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Andrew “ACP” Comrie-Picard and Team Scion Rally xD Score Second Place at Icy SnoDrift Rally

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 07:24:10 +0000

Andrew “ACP” Comrie-Picard and the Scion Rally xD team scored a well-earned second place in the two-wheel-drive classes of the 2012 SnoDrift Rally in Atlanta Michigan this past weekend.

The podium result was hard-won after the team lay in fifth place overall after the first night of competition: “Honestly, on Friday night, I was questioning whether we could turn the race around” said Comrie-Picard, “but between some smart setup changes on the team’s part and a bit of a reset in my driving style, we managed to turn the tables on our competition on Saturday and go from over a minute out of second place to a solid result and a kickoff to our championship. I’m as proud of this result as of any in more than ten years of rally driving.”

The Scion team is competing for the overall two-wheel-drive Rally America Championship in 2012, and is very happy with the finish this weekend. Said Gordon Ting, team principal: “This is a solid result and a terrific points haul. We know from last year that we have what it takes to win on gravel, and we’re looking forward to the 100 Acre Wood Rally in late February to prove it!”

The conditions were treacherous, with a combination of water on ice, glare ice, and a dusting of snow over ice. Said co-driver Jeremy Wimpey: “Imagine your worst nightmare of an icy road surface, then drive it through the woods on a one-lane road at 90mph. It was that sort of weekend…”

BFGoodrich Winter Slalom KSI tires provided the traction for the team. Said Comrie-Picard: “Nothing should be able to grip the glare ice we were on; it’s a testament to the tires that we stayed on the road at all. The Winter Slalom’s compounding and tread pattern gave us the advantage we needed.”

The team shared the podium with Ford Fiestas in first (Chris Duplessis) and third (Dillon Van Way) places. It marks the sixth time in seven Rally America appearances that the Scion xD has been on the podium. The team plans to contest the entire Rally America Championship.

ABOUT ACP: Andrew Comrie-Picard is the 2009 North American Rally Champion, five-time X Games Athlete, and an X Games medalist. He has also competed in the RallyCar Rallycross series, the FormulaD drift championship, short-course off-road racing, and in the Baja1000. When he isn’t racing, Comrie-Picard works in film, television, and print media as a precision driver, producer, and host. He lives in Los Angeles, California.
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For more information and video highlights, visit: www.acpracing.com, www.rallyxd.com, and www.scionracing.com. Find ACP on YouTube or Twitter under ACPRacing, and at http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=648360509

Photos:

Team Scion xD Rally flies through a snowy corner. Envy Photography

Podium result for Comrie-Picard and Wimpey. Scion Rally xD

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Andrew “ACP” Comrie-Picard and NOS Energy Debuts New Motor at RallyCar Rallycross

Fri, 01 Oct 2010 18:24:56 +0000

Andrew “ACP” Comrie-Picard and his NOS Energy Team ACP Racing will debut a new engine in the intense competition this weekend at RallyCar’s second Rallycross event in North America. The 2009 North American Rally Champion placed fifth overall at the previous event in the series in August, but did so with a blown headgasket on their Mitsubishi Evolution IX throughout the event.

The new engine, built at AMS Motorsport in Chicago and installed at race shop Rallispec near Philadelphia, uses Brian Crower internals and custom JE Pistons to the same specs ACP Racing used to take the bronze medal in this year’s X Games Rally Car event.

“We added a few tricks to this one” said Comrie-Picard, “but it’s essentially the tried and true formula that took us to the championship and through the X Games this year. We’re still going to have to search for more power, but this is a step in the right direction.”

The team will still run the engine on the 40mm intake restrictor and OEM Mitsubishi turbo that they normally use in rally competition. “We haven’t found the right turbo-tune formula to make this car run fast on the 45mm restrictor allowed by the Rallycross rules,” said crew chief Eric Vlasic, “so we’re staying on the small restrictor which is good for torque off the line. Andrew should be able to pull on the starts, but he’ll just have to deal with staying in front of the more powerful cars once they’re all up to speed.”

The top-spec Ford Fiestas of Olsbergs and the Citroen C4 of Liam Doran are all well-developed cars developed for this format of racing flown over from Europe for these events in America. All run the large restrictors and develop close to 600hp, almost twice what the main North American competitors – including ACP Racing – are typically making from their rally-derived cars.

Comrie-Picard doesn’t see this as an impediment. “We’ve got lots of game that isn’t all about the power. First off, we have the BFGoodrich rally-spec tires from their WRC and IRC efforts, which are terrific. And if it’s wet, we have other options in this range that the other guys don’t have.” Southern New Jersey was affected by flooding late Thursday night and Friday morning from heavy rains, although these are expected to taper through the weekend.

“Second, I’ve got a bit more track and short-course experience than some of the other guys, and that helped in the previous event. That advantage is small and won’t last for long, but I plan to maximize the edge” claimed Comrie-Picard.

The event will be extremely competitive, with former European Championship-winning platforms in the Ford Fiestas and the Citroen C4, and the debut of Rhys Millen to the format in an ex-WRC Hyundai Accent. Combined with the nail-biting, fan-friendly, and highly-televisable Rallycross format, the series is bound to succeed as it builds momentum into 2011.

“When you’ve got more manufacturers coming in and cars flying over from Europe for a new American racing series, you know you’re on to something,” said Comrie-Picard. “This is a series that’s getting huge.”

The NOS Energy team will return at the next scheduled Rallycross event on November 6-7 at the same venue, which will be the last of the three-event 2010 series. For next year, “watch this space,” quipped Comrie-Picard. “We’ll be busy this winter getting ready to take this series in 2011.”

Comrie-Picard will be interviewed on Road & Track Speed Radio this Saturday Oct. 2 at 1pm Pacific, 4pm Eastern. The broadcast is distributed through various local affiliates and can be streamed at www.radioamerica.org. You can read his feature article on rally driving techniques in the current issue of Grassroots Motorsports.

ABOUT THE DRIVER:
Andrew Comrie-Picard is the 2009 North American Rally Champion and in 2010 competed in X Games for a fifth time and won a bronze medal. He also drifts at the professional level for Dodge Motorsports and BFGoodrich in the FormulaD drift championship in a Viper. When he isn’t racing, Comrie-Picard works in film, television, and print media as an automotive expert; he hosts the television show Ultimate Car Build-off (http://dsc.discovery.com/tv/ultimate-car-build-off/) airing on Discovery Channel. He lives in Los Angeles, California.

ABOUT RALLYCROSS:
Rallycross is a highly-exciting, fan-oriented motorsport in which 500+ horsepower cars go head-to-head on a closed-circuit dirt and tarmac course. More info can be found at www.rally-america.com

The ACP Rally program is made possible by: NOS Energy (www.drinknos.com), BFGoodrich (www.bfgoodrichtires.com), Motul (www.motulusa.com), Oakley (www.oakley.com), AMS (www.amsperformance.com), Brian Crower (www.briancrower.com), JE (www.jepistons.com), Exedy (www.exedyusa.com), Ohlins (www.ohlinsusa.com), Enkei Wheel (www.enkei.com), Albins Off Road Gears (www.albinsgear.com.au), Mishimoto (www.mishimoto.com), Recaro (www.recaro.com), Lincoln Electric (www.lincolnelectric.com), Innovate Motorsports (www.tuneyourengine.com), Works (www.worksevo.com), NGK (www.ngksparkplugs.com), Rockford Fosgate (www.rockfordfosgate.com), Piloti (www.piloti.com), K&N (www.knfilters.com), and Skull Candy (www.skullcandy.com).

For more information and video highlights, visit: www.acpracing.com and read the team’s blog at www.drinknos.com. Find us on YouTube or Twitter under ACPRacing, and at http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=648360509

ACP leads into first corner at New Jersey Rallycross in August, photo by Neil McDaid

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Andrew “ACP” Comrie-Picard Scores Top 5 Finish at Inaugural US Rallycross

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 19:39:27 +0000

North American Rally Champion Andrew “ACP” Comrie-Picard and his NOS Energy Team ACP Racing placed a strong fifth overall in the first European-style rallycross event in US history, held this past weekend at New Jersey Motorsports Park.

Despite competing throughout the heats and “A” final event with a blown headgasket and the interior heater on full blast in the over-90 degree temperatures, and while racing with a smaller 40mm intake restrictor than the 45mm-restricted winning European-spec Ford Fiesta, Comrie-Picard drove his Mitsubishi Evo rally car to the limit to be in the A final and score the result.

“I’m really happy with the weekend for a bunch of reasons,” said a happy ACP. “First off, it’s terrific proof that Rallycross is going to work as a format in the US. The thousands of fans were insanely enthusiastic, and the track administration said it was by far the most exciting event they’ve hosted since they opened the beautiful facility three years ago, and that includes Grand-Am and Superbikes.” The Rallycross track arrangement used sections of the well-engineered racetrack, then diverted onto several dirt portions built specifically for the event, including a jump, and a “joker” diversion course that each car is required to take once per heat.

“Second, we had a great result considering that the two Fords that beat us were full-spec European rallycross cars, and the two Subarus were the US factory team effort. For us as privateers, and especially considering our small turbo and restrictor, we really couldn’t have hoped for better. I drove the car right to the edge, and better yet, we all had crazy fun doing it.” Fellow competitor Dave Mirra and Comrie-Picard were seen in each others’ pits after heats talking excitedly about what had happened in each race. “This is real fun for us, honestly. In rally, you might talk to each other after a stage and try to compare notes on the course. Here, we’re like ‘dude! I totally got you where the joker merges in over the jump!’ That’s fun, and the spectators love it too” said ACP.

The team was assisted by BFGoodrich tire technology derived from successful World Rally programs, using tarmac rally tires of the type used by top BFGoodrich teams internationally. “The braking was insane,” said Comrie-Picard, “one of the other top competitors on a different tire rear-ended me in a braking zone when he locked up. I should have known he wasn’t on BFGs.”

The NOS Energy team will return at the next scheduled Rallycross event on October 2-3 at the same venue, with a new AMS motor and polycarbonate windshield. “We’ll be back with an evolved car and more game. Make no mistake,” quipped Comrie-Picard, “we’re in it to win it.”

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Andrew “ACP” Comrie-Picard and NOS Energy Score Decisive Win at Oregon Trail Rally

Mon, 17 May 2010 23:56:51 +0000

North American Rally Champion Andrew “ACP” Comrie-Picard and the NOS Energy Rally Team won the long and difficult Oregon Trail Rally this weekend, scoring victory with a strong and steady drive in an event that saw both close competition and some major crashes. The team led almost the entire event on the way to the win.

“It’s a great result,” said Comrie-Picard, “everything went according to our strategy and the win is an important one at this point in the season. It’s great that the car, the team, and our partners are all working so well.”

Comrie-Picard and co-driver Jeremy Wimpey, in their NOS Energy Mitsubishi on BFGoodrich tires, started off the three-day event with a strong performance at Portland International Raceway and took a narrow lead into the first night over rivals Ken Block (Ford/Pirelli), Dave Mirra (Subaru/BFGoodrich), and Antoine L’Estage (Mitsubishi/Yokohama).

Early on the second day of competition, in the Hood River region of Oregon, Block set two fastest times and briefly overhauled Comrie-Picard for the lead, but on the next stage rolled the car and was unable to continue. The same corner had claimed Mirra with a roll earlier in the day. L’Estage cracked a wheel and dropped back in the field but was able to claw back to third place overall by the end of the competition.

William Bacon, in a Mitsubishi Evolution similar to Comrie-Picard’s, put in a steady and fast drive with no major problems to finish second, 44 seconds off the winning time.

“We just went out with a pace in mind and stuck to the plan,” said co-driver Wimpey, “we pushed a bit on the first night to get the lead then paced ourselves for the next two days to be where we needed to be at the end.”

The event included a wide variety of road characters and surfaces, from tarmac and mixed tarmac stages on Friday, to twisty, technical, and rough gravel stages on Saturday, to very fast, smooth, and silty stages on Sunday. Hot weather tested the endurance of cars and teams.

The result vaults Comrie-Picard past Block and into to a tie for fourth place with Dave Mirra in the Rally America Championship.

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), BFGoodrich (www.bfgoodrichtires.com), Motul (www.motulusa.com), AMS (www.amsperformance.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), Recaro (www.recaro.com), Innovate Motorsports (www.tuneyourengine.com), Works (www.worksevo.com), NGK (www.ngksparkplugs.com), Rockford Fosgate (www.rockfordfosgate.com), Piloti (www.piloti.com) and Skull Candy (www.skullcandy.com).

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Late race charge ends in snow bank for rally driver ACP at Rallye Perce-Neige

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 20:27:21 +0000

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 set for the snow

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 22:52:06 +0000

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.

Photo courtesy of Scott Rains.

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Pat Richard wins DRAMATIC Rally of the Tall Pines, crowned Canadian Rally Champion

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 21:52:16 +0000

In a dramatic season finale, Pat Richard (Squamish, B.C.) and Alan Ockwell (Toronto) won the Rally of the Tall Pines in Bancroft, Ontario to clinch the 2009 Canadian Rally Championship, presented by Subaru and supported by Yokohama.

“It’s fantastic to repeat as champions,” said Richard, who in winning the event, took his fourth overall title. “Now I have to win two more titles and tie the record!”

Transmission problems late in the day threatened to put the team out of the event, but the Subaru Impreza STI held up to get the pair into service where a new transmission was installed, allowing the two to continue. With this result, Richard and Ockwell also secured the manufacturer’s title for Subaru Canada.

Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard (Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que.) had a heartbreaking event. The two-time Canadian and North American Champions had been leading into the final four stages when clutch problems prevented them from starting the last stage on time. As the pair struggled to get going, competitors passed them on the stage and the team watched not just the event win, but the Canadian Rally Championship title and North American Rally Cup title fall apart in front of them. They eventually got the car going, finishing fifth.

“It’s been said that the highs in the this sport are really high, but that it can also be cruel,” said L’Estage, “We definitely felt that today.”

Andrew Comrie-Picard (Toronto) and Jeremy Wimpey (State College, PA) finished a strong second place in their NOS Mitsubishi EVO X. “We’ve just drove as hard as we could,” said Comrie-Picard. “Our car isn’t as developed as we’d like, so we knew we’d have to make it up in the driving.”

For Comrie-Picard, this result secures him the North American Rally Cup driver’s title.

Frank and Dan Sprongl (Georgetown, Ont.) were driving the second Subaru Rally Team Canada Impreza STI, finishing third. “We got quicker through the day,” said Frank. “It’s been three years since we’ve been in a car together, and two years since I have driven on gravel, so it’s been a good weekend.”

Two wheel drive competition was well represented, with 16 entries spread over three classes.

Michael Hordijk (Mars, PA) and Jessie Amend (Pittsburgh, PA) were the top two-wheel drive car in their VW TDI Golf, finishing 11th and winning the Group 5 class. Though the pair has rallied in the US, this marks their first event in Canada.

Martin Walter (North Gower, Ont.) and Ferdinand Trauttmansdorf (Ottawa) were the second place two wheel drive car in their Nissan 240 SX. The team finished in 13th overall. Third two wheel drive was Peter Kocandrle (Acton, Ont.) and Jimmy Brandt (Lake Odessa, MI) in a Suzuki Swift GT. Kocandrle and Brandt finished 14th overall and won the Group 2 class. Matt Barnes (Kitchener, Ont.) and Andrew Wallbank (Guelph, Ont.) finished 18th, winning the Production Sport class in a Toyota Paseo.

The 2009 Two Wheel Drive Championship driver’s title went to Jan Zedril (Winnipeg), with Leanne Junnila (Calgary). The Group 2 title went to Jan and Jody Zedril (Winnipeg), while Neil and Lorna Wright (Ottawa) earned the Production Sport title. Production GT went to Hardy Schmidtke (Cochrane, Alta.) and Adam Vokes (Red Deer, Alta.). Nathalie Richard won the Ladies Championship, and Nick Mathew (Mississauga, Ont.) was the top novice driver.

“We had a record number of entries this year, with 51 cars at the start line,” said rally coordinator Mike Koch. “We had unusually warm conditions, making it great for spectators to watch one of the deepest fields of the year in action.”

Rally car racing is often described simply as “real cars, real roads, real fast.” The all-season motorsport sees drivers and their co-drivers take modified road cars to the limit as they achieve blistering speeds over closed-road courses that typically cover more than 150 kilometers of gravel, dirt or snow-covered roads. Fans can get up close to the cars in the service areas and catch all the action from specially designated spectator points located at the best spots on the route.

The Canadian Rally Championship is comprised of six events held nationwide in a season that extends from February to November. The series is presented by Subaru Canada, supported by Yokohama Tire Canada and features contingency programs from Subaru Canada and Mitsubishi Canada. The Canadian Association of Rallysport (CARS) is the official sanctioning body for rallying in Canada.

Full coverage of the championship will air on RDS and TSN. Check local listings.

For more information: www.carsrally.ca or www.tallpinesrally.com

Rally of the Tall Pines Final Results (full results at www.tallpinesrally.com)

1 ) Pat Richard – Alan Ockwell (Subaru Impreza STI) – 1 hour 53 min. 48 sec.
2 ) Andrew Comrie-Picard – Jeremy Wimpey (Mitsubishi EVO X) – 1:56:44
3 ) Frank Sprongl – Dan Sprongl (Subaru Impreza STI) – 1:57:07
4 ) Leo Urlichich – Martin Headland (Subaru Impreza STI) – 2:02:51
5 ) Antoine L’Estage – Nathalie Richard (Mitsubishi EVO X) – 2:03:43
6 ) Simon Losier – Francois Morin (Mitsubishi EVO VIII) – 2:07:25
7 ) Chris Martin – Phil Narini (Subaru Impreza) – 2:10:55
8 ) Martin Donnelly – Dave Shindle (Subaru Impreza STI) – 2:16:10
9 ) Bruno-Pierre Allard – Karen Wagner (Subaru Impreza STI) – 2:18:00
10) Nicola Narini – Massimo Narini (Subaru Impreza) – 2:19:32

Canadian Rally Championship Final Driver Standings

1 ) Pat Richard – 90 points
2 ) Antoine L’Estage – 84 points
3 ) Simon Losier – 50 points
4 ) Andrew Comrie-Picard – 47 points
5 ) Craig Henderson – 40 points
6 ) Leo Urlichich – 28 points
7 ) Bruno Carre – 25 points
8 ) Hardy Schmidtke – 21 points
9 ) Nick Mathew – 20 points
10 ) Sylvain Erickson – 18 points

Canadian Rally Championship Final Co-Driver Standings

1 ) Alan Ockwell – 90 points
2 ) Nathalie Richard – 86 points
3 ) Francois Morin – 58 points
4 ) Lyne Murphy – 44 points
5 ) Martin Headland – 30 points
6 ) Yvan Joyal – 25 points
7 ) Adam Vokes – 23 points
8 ) Keith Morison – 21 points
9 ) Kelly Mathew – 21 points
10 ) Philip Erickson – 17 points
= ) Daniel Duchesneau – 17 points

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Andrew “ACP” Comrie-Picard and ACP Racing win the North American Rally Championship

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:33:47 +0000

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.

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 NOS Energy take third overall in 2009 Rally America Championship

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 19:04:18 +0000

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.”

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 ACP and the NOS Energy Mitsubishi win Rally Colorado

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 04:33:04 +0000

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.

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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