[Wink Timber]

Former Toyota driver Pasi Hagström will take over the seat left vacant following the accident that took the lives of Mark Lovell and Roger Freeman. Hagström has been doing dust notes for Tommi Makinen on the Subaru World Rally Team for the past year.

I did an interview with him very early on Sunday morning while scores were being posted at Ojibwe. Have not had a chance to transcibe it yet.

Tim Winker

 

[mykr]

That's good for Pasi but I was still hoping for an American like Paul Choinere or me. I guess I can stop holding my breath now...

Cheers!
-mykr.

 

[go fast photo]

How about bringing TOMMI over for one event, he has retired. Give us people in the U.S. a taste of what he can do. I saw it in Portugal in 2001 and I am kicking myself that I haven't gone to another WRC event since.
[email protected]

 

[nicebloke]

>I am kicking myself that I
>haven't gone to another WRC event since.

I'm surprised more US rally fans don't make the trip to see a WRC event. I went to Sweden in Feb and just booked my tix to see Rally GB in Nov. It's pretty cheap (airfare in Feb and Nov is bargain) and you only have to take about 4 days total off work. The spectacle is remarkable to say the least...

Neil.
381 Navvie.

 

[Manchuia]

Is there any real concrete way that the factory teams choose drivers. I was surprised too that they wouldn't have picked up a proven winner in the GrN division. I am new to this, so I might just be uninformed.

James Bond

 

[Bjorn240]

>Is there any real concrete way that the factory teams choose
>drivers.

Given that Pasi is a Prodrive employee, has done much of the testing for the SWRT car, was the first person to drive and test the 2003 SRTUSA cars, and has gravel noted for Tommi while he was at SWRT, I think he was far and away the obvious choice.

Cheers,
- Christian

Bjorn Christian Edstrom
Co-Driver

 

[derek]

Someone who has been in the top 10 of WRC events and a former Finish National Champion is likely Ok in a rally car. He has even won GpN at Finland. I am sure it is a nice bonuse he works for Prodrive now.


From Rally Paradise:

Pasi Hagström was a three-time Finnish motocross champion (oh god this will get JV started again), when he made the switch to cars in 1991. Hagström is world´s only driver who has achieved World Championship points both in motocross and in rallying.
He has been loyal to Toyota throughout his career, starting with Toyota Corolla GT, with which he was 2nd in Finnish Championship series 1993 in Group N under 2000 cc. He moved on to a low-spec Group A Celica in 1994, finishing 11th overall in Rally Finland and 3rd of private drivers.

In 1995 and 1996 he drove in the Finnish Championship series with Group N Toyota Celica GT-Four made by TTE taking few wins in national rallies and overall winner in The Tarmac Rallysprint series 1995. In Rally Finland 1996 he won Group N after thrilling battle against several Mitsubishis.

In 1997 first year in the Finnish Championship series with a competitive group A car, Toyota Celica GT-Four (the car made by Leif Asterhag). In Rally Finland he gained his first ever WRC points placing 6th overall. At the end of the season in 4th place in the Finnish Championship series. In the season 1998 he was third in the Finnish Championship series driving with the Celica and the last two events with the Corolla WRC. In the International Swedish Rally he was 11th and in the Rally Finland 9th.

In the season 1999 Hagstöm dominated the Finnish Rally Championship series winning the Championship with the maximum points. In Rally Finland he drove alongside Carlos Sainz and Didier Auriol in the Toyota´s works team. The event started well, but ended in the beginning of the rally. He got his second possibility to drive in the Toyota´s works team in Rally Australia. Bad luck again - he was injured in the road accident before the event and was not able to contest the rally at all.

In 2001 Hagstrom contested all six WRC rounds of the Teams Cup and placed sixth place overall in Cyprus. Nowadays he is a test driver in the Subaru World Rally Team.

 

[Manchuia]

>
>Given that Pasi is a Prodrive employee, has done much of the
>testing for the SWRT car, was the first person to drive and
>test the 2003 SRTUSA cars, and has gravel noted for Tommi
>while he was at SWRT, I think he was far and away the
>obvious choice.
>
Christian, thanks for the background. Like I said I am new so I don't know a lot of the who's who of rally. I DEFINATELY think he is qualified to run, and it will be fun seeing how he does over here.

James Bond

 

[Shenan]

You still have time. Tommi hasn't retired yet - he announced that he is going to, at the end of this season.

 

[ricochet]

Speaking of Tim's interview with Pasi...

Driving Sports Magazine will be running an exclusive interview with new SRT driver Pasi Hagström (yes, that would be Tim's work) in our upcoming November issue. Subscribe today or pick it up at your local Newsstand when it hits the street in October.



Cheers,

Ryan Douthit, Publisher
Driving Sports Magazine
http://www.drivingsports.com

 

[Kartwheel]

>Pasi Hagström was a three-time Finnish motocross champion
>(oh god this will get JV started again), when he made the
>switch to cars in 1991. Hagström is world´s only driver who
>has achieved World Championship points both in motocross and
>in rallying.

Ahh! I knew I recognized that name but I couldn't place it. I remember him from motocross now.

 

[Rally Swift]

I still think Leon (Mad Kiwi) and John (Widget Co-driver) would have been a great choice.

Cheers, Jim


John Dillon for Governor of California!

 

[Mad Kiwi]

thanks for the kind words, I know in the right car I could scare Higgings
Guess I am to old and crazy
Leon "mad kiwi" Styles

 

[DatsunZguy]

>That's good for Pasi but I was still hoping for an American
>like Paul Choinere or me. I guess I can stop holding my
>breath now...
>
>Cheers!
>-mykr.

I am still hoping that for the 2004 season they will choose an American driver...

I sent a short message to SRTUSA suggesting Andrew Havas...

Not trying to step on anyone's hopes or dreams, but I would just love to see what Andrew could do in a modern, hi-powered car!


Dave Moore -- Wellsboro resident (STPR), rally worker, sports car ('74 260Z) and rally fanatic, too poor to participate, boo hoo... Blessings to all!

 

[Doug Woods]

>I am still hoping that for the 2004 season they will choose
>an American driver...
>
>I sent a short message to SRTUSA suggesting Andrew Havas...

So who would give in first - orange Subaru rally cars or Andrew with blue hair?

Doug Woods

 

[spoier]

Well, now we know how he will do...

Wins SS2 in 21:00 flat, a full 1:21 in front of second place o'sullivan/edstrom OUCH

Ties SS5 8:19

Wins SS6 9:46, 15s clear

Wins SS7 10:40, 12s clear

etc etc today is going about the same.. I think he slowed down after SS2.. I'd say we just got "learned" once again by a real pro

Skye

 

[jandreini]

According to Rally-Live, he's being tagged as the third Subaru WRC driver for 2004.

Edit: winning by 1:21 could be a flyer; we won't really know until the oficial results are posted

 

[spoier]

Forgot to mention he was also first running on SS2 and sweeping...
and that was before any rain so there was plenty of crud

Skye

 

[Widget Codriver]

>I know in the right car I could
>scare Higgings

And in the wrong car he could scare me!

(Hasn't happened yet, though--thank goodness!)

[hr]

[p align=right]John Dillon
John @ WidgetRacing.com
www.WidgetRacing.com

 

[Flyboy]

>
>etc etc today is going about the same.. I think he slowed
>down after SS2.. I'd say we just got "learned" once again by
>a real pro
>
>Skye

One thing to keep in mind is that every day guys like Pasi and Diggins get up and drive rally cars. We get up and go to our crappy jobs. They should be kicking butt. It also helps that they are incredibly talented, but nothing replaces seat time.

Guys like Lauchlin and Ramana are incredibly talented, but only drive once a month. Their speed is impressive, considering the circumstances.

The rest of us suck and get little seat time. To be within the same quartile as these guys is an accomplishment.

Dennis Martin
[email protected]
920-432-4845