Accelerated Posted February 10, 2003 Report Share Posted February 10, 2003 Im gonna try and generate interest in this forum for this (IMO) best motorsport in the world. IMO the most skilled drivers in the world are here (not Formula 1) and its very entertaining to watch. Here is the update on the second round - Rallye of Sweden. quote:Reigning World Champion Marcus Gronholm has claimed his first win of the 2003 season, with victory in the Swedish Rally.Gronholm and co-driver Timo Rautiainen took the lead on Day one of the event and maintained their advantage until the end of the rally, finishing 50.8 seconds ahead of Subaru driver and former world champion Tommi Makinen. Richard Burns and Robert Reid finished third, giving Peugeot two cars in the top three. Peugeot has now moved to second in the manufacturers' championship, just two points behind Citroen -- which also did well, with all three cars in the top 10 finishers. Peugeot missed any chance of getting its third car into the top 10 when driver Harri Rovanpera was forced to retire on stage eight after a bizarre accident that also eliminated the privateer Peugeot of Juuso Pykalisto. The privateer was stopped on the stage after a roll but, the Peugeot team says Rovanpera received no warning and could not avoid crashing into the car. His win was Gronholm's third Swedish Rally victory. "I always have a very good feeling in the snow, and the car has been brilliant throughout the rally," Gronholm (pictured) said after the rally. "Today was all about trying to stay in front and not take any risks. Although Tommi (Makinen) was driving very quickly, I felt confident that we had a big enough gap today to keep him behind us. Luckily that was the case, but this rally is never easy under any circumstances." Team-mate Richard Burns' third outright was his best-ever Swedish Rally result. Burns said he felt he wouldn't have caught Makinen without taking big risks, so settled for a comfortable podium finish. The next scheduled round of the World Championship is the Rally of Turkey, February 26 to March 2. Results (top 10):1. Marcus Gronholm -- Peugeot 206 WRC -- 3h03.28.12. Tommi Makinen -- Subaru Impreza WRC -- 3h04.18.93. Richard Burns -- Peugeot 206 WRC -- 3h04.46.04. Markko Martin -- Ford Focus WRC -- 3h05.13.95. Colin McRae -- Citroen Xsara WRC -- 3h05.43.96. Petter Solberg -- Subaru Impreza WRC -- 3h05.47.27. Sebastien Loeb -- Citroen Xsara WRC -- 3h06.42.88. Toni Gardemeister -- Skoda Octavia WRC -- 3h06.47.39. Carolos Sainz -- Citroen Xsara WRC -- 3h06.52.310. Freddy Loix -- Hyundai Accent WRC -- 3h07.04.5 World Championship 2003 standing -- manufacturers 1. Citroen -- 242. Peugeot --223. Ford -- 154. Subaru -- 115. Hyundai -- 36. Skoda -- 3 World Championship 2003 standing -- drivers 1. Sebastien Loeb -- 122. Colin McRae -- 123. Marcus Gronholm -- 104. Richard Burns -- 105. Markko Martin -- 106. Tommi Makkinen -- 87. Carlos Sainz -- 68. Petter Solberg -- 39. Cedric Robert -- 310. Fran?s Duval -- 211. Armin Schwarz -- 112. Toni Gardemeister -- 1The first round was held in Monte Carlo, where Citroen came 1st 2nd and 3rd. If you have any questions in regards to this sport, please ask! http://drive.fairfax.com.au/content-new/images/2003/02/10/10sweden.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azat Posted February 11, 2003 Report Share Posted February 11, 2003 Juggs, I hear that Martina Navratilova is the Capitan of the Subaru team and that they listen to Liberace and Wham on teh CD while they drive durring the race. Is this true? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Accelerated Posted February 11, 2003 Author Report Share Posted February 11, 2003 quote:Juggs, I hear that Martina Navratilova is the Capitan of the Subaru team and that they listen to Liberace and Wham on teh CD while they drive durring the race. Is this true? Dont know about Martina, but I have heard of system of a down played in cars on occasions, and the co-drivers are required to sing-along. -------------------------------------------------Rallye Quiz Question: In the photo above, why are the tyres so thin on this Peugeot 206? Lets see if anyone gets it.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Accelerated Posted February 12, 2003 Author Report Share Posted February 12, 2003 C'mon you guys, take a guess Hint: The tyres are lined with metal 'spikes'. Obviously something to do with traction.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sip Posted February 16, 2003 Report Share Posted February 16, 2003 They are thin cause after the race they can be used to cut the pizza for dinner Well, I've read ("real" 4x4 magazines of course) that the best way to get traction on snow is to have tires that get packed with snow since snow-snow traction is excellent. From there, I would guess that having a FAT tire that can pack fresh snow in the thread may actually be good. But ICE is a different story. I am thinking that when you have a "narrow" surface, you have more weight concentrated on a smaller area which can melt the ice much easier and get traction than if you had a wider surface ... pretty much the same concept as having sharp "blades" for hockey players. Good question dude ... looking forward to "the answer" [ February 15, 2003, 06:53 PM: Message edited by: Sip ] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vava Posted February 16, 2003 Report Share Posted February 16, 2003 Fat tires are detremental for good traction in snow/ice conditions... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vava Posted February 16, 2003 Report Share Posted February 16, 2003 quote:Originally posted by Sip:...when you have a "narrow" surface, you have more weight concentrated on a smaller area which can melt the ice much easier and get traction than if you had a wider surface ... pretty much the same concept as having sharp "blades" for hockey players.Exactly what I was getting at with my one-liner above - not much time for expanded answers these days!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Accelerated Posted February 17, 2003 Author Report Share Posted February 17, 2003 You guys basically got it. Usually in 'snow' considions, there is a layer of snow, on a layer of ice, on a layer of tarmac. The thin tyres reduce the surface area in contact with ground, hence more pressure, allowing for the tyres to 'cut' through this layer of snow more easilly for the 'spikes' to grab on to the ice and create traction. Now there is a bit of a dilemma in this scenario, anyone guess what it is? Hint: Its got to do with the 'spikes' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Accelerated Posted March 4, 2003 Author Report Share Posted March 4, 2003 Round 3 - Rally of Turkey quote:Sainz talks TurkeyMonday March 3 2003 Former world champion Carlos Sainz has won the inaugural Rally of Turkey, his first win for Citroen.His win has given Spanish-born Sainz equal footing with team-mate Colin McRae, with a total of 25 wins. Second in Turkey was Peugeot's Richard Burns, with Ford Focus driver, Belgian Francois Duval finishing a career-best third and with six World Rally Championship points. The impressive, 22-year-old Duval was 22.6 seconds clear of fourth-placed McRae. His result made Duval the youngest driver ever to stand on a World Rally Championship podium. It was his first event with new co-driver Stephane Prevot. The final stages of the rally were run under threatening skies in the Anatolian Mountains, with temperatures on the last day reaching just 10 degrees C. Results:1. C. Sainz (Esp)/M. Marti (Esp) Citroen Xsara -- 4hr 32min 14.1sec2. R. Burns (GBR)/R. Reid (GBR) Peugeot 206 -- +0:47.93. F. Duval (Bel)/S. Pr?t (Bel) Ford Focus RS -- +1:46.54. C. McRae (GBR)/D. Ringer (GBR) Citroen Xsara -- +2:09.15. G. Panizzi (Fra)/H. Panizzi (Fra) Peugeot 206 -- +2:41.66. M. Martin (Est)/M. Park (GBR) Ford Focus RS -- +3:24.97. T. Gardemeister (Fin)/P. Lukander (Fin) Skoda Octavia -- +5:01.08. T. Makinen (Fin)/K. Lindstr?Fin) Subaru Impreza -- +7:18.6 FIA World Rally Championship (after round three of 14)Drivers' points1. R. Burns 18pts2. C. McRae 173. C. Sainz 164. M. Martin 135. S. Loeb 126. M. Gronholm 107. T. Makinen 98. F. Duval 8 Manufacturers' points1. Citroen 39pts2. Peugeot 313. Ford 25 4. Subaru 135. Skoda 66. Hyundai 3 Next round: The 33rd Rally New Zealand -- round four of the 2003 FIA World Rally Championship, Fiday, April 11-Sunday, April 13.Quiz Question: How many rallys does a rally car engine last before being replaced/rebuilt? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Accelerated Posted April 14, 2003 Author Report Share Posted April 14, 2003 Round 4: Rallye of New Zealand Peugeots 1-2 in NZ By Chris. GableMonday April 14 2003 Reigning world champion Marcus Gronholm and team-mate Richard Burns have finished first and second in the Rally of New Zealand, boosting Peugeot to the top of the manufacturers' championship.The 1-2 result has also given Peugeot's drivers first and second places on the driver's championship points table, with Burns on top and Gronholm six points behind. The Subaru World Rally Team's young hard-charger Petter Solberg mainted his overnight position to finish third outright, netting six points towards his championship campaign. Widely regarded as one of the most challenging gravel rallies in the world, Gronholm made the Rally of NZ his own. He took the lead on the opening special stage of the event and was never headed. He set fastest time on 10 of the 22 special stages, and finished more than one minute ahead of Burns. Burns also claimed seven fastest stage times. The only time Gronholm put a foot wrong was on Saturday's stage 13, when he tipped the 206 WRC onto its side. The Finn later described it as "a stupid mistake". Luckily, spectators helped push the car back onto its wheels, and Gronholm was off again. Sunday's six stages included four run consecutively at the end of the rally. Conditions were mainly dry, in contrast to the intermittent rain showers over the first two days that made the roads slippery. The fifth round of the World Rally Championship, The Rally Argentina, May 9-11. Top 10: 2003 Rally of New Zealand1. Marcus Gronholm -- Peugeot 206 WRC -- 3h 45m 21.2s2. Richard Burns -- Peugeot 206 WRC -- 3.46.29.93. Petter Solberg -- Subaru Impreza WRC -- 3.47.31.04. Sebastien Loeb -- Citroen Xsara WRC -- 3.49.36.65. Toni Gardemeister -- Skoda Octavia WRC -- 3.53.35.06. Alister McRae -- Mitsubishi Lancer WRC -- 3.54.35.47. Tommi Makinen -- Subaru Impreza WRC -- 3.55.11.48. Didier Auriol -- Skoda Octavia WRC -- 3.55.39.89. Francois Duval -- Ford Focus WRC -- 3.56.32.910. Mikko Hirvonen -- Ford Focus RS -- 3.59.03.5 World championship standings Drivers 1. Richard Burns -- 26 points2. Marcus Gronholm -- 203. Sebastien Loeb -- 174. Colin McRae -- 175. Carlos Sainz -- 166. Markko Martin -- 137. Tommi Makinen -- 118. Petter Solberg -- 99. Fran?s Duval -- 810. Toni Gardemeister -- 711. Gilles Panizzi -- 412. Cedric Robert -- 3 Manufactuers 1. Peugeot -- 49 points2. Citroen -- 443. Ford -- 264. Subaru -- 225. Skoda -- 12 6. Hyundai -- 3 Quiz Answer: 1.5 Rallies ie. approximatelly only 4.5 days of competition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Accelerated Posted April 14, 2003 Author Report Share Posted April 14, 2003 (edited) Couple of pics of the winner: http://drive.fairfax.com.au/content-new/images/2003/04/14/14nzgron.jpg http://drive.fairfax.com.au/content-new/images/2003/04/14/14nzburns.jpg ....and revised Ford Focus http://drive.fairfax.com.au/content-new/images/2003/04/15/15focux.jpg Edited April 15, 2003 by Accelerated Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Accelerated Posted September 10, 2003 Author Report Share Posted September 10, 2003 Solberg (Subaru) in hunt for world championships: During a dramatic duel in the dust at the weekend, exciting young stars Petter Solberg and Sebastien Loeb signalled a changing of the guard in world rallying, while some of the established drivers struggled for their professional lives. When on Friday a simple error by world champion and leader Marcos Gronholm ended his and Peugeot's bid for a fourth consecutive Rally Australia triumph, 29-year-old Loeb (Citroen) and 28-year-old Solberg (Subaru) began their compelling and tension-filled two-day battle for supremacy that left all pursuers floundering in their dust. The 35-year-old Gronholm remains the benchmark, but twentysomethings Solberg, Loeb and Ford's Markko Martin, from the unlikely rally breeding ground of Estonia, are starting to assert themselves with a blend of speed and bravery. Frenchman Loeb, a former gymnast, went into the final day with a slender 5.6-second advantage over Solberg, a man of unusual flamboyance for a Scandinavian. But in a script worthy of a driver who rejoices in the nickname of Hollywood, Solberg pounced on Sunday morning, treating the treacherous ball-bearing gravel roads like his personal playground. Pushing even harder, and urged along by his own vocal and cheerful travelling Norwegian "balmy army", Solberg quickly wiped out the deficit to Loeb. Aided by a downpour that had forced his rival into making an unsuitable tyre choice, the Subaru spearhead applied the blowtorch, eventually winning by 26.6s. After the smoke had cleared the young guns were well clear of Peugeot's Richard Burns, who much earlier resigned himself to finishing third but with a useful points haul that kept him well in the lead for the 2003 title. Burns, who tenses up when reminded he has not won a rally since moving to the French manufacturer in 2002, can nod in the direction of the world championship standings -- he now has 55 points, seven clear of Solberg and Carlos Sainz, with a further three-point gap to Loeb. With only four events remaining, Gronholm (38 points) is probably out of contention this year. The veteran Sainz and his Citroen teammate, Scotland's Colin McRae, are fighting for their WRC survival. While McRae finished fourth, one place ahead of Sainz in Rally Australia, the Spaniard is favoured to get the only seat available at Citroen next season. McRae, the 1995 world champion and once regarded as the most spectacular and fastest driver in the WRC, doesn't score as consistently any more. And Sainz, a double world champ, is valued as an excellent and hard working development driver. Significantly, in Perth, McRae and Sainz were more than two minutes slower than Loeb in an identical Citroen. Both McRae, 35, and Sainz, 41, appear in no hurry to follow the example of 39-year-old Tommi Makinen, the four-time world champion who, noting he has lost some of his speed and commitment, announced he is retiring at the end of this season. Makinen, Solberg's teammate, finished sixth at the weekend and was seen dancing simultaneously with no fewer than six comely young women in the cocktail bar of a hotel on Sunday night. In his mind, retirement cannot arrive fast enough. This year's Rally Australia will be remembered for two incidents on Saturday. During the final super special stage at the Gloucester Park trotting track. Adelaide's Ed Ordynski, normally among the safest and most reliable (and fastest) drivers, hit a deep rut and destroyed his Mitsubishi in a brutal roll. He was leading the near-stock Group N class at the time by a handy margin. Outed in a different way was the Estonian Martin, whose Focus was found to be carrying illegal ballast -- a large rock wedged in with his spare wheel. Officials excluded him. Sadly missing for the first time since 1988 was the likeable Possum Bourne, who was killed in a road crash in New Zealand earlier this year. Bourne, a Subaru loyalist, would have delighted in the brand's success at the weekend -- Solberg's outright victory, Briton Martin Rowe's win in the Group N category and Dean Herridge being the best-placed Australian in the event (16th overall). http://drive.fairfax.com.au/content-new/images/2003/09/10/10SOLB.JPG http://drive.fairfax.com.au/content-new/images/2003/09/10/10SOL1.JPG An actual extract from Solbergs pace notes: ....three, flat left, opens, dont cut, stump, into five right, over crest, caution, intoxicated abo(riginie), narrows..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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