RALLYBUZZ

DMACK will introduce a new specification gravel tyre for next week’s Acropolis Rally of Greece which features a closed tread pattern and newly-developed compounds.

The new DMG+2 features a tread pattern similar to the successful DMG+ gravel tyre, which took DMACK to its best-ever finish of fourth place a few weeks ago at Rally Argentina, but with a more closed pattern.

The new design will give the tyre greater high-speed stability and help improve durability on harder surfaces. The tyre will be available to world rally competitors in S1 and H1 compounds. The S1 is identical to the soft compound successfully campaigned to top-six finishes at Rally GB and Rally Argentina but the H1 is a newly-developed hard compound which should deliver enhanced durability.

The inside block design has also been improved to increase grip on bedrock and hard, polished road surfaces.

The new specification has been introduced in line with the FIA’s technical regulations allowing tyre manufacturers to nominate one new gravel and one new asphalt specification per season.

For next week’s Acropolis rally, DMACK has nominated the H1 compound which is hoped will take on the challenge delivered by one of the toughest championship events. The Acropolis is famed for its rocky roads with abrasive bedrock bases and is demanding on tyres, cars and drivers.

As well as rough rally stages, the low average speeds and high number of corners, combined with high ambient temperatures, puts extra pressure on tyres in terms of heat and durability.

As tyre partner to the Rally Class category, DMACK will supply the one-make series crews who run identical Subaru Imprezas. Nicolas Fuchs, who led the PWRC category for much of Rally Argentina, and three privateer drivers in Citroen DS3s will also run on DMACK’s new tyre.

Event Details

Based again in Loutraki, close to the mouth of the Corinth Canal, the rally will kick off with a ceremonial start near the Acropolis in the centre of Athens on Thursday night followed by the opening special stage. Friday sees a long day of action using stages around Itea which haven’t been used for three years, punctuated by two remote services in Itea itself.

Saturday boasts eight stages closer to Loutraki and Sunday rounds off the action with just five tests. In total, crews will tackle 409 competitive kilometres across 22 special stages.

Dick Cormack, DMACK motorsport director, said: “After our highest-ever finish on the last event in Argentina, we’ve continued to focus on the evolution and development of our gravel tyres. The new DMG+2, which we will introduce in Greece, has been developed from competitors’ feedback and technical evaluation on the events so far this year. We hope its will help us build on our on-going progress and success.”

Car insurance can definitely be a tricky concept, particularly for people who are new to it, or people who are looking to do something that isn’t completely standard. These things are true simply because there are a lot of different things to consider when picking out car insurance. You have to think about how much you are willing to pay, how long you want your deal to last, and what sort of protection and coverage you want for your vehicle. And, of course, you have to do all of this within the restrictions of what is actually offered by your car insurance company.

Actually, many people seem to feel that the process of obtaining adequate car insurance has become a bit simpler in recent years, largely due to the fact that you can go through just about the entire process online these days. This doesn’t mean that rates have necessarily gotten cheaper, or that policies have gotten more convenient or inclusive. However, it does sometimes mean that you have more options, and an easier way of sifting through them than, say, going to an insurance dealer directly or talking to an agent on the phone for hours and hours at a time.

There are also new types of policies being offered all the time. For example, Aviva multicar insurance is one of the most buzz-worthy developments in car insurance in recent years, as it offers owners of multiple cars a brand new and extremely appealing way of obtaining coverage for both of their cars. Prior to the existence of multicar insurance, if you owned two cars, you would have had to pick out separate policies for them, which would mean separate paperwork, separate policy maintenance and renewal, etc. Basically, for two vehicles, you would have had to do everything twice. Needless to say, this is a bit of a tedious option, and does not help you to make the car insurance process any simpler or more convenient.

Now, with a multicar insurance policy, all of these problems can be erased. You can simply have both of your vehicles combined on a single policy, meaning that all of your paperwork and upkeep is as simple as it would be for a single car. In fact, you can even set up this sort of policy with a single car with the understanding that you can add a second car to the policy at a later date. This is just one example of how the extensive offers and policies from insurance companies are actually making things more convenient, in some cases, for people looking to purchase car insurance.

The FIA WRC Academy crews will embark on one of the biggest challenges in their careers next week as they tackle the infamous Acropolis Rally. Famed as one of the toughest events on the WRC calendar, this year’s competitors will have to utilise all of their training as they look to conquer the ultimate test of both man and machine.

Supported by Ford Racing in Europe and with control tyres from Pirelli, this will be the WRC Academy’s first venture to the Greek event, which will provide the setting for the youngsters’ most challenging test to date. The identical Ford Fiesta R2s that make up the WRC Academy field have been strengthened to cope with restricted cooling in the slow corners of the twisting mountain tracks and withstand severe punishment from the rocks and underlying bedrock that litter the stages.

As one of the longest-standing rallies in the World Rally Championship (WRC), the 59th Acropolis Rally may prove less torturous than the five-day events of the past, but with temperatures reaching highs of over 30C and the earlier scheduling rendering the roads more abrasive than last year, the WRC Academy crews will have to adapt a blend of strength, reliability, speed and intelligence as they look to secure a strong result.

Crews will contest the 25km Super Special on Thursday evening before tackling the opening loops on Friday and Saturday. Despite contesting no repeat stages, this year’s WRC Academy contenders will have the opportunity to drive some of the most classic stages in Greece with runs over ‘Bauxites’ and ‘Drossohori’ as well as new challenges on the final day of competition through the beautiful Peloponnese peninsula.

Leading the WRC Academy following his victory at the Vodafone Rally de Portugal last month, Alastair Fisher (23) will be looking to maintain his lead. The Northern Irishman has been working with Sport Northern Ireland to ensure that he is in the best physical shape for the demands ahead – making best use of the programme’s heat chamber to test his fitness. As well as securing third place in the Fiesta SportTrophy UK series on the Pirelli International Rally earlier this month, Fisher has completed two extensive tests to ensure maximum seat-time before he rejoins regular co-driver Daniel Barritt for their debut on the Greek stages.

The Acropolis Rally marks a real mile-stone for the brother and sister pairing of Brendan Reeves (23) and Rhianon Smyth. Competing together since 2002, the second round of the WRC Academy will mark the duo’s 50th event together – 14 of which have been outside of their native Australia. Since securing second place in Portugal, Reeves and Smyth contested the Targa Tasmania Rally – a five-day endurance event on home soil in which they were running third in their modified Mazda RX8 SP before a mechanical problem forced them to retire. Reeves is currently training in Austria with the FIA Institute Young Driver Excellence Academy and will be looking to put all of his training and experience to good use as he makes his Greek debut next week.

Following a fantastic debut in the Ford Fiesta R2 last month, WRC Academy rookie Pontus Tidemand (21) returns to the one-make series eager to build upon his third place in the standings. The Swede has had a host of seat-time since the previous event. After taking class victory at Rally Sørland in Norway, Tidemand drove the zero-car on a local Swedish event, tested a Fabia S2000 and also completed a two-day test with fellow Swede Ingemar Svensson’s Ford Fiesta RS WRC. Next up, the 21-year-old will contest the third round of the Swedish Rally Championship alongside WRC Academy co-driver Stig Rune Skjærmoen before looking to emulate his recent Scandinavian successes on the international stage in Greece.

Also keen to replicate his good form from the previous round in Portugal, Timo Van Der Marel (22) will be looking for another strong result. The KNAF supported driver contested the 2012 Rallye Sulingerland earlier this month alongside co-driving girlfriend and former WRC Academy contender, Rebecca Smart. The pairing finished 14th overall and second in the Nissan Cup to lead the 350Z Challenge in their Nissan 350Z. Van Der Marel is also attending the fourth workshop of the FIA Institute Young Driver Excellence Academy where he will complete a number of practical seminars on physical fitness and driving style – sessions which will prove valuable as he rejoins Erwin Berkhof for the Acropolis Rally next week.

After claiming three stage wins in Portugal, the Scandinavian pairing of Fredrik Åhlin (21) and Morten Erik Abrahamsen will also return to competition in Greece. Since the season opener, Åhlin has been working for Audi as a driving instructor in Denmark. The 21-year old teaches an advanced driving course for the manufacturer and put his own skills to the test with some hot-laps in an Audi R8. The Swede will be back behind the wheel as he contests the South Swedish Rally this weekend where he and Abrahamsen aim to finalise preparations for their debut assault on the Acropolis Rally.

Also returning to the WRC Academy in Greece, Jose Suárez (21) will be reunited with regular co-driver, Candido Carrera. Since Portugal, the asphalt specialist contested Rally Auxerrois – a gravel round in the French Championship – to perfect his ever-improving driving style on loose-surface events. Despite being forced to retire from the rally with mechanical problems, the extra seat-time and recce will see the Spaniard well placed as he looks for a strong result on the gravel stages of the classic Greek event where he welcomes new sponsor, ACSM Marine Services.

Currently leading the British Rally Championship (BRC) in his Ford Fiesta R2, Elfyn Evans (23) will be looking to replicate his home success on the international stage. The Welshman has secured victory on every round of the Fiesta SportTrophy UK series this year, as well as a string of top-five finishes in the BRC to lead the championship ahead of a host of more powerful R3 specification cars. Evans’ consistency and mechanical sympathy, combined with his obvious pace, is set to prove an advantage as he makes his debut on the Acropolis Rally. In a change from the previous event in Portugal, Evans will be joined by the 2007 and 2008 BRC Champion, Phil Pugh. Having contested the J-WRC alongside Guy Wilks from 2004 – 2006, Pugh brings a wealth of experience from international events in both the WRC and Intercontinental Rally Championship.

After debuting in the WRC Academy on his home event in Portugal, João Silva (24) will return to the one-make series with a new co-driver – Hugo Magalhães. It has been a busy month for the Portuguese pairing as they work on building their relationship ahead of the second round of the season. Having run together as the zero-car on the third round of the Portuguese Championship, the pairing have also been training hard to make sure they are in top shape for the demanding event. This week also saw the duo conclude a test with the Ford Fiesta R2. Having completed 70 kms, the twosome learnt a lot about the car and are confident of finding a good set-up in Greece.

Also returning to the WRC Academy, John MacCrone (23) will be looking to put the disappointment of Portugal behind him where he was forced to Rally 2 following damage to his Ford Fiesta R2 on the opening day of competition. The Scotsman contested the second round of the Scottish Tarmac Rally Championship at Ingliston earlier this month. Despite being forced to retire from the event with a mechanical issue, MacCrone secured three fastest stage times in his Ford Fiesta R2 to out-perform a number of more powerful specification cars. Making their debut at the Acropolis Rally, MacCrone and fellow Scot Stuart Loudon will also welcome a new sponsor to their squad – Glengorm Castle on the Isle of Mull.

Also keen to put the disappointment of Portugal behind him, Chris Duplessis (24) makes a welcome come-back to the one-make series after being forced to retire from the previous round with accident damage to the rear of his Ford Fiesta R2 on the final stage. Returning to the States, the charismatic American has spent two weeks working and training at the DirtFish Rally School in Washington. Working on perfecting his pacenotes with the skills learnt from Ford World Rally Team’s Chris Patterson last month, Duplessis and regular co-driver Karl Atkinson will put their training into practice as they debut on the Acropolis Rally next week – an event where detailed pacenotes can make all the difference.

Finally, making his official debut in the WRC Academy, South African Ashley Haigh-Smith (19) brings the number of represented continents to four. As the youngest driver in the series, the 19-year-old is currently competing in the South African Rally Championship in a Ford Fiesta R2 and had been comfortably leading his class on the previous round at the Sasol Rally until collecting three punctures and ultimately being forced to retire from the event. Haigh-Smith has also been the driving force behind an exciting project in his native South Africa which offers an extended driving experience with the youngster and donates 20 per cent of the proceeds to charity. Accompanied by accomplished co-driver Craig Parry – who is currently leading the BRC co-driver standings – Haigh-Smith will be looking for a good result on his Greek debut.

Series leader, Alastair Fisher said:

“This will be my first time competing on the Acropolis Rally. There’s a lot of anticipation as we all know the reputation it has as one of the toughest events on the calendar, but I am really looking forward to the challenge.

“It is one of those events where anything can happen. It is important to have a good recce and you need to keep your head down, keep the concentration and stay out of trouble.

“I’ve been working hard on my fitness with Sport Northern Ireland which should see me well placed for the physical demands. I’ve completed a number of fitness tests with them and also been lucky enough to have use of their heat chamber as well as working on my own fitness in the gym.”

Making his debut as a registered WRC Academy driver, Ashley Haigh-Smith said:

“The WRC Academy is the place to be if you want to learn and eventually progress into top-level rallying. The competition [in the feeder series] is just as tough as it is amongst the P1 drivers and, with an equal playing field for everyone, it is just the driver and the navigator who make the difference which gives us the perfect opportunity to show what we can do behind the wheel.

“I’m feeling good ahead of Greece. For sure it will be a tough opening event for us, but I am looking forward to the challenge and we have been working hard to ensure a strong result. In South Africa we don’t conduct a recce as you would in the WRC, so I have spent the past two days working on my recce and pacenote skills up in the mountains.

“The roads in South Africa are pretty rough, so hopefully that will give us a slight advantage. But we have nothing to prove on the first event. For us, it will be about trying to find some consistency and getting our pace up to that of those who have had the benefit of an extra event.”

M-Sport Ford World Rally Team’s Evgeny Novikov and Ott Tänak will be looking to make an impact as the World Rally Championship embarks on the toughest round of the season at the 59th Acropolis Rally next week.

First run in 1953, the Greek event is one of the longest-standing in the world series. Famed as one of the toughest events in the calendar, M-Sport’s young guns will have to put all of their experience into practice as they contend with a mix of rough, twisting tracks through the region’s mountain stages, blistering heat and dust making visibility a challenge.

As the ultimate test of man and machine, this classic event renders driver fitness crucial and demands a mechanical blend of strength, reliability and speed. With air temperatures reaching highs of over 30C, the conditions place high demands on the engine and gearbox with little cooling through the technically slow mountain climbs.

The event’s fearsome reputation is exemplified by the rocks and underlying bedrock that litter the stages and M-Sport’s rising stars will have a tactical battle ahead of them as they set their sights on another strong points haul.

Nevertheless, with the event holding the record for the highest number of rally victors – with more than 20 drivers making it to the top step of the podium – the duo will be keen to impress once again as they aim to translate their speed into another good result for the M-Sport Ford World Rally Team.

Novikov and co-driver Denis Giraudet have had an impressive start to their 2012 campaign and are currently laying a credible fifth in the championship standings. Despite a disappointing start to the previous round in Argentina, the young Russian proved he had the pace to challenge the top-three with blistering speed over the final day to set three second and one third fastest stage times.

This will be Novikov’s fourth venture to the Greek stages and the Russian will run with the Chelsea FC logo on his Ford Fiesta RS WRC. Given the Russian affiliation with the English Premiership team, the association aims to illustrate ALM Rally’s support for the club as they face Bayern Munich FC in the final of the UEFA Champions League this coming weekend.

Elsewhere, in spite of their obvious speed, it has been a difficult start to the season for Tänak and regular co-driver Kuldar Sikk. Despite claiming three stage victories, the Estonian’s season has been blighted by misfortunes and the 24-year-old will be eager to prove his potential next week.

As well as supporting the FIA Action for Road Safety campaign, the Acropolis Rally will see Tänak sport the ‘Worldwide Ford Rally Fans’ logo on the rear of his Ford Fiesta RS WRC – Ford and M-Sport’s tribute to a whole host of social media groups which have been set up in support of the brand over the past year.

Evgeny Novikov said:

“The Acropolis Rally is one of my favourite rallies. It is really challenging and you have to be on the maximum with speed and concentration. The roads are really rough and can be quite hard on the car so you have to know when you can push and when you can’t.

“I have competed here three times before, but the earlier date this year means that the roads may be much rougher than they have been in the past. We will have to wait and see what to expect.

“This will be my first time back in the car since Argentina as we will have no pre-event testing, but for sure we will be looking to do our best for another top-five finish.”

Ott Tänak said:

“This is a really nice event. I competed in Greece last year and most of the roads are ok, but some of them can be really rough and you have to be careful and make sure your pacenotes are really detailed. With the earlier date for this year’s event, it is hard to know exactly what to expect – but I am looking forward to getting back in the car.

“The last few events have not been too good for us and this event will be all about making it to the end and getting some good points on the board. I’m constantly working on my training, and hopefully this event will see me regain my pace and my confidence behind the wheel.”

Tomcat Africa will head to this weekends Rally Raid on the Soysambu Ranch near Nakuru fully away that a good result for both of its Lynx off road vehicles is critical for their championship hopes. Eddie Belcher will pilot the completely rebuilt TVR powered Lynx whilst Sue Jauss will head up the all woman team in the sister car.

Eddie Belcher is a former event winner and almost won the championship in 2011 but has so far been dogged by bad luck in 2012. A complete rebuild of the formidable TVR engined Lynx should improve reliability and Eddie will be keen for a strong result this weekend. We have spent the past two months totally rebuilding the car and have ironed out some of the issues that have plagued us recently. I love driving in the mud and so am hoping it’s very wet this weekend!

Sue Jauss is one of the few woman drivers in the Rally Raid series but has a strong record behind her with a 100% finish rate in the v8 powered Lynx. This car has also undergone a massive redevelopment, aimed at improving the ride and handling, something that is critical over the rough terrain the events routinely tackle. I noticed during the first round that the car was very stiff at the rear and so we have replaced the whole suspension geometry. The Lynx is now a joy to drive and I’m really looking forward to this weekend.

The event begins at 1:30pm on Saturday with a 60 kilometre section and action re-commences at 9am on Sunday morning with a challenging 135km loop. There are spectator areas on both days where the public can watch the action in comfort.

For more information on the Tomcat Africa Team please join our face book page Tomcat Africa and stay up to date on all the news.

David Sterckx (Belgium) and Karen Jankowski (California) of David Sterckx Rally Sport Team, in their third event of the Rally America 2012 season, won the Super Production class at Oregon Trail Rally and finished 6th overall.
Since this is their second SP podium of the season it mean the SP class championship is tightening up with only three points separating 1st through the 3rd place that they are now in.

“I am so happy with our results this weekend, especially for new sponsor French Kiss who just joined us” stated David. “To be able to celebrate this win with them and the rest of our sponsors AlphaSTAR, Genoa 5, and MCQ Composites is such a great feeling. Karen and I are really hitting our stride together and now we have worked out the teething issues with our new Subaru I have no doubt we are the team to beat”.

The team’s crew Don Jankowski, Ken Nowak, and Adam Weber did a great job keeping the car running flawlessly for the entire weekend.
“It is always tough when you have a brand new car because you never know what kinds of issues you might encounter” explained Don Jankowski crew chief. “Now that we had time in between events to work those issues out the car is working very well.”
After the heartbreak of 100 Acre Wood rally when the car had many issues that forced them not to finish the event, the team was able to diagnose and fix the issues between events. The result was there best result so far of the 2012 Rally America championship season.

“Our goal was to win SP at Oregon Trail rally so we could keep ourselves in the hunt for the championship. Not only did we do that but the best part was to be able to give our new sponsor French Kiss our first win of the season as well. Plus our sponsor AlphaSTAR, Genoa 5, and MCQ Composites were able to attend the rally as well which was so great to have them attend there first rally race” explained Karen

As a result of the great results so far this season in the Rally America Championship, David has been asked by the Ardeca Lubricant team of Burak Tuglu to drive their car at the upcoming Rally America Rallycross event May 19th at New Jersey Motorsports Park.

Rallycross, made popular in Europe, has seen increased popularity in recent years in the USA. It features rally-style cars jumping and sliding on a road course made up of 70% pavement and 30% gravel. Five drivers line up to start at once, piloting high-horsepower compact cars through race traffic over a challenging short course that features jumps, unbanked turns, hills and transitions between pavement and gravel.

“I am so honored and excited to be driving Burak’s Mitsubishi Evo this weekend and teaming up with Belgium company Ardeca Lubricants. What a perfect story: a Belgium lubricant company and a Belgium driver both coming to America to build a name for themselves” stated Sterckx. “What could be better?”

Follow David at this weekend’s Rally America NJMP RallyCross:

http://www.rally-america.com/events/2012/NJMPRC1/

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/David-Sterckx-Rallysport/188160584582275

http://twitter.com/SterckxRally

http://davidsterckx.virb.com

The team would like to thank the following people for all of their support at Oregon Trail Rally:
Our partners: French Kiss, AlphaSTAR (http://alphastarcorp.com ), MCQ, and Genoa 5
Our crew chief: Don Jankowski
Our crew: Ken Nowak, Adam Weber
Competition Graphics http://www.competitiongraphics.com/motorsports.html
Paul Eklund

TagRallySport prepares Mother and Son teams for 2012 running of Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally in scenic Wellsboro, Pennsylvania.

Providence, RI, May 18th, 2012: After the 3,000 mile trek to the beautiful Dalles area of Oregon for the third round of the national series, the Rhode Island based team had a short lived run after going off on stage 5, ending the rally for the team. Said Gardiner, "Presenting a rally team is a huge undertaking on many levels for all competitors. Traveling from the opposite side of the country for the event, hours of car prep and then to be out that early in the event was heart wrenching for me as the team owner. But after a late dinner my fantastic crew loaded the car in the trailer and headed back to the east coast to get ready for Pennsylvania,… that's rally."

“Our sights are now set on competing at STPR® which regularly draws the top rally teams from the United States and Canada” said Gardiner, adding “it will be great to spend some time again with the Summit Rally Team from Australia fielding their two 400bhp turbocharged, rear wheel drive Nissan's, all of us are here to put our skills to the extreme test of performance rally.” Performance Rally is the world's most popular form of motor sport and competitors are widely considered the most skillful drivers of all racers.

STPR will also be the inaugural event for the Open Lite Academy, a new series for cars competing in the Open Light class. It is the only Rally America event so far in the series, crossing sanctioning organizations to include all teams competing in this class and the first event of the year where an interesting Mother/Son rivalry will play out as both Tracey and Rory battle in the same class.

Rally America is a sanctioning body for the rally racing industry, creating the rules and sanctioning The Rally America National Championship as well as regional and rally-cross events. http://rally-america.com/

TAGRallySport, is a Rhode Island based woman owned new age motorsports marketing company, dedicated to the marketing and sponsorship of all aspects of competition stage rally cars and rally cross.www.tagrallysport.com

With Sol Rally Barbados 2012 (June 9/10) a little over three weeks away, local competitors have been completing their preparations for the island calendar’s annual highlight. When entries closed on Monday, the final rush of crews to complete their payments and update entry forms threw up some interesting statistics.

The current entry list stands at 108 – in recent weeks, 13 of the original 121 entries made on-line have been withdrawn – which total includes 72 local competitors, a record for the event . . . and more than twice as many cars as started the BRC’s inaugural International All-Stage Rally back in 1990; a number remain on a stand-by list, and will be incorporated into the final start list in accordance with the provisions of the ASRs, as the BRC works towards its maximum start cap of 100 cars.

As many on-line entries were posted as long ago as last October, only a few competitors had completed vital sponsorship negotiations when making their initial entries; apart from either change or confirmation of co-driver, it is under the ‘sponsors’ heading where most changes have been made this week.

A survey of the completed forms reveals that more than 160 local companies or brand names have been listed as sponsors by those 72 local competitors, with support coming from all sides of commerce and industry; while there are many predictable automotive brand names on the list, including fuels, lubricants, tyres, there is also sponsorship from sectors ranging from food and beverage companies and restaurants through the telecommunications industry to financial services and insurance.

Sol Rally Barbados and Shell V-Power King of the Hill are organised and promoted by the Barbados Rally Club, which celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 2007; Sol RB12 is the 23rd running of the Club’s annual International All-Stage Rally and marks the fifth year of title sponsorship by the Sol Group, the Caribbean’s largest independent oil company.

As entries for Sol Rally Barbados 2012 (June 9/10) closed this week, the final drivers from around the region who will be participating in the Caribbean’s biggest annual motor sport International have been confirmed. They are first-timer Stan Hartling, representing the Turks & Caicos Islands, and Trinidad’s Vishal Dhanraj, who returns for his fifth consecutive year.

Although new to Sol Rally Barbados itself, Hartling made his first competition appearance in the island in the Valvoline Shakedown Stages just two weeks ago; co-driven in his striking Lotus Exige by fellow-Canadian Andy Proudfoot, he ran in SuperModified 11. Despite encountering gear selection problems in the early part of the event – he lost fourth, fifth and six – he was fourth in class after three stages, but then found a gearbox oil bung missing at service, so retired to prevent further damage.

While his previous experience includes conventional events such as Targa Newfoundland, where he has been a regular finisher - eighth overall and class second in 2009 in his BMW M3 among his best results - he has also enjoyed the more odd-ball side of motor sport, including the 24 Hours of LeMons series of races in North America.

These endurance events – cars usually race for 14-and-a-half hours over a weekend – are run for cars costing less than US $500 to buy and build; while the usual regulations dealing with important issues such as safety follow main-line motor sport, the approach to cars and competition is rather more light-hearted. Hartling says: “We built a real special, a police pursuit car cut down, caged and then we put on a Ford F150 truck body . . . backwards! It drives the guys on the track nuts!”

In comparison with Hartling, Dhanraj is a veteran of rallying the island, with three overall finishes in Sol Rally Barbados in the last four years, and occasional outings in other island events. He was first seen in Sol RB08, when he finished 35th overall, sixth in M8-A in a Subaru Impreza Sti, proudly flying his national flag from the roof.

He then switched to two-wheel-drive, with the ex-David Williams Toyota Starlet, with progressively better results of 10th, sixth and then fourth last year in SuperModified 9. He remains in the class this year, driving the ex-James Betts Opel Corsa, sponsored by Gulf Motor Oil, Lucozade Energy and the V3 Rally Team. Back home, he is in the process of having his own new Toyota Starlet built for local events.
His co-driver this year is the experienced American Scott Leonard, who currently lives in Trinidad. He has an impressive record as both driver – winner of the Idaho Rally in 2008 - and co-driver in a wide variety of North America events.

Entries for the 2012 ALMC Stages Rally which takes place on Sunday 15th July are now open with full regulations for the event available from the club. This year’s stages rally will return to its base at the City North Hotel and for the third year is a counting round of the highly popular Get Connected REIS UK Asphalt Rally Championship and the Loughran Signs Midlands East Rally Championship. The rally will feature nine stages located in Counties Meath and Louth and will see competitors take in a generous 160 of competitive stage kilometres and will for the first time see the event centralised at the City North Hotel with scrutiny parc ferme and service based at the venue on the rally weekend.

In an effort to encourage the many rally competitors based around the country the club have also introduced a prize draw based on the starters list of one hundred or more main field with one lucky competitor winning a cash prize of €1000 and a €350 prize for Juniors / historic entries over a minimum of 20 entries. "Enquiries about the rally have already started to flood in and we are expecting a larger number of crews to travel from the UK due to the increased interest in the championship this year and this will be coupled with a strong local entry. The event draw will help to incentivise competitors to enter and the stage distance and low entry fee make our event good value for money" said Noel Devlin COC at the launch of the event regulations.

The stages rally will feature classes for Historic and Junior competitors with them competing on the six stages of the rally and there will be additional prizes on offer for the winner of the MkII and an inaugural Honda Challenge. The club are mindful of the difficult economic times and are therefore providing support for competitors by allowing them to pay the entry fee on a stage payments basis, details of which can be found on the dedicated stages website www.almcstagesrally.com, there are several methods for submitting entries including the online entry system, details of which and a link to the electronic version can be found on the stages website or via the club website at www.almc.ie where regulations are also available for download. The event is being billed by the club as an "event not to be missed"

- Michael Clarke to join the BP Ultimate team and drive at the 2012 Brakes Direct International Rally of Queensland -

Australian cricket captain and BP Ultimate Ambassador Michael Clarke is set to swap his cricket whites for a driving suit and steering wheel later this month, when he joins the BP Ultimate team in the Brakes Direct International Rally of Queensland (IROQ), putting his passion for driving to the test.

Taking place on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast from Friday 25 May to Sunday 27 May, IROQ is Australia’s biggest championship rally of the year, will attract 100 teams from Australia and around the world.

Clarke, who has been an Ambassador for BP Ultimate since November 2011 will be driving in two stages of the rally, including the 7.8 kms BP Ultimate stage at Pomona. Having developed a passion for cars and driving from a young age, Clarke is looking forward to swapping the baggy green for a racing helmet by taking part in his first ever rally car event.

Clarke said: “It’s pretty well known that I have a passion for driving, but a part of me has always wondered what it would be like to go up against the best in the business. There’s no doubt that rally driving is one of the most exhilarating sports around and, as someone who puts my heart into everything I do, this is a great opportunity to mix it with some of the world’s best drivers!”

International Rally of Queensland Event Director Errol Bailey said: “We’re really excited to have Michael get behind the wheel. We know how good he has been on the cricket field in recent times, but this will be a completely new challenge for him.

“As the official control fuel used by all of the Australian rally teams in this six-round championship (Bosch Australian Rally Chamionship), BP Ultimate helps to keep each team’s engine running at its peak for top performance. We are really excited to have the BP Ultimate ambassador with us to share his love for driving and competing.”

Riding shot-gun with Clarke in his team will be veteran professional co-driver Mark Stacey. The Australian has competed at international level for two decades, calling directions for drivers as far afield as Sweden, China and Japan, countries where the spectacular sport has a fanatical following.

IROQ, now in its 44th year, is the longest-running round in the Australian Rally Championship and now also incorporates a round of the prestigious FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship.

On May 18th and 19th Oaxaca City will host the 2nd round of the NACAM Rally Championship 2012. The rally’s activities will begin Friday, first thing in the morning the crews will do their recconnaisance, while their teams are in charge of presenting administrative and technical scrtunieerings to ensure that everything is in order and in compliance with FIA safety regulations. In the afternoon, once the recce is over, the press conference will take place. The rally will start on Friday in the promenade outside the Santo Domingo Church in the Centre of the city, where the Ceremonial Start will take place, in which national and international crews will be presented to the audience. It will continue on Saturday, where 12 special stages will be run, totaling 159 km of dirt roads, where fans can go enjoy the race’s action free of charge. The competition has 30 registered cars, between the National Championship and NACAM Rally Championship - NRC 6 international crews and 23 local teams for CMR. Mexican Ricardo Triviño together with his codriver Marco Hernández are the favorites and team to beat, after they won the first round and are former NRC Champions. However, the Championship has just begun and crews get here with all they got to be able to score as much points as possible. Powell and Fennell, Caribbean crew, have the podium’s top spot on their mind, Francisco Name has strongly worked in his set-up and guarantees we will have a great show as well as the Izquierdo brothers who got a deserved third place the last rally.

Class 8 also is keeping us with great expectations. After a great participation of the Ecuatorian crew of Diego Landazuri and Adolfo Espinosa on board a Mitsubishi Lancer DE, rivals are on the lookout to see their performance in the Renault Clio Sport with which they will participate from this round on and face local driver Mario Fernandez on board another Renault Clio Sport. And the Mitsubishi Lancer will again see Venezuela’s Alejandro Lombardo and Miguel Alvarado who want to repeat the feat of his countryman Pastor Maldonado, and maybe they can give the big surprise, but not without giving a fight against two Class 8 expert crews, which both have been champions in their own countries, they are Victor Perez from Mexico and Andres Molina from Costa Rica, both driving Mitsubishi Lancers as well.

David Binks to drive Best Buy Racing Ford Fiesta Mk7

MINNEAPOLIS, MN (May 15, 2012) – American Express announced today that it will enter the Global RallyCross Championship through its Serve brand. Serve will be the primary partner of Best Buy Racing’s #17 Ford Fiesta Mk7 driven by Englishman David Binks.

Serve is a reloadable pre-paid account available to anyone and allows customers to receive and send money through email, text and Facebook. Serve also allows person to person payment and is accepted wherever American Express is accepted.

“Serve is a dynamic product that is all about fun and experience and when we heard about GRC it seemed to be a great platform to introduce the product to customers” said Stefan B Happ, Senior Vice President, Serve. “We have a number of unique experiences available for Serve customers that we will be announcing soon.”

“This is an exciting partnership for our rallycross program” said Mark Williams of Best Buy, “Serve also brings an exciting color scheme to the GRC with an exciting young driver who is here to make his mark.”

The team will make its debut at the opening round of the GRC that takes place in Charlotte, NC on May 26th.

About the Global RallyCross Championship

The Global RallyCross Championship was introduced in 2011 and is a development of the popular European based sport that combines circuit racing and off-road racing. Production based cars are modified to include four-wheel drive and power output exceeding 550hp. The courses and races are short and also feature a 70ft gap jump.

Best Buy Racing Partners include;

Best Buy (www.bestbuy.com); Serve from American Express (www.serve.com); Eibach Springs (www.eibach.com); Ford (www.ford.com) and Olsbergs MotorSport Evolution (www.omse.se)

Huntington Beach, CA, Tuesday May 15, 2012. Following a successful pre-season test at the Willow Springs International Raceway in California last week and an inaguration event in Huntington Beach, Marcus Grönholm today confirmed his 2012 programme in his much-awaited full-time return to international competition. The 42 year-old double World Rally Champion outlined his participation in the six round Global Rallycross Championship in the USA with the Best Buy Racing Rallycross Team. The engagement represents an opportunity for the double WRC champion to harness his core rally skills and apply them to a new, dynamic, metropolitan format of racing entertainment that has set its ambition to re-define motorsport, especially for the youth market.

The Best Buy Rallycross Team will be run by Olsberg Motorsport Evolution – OMSE - headed by Andreas Eriksson, who will prepare two Ford Fiestas for the Best Buy Racing Rallycross Team to tackle an august field of US and European action sport talent that have been lured by the new arena-based, instant impact and all-action form of motorsport that is GRC. Marcus will join established UK rallycross driver David Binks to contend against converts from skateboarding, extreme sport motorcycle freestylers, drifters, X-Games skiers and truck stunt drivers who will join factory teams from Ford, Dodge, Hyundai & Subaru to contest events that will partner NASCAR & IndyCar races as well as the X-Games LA as part of the 2012 calendar.

Following the test in Los Angeles, Marcus said, “It’s great to be back in business with a full programme and a clear championship to aim at. What’s more, there is such a buzz around GRC, I think it is a form of motorsport that is set to explode. It’s great for the stadium audience, great for the TV viewer with 70ft jumps over your competitors and fast and furious racing that delivers results quickly. It’s simply addictive.”

Reflecting on his own prospects, he added, “I guess my CV sets me up well for this form of competition, but I am taking nothing for granted. There are all kinds of drivers coming into the series from very different action sport backgrounds, so I while I am 100% clear that our ambition at the Best Buy Racing Rallycross Team is to win, we’ll just see how we get on in Charlotte and take it from there. We’ve tested well, the OMSE-prepared Ford Fiesta feels great and frankly I can’t wait to kick off.”

The six-round series features five events that partner with NASCAR, IndyCar and the X Games, and one standalone GRC event commencing on May 26 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway as part of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Coca-Cola 600 bill.

The remaining events are:

June 9 Texas Motorsport Speedway (IZOD IndyCar Series)
June 30 X Games, Staples Centre, Los Angeles
July 14 New Hampshire Motor Speedway (NASCAR Sprint Cup)
Sept 1 TBC
Sept 29 Las Vegas Motor Speedway (NASCAR Camping World Truck Series)

Marcus’ progress in the Championship can be followed at a new website launched today at www.mgronholm.com, which provides links to all of Marcus’ social channels including Facebook, Twitter (@GronholmM), YouTube and Flickr that will provide news, updates and personal reflections on his US competition experience together with routine video and photography.

All of Marcus' news results and other press information will be routinely available from www.compelo.co

Finally, we are missing a chicken, if anyone finds him, please send him home.

What a difference 12 months makes! Last year’s Manx National Rally saw Isle of Man Co-Driver Rob Fagg fail to make the start of the event. This year, competing alongside Blackburn’s John Stone he would just finish outside the podium places in fourth place.

Contesting the 120 mile, two day asphalt event in Stone’s Legend Fires Skoda Fabia WRC, the pair were never outside of the top nine on stage times or the top five overall throughout the event on which their only issues were to be a stall at the final hairpin on both runs of the 11 mile Parville test on the opening night.

John and Robert Graham & Co Quantity Surveyors supported Rob made a strong start in the excellent conditions, as they set third quickest times on each of the Port Erin stages with Stone commenting that was the quickest he had done on the short town super special.

It was then onto the rally proper and the longest stage of the event, Parville. But despite a clean strong run for almost the entire stage a stall at the final extremely tight and loose hairpin would see them drop almost 10 seconds. A short service followed and with no reported car issues it was off into the 9 mile Braaid and 7 mile Marine Drive stages.

Steady runs through these two saw the crew settle into fourth spot, but the gap to reigning champions Damian Cole and James Morgan (Ford Focus WRC) was beginning to grow, at 26 seconds, while out front it was 2011 and three time winner

Mel Evans (Subaru Impreza WRC) battling it out with two time winner Paul Bird (Ford Focus) for the top spot some 71 seconds ahead of Cole in third.

The final three stages of the long opening evening would be a repeat of Parville, Braaid and Marine Drive, by now in the dark. Steady runs through each and no mistakes bar the unfortunate afore-mentioned stall at the end of Parville, meant they ended the opening leg in 5th position, and passed in the standings by the leading local crew of Andrew Leece (Mitsubishi Evo 6) and Graham Fargher who held a 26.3 second advantage.

Bright skies once again greeted crews as they prepared for the second day and with 12 stages lying in wait Stone and Fagg would set about taking back the forth position they lost, and ensure they kept ahead of those crews behind.

Glen Roy would see Leece take a further 3.5 seconds but through Maughold the Skoda crew grabbed 6 back and then a further 6.7 on the Axnfell and Whitebridge stages to close the gap to 16.9 seconds as the crews entered the day’s first service. A check over of the immaculate Fabia by the experienced CA1 Sport team ensured the car was in tip-top condition to continue the chase of Leece.

Crews then repeated the opening four stages of the day and with the dry conditions suiting the more modern WRC car of Stone he was able to pass Leece in the standings and take an advantage of 3.6 seconds into the final four stages. It was no easy run to the finish though, including runs over Brandywell finishing at Druidale and Little London through Injerbrek and Baldwin.

Another top five on Druidale was followed by probably the best stage of the rally for Stone and Fagg, third fastest through Little London with a fantastically committed run to now hold a half minute advantage over Steve Simpson (Subaru Impreza WRC) who had passed Leece for fifth. A repeat of the previous two stages bought the crews to the finish at the TT Grandstand in Douglas and with no mistakes and controlled runs, it was a fine fourth overall for John and Rob to get their championship started after the disappointment of the opening round.

“We have had a great run and this more than makes up for the disappointment of the early retirement on the opening round in March” commented a smiling Rob at the event finish. “John has driven so committed and some of that has to go down to the preparation put into his notes on the recce. The car was fantastic and did not miss a beat, only issue being two stalls on the Parville stage both times round, but overall a great event for the team”.

There is now only a short break for the crew as they will be back in action on the third round of the REIS Get Connected MSA Asphalt Rally Championship in just three weeks when they head to Kelso in the Scottish Borders for the Jim Clark National Rally.

Rob is supported in 2012 by Robert Graham & Co Quantity Surveyors, Synergy IT (www.synergyit.com), Nicky Grist Motorsport (www.nickygrist.com) and Fastime Stopwatches (www.astopwatch.com)

Rising teenage rally star Osian Pryce flew the flag for Welsh rallying at the Manx National Rally last weekend with a first in class, 10th overall and the 2nd Front Wheeled Drive (FWD) award.

The hard charging Dovey Motor Club member from Aberangell near Dolgellau battled constantly with fellow British Rally Championship (BRC) contender Peter Taylor for the honours of being the first FWD car home, Taylor just pipping Pryce to the post by 15 seconds, the pair having traded seconds from each other constantly over the two day event in what Pryce described as “A proper good scrap.”

Pryce, co driven by the affable Dai Roberts of Carmarthen in the G&M Pryce Builders, 2300 Club John Easson, Express Motors, Sbardun Pwllheli, Motorsport Tools and Morris Plant Hire backed 210 BHP Citroen DS3 R3 overcame a series of bad luck issues to chalk up a formidable result, having been seeded in 22nd place at the start of the event.

62 crews tackled 100 miles of closed asphalt public roads over the full length of the island, including the spectacular Marine Drive stage at 7 miles in length, just west of Douglas, the home of the world renowned TT motorcycle races on the Isle of Man.

The rally started from Port Erin on Friday night and took in eight stages that evening including several runs in the dark which challenged many crews, but left the youngster unfazed by the prospect of hurtling down the unfamiliar narrow, twisty and bumpy Manx lanes in the darkness.

On the night time challenge, Pryce said “I felt confident hammering down the lanes in the dark and we were fully committed, taking 18-20 seconds a stage out of Taylor over the last three stages in the dark.”

Friday night however was not without its problems for the plucky motorsport engineering student with Pryce saying “We were pushing hard straight off the line on the first stage, but the road temperature was a bit low so I was struggling to get any heat into the tyres and we had a spin which cost us around 20 seconds on stage one.”

He added “Things went downhill from there then really with a puncture on the second stage costing a few more seconds although we were lucky that it was just 4 corners from the end of the stage, and then on the fifth stage, the in-car camera was playing up causing a buzz on the intercom for the last 5 miles so that I could barely hear Dai, yet we were only 3 seconds down on Peter Taylor so we must have kept the pace up there.”

Despite these mishaps, Pryce and Roberts finished the first day in 10th overall, a climb of 12 places above their seeding and a sign of their tenacity and determination to say the least.

Saturday saw the crew settle down for the final 12 special stages and the battle with Taylor for the FWD honours continued with Taylor slowly eating into the 28 seconds advantage that Pryce had set overnight, the closest stage finish between the pair being just 0.5 seconds.

Again, Pryce had a minor moment early in the day when on the 10th stage, he hand braked the car around a corner but the release switch failed to return and the car continued turning, ending up wedged between the two banks of the narrow lane which cost him around 35 seconds. Pryce said “It was a bit of a blow to drop so much time on one stage as the next 7 stages were short with little opportunity to make up the deficit.”

Not one to be beaten, Pryce charged hard to claw back some time, beating Taylor on 2 of the last three stages, these being longer stages at 10.52 miles in length, a distance more suited to his pace and grit.

On the result Pryce said “We achieved what we wanted here and have got a good set-up ready for the next round of the BRC at the Jim Clark International Rally at the end of the month.”

He added “Davies Motorsport Services (Welshpool) have worked hard getting the tarmac settings just right, but we may need to tweak them further as the BRC round uses faster and smoother main public roads so the pace will be a lot quicker.”

Pryce’s next event will be the SJR Plains Rally this forthcoming weekend where he will pair up with regular co-driver Iestyn Williams of Abersoch.

For a full set of results, see the event website at www.manxautosport.org and follow Osian’s progress via his website at www.osianpryce.com.

report by John Evans, i2i photography (Cymru)
photo courtesy of Ralliphotoswales

Kev Monghan made an excellent fight back from a stage one disaster to take second in class on last weekend’s Manx National rally, round two of the MSA National AsTarmac Rally Championship.

The rally kicked off on Friday evening with a stage that started in Port Erin town centre before heading up a hill out of the town over a very testing series of bends and crests. Monaghan and co-driver Dave Jones had a good run through the stage but as they crossed the finish line a joint on the driveshaft sheared which meant they had no drive in their Pirtek-backed Vauxhall Corsa Kit Car.

They managed to get back to service where Neil Thompson and Derek Belbin set about repairing the car, determined that it would be ready for Saturday’s action. Thanks to their efforts the car was ready to go again and with nothing to lose Monaghan pushed hard on all of Saturday’s stages.

With no further problems Monaghan was able to climb back up the leaderboard to claim vital championship points with a second in class finish.

“We were lucky that the rally rules meant that we could take a penalty and restart on Saturday,” said Monaghan. “The guys in service did a fantastic job in getting the car fixed and to get points for second in class was a huge unexpected bonus after our disastrous Friday night.”

“Thanks to Pirtek Tyne & Wear, F&R Belbin, GB Lubricants, Playskool Motorsport for their support and to Dave Jones for co-driving.”

Monaghan will continue his championship campaign on the Jim Clark National rally at the start of June.

Flagstaff, AZ (May 12th, 2012) - Sean Geiser and his team are announcing their move from Off-Road short course to the Global RallyCross Championship for 2013.

Sean Geiser was driven to succeed at the top level, Sean was groomed to win as one of the Monster Energy Drink Team Green Kawasaki Motocross Riders, the most prestigious off road team at the time. After racing and competing against the best riders in the nation, Sean began to explore opportunities to race at a higher level that would keep him out of the hospital. Through 2009 and 2010 Sean advanced to an Unlimited Prolite truck to compete in the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series. Sean has been called “the hottest driver in the series” by the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series in 2010.

Sean and his team are putting together a strong program to compete at the highest levels in the Global RallyCross Championship and are in current discussions with a number of corporate sponsors and manufactures for his 2013 endeavors and will announce his official partners in coming months. His long time motorsports marketing agency, Drive Motorsports International will be continuing to consult with the young talent and as always ensuring all of his partners are achieving the most progressive results possible.

Sean’s list of accomplishments also includes multiple podium finishes and Rookie of the year and an endorsement deal with LOSI RC Vehicles to have a Sean Geiser LOSI Edition RC Truck and Rally Car that is available internationally. Sean has spent the last few seasons as a driver for the world famous Geiser Bros., the global leader in off road race truck manufacturing. His versatile talent, which translates to any race car, has created broad international appeal with media and fans. Now Sean is bringing his passion and personality to the Global RallyCross Championship and X-Games RallyCross with one goal: To win in the fastest growing racing series in the US and compete for a driver championship in a top-level racing series.

“I’m really looking forward to competing in GRC next year, “stated Sean Geiser. “I’ve been watching Rallycross for years now and this is a natural progression for me. I love the fact that they take pavement, dirt and gravel then put it all together with jumps! Its high flying door to door action and it’s gonna be huge, I can’t wait. Rallycross is very popular in Europe and has grown substantially in the US in the last 2 years and the fan base is insane here, its great for our sponsors. All in all I am looking forward to being a part of the series and bringing my talent and style to the sport. I can’t wait to battle door to door with the best drivers in the world. I believe once we establish this team we will be unstoppable.”

Modeled after the popular European sport of rallycross, the Global RallyCross Championship pits drivers against each other for side-by-side racing on surfaces that vary from dirt, asphalt and a 70-foot gap jump. Some call it the four-wheeled version of SuperCross. The sport features high-flying extreme competition between cars that are relevant to today's youth. Competitors progress through a series of timed heats to the final race where winner takes all. Multiple drivers start at once and fight for position in the final four-lap race. The GRC takes the best attributes of circuit, off-road, and rally racing that results in intense competition in venues that are fan-friendly while providing sponsors with an ideal marketing platform appealing to today's millennial consumers allowing for an ROI not found in other motorsports.

The current 2012 GRC season will be in venues across the United States including the Charlotte Motor Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway,and Summer X Games 18 in Los Angeles. GRC has teamed up with the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, and the IZOD IndyCar Series at popular racetracks to provide weekends of action-packed, racing excitement for the fans. ESPN will broadcast the races live. The 2013 season is expected to expand the number of races and locations hitting more of the top DMA’s in the country.

For more information on GRC visit: http://www.global-rallycross.com/

For additional information about Sean Geiser visit: http://www.seangeiser.com. Become fan on https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sean-Geiser-Racing and follow him on Twitter @SeanGeiser

Rally driver David Wright, from Bentham, put his disappointing start to the 2012 rally season behind him when took victory on the Tour of Hamsterley event last weekend.

After retirements on both the Wyedean and Malcolm Wilson rallies Wright decided to take some time out from competing to make some modifications to his Kumho Tyres, Drenth, York Brewery, Proflex and Grove Hill Garage-supported Mitsubishi Evo 9. With the modifications finished last week he entered the Hamsterley forest event as a test ahead of the BTRDA championship Plains rally next weekend.

Wright and co-driver Michael Wilkinson made a fantastic start to the event, setting fastest times on the first three stages to lead by 34 seconds. However, most of that lead was lost on stage four when a puncture meant that Wright was only 7th fastest.

Wright fought back from the puncture to take another fastest time on the fifth and final stage which meant he won the event by 7 seconds.

“We had a brilliant event, the car is absolutely awesome, and the stages were fantastic – really fast and flowing which suited us,” said Wright. “It was frustrating to lose the time with the puncture but I am delighted to have been fastest on most of the stages. It’s great for Michael to win his local event too.”

“We’ll do the Plains rally next weekend and I’m feeling very confident that we can get a good result. We’ve nothing to lose after retiring on the first two BTRDA rounds so we will be pushing hard to battle with the World Rally class cars.”

Four-time Sol Rally Barbados podium finisher, former UK National Rally Champion Paul Bird, had to settle for second place on the Manx National Rally at the weekend (May 11/12) as he completed preparations for his forthcoming trip to the Caribbean. Winner in 2009 & ‘10, ‘Birdy’ was denied a third title by Welshman Melvyn Evans, who claimed his fourth win on the island since 2002.
Driving a Subaru Impreza WRC S12B, Evans had also won the opening round of this year’s REIS/Get Connected MSA Asphalt Rally Championship over the Epynt Ranges – Bird finished sixth on his first visit there – so now leads the title chase with co-driver Aled Davies, who will also be contesting Sol RB12, alongside Roger Duckworth. Bird will miss round three, the Jim Clark Rally, as it clashes with King of the Hill, but Davies will sit with Evans that weekend, then fly to Barbados in time to recce with Duckworth.

With regular Scottish co-driver Kirsty Riddick in the Frank Bird Poultry/Fuchs-Silkolene Ford Focus WRC08, Bird was 20secs down on Evans overnight, sharing Friday’s eight stage wins equally, despite gearbox problems. Bird drove as hard as he could on Saturday, but couldn't get the better of Evans - he had a perfect run of 12 stage wins - and had to settle for second, but added vital points to the championship challenge.

Afterwards, Bird said: "I could do nothing about Melvyn this weekend. He simply out-drove me and he deserved the victory. I'm pleased with second place, though, and now I'm looking forward to Sol Rally Barbados next month."

Sol Rally Barbados and Shell V-Power King of the Hill are organised and promoted by the Barbados Rally Club, which celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 2007; Sol RB12 is the 23rd running of the Club’s annual International All-Stage Rally and marks the fifth year of title sponsorship by the Sol Group, the Caribbean’s largest independent oil company.