A come-from-behind charge from defending North American rally champion Andrew “ACP” Comrie-Picard ended in a snow bank this weekend at Canada’s icy season opener.

“No regrets,” said Comrie-Picard. “A podium finish would have been nice but we had a clear shot at the win – we had to go for it.”

The NOS Energy-backed rally team of ACP and co-driver Jeremy Wimpey had already overcome an early misstep and had clawed from 53rd overall to second place, and were angling for the win, when they went off road just a few kilometers from the end of the grueling ice and snow contest.

The duo had planned a strong start, but a surprisingly slick corner on the first stage caught them off-guard. They were the second leading car to wind up in the ditch early in the event — following defending Canadian champion Pat Richard’s tracks right off the road at a popular spectator corner.

“You can count on Quebec spectators to help you out, but even we thought this was a lost cause,” said Comrie-Picard. “The car was deep in a ditch; I can’t believe they got us out.”

The crowd of spectators, led by legendary Quebec rally driver Sylvain Erickson, hooked a tow rope to the team’s competition car and pulled them back on course. The incident cost them five minutes, damaged the driveline, and dropped them to 53rd place overall.

But the team didn’t give up. The NOS Energy service crew repaired the car and Comrie-Picard and Wimpey put in a clean performance and steadily climbed up the standings until the long, deep forest stages late in the contest when they turned up the heat and clawed into second place overall.

A cautious drive to the end would have virtually guaranteed the team a podium finish, but with one long stage to go and a minute-and-a-half to gain, Comrie-Picard saw an opportunity.

“Points are points, but it’s called ‘racing’ for a reason,” said Comrie-Picard. “We had won the previous stage by over a minute, so we decided to push for the win.”

The team drove to the limit, sliding wildly at times and using the low snow banks to nudge the car back into line at full speed.

With just six kilometers to go, the team was on pace for the victory when they slid wide on a treacherous corner and wound up in a snowy field. The team dug frantically and put deadfall wood under the tires, but it took a hard pull from the car of competitor Ian Crerar to get them back on the road. The team lost 20 minutes on the stage and finished out of the points.

Comrie-Picard’s team was not the only one to have difficulties. The other two key championship contenders had problems this weekend, so the points race remains wide open.

Rally car racing is considered the extreme sport of automobile racing and is often described simply as “real cars, real roads, real fast.” This all-season motorsport sees drivers and their co-drivers take modified road cars to the limit as they achieve blistering speeds over courses that cover more than 100 miles of gravel, dirt or snow-covered roads.

The sport is featured in the annual X Games, the premier action sports event on the globe, featuring athletes competing for medals and prize money in sports including BMX Freestyle, Moto X, Skateboard, and Rally. Comrie-Picard has been among the dozen invited drivers in each of the four years since the rally discipline was introduced to the contest and he expects to return in 2010.

For more information and video highlights, visit: www.acprally.com. Find us on Twitter, YouTube or Facebook under ACP Rally.

The ACP Rally program is made possible by: NOS Energy (www.drinknos.com), K&N (www.knfilters.com), Yokohama Canada (www.yokohama.ca), Bully Dog (www.bullydog.com), Motul (www.motulusa.com), AMS (www.amsperformance.com), Ohlins (www.ohlinsusa.com), Brian Crower (www.briancrower.com), JE (www.jepistons.com), Exedy (www.exedyusa.com), Oakley (www.oakley.com), Mishimoto (www.mishimoto.com), Innovate Motorsports (www.tuneyourengine.com), Works (www.worksevo.com), Team Dynamics (www.teamdynamicsracing.com), Pfitzner Performance Gearbox (www.ppgearbox.com.au), Endless (www.endlessusa.com), NBB (www.nbblights.ca), Sparco (www.sparcousa.com), NGK (www.ngksparkplugs.com), Rockford Fosgate (www.rockfordfosgate.com), Piloti (www.piloti.com) and Skull Candy (www.skullcandy.com).

Photo courtesy of Mat Janiak, www.WorldRallySport.com.

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Defending North American rally champion Andrew “ACP” Comrie-Picard is heading for a snowy season start in Michigan this weekend at the first round of the 2010 Rally America championship.

The NOS Energy-backed rally team will take on Sno*Drift in their familiar, top-spec Evo IX. Despite tough competition from factory-backed teams, Comrie-Picard remains a favorite for the win.

“I’m feeling good about our chances this weekend,” says Comrie-Picard. “Between the heavy development of the Subaru team cars and the new threat from Ken Block in that European Ford, there’s a lot of amazing new machinery out there — but we’ve got reliability and experience on our side.”

Comrie-Picard will be accompanied by co-driver Jeremy Wimpey at this event. The duo ran select events together in 2009, scoring a mid-season win together in Colorado.

The driver took the win at Sno*Drift in 2006 and has finished on the podium in each of the past two years. The team is counting on a combination of tactical aggression and experience to get them to the top as they take on a 100 mile course that will see them hit speeds of 130 mph on glare ice and snow.

“Snow and ice driving is a real artform and I love it,” says Comrie-Picard. “I grew up with this weather; I’m right at home in these conditions.”

The Rally America national championship is a challenging, all-season series comprised of six events across the country. The 2010 season will also see the launch of the European-style rally cross discipline mid-year. Comrie-Picard is expected to take on both of these US rally series and make a return to the X Games for a fifth year. As part of his bid for the North American title, he will also compete in the Canadian Rally Championship. The multi-talented driver, who made his debut in short-course off-road truck racing in 2009, is planning a cross-disciplinary push this season that will also see him take on Formula Drift events.

Rally car racing is considered the extreme sport of automobile racing and is often described simply as “real cars, real roads, real fast.” This all-season motorsport sees drivers and their co-drivers take modified road cars to the limit as they achieve blistering speeds over courses that cover more than 100 miles of gravel, dirt or snow-covered roads.

The sport is also featured in the annual X Games, the premier action sports event on the globe featuring athletes competing for medals and prize money in sports including BMX Freestyle, Moto X, Skateboard, and Rally. Comrie-Picard has been among the dozen invited drivers in each of the four years since the rally discipline was introduced to the contest and expects to return in 2010.

Special thanks from the team to the Garland Lodge and Resort in Lewiston, Michigan, and to Mitsubishi Research and Development.

The ACP Rally program is made possible by: NOS Energy (www.drinknos.com), K&N (www.knfilters.com), Yokohama Canada (www.yokohama.ca), Bully Dog (www.bullydog.com), Motul (www.motulusa.com), AMS (www.amsperformance.com), Ohlins (www.ohlinsusa.com), Brian Crower (www.briancrower.com), JE (www.jepistons.com), Exedy (www.exedyusa.com), Oakley (www.oakley.com), Mishimoto (www.mishimoto.com), Innovate Motorsports (www.tuneyourengine.com), Works (www.worksevo.com), Team Dynamics (www.teamdynamicsracing.com), Pfitzner Performance Gearbox (www.ppgearbox.com.au), Endless (www.endlessusa.com), NBB (www.nbblights.ca), Sparco (www.sparcousa.com), NGK (www.ngksparkplugs.com), Rockford Fosgate (www.rockfordfosgate.com), Piloti (www.piloti.com) and Skull Candy (www.skullcandy.com).

Photo courtesy of Scott Rains.

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Andrew “ACP” Comrie-Picard and the NOS Energy Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution won the North American Rally Championship this past weekend with a podium finish in the season-ending Rally of the Tall Pines.

The win represents the first championship for the Mitsubishi Evolution X, and the first rally championship for NOS Energy Drink.

“This is a terrific result, especially given that we were working on developing the new rally car throughout this first competition season for the Evolution X,” said Comrie-Picard. “But our sponsors and our team came through and we won a very tight championship race.”

A late-season push, including a win at Rally Colorado and a second-place finish at the Rally of the Tall Pines, sealed the driver’s title for Comrie-Picard. Co-driver Jeremy Wimpey joined the team to secure both of these top finishes.

The season-ender was unusually dry and warm and made for very fast speeds and intense competition. Fans and media at the contest noted Comrie-Picard`s aggressive driving throughout the event — which saw him tearing off bumpers, bending bodywork, and even taking out a finish board — in contrast to his normally tidy style.

“We told ACP to win the championship or leave it in the woods,” said crew chief Eric Vlasic. “He actually did leave some of the car in the woods, but he brought in the championship!”

“We had this car wide-open the whole time,” added Comrie-Picard. “I just wasn’t lifting in most corners or over crests and fortunately, the Ohlins TTX shocks were amazing, the Yokohama tires took the super-high sideloads at 200 km/h (120 mph), and our K&N filter kept the engine safe even through some deep water splashes.”

The team is already preparing for 2010 and looks forward to defending the championship and competing at the X Games for a fifth time.

The NOS Energy Drink motorsports team has had an exceptionally successful year, winning four major racing titles: the North American Rally Championship, the Formula Drift Championship, the Redline Time Attack Series, and the NASCAR Nationwide series.

Rally car racing is considered the extreme sport of automobile racing and is often described simply as “real cars, real roads, real fast.” This all-season motorsport sees drivers and their co-drivers take modified road cars to the limit as they achieve blistering speeds over courses that cover hundreds of miles of gravel, dirt or snow-covered roads.

The ACP Rally program is made possible by: NOS Energy (www.drinknos.com), K&N (www.knfilters.com), Mitsubishi Canada (www.mitsubishi-motors.ca), Yokohama Canada (www.yokohama.ca), Bully Dog (www.bullydog.com), Motul (www.motulusa.com), AMS (www.amsperformance.com), Works (www.worksevo.com), Brian Crower (www.briancrower.com), JE (www.jepistons.com), Exedy (www.exedyusa.com), Ohlins (www.ohlinsusa.com), Pfitzner Performance Gearbox (www.ppgearbox.com.au), Mishimoto (www.mishimoto.com), Oakley (www.oakley.com), Innovate Motorsports (www.tuneyourengine.com), Team Dynamics (www.teamdynamicsracing.com), Endless (www.endlessusa.com), NBB (www.nbblights.ca), Sparco (www.sparcousa.com), NGK (www.ngksparkplugs.com), Seibon Carbon (www.seiboncarbon.com), Rockford Fosgate (www.rockfordfosgate.com), Piloti (www.piloti.com), and Skull Candy (www.skullcandy.com).

For more information and video highlights, visit: www.acprally.com and read the team’s blog at www.drinknos.com. Find us on YouTube or Twitter under ACPRally.

Photos courtesy of the Canadian Association of RallySport and Neil McDaid.

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Andrew “ACP” Comrie-Picard and the NOS Energy rally team scored a third place overall in the 2009 Rally America Championship, edging Monster Energy’s Ken Block out of the top three despite suffering an engine failure while angling for the a podium at last weekend’s season ender.

“We had the runner-up position in the championship in our sights, so the DNF at the final round was a disappointment,” said Comrie-Picard, “But we’ve had a strong season and the whole team and all our partners deserve a huge thanks for the effort that carried us to all the successes this year.”

Comrie-Picard and ACP Racing were consistent podium finishers throughout the 2009 Rally America season, with their results topped by an overall win at the Colorado Rally last month and a top-five finish at the high-profile X Games this summer in Los Angeles.

The factory-backed Travis Pastrana, of Subaru Rally Team USA, took the championship win for a fourth-consecutive season, while top Polish driver Andi Mancin secured second place after ACP retired from the season ender while running in second place overall.

Initial investigation suggests that the engine was damaged by water taken in at a water splash about 90 miles into the 130-mile contest.

“We’ll be back next year to contest not only the rally championship and X Games, but also the new Rally America rally cross contests scheduled for late 2010 in the Northeastern USA,” said Comrie-Picard. “Next year looks like a great one and with our renewed relationship with NOS Energy we expect great success.”

Rally car racing is considered the extreme sport of automobile racing and is often described simply as “real cars, real roads, real fast.” This all-season motorsport sees drivers and their co-drivers take modified road cars to the limit as they achieve blistering speeds over courses that cover hundreds of miles of gravel, dirt or snow-covered roads.

The ACP Rally program is made possible by: NOS Energy (www.drinknos.com), K&N (www.knfilters.com), Mitsubishi Canada (www.mitsubishi-motors.ca), Yokohama Canada (www.yokohama.ca), Bully Dog (www.bullydog.com), Motul (www.motulusa.com), AMS (www.amsperformance.com), Works (www.worksevo.com), Brian Crower (www.briancrower.com), JE (www.jepistons.com), Exedy (www.exedyusa.com), Ohlins (www.ohlinsusa.com), Pfitzner Performance Gearbox (www.ppgearbox.com.au), Mishimoto (www.mishimoto.com), Oakley (www.oakley.com), Innovate Motorsports (www.tuneyourengine.com), Team Dynamics (www.teamdynamicsracing.com), Endless (www.endlessusa.com), NBB (www.nbblights.ca), Sparco (www.sparcousa.com), NGK (www.ngksparkplugs.com), Seibon Carbon (www.seiboncarbon.com), Rockford Fosgate (www.rockfordfosgate.com), Piloti (www.piloti.com), and Skull Candy (www.skullcandy.com).

For more information and video highlights, visit: www.acprally.com and read the team’s blog at www.drinknos.com. Find us on YouTube or Twitter under ACPRally.

Photo courtesy of Rally America.

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Driver Andrew “ACP” Comrie-Picard and his NOS Energy Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX took a decisive win this weekend at Rally Colorado, the 8th round of the national Rally America series.

“I love it when it’s a battle,” said Comrie-Picard. “We were fighting tooth-and-nail with Travis (Pastrana) early in the rally and that’s really satisfying.”

The challenging Colorado rally through the high-desert roads around the Yampa Valley is fast and often features widely variable weather. This year was no exception. Dry, dusty conditions on Day 1 were replaced by driving rain that turned the roads slick with mud on Day 2. The rally ended under a rainbow.

A ferocious early battle shifted gears on Day 2. Comrie-Picard and co-driver Jeremy Wimpey found themselves holding position at the front of the pack for the second half of the rally after Subaru Rally Team USA rival Pastrana barreled through a chicane – taking huge penalties.

“We would have preferred to have raced hard in a close fight right to the end,” said Comrie-Picard. “But to finish a minute and 46 seconds in the lead is an accomplishment to be proud of after 100 miles of racing.”

The duo took the most stage wins of any team, winning eight of the 16 stages.

The first-place finish moves Comrie-Picard into the top-three in the overall Rally America series — ahead of Subaru Rally Team USA driver Ken Block — and extends his lead in the North American Championship. With one round remaining in US competition, the driver is assured to at least tie Block for third place in the 2009 season.

“If Rally Colorado was anything to go by, the final round next month is going to be intense,” said Comrie-Picard. “We’re making every round count this season.”

The Colorado event saw the team return to US competition for the first time since their top-five result at X Games 15 this summer in Los Angeles. The team took a two-round hiatus from regular season competition both to prepare for the prestigious contest, and also to return their competition vehicle to gravel rally specification afterward. Rally America allows two event drops in the season, counting seven of nine rallies toward the championship.

Second-place went to Polish driver Andi Mancin and co-driver Maciej Wislawski, while Nathan Conley and co-driver Todd Moberly finished in third-place overall.

It’s the first time that Mitsubishi cars have scored a one-two finish in Rally America history.

“It was great to see two Mitsubishis atop the podium,” said Comrie-Picard.

Rally car racing is considered the extreme sport of automobile racing and is often described simply as “real cars, real roads, real fast.” This all-season motorsport sees drivers and their co-drivers take modified road cars to the limit as they achieve blistering speeds over courses that cover hundreds of miles of gravel, dirt or snow-covered roads.

The ACP Rally program is made possible by: NOS Energy (www.drinknos.com), K&N (www.knfilters.com), Mitsubishi Canada (www.mitsubishi-motors.ca), Yokohama Canada (www.yokohama.ca), Bully Dog (www.bullydog.com), Motul (www.motulusa.com), AMS (www.amsperformance.com), Works (www.worksevo.com), Brian Crower (www.briancrower.com), JE (www.jepistons.com), Exedy (www.exedyusa.com), Ohlins (www.ohlinsusa.com), Pfitzner Performance Gearbox (www.ppgearbox.com.au), Mishimoto (www.mishimoto.com), Oakley (www.oakley.com), Innovate Motorsports (www.tuneyourengine.com), Team Dynamics (www.teamdynamicsracing.com), Endless (www.endlessusa.com), NBB (www.nbblights.ca), Sparco (www.sparcousa.com), NGK (www.ngksparkplugs.com), Seibon Carbon (www.seiboncarbon.com), Rockford Fosgate (www.rockfordfosgate.com), Piloti (www.piloti.com), Stater Bros. (www.staterbros.com), and Skull Candy (www.skullcandy.com).

For more information and video highlights, visit: www.acprally.com. Find us on YouTube or Facebook under ACP Rally.

Photo by Caleb Tkach/Kevin Hahn Photography/Rally America

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NOS Energy Drink driver Andrew “ACP” Comrie-Picard scored a decisive victory this weekend at Rally Colorado, Round 8 of the Rally America Championship.

“We’re really excited to win,” said Comrie-Picard, who was co-driven by Jeremy Wimpey for the first time at this event. “We were having a really great race with Travis (Pastrana) early on, so it’s a shame it came down to a chicane but it’s great to have the victory.”

Comrie-Picard had been trading times with Pastrana on the first day of the event until the Subaru Rally Team USA driver struck a chicane and incurred hefty penalties. The driver has already secured the 2009 title – with just one round remaining, nobody can catch him in the points – and the team opted to play it safe and pull Pastrana out of competition for Day 2.

The Polish team of Andi Mancin and co-driver Maciej Wislawski finished in second-place overall after a long battle with Subaru Rally Team USA’s Ken Block in his loaner Super Production class car.

Block and co-driver Alex Gelsomino had been running ahead of Mancin until they struck a chicane element on the final stage of Day 1, taking a one-minute penalty. Then, as they fought to claw back the time, Block found himself out of the contest with engine trouble on the second-to-last stage.

The team’s Open class rally car is out of commission after a big wreck at Round 7, and they had taken over Dave Mirra’s ride for this event. Mirra sat this round out due to a conflict with his BMX competition schedule.

Block, who is perhaps best known for his sensational online gymkhana videos, has had a run of bad luck in rally competition this season and has DNF’d more times than he’s finished. Yet another poor result drops him into fourth-place in the championship, behind Pastrana, Mancin and Comrie-Picard.

Third place came down to a tie-breaker between Nathan Conley and co-driver Todd Moberly, and Mark Fox and co-driver Jake Blattner. Both crews crossed the finish line with a time of 1:35:46.0 but, under Rally America rules, a tie is resolved by counting the number of stage wins between the teams and the final spot on the overall podium went to Conley and Moberly.

With Block out, Pat Moro and co-driver Ole Holter inherited the Super Production class lead, scoring valuable points in a tight class championship battle. Heading into the final round, Moro is narrowly ahead of Piotr Wiktorczyk — who was absent from this round.

In the two-wheel drive class, Monument, Colorado’s, John Conley took the win.

All results are considered informational pending official rally processes.

The Rally Colorado event poses unique challenges. Many teams were complaining that they were down on power or overheating during the high desert stages. The altitude and subsequent lack of oxygen at this event saps the rally cars’ power. Despite this drain, the event has a reputation of being a one of the fastest in the series featuring many high-speed sections on flowing roads. The typically variable weather saw the event begin and end under bright, sunny skies, but also a rain delay and two stage cancellations due to mud on Day 2.

The rally is headquartered in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, known as “Ski Town”, USA. The small mountain community that’s home to numerous world-class ski and snowboarding events is also home to the largest ski jumping complex in America — used for training by the US Olympic Ski Jumping Team.

Rally car racing is considered the extreme sport of automobile racing and is often described simply as “real cars, real roads, real fast.” This all-season motorsport sees drivers and their co-drivers take modified road cars to the limit as they achieve blistering speeds over courses that cover more than 100 miles of gravel, dirt or snow-covered roads.

The 2009 Rally America National Championship series consists of nine exciting events that take place in a range of challenging weather and road conditions in a season that extends from February to October. Throughout the year, teams take on everything from the forest logging roads in Minnesota, to the Pacific Northwest forest and coast paths.

Top teams in the series are also invited to compete in the Summer X Games, the leading action sports event broadcast live on ABC and ESPN.

The ninth and final round of the 2009 Rally America series is the grueling Lake Superior Performance Rally, October 16 – 17, in Houghton, MI.

Video link to Andrew Comrie-Picard on careful driving:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWTOPzHioi4&feature=player_embedded

Photo Credit: Caleb Tkach/Kevin Hahn Photography/Rally America

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NOS Energy rally driver Andrew “ACP” Comrie-Picard took fifth place overall this weekend at the 2009 X Games 15 Rally Car Race at the Home Depot Centre in Los Angeles.

The team qualified well and won their first elimination round, meeting Subaru Rally Team USA driver Travis Pastrana in the quarter-final. ACP was running strong against Pastrana when he started losing turbo boost – and bleeding time. He says a hard hit after going long on the jump during practice was to blame.

“I got the biggest air of the day over the jump during practice and nosed it in,” said Comrie-Picard. “The front of the car was pretty battered by the time I lined up against Travis, and one of the boost hoses was leaking. But the crew really deserves the credit for their incredible job in repairing the car to get it back to the starting line for each round through the quarterfinals. And of course Travis drove a great race.”

The unique X Games format sees drivers go head-to-head on a mixed asphalt and dirt course through the Home Depot Center in Los Angeles, and features an exciting 70-foot gap jump that is a highlight for fans and drivers alike. The race is broadcast live on ABC and ESPN, with additional broadcasts in more than 100 countries around the world.

“This is a terrific result for the NOS Energy team and ACP,” said Ernie Manansala, Motorsports and Lifestyle Marketing Manager for NOS Energy Drink. “We wanted to make sure ACP used all his Human Horsepower to get over the jump, and sure enough he went big!”

The team’s NOS Energy Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX was the only car in the top five without factory support. IRL Champion Kenny Brack – in a Ford Fiesta — took the win when Subaru-backed Pastrana spun out during the final heat. Tanner Foust earned the bronze medal in his Ford Fiesta while teammate Brian Deegan finished in fourth. 2008 co-bronze medalists – Subaru backed Ken Block and Dave Mirra — finished seventh and eighth respectively.

“There’s no shame in losing to the Ford Fiestas, really,” said Comrie-Picard, “the cars are beautifully engineered, and they were certainly well-driven here. I hope we see more of them competing in America.”

The 2008 contest saw Comrie-Picard well in the lead over rival Mirra when he shorted the jump in his NOS Energy Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX and flipped end over end. It was a spectacular crash that made highlight reels around the world. Comrie-Picard was unharmed. The flip was one of the featured moments in X Games 3D: The Movie, which premiered in Los Angeles during X Games and hits big screens nationwide later this month.

The X Games is the premier action sports event on the globe, featuring athletes competing for medals and prize money in sports including BMX Freestyle, Moto X, Skateboard, and Rally. 2009 marks the 15th anniversary of the high-profile contest.

Comrie-Picard is among just four drivers from around the world who have been invited to X Games in every year since the sport was introduced to the contest in 2006. The Rally Car discipline is a hit in the X Games format, consistently setting the highest television ratings of the four-day action sports event.

The 2009 contest saw the elimination of rally co-drivers – deemed unnecessary on the short course – and the addition of in-car commentators that allowed fans to get closer to the action than ever before with first-hand analysis, live from the course. ACP’s 2008 X Games co-driver Jen Horsey was one of the commentators.

In the lead-up to the big show, Comrie-Picard was invited to throw the first pitch at a Los Angeles Dodgers home game against the Houston Astros. He also took a podium finish at his first-ever Lucas Oil Off Road race in a Bully Dog Superlite truck (July 25) in Lake Elsinore, California.

ACP now returns his focus to the Rally America title. There is just a four-point spread between ACP, in third at the mid-point in the season, Block, Foust and Andi Mancin. All are trailing defending champion Pastrana.

Rally car racing is considered the extreme sport of automobile racing and is often described simply as “real cars, real roads, real fast.” This all-season motorsport sees drivers and their co-drivers take modified road cars to the limit as they achieve blistering speeds over courses that cover hundreds of miles of gravel, dirt or snow-covered roads.

The ACP Rally program is made possible by: NOS Energy (www.drinknos.com), K&N (www.knfilters.com), Mitsubishi Canada (www.mitsubishi-motors.ca), Yokohama Canada (www.yokohama.ca), Bully Dog (www.bullydog.com), Motul (www.motulusa.com), AMS (www.amsperformance.com), Works (www.worksevo.com), Brian Crower (www.briancrower.com), JE (www.jepistons.com), Exedy (www.exedyusa.com), Ohlins (www.ohlinsusa.com), Pfitzner Performance Gearbox (www.ppgearbox.com.au), Mishimoto (www.mishimoto.com), Oakley (www.oakley.com), Innovate Motorsports (www.tuneyourengine.com), Team Dynamics (www.teamdynamicsracing.com), Endless (www.endlessusa.com), NBB (www.nbblights.ca), Sparco (www.sparcousa.com), NGK (www.ngksparkplugs.com), Seibon Carbon (www.seiboncarbon.com), Rockford Fosgate (www.rockfordfosgate.com), Piloti (www.piloti.com), Stater Bros. (www.staterbros.com), and Skull Candy (www.skullcandy.com).

For more information and video highlights, visit: www.acprally.com. Find us on YouTube or Facebook under ACP Rally.

Photo by Chris Maydaniuk (www.worldrallysport.com).

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NOS Energy rally driver Andrew “ACP” Comrie-Picard returns to battle with the best drivers in action sport when he takes on the invitation-only X Games Rally Car race on Sunday, Aug. 2.

The unique X Games format sees drivers go head-to-head on a mixed asphalt and dirt course through the Home Depot Center in Los Angeles, and features an exciting 70-foot gap jump that is a highlight for fans and drivers alike.

“I’m really looking forward to keeping it pinned and getting massive air over that gap,” said Comrie-Picard. “We learned last year that the Evo likes a little more speed than the other cars heading into the big jump and that’s going to be a real advantage when we get into the stadium at X Games 15.”

The 2008 contest saw Comrie-Picard well in the lead over rival Dave Mirra when he shorted the jump slightly in his NOS Energy Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX and flipped end over end. It was a spectacular crash that made highlight reels around the world. Comrie-Picard was unharmed.

“The X Games is about going big and sometimes crashing big,” said Comrie-Picard. “We gave the fans a show last year; this year we’re in it for the gold medal.”

The X Games is the premier action sports event on the globe, featuring athletes competing for medals and prize money in sports including BMX Freestyle, Moto X, Skateboard, and Rally. 2009 marks the 15th anniversary of the high-profile contest.

“X Games 15 marks NOS Energy Drink’s second proud and exciting year with Team ACP,” said Ernie Manansala, Motorsports and Lifestyle Marketing Manager for NOS Energy Drink. “We have been anticipating this event with ACP since our end-over-end encounter at X Games last year and we look forward to ACP gunning for NOS Energy Drink’s first X Games gold!”

The X Games Rally Car Race airs live on ESPN and ABC starting at 12 p.m. (Pacific Time) on Sunday, Aug. 2, with additional broadcasts in more than 100 countries around the world.

Comrie-Picard is among just four drivers from around the world who have been invited to X Games in every year since the sport was introduced to the contest in 2006. The Rally Car discipline is a hit in the X Games format, consistently setting the highest television ratings of the four-day action sports event.

The 2009 contest will see the elimination of rally co-drivers – deemed unnecessary on the short course – and the addition of in-car commentators that will allow fans to get closer to the action than ever before with first-hand analysis, live from the course. ACP’s 2008 X Games co-driver Jen Horsey will be one of the commentators.

In the lead-up to the big show, Comrie-Picard was recently invited to throw the first pitch at a Los Angeles Dodgers home game against the Houston Astros. He will also take on a Lucas Oil Off Road race in a Bully Dog truck this coming weekend (July 24-26) in Lake Elsinore, California.

ACP enters the X Games contest as a strong contender for the Rally America title. There is just a four-point spread between ACP, in third at the mid-point in the season, Ken Block, Tanner Foust and Andi Mancin. All are trailing defending champion Travis Pastrana.

Rally car racing is considered the extreme sport of automobile racing and is often described simply as “real cars, real roads, real fast.” This all-season motorsport sees drivers and their co-drivers take modified road cars to the limit as they achieve blistering speeds over courses that cover hundreds of miles of gravel, dirt or snow-covered roads.

The field for the 2009 X Games Rally Car Race is as follows:

Andrew Comrie-Picard
Travis Pastrana
Ken Block
Dave Mirra
Brian Deegan
Tanner Foust
Matt Johnson
Andi Mancin
Piotr Wiktorczyk
Arkadiusz Gruszka
Jimmy Keeney
Kenny Brack

The ACP Rally program is made possible by: NOS Energy (www.drinknos.com), K&N (www.knfilters.com), Mitsubishi Canada (www.mitsubishi-motors.ca), Yokohama Canada (www.yokohama.ca), Motul (www.motulusa.com), AMS (www.amsperformance.com), Works (www.worksevo.com), Brian Crower (www.briancrower.com), JE (www.jepistons.com), Exedy (www.exedyusa.com), Ohlins (www.ohlinsusa.com), Pfitzner Performance Gearbox (www.ppgearbox.com.au), Mishimoto (www.mishimoto.com), Oakley (www.oakley.com), Innovate Motorsports (www.tuneyourengine.com), Team Dynamics (www.teamdynamicsracing.com), Endless (www.endlessusa.com), NBB (www.nbblights.ca), Sparco (www.sparcousa.com), NGK (www.ngksparkplugs.com), Seibon Carbon (www.seiboncarbon.com), Piloti (www.piloti.com), and Skull Candy (www.skullcandy.com).

For more information and video highlights, visit: www.acprally.com. Find us on YouTube or Facebook under ACP Rally.

Photo by Coogan Taylor

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Rally driver Andrew Comrie-Picard overcame failing brakes throughout the Baie des Chaleurs Rally to finish fifth overall, clawing back from 11th overall after the first night.

“From almost the first corner of the rally it was apparent the braking system wasn’t up to handing the weight of the car on these high-speed Baie roads. We have the best pads and fluid in the business, but the rotors and calipers couldn’t take the heat” said Comrie-Picard.

With the brake calipers weeping fluid and the rotors overheating and cracking throughout the event, the team had to drive carefully to use the brakes as little as possible and brake very early.

Guest co-driver Jen Horsey said the situation made for a wild ride. “Andrew is usually very calm behind the wheel and I’ve never even heard him take a sharp intake of breath going into a corner — but there were a few here when the pedal hit the floor.”

After dropping to 11th place after the Day 1 stages, the team upped the pace on Day 2, putting in top three stage times to move ahead of rivals on every stage. Eventually they ran out of time and distance to move any higher than fifth overall, in a very competitive rally. Fortunately they had no flats on their Yokohama rally A035 tires while many of their rivals suffered punctures on the rough roads.

The finish solidifies the team’s third overall position in the Canadian Rally Championship and keeps them in shooting distance for the championship — now at its halfway point.

“We have our work cut out for us for the rest of the year, but the new Mitsubishi Evolution 10 is getting better with every event as we develop it system by system. We expect to be competing for the win at the next round,” said Comrie-Picard.

The team also scored the biggest air over the event’s famous big jump with a distance of 112 feet, recorded by rally website www.flatovercrest.com.

Rally car racing is considered the extreme sport of automobile racing and is often described simply as “real cars, real roads, real fast.” This all-season motorsport sees drivers and their co-drivers take modified road cars to the limit as they achieve blistering speeds over courses that cover hundreds of miles of gravel, dirt or snow-covered roads.

The sport is also featured in the annual X Games, the premier action sports event on the globe, featuring athletes competing for medals and prize money in sports including BMX Freestyle, Moto X, Skateboard, and Rally. Comrie-Picard has been among the dozen invited drivers every year since the rally discipline was introduced to the contest, and he secured a first-round invitation to return in 2009.

The Canadian Rally Championship has six events from coast to coast. The Rally America national championship includes nine events in a cross-continent season that extends from January to late October. ACP Rally will contest a busy season, with rally events on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border, select drift events — and the X Games. The team will return to the Canadian championship in September for Round 4, Rallye Defi, outside Montreal.

The team’s next event will be the X Games in Los Angeles.

The ACP Rally program is made possible by: NOS Energy (www.drinknos.com), K&N (www.knfilters.com), Mitsubishi Canada (www.mitsubishi-motors.ca), Yokohama Canada (www.yokohama.ca), Motul (www.motulusa.com), AMS (www.amsperformance.com), Works (www.worksevo.com), Brian Crower (www.briancrower.com), JE (www.jepistons.com), Exedy (www.exedyusa.com), Ohlins (www.ohlinsusa.com), Pfitzner Performance Gearbox (www.ppgearbox.com.au), Mishimoto (www.mishimoto.com), Oakley (www.oakley.com), Innovate Motorsports (www.tuneyourengine.com), Team Dynamics (www.teamdynamicsracing.com), Endless (www.endlessusa.com), NBB (www.nbblights.ca), Sparco (www.sparcousa.com), NGK (www.ngksparkplugs.com), Seibon Carbon (www.seiboncarbon.com), Piloti (www.piloti.com), and Skull Candy (www.skullcandy.com).

For more information and video highlights, visit: www.acprally.com.

Find us on YouTube or Facebook under ACP Rally.

Photo by Andrew Snucins, www.worldrallysport.com.

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Rally driver Andrew “ACP” Comrie-Picard overcame a series of big challenges at the Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally last weekend to move into second place in the Rally America points race.

“It was a tough weekend for us,” said Comrie-Picard. “But every point counts in this championship and we’re in it for the season.”

Comrie-Picard and Irish co-driver Marshall Clarke fought back from 31st after a rollover crash to finish the race in 13th overall. The result gave them the handful of points they needed to climb up one rung in the tight championship race.

“Marshall and I were actually able to roll the car back onto its wheels and keep going,” said Comrie-Picard. “It was a soft rollover and with a new windshield, the car was back to 100 per cent – but we lost a lot of time.”

Comrie-Picard is in second-place overall after five rounds in the Rally America championship, behind Subaru Rally Team USA driver Travis Pastrana and ahead of Rockstar Energy’s Tanner Foust.

The Susquehannock Trail event has long been known as one of the most demanding events on the U.S. calendar. The 2009 running of the contest featured a return to the popular two-day format, with a spectator-friendly daylight schedule and super special stages on each day.

“The spectator stages at the fairgrounds in Wellsboro were huge this year,” said Comrie-Picard. “It was great for us to see so many fans out there.”

The contest is renowned as one of the toughest on the Rally America calendar and the team was not alone in having problems. Factory-backed Travis Pastrana lost a minute on the first day to a suspension failure, Polish ace Andi Mancin battled braking issues and the Swedish World Rally team of Patrik Sandell and Emil Axelsson were out with a blown engine on the first day.

Rally car racing is considered the extreme sport of automobile racing and is often described simply as “real cars, real roads, real fast.” This all-season motorsport sees drivers and their co-drivers take modified road cars to the limit as they achieve blistering speeds over courses that cover hundreds of miles of gravel, dirt or snow-covered roads.

The sport is also featured in the annual X Games, the premier action sports event on the globe, featuring athletes competing for medals and prize money in sports including BMX Freestyle, Moto X, Skateboard, and Rally. Comrie-Picard has been among the dozen invited drivers every year since the rally discipline was introduced to the contest, and he has already secured an early invitation to return in 2009.

The Rally America national championship includes nine events in a cross-continent season that extends from January to late October. The Canadian Rally Championship has six events from coast to coast. ACP Rally will contest a busy season, with rally events on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border, select drift events — and the X Games.

The next U.S. event for the team will be the X Games in Los Angeles.

The ACP Rally program is made possible by: NOS Energy (www.drinknos.com), K&N (www.knfilters.com), Mitsubishi Canada (www.mitsubishi-motors.ca), Yokohama Canada (www.yokohama.ca), Motul (www.motulusa.com), AMS (www.amsperformance.com), Works (www.worksevo.com), Brian Crower (www.briancrower.com), JE (www.jepistons.com), Exedy (www.exedyusa.com), Ohlins (www.ohlinsusa.com), Pfitzner Performance Gearbox (www.ppgearbox.com.au), Mishimoto (www.mishimoto.com), Oakley (www.oakley.com), Innovate Motorsports (www.tuneyourengine.com), Team Dynamics (www.teamdynamicsracing.com), Endless (www.endlessusa.com), NBB (www.nbblights.ca), Sparco (www.sparcousa.com), NGK (www.ngksparkplugs.com), Seibon Carbon (www.seiboncarbon.com), Piloti (www.piloti.com), and Skull Candy (www.skullcandy.com).

Find us on YouTube or Facebook under ACP Rally.

Photo by Pete Kuncis, www.onalimbracing.com

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Driver Andrew “ACP” Comrie-Picard and the NOS Energy Mitsubishi put in an aggressive drive at the Oregon Trail Rally this weekend to finish fourth and maintain a top-three position in the Rally America championship standings.

Comrie-Picard and co-driver Robbie Durant were one second off the overall lead until a flat tire at the mid-point in the three-day event cost them nearly a minute to the leaders. The duo fought hard to regain position, finishing the weekend narrowly in fourth-place overall. After three days of racing and more than 100 miles of competition, the final results saw just six seconds separating second from fourth place.

“We were definitely on the pace for the win, and could have taken it without that puncture,” said Comrie-Picard. “But the championship standings are very close and we expect to be back in the lead after the next round.” Comrie-Picard and Durant went into the event leading the Rally America series.

Subaru Rally Team USA driver Travis Pastrana took the win, Rockstar Energy’s Tanner Foust was second, and the Polish driver Andi Mancin finished third to score his first-ever U.S. podium.

“This was the first event this season that we didn’t finish on the podium and that’s a disappointment,” said Comrie-Picard. “But the competition was amazing and I have to hand it to Andi Mancin – he drove a great race.”

The event was challenging from the start for the team, after an off-road excursion during a practice session before the rally sent them to the pits to rebuild the front-left corner of the car. It was thanks to the community of Mitsubishi fans in the Pacific Northwest that the team was able to take the start at all.

“Having to do a major mechanical rebuild when you’re 2,500 miles from home can be a challenge, but our friends in the Mitsubishi community came through for us here,” said Comrie-Picard. “A big thanks to everybody, especially Aaron from English Racing in Camas, Washington, and Gene from Magic Auto in Elma, Washington, for helping us out.”

At the mid-point in the U.S. season, Comrie-Picard is in third-place overall in the standings – seven points behind leader Pastrana; two points behind Foust.

The Oregon Trail Rally took place over 100 miles of competition on a course that includes a mix of twisty, hard-packed forest conditions and wide-open farming roads. The Mount Hood area’s hilly terrain meant plenty of elevation changes throughout the contest. The conditions were sunny and bright, making for dry and dusty roads and a visibility challenge for teams.

Many fans took advantage of the beautiful weather this weekend, turning out by the thousands to take in the action at the Portland International Raceway, and the Mount Hood spectator areas.

Rally activities began on Thursday with a kick-off car show in downtown Portland. Comrie-Picard was among the key series players to make an appearance Portland’s Pioneer Courthouse Square for a midday display where fans had the opportunity to meet with their favorite drivers and check out their race machines.

The action continued at the Portland International Raceway on Friday evening, with a short super special stage that used sections of both the tarmac and motocross tracks and drew an estimated 1,500 fans.

Rally car racing is considered the extreme sport of automobile racing and is often described simply as “real cars, real roads, real fast.” This all-season motorsport sees drivers and their co-drivers take modified road cars to the limit as they achieve blistering speeds over courses that cover hundreds of miles of gravel, dirt or snow-covered roads.

The sport is also featured in the annual X Games, the premier action sports event on the globe, featuring athletes competing for medals and prize money in sports including BMX Freestyle, Moto X, Skateboard, and Rally. Comrie-Picard has been among the dozen invited drivers every year since the rally discipline was introduced to the contest, and he has already secured an early invitation to return in 2009.

The Rally America national championship includes nine events in a cross-continent season that extends from January to late October. The Canadian Rally Championship has six events from coast to coast. ACP Rally will contest a busy season, with rally events on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border, select drift events — and the X Games.

Next, the team heads north for Round 2 of the Canadian Rally Championship, the Rocky Mountain Rally on May 29-30. The team is back in the U.S. on June 5-6 at the Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally in Pennsylvania.

The ACP Rally program is made possible by: NOS Energy (www.drinknos.com), K&N (www.knfilters.com), Mitsubishi Canada (www.mitsubishi-motors.ca), Yokohama Canada (www.yokohama.ca), Motul (www.motulusa.com), AMS (www.amsperformance.com), Works (www.worksevo.com), Brian Crower (www.briancrower.com), JE (www.jepistons.com), Exedy (www.exedyusa.com), Ohlins (www.ohlinsusa.com), Pfitzner Performance Gearbox (www.ppgearbox.com.au), Mishimoto (www.mishimoto.com), Oakley (www.oakley.com), Innovate Motorsports (www.tuneyourengine.com), Team Dynamics (www.teamdynamicsracing.com), Endless (www.endlessusa.com), NBB (www.nbblights.ca), Sparco (www.sparcousa.com), NGK (www.ngksparkplugs.com), Seibon Carbon (www.seiboncarbon.com), Piloti (www.piloti.com), and Skull Candy (www.skullcandy.com).

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Rally driver Andrew “ACP” Comrie-Picard and the NOS Energy Mitsubishi will continue their campaign for the Rally America title this weekend at the Oregon Trail rally in the Pacific Northwest (May 15-17).

“We’ve had a strong start to the season and we’re going to be pushing hard to stay up front this weekend,” said Comrie-Picard.

Heading into Round 4, Comrie-Picard tops the series standings with a three-point lead over Rockstar Energy driver Tanner Foust and Subaru Rally Team USA driver Travis Pastrana, who are tied for second-place.

The NOS Energy Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX, driver Comrie-Picard and co-driver Robbie Durant will be in downtown Portland on Thursday morning at 11 a.m. for a kick-off car display at Pioneer Courthouse Square.

Racing begins Friday at the Portland International Raceway, before heading to the Mount Hood area for the Saturday and Sunday stages.

During the three-day event, teams will take on over 100 miles of competitive stages on a course that promises a mix of twisty, hard-packed forest conditions and wide-open farming roads. The region’s hilly terrain means plenty of elevation changes throughout the contest.

Rally car racing is considered the extreme sport of automobile racing and is often described simply as “real cars, real roads, real fast.” This all-season motorsport sees drivers and their co-drivers take modified road cars to the limit as they achieve blistering speeds over courses that cover hundreds of miles of gravel, dirt or snow-covered roads.

The sport is also featured in the annual X Games, the premier action sports event on the globe, featuring athletes competing for medals and prize money in sports including BMX Freestyle, Moto X, Skateboard, and Rally. Comrie-Picard has been among the dozen invited drivers every year since the rally discipline was introduced to the contest, and he has already secured an early invitation to return in 2009.

The Rally America national championship includes nine events in a cross-continent season that extends from January to late October. The Canadian Rally Championship has six events from coast to coast. ACP Rally will contest a busy season, with rally events on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border, select drift events — and the X Games.

The ACP Rally program is made possible by: NOS Energy (www.drinknos.com), K&N (www.knfilters.com), Mitsubishi Canada (www.mitsubishi-motors.ca), Yokohama Canada (www.yokohama.ca), Motul (www.motulusa.com), AMS (www.amsperformance.com), Works (www.worksevo.com), Brian Crower (www.briancrower.com), JE (www.jepistons.com), Exedy (www.exedyusa.com), Ohlins (www.ohlinsusa.com), Pfitzner Performance Gearbox (www.ppgearbox.com.au), Mishimoto (www.mishimoto.com), Oakley (www.oakley.com), Innovate Motorsports (www.tuneyourengine.com), Team Dynamics (www.teamdynamicsracing.com), Endless (www.endlessusa.com), NBB (www.nbblights.ca), Sparco (www.sparcousa.com), NGK (www.ngksparkplugs.com), Seibon Carbon (www.seiboncarbon.com), Piloti (www.piloti.com), and Skull Candy (www.skullcandy.com).

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The battle for top points in the Rally America championship is heating up the Pacific Northwest as the series moves to Oregon for the fourth round, the Oregon Trail Rally (May 15-17).

A tight race at the top of the standings sees NOS Energy driver Andrew Comrie-Picard with a three-point lead over Subaru Rally Team USA’s Travis Pastrana and Rockstar Energy’s Tanner Foust — who are tied for second-place.

Pastrana and co-driver Christian Edstrom could have the edge. The driver has scored two wins in three starts this season and scored the event win in 2008. Meanwhile, Comrie-Picard and co-driver Robbie Durant, and Foust and co-driver Chrissie Beavis, have shown they can set a top pace this season. Pastrana’s Subaru teammates Ken Block and co-driver Alex Gelsomino, are always a threat for the win.

Block and the Polish team of Andi Mancin and co-driver Maciej Wislawski are hungry for points to boost their standings after a slow start to their respective seasons. Block has one win and two DNFs to his record this year, while Mancin has been expected to gain ground as the season progresses and he becomes accustomed to the U.S. style of rally competition.

The new, hotly contested Super Production Class will also see a strong field at this event, with drivers including Piotr Wiktorczyk, Matt Johnson and Subaru Rally Team USA’s Dave Mirra expected to fight hard for class honors and maintain their top-10 standings.

Promising young Dillon Van Way is another driver to watch as continues his national campaign the for two-wheel drive title, while a number of popular competitors from the Pacific Northwest including Dave Hintz, Paul Eklund, and Mark Tabor are sure to put on a great show for their hometown crowds.

The event features over 100 miles of competition over a course that promises a mix of twisty, hard-packed forest conditions and wide-open farming roads. The Mount Hood area’s hilly terrain means plenty of elevation changes throughout the contest.

Rally activities extend over four days in mid-May, with a kick-off car show in downtown Portland on Thursday, May 14. Key series players and their cars will make an appearance Portland’s Pioneer Courthouse Square for a midday display where fans can meet their favorite drivers and check out their race machines.

Competition begins on Friday, May 15, with opening stages at the Portland International Raceway. There, teams will take on a mixed tarmac and dirt course before heading out to a challenging gravel course near Hood River, Oregon, for the second and third days of the rally (May 16-17).

Avid photographers will again have the opportunity to participate in Rally America’s popular photo contest where fans can submit their best shots for a chance to win great prizes. The rally area offers plenty of views of Oregon’s beautiful Mount Hood, giving photographers the chance to capture some truly spectacular shots of this exciting event.

Rally car racing is considered the extreme sport of automobile racing and is often described simply as “real cars, real roads, real fast.” This all-season motorsport sees drivers and their co-drivers take modified road cars to the limit as they achieve blistering speeds over courses that cover more than 100 miles of gravel, dirt or snow-covered roads.

The 2009 Rally America National Championship series consists of nine exciting events throughout the country in many different weather and road conditions.

Top teams in the series are also invited to compete in the Summer X Games, the leading action sports event broadcast live on ABC and ESPN. Eight top teams have already been invited to this August’s contest. Among the marques typically represented in Rally America events are Subaru, Mitsubishi, Dodge, Ford and Volkswagen.

Event Schedule:

Thursday, May 14

11:00 – 13:00 Rally Fan Appreciation Display Pioneer Courthouse Sq, Portland

Friday, May 15

18:00 – 21:45 Spectator Spectacular Portland International Raceway

Saturday, May 16

10:00 – 12:00 Parc Expose Hood River Fairgrounds, Odell
11:00 First Car starts Day Two Hood River Fairgrounds, Odell
11:00 – 19:00 Competition Stages (Free) Hood River Area
18:40 First Car Finishes Day Two Hood River Fairgrounds, Odell

Sunday, May 17

09:00 First Car starts Day Three Hood River Fairgrounds, Odell
09:00 – 14:30 Competition Stages (Free) Hood River Area
14:45 First Car Finishes Event Hood River Fairgrounds, Odell

Rally Headquarters: Best Western Hood River Inn, Hood River. 541-386-2200

Additional information on the 2009 event, including the spectator guide, is available at the event website, http://www.oregontrailrally.com .

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Rally driver Andrew “ACP” Comrie-Picard put in an aggressive drive this weekend at the Olympus Rally to finish second overall and extend his lead in the Rally America championship series.

“This was an incredibly tough rally,” said Comrie-Picard. “The competition between the top teams was intense; we fought hard for this result.”

It is the third podium finish for the NOS Energy Mitsubishi in three starts in the series.

Entering the event, Comrie-Picard was tied with Rockstar Energy’s Tanner Foust for the championship lead. After a two-day battle over more than 100 miles of rugged stages, Comrie-Picard came out ahead in the points.

After three rounds of the Rally America championship, Comrie-Picard tops the standings with 48 points, while Foust and Subaru Rally Team USA driver Travis Pastrana are tied for second with 45 points apiece.

“We’re thrilled to be leading the championship,” said Comrie-Picard. “We’re gunning for top points this year and we’ll be battling hard at every round.”

The rally opened with a series of extremely fast stages that saw teams top 120 mph on some of the straightaways. Comrie-Picard and co-driver Robbie Durant finished the first day in the third-place position and prepared to charge on the more technical Day 2 course.

Serious mechanical trouble for the early rally leader, Subaru Rally Team USA driver Ken Block, meant the battle was on between Comrie-Picard and Red Bull’s Travis Pastrana for Day 2. The two traded seconds all weekend, even finishing stages in a dead-heat tie.

But as Comrie-Picard prepared to push into the final miles Sunday afternoon, an ailing transmission began to cost them time. Without the use of third or fourth gear through the final two stages of the event, he was unable to catch Pastrana.

“Everybody had problems; Travis and Tanner both had to do some serious transmission work overnight after Day 1, and Ken (Block) blew two motors,” said Comrie-Picard. “There’s no doubt this is a tough sport.”

Third place went to Foust. The driver had made an early bid for the lead but lost time to the leaders on Sunday while running with a back-up gearbox.

The next round for the team is the Portland-based Oregon Trail Rally in a month’s time (May 15-17). Driver Comrie-Picard is also slated to begin running select events in the prestigious Formula D drifting series in the coming months.

Rally car racing is considered the extreme sport of automobile racing and is often described simply as “real cars, real roads, real fast.” This all-season motorsport sees drivers and their co-drivers take modified road cars to the limit as they achieve blistering speeds over courses that cover hundreds of miles of gravel, dirt or snow-covered roads.

The sport is also featured in the annual X Games, the premier action sports event on the globe, featuring athletes competing for medals and prize money in sports including BMX Freestyle, Moto X, Skateboard, and Rally. Comrie-Picard has been among the dozen invited drivers every year since the rally discipline was introduced to the contest, and he has already secured an early invitation to return in 2009.

The Rally America national championship includes nine events in a cross-continent season that extends from January to late October. The Canadian Rally Championship has six events from coast to coast. ACP Rally will contest a busy season, with rally events on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border, select drift events — and the X Games.

The ACP Rally program is made possible by: NOS Energy (www.drinknos.com), K&N (www.knfilters.com), Mitsubishi Canada (www.mitsubishi-motors.ca), Yokohama Canada (www.yokohama.ca), Motul (www.motulusa.com), AMS (www.amsperformance.com), Works (www.worksevo.com), Brian Crower (www.briancrower.com), JE (www.jepistons.com), Exedy (www.exedyusa.com), Ohlins (www.ohlinsusa.com), Pfitzner Performance Gearbox (www.ppgearbox.com.au), Mishimoto (www.mishimoto.com), Oakley (www.oakley.com), Innovate Motorsports (www.tuneyourengine.com), Team Dynamics (www.teamdynamicsracing.com), Endless (www.endlessusa.com), NBB (www.nbblights.ca), Sparco (www.sparcousa.com), NGK (www.ngksparkplugs.com), Piloti (www.piloti.com), and Skull Candy (www.skullcandy.com).

Photo by Jen Horsey

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Andrew “ACP” Comrie-Picard and the ACP Rally team are looking to notch up another podium this weekend when they take on Rally America’s second round, the fast and flowing 100 Acre Wood Rally in south-central Missouri (Feb. 27-28).

“This race is about putting your foot down and keeping it there,” said Comrie-Picard. “The course is high-speed and it’s a battle of the brave to the finish.”

After a strong start in the NOS Energy Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX, the team is third in Rally America’s overall points standings and optimistic about this next round. Comrie-Picard finished on the podium at this event in 2007 and wound up a narrow fourth last year while nursing an ailing transmission during a fierce podium battle.

The early-spring event takes teams through a through Missouri’s scenic Ozark foothills. The course roads are consistently fast and flowing, but the big question mark is the weather. In previous years, conditions have run the gamut from balmy and sunny to below freezing, with pelting ice and snow.

“Bring it on,” said Comrie-Picard. “We’ve got the car and the tires for whatever Mother Nature can throw at us.”

The team will be keeping a close eye on Subaru Rally Team USA’s Ken Block, who has chalked up three wins in three previous starts at this contest. “Ken’s the guy to beat, for sure,” said Comrie-Picard. “It’s time for somebody to end his winning streak and we’d like it to be us.”

ACP Rally is back in U.S. competition following a stop in Canada, where the NOS Energy Mitsubishi rally car was on display at a prestigious automotive exhibition, the Toronto Auto Show.

Rally car racing is considered the extreme sport of automobile racing and is often described simply as “real cars, real roads, real fast.” This all-season motorsport sees drivers and their co-drivers take modified road cars to the limit as they achieve blistering speeds over courses that cover hundreds of miles of gravel, dirt or snow-covered roads.

The sport is also featured in the annual X Games, the premier action sports event on the globe, featuring athletes competing for medals and prize money in sports including BMX Freestyle, Moto X, Skateboard, and Rally. Comrie-Picard has been among the dozen invited drivers every year since the rally discipline was introduced to the contest, and he has already secured an early invitation to return in 2009.

The Rally America national championship includes nine events in a cross-continent season that extends from January to late October. Canadian Rally Championship has six events from coast to coast. ACP Rally will contest a busy season, with championship events on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border, and the X Games.

The ACP Rally program is made possible by: NOS Energy (www.drinknos.com), K&N (www.knfilters.com), Mitsubishi Canada (www.mitsubishi-motors.ca), Yokohama Canada (www.yokohama.ca), Motul (www.motulusa.com), AMS (www.amsperformance.com), Works (www.worksevo.com), Brian Crower (www.briancrower.com), JE (www.jepistons.com), Exedy (www.exedyusa.com), Ohlins (www.ohlinsusa.com), Pfitzner Performance Gearbox (www.ppgearbox.com.au), Mishimoto (www.mishimoto.com), Oakley (www.oakley.com), Innovate Motorsports (www.tuneyourengine.com), Team Dynamics (www.teamdynamicsracing.com), Endless (www.endlessusa.com), NBB (www.nbblights.ca), Sparco (www.sparcousa.com), NGK (www.ngksparkplugs.com), Piloti (www.piloti.com), and Skull Candy (www.skullcandy.com).

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