Defending Rally America champion Travis Pastrana skated to victory on Saturday at Sno*Drift, the incredibly slick 2010 season opener.

Pastrana and co-driver Christian Edstrom built a solid early lead and continued to put time on the rest of the field over the course of the two-day rally — despite a badly injured left shoulder.

“Man, I’m really excited,” said Pastrana. “Everybody next rally is going to come with a sling.”

Pastrana broke his collarbone last Sunday during a motocross ride and had to undergo surgery this week to plate it back together before he could drive. But, ever the optimist, Pastrana said the injury actually helped his performance.

“As slick a the roads were out here, I drove as smooth as I could – for the shoulder – and it made me focus a little bit more,” he said at the finish. “It was probably the best thing that could have happened for us.”

In second place, more than a minute and a half back, were challengers Antoine L’Estage and co-driver Nathalie Richard. The former Canadian champions typically run select events south of the border and added Sno*Drift to their calendar this season.

“I was hoping to be closer to Travis and fight for the win but he was the fastest this weekend, so congrats to him,” said L’Estage. “It was such a tough rally with crazy conditions – glare ice on all the stages.”

Bill Bacon and co-driver Peter Watt earned the third spot on the podium with a measured drive. Bacon is a proven podium threat, but typically runs only a partial championship season.

“Everyone’s saying how icy it was, but the reality is you could have skated half of the rally,” said Bacon. “People don’t really know how icy it was out there.”

Fourth place went to the NOS Energy team of Andrew “ACP” Comrie-Picard and co-driver Jeremy Wimpey, while the father-son team of Travis and Terry Hanson rounded out the top-five and took the Super Production class win.

The top two-wheel drive team was Chris Duplessis and Catherine Woods, who finished 11th overall in a 1990 Volkswagen GTI. The duo were the only two-wheel drive car to finish in the top half of the field. Duplessis is an extremely talented two-wheel drive competitor who cut his teeth as an instructor at the Team O’Neil rally school.

The treacherous event claimed several high-profile victims.

Ken Block and co-driver Alex Gelsomino, who made the move from Subaru to Ford this year as part of their campaign with the Monster World Rally Team, failed to finish after a mechanical failure on Day 1.

“We had some sort of component in the suspension break,” Block said. “It’s really unfortunate because I was driving conservatively and was in third place and just trying to finish.”

Subaru Rally Team USA’s Dave Mirra and co-driver Derek Ringer – who moved up from Super Production to Open class for 2010 – had been running as high as fourth overall in the event before they found some snow banks and a tree late on Day 2. The team pulled into the final control of the day shedding pieces of bodywork from their battered car. But, even after the incident, they still managed to finish in sixth place.

Comrie-Picard and Wimpey also slid into a snow bank on Stage 9 and were stuck until rally novices Craig Decker and co-driver Adam Craig – pro mountain bikers who are running their first national event this weekend – stopped to help them out.

Sno*Drift is one of the few true snow rallies in the world. Located in the region of the 45th parallel — the halfway point between the equator and the North Pole – and the weather here at this time of year is bitterly cold. For the 2010 running of the event, the course roads were covered in glare ice. Teams cover 130 miles of competitive stages over two days.

Unusual among snow events, the Sno*Drift rally does not permit teams to use studded tires so competing in these conditions is an extremely specialized skill. Rally rules traditionally require cars to be street legal and studs are not allowed in this part of Michigan.

The second round in the Rally America championship is the 100 Acre Wood Rally February 26 – 27 in southern Missouri.

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.

This year there will be six forest events from Maine to Washington, before X Games 16, plus three new European style rallycross events after X Games — all based in Southern New Jersey.

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.

All results are considered provisional pending official post-event race processes.

Photos: Matt Young/World Rally Sport

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The premiere rally teams in North America will be fighting head-to-head for top honours at the Rally of the Tall Pines, the final round of the 2009 Canadian Rally Championship, presented by Subaru, supported by Yokohama.

Subaru Rally Team Canada’s Pat Richard (Squamish, B.C.) and co-driver Alan Ockwell (Toronto) need to win to have a hope for repeating as Canadian Rally Champion driver and co-driver. The team is also leading the points standings for the manufacturers championship in their 2008 Subaru Impreza STI.

“The manufacturers title is our number one priority,” said Richard. “We have to approach this just like any other rally, and win again.”

Championship rivals Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard (Ste-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que.) are in a slightly more relaxed position, with a second place finish netting the driver and co-driver titles. The pair campaign the Mitsubishi/Rockstar/Concerto EVO X.

“There’s still pressure on us,” said L’Estage, who also has a chance to clinch the North American Rally Cup with a solid finish at Tall Pines. “Competition will be tough, and I like this rally, but it can be very tricky.”

Brothers Frank and Dan Sprongl (Georgetown, Ont.) will be reunited in a car for the first time since 2006. Multiple Canadian and North American Champions, the two are sure to mix things up at the front of the pack. The team will be first on the road, driving a factory-backed Subaru Rally Team Canada Subaru Impreza STI.

“We’ve got nothing to lose, so there’s no pressure,” said Frank Sprongl, “It’s our first time back together, and Dan’s jumping in with both feet.” While they are not a factor in the driver’s championship, they could play a major role in the manufacturers standings by providing Subaru with an additional top-seeded entry.

Andrew Comrie-Picard (Toronto) and Jeremy Wimpey (State College, PA) will hope to secure the North American Rally Cup in their NOS Energy Drink Mitsubishi EVO X.

“We’ll need that delicate balance of speed, precision and reliability. Fortunately, the Evo is perfect for Pines,” said Comrie-Picard in regards to the thick competition.

More than 50 teams are on the start list for this event, including more than 20 two-wheel drive cars, and ten teams entered from the U.S. Zbigniew Szewczyk and Tomasz Karzynski (Calgary) will be pushing their Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart to the limit to secure the Group 5 Championship. They’ll have tough competition in the form of Martin Walter (North Gower, Ont.) and Ferdinand Trauttmansdorff (Ottawa) in their Nissan 240 SX. The teams are presently tied in the standings.

The storied Rally of the Tall Pines is an event that features some of the toughest driving challenges in North America, with conditions often referred to as “winter roads with summer ditches”.

The cold weather in the region at this time of year means the roads can become snow or ice covered, but drivers will not have the benefit of snow banks to keep them on the road. A small mistake can have big consequences at this event.

The Rally of the Tall Pines is one of the most spectator-friendly in the series, including a Super Special stage minutes from downtown Bancroft. The rally is held November 20-21, 2009, and includes more than 150 kilometers of competitive stages run in the Canadian Shield setting around Bancroft, Ontario.

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 kilometres 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 on the web: www.CARSrally.ca ; www.tallpinesrally.com

PHOTO 1: Frank and Dan Sprongl test their factory Subaru Impreza STI prior to the Rally of the Tall Pines. (Photo Credit: Warwick Patterson/Flatovercrest.com)

PHOTO 2: Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard in their Mitsubishi Evolution X are leading the championship race going into the final round. (Photo Credit: Andrew Harvey/Flatovercrest.com)

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The Subaru Rally Team Canada pairing of Pat Richard (Squamish, B.C.) and Alan Ockwell (Toronto) won the 2009 Pacific Forest Rally, the fifth round of the Canadian Rally Championship presented by Subaru and supported by Yokohama. Mixed conditions in the hills surrounding the Nicola Valley took a toll on both teams and cars, with battles raging all through the order.

Richard and Ockwell suffered a technical problem during the final service, requiring them to delay their departure and incur a penalty which nearly cost them the event. The duo proceeded to crush the stage record on the final stages to re-affirm their win.

“We were only three seconds ahead going into the last stages,” said Richard. “We broke the stage record on Helmer, and made up 23 seconds on one stage alone.”

Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard (Ste-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que.) were tempted to fight for the win, but had their minds on a bigger prize. With a second place finish, the two retain a six point lead in the Canadian Rally Championship heading into the final event next month.

“It was very tempting to get into an all out battle with Pat,” said L’Estage. “But we came here to make sure we keep as big a lead in the championship as possible, and it wasn’t worth the risk to push.”

Scott Trinder and Bill Westhead (Vancouver) finished third after a close battle with rivals in the last few stages. The result is the first national podium finish for the team.

“I’m totally stoked on the result,” said an excited Trinder. “We came out here aiming to try to finish in the top few Subarus, but we’re the top privateer Subaru entry, which is amazing.”

Jan and Jody Zedril (Winnipeg, MB) earned the top two-wheel drive finish, clinching the 2009 Group 2 class title. The overall two-wheel drive championship is still to be decided at the final event.

“Competition in two wheel drive has really stepped up,” said Jan Zedril. “You realize how many more risks you need to take just to gain a few seconds.”

Eric Grochowski and Leanne Junilla (Calgary) finished second in two-wheel drive with their VW Golf, despite engine problems that worsened through the rally. Carl Barrell and Martin Burnley were third in two wheel drive, also driving a VW Golf.

“This has been one of the most exciting events we’ve had in a long time, with lots of battles throughout the field,” said event organizer Paul Westwick. “We had really variable conditions – snow, sand, mud, gravel – and that kept things interesting.”

The manufacturer’s championship will also be decided at the final event of the season, where Subaru will defend a slim 10-point lead over rivals, Mitsubishi.

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 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.

The final round of the Canadian Rally Championship is the Rally of the Tall Pines, held in Bancroft, ON, November 19-21, 2009.

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

For more information: www.CARSrally.ca ; www.pacificforestrally.com

Pacific Forest Rally Final Results (full results at www.pacificforestrally.com)

1) Pat Richard – Alan Ockwell (Subaru Impreza STI) – 1 hours 26 min. 12.40 sec.
2) Antoine L’Estage – Nathalie Richard (Mitsubishi EVO X ) – 1:27:23.00
3) Scott Trinder – Bill Westhead (Subaru Impreza WRX) – 1:33:45.20
4) Simon Losier – Francois Morin (Mitsubishi EVO VIII) – 1:34:13.50
5) Mark Jennings-Bates – Jennifer Daly (Subaru Impreza STI) – 1:36:54.90
6) Jan Zedril – Jody Zedril (Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart) – 1:39:16.80
7) Colin Armstrong – Keith Morison (Subaru Impreza WRX) – 1:40:46.90
Graham Bruce – Ryan Warrington (Subaru Impreza STI) – 1:42:06.70
9) Eric Grochowski – Leanne Junilla (Volkswagen Golf) – 1:42:23.50
10) Dave Hintz – Rick Hintz (Subaru Impreza WRX) – 1:42:39.80

PHOTOS: Andrew Harvey/Flatovercrest.com

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This past weekend, at the wheel of their Rockstar Royal Group Mitsubishi Evo X, Quebec driver Antoine L’Estage and his co-driver Nathalie Richard, both of St-Jean-sur-Richelieu (QC), earned valuable points to maintain their lead in the 2009 Canadian Rally Championship. By finishing second at the Pacific Forest Rally in Merritt, BC, the penultimate round in the series, current North American Rally Champions L’Estage and Richard have made it one step closer to claiming their third overall Canadian title.

“A strong finish at this rally was our main objective,” confides Antoine L’Estage. Sitting in second place with a fifteen second deficit at the end of Friday night, the L’Estage/Richard duo took charge the following morning by winning the first four mountain stages.

By the end of the ninth of sixteen stages, and without taking any unnecessary risks, Antoine and Nathalie had climbed back to within less than a second behind first place. “Unfortunately, we suffered a small problem with the turbo that cost us about forty seconds. From that moment on, we accepted that we would just manage our second place until the end of the rally. Mother Nature teased us a little before the start of the rally but our Yokohama tires once again did the job for us in these challenging road conditions” adds L’Estage.

Championship points were the most important goal for the Rockstar Royal Group team, who lead the 2009 hunt for the title by six points and one rally remaining. “We usually don’t settle for anything other than the rally victory but we had to keep the big picture in our minds. Any smart team would’ve done the same thing and we are happy with the result – we keep the championship lead and that’s what we wanted to return home with. We didn’t want to take any risks here and the car heads back east without even a scratch,” indicates Nathalie Richard.

The battle for the 2009 title will play out on November 21 at Ontario’s Rally of the Tall Pines, a rally that Antoine L’Estage has won three times. “I really enjoy the Rally of the Tall Pines and I’m confident we will clinch the championship there,” concludes L’Estage. Even if their closest championship rival wins the last rally, L’Estage and Richard could once again settle for second place and still be crowned 2009 Canadian Champions.

Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard participate in the 2009 Canadian Rally Championship with the proud support of Rockstar Energy Drink, Royal Group, Mitsubishi Canada, Yokohama Tires, Mobil, Energie Cardio, Libra Racing, OMP Racewear, and MBF Racing. For more details on the team or general rally information, please visit the Coyote Rallye Website .

Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard in action at the 2009 Pacific Forest Rally.
Photo: Andrew Snucins www.worldrallysport.com

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Antoine L’Estage and co-driver Nathalie Richard from St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec in their new Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution are one step closer to winning the 2009 Canadian Rally Championship after finishing in second place at the Pacific Forest Rally, the fifth round of the season. L’Estage and Richard fought hard in each of the 15 speed stages and were 0.6 second from the lead after 11 stages. Meanwhile, Jan and Jody Zedril from Winnipeg locked up the Group 2 title with another class victory in their front-wheel drive Lancer ES and earned a deserving sixth overall, their best finish ever in the championship. It was the fourth class win in five outings for the Manitoban brothers who lead the 2WD standings.

Simon Losier and Francois Morin almost had a podium in sight in their Boisvert Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 8 RS when they were slowed by a flat tire. They completed the event in fourth overall, a mere 28 seconds from third place. Finally, Zebe Szewczyk and Tomasz Karzynski from Calgary steered their Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart to Group 5 class win.

“We congratulate our teams for their outstanding performances at the Pacific Forest Rally,” said Kogi Soga, President and CEO of Mitsubishi Motor Sales of Canada Inc. “We are always happy when Mitsubishi teams are successful and we are glad that our rally program is a part of their involvement in motorsports.”

Rally of the Tall Pines finale
The last event of the season will be the famous Rally of the Tall Pines, held in Ontario around the city of Bancroft on the 19 – 21 of November. Tall Pines has been the season finale for decades and road conditions are always the key to an exciting and unpredictable event. A second place for L’Estage / Richard would confirm their title but they will still vie for the outright victory. More information is available at www.tallpinesrally.com.

Antoine L’Estage and co-driver Nathalie Richard (left) are one step away from becoming the Canadian rally champions in their Lancer Evolution. Jan and Jody Zedril from Winnipeg are the new Group 2 Canadian title holders.

Pictures : Philip Ericksen, Barry Giles

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Regional Rally Teams come from all over to claim their share of the MaxAttack! cash awards

With the first five rally events of the 2009 Rally America National Championship in the record books already, the top Regional and National rally teams from across the United States and Canada will soon be making their way to the tiny resort village of Newry, Maine for the New England Forest Rally – home to the Sunday River Resort and round #6 of the 9-event Rally America National Championship.

Set for Friday and Saturday, July 17 & 18, 2009, as many as 45 or more top-level rally teams are expected to be competing on some of the fastest gravel and forest roads in the country for top honors at this always-popular rally event.

Sitting atop the Rally America National points championship right now and expected to be competing at this year’s New England Forest Rally is 3-time Rally America Champion and Freestyle Motocross legend Travis Pastrana who drives for Subaru Rally Team USA – the factory-backed rally team based in Colchester, Vermont. Along with his teammates Ken Block, co-founder of DC Shoes USA, and X Games & BMX legend Dave Mirra, the Subaru rally team will be looking for another overall rally victory at this year’s New England Forest Rally.

Also expected at the top of the charts at this year’s event will be Canadian rally Ace Antoine L’Estage along with his Co-Driver and fiance’ Nathalie Richard driving their John Buffum-prepared & Rockstar Energy-backed Mitsubishi Evolution X. A former overall winner of the New England Forest Rally, L’Estage is a very technical driver as well as a multi-time Canadian Rally Champion who can’t be overlooked regarding the overall victory in Maine.

New to this year’s New England Forest Rally will be a large contingent of Regional rally teams from across the Northeastern United Sates and Eastern Canada. These teams will be competing for their share of $15,000 in prize money as the Maine-based rally will be just one of three rally events in the United States that make up the 3-round MaxAttack! Championship for Regional rally teams for 2009 – the other two rally events include Rally Idaho and the Ojibwe Forests Rally in Minnesota.

Although the New England Forest Rally will be contested over two days and 125 plus miles of gravel and forest stages for the National competitors, the Regional rally teams will compete on the very same roads as the National teams, but in two separate 1-day Regional rally events run simultaneously with the National rally.

Friday’s Regional rally will be known at the “Drive Your Future Rally” presented by the National Guard and will be highlighted by a “Super Special” in the town of Mexico, Maine. Taking place at the Mexico Recreational Area located just off Rt. 17 in Mexico, spectators will be have the opportunity to watch their favorite rally driver or team complete an entire gravel rally stage, complete with a jump, from start to finish right in front of them. Fans will also have the chance for an up-close look at the service crews as they take care of their rally cars at the Service Park which will also be based at the Mexico Recreation Area. As a special attraction for fans of all ages, National Guard units from Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont will be on hand at the Mexico Recreation Area with a large display of state-of-the-art military vehicles to check out.

On Saturday, July 18, 2009, the rally action moves west along Route 2 to Coos County and the city of Berlin in Northern New Hampshire where rally teams will compete on a series of gravel and forest stages from Berlin north along the Androscoggin River to the sleepy village of Errol and beyond. A number of scenic spectator areas will be available along the competition stages where fans will be able to watch their favorite drivers compete. They will also be treated to a “Super Special” in Berlin on Saturday morning where teams will test their skills on a half-mile course that winds its way in and around the old Berlin paper mill site located on the north side of the city.

Also available throughout the 2-day New England Forest Rally will be a number of spectator buses provided by the Sunday River Resort in Newry, Maine. The buses will depart from a variety of locations and take interested spectators out to the designated viewing areas along the rally course. Tickets for the spectator buses can be purchased the day of the event and will cost just $5.00 per person!

Amateur photographers will again have the opportunity to participate in Rally America’s popular photo contest where they can submit their best shots from the New England Forest Rally for a chance to win great prizes – visit www.rally-america.com for all the details.

For ongoing live updates through out the New England Forest Rally or for more information regarding a detailed event schedule, lodging and an on-line Spectator Guide, please visit the official Rally America web site at www.rally-america.com.

Sponsors for this year’s New England Forest Rally include Subaru of America; DC Shoes; Endless Brakes; Exedy Racing Clutches; Q Racing Oil; the Army National Guard; Sunday River Resort in Newry, Maine; the Team O’Neil Rally School from Dalton, NH and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

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 taking 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 known as stages.

The 2009 Rally America National Championship series consists of nine exciting events that take place throughout the United States in many different weather and road conditions. Top teams in the Rally America Championship are also invited to compete in ESPN’s 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 marquees typically represented in Rally America events are Subaru, Mitsubishi, Dodge, Ford and Volkswagen.

About Rally America, Inc.:

Based in Golden Valley, Minnesota, Rally America sanctions the premier rally racing series in the United States, the Rally America National Championship Series. In 2009, Rally America will conduct nine National Championship events at venues across the country, from Portland, Ore., to Newry, Maine. Rally America competitors reach speeds well over 100 mph in modified street-legal rally cars on natural-terrain courses consisting of gravel, dirt or snow.

Additionally, through a partnership with the leading sports network regarding action sports, ESPN, qualifying Rally America drivers are invited to compete in the Summer X Games, the annual leading action-sport event that is broadcast live on ABC and ESPN. For more information, visit www.rally-america.com.

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