Wrc 2009

[Broxi]

As most of you are aware Subaru have pulled out of the 2009 WRC


So Round 1 Takes Place with Rally Ireland.


Drivers' championship standings

<table class="rankings" width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><th colspan="3">After 1 round
</th></tr><tr class="odd"><td width="5%">1.</td><td class="driver">http://www.wrc.com/flags/F.gif S. LOEB
</td><td align="right">10
</td></tr><tr class="even"><td width="5%">2.</td><td class="driver">http://www.wrc.com/flags/E.gif D. SORDO
</td><td align="right">8
</td></tr><tr class="odd"><td width="5%">3.</td><td class="driver">http://www.wrc.com/flags/FIN.gif M. HIRVONEN
</td><td align="right">6
</td></tr><tr class="even"><td width="5%">4.</td><td class="driver">http://www.wrc.com/flags/N.gif H. SOLBERG
</td><td align="right">5
</td></tr><tr class="odd"><td width="5%">5.</td><td class="driver">http://www.wrc.com/flags/AUS.gif C. ATKINSON
</td><td align="right">4
</td></tr><tr class="even"><td width="5%">6.</td><td class="driver">http://www.wrc.com/flags/F.gif S. OGIER
</td><td align="right">3
</td></tr><tr class="odd"><td width="5%">7.</td><td class="driver">http://www.wrc.com/flags/GB.gif M. WILSON
</td><td align="right">2
</td></tr><tr class="even"><td width="5%">8.</td><td class="driver">http://www.wrc.com/flags/UAE.gif K. AL-QASSIMI
</td><td align="right">1
</td></tr></tbody></table> Manufacturers' championship standings

<table class="rankings" width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><th colspan="3">After 1 round
</th></tr><tr class="odd"><td width="5%">1.</td><td class="driver">http://www.wrc.com/flags/citroen.gif CITROEN TOTAL WORLD RALLY TEAM
</td><td align="right">18
</td></tr><tr class="even"><td width="5%">2.</td><td class="driver">http://www.wrc.com/flags/ford.gif BP FORD ABU DHABI WORLD RALLY TEAM
</td><td align="right">8
</td></tr><tr class="odd"><td width="5%">3.</td><td class="driver">http://www.wrc.com/flags/ford.gif STOBART VK M-SPORT FORD RALLY TEAM
</td><td align="right">8
</td></tr><tr class="even"><td width="5%">4.</td><td class="driver">http://www.wrc.com/flags/citroen.gif CITROEN JUNIOR RALLY TEAM
</td><td align="right">5
</td></tr></tbody></table>

[steveorangewrx]

Anyone planning on going to any stages this year?

[Torpedo]

When are they in Wales ??? might go as not been before but Mark said it was great ; )

[steveorangewrx]

End of the year, normaly october time I think?

[ad4mj]

yeah it is i think mate i go to that 1 maybe have an sws outin? used to go when was younger its ace...:biggrin:

[scoobyboy31]

that sounds great not been for a couple of years!!!

[scoobywag]

Think we should all go to rally wales!???

Make an event out of it?

[scoobyboy31]

To right be brill nice convoy up!!!

[scoobywag]

sounds like a plan....Adam and I are onto it!

[scoobyboy31]

sweet!!!!

[Torpedo]

Cool you could organise accommodation as advanced members we might be able to get some discount ; )

group buying x

[scoobywag]

We will look into all aspects...Update shortly

[tiarks]

all dates are on the WRC website - Wales is 23 - 25 October 2009

May yet see a subaru /Prodrive team....

quote..
After Subaru's works rally team closed its doors at the end of 2008, some people thought it was the end of the road for the WRC Impreza. Fortunately, it looks like the Norwegian-based Adapta World Rally Team will keep the dream alive in 2009.
We're featuring Adapta here in the team section because it's one of the most exciting Manufacturer Team prospects for 2009. But for the moment it's just that - a prospect.
For now we know that Adapta has taken delivery of two latest spec (hatchback) Imprezas from Prodrive - the firm which masterminded Subaru's Rally programme for 15 years. We also know that team principal Morten Ostberg has struck an agreement with Prodrive to help run the cars on WRC events.
Adapta has pledged to run at least one of those Imprezas for 20-year-old Norwegian hotshot Mads Ostberg on eight rounds in 2009. But it remains to be seen if the team will secure a second driver and run as a full Manufacturer Team.
The deadline for registration for the Manufacturer Team competition is 1 March. We'll keep you updated on Adapta's progress here on wrc.com...

full article at http://www.wrc.com/jsp/index.jsp?lnk=601&featureid=1200&desc=Adapta%20World%20Rally%20Team

Wales sounds good - but Australia will be warmer!!

Jx

[tiarks]

23/2/09
Marcus Gronholm makes WRC comeback

Double World Rally Champion Marcus Gronholm has decided to come out of retirement to contest April’s Rally Portugal in a Subaru Impreza WRC.
The Finn, 41, will drive a latest specification Impreza run by Prodrive, with backing from Rally Portugal and its sponsor Vodafone. He will be co-driven by his navigator since 1995, Timo Rautiainen.
The appearance - which for now is being billed as a one-off - will be Gronholm’s first entry in a WRC rally since his retirement after Wales Rally GB in 2007.
“I made the decision a few days ago,” Gronholm told wrc.com. “It’s okay to come back again. Everybody is looking at me, and maybe I’m stupid, but to have fun and drive again, why not?”
Gronholm, who has won 30 WRC rallies, has taken part in the last two editions of Rally Portugal, driving a Ford Focus WRC on both occasions: in 2007 as a Ford factory team driver - when he finished fourth - and in 2008 driving the event safety car.
The Finn is quite clear about his expectations: “I will not start aiming for the win, as I want to compare my speed with the regular WRC boys over the first few stages. The important thing is to feel confidence and pleasure, coming back to an event that I enjoy very much and know the stages quite well.”

Gronholm wanted to spend more time in the car before making any results predictions. “We have to test the car first, we have to do changes, and find the right feeling and then I can say more,” he said. “I drove the car a little bit last weekend in Norway and we have another test planned in March, but for the moment I don’t really know where we are. But I hope we can do some little bit good times - that’s the aim.”
Prodrive director Richard Taylor revealed that discussion with Gronholm had been going on for many months. “It’s no secret that we were talking with Marcus at the end of last year,” said Taylor. “He had some interest in coming back so we kept the discussions going and we’ve reached an agreement to go to Portugal. It’s a one-off at this time but we’ll see if he likes it.”
Gronholm’s car will be an evolution of the 2008 model used by Petter Solberg and Chris Atkinson on Wales Rally GB and will be fitted with Ohlins dampers. “We have to allow for the fact that we’re not able to homologate the 2009 car fully, but we’ll put together the best spec of car that we possibly can,” added Taylor.

[tiarks]

Portugal results

http://www.wrc.com/jsp/index.jsp?lnk=406&season=2009&rally_id=P

Championship / Constructors standings

http://www.wrc.com/jsp/index.jsp?lnk=410&season=2009

Shame to see that Gronholm didn't finish - but good to see Mads Ostberg up in the placings :)

Jx

[tiarks]

Argentina results - another win for Loeb... 5 in a row now..

http://www.wrc.com/jsp/index.jsp?lnk=100

Jx

[Viper]

Lets back Ford :smile:

[scoobytruck]

At least scoobies are doing well in the P-WRC, Nasser came in well against the WRC boys in a production car, can't be bad

<TABLE><TBODY><TR vAlign=top><TD noWrap>WRC (http://www.crash.net/wrc/home.html) »

</TD><TD>PWRC: Al-Attiyah returns to winning ways

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Nasser Al-Attiyah returned to winning ways in the Production World Rally Championship in Argentina, securing his first victory since his title-winning campaign back in 2006.

The Middle East Rally Champion emerged at the head of the field after an event which saw four drivers leading, and the Subaru driver now lies second in the championship standings behind Armindo Araujo – who elected to miss the South American event.

Al-Attiyah didn't have it all his own way however as he suffered a bent steering rod on the first day, although he was able to fix the issue having elected to carry a spare in his car (http://www.crash.net/World+Rally/News/146044/1/pwrc_al-attiyah_returns_to_winning_ways.html#).

As others then ran into problems during the following days, he was able to cruise home with a winning margin of 2min 12.9secs.

“I really enjoyed this weekend and I'd like to thank my team for doing such a good job. We have had a good start to the season and now we are in good shape to try to win the P-WRC – like we did in 2006.”

Marcos Ligato had looked set to fight Al-Attiyah all the way to the finish having taken the lead of the event on stage eleven, but power steering failure on stage 16 saw him fall away from the Qatari out front and he had to settle for second place.

Toshi Arai was another driver who had been involved in the battle for the lead until he bent a steering rod on the first afternoon, with more steering issues and a driveshaft problem leaving him down in third.

Broken rear suspension on day one slowed the challenge of Spyros Pavlides, although he made it to the finish in fourth place, while Eyvind Brynildsen took sixth despite being forced to use a substitute car after his own was delivered to Brazil by mistake ahead of the event.

Overheating issues on day one were followed by a loss of turbo boost that forced him to retire from day one, before he restarted under the SupeRally rules on day two. Despite further issues on the second day, he came home fifth ahead of Gabor Mayer, who was the final PWRC runner to make it to the finish.