2022 WRC and Off Road Discussion *includes 'Dakar' *

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SBan83
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#91

Post by SBan83 »

Bottom post of the previous page:

Rovanpera looks set to exceed his father's achievements. In a short time, he has matured remarkably and the Portugal rally win was a clinical display.
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#92

Post by Everso Biggyballies »

SBan83 wrote: 1 year ago Rovanpera looks set to exceed his father's achievements. In a short time, he has matured remarkably and the Portugal rally win was a clinical display.
Yeah he is really impressing me this year..... seems to have pace now and not be looking like an accident about to happen which often seemed the case previously..

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#93

Post by Everso Biggyballies »

Close call for Championship leader Rovanpera in the opening stage in the Safari Rally Kenya.

OK I am a great fan of this rally and so glad to see it back recently after a long time away. Not the event it once was but then what is in these politically correct imho less challenging rallies we now have.

Anyway that aside, Kalle Rovanpera has survived a major scare during the short Super Special stage that opened the Safari Rally Kenya.

The sole Thursday leg was topped by 2021 event winner Sebastien Ogier with a time of just under 200 seconds (3:18.8), but all eyes were on his young Toyota Gazoo Racing team-mate.

Rovanpera, who entered Round 6 with almost double the points of any other driver, almost immediately rolled his car after running wide. In the end, a right-rear puncture was the sum of the damage, causing the Finn to be just 11th on the leaderboard, already 11.6s adrift of Ogier.

“I was a bit on the limit under braking,” said Rovanpera. Oh well, Shit happens.

Anyone who rolls, and gets a puncture yet still finishes the stage just 11 seconds adrift of the leader can / must I think believe they have dodged a bullet. :wink:


Rovanpera’s nearest threat in the championship, Thierry Neuville, finished SS1 second, with the top six separated by a mere 1.9s at this stage. Rounding out that group was Ott Tanak, Elfyn Evans, Sebastien Loeb, and Takamoto Katsuta.

As I said it was early days.....Another 18 gruelling stages are to come across Friday, Saturday, and Sunday

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#94

Post by Everso Biggyballies »

Brilliant Rovanpera leads Toyota 1-2-3-4 at the Kenya Safari Rally.

Kalle Rovanpera has continued his superb WRC form to lead a Toyota one-two-three-four at the Safari Rally Kenya.

Toyota entered the final day with the only four cars left in contention and had no slip ups from there, as Rovanpera was trailed by team-mates Evans, Katsuta and Ogier..... Kalle hadnt put a foot wrong since the early in stage 1 rollover mentioned previously and ended up winning by a margin, despite early challenges from Evans..

After a number of issues best of the rest was Hyundai’s Neuville in fifth, more than 10 minutes off the lead.

Neuville did manage some damage limitation by winning the power stage, and the five bonus points for that.

Ford also had a poor weekend with at one stage Malcomn Wilson 'punishing' two of his crews after mistakes and damage by making them repair their own cars with minimal assistance. Craig Breen was their best finisher in sixth.

Have to say from what little I saw from highlights clips the conditions were quite brutal so the Safari Rally at least has kept that part of the tradition.

Oh I should mention something else of note that happened. Maxine Wahome has made history by becoming the first woman to win a round in the World Rally Championship’s WRC3 class at Safari Rally Kenya.

Congratulations to Maxine, but she has big shoes to fill in her ongoing career.

With all respects Maxine is not quite Michele Mouton yet but a good start....Michele was the first, and remains the only, woman to have won a round of the FIA World Rally Championship overall. She won a number of WRC rallies outright, and also came oh so close to becoming a WRC champion one year, losing by bad luck and misfortune, with reliability problems and the effect of the death of her Father days before the final round combining to her not quite making it. :bow:

I think now she is also the President of the FIA women in motorsport commission, and I am sure she would have been the first to congratulate Maxine on her result. Indeed congrats to Maxine and best wishes for her ongoing progress.

As an aside there is a documentary of Michele's inspirational achievements in Rallying .... the Queen of Speed. I knew of it happening but have not seen it yet. This is the nearest I have got....



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#95

Post by Everso Biggyballies »

For those of you that hadnt realised that Shane van Gisbergen, normally connected to V8SC and Euro Sports Car adventures, is also now embarking on a series of Rally events. (His Father is / was a bit of a name in New Zealand Rallying). Anyway SVG has done a couple in Aus, but was back in New Zealand this weekend to do the "Far North Rally"..... I think next on the agenda rallywise for Shane is the NZ round of the WRC in September. Anyway back to the present.....

Van Gisbergen wins Far North Rally

Shane van Gisbergen has taken victory in the Far North Rally, in his native New Zealand. The two-time Supercars champion won by a total of 2:20.3s after the eight stages totalling 152.7 competitive kilometres around the top of the North Island.

Van Gisbergen, navigated by Glen Weston, finished second in the Waiare special stage which opened the event by a margin of 2.9s to Ben Hunt, but hit the front when he took out the Kohumaru test which followed.

The #97 Supercheap Auto-backed entry would not be headed again in the overall classification, winning Special Stages 3, 4, 6, and 8 also, and claiming second in all the others.

Van Gisbergen was piloting his now usual rally ride, that being the same Skoda Fabia R5 which he is set to drive in his World Rally Championship debut back in New Zealand in September.

It was also that car which he took to second overall in Round 1 of the 2022 RSEA Safety Motorsport Australia Rally Championship, April’s National Capital Rally in Canberra.

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* I started life with nothing, and still have most of it left


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#96

Post by SBan83 »

Whoa, nice to see. SvG is very gifted; would love to see him to do some NASCAR races too.
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#97

Post by Everso Biggyballies »

SBan83 wrote: 1 year ago Whoa, nice to see. SvG is very gifted; would love to see him to do some NASCAR races too.
Not really relevant to this thread but. Brodie Kostecki , Erebus V8SC driver is another who likes to run in alternative series, is running a Trans Am race this weekend in Aus.... as a precursor to running a few NASCAR Cup Series races next year.

Back to SVG and his rallying exploits he has run another rally in NZ, this one the Rally Hawkes Bay. He has released a Vlog of his experience. Not quite as successful as his previous adventure but here is the Vlog on youtube for any interested.
My vlog from the Hawkes Bay over in NZ! 🇳🇿 Awesome fun, just made a mistake on Stage 4 which took us out of contention but thanks to Racetorque for getting us back out there to finish off the Rally. Really looking forward to the NZ WRC Round later this year 😀👍

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#98

Post by Everso Biggyballies »

Meanwhile WRC is in Finland this weekend for the Rally Finland.

They have only completed the customary "Super Special Stage" opener at this point.

WRC Finland: Neuville heads Hyundai 1-2 in curtain raiser

Thierry Neuville headed a Hyundai 1-2 in the World Rally Championship Rally Finland’s opening stage as the South Korean marque surprised the fleet of Toyotas competing on home soil.

Neuville produced a committed run through the 3.48km tight and technical tarmac/gravel super special held in the city of Jyvaskyla. Neuville ended the stage 1.2s quicker than team-mate Tanak.

Takamoto Katsuta led Toyota’s charge clocking the third fastest time despite his GR Yaris running without hybrid boost, 2.6s adrift of Neuville and 0.1s faster than home hero Kalle Rovanpera. Jari Huttunen on board his Ford Puma that was good enough for fifth, 3.2s shy of Neuville.

Last year’s Rally Finland winner Elfyn Evans completed the test in sixth ahead of team-mate Esapekka Lappi, Pierre-Louis Loubet (M-Sport) and Oliver Solberg (Hyundai), who all posted identical times. M-Sport’s Adrien Fourmaux rounded out the top 10, finishing in front of team-mates Craig Breen, who hit a bale in the stage, and Gus Greensmith.

Continues today (Friday)

* I started life with nothing, and still have most of it left


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#99

Post by Everso Biggyballies »

WRC Finland: Solberg retires after violent roll, Tanak leads

Oliver Solberg has crashed out of Rally Finland after suffering a violent roll in Friday’s opening stage of the fast gravel World Rally Championship event. Solberg ran wide at the first corner of the 11.75km test approximately 300 metres into the run. The rear of the Swede’s i20 N stepped out into a ditch before being pitched into a roll, landing on its wheels on the other side of the road.

Solberg and co-driver Elliott Edmondson emerged from the wreckage unscathed but the i20 N sustained significant damage.
Solberg’s team-mate Ott Tanak won the stage to overhaul the overnight leader and Hyundai team-mate Thierry Neuville, who struggled for confidence and dropped 8.6s.Tanak completed the stage 2.7s faster than Toyota’s Esapekka Lappi.

Breen was third fastest to maintain fourth overall behind Evans, who was 0.2s slower than Rovanpera, as the Finn ended the opening two stages 10.8s adrift of leader Tanak in fifth overall.

But thats only stage 1.... another 7 to go today!!

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#100

Post by Everso Biggyballies »

WRC New Zealand this weekend....

Image
SVG Livin' the life.

Shoutout for Shane van Gisbergen, who was third fastest in the WRC2 class and 12th overall after day 1, alongside co-driver Glen Weston in their (Supercheap Auto) Škoda Fabia. Despite a spin on SS4.

He is having a ball it seems. :haha:
“Whaanga Coast was the most fun I’ve ever had in a race car,” he enthused.

“Man, what an awesome day. I’m just having a ball, living my dream.

“Looking forward to the next two days. Hopefully get better and tidy up a few mistakes.

“I’m stoked to have Glen [Weston] here and we’ve had an awesome day.

“That was epic. It was very hard to read. I’m sort of learning as I go with the mixed conditions.

“Man, it’s been so fun.”

In the actual WRC class Ott Tänak/Martin Järveoja continue to lead the outright standings, from Elfyn Evans/Scott Martin and Sébastien Ogier/Benjamin Veillas.

Kalle Rovanperä/Jonne Halttunen were fourth, Gus Greensmith/Jonas Andersson in fifth.

Thierry Neuville/Martin Wydaeghe and Oliver Solberg/ Elliot Edmondson finished ahead of Takamoto Katsuta/Aaron Johnston.

* I started life with nothing, and still have most of it left


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#101

Post by Everso Biggyballies »

SVG up to 9th overall on Day 2 WRC NZ


SvG has broken into the top 10 with a stellar performance on his World Rally Championship debut at Rally New Zealand.... finishing Dy 2 (Saturday) ninth overall, while holding onto third in the WRC2 class. Despite a puncture in the afternoon session delaying him.

At the front of the pack, overall points leader Kalle Rovanperä, closed in on his quest to become the youngest FIA World Rally Championship title holder, with a clinical performance on Saturday.

Heheads into the Sunday's final four stages with a 29s advantage over Sébastien Ogier. Ott Tänak finished the day in third, after being hit with 15 seconds worth of time penalties. Thierry Neuville and Oliver Solberg rounded out the top five.

It was a day of attrition in the top class with Toyota Gazoo Racing’s Elfyn Evans retiring with roll cage damage sustained during an off on SS 9, M-Sport Ford Gus Greensmith rolled out of SS10 in spectacular fashion, while Toyota Gazoo Racing’s Takamoto Katsuta slid off the road on SS12.

If SVG can stay in the overall top 10 tomorrow he will score WRC points on debut!

Go Shane. Impressive stuff.

* I started life with nothing, and still have most of it left


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* I married Miss Right. Just didn't know her first name was Always
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#102

Post by Everso Biggyballies »

Found this from earlier with Oliver Solberg earlier in this years Rally NZ..... :shocked:



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#103

Post by Everso Biggyballies »

Shane van Gisbergen has finished third in the WRC2 class at Rally New Zealand,

So a class podium and he finished ninth in the overall standings to earn a WRC points-finish. Not a bad debut in the WRC!

However the big news today was that Rovanperä broke Colin McRae;s record as youngest World Rally Champion.

At 22 years and one day old, Rovanperä becomes the youngest title winner in the championship’s history, besting previous record holder McRae, who claimed the 1995 title at 27-years and 109-days old. He has thoroughly deserved in and has been stunning all year.

Rovanperä won the NZ rally, claiming victory over Ogier/Veillas, and Ott Tänak/Martin Järveoja. 4th and 5th were Oliver Solberg/Elliott Edmondson and Thierry Neuville/Martin Wydaeghe.

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#104

Post by DoubleFart »

KR is absolutely superb. It's a shame WRC is a nothing sport to the public now.
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