Rockstar Energy Drink Royal Group Team’s Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard, both from Quebec, Canada, became the newest Rally America National Champions after a spectacular drive at the drama filled New England Forest Rally!

This is Antoine L’Estage’s first Rally America title and Nathalie Richard’s third co-driver title. She co-drove for her brother, Patrick Richard, on his way to win the 2005 Rally America and 2004 SCCA ProRally Championships.

L’Estage led the 2010 Championship heading into the season’s final round with a 13 point advantage over New England hometown favorite, Bill Bacon a full-time Firefighter from Nashua, NH, and just needed 5th place or better to gain enough points to become Rally America’s third ever title holder. Bacon, who has doggedly pursued L’Estage on the podium all season, was the only driver within striking distance of L’Estage, but he had to win the event outright and rely on L’Estage finishing outside of 5th place to snatch the Championship for his own. But Bacon suffered a devastating flat tire on Stage 9 that pushed him back to an overall 6th place finish.

Luck was on L’Estage’s side though as he faced the return of 4-time Rally America Champion, Travis Pastrana from Davidsonville, Maryland, and Monster World Rally Team’s Ken Block from Encinitas, California. Pastrana missed two crucial rally events when he was in Australia for two months performing in a Live Nitro Circus television show, thus costing him valuable points and relegated him to a 3rd place position in the overall Championship points.

Early on, Ken Block led the New England Forest Rally in his Monster Energy-backed Ford Fiesta until he went too wide in a sweeping Stage 4 corner and ditched his car damaging his rear suspension. That left Pastrana in the overall lead by nearly 3 minutes until Stage 11 when he lost oil pressure in his 2010 Subaru WRX STI and was forced to retire. L’Estage and Richard then cruised to the end, winning the New England Forest Rally and stepping into the record books as the new 2010 Rally America National Champions!

It was not an easy season for L’Estage and Richard. At the start of 2010, they planned to compete in just four Rally America events in addition to their Canadian Rally Series schedule with just one car – a 2010 Mistubishi Lancer Evolution X prepared by US Rally legend John Buffum and his team at Libra Racing. But once the two Canadians found themselves at the top of the overall Rally America points in early spring and with two West Coast Rally America events looming, they mustered enough energy and funding to trek across the country from Quebec to see if they could maintain their overall points lead.

“I’ve never rallied in the West Coast, so it was a huge gamble for us,” said L’Estage following the Olympus Rally. “I came to the West Coast with the goal of maximizing recce at Oregon Trail and winning this rally. At Olympus there was no point in catching Pastrana. I just wanted to save my 2nd place for the big picture.”

L’Estage also placed his West Coast finishes in perspective: “Travis Pastrana has been out here rallying for years and should know these roads. I suppose it would be the same situation if Pastrana came to the Canadian Baie Des Chaleurs Rally where I know those roads and he just showed up for the first time.”

Antoine L’Estage has even more on the line competing in two North American Rally Championships with a single car making his run for a title even more special and improbable. Each event L’Estage entered he hoped for a smooth and problem-free run. Any catastrophic failure meant throwing away his season in both the Rally America Championship as well as the Canadian Rally Series, not to mention the coveted North American Rally Cup.

With the Rally America Championship secured, he and Nathalie can now focus their efforts on finishing the Canadian Rally Series season where they currently sit in 4th place overall.

Before he returns to his homeland, L’Estage has one more stop on U.S. soil at the Summer X Games 16 in Los Angeles where he plans to compete in both Rally Car Racing and the newly added discipline for Rally cars, SuperRally.

An experienced X Games competitor, L’Estage has even more momentum on his side heading to the big show in Los Angeles to win his first X Games medal. Plus, he will be part of motorsports history as a participant in the first-ever SuperRally competition featuring four rally cars at a time battling wheel-to-wheel on the L.A. Memorial Coliseum floor.

This has been the dream season that has validated Antoine L’Estage’s talent as one of North America’s best rally drivers. There are many ways to win a Championship and L’Estage, along with his co-driver, Nathalie Richard, have shown that consistency pays huge dividends in the world or rally. With that, L’Estage and Richard have cemented their place in rally history as the duo who broke Travis Pastrana’s run of four consecutive Rally America Overall Championships. And now he joins his co-driver’s brother, Patrick Richard, as only the second Canadian rally driver in history to win the Rally America Overall Championship.

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.

Rally America is introducing “Rallycross” to America for the first time on August 27-28, October 9-10, and November 6-7 at the New Jersey Motorsports Park. Fans will be able to watch two-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive rally cars compete wheel-to-wheel on a closed-loop 1.3 mile tarmac and gravel circuit in timed heats from the comfort of grandstands and special viewing areas.

Rally America is proudly supported by Subaru of America, Inc., BFGoodrich Tires, the Team O’Neil Rally School, Able Planet, Hawk Performance Brakes, Rally-Tire.com, RaceWatches.com, Exedy Racing Clutches, RECARO, Mazda and the Danza del Sol Winery.

To watch RAM TV videos from the New England Forest Rally go to:
http://rally-america.com/index.php

For Results from the New England Forest Rally visit:
http://rally-america.com/events/2010/NEFR/results

Photo: Mike Proulx/World Rally Sport/Rally America

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Victorious at their last two competitions, Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard, of St-Jean-sur-Richelieu (QC), will attempt to make it three in a row at the Rallye Auto Nord-Americain de la Baie-des-Chaleurs (in Gaspe), the third of six rounds in the 2010 Canadian Rally Championship. The Rockstar Energy Drink Royal Group team, which is currently leading the North American Rally Cup as well as the Rally America series in the United States, heads to this event with confidence.

“We’re on a good streak and the Rallye Baie-des-Chaleurs is one that I love. We use fantastic roads, the crowd is amazing, and I’ve won here twice before. We’re coming to this rally with high expectations,” explains Antoine L’Estage, who is encouraged by the strong performance of his Rockstar Royal Group Mitsubishi. ” Baie-des-Chaleurs is a rally that is sometimes tough on the equipment and the weather conditions can result in pretty challenging road conditions. With our Yokohama tires and a well-prepared Evo X, it’s clear to me that we couldn’t be in a better situation,” he adds. The Rockstar Royal Group team is also very pleased after having conducted a brief test session last week to ensure that everything was to their satisfaction before heading for Gaspe.

Antoine L’Estage is currently in second place in the Canadian Rally Championship, twelve points behind the leader. The fan-favourite is taking the start line with the intention of earning more than just valuable championship points. “We’re going there to win, that’s for sure,” indicates the two-time Canadian and North American champion, who was recently named as the only Canadian to qualify for Rally Car Racing in the 16th edition of the internationally popular ESPN X Games, which will take place in Los Angeles on July 31st.

At this point in their busy 2010 season, Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard have been on the podium at six of their seven outings. “It would be great to leave the Rallye Baie-des-Chaleurs with the lead of the Canadian championship to go along with our lead in the American series and the North American Rally Cup,” indicates co-driver Nathalie Richard. “But Baie-des-Chaleurs is a difficult rally and we remain focused on the task at hand – we’ll definitely wait until the end of the event before taking stock,” she adds.

Antoine L’Estage has won two Canadian championship titles (2006 and 2007), as well as two North American titles (2007 and 2008) and twenty-one overall victories in Canada and the United States. Co-driver Nathalie Richard has earned four national championship titles (two Canadian and two American) and thirty outright national rally victories. In 2009, she won her fifth North American Championship for co-drivers.

The thirty-third edition of the Rallye Baie-des-Chaleurs starts on July 2nd in New Richmond. After the Friday night stages that wow the thousands of spectators along the course, the second section will start on Saturday morning at 9am. The winner will cross the finish line at around 6pm.

Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard participate in the entire 2010 Rally America and Canadian Rally championships with the support of Rockstar Energy Drink, Royal Group, Yokohama Tires, Mitsubishi Canada, Drenth Motorsport Gearboxes, Garrett Turbos, Energie Cardio, Libra Racing, Driver’s Edge Autosport (OMP), and VP Racing Fuels. For more information on the team or on rallying in general, visit Coyote Rallye.

In action: Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard, driving their Rockstar Royal Group Mitsubishi to victory at the most recent event in the Canadian Rally Championship.

Photo: Louren Sansregret

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Back-to-Back Victories for the Rockstar Royal Group Team

After having won the Rocky Mountain Rally in Calgary one week prior, Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard, both of St-Jean-sur-Richelieu (QC), continued their winning streak this past weekend by grabbing the top podium spot at Pennsylvania’s Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally (STPR), the fifth round of the Rally America series. This recent victory, the second time the duo has won at this particular event, increases the Rockstar Energy Drink Royal Group team’s lead in the overall Rally America title hunt as well as for the North American Rally Cup.

Already leaders of the Rally America series since Round 2 in February, Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard have once again increased their lead going into the last round of the American championship, as explained by co-driver Richard. “It’s a big win for the entire team. Our crew only had four days to tow the car back across the country and prep it for STPR. During the first competitive stage on Friday afternoon we lost power steering when a hose separated from its fitting. We lost about 40 seconds on the first two stages as a result but with the help of American competitors Bill Bacon and Pat Moro, we were able to repair it, keep going, and win the next stage. Antoine did an awesome job in this rally, which is challenging both mentally and physically. It makes for a pretty satisfying win.”

Antoine and Nathalie finished the first day of competition in third place, just over thirty seconds behind the leader. The next morning the goal was to try to overtake second placed Bill Bacon, the only other driver that has a mathematical chance of winning this year’s title. “We were able to make up the difference early in the morning and then take over the lead shortly thereafter,” confides Antoine. “We pushed when we needed to and our Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X was perfect all day Saturday. Our Yokohama tires worked great in the sometimes rough and sometimes slippery hard-packed clay surfaces and everything fit together perfectly to enable us to win STPR for the second time in three years. It’s a fantastic result, we’ve competed at five rallies this year in the Unites States and we’ve been on the podium for all five!” concludes Antoine.

Only one event remains in the 2010 Rally America calendar, the New England Forest Rally in Maine and New Hampshire in mid-July. With the victory at STPR, Antoine heads to New England with a thirteen point lead in the championship.

Ten days ago the Rockstar Energy Drink Royal Group team was catapulted into second place in the Canadian Rally Championship and they now find themselves with an almost insurmountable lead in the North American Rally Cup and just one step away from the Rally America title.

Antoine L’Estage has won two Canadian championship titles (2006 and 2007), as well as two North American titles (2007 and 2008) and twenty-one overall victories in Canada and the United States. Co-driver Nathalie Richard has earned four national championship titles (two Canadian and two American) and thirty outright national rally victories. In 2009, she won her fifth North American Championship for co-drivers.

Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard participate in the entire 2010 Rally America and Canadian Rally championships with the support of Rockstar Energy Drink, Royal Group, Yokohama Tires, Mitsubishi Canada, Drenth Motorsport Gearboxes, Garrett Turbos, Energie Cardio, Libra Racing, Driver’s Edge Autosport (OMP), and VP Racing Fuels. For more information on the team or on rallying in general, visit Coyote Rallye.

In action : Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard, winners of the 2010 Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally in their Rockstar Energy Drink Royal Group Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X.

Photo: www.WorldRallySport.com | Mat Janiak

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Rockstar Royal Group Rally Team makes its mark out west

Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard, both of St-Jean-sur-Richelieu (QC), won this past weekend’s Rocky Mountain Rally, round two of the 2010 Canadian Rally Championship. At the wheel of their Rockstar Energy Drink Royal Group Mitsubishi Evo X, the duo took the lead of the rally on the first stage and never looked back, winning eight of the eleven stages and a dominating victory. L’Estage and Richard lead the North American Rally Championship and the US-based Rally America series, and are now in second place in the Canadian Rally Championship.

This 2010 Rocky Mountain Rally victory is another milestone for two-time Canadian and North American champion Antoine L’Estage, marking his twentieth overall national win. His co-driver, Nathalie Richard, is now one win away from the thirtieth outright victory. “We were faced with horrible weather conditions this year, with continuous snowfall and extremely muddy roads. One of the key factors in our win was our tire choice,” explains Antoine. He specifies, “We were able to benefit from our Yokohama A031 mud tires, which were perfect for Friday’s stages and allowed us to push hard on the first loop. By the end of the first three stages, we had over a minute and a half lead. Mechanical problems were not an issue for any of the top teams – it always feels good to win a clean fight.”

The Rockstar Royal Group team gained even more time on their opponents on Saturday to solidify their lead. “It’s an extraordinary victory for our team. We made good tactical choices, Antoine drove really well, and the car ran flawlessly all weekend. In short, it was a perfect rally, albeit the weather challenges that every team faced” confides Nathalie Richard, five-time North American champion co-driver.

This victory moves Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard into second place in the Canadian Rally Championship. It is also the fifth time in six 2010 North American rallies that the team has finished on the podium. Moving into first place in the championship is the team’s goal for the next Canadian round, July’s Rallye Baie-des-Chaleurs.

STPR this weekend …

Before Canada’s next round, the team will cross a majority of the continent to compete at the Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally (STPR) this coming weekend in Pennsylvania. Antoine and Nathalie won this event in 2008 and as current leaders of the Rally America series, they have the opportunity to clinch the title this Saturday.

“Our main goal for STPR is to watch our closest championship rivals and stay ahead of them. Naturally, if the possibility of winning the rally presents itself, we’ll be gunning for that, but it’s not a must in order to keep the lead going into the final round in July,” mentions L’Estage.

Antoine L’Estage has won two Canadian championship titles (2006 and 2007), as well as two North American titles (2007 and 2008) and twenty overall victories in Canada and the United States. Co-driver Nathalie Richard has earned four national championship titles (two Canadian and two American) and twenty-nine outright rally victories. In 2009, she won her fifth North American Championship for co-drivers.

Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard participate in the entire 2010 Rally America and Canadian Rally championships with the support of Rockstar Energy Drink, Royal Group, Yokohama Tires, Mitsubishi Canada, Drenth Motorsport Gearboxes, Garrett Turbos, Energie Cardio, Libra Racing, Driver’s Edge Autosport (OMP), and VP Racing Fuels. For more information on the team or on rallying in general, visit Coyote Rallye.

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Quebec driver Antoine L’Estage and co-driver Nathalie Richard start this weekend’s Oregon Trail Rally as the Rally America series leaders. After podium finishes at all three 2010 championship rounds thus far, L’Estage’s main objective in Oregon is to increase his title hunt lead, which is currently six points ahead of four-time champion Travis Pastrana. A strong finish in the team’s Rockstar Energy Drink Royal Group Mitsubishi Evo X will be enough for the team to leave Oregon one step closer to the championship title.

Two-time Canadian and North American champion Antoine L’Estage, who has never before competed at the Oregon Trail Rally, has high expectations of himself. “I don’t want another second place finish. We’re here to win. The rally organizers have added a day of reconnaissance to the event schedule this year so we will use that day to familiarize ourselves with the roads and lessen the advantage that the other teams have over us,” indicates the driver from St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Qc.

With only three events to go, he and five-time North American champion co-driver, Nathalie Richard, lead the Rally America series title hunt. Rumours of Travis Pastrana missing the Oregon Trail Rally is bittersweet for L’Estage. “We always want as much competition as possible at every event. All the championship contenders were at each of the events to date and at the last rally in Washington, we had even more competition than usual. It was fantastic – just how we like it,” confides the Yokohama driver.

The duo suffered a bit of misfortune at the last two rallies, preventing them from putting pressure on the eventual winners throughout the entire duration of each rally. “We’ve had a really strong start to the season and clearly we’re consistent! We’re both eager for a top podium spot this year but my ultimate job is to make sure Antoine doesn’t lose sight of the big picture,” adds Richard, who won her first overall victory at this rally in 2004.

In two weeks, L’Estage and Richard will head north to Calgary for the Rocky Mountain Rally, round two of the Canadian Rally Championship, followed by a sprint across the country to Rally America’s Susquehannock Trail Rally in Pennsylvania. A reliable car, prepared by John Buffum’s Libra Racing shop in Vermont, enables the team to be such a threat while competing both full championships.

Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard participate in the entire 2010 Rally America and Canadian Rally Championships with the support of Rockstar Energy Drink, Royal Group, Yokohama Tires, Mitsubishi Canada, Drenth Motorsport Gearboxes, Garrett Turbos, Energie Cardio, Libra Racing, Driver’s Edge Autosport (OMP), VP Racing Fuels, and MBF Racing. For more information on the team or on rallying in general, visit Coyote Rallye .

2010 Rally America and North American Championship leaders Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard.
Photo: Andrew Snucins, World Rally Sport

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Second place finish points earns top spot

Quebec driver Antoine L’Estage and his co-driver Nathalie Richard finished in second place at this past weekend’s Rally in the 100 Acre Wood, Round 2 of the Rally America series and the third event counting towards the North American Rally Cup. After a strong second place finish at the first round of the year, the duo from St-Jean-sur-Richelieu (Qc) arrived to the two-day gravel rally in Missouri five points behind the series leader. Driving their Rockstar Energy Drink Royal Group Mitsubishi Evo X to another second place finish this past weekend vaulted the team into top spot on the leaderboard.

Antoine L’Estage finished 21 seconds behind Ken Block, who earned his fifth consecutive victory at this particular rally. “At the end of Friday night, we were comfortably in second place, over forty seconds ahead of Ken. Our plan Saturday morning was to push hard and close the gap between us and first place (Travis Pastrana). On the second stage of the morning, we drove through a watersplash and our windshield completely fogged up, forcing us to stop on the stage. That and a subsequent puncture on the same stage cost us almost a minute and a half, and dropped us down to third place,” explained L’Estage. “Travis eventually didn’t finish the rally and we were unable to make back the time we had lost earlier in the day. We went to the rally with the intentions of winning it and the same still applied for the next event” he added.

“We often don’t know what to expect in terms of weather or road conditions at the Rally in the 100 Acre Wood so to be fully prepared, we brought many different reliable Yokohama tires with us. The speeds were really fast on most of those stages and when big rocks get pulled out onto the driving line, they’re sometimes unavoidable. We got caught out twice but it’s just part of the sport,” commented co-driver Nathalie Richard.

Antoine and his five-time North American champion co-driver Nathalie Richard set the fastest time on four of the competitive road sections. This podium finish almost guarantees L’Estage an invitation for his third trip to the ESPN Summer X Games, to be held this August in Los Angeles. It also marks important points for the North American Rally Cup, a championship that L’Estage and Richard are also currently leading. Winning this year would be Antoine’s third North American title in four years.

With the Rally America series lead, and no damage to the competition vehicle, L’Estage and Richard would like to travel out west to Round 3 of the championship, the Olympus Rally, in April. L’Estage has never competed at this Olympia, Washington event but hopes to add the rally to their 2010 programme.

Antoine L’Estage holds two Canadian Championship titles (2006 and 2007), as well as two North American titles (2007 and 2008) and a total of 19 overall victories on both sides of the border. As for Nathalie, she has four national championship titles (Canada and USA) and twenty-eight overall victories. In 2009, Nathalie was crowned North American Rally Champion for an impressive fifth time.

Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard participate in the 2010 Canadian Rally Championship and select Rally America events with the support of Rockstar Energy Drink, Royal Group, Yokohama Tires, Mitsubishi Canada, Drenth Motorsport Gearboxes, Garrett Turbos, Energie Cardio, Libra Racing, OMP Racewear and MBF Racing. For more information on the team or on rallying in general, visit Coyote Rallye .

Photo : Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard, leaders of the Rally America series and North American Rally Championships

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Quebec driver Antoine L’Estage and his co-driver Nathalie Richard, both of St-Jean-sur-Richelieu (Qc), will compete at this weekend’s Rally in the 100 Acre Wood, Round 2 of the Rally America series. After a well-deserved second place finish at Michigan’s SnoDrift Rally last month, this trip to Salem, Missouri will be the Rockstar Energy Drink/Royal Group team’s second voyage south of the border this year.

Antoine L’Estage, two-time Canadian and two-time North American rally champion, is heading to Missouri with one main goal : qualifying for the dynamic ESPN Summer X Games to be held in Los Angeles this coming August. “In addition to the entire Canadian Rally Championship, our calendar includes a minimum of four Rally America events in order to maximize our chances of being invited to this year’s X Games. ” he explains. “I competed at the X Games two years in a row but missed out on last year’s. After our second place finish in Michigan in January, there’s a good possibility of placing well in the overall championship hunt too and we’ll take every opportunity to acquire critical points towards that, as well as taking home victories. ” adds the Quebec driver.

This will be the second time in three years that the L’Estage/Richard duo will take to the start of the Rally in the 100 Acre Wood. While the rally is normally run on gravel roads, Mother Nature was a force to be reckoned with, leaving snow and ice-covered roads during the past two years of competition. “Whatever the conditions and road surfaces, we have a fantastic lineup of Yokohama tires to rely on. We are very motivated and are looking forward to Friday’s start. The few modifications that have been made to our Rockstar Energy Drink Royal Group Mitsubishi will allow us to continue to be amongst the fastest teams out there ” added the Quebec driver.

Five-time and reigning North American champion co-driver, Nathalie Richard, is also anxious to get back in the rally car : “As always, I have a lot of confidence in Antoine’s driving ability. Similarly to in Canada, competition is really strong again this year in the United States – we compete head to head with some really big manufacturer teams and we’ve proven to be right alongside them in terms of competitiveness and speed. The team’s ready, the car is reliable, and we’re aiming for the victory ” she mentions.

The Rockstar Royal Group team’s 2010 program includes the entire Canadian Rally Championship and four of six rounds in the Rally America series. Antoine L’Estage has two Canadian Championship titles (2006 and 2007), as well as two North American Rally Championship titles (2007 and 2008) and nineteen overall national victories in Canada and the US. Last year, he and Nathalie Richard were awarded the Bertrand-Fabi Trophy, which recognizes motorsports driving excellence and international exposure. Nathalie has four national titles (two Canadian and two American) as well as twenty-eight overall national victories. In 2009, she won her fifth North American Rally Championship title in six years.

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

Photo : A.L’Estage and N.Richard thrilling the spectators while leading the Rallye Perce-Neige 2010.

Photo credit : Maxime Poirier

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Today, Quebec driver Antoine L’Estage and his co-driver Nathalie Richard, both of St-Jean-sur-Richelieu (QC), announced a 2010 program that once again includes participation in the full Canadian Rally Championship at the wheel of their Rockstar Royal Group Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X. They will also compete against the top American drivers in several rounds of the United States’ Rally America series, with the intentions of qualifying Antoine for the Summer X Games as well as earning his third North American Championship title.

Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard will again rely on the dedicated collaboration of John Buffum, crew chief and rally car builder, as well as major supporters including Rockstar Energy Drink, Royal Group (Concerto), Yokohama Tires Canada, and Mitsubishi Canada all of whom are returning with the fan-favourite team for the 2010 season.

“Our season starts this weekend at the SnoDrift Rally in Michigan, the first round of the Rally America series,” indicates Antoine L’Estage, “I’ve only competed in it once back in 2008 but we came away with the win and we plan to be very competitive again this weekend,” he adds. The following week, the entire team will be back in Quebec for the Rallye Perce-Neige in Maniwaki (Haute Gatineau), an event at which the L’Estage/Richard team was victorious the past two years. “Perce-Neige has great roads and it’s one of my favourite rallies. It’s challenging but it’s been good to us and we have come out at the top of the podium in 2006, 2008 and 2009,” adds the two-time Canadian and North American Champion.

The Rockstar Royal Group team’s 2010 program includes the entire six rounds of the Canadian Rally Championship as well as at least four of the six rounds in the Rally America series. “Our goal in the United States is to win events, qualify Antoine for his third X Games this August, and score top points for the North American Rally Cup. We’ll definitely compete at the first two events south of the border (Michigan this weekend and in Missouri at the end of February) plus at least two of their remaining four rallies in the spring and summer” explains Nathalie Richard, who, since mid-season 2006, sits alongside L’Estage as his trusted co-driver.

Antoine L’Estage holds two Canadian Championship titles (2006 and 2007), as well as two North American titles (2007 and 2008) and a total of 19 overall victories on both sides of the border. As for Nathalie, she has four national championship titles (Canada and USA) and twenty-eight overall victories. In 2009, Nathalie was crowned North American Champion for an impressive fifth time.

Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard participate in the 2009 Canadian Rally Championship with the support of Rockstar Energy Drink, Royal Group, Yokohama Tires, Mitsubishi Canada, Drenth Motorsport Gearboxes, Garrett Turbos, Energie Cardio, Libra Racing, OMP Racewear and MBF Racing. For more information on the team or on rallying in general, visit Coyote Rallye.

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Quebec driver Antoine L’Estage, co-driven by Nathalie Richard, both of St-Jean-sur-Richelieu (QC), took part in past weekend’s Rally of the Tall Pines, the final round of the 2009 Canadian Rally Championship and the North American Rally Cup. The Rockstar Royal Group team demonstrated during almost the entire event that they were set to take home the rally victory and the two drivers’ titles at stake. Heart-breaking mechanical issues prevented the couple from claiming their third Canadian and third consecutive North American titles. The team, who was debuting a brand new 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X, nonetheless takes away a very positive track record for 2009.

“When the new car was built in January, we planned on this being a developmental year for the Evo X. Our victories at Rallye Perce-Neige and Rallye Defi started to change our minds as we took the lead of the Canadian Rally Championship up until last Saturday night,” explains Antoine. The privateer Rockstar Royal Group team was having a perfect rally, winning five of the first seven stages without so much as a scratch on the car before solidifying their objectives and dialing back their speed.

“I think we proved to the two-car manufacturer’s team that we were there to claim the Canadian Championship. We had a great rally and going into the last stage we had enough of a lead to just drive a steady stage without taking any risks,” explains Antoine L’Estage. “Unfortunately, a clutch problem made it almost impossible for us to make it up the hill to the start line of that last stage and we lost over eleven minutes trying. It was devastating to watch our competitors start the stage as two championship titles slipped through our fingers. We finished the rally in fifth place and finish the season as Canadian Rally Championship runner-ups,” he confides. The two-time Canadian and two-time North American Champion adds, “It’s obviously disappointing when such an incident takes place in the last stage of the last rally of the season, but that’s rally and we have to accept it and move on,” he concludes. L’Estage tied for top points in the North American Rally Cup driver’s title but tie-breaking rules gives his fewer but higher finishing rallies, a second place overall.

2009 was a transition year for the Rockstar Royal Group rally team. With two victories, only one mechanical DNF (did not finish), and a total of five “Top 5″ finishes, the season met all expectations and earned Antoine L’Estage top spot in the Mitsubishi Cup.

“We’re both very competitive and wanted to win this year but we didn’t expect to be in such an advantageous position for both Championships coming into the last event of 2009. Antoine did some of his best driving in Bancroft and didn’t succumb to any of the pressures that were being put on him. He deserved those titles and it was truly a heart-breaking end to the year. We extend a huge thanks to our fantastic crew and all of our partners and we promise to be there even stronger in 2010!” added Nathalie Richard, who finishes the year as the North American Co-Driving Champion as well as the Canadian Ladies’ Champion.

Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard have won the Mitsubishi Cup this year. They have participated 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.

Photo Credit: Neil McDaid

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Quebec driver Antoine L’Estage, co-driven by Nathalie Richard, both of St-Jean-sur-Richelieu (QC), will contest this weekend’s Rally of the Tall Pines in Bancroft, Ontario, the final round of the Canadian Rally Championship and the North American Rally Cup. This will be a decisive event, one at which the Rockstar Royal Group team could capture both the Canadian and North American titles, as well as the Manufacturer’s title for Mitsubishi. Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard, who each have three victories at this rally, are naturally very confident leading up to the final round of the season.

“We’re going to Bancroft confident, with a car that has been meticulously prepared by John Buffum and our crew,” indicates Antoine L’Estage. “We have excellent cards in our hands coming into this rally seeing as we have a six point lead in the Canadian Championship standings. Our main rival could win this rally and we could finish second and still be assured the championship title,” he adds. For Antoine, Nathalie and the entire team, the Canadian title is the main objective but the possibility of claiming another North American title is just as interesting. “In the North American Rally Cup, we have a seven point lead and our main NARC rival needs to win this rally to claim the title. Anything less awards us the championship. One thing is certain, if we win the NARC, it means a third consecutive title for us – something that is exceptional in the history of the sport,” explains the Quebec driver.

The Rally of the Tall Pines, the last round of the 2009 calendar, is infamous for being a very difficult event, whose roads are often made very tricky due to the changing weather conditions – conditions in which the Yokohama tires always excel. It’s also a rally that Antoine and Nathalie have claimed victory at three times since 2004, when Antoine won the first national rally of his career.

Recent winners of the Bertrand-Fabi Trophy, which awards top motorsports competitors for excellence on national and international levels, Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard look forward to the Rally of the Tall Pines with anticipation, as the co-driver describes, “2009 was an excellent year for our team and our sponsors. We debuted a brand new open class Evo X, one of the first of its kind in the world, and we expected a few teething problems. As it stands, we have earned two victories in five Canadian rallies to date and we lead the Canadian and North American championships heading into the final round. It’s nothing but positive and we’re here to cap it off with two more titles!” concludes Nathalie.

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

Photo Credit: Andrew Snucins – http://worldrallysport.com

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Performance rally driving champion Antoine L’Estage, and his co-driver Nathalie Richard, both of St-Jean-sur-Richelieu (QC), were honoured this past weekend by the Federation de Sport Automobile du Quebec (FSAQ) as winners of the Bertrand-Fabi Trophy. The award is presented annually to a driver or team that has accomplished the most on a national and/or international level.

At the wheel of their Rockstar Royal Group Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X, Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard contest the Canadian Rally Championship, which they currently lead with one remaining event. Antoine has amassed a total of 17 overall Canadian national victories and with strong results on both sides of the border, he is on track for his third consecutive North American Rally Championship title. His co-driver and five-time North American Champion, Nathalie Richard, is the first woman to ever receive this prestigious award.

“For us it’s a great honour to receive the Bertrand-Fabi Trophy, especially since it has not been awarded to a rally competitor in over 20 years,” highlights Antoine L’Estage. L’Estage and Richard now share the company of previous winners including Patrick Carpentier and Alexandre Tagliani but not since 1987 (Alain Bergeron) has this trophy been engraved with the name of another driver from the sport of rallying.

Created in 1986 in honour of Sherbrooke driver Bertrand Fabi, this trophy awards driving excellence for Quebec competitors excelling on national and international levels. Fabi had won three Formula 2000 titles and was considered a future F1 star of his time when he lost his life during a Formula 3 testing session accident at England’s Goodwood track. Questioned about the best drivers he’s ever seen race, Formula 3 team owner Dick Bennetts maintains that he’s only ever seen two – Ayrton Senna and Bertrand Fabi.

Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard’s 2009 season comes to and end on November 21 with Ontario’s Rally of the Tall Pines Rally, the final round of the Canadian Rally Championship.

Antoine and Nathalie 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.

Photo: Dany Flageole/Flagworld.com

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This past weekend, reigning North American Rally Champions Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard, both of St-Jean-sur-Richelieu (Qc), won the Rallye Defi, the fourth of six rounds in the 2009 Canadian Rally Championship. This was a particularly important win for the Quebec team and their Rockstar Royal Group Mitsubishi Evo X because it enabled them to regain command of the championship as well as to equal North American rally legend John Buffum’s record of four victories at the Rallye Defi.

“Everything played out like a dream !” exclaimed Antoine as he descended from the podium. “Our Rockstar Royal Group Mitsubishi Evo X was perfect and it allowed us to push at the start of the rally. After that, it was just a matter of managing our lead and making it to the end of the rally. If we could’ve written our ideal scenario for the weekend, this would’ve been it. It’s fantastic and everything played out in our favor. We’ve had our share of bad luck this year so it’s great to finally have some good luck on our side,” he added.

“The battle for first place was very intense on Friday night and early Saturday morning,” confided Antoine. “We were exchanging fastest stage times with our primary adversary, it was really a battle of mere seconds.” Benefiting from a very reliable Rockstar Royal Group Mitsubishi Evo X, Antoine L’Estage took the lead of the rally after the ninth stage and never looked back. This victory at the Rallye Defi is the team’s second out of four outings thus far in the 2009 Canadian Rally Championship. “The quality of the car preparation is top notch and I have to applaud our entire team, as well as Yokohama for the quality of their tires in such a challenging event. Everything went according to plan and it allowed Nathalie and I to concentrate on the rally without worrying about anything else. Defi is a difficult rally and for many teams, just finishing is an accomplishment but for us, we were here to come away with the win,” added L’Estage.

This success gives Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard the absolute lead of the championship with eleven points over second place and only two remaining rounds. It’s the duo’s fourth victory at the Rallye Defi, equaling the 1987 record held by John Buffum and co-driver Tom Grimshaw. “Tying such a prestigious record is really sentimental for Antoine, especially since he now shares it with his mentor and good friend. The weekend’s result was also imperative in our fight for this year’s championship title. We’re now back in the lead and we’ll do everything we can to keep it that way until the end of the season,” commented co-driver Nathalie Richard.

The next stop in the Canadian Rally Championship is in three weeks in British Columbia. On October 2nd and 3rd, Merritt will host the Pacific Forest Rally, to which Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard are the defending 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 .

Photo Credit : Maxime Poirier

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Next weekend, Quebec driver Antoine L’Estage, co-driven by Nathalie Richard, both of St-Jean-sur-Richelieu (QC), will contest the Rallye Defi, a key event in the Canadian and North American rally championships. Reigning North American champions, the L’Estage/Richard duo’s plan is to finish this competition with their Rockstar Royal Group Mitsubishi Evo X at the top of the podium, giving Antoine his fourth Rallye Defi victory and equalling the long-standing record of rally legend John Buffum.

“Defi is an important race to us … It launches the second half of the season and it’s also our home event. It’s the closest rally to where we live and we have plenty of family, friends, and sponsors that come out to support us,” explains Nathalie Richard. The champions’ goal will be two-fold at this rally. “First and foremost we will attempt to reclaim top spot in the Canadian Championship, and the secondary goal is to win the event once again,” she adds.

If Antoine and Nathalie win the 2009 edition of the Rallye Defi, Antoine L’Estage will have accumulated his fourth victory at this event, equalling the Defi record held by the legendary John Buffum, who is also Antoine’s mentor. “John Buffum prepares our Rockstar Royal Group Mitsubishi Evo X so it would be an honour for me to tie his record in a car he built,” highlights Antoine, who anticipates this rally with confidence. “We were very competitive and had a fantastic battle with the current four-time US champion at July’s New England Forest Rally. The car was great and we had an almost perfect rally.” Antoine L’Estage and the entire team now rest assured that the teething problems of their new car, one of only a few in the world, are over. “We have crossed that bridge and we can now fully concentrate on our performance,” confides the Quebec driver.

Taking place in the Laurentians region (Ste-Agathe) on Friday, September 11th and in the Petite Nation region (Montpellier-Duhamel-Ripon) the following day, Mother Nature is often an uncertainty at the Rallye Defi, something that doesn’t bother Antoine L’Estage. “I hope for nice weather for the thousands of spectators that come to support us and the sport but in terms of the competition, rain doesn’t bother me at all. I do well in adverse conditions and I have Yokohama tires that I can trust to do the job regardless of whether it’s wet or dry”. With a reputation as being one of the toughest rallies in North America, the Rallye Defi is also one of the most popular amongst fans and competitors alike. Close to fifty teams will start the first leg of the rally in Ste-Agathe on Friday at 2pm. On Saturday, the competition will resume in the Petite Nation region between 7:30am and 6 pm.

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 web site.

Photo: Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard, impressing the crowds at the Rallye Baie-des-Chaleurs.

Photo by Gordon Sleigh

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Quebec driver Antoine L’Estage, co-driven by Nathalie Richard, both of St-Jean-sur-Richelieu (Quebec), earned twelve critical championship points at this weekend’s Rallye Baies-des-Chaleurs and remain among the top contenders for the overall 2009 Canadian Rally Championship title.

Reigning North American champions, Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard competed in this extremely popular event for the first time at the wheel of their new Rockstar Royal Group Mitsubishi Evo X. “Everything started out well and we were among the fastest on the first few Friday night stages. We were absolutely flying on the fourth stage and I was confident we were going to take over the lead right there … but then the motor started to get very hot and we were forced to really back off,” explains Antoine.

Ranked second at the start of Day 2, Antoine and Nathalie were the fastest on the first loop of three stages, closing the gap to two seconds behind top spot. “I pushed really hard to make up some time. We had a problem with fifth gear but only towards the end of each of two stages so we were still able to clock some pretty good results,” adds Antoine.

Any hopes of taking over the lead were gutted during Saturday’s second loop of stages as the Rockstar Royal Group Mitsubishi team experienced extreme visibility problems that slowed them down by over five minutes. L’Estage confides, “A small leak in the heater core caused steam to come in through the vents just below the windshield, fogging everything up – it was nearly impossible to keep the car on the road. It was very frustrating and dangerous to continue. I was ready to park the car on the side of the stage but Nathalie pushed me to keep going.” Nathalie Richard explains her decision: “Everybody works so hard to get to where we are and coming away from this rally without any championship points wasn’t really a viable option. We had to persevere. We came close to crashing a few times but we really had to pull together as a team in those trying conditions and Antoine was forced to rely on me more than ever before. He did an awesome job of getting us to the end of that loop of stages without a scratch on the car”.

The problems dropped the team to fifth place before a valiant effort – completely without fifth gear – brought them to within seven seconds of the podium. “It was maximum attack on the last two stages. We won half of the stages on Saturday and I’m getting more and more comfortable with the new car.” explains Antoine. “This rally is known for its sometimes rough surfaces but my Yokohama tires didn’t let me down. At Baie-des-Chaleurs, having reliable tires in non-negotiable,” concludes L’Estage.

The duo of Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard will compete next on July 17th and 18th in Maine and New Hampshire at the New England Forest Rally, Round Six of the Rally America series. The Canadian Rally Championship continues with the Rallye Defi, starting in Ste-Agathe-des-Monts (Quebec) on September 11th.

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

Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard impressing the crowds at the Rallye Baie-des-Chaleurs. Photo credit : Maxime Poirier

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Quebec driver Antoine L’Estage, co-driven by Nathalie Richard, both of St-Jean-sur-Richelieu (QC), will participate in the Rallye Auto Baie-des-Chaleurs June 26th and 27th, round three of the Canadian Rally Championship. Once again at the wheel of their 2009 Rockstar Royal Group Mitsubishi Evo X, Antoine and Nathalie will attempt to bring home their third victory from this extremely popular competition.

“I expect a big battle – the talent and potential winners will be bigger and better than ever before at this rally,” confides Antoine. “We are presently tied for first place in the championship but our objective is clear – to leave from this rally standing alone atop the leader-board,” he adds.

The team has worked very hard the past few weeks to bring the Rockstar Royal Group Evo X back to fighting form after suffering inevitable teething problems at back-to-back rallies in Calgary and then Pennsylvania earlier this month. “It was a disappointing couple of rallies for us but that’s part of the sport. John Buffum and the boys did another excellent job preparing the car and we’re now ready for Baie des Chaleurs. I am also really confident that on the gravel roads in and around New Richmond, our Yokohama tires will once again do the job,” explains the Quebec driver, two-time Canadian and North American champion.

Antoine L’Estage is enthusiastic leading up to this rally. “The Rallye Baie-des-Chaleurs is a fantastic event that’s always great to be a part of. We feel so supported and appreciated by all the fans and it’s clear that they are very familiar with the sport and are as passionate as we are,” shares Antoine.

Co-driver Nathalie Richard looks forward to another rally in which two-pass reconnaissance is used for each team to create their own pacenotes. “Antoine and I each have two wins at the event,” she explains. “The fact that we have two-pass recce is invaluable – I’m really looking forward to a good rally in our Rockstar Royal Group Mitsubishi on roads that Antoine knows well and enjoys driving. I’m confident that we can reach our goals for the weekend,” she adds.

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

Photo: Andrew Snucins, http://worldrallysport.com
Antoine L’Estage & Nathalie Richard battling for victory at the Rocky Mountain Rally.

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Quebec driver Antoine L’Estage and co-driver Nathalie Richard, both of St-Jean-sur-Richelieu (Quebec), participated in this past weekend’s Rocky Mountain Rally, the second of six rounds in the 2009 Canadian Rally Championship. Overall leaders after the first rally of the season, the duo was unable to complete Calgary’s event due to mechanical problems. Their performance prior to stopping was confirmation of their competitiveness, despite competing on gravel for the first time in the new Rockstar Royal Group Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X.

Often contested in winter-like weather conditions, the 2009 Rocky Mountain Rally was blessed with sunny skies and mid-summer temperatures. Antoine and Nathalie started the rally as first car on the road, forcing them to “sweep” the thin layer of gravel coating the competition roads, much to the advantage of their adversaries. “We knew we would drop some time on the first couple of stages but our Yokohama tires allowed us to excel under these conditions,” explains Antoine. “This is also the first time I drove my new Rockstar Royal Group Evo X on gravel and to see that were we mere seconds – or tenths of seconds – off the pace confirms our competitiveness and is reassuring for the future,” he adds.

Under blue skies the following morning, the L’Estage/Richard team closed the gap to within four seconds of eventual winners Pat Richard/Alan Ockwell. Everything came to halt after the fourth stage of the day, during which the team’s rear differential broke, causing them to drop a minute off the lead. “Our mechanics attempted repairs during the service break but on the penultimate stage of the rally, we were sidelined in spite of our minute and a half lead ahead of third place. It’s disappointing because our objective was to earn valuable championship points but now I leave Calgary tied for the championship lead with Pat. The good news is that I learned a lot about the car and how it handles and I’m really looking forward to the rest of the season,” concludes L’Estage.

Before heading to Rallye Baie-des-Chaleurs later this month, Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard will compete in round 5 of the Rally America series, Pennsylvania’s Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally (STPR). L’Estage and Richard won this rally in 2008 and commencing Friday, June 5th, they will attempt to defend that victory amongst a talented field of US and international drivers.

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.

Photo: World Rally Sport, http://www.worldrallysport.com/

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Round 2 – Rocky Mountain Rally

Quebec driver Antoine L’Estage and co-driver Nathalie Richard, both of St-Jean-sur-Richelieu (QC), will take to the start of Calgary’s Rocky Mountain Rally on May 29th and 30th. This is the second round of the Canadian Rally Championship, which is currently led by L’Estage and Richard following their victory at the Rallye Perce-Neige earlier this season. L’Estage and Richard, two-time Canadian and North American champions, will once again be at the wheel of their 2009 Rockstar/Royal Group Mitsubishi Evo X.

Already twice victorious at the Rocky Mountain Rally, an event renown for its fast gravel roads often covered in snow or mud, Antoine L’Estage arrives as the championship leader. “Nathalie and I know this rally well and we’re both very confident,” indicates the Quebec driver, who relies on a well-prepared car by rally legend John Buffum, as well as Yokohama tires specifically suited for these challenging conditions. “It’s a rally that’s always full of surprises. It could just as easily be warm and sunny as it could be cold with a foot of snow or muddy and hailing! I like the challenges that Mother Nature imposes on us and I perform well on difficult roads.” L’Estage adds, “I won’t be disappointed if it rains but the long-term forecast is calling for nice weather. We’re car number one and as first car on the road, we’ll be at a disadvantage as we sweep the thin layer of gravel for the teams behind us,” he confides.

The Rocky Mountain Rally starts at noon on Friday, May 29th at the Deerfoot Inn & Casino in Calgary, Alberta and concludes Saturday evening. This rally marks the end of the Canadian Rally Championship’s longest break of the year with almost three months since the Rallye Perce-Neige in February, an event that saw the L’Estage/Richard duo victorious in their Rockstar/Royal Group Mitsubishi Evo Lancer X’s maiden outing.

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.

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