Rally – Why Toyota/Prodrive is Rumor Only

There seems to be some confusion on what exactly Prodrive are doing in terms of their rally program as of late. Is it MINI or is it Toyota or is it even Formula 1??? I can assure you as will Prodrive that they are not entering Formula 1. However, the rally program has been thrown into question with rumor that the British firm may be working with Toyota in a return to the WRC. Guess what? Not gonna happen. There are a number of things that make this a non…

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OP-Ed – Everybody Hates Citroen – but they shouldn’t

Editors Note: Welcome our first OP-ED Contributor Alasdair Lindsay! He has wrote a brilliant piece that is a must read for all rally fans. While this is an outside source, the opinion expressed in this op-ed is that of the author. Then agian, they make us say that! 😉 By Alasdair Lindsay In the WRC, all-conquering teams and drivers usually come in pairs – Miki Biasion and Lancia, Carlos Sainz and Toyota, Tommi Makinen and Mitsubishi, Marcus Gronholm and Peugeot to name a few of them. However all of these…

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Rally – MINI WRC News

As was mentioned a few months ago, MINI was looking to jump into the WRC arena with Prodrive given the S2000T regulations. MINI who was once involved with rally’s top flight looks to return on the wings of the Countryman crossover. Yesterday I had mentioned that with the news coming out of the Czech Republic on Skoda’s decision to develop the 1.6T and further its development its S2000 chassis, little had been heard from Prodrive or MINI aside from the facts that they were in Sweden on fact finding missions.…

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Rally – Prodrive MINI on Target

The wonderful folks at Rallybuzz.com are at it again with a great update on the current MINI crossover that looks to make its WRC debut next year. The bottom lineup on the project is that it will happen and it is on schedule for next season. Dave Richards and some of the other top brass at Prodrive were in Sweden this past weekend for the WRC’s opening round. What was labeled as a fact finding mission has brought forth some specifications on what the boys from Banbury are working on.…

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Le Mans – Aston Martin Out Until 2011

Prodrive teamed with Aston Martin will take a one year break from their LMP challenger this year. The team has decided to focus on the 2011 challenger instead of a continuous evolution of the current project. Aston has yet to decide whether or not the car will run in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, however a private team will run one Aston/Lola combo for the European Le Mans Series. Signature-Plus, a French outfit, will run the Aston Lola for the 2010 season. However, it is unknown at this time…

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Le Mans – Aston Martin’s Rough Start

What a difference a couple days makes. Aston Martin had just released a third car for Le Mans and a string of new drivers. The team then proceeded to Monza and it all changed on one straightaway. Jos Verstappen was piloting the LMP1 around the historic Monza race course when he lost control and crashed heavily into a nearby barricade. While Jos suffered minor injuries, the car suffered a 15G impact and has been destroyed. What a difference a couple days makes! The team will now spend the run up…

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Prodrive to Contest More Rallies?

This weekend marked the return of Prodrive into the realm of WRC for the first time since Subaru pulled out from the sport during this off season. With Marcus Gronholm at the wheel the team seemed poised for a podium finish only to have an accident on day 2 take them out of competition. The team has made no announcement about which rallies they will contest and it is also unknown if Marcus will be back behind the wheel. One thing that could not be overlooked was the atmosphere Gronholm…

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Loeb Takes Rally Portugal

In what was a very impressive drive, Sebastian Loeb has went 4 for 4 this year and is a real threat to win every event on the calendar. The Rally of Portugal was AWESOME and did not put on the face of a series in trouble. With former champion Marcus Gronholm returning for a one off, Ford showing great speed on gravel, and the continued dominance of Loeb made for a spectacular Rally. The final day had Sebastian Loeb in the lead after a masterful run on day 2. BP…

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Loeb Takes Rally Lead

Day 2 is in the books for Rally Portugal and like yesterday, there have been a number of incidents that have really shaped the rally. Marcus Gronholm has taken himself out of the competition after an accident which is really a shame for the former champion’s one off event. Sebastian Loeb and Danni Sordo really put the Citroens in a very strong position for victory heading into the final day. Loeb has taken the lead from Hirvonen and is leading the rally by 26.8 seconds. The final day promises to…

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