The next step on the road to the Canadian Rally Championship is the Rallye Baie des Chaleurs in the Gaspe Peninsula. This coming weekend, Mitsubishi will have no less than nine teams entered looking for a second victory this season and a third consecutive podium finish. Winners of the first event in February, Antoine L’Estage and codriver Nathalie Richard from St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, will be first on the road Friday evening in their 2009 Lancer Evolution while Torontonian Andrew Comrie-Picard is third in a very impressive 48-car starting grid.

The Boisvert Mitsubishi Synchro team from Blainville will have four Evolution Lancers entered, all manned by members of the Losier family: defending Cup champion Simon and father Rejean in their familiar Evolution 8RS, Martin and rookie Maxime in similar EVO 5 models. Meanwhile, brothers Jan and Jody Zedril from Winnipeg will again compete in the Group 2 class. Phil Deans and codriver Carmel Burke from Kingston are leading the Production Sport category and looking for a second class win. Finally, Michelle Laframboise from Picton will be the first female driver to compete for the Mitsubishi Cup in 2009. She will start 47th.

“All the crews have been working overtime to get their cars ready for the toughest event of the year,” said Koji Soga, President and CEO of Mitsubishi Motor Sales of Canada. “We have two teams among the top three in the country, and this event could be a turning point in the season.”

Event profile: Baie des Chaleurs Rally

Threading its way through the country roads of New Richmond, Quebec, the 32nd edition of the Rallye Baie des Chaleurs will kick off its first leg on Friday night. Several thousand spectators are expected for the two-day event which resumes Saturday morning at 9:00 AM and runs until a 5:30 PM podium ceremony. Of the 400 kilometre total distance, more than 190 will be speed stages. For more information, please visit the event web site at www.rallyebdc.com or visit our password free media website at www.mitsubishi-motors-pr.ca

Andrew Comrie-Picard (left) claimed a podium finish at the Rocky Mountain Rally in May in his new Lancer 09 Evolution while Simon Losier came in a superb fourth overall.
Photos by Barry Giles

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Andrew Comrie-Picard and his codriver, Brit Robbie Durant, clinched their first podium this year in the Canadian Rally Championship with their 2009 Lancer Evolution as they came in second at the Rocky Mountain Rally out of Calgary last weekend. Mitsubishi came up short of another podium finish when Simon Losier and codriver Francois Morin crossed the finish line 4th, only 41 seconds shy of third place. Rejean and Maxime Losier also made a Top 10 with an eighth place finish. Other teams had a difficult weekend: championship leader, Antoine L’Estage was cruising to a second place finish when a mechanical gremlin impeded his progression. Albertans Zbigniew Szewczyk and Tomasz Karzynski and brothers Jan and Jody Zedril from Manitoba were leading their respective classes but went off-road.

“We witnessed in Calgary why rally is one of the toughest form of motorsports”, argued Koji Soga, President and CEO of Mitsubishi Motor Sales of Canada. “Comrie-Picard and Durant were very patient and deserved their podium, a second in a row in Canada for our new Evolution. They have a busy schedule with two championships and a new car to develop. We always expect to see the Losier family repeat their steady performances and they really deliver. Finally, we’re sad for Antoine who was fighting for victory when ha was sidelined.”

Next round: Baie des Chaleurs in the Gaspe area
After Rocky Mountain, Antoine L’Estage stills leads the national standings by virtue of his victory in the maiden event in February, but he will have to up the ante for the next round in the Gaspe area at the end of June at the Rallye Baie des Chaleurs, out of New Richmond since 1975. Experts say the title will be challenged by the two Mitsubishi Evolution and the defending champion Patrick Richard. At least four more crews will be entered for that round, boosting the Mitsubishi Brigade to ten entries. For more information, please visit www.rockymountainrally.com or www.carsrally.com.

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