Pat Richard (Squamish, BC) and Alan Ockwell (Toronto) of Subaru Rally Team Canada won the 2010 Rallye Baie des Chaleurs in a total time of two hours, zero minutes and 30 seconds after narrowly avoiding disaster on the final stage. The New Richmond based Rallye Baie des Chaleurs is the third round of the Canadian Rally Championship, presented by Subaru and supported by Yokohama.

Attrition struck competitors hard, with more than half of the field failing to finish the rally. Known for its long and demanding stages, Rallye Baie des Chaleurs is hard on cars and crews alike. Those teams lucky enough to finish the event often do so while sustaining damage to their cars, making survival a key part of any winning strategy.

Although two crashes delayed the start of the final stage, conditions for the 2010 Rallye Baie des Chaleurs were good. Clear skies and warm temperatures meant that thousands of spectators were able to enjoy the thrilling live action of rally car racing.

“It was a great event,” said Stephane Roussel, organiser of the Rallye Baie des Chaleurs. “The long stage roads at Rallye Baie des Chaleurs add to the event and keep things interesting.”

“I got caught out, it was pretty embarrassing,” said defending Canadian rally champion Richard, who rolled his car five kilometers from the finish of the last stage while leading the event. “A win is a win, and this is really important for the championship, so for that I am happy.”

Richard had driven a near perfect rally to that point, and had built what appeared to be a secure lead. Landing back on their wheels after the roll, the team sprinted for the finish. The pair crossed the finish line, a large jump surrounded by spectators, with a smashed windshield and hood and flames flashing out from the engine bay.

Young talent Leo Urlichich (Thornhill, ON) and Christine Beavis (San Diego) were one of the few teams to avoid trouble, driving a clean event to a secure second place finish, his first national podium finish.

“Everyone told me I couldn’t throw away my position,” said an ecstatic Urlichich, who is proving his early nickname of “Crazy” Leo no longer applies. “The last stage is probably the best in North America. It has a bit of everything.”

Bruno Carre and Yvan Joyal (Laval, QC), current Canadian Rally Championship leaders, kept a ten point lead in the championship with a third place finish while title rivals struggled with problems throughout the rally.

“The car was perfect for the last two stages,” said Carre, who clipped a bridge early on the second day of action, narrowly avoiding being knocked out of the rally. Carre has shown flashes of brilliance in the past, but his consistency this season has combined with misfortune for other teams, showing the importance of staying clean and finishing an event are as critical to success as outright speed.

“It is good to be leading the championship, but there are still three events left, and I think Pat Richard and Antoine L’Estage will show us why they have both won championships.”

Brothers Jan and Jody Zedril (Winnipeg) took the top spot in two wheel drive after a heated battle with three other competitors. Separated by less than 30 seconds after the first day of action, all four teams attacked on Saturday. Two teams were knocked out of the rally as conditions took their toll. The Zedrils were left to battle with veteran driver Sylvain Vincent and co-driver Simon Vincent. Eventually, the Zedrils found a winning rhythm and carved out a lead of over one minute heading into the finish.

“All afternoon we were both in it,” said co-driver Jody Zedril, after the team had trouble gelling earlier in the event. “This has been the best two wheel drive entry we’ve seen since we started rallying in Canada back in 2007.”

Championship contenders Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard (Ste-Jean-sur-Richelieu, QC) endured a punishing start to the rally. Shortly before technical inspection, their car broke down, and was unable to be repaired for competition. Luckily, the team was able to borrow a spare car brought by Leo Urlichich. The team battled both the field and a few ongoing problems with the car, eventually finishing sixth.

“The last stage we finally had a good run, and I drove like mad,” said L’Estage. “Unfortunately, it was not enough to make up for the time already lost. I have to thank Leo though. Without him, we would not even have been able to run at all.”

The championship battle moves into the mountains north of Montreal, Quebec for the Rallye Defi. Rough and technical roads help the rally live up to its name, French for challenge.

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.

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.

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

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

Rallye Baie des Chaleurs Final Results

1. Pat Richard/Alan Ockwell two hours, 0 minutes 30 seconds
2. Leo Urlichich/Christine Beavis 2:01:22
3. Bruno Carre/Yvan Joyal 2:07:08
4. Craig Henderson/Lyne Murphy 2:07:36
5. Ugo Desgreniers/Eric Kirby 2:11:47
6. Antoine L’Estage/Nathalie Richard 2:12:03
7. Mathieu L’Estage/Yanick Napert 2:11:16
8. Maxime Losier/Philippe Poirier 2:14:09
9. Frank Lognay/Ludovic Lognay 2:20:03
10. Jan Zedril/Jody Zedril 2:20:31

CRC Standings

1. Bruno Carre 50
2. Pat Richard 40
3. Craig Henderson 34
4. Antoine L’Estage 32
5. Leo Urlichich 31
6. Matthieu L_Estage 23

Photo Credit: Andrew Harvey Photography

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The Canadian Rally Championship is moving to the Gaspe Peninsula for the 33rd Edition of the Rallye Baie des Chaleurs this coming weekend and Mitsubishi will have eight rally crews entered.

Looking for a second victory this season and presently second in the series standings, 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. Simon Losier teamed with Francois Morin in a Synchro Racing EVO VIII will start fourth and Mathieu L’Estage with Yanick Napert will take to the roads from ninth place in a very impressive 45-car starting grid. Antoine and Nathalie, winners of the Rocky Mountain in May, Mathieu and Yanick, second in the first round in February are leading the standings for the Mitsubishi Cup.

Supporting the three Quebec tenors that will vie for a podium finish are Jan and Jody Zedril from Winnipeg who will try to increase their lead in the Group 2 category with their reliable production Lancer. The Zedril brothers are returning double national champions in two-wheel drive class.

Also entered are two more crews form Synchro Racing in different EVO prepared Lancers. Martin and Patrick Losier will start from 13th place while Maxime Losier and Philippe Poirier will head out from 21st. Ontarians Ian Crerar partnered with Doug Draper will steer his EVO VI from 16th place. Finally, rookies Grant Riddel and Sebastian Fudalej will debute their 2003 Production Lancer from 44th place.

“Our teams are on a winning streak and we hope their hard work will be rewarded again in this very difficult event”, 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 round could be a turning point in the season.”

Event profile: Baie des Chaleurs Rally

The 33rd edition of the Rallye Baie des Chaleurs will head to the forest roads from the New-Richmond sport complex on Friday night. Thousands of spectators and fans will line up for two days to see the competition. After a few speed tests on Friday night, cars will spend the night in New-Richmond and the event will resume Saturday morning at 9:00 AM until 5:30 PM for the 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.

Antoine L’Estage and codriver Nathalie Richard in their 2009 Evolution were perfect in horrible road conditions to clinch outright victory at the Rocky Mountain Rally in May. Jan and Jody Zedril earned yet another 2WD class win in their Lancer ES.

Pictures by Barry Gilles

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Find us on YouTube or Facebook under ACP Rally.

Photo by Andrew Snucins, www.worldrallysport.com.

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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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Richard sets all-time victory record while Block crashes out

Subaru Rally Team Canada driver Patrick Richard took a hard-fought victory at the Rallye Baie des Chaleurs, held this past weekend near New Richmond, QC, beating the entire field of 48 cars and solidifying his overall lead in the 2009 Canadian Rally Championship.

Driving a Subaru Impreza WRX STi, Squamish, BC based Richard and his co-driver Alan Ockwell, of Toronto, ON, took the lead after the fourth stage and never looked back, marking Richard’s second overall win in a row, and third overall win at this particular event. Three victories by a single driver is a new record for this classic event which has been held for 32 years.

“This was billed as the North American showdown of the season,” explained Richard, “we had the fastest drivers in North America at this event and it didn’t disappoint in terms of action for the fans.” The entry list included the top ranked teams from the American national championship including Ken Block, who won the last round of the Rally America series and is a 2 time X Games medalist. Despite a flat tire on the second stage, Richard and Ockwell shared the best stage times with Block, who eventually crashed out on stage 4. “After Ken crashed out we pretty much paced ourselves to the end. It was one of those rallies where you either broke or crashed trying to keep up.”

The team’s event wasn’t without some drama, however. “We decided to try some different suspension settings, which didn’t really work out,” explained Ockwell. “Once we reverted back to the original setup, the only issues we had were with the tires.” Despite leading the event from the fourth stage, the team endured a total of four flat tires. “It wasn’t like we were pushing, we had several minutes of advantage, but we kept pulling tires off the car. In the end, the car ran flawlessly but we’ll have to look at what we can do about our tire situation before the next event.”

The Rallye Baie des Chaleurs is considered the toughest round of the Canadian Rally Championship, and normally teams fight to stay in the event with engines, transmissions and suspension components pushed to the limit in this tough test of speed and endurance. “I have to give credit where credit is due – the car was absolutely flawless. Aside from the tires we didn’t have anything go wrong at all, and that is despite the fact that we were leading the toughest event in the championship. Our Squamish, BC-based Rocket Rally crew did a fantastic job.” Rocket Rally Racing is based in Squamish, BC, Canada and operates the Subaru Rally Team Canada on behalf of Subaru Canada, with associate sponsors Vision-X Lighting, Crawford Performance and ACT providing product support for the 2009 Canadian Rally Championship.

This victory puts Richard and Ockwell solidly in the lead of the 2009 Canadian Rally Championship, now at the halfway point of its season. Richard and Ockwell are the defending champions from 2008. All rounds of the Canadian Rally Championship are televised nationally on TSN, TSN2 and RDS, as well as internationally. For television times, please check your local listings. More information about the Canadian Rally Championship can be found at the Canadian Association of Rallysport’s website www.carsrally.ca. Photos, videos and more information about the team can be found at the team’s website www.rocketrally.com.

Photo by Andrew Harvey, www.andrewharvey.ca

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With a dominating win at the 2009 Rallye Baie-des-Chaleurs, Pat Richard (Squamish, B.C.) and Alan Ockwell (Toronto, Ont.) of Subaru Rally Team Canada leap into the lead of the Canadian Rally Championship presented by Subaru and supported by Yokohama.

Richard and Ockwell came into the event fresh from a win at the Rocky Mountain Rally in Calgary in May, and were tied for the championship lead. The team suffered multiple flat tires through the weekend, but still managed to set the fastest overall time.

“This is great for the championship, and it’s also my third career win here,” said Richard. “We had some troubles, but we were able to set competitive times.”

A career-high second place went to the local team of Martin Gauvin and Daniel Duchesneau of New Richmond, Que., who consistently perform well at their home event.

“This event is very rough, and you have to drive clean and fast to do well,” said Gauvin. “We pushed very hard and never hit anything that would cause a problem. This is also the best finish for a Gaspesie team, so we’re very proud of that.”

Third place went to Craig Henderson and Lyne Murphy, also of New Richmond. “We had some real problems over the last two stages with smoke coming into the cabin, and losing power steering,” said Henderson. “We found the problem and pushed very hard on the last stage – maybe 150% – and knew we had the podium.”

Top contenders Ken Block (Encinitas, California) and Alex Gelsomino (Los Angeles) of Subaru Rally Team USA crashed out of the event late Friday. Championship contenders, Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard of St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec suffered mechanical problems and dropped down the order, clawing back to fourth place at the finish for valuable points.

In the two wheel drive class, a tight battle formed between the Mitsubishi Lancer of Jan and Jody Zedril (Winnipeg, Man.) and the Suzuki Swift of Peter Kocandrle (Acton, Ont.) and Jimmy Brandt (Michigan, U.S.). The veteran Zedril brothers traded times with the rookie Kocandrle, and managed to keep a lead to the end for the class win. Alberta competitors, Hardy Schmidtke and Adam Vokes brought their Subaru WRX to a top ten overall finish and a class win in Production GT. “It was a great competition with Peter,” said Jan Zedril. “We saw how much time we lost on the second last stage and knew we were going to have to really fight to keep the lead.”

Rally organizer Marc-Andre Leblanc was excited about the quality of the event. “I’m very proud of the quality of the entry and of course the results for the local teams,” said Leblanc. “I am also proud of the level of this event in Canada and in North America.”

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 series stays in Quebec for the next round of the championship, the Rallye Defi, in Ste-Agathe-des-Monts and Montpellier, Que., September 11-12, 2009.

Rallye Baie Des Chaleurs Final Results (full results at www.rallyebdc.com)
1-Pat Richard – Alan Ockwell (Subaru Impreza STI) – 1 hours 34 min. 48 sec.
2- Martin Gauvin – Daniel Duchesneau (Subaru Impreza WRX ) – 1:37:10
3- Craig Henderson – Lyne Murphy (Subaru Impreza STI) – 1:38:17
4- Antoine L’Estage – Nathalie Richard (Mitsubishi EVO X) – 1:38:24
5- Andrew Comrie-Picard – Jen Horsey (Mitsubishi EVO X) – 1:40:27
6- Joel Levac – Laurence Fanny L’Estage (Subaru Impreza WRX) – 1:41:54
7- Simon Losier – Francois Morin (Mitsubishi EVO IX) – 1:42:22
8- Bruno Carre – Yvan Joyal (Subaru Impreza) – 1:43:34
9- Hardy Schmidtke – Adam Vokes (Subaru Impreza WRX) – 1:44:09
10- Leo Urlichich – Martin Headland (Subaru Impreza STI) – 1:44:41

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A close championship battle will be contested by a deep field at the 2009 Rallye Baie-Des-Chaleurs in New Richmond, Que., third round of the Canadian Rally Championship presented by Subaru and supported by Yokohama. Just six points separate the top four teams, with a win earning 22 points. Every move up the order is critical for the teams vying for the title of 2009 Canadian Rally Champion.

Subaru Rally Team Canada’s Pat Richard, of Squamish, BC, and co-driver Alan Ockwell share the championship lead and are defending 2008 Canadian Rally Champions.

“We really need to manage our speed at this event,” says Richard, “The championship is so close that you can’t really back off to save the car, but this event is rough and you need to be careful.”

Antoine L’Estage and co-driver Nathalie Richard of St-Jean-sur-Richlieu, Que., share the lead with Richard and Ockwell. The pair won the opening round of the series in the debut of their Mitsubishi Evolution X, but suffered development problems at the Rocky Mountain Rally in May.

“Baie-Des-Chaleurs is going to be a really interesting rally for the fans and teams, with so much competition,” said L’Estage. “I don’t want to let Ken Block win again!”

Ken Block and Alex Gelsomino both hail from California, U.S., and will be the entry from the Subaru Rally Team USA. The pair won the rally in 2008, their first time at Baie.

“The atmosphere is something very close to what you see in a WRC or European championship event and that makes Baie quite unique in North American rally,” said Gelsomino. “Those are truly world class roads, really enjoyable to drive but they don’t give much of a chance if you make a mistake.”

Canadian Andrew Comrie-Picard and co-driver Jen Horsey will be in their Mitsubishi Evolution X. Andrew is a close contender just four points behind the leaders in the Canadian Rally Championship.

“It’s great to have such a hotly contested event,” said Comrie-Picard. “The depth of the field will really enhance the pleasure of the event for teams and fans alike.”

Sylvain Erickson of Gatineau, Que., will also be mixing it up at the front, and sits just six points back from the championship leaders. Erickson has teamed up with veteran co-driver Brian Maxwell of Port Hope, Ont., in an effort to find more speed.

“This will be the first time working with a co-driver who is really good with stage notes,” said Erickson. “Brian has a lot of experience that should help me go even faster.”

This year’s entry nears 50 cars, and will be highlighted by Martin Gauvin and Daniel Duchesneau of New Richmond, Que., and Craig Henderson and Lyne Murphy also of New Richmond, Que. Both have earned podium finishes in the past and are viable threats on their hometown roads.

Nick and Kelly Mathew of Caledon, Ont., will aim for more valuable championship points after a third place finish at the Rocky Mountain Rally.

Jan and Jody Zedril are entered after a bad crash at the Rocky Mountain Rally in late May left their two wheel drive Mitsubishi Lancer in need of repairs. Currently second place in the Two Wheel Drive Championship, and their rivals not entered, the Zedrils have a great opportunity to move up in the standings.

“Work started on the car as soon as we got home from Rocky, and we’re all set to go,” said Jody Zedril.

The event, held June 26-27, 2009, includes 190 kilometers of competitive stages run near the town of New Richmond on the south shore of the Gaspe Peninsula.

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: www.CARSrally.ca and www.rallyebdc.com

PHOTO: Ken Block and Alex Gelsomino of the Subaru Rally Team USA fly over the infamous jump at the 2008 Rallye Baie-des-Chaleurs. Photo by Andrew Harvey/Flatovercrest.com

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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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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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