Han d b r a k e s Edition 78 April 20

09

&Hairpins y o u r in s ig h t in to th e world of rallying

Cover News Features

Gemmell Rossi in WRC Rally
wins Sasol! WRC in 2011? Argentina!
page 10 page 5 page 20
Contents
Cover Page: Johnny Gemmell and Peter
Marsh. IMAGE: Motorpics

PAGES 4 - 6 : In the news this week...

PAGE 9: Rally Chicks to fly South Africa’s

flag in Uganda

PAGES 10 - 13: SANRC Sasol Rally REVIEW

PAGES 14 - 16: WRC Rally Argentina REVIEW

DIARY
MAY EVENTS
International Rallies:
01 - 03: ARC Pearl of Africa Rally (Uganda)
ERC Istanbul Rally
07 - 09: IRC Sata Azores Rally (Portugal)
15 - 17: RA Oregon Trail Rally
20 - 24: WRC Rally Italy-Sardinia
22 - 23: BRC Jim Clark Rally
22 - 23: USRC Rally Tennessee
29 - 31: ERC Croatia Delta Rally
South African Rallies:
02: KZNRRC Round 2
09: Tzaneen Rally (Northern Regions)
15 - 16: Sugarbelt 400 (KwaZulu-Natal)
16: Ceres Rally (Western Cape)
21 - 23: NATIONAL: SCC-PTA Rally

To receive your FREE weekly HANDBRAKES

& HAIRPINS e-magazine, or if you’d like to
share this with a friend please send me your
e-mail address to evanrothman@gmail.com
or to my mobile at 083 452 6892.
Got any questions, opinions or news to share?
Please send your letters to
evanrothman@gmail.com!

All content copyrighted property of

HANDBRAKES & HAIRPINS, 2007-9
 AeroCatch®
The new aerodynamically efficient and aesthetically styled AeroCatch® is setting
new standards in panel fixing for the 21st century, providing a wide variety of fixing
solutions for the Motorsport, Specialist Vehicle, Marine, Transportation and
Packaging industries.

Available in flush & plus flush options

fitting from the top or the bottom of the
panel or bonnet.

120-2000 AeroCatch + Flush

120-2100 AeroCatch + Flush Locking
120-3000 AeroCatch + Flush Carbon
120-3100 AeroCatch + Flush Locking Carbon

To place your order contact us on the following number-

Telephone +27 11 6708400
E-mail – info@ats-motorsport.co.za
Website – ats-motorsport.co.za
The world’s
latest rally news
BRC’s Greenerways Rally confirmed
The Greenerways Rally, the project crucial to evaluating the
benefits of a closed pattern gravel tyre, will be run by the
Cumberland Sporting Car Club in the Kielder forest complex on
Sunday 14 June 2009.
Having listened to competitors and teams supportive of the
project, a mid-season date has been found, with additional
budget to further reduce the cost of the Eco Tyre initiative
event to just £195 per crew. This includes the use of four Pirelli
Eco Tyres, a recce of the stage and a shakedown session so
drivers can adjust their cars to suit the new rubber.
was a difficult one, but we didn’t want to go off half cocked
and I think in the current economic climate, it was the right
choice. This project is as important as ever to the future of the
sport, so the event must now go ahead with the full support
of any driver with an eligible car. I must thank the organising
Cumberland Sporting Car Club, partners Pirelli UK, the Forestry
Commission, Motorsport News and the MSA for their continued
support.” - CREDIT: WWW.RALLYBRC.CO.UK
Strong field for IRC Sata Rally Azores

Part of an initiative to assist in securing the longer term use

of forest roads for stage rallying, the aim of the Greenerways
Rally is still to evaluate the use of a loose surface, closed-
pattern-construction Pirelli Eco Tyre in a competitive
environment and against the clock, with the Forestry
Commission and MSA on hand to witness the outcome.

The organisers of the MSA British Rally Championship brought

Pirelli UK and Forestry Commission together at the end of
2007, running a test with Kris Meeke to see what affect tyre
design would have on reducing erosion of forestry tracks.
The test was hailed a huge success with Forestry Commission
asking the sport to organise a rally where all of the cars would
run an Eco Tyre in true competition.

Because the newly designed tyre comes straight from

the Pirelli factory in a single size (to fit 6x15” rim), the
Greenerways Rally will be for four wheel drive production-
based cars including Super 2000 only. Any car from Group N
Sapphire Cosworth to Subaru N14 or Super 2000 is eligible,
basically anything that has been homologated in Group N4 and
still conforms to the spirit of the class.
Open to any competitor holding an MSA issued rally licence,
the format is compact to assist in cost saving by holding
the event over just one day. More akin to a rally time trial,
competitors (driver and co-driver) who enter the event will get
to recce the track before tackling five timed runs over a five
mile stage in the Kielder Forest complex.
BRC Manager & Project Co-ordinator Mark Taylor said, “Having
seen the results of the original test for myself, I still believe
that the Eco Tyre is the way forward, it ticks so many boxes.
I’m appealing to everyone involved in the sport to support the
event, whether you’re competitors, marshals or organisers,
this is so important to the future of forest stage rallying.”
“Greenerways and the evaluation of an Eco Tyre, together
with our environmental responsibility and relationship with the
Forestry Commission, are so important to the future of forest
stage rallying. The decision to postpone the event in 2008
An impressive line-up of 49 crews will contest the first
International Rally Challenge event to be held on the Azores
islands.
Sata Rally Azores, which takes place from 7 - 9 May, is the
fourth round of the IRC. Of the registered drivers, 12 will
compete in S2000 machinery, including Freddy Loix, who
heads the IRC drivers’ standings after three events.
Juho Hanninen, who led the opening IRC event of the season
in Monte Carlo, will carry number one on the side of his
factory Skoda Fabia S2000 although he will start further down
the order when the competitors are allocated their seeded
positions based on their performances in the IRC this year and
other results.
Hanninen’s team-mate Jan Kopecky is also entered for the
event, which marks the second appearance of the season by
the Czech manufacturer.
Anton Alen and Giandomenico Basso will represent Abarth in
two factory Grande Puntos, while Bernardo Sousa will appear
in a semi-works machine.
Freddy Loix, Bruno Magalhaes, Kris Meeke, Vitor Pascoal,
Nicolas Vouilloz and newcomer Conrad Rautenbach will drive
the six Peugeot 207 S2000s on the entry. Magalhaes won Rally
Azores last season.
Portuguese drivers Ricardo Moura and Fernando Peres will
lead the Ralliart effort in a pair of Lancer Evo IXs. The talented
Austrian Franz Wittmann Jr will also be at the wheel of a
Lancer.
Julien Maurin will drive the sole Volkswagen Polo S2000 on
the entry, while Manuel Villa returns to the 2WD Cup in a Fiat
Punto S1600 where he will compete against Denis Millet in a
Peugeot 207 RC Rallye.
The event begins with a superspecial stage on the evening
of Thursday 7 May. The final stage is due to start on the
evening of Saturday 9 May. There will be a total of 18 stages
with a combined competitive distance of 229,86 kilometres.
- CREDIT: WWW.IRCSERIES.COM
Gronholm to contest WRC Rally
Poland for Prodive in June?
Marcus Grönholm hopes to start in the WRC Rally Poland
(Orlen Platinum 66 Rally Poland), despite the fact that the
double FIA World Rally Champion (2000 and 2002) - a winner
of 30 WRC rallies - decided to retire at the end of the 2007
season. His fierce battles with Sebastien Loeb were the
pinnacle of the WRC in recent years.
However, a leopard never changes its spots and Gronholm
returned, quite unexpectedly, to special stage competition in
the recent Portugal round of this year‘s WRC. He was classified
as high as second overall after three stages, but damaged the
car later in the event and was forced to retire.
In Portugal, Gronholm drove the latest version of the Subaru
Impreza WRC, which was built and serviced by Prodrive.
Prodrive’s sporting director, Richard Taylor, said: “We plan to
start with Marcus in Orlen Platinum 66 Rally Poland. We are
looking for the required budget. We shall be happy to have
Polish companies on board. Marcus and myself had a chance
to visit the beautiful region of the Mazurian lakes in the past.
Having nice memories from our visits, we hope to finalise our
plan and come back to Poland at the end of June.” - CREDIT:
WWW.RALLYBUZZ.COM
Kresta set for IRC return on Barum
Rally Zlin in Czech Republic
Roman Kresta could prove a major threat to the established
Intercontinental Rally Challenge regulars when he contests
Barum Rally Zlin in August.
Kresta, who is the reigning Czech champion, crashed out on
the second stage of his home event last year. But he will return
in 2009 in a Peugeot 207 Super 2000 prepared by his own
Kresta Racing Team. He will be co-driven by long-term partner
Petr Gross.
Although Kresta insists that defending his domestic crown this
season is his number one priority, the 33-year-old is highly
regarded both in his homeland and abroad. He was a member
of the factory Ford team in the World Rally Championship in
2005 before returning to Czech Republic in 2007 following
a season in the British Rally Championship in a Ford Fiesta
S1600.
Furthermore, Peugeot 207s have triumphed on the asphalt
event since it was first included in the IRC in 2007: Nicolas
Vouilloz claimed victory that year, while Freddy Loix emulated
that achievement the following season.
Barum Rally Zlin begins with a superspecial stage through the
streets of Zlin on Friday 21 August. The event is due to finish
in the afternoon of Sunday 23 August. - CREDIT:
WWW.IRCSERIES.COM
Rossi to enter WRC in 2011?
Speaking in an interview reported by The Independent,
Valentino Rossi has stated that he hopes to go to the WRC,
possibly with Ford, when he retires from MotoGP. He also
reckons he could have a good ten years in rallying, according
to www.RALLYBUZZ.com.
Rossi (30) finished 12th overall on WRC Wales Rally GB 2008
in a Stobart Ford Focus WRC and stated that he had built up a
great relationship with M-Sport.
He also said in an interview with Motorsport News, just after
Rally GB, that he would only consider switching to the WRC if
he had the best car available.
M-Sport are currently developing a Fiesta S2000 car for the
new WRC regulations and should be campaigning it in 2011,
meaning that Rossi could pilot one if he drives for Ford.
Rossi stated in the interview: “I do hope to switch to four
wheels. I think it’s too late for Formula One, but I hope to have
the second part of my career with the car. I had my chance
to go into Formula One at the end of 2006. I spoke a lot with
Ferrari. I had a serious plan to be the test driver in 2007 and
then start to race in 2008.
]
“But I decided to stay with bikes - so it meant me and Formula
One were finished. [Rallying]’s always been my great passion.
I grew up beside my father (Graziano), who also drove rally
cars so I hope when I finish with bikes I have another 10 years
with the car.
“I think the World Rally Championship is the main option, I
have a great relationship with Ford so maybe it will be Ford. In
the summer of 2010 I will decide.”
Rossi’s contract with Yamaha expires at the end of 2010, so his
possible WRC programme would commence in 2011.- CREDIT:
WWW.INDEPENDENT.CO.UK and WWW.RALLYBUZZ.CO.UK
Basso boosted by 1000 Miglia win
Giandomenico Basso will resume his Intercontinental Rally
Challenge campaign on Sata Rally Azores next month on the
back of winning the opening round of the European Rally
Championship, the Rally 1000 Miglia in Italy recently.
Basso, who lies equal second in the IRC drivers’ title standings
after three rounds, was driving an Abarth Grande Punto for the
privateer Team D’Ambra operation. He beat Renato Travaglia in
a Peugeot 207 S2000 by 33 seconds.
Amid changeable weather conditions, Basso was able to
overhaul Travaglia, who led after the opening leg, to claim his
third win on the asphalt event, despite his car being slowed by
a throttle cable problem.
The win will be a welcome boost for the 35-year-old Italian,
who hasn’t won in the IRC since Rally Sanremo last September.
- CREDIT: WWW.IRCSERIES.COM
Proton team remain on course for
IRC debut later in 2009
The factory-supported Proton team is still set to compete in
the Intercontinental Rally Challenge this season, despite opting
against an entry on Sata Rally Azores next month.
Although the UK-based Mellors Elliot Motorsport squad never
formally committed to the island event, company principal
Chris Mellors indicated earlier this season that he wanted his
team to begin competing as soon as possible.
It is now likely that the first Proton entry will be on the
Belgium Ypres Rally from June 18-20 when at least one Satria
Neo S2000 will appear, possibly for British driver Guy Wilks.
Wilks was dominating the second round of the British
championship in a Proton recently, before his car caught fire
as a result of damage caused by a minor excursion. Although
the vehicle was destroyed, MEM has already begun building a
replacement.
“In the end the Azores wasn’t practical because we would lose
the car for about one month with the time it would take to ship
it there and back,” said Mellors. “But we still want to do some
IRC events as soon as possible this year and we would like it to
be with Guy although we’re also talking to some other drivers
about other events.” - CREDIT: WWW.IRCSERIES.COM
Al-Attiyah wins P-WRC in Argentina
A delighted Nasser Al-Attiyah has won the fourth round of
the FIA Production Car World Rally Championship, following a
trouble-free final day on Rally Argentina, reported
www.WRC.com.
Al-Attiyah took no risks through today’s five stages and ended
the event comfortably ahead of local man Marcos Ligato.
Ligato dropped out of what had been a classic fight for the lead
of the category when his Mitsubishi suffered power steering
failure yesterday afternoon.
Of some consolation to the Tango Rally Team driver will be the
news that he has now posted the Lancer Evolution X’s best
result in the Word Rally Championship.
While Ligato now says goodbye to the season-long P-WRC
fight, Al-Attiyah’s win in South America leaves him very much
in the thick of the scrap. He moves into second place in the
standings, two points adrift of leader Armindo Araujo and one
ahead of Patrik Sandell. All three drivers have now competed
on three events this year and the three of them will go head-
to-head next time out in Sardinia.
“It’s fantastic to win,’ said Al-Attiyah. “This has been a really
tough rally, but one I like. I won here in 2006 and it’s nice to
do it again. Today has been hard as well. You know, you have
to keep the concentration, we’ve kept pushing all day - if you
back off it’s easy to make mistakes.”
The runners-up spot was some consolation for Ligato and
third was a blessed relief for Toshi Arai after the Subaru driver
suffered a torrid rally. Arai’s podium, his second score of the
season, moves him up the order, but the double Production
champion acknowledges he has work to do on his car before he
arrives on the rough roads of central Greece for the Acropolis
Rally. - CREDIT: WWW.WRC.COM
Meeke satisfied after French test
Kris Meeke continued his preparations for Sata Rally Azores
by completing a two-day test in a Peugeot 207 Super 2000
development car in France recently.
The Peugeot UK driver, who won the second round of the
Intercontinental Rally Challenge in Brazil last month, covered
approximately 400 kilometres during the test in France, near
the town of Vie in the centre of the country.
“It’s impossible to make improvements when these cars are
so competitive and so closely matched but we’ve been able
to make a few changes for the Azores and I am very pleased
with what we achieved because it was a very good test,” said
Meeke, who is from Northern Ireland.
French Peugeot drivers Stephane Sarrazin and Nicolas Vouilloz
also took part in the test, which was designed to experiment
with suspension settings for the gravel-based Rally Azores,
which takes place from 7 - 9 May. - CREDIT:
WWW.IRCSERIES.COM
 GBS/CIDP
Foundation
International

Guillain-Barre Syndrome and

Chronic Inflammatory
Demyelinating Polyneuropathy
Serving patients of GBS, CIDP and Variants
with support, education and research
PLEASE ADVISE PATIENTS AND FAMILIES
THAT GBS/CIDP FOUNDATION OFFERS:
*EMOTIONAL SUPPORT
*INFORMATIONAL BOOKLETS
*HOSPITAL/REHAB VISITS TO PATIENTS
(when possible)

Your South African GBS/CIDP Foundation International Chapter Is Led By:

Evan Rothman
evanrothman@gmail.com
083 452 6892

GBS/CIDP Foundation International

104 1/2 Forest Avenue
The Holly Building
Narberth, PA 19072
www.gbsfi.com
 E A T U R E S
F to fly South Africa’s flag in aUllgya!nda
•0 9 : R a ll y C h ic k s in t h r il li n g S a s o l R
m e ll a n d T o y o t a w fi v e - in - a - r o w !
m
•10: Ge lena and Citroen make it
•14: Loeb, E
Rally Chicks to fly South
Africa’s flag in Uganda
Sisters Lola and Megan Verlaque, the
only South Africans contesting the
FIA African Rally Championship, head
for Uganda this weekend (May 1 to
3) for round three in the country that
boasts the source of the great Nile
River.
After the first two rounds, in Tanzania where they finished
fourth in their class S2000 VW Polo and in Kenya where they
retired with a broken shock absorber, the Rally Chicks are
sixth in the championship with six points. Current leaders are
Zimbabweans James Whyte and Phil Archenoul. The sisters
finished fourth in the 2008 ARC.
The 12th running of the Pearl of Africa Uganda Rally – Winston
Churchill so described Uganda on his first visit – starts in the
capital city Kampala on Friday with a 4,6-km Super Special
stage in the palace grounds of the King of Buganda. Up to 20
000 fans are expected to watch.
Day two consists of 10 competitive gravel road sections
totalling 188 km in and around Mityana Town. After an
overnight stop at the Hotel Africana in Kampala, the rally
continues on Sunday with another six gravel road special
stages totalling 111 km in the Mityana district. The event ends
with a ceremonial finish and a podium presentation in Kampala
on Sunday afternoon.
This will be only their fourth outing in the ex-factory four-
wheel drive Polo rally car, in which they finished a creditable
seventh in the opening round of the highly competitive S2000
class in the South African national rally championship in March.
“We were confident of a good result in Kenya after our first
South African outing in KwaZulu Natal in March,” said Lola.
“I’m still learning how to drive the Polo, which is very different
to the class N4 production Subarus and Mitsubishi we have
raced in the past. We’re improving our performance with each
outing and we’re looking forward to this weekend’s challenge
in the beautiful country of Uganda. We’ll be aiming for a finish
and more seat time than we had in Kenya. We were unlucky
there, mistiming a corner in the dust and hitting a rock, which
destroyed a shock absorber.”
Their car remained in Kenya after the rally, which caused
the sisters to miss the third round of the SA championship
in Mpumalanga last weekend. - TEXT SUPPLIED; IMAGES BY
MOTORPICS.
Gemmell and Toyota
win thrilling Sasol Rally!
The 2009 Sasol Rally produced one timesheets. The thousands of spectators waited breathlessly
for the Sasol-sponsored SMS results from stage 13… Firstly,
of the most thrilling spectacles in Fekken shot through the stage fully eight seconds faster
its 18-year history, with two of the than he managed over the same stage the previous day, an
impressive performance.
country’s top gravel racers locked in
a battle so close they were tied after It wasn’t enough, for Gemmell went 13 seconds faster than
his previous time and had his four second gap. The smile on
12 of the 14 stages, with the winner Gemmell’s face at the end of the stage said it all. He knew he
taking line honours on the final 13km drove as hard as he could and snatched victory from the jaws
of defeat.
forest stage.
With just 320 metres through the Nelspruit Showgrounds to
Johnny Gemmell and his Zimbabwean co-driver Peter Marsh go, it was unlikely that things would change, and the pair duly
held their nerve to blast their Castrol Toyota Auris S2000 set identical times to end one of the greatest Sasol Rallies of
through the Spitskop stage a slender four seconds faster than them all.
their rivals, the current SA Rally Champions Hergen Fekken/
Pierre Arries (BP Ultimate Volkswagen Polo S2000). Cronje was delighted with his podium place after a tough start
to the season. He pushed Gemmell hard, briefly taking second
The battle for Sasol Rally honours was a titanic three-way fight place on Saturday but gave up the fight mid-way through
between the two drivers and Mark Cronje/Robert Paisley in Saturday in the interests of building his championship points
the second Castrol Auris S2000 but as the rally headed to a tally.
breathtaking finale, Cronje backed off to bag his first podium
of the season. Former champions Enzo Kuun/Guy Hodgson brought their
BP Volkswagen Polo S2000 home fourth after a clean run,
Fekken took charge nearly 1½ minutes ahead of their team mates, 2007
of the Sasol Rally champions Jan
with two early stage Habig/Douglas
wins, building up a Judd, who lost
13 second lead after 2½ minutes
the opening day’s six in stage two
stages. Gemmell in having driven
second place was a 13km with
single second ahead no right front
of team mates tyre. The ever-
Cronje/Paisley, so spectacular Habig
the stage was set for charged up the
an incredible fight leaderboard from
over the remaining his unaccustomed
eight stages. 10th place
overnight in a
Fekken and crowd-pleasing
Gemmell set display of flat-out
identical times over motoring.
the SuperSpecial
stage in the heart Charl Wilken and
of Nelspruit before Greg Godrich, the
the Toyota driver reigning Production
put the hammer Car and class
down in the first N4 Champions,
gravel stage and dominated for the
slashed his deficit third time, taking
by seven seconds. the Sasol/Konica
The gap was back Minolta Subaru to
up to 11 seconds an unchallenged
after Fekken category and
responded but class win. Wilken
Gemmell wasn’t overcame a broken
done yet. He won shock absorber on
the 10th stage Friday, which he bent
by 5 seconds again on Saturday,
and with mileage ending his defense of
rapidly running fifth place from the
out, dropped hard-charging Habig.
another three
seconds to Fernando Rueda/
Fekken after Cobus Vrey (Team
stage 11. Total Toyota RunX
S2000) ended seventh
Stage 12 was overall, the car plagued
the decider by a misfire for most
at 20,5km. of the event and out
Gemmell dug of the running for a
deep and beat top placing. They lost
his rival by a further 75 seconds in
nine seconds, stage ten, driving 13 km
leaving the on a flat tyre. Nicholas
two drivers Ryan/Geoff Tyrer
tied at the brought their similar
head of the RunX home eighth after
 Visser du Plessis/
Gerhard Snyman,
second in class
N4 and ninth
overall, had a
rally to forget
after the Pirtek
Subaru ground
to halt on the
side of the
road between
stages one and
two. For 26
minutes, the
crew tried to
trace the fault,
eventually
identified as
a loose earth
wire leading
to the petrol
pump. 19th
overnight, Du
Plessis drove
as hard as he
battling without power steering, no easy feat in the twisty could to claw back the ground lost to his rival.
forest and town stages.
Tjaart Coetzee and former rally driver Etienne Lourens (SAC
The remaining S2000 entries of Jean-Pierre Damseaux/ Trucks Subaru Impreza) ended third in class N4.
Andre Vermeulen (Team Total Toyota RunX) and the similar
New Africa Developments RunX of Japie van Niekerk/Robin Theuns Joubert/Hennie Botes brought their Salom Volkswagen
Houghton both retired from the rally. Polo S2000 home tenth overall after another steady drive, but
they should have been 7th overall. They too had a puncture
Damseaux charged out of the blocks, winning SS1 but was in stage four and lost 5½ minutes, dropping from seventh to
stuck in Habig’s dust in stage two as the Polo limped through eighteenth overnight. A quick spin in stage 12 didn’t hinder
on three wheels. The Total RunX developed starting problems their final result too much.
which persisted and forced their withdrawal on Saturday
morning. Van Niekerk lost 5½ minutes in stage two when Schalk Burger and Armand du Toit, the defending Northern
he stopped to change a flat wheel, but went off the road on Regions Rally Champions, took control of class A7 to claim
Saturday after the car’s handling deteriorated. their first national class wins in their very potent Spike Energy
Drink Toyota Corolla. The pair led from start to finish - in spite
of a misfire - their task made easier by the problems faced by and Compton duly romped to his third straight class win,
Evan Hutchinson/Elvene Coetzee. seeing off the challenge from Riaan/Hester Erasmus (Toyota
RunX) and the twin Ford Fiestas of Tony Barbosa/Kenny
The multiple off road champion’s Motorite Toyota RunX was Hill and Lourens du Plessis/Herman Groenewald, the latter
stuck in dust behind the ailing Chris de Wit/Dean Redelinghuys excluded for running on the wrong tyres.
Total Toyota RunX in stage two, losing 30 seconds to the flying
Burger. A misfire set in during the later stages and Hutchinson Vusi Mabanga/Shaun Visser claimed a career first class A5 win
settled for second, taking the shared class A7 championship in their Team Total Toyota Yaris, but had an eventful rally after
lead. De Wit breaking
retired with a two shock
broken gearbox, absorbers
extending the on Friday,
torrid season for unbeknown
the defending to the crew.
class A7 Mabanga
champions, who ran five
failed to even stages before
start the two they were
opening rounds. replaced, the
spares taken
Stevan Wilken/ out of the
Greg Gericke Sasol Toyota
(Pannar Seeds Yaris which
Volkswagen was upside
Polo A7) down in stage
crashed in the two, 125
shakedown stage metres down
on Thursday, the mountain
damaging their after Riyad
car beyond Jaffer/Henry
immediate repair Dearlove
and was a non- rolled seven
starter after two times,
back-to-back without injury
wins. to the crew.

Mohammed After stage

Moosa/Grant nine, the
Martin have taken Total Yaris
the class A6 was tied
championship with the Port
leaderboard Elizabeth
by storm teenager
following Morne J van
their second Rensburg/
straight win Dewald Hattingh
for the Team (GC Diesel
Total Toyota Volkswagen
Auris. Moosa CitiGolf). Van
split the Rensburg had
two bigger- a puncture
engined A7 in stage 13,
finishers, leaving the
such is the way clear for
A6 Auris’ Mabanga to take
speed. A top honours.
stuck throttle
in stage The BP
three and an Volkswagen
overshoot CitiGolf twins,
in stage 12 double winner
didn’t deter Gugu Zulu/Carl
the Tzaneen Peskin and
businessman. the current
A5 champions
Second and Andre
third in class Cleenwerck/Des
respectively, de Fortier, both
was the off- retired with
form Rodney broken engines.
Visagie/ Zulu was 1½
Carolyn Swan, who put in a strong drive on Saturday and Craig minutes in front of the pack when trouble struck in stage eight.
Trott/Robbie Coetzee, separated by just nine seconds in their
similar Team Total Toyota RunXs. Ashley Haigh Smith/Hilton Auffrey (React Toyota Yaris) had a
great run which ended with the car beached in stage 12.
Dave Compton and Pierre Jordaan survived a stage ten off
road excursion, planting their class N3 Sasol Toyota RunX The next round of the Sasol SA Rally Championship is in
neatly between two trees after skidding off on a muddy piece Ermelo on 12 - 13 June. - TEXT SUPPLIED BY SASOL OIL
of road. The RunX, sporting Sasol’s bright new livery, survived SOUTH AFRICA; IMAGES BY MOTORPICS.
Loeb, Elena and Citroen
make it five-in-a-row in
Argentinean spectacular!
IMAGES: CITROEN RACING, BP FORD ABU DHABI WRT AND STOBART MOTORSPORT

A near-perfect display from the

reigning World Rally Champions,
the 2009-running of the WRC Rally
Argentina, saw the Citroen Total
World Rally Team dominate the top
two steps of the winners’ podium this
weekend, WRITES EVAN ROTHMAN.
The French squad notched up another impressive one-two
finish for their Citroen C4 WRC machines, while Sebastien
Loeb and Daniel Elena claimed their fifth straight victory on
this South American round. Team-mates Dani Sordo and
Marc Marti finished strongly in second place overall, proving
yet again they are the second quickest pairing in WRC this
season. Sordo’s confidence is boosted by the fact that he
has now moved into second place in the Drivers’ World Rally
Championship standings.
said Citroen Racing Director Olivier Quesnel. “This event is
particularly tough on the mechanicals, but both our C4 WRCs
proved perfectly reliable and they took it all in our stride. In
addition to the strength of our cars, Sebastien and Dani drove
with their head and put in a great
performance to claim 15 fastest times from 23. They didn’t
make any mistakes and they both succeeded in turning on the
speed when they had to. We fully deserved today’s one-two
result.”

Two long and tricky legs on Friday and Saturday saw many The fortunes of the remaining BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally
top crews retiring from the event. BP Ford Abu Dhabi’s Mikko Team crew of Jari-Matti Latvala and Miika Anttila finished off
Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen, Loeb’s chief rival, unfortunately a dismal weekend in sixth place overall, after bouncing back
retired on Day Two of the event with an overheating problem from a near-disastrous final day drama.
in the engine of their The Finns were
Ford Focus on their way
RS WRC. to finish in
The two third position
Finns were overall, but
fighting they lost more
in second than eight
place, minutes on
looking to Day Three’s
snatch the opening stage
overall lead to drop them
of the rally to seventh
from Loeb. place overall.
At the time A mysterious
of their oil pump
retirement, problem
Hirvonen was the
and Lehtinen cause, but
were only after Latvala
6,1sec behind restarted
Loeb… This the system
is the closest the problem
Hirvonen disappeared
has been to as quickly as
Loeb all year, it appeared.
and was the Latvala
young Finn’s and Anttila
first true battled their
opportunity to way on the
challenge Loeb final three
head-to-head. stages to
claim only
After their second
Hirvonen’s points finish
early this season.
demise, Loeb
remained “There are no
unchallenged scratches on the
and unfussed car and it was a
for the positive weekend
rally lead. for us,” said
Showing Latvala. “I feel
his ever- much stronger
impressive after this rally
driving skills and I’ve learned a lot. I drove cautiously,
and his high levels of concentration, Loeb was able to set adopting a different style, and it was successful. Our pace
consistently fast stage times to eke out a favourable cushion notes worked well and I feel everything is on course, my self-
over his team-mate and the rest of the chasing Fords. confidence is good again. It was good to learn what can and
can’t be done and to know my limits.”
For Loeb and Elena, after claiming their 52nd WRC win, they
had a special thought for Carlos Sainz who took his own record WRC Rally Argentina is one of the championship’s classic
tally of 26 wins in Argentina in 2004 behind the wheel of a events, and more than one million (!) fans flocked to the
Citroen Xsara WRC: “So much has happened since then. We stages to witness the rally action this year. With roads rockier
were second behind Carlos and Marc [Marti] that year. Since and rougher than usual, and unusually warmer weather
then, we haven’t been beaten here in Argentina. It’s always than expected, competitors tackled the 23 special stages
nice to win this rally. This year’s event was difficult to begin aggressively.
with and we had to drive flat out until Saturday lunchtime.
The situation then tipped in our favour when Mikko Hirvonen BP Ford Abu Dhabi team director Malcolm Wilson admitted
hit trouble and we were able to control from in front after Argentina had not been kind to the team. “It was a
that. That said, I tried to keep up a quick pace all the way to disappointing weekend, especially as we were challenging for
the finish because it can be so easy to make a mistake over a victory. It was Mikko’s first retirement since 2006 and ended
jump, or by clouting one of the countless rocks that line the his run of 22 consecutive points finishes going back to the
stages here. It’s been a dream start to the season for us!” same year. I’m pleased with Jari-Matti’s progress. He was on
course for a podium and I’m disappointed to lose that, but this
“This rally gave everyone in the team a chance to shine,” rally was good for his confidence.”
Claiming that heavily fought third place overall was Henning
Solberg and co-drive Cato Menkerud in their Stobart VK
M-Sport Ford Focus RS WRC machine. Older brother to
Petter Solberg, Henning’s consistency was rewarded with
first, Latvala’s retirement from the event, and then, Petter’s
retirement with fuel pressure problems in hi Citroen Xsara
WRC car while in third place overall. Munchi’s duo Federico
Villagra and Jorge Perez Companc delighted their home fans
by taking fourth place, a career best for the driver and team.
Their result edged out Stobart’s Matthew Wilson and Scott
Martin by 11,2sec.
Would Hirvonen have been able to catch Loeb? Would Loeb
then have been able to out-drive Hirvonen? Loeb has the
ability to pull a few seconds out on a stage magically, and
leaving his rivals almost dumbfounded. Hirvonen is an highly
talented driver, and his Ford Focus RS WRC is more than
capable of winning rallies. Hirvonen and Ford will need to dig
deep to post respectable performances in the following rallies.
Once Petter Solberg has his new-spec Citroen C4 WRC in his
hands, and Marcus Gronholm returns for another duel in a
Prodrive-powered Subaru Impreza WRC, Loeb will then have
serious competition to contend with. It is then that we will see
his mastery again… The Loeb Show is dominant in 2009. Five
wins from five starts. Can he make it 12 from 12?
FINAL WRC Rally Argentina CLASSIFICATION:
01) S. Loeb/D. Elena (Citroen C4 WRC) - 03h 57min 40,3sec
02) D. Sordo/M. Marti (Citroen C4 WRC)
03) H. Solberg/C. Menkerud (Ford Focus RS WRC)
04) F. Villagra/J. Perez Companc (Ford Focus RS WRC)
05) M. Wilson/S. Martin (Ford Focus RS WRC)
06) J-M. Latvala/M. Anttila (Ford Focus RS WRC)
07) N. Al-Attiyah/G. Bernacchini (Subaru Impreza N4)
08) J. Marchetto/J. Diaz (Mitsubishi Lancer N4)
09) S. Ogier/J. Ingrassia (Citroen C4 WRC)
10) M. Ligato/R. Garcia (Mitsubishi Lancer N4)