The Mitsubishi Brigade had three more finishers among the 23 cars completing the grueling event: drivers Ian Crerar took 11th, Maxime Losier finished 12th and Peter Thomson completed the round of survivors with a 16th place. Road conditions ruled the day as they were deeply rutted in some corners and very slippery in others. Tire choice was critical for most of the teams who experienced punctures, causing suspension and steering problems.

Attrition was high among the entire field and the Mitsubishi Brigade was not exempt. In their Mitsubishi Evolution X, already crowned 2011 Canadian and North American champions, Antoine L’Estage of St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, QC and codriver Nathalie Richard of Halifax, NS won the first four competitive stages before their racing gearbox experienced problems and forced them to retire. Winnipeg brothers Jan and Jody Zedril in the 2 Wheel Drive and Group 5 categories with their Lancer as well as Jeffrey Dowell and Yavor Klostranec in a stock Production class Lancer were sidelined with a string of punctures and mechanical problems. Nevertheless, Mitsubishi dominated the 2011 Canadian rally season, collecting a total of 18 championship titles.

“We understand the Tall Pines was up to its reputation again and our teams were leading the rally and their respective classes before retiring for numerous reasons”, stated Mr. Kenji Toh, VP Sales/Marketing & Corporate Planning for Mitsubishi Motor Sales of Canada. “We thank all the teams in the Mitsubishi Brigade for their dedication and accomplishments throughout the 2011 season. We look forward to seeing them back in action when the new season resumes in February.”

2012 : A new season

Tall Pines completes another Canadian Rally Championship calendar and teams will spend the coming months getting ready for the 55th rally season, the longest running motorsports championship in the country. All six events will return in 2012, taking the teams to four different provinces. The Rallye Perce-Neige, an event that originated in 1964, will welcome rally teams to Maniwaki, Quebec on the first weekend of February. For more information, please visit the series web site at www.carsrally.ca, the Perce-Neige web site at www.rallyeperceneige.com or visit our password free media website at www.mitsubishi-motors-pr.ca

Simon Losier and Brian Maxwell (right) in their Lancer EVO VIII finished 6th overall, assisting Mitsubishi’s Overall Manufacturer’s Championship title win. Right, Michelle Laframboise, the only female rally driver, took 8th overall, her career best finish in her Lancer EVO IV

Pictures by Philip Ericksen

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“Wow, this is incredible,” said Urlichich, who literally jumped around on the podium in excitement. “All season the whole team has been working hard to get to this point, and so this win really proves how much the team has put into the effort.”

With the Canadian Rally Championship already decided in favour of L’Estage and co-driver Nathalie Richard (Halifax), no teams had to hold back for the sake of strategy, and right from the first stage, each team was attacking.

L’Estage won the first four stages, taking control of the event, until disaster struck at the end of SS5. The transmission in their car shattered with large pieces of the casing falling off.

“Well, it’s too bad. We were leading the rally, and had a good lead, but it’s ok,” said L’Estage. “The important thing is we are Canadian Rally Champions.”

Pat Richard and Alan Ockwell (Toronto) of Subaru Rally Team Canada took over the lead, with David Higgins and Craig Drew (Gloucestershire, England) taking over second place. Both teams would go on to suffer punctures, dropping down the order and handing Urlichich the lead. Richard and Ockwell would later suffer transmission failures and retire from the event.

“This was a really tough event, probably the hardest I’ve done in my entire career,” said Higgins, who went on to finish second. “Primarily, we came here to test the car, but when you’re a competitive person, you want to push for the win.”

Third place went to Bruno Carre (Laval, QC) and Yvan Joyal (Terrebonne, QC). The two were desperately trying to hang on to their podium position, with an overheating car threatening to end their event. With a large margin over fourth placed Ugo Desgreniers (Orford, QC) and Erik Kirby (Sherbrooke, QC), Carre was able to make his car last to the finish.

“The car started overheating with about five stages left,” said Carre. “We had to stop at lakes to get water to fill up the rad. It’s been a difficult end to the rally, so we’re very happy and lucky to be on the podium.”

In two wheel drive, the entry was equally impressive. Series regulars Jan and Jody Zedril (Winnipeg) faced off against local talent Peter Kocandrle (Kitchener-Waterloo, ON) and co-driver Alex Kihurani (Philadelphia, PA), as well as Simon Dube (Jonquiere, QC) and Pat Lavigne (Montreal). 2011 Rally American 2WD Champions Wyatt Knox (Franconia, NH) and co-driver Ole Holter (Long Beach, CA) entered in a Ford Fiesta R2, while 2009 RA 2WD Champ Dillon Van Way (Baton Rouge, LA) and co-driver Jake Blattner (Salem, OR) were also on hand in a Fiesta.

Just as it did in all wheel drive, attrition took a toll on the 2WD cars as well. Kocandrle set fast stage times but struggled with half shaft problems that eventually ended his rally. The Zedrils also retired from the event, and Van Way retired with a broken half shaft, the rough conditions especially hard on the 2WD cars.

Dube and Knox traded stage times and the class lead, and heading into the final stage, Dube and Lavigne had a lead of just over one minute, 30 seconds. However, on the final stage, Egan Creek, Dube had an electrical fault that cut the engine, costing the team six minutes and handing the lead to Knox and Holter.

“This was my first time at this rally, and my first time driving the R2,” said Knox. “It was a really hard event. In the US, we do the same distance, but split over two days, so this really was a marathon. We had a great battle with Dube, and it worked out for us, but we’ll see what happens next time.”

“It’s been an incredible event,” said organiser Ian Wright. “The record entry isn’t just about volume, but of quality, with some really talented teams competing. Everything went really well, and we’re happy to introduce Canadian rally to all the first time teams and fans who came out in person or watched at home.”

Production company TV2Go offered fans a home a unique opportunity with a precedent setting high definition live stream to web. Three live shows covered the ceremonial start and first stage, a mid day service and the podium finish. Those who wish to watch the shows on demand can do so on Flatovercrest.com.

The 2012 Canadian Rally Championship season is only a few short months away. Kicking off with the Rallye Perce Neige in Maniwaki, QC teams will take on the classic winter rally February 4-5, 2012. Massive snowbanks offer both help in staying on the road, and a threat in their ability to pull a car off the road. Icy conditions require a special talent as studded tires are not permitted. The Rallye Perce Neige is perhaps Canada’s most remote rally with very long and challenging stages.

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 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.tallpinesrally.com

You can also follow the series on Twitter @CRCRally or at facebook.com/CRCRally

Rally of the Tall Pines Final Results

1. Leo Urlichich – Martin Brady – One hour, 59 minutes, 4.8 seconds
2. David Higgins – Craig Drew – 1:59:36.7
3. Bruno Carre – Yvan Joyal – 2:07:51.7
4. Ugo Desgreniers – Erik Kirby – 2:12:25.7
5. Steeve Hobbs – Jean-Mathieu Tremblay – 2:13:19.7
6. Simon Losier – Brian Maxwell – 2:16:24.0
7. Nick Mathew – Kelly Matthew – 2:17:59.1
8. Michelle Laframboise – Dean Hopkins – 2:20:04.8
9. Wyatt Knox – Ole Holter – 2:20:19.7
10. Ryan Huber – John Vanos – 2:21:16.1

Photos: Andrew Harvey Photography

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Based in Bancroft Ontario, two hours’ drive from Toronto; the Rally of the Tall Pines is one of the most difficult rallies in Canada due to the mix of high level competition and challenging roads. The event also features a daunting 126 miles of competition stages run in just one long day, taxing both the crews and the cars. This challenge presented an ideal test session for Subaru Rally Team USA outside the pressures of the Rally America National Championship. Subaru Rally Team USA brought the latest evolution of their 2011 Subaru WRX STI rally car which included new suspension upgrades that the team sought to test.

“This rally was one of the most difficult of my career, the roads are so challenging and there is a big variety in surface grip and conditions. There are jumps, off camber turns, blind crests everywhere and rough spots,” explained Higgins. “It really made for an ideal test for the car and I think we learned more about the car at this rally than we have at the previous four events we’ve run with it.”

Higgins and his co-driver Craig Drew began the rally with a conservative pace as they experimented with car setup as part of the test and sat in 3rd place overall early in the event. The duo hit some trouble near the midpoint of the rally when their car was slowed by a tire puncture in-stage and then on a subsequent stage were forced to stop within the stage and change another tire puncture. Higgins lost nearly three minutes to the rally leader in the process.

However, Higgins’ top two rivals, current Canadian champion Antoine L’Estage and former Canadian champion Pat Richard were befallen by mechanical problems near the midpoint as well leaving Higgins comfortably in 2nd place overall for the remainder of the event. Higgins went on to win the final seven stages of the rally and at the finish had closed the nearly three-minute gap to the leader down to just over thirty seconds.

“David and Craig drove perfectly to plan as our intention from the beginning was to approach this event as a valuable opportunity testing different components and adjusting car set-ups in advance of our 2012 race campaign,” indicated James Han, motorsports marketing manager for Subaru of America, Inc. “The talent within the field was strong, and our team performed well… finishing credibly against drivers with many years of experience at [the Rally of] Tall Pines.”

Subaru Rally Team USA is proudly supported by Subaru of America, Inc., Subaru Tecnica International (STI), Subaru Performance Tuning (SPT), BFGoodrich Tires, RECARO, Vision X, Alpinestars, Motul, Exedy, VP Fuels and Vermont SportsCar. For more information on Subaru Rally Team USA, as well as exclusive photo and video galleries visit subaru.com/rally and for the latest news follow the team on Twitter: twitter.com/srtusa.

Photos by Mike Proulx and Melina Lamoureux

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“We started the Tall Pines without any real pressure on our shoulders because we had already accumulated enough points to clinch both the North American and the Canadian Rally Championship titles earlier this year. Regardless, we were still motivated to have a great battle with our primary rival in the Canadian Rally Championship, as well as our primary rival in the Rally America series,” explains Antoine L’Estage. He adds, “We pushed hard and had fun and won all the stages of the rally before our mechanical problem. The roads were fast with a bit of mud but no ice – we chose the right Yokohama tires for these conditions, which allowed us to increase our lead after each stage.”

This mechanical DNF (Did Not Finish) is the only one in 2011 for Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard, which is a testament to how solidly the Mitsubishi Evo X is prepared by John Buffum’s Libra Racing shop. The Rockstar Royal Group team has contested thirteen rallies this year, comprising of the entire Canadian Rally Championship and Rally America series, as well as the Rallye de Charlevoix (Quebec Championship) won by Antoine L’Estage and John Buffum last month. In total, they climbed onto the podium eleven times with 7 victories and 4 second places.

In addition to their overall 2011 Canadian and North American driver’s titles for L’Estage and Richard, they almost single-handedly won the Manufacturers’ title for Mitsubishi. “Leading up to Tall Pines, we had earned all of the Manufacturers’ championship points for Mitsubishi with four wins and a second place. In order to secure the title, the highest finishing Mitsubishi needed to be in the top 6. Thanks to Simon Losier and Brian Maxwell’s sixth place finish, we are thrilled to announce Mitsubishi’s very first overall Manufacturers’ title in Canada. It’s definitely the icing on the cake in a year that has brought so much success to our sponsors,” conclude Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard.

At the end of the 2011 season, Antoine L’Estage holds four North American championship titles (2007, 2008, 2010 and 2011), four Canadian titles (2006, 2007, 2010 and 2011), one American title (2010), and thirty-one overall victories in Canada and the US. Nathalie Richard holds seven overall national championship titles (4 in Canada and 3 in the USA), as well as thirty-seven overall rally wins on both sides of the border. She is also a seven-time North American Champion (2004 – 2011, excluding 2006).

Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard participated in the 2011 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, Exe-Tc Suspensions, Seibon Carbon and Hawk Performance Brake Pads. For more information on the team or on rallying in general, visit antoinelestage.com.

Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard, 2011 Canadian Rally Champions, in action while leading the Rally of the Tall Pines. Photo by Antoine Belanger-Leclerc

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The Rockstar Royal Group team arrived to the rally in Bancroft with a two-point lead in the championship. Confident with their chances, Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard planned on pushing hard right from the start in order to build up a lead ahead of their main rivals. And that’s exactly what they did as they won the first competitive stage by nine seconds. “We followed our game plan to perfection; go fast without hurting the car,” confides Antoine L’Estage, “Tall Pines is a very tricky and difficult event. That held true for this year particularly because with dry road conditions, speeds get very high and the jumps multiply. Several teams had accidents and flat tires but that wasn’t the case for us. I drove a clean rally, Nathalie was fantastic, and after pushing hard in the morning we just focussed on managing our lead without taking risks. Our car was flawlessly prepared and our Yokohama tires were worry-free. It’s what you could call a perfect rally,” adds the champion.

This success earned Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard their third Canadian Championship title. Aside from this overall championship, the duo is also awarded the 2010 Open Class Championship and the coveted “Triple Crown” given to a team winning the North American, American, and Canadian titles in the same year. Antoine is only the second driver in history to achieve this. As for Nathalie Richard. she claimed the Triple Crown honours in 2004, which makes her now the only competitor to have done it twice.

“We are a private team with a limited budget. We are very proud of what our small team has been able to achieve against several manufacturers’ teams on both sides of the border. I owe a big thanks to John Buffum and our mechanics as well as commercial partners,” indicates Antoine L’Estage. “We worked extremely hard all season and our Mitsubishi Evo X was super reliable at every rally. We finished every one of our twelve national rallies this year, including six victories and four other podiums,” states co-driver Nathalie Richard.

Already three-time North American champion (2007, 2008, 2010), Antoine L’Estage also conquered his third Canadian title (2006, 2007, 2010). He is the reigning champion in the premier American rally series and he has won twenty-five national rallies to date. Nathalie Richard holds six overall national championship titles (3 in Canada and 3 in the USA), as well as thirty-one overall rally wins on both sides of the border. She is also six-time North American Co-Driving Champion (2004 – 2010, excluding 2006).

After an extremely successful year, the Rockstar Royal Group team will return to competition in January 2011. The team’s plans and partnership details are to be announced at a later date.

Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard make up the only team to have participated 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 .

Action photos: Claude Lamoureux
Antoine & Nathalie photo: Mat Janiak www.worldrallysport.com

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Attrition was high this year and only half the 50-car starting grid completed the event. L’Estage and Richard took the lead after the very first stage and never looked back. Beside the Triple Crown, L’Estage and Richard gave Mitsubishi the Open class title and Nathalie takes another Ladies Cup. They win the Mitsubishi Cup for a second year.

Synchro Racing with Simon Losier and Brian Maxwell took sixth overall in their EVO VIII. Michelle Laframboise and codriver Elise Racette, the only female team to compete, finished in 14th place with their EVO IV just ahead of the American pair Demetri Andreou and Jon Dunning.

Finally, Jeffrey Dowell and Yavor Klostranec took their third Production Sport victory of the season with their stock Lancer, confirming their class championship and another title for Mitsubishi. The Ontario pair matches the feat of Jan and Jody Zedril who had already clinched the 2WD and Group 2 championships, earning Mitsubishi two Constructor titles by the same token.

“The Canadian rally championship could not have ended in a better way with two more teams of our brigade winning titles. But our leaders, Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard, are extremely deserving with their achievement north and south of the border. This is an historic season for Mitsubishi in Canada”, declares Koji Soga, President and CEO of Mitsubishi Motor Sales of Canada (MMSCAN). “The 2011 season is just a few months away and we wish our Mitsubishi Brigade all the best in the off-season and hope to see them back in February for the start of a new championship.”

2011 Calendar: Championship profile
CARS – Canadian Association of Rally Sport – the sanctioning body in Canada released the 2011 calendar with the same six events returning. Competitors will take to the icy logging roads around Maniwaki, Quebec in early February. Two events will be run out West: the Rocky Mountain in May out of Calgary and the Pacific Forest in October out of Merritt, B.C. Two more events are confirmed in Quebec, with Baie des Chaleurs taking place in the Gaspe Peninsula in early July while Defi will be staged in September in the Laurentians. The season finale will again be held out of Bancroft, Ontario with Tall Pines rally.

For a team entering all events, it means hundreds of hours preparing the rally car, thousands of kilometres traveling across the country and for a driver and codriver team close to a hundred stages driving flat out. For more information, please visit our password free media website at www.mitsubishi-motors-pr.ca

Antoine L’Estage and codriver Nathalie Richard (right) in their Mitsubishi Evolution took a commanding lead in Tall Pines Rally and earned their 4th victory of the season. Jeffrey Dowel and Yavor Klostranec (left) drove clean all day in their stock Lancer, confirming their Production Sport championship and another manufacturer title for Mitsubishi.

Pictures by Philip Ericksen

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At the wheel of his Rockstar Royal Group Mitsubishi Evo X, Antoine L’Estage is confident heading into the final round of the season. “It will be a super exciting rally! Nathalie and I have already won Tall Pines on three previous occasions and it’s where I won my very first national rally in 2004,” he confides.

The situation at the top of the driver’s championship is as such: the L’Estage/Richard duo is leading by two points. If the team and their primary rivals finish the rally, as long as L’Estage/Richard lead at the end of the day, Triple Crown honours will have been earned. “I really enjoy Tall Pines and I always feel at ease, regardless of the road conditions. If I had my choice, I’d prefer dry gravel to snow or ice-covered roads because they will almost definitely be lined by ditches instead of snow banks. But at the same time, I’ve often won in those conditions so I don’t have any apprehensions and thanks to Yokohama, we have all the compounds we could need,” explains the Quebec driver.

The Rockstar Royal Group team tested its Mitsubishi Evo X last week to ensure that everything is in order mechanically before arriving in Bancroft. “We’re not leaving anything to chance because one thing is certain: it will be an epic battle,” concludes Antoine. Nathalie Richard adds, “We have won the last two rounds of the Canadian Championship and even the last three events if you count the final round of the Rally America series in the US where we won the title this summer. We’re on a roll and we’ll do everything to carry on that momentum up until the end of Tall Pines,” mentions the co-driver.

Antoine L’Estage currently holds three North American titles (2007, 2008 and 2010), two Canadian championship titles (2006 and 2007), one American title (2010) and twenty-four overall victories in Canada and the United States. Nathalie Richard holds five overall national championships (Canada and USA) and thirty national victories on both sides of the border. The North American title she clinched in September is her sixth in seven years.

Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard make up the only team to 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 .

Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard, taking a commanding lead at the Pacific Forest Rally in October.
Photo: Matthew Young / www.worldrallysport.com

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Antoine L’Estage and co-driver Nathalie Richard from St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, QC had a stellar season in their Mitsubishi Evolution but they still need to win or at least nurse their two-point lead over defending champions Patrick Richard and Alan Ockwell. Their season started in February on a sour note when they did not finish the first event, but since then, the rest has been encouraging. They won the Rally America and North American championships, took the bronze in the X-Games in Los Angeles and they are leading the Canadian standings going into the last round.

Mitsubishi will feature an additional six EVO VIII/IX’s with Synchro Racing returning with three entries for Simon Losier and Brian Maxwell, Martin Losier and Patrick Losier, Maxime Losier and Philippe Poirier. They will be joined by former 2005 Canadian champion Peter Thomson paired with Rod Hendricksen and two American entries, Heath and Heidi Nunnemacher and veteran Demetri Andreou teamed with Jon Dunning.

The Winnipeg brother pair of Jan and Jody Zedril will not participate in the Tall Pines for the first time in many years since they have already clinched the 2WD and Group 2 championships, earning Mitsubishi two Constructor titles by the same token. Jeffrey Dowell and Yavor Klostranec have also won the Production Sport and manufacturer championships with their stock Lancer, but they will battle the last event class victory with Grant and Julia Riddell in another Lancer.

Also entered are Ian Crerar and Doug Draper, a regular crew on the Canadian rally scene and the only female crew in the country, Michelle Laframboise and codriver Elise Racette with their EVO IV.

“The rally championship is probably one of the hardest titles to win in Canada. Our teams have to face twisty logging roads covered with snow, ice or mud; they go flat out from early in the day until late at night, through thick fog, dust and sometimes at altitude. We hope their efforts will be rewarded at the end of the season”, states Koji Soga, President and CEO of Mitsubishi Motor Sales of Canada. (MMSCAN). “The 2010 season comes to an end and we think our brigade contribution made it very entertaining.”

Tall Pines Rally : Event profile

Activities around Bancroft will start Friday night with the usual spectator and VIP shakedown before cars are impounded overnight. Saturday is the longest rally day of the year with the L’Estage and Richard crew first on the road at 9:00 AM. Competitors have 488 kilometres of road on their agenda with 188 scrambled over 15 speed stages. Rally teams will return to Bancroft 13 hours later for the podium ceremonies marking the end of the 2010 season. For more information, please visit the event web site at www.tallpinesrally.com or visit our password free media website at www.mitsubishi-motors-pr.ca

Antoine L’Estage and codriver Nathalie Richard (right) in their Mitsubishi Evolution on their way to their victory in British Columbia last month. On the left is the only female crew on the Canadian tour with Elise Racette on the left and driver Michelle Laframboise next to her.

Pictures from Shawn Bishop and Philip Ericksen

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Eight additional teams, all steering Mitsubishi Lancer models, have entered into this unpredictable event where weather often determines the outcome. Among the open class favorites are Andrew Comrie-Picard and Jeremy Wimpey in a second Evolution; Simon Losier and Francois Morin driving a Synchro Racing Evolution VIII RS and Maxime Losier and Philippe Poirier, also in a Synchro Racing Evolution VIII RS.

Zebe Szewczyk and Tomasz Karzynski, out of Calgary, could campaign their Group 5 Ralliart to another class victory and series championship. Meanwhile, Jan and Jody Zedril from Winnipeg have locked the Group 2 title and could become the best two-wheel drive team in the country in their Lancer ES. Michelle Laframboise – the only female driver entered at Tall Pines – and Erik Lee have entered in their Evolution IV; while Philip Deans and Carmel Burke along with rookies Jeffrey and Emily Dowell in their Production Sport Lancers.

“Our teams have worked very hard all season long and we appreciate and support their efforts,” said Kogi Soga, President and CEO of Mitsubishi Motor Sales of Canada Inc. “Mitsubishi is close to earning its first national championship and this is very good news for our future in rally sports in Canada and for the Mitsubishi brand.”

Rally of the Tall Pines: profile
The final round of the season, the famous Rally of the Tall Pines, will be held in Bancroft, Ontario November 19 – 21. Road conditions at Tall Pines have always made for an exciting and unpredictable event. Car preparation, route and tire choice all play a key role. This weekend 54 teams will take to the road for a total of 500 kilometres with 190 of them in sheer speed. More information is available at www.tallpinesrally.com.

Antoine L’Estage and co-driver Nathalie Richard could become the Canadian rally champions in their Lancer Evolution. Jan and Jody Zedril are the new Canadian Group 2 champions.

Pictures : Philip Ericksen

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

For more information on the web: www.CARSrally.ca ; www.tallpinesrally.com

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

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

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