORLD RALLY TEAM: Ford’s all-new Fiesta RS World Rally Car made a perfect debut at Rally Sweden today to hold first and second places after the opening leg. Four of the top five positions in this opening round of the FIA World Rally Championship were owned by the car after an unpredictable start to the 2011 season in the blizzard-hit forests of central Sweden. Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team drivers Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen are second, just 14.8sec from the lead, with team-mates Jari-Matti…
Read MoreRally – Ford WRC 2011 Sweden Preview
Rally – Sweden Day 1
Finally the 2011 season proper has kicked off and what a first leg! Snow had fallen all night and was still roaring in the morning as the cars lined up for the start. Sebastien Loeb would be first on the road due to last year’s title standings. The French ace would suffer massive time loss as his DS3 struggled for grip on the loose powder. Jari-Matti Latvala would set a time over 40secs faster! Biggest loser in the first stage would be P-G Andersson who had been tipped to do…
Read MoreRally – iRally Colin Clark and Seb Marshall look at conditions for Sweden
Indy Hump Day Report, On the bubble: Motegi!
Hey man, don’t Tweet-kill my buzz! Yes we all saw the IZOD INDYCAR Series get a ton of attention from a Twitter fight. Tomas Scheckter behaving like an 8th grade bully, taunting the emotionally weakest classmate on-line. Yeah sure Graham put it out there he was single, doesn’t excuse the childish behavior from the South African driver. I mean I talked about my father passing, is it then ok to make jokes about my dead father since, I mentioned it on-line? Only if you’re a total *******! While much of…
Read MoreEpisode 75 – Openpaddock.net Podcast
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadThe 75th “diamond” edition of the Openpaddock.net podcast is packed full! We have Mike Cockrall (@TeamCanada1) on to talk the new Edmonton track layout. Kristi talks IZOD IndyCar and Doug with the Mazda Road to Indy. We preview Rally Sweden as the WRC calendar kicks off and talk the aftermath of the Robert Kubica accident. What’s next for Lotus Renault? What is next for teams and their drivers during the offseason? We talk about it all, so sit back and enjoy the diamond addition!
Read MoreRally – Ken Block’s all new WRC Ford Fiesta and 2011 Schedule
Rally – Hyundai to US Rallycross?!?
Some interesting photos have surfaced this past week in regards to a Hyundai Veloster rally car with Red Bull sponsorship down the side of it. While many have no idea exactly what the deal is with this picture, a look at the windshield banner makes the intent clear. On 9 Feb, it would appear that Hyundai will announce its entry into the new US RallyCross championship. The new RallyCar project series held three exhibition rounds at New Jersey Motorsport Park last year and is looking to up the number of…
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