RallySport Magazine February 2017
The February 2017 issue of RallySport Magazine features: Latest news: * MRF awarded ARC control tyre contract * ARC-winning Subaru WRX finds new home * Simon Evans to contest Otago Rally * FIA finalise new R4 kit car formula * Eli Evans aims for ARC title in new AP4 Mini * Targa North West attracts strong field Feature stories: * Power Stage reflections from Gary Boyd * Hayden Paddon column * Retrospective: the mighty Peugeot 205 T16 * 2016’s Australian state champions profiled * Gemini mission - Col Fletcher’s classic Holden * The challenge of designing a World Rally Car Interviews: * Mr Nice Guy - Belgium’s Stephane Prevot * 5 minutes with Mark Pedder * Where are they now? Adrian “Mozza” Morrisby * DMack tyre guru Fiorenzo Brivio talks about rally tyres Event reports: * 2017 Monte Carlo Rally
The February 2017 issue of RallySport Magazine features:
Latest news:
* MRF awarded ARC control tyre contract
* ARC-winning Subaru WRX finds new home
* Simon Evans to contest Otago Rally
* FIA finalise new R4 kit car formula
* Eli Evans aims for ARC title in new AP4 Mini
* Targa North West attracts strong field
Feature stories:
* Power Stage reflections from Gary Boyd
* Hayden Paddon column
* Retrospective: the mighty Peugeot 205 T16
* 2016’s Australian state champions profiled
* Gemini mission - Col Fletcher’s classic Holden
* The challenge of designing a World Rally Car
Interviews:
* Mr Nice Guy - Belgium’s Stephane Prevot
* 5 minutes with Mark Pedder
* Where are they now? Adrian “Mozza” Morrisby
* DMack tyre guru Fiorenzo Brivio talks about rally tyres
Event reports:
* 2017 Monte Carlo Rally
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Issue #9 - <strong>February</strong> <strong>2017</strong><br />
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2 | RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE - FEBRUARY <strong>2017</strong>
CONTENTS - #9 FEBRUARY <strong>2017</strong><br />
FEATURES EVENT REPORTS REGULARS<br />
FOLLOW<br />
US ON:<br />
20 PEUGEOT 205 T16<br />
WE REMEMBER ONE OF THE FASTEST<br />
GROUP B RALLY CARS<br />
25 WHERE ARE THEY NOW?<br />
TASSIE’S ADRIAN MORRISBY IS A<br />
POPULAR FIGURE IN RALLYING<br />
28 STEPHANE PREVOT<br />
WE INTERVIEW THE FORMER CO-<br />
DRIVER OF CHRIS ATKINSON<br />
34 STATE CHAMPIONS ➜<br />
THE 2016 STATE CHAMPS ARE ALL<br />
DESERVING WINNERS<br />
40 GEMINI MISSION<br />
TOM SMITH LOOKS AT A CLASSIC<br />
RALLY CAR THAT’S DIFFERENT<br />
44 ENGINEERING A WRC CAR<br />
M-SPORT’S CHRIS WILLIAMS TALKS<br />
ABOUT THE FIESTA WRC<br />
50 DMACK MOVES FORWARD<br />
HOW DOES A PRIVATE TYRE BRAND<br />
SET FASTEST WRC TIMES?<br />
10 MONTE CARLO RALLY<br />
THE <strong>2017</strong> MONTE WAS A CLASSIC IN<br />
ANYONE’S LANGUAGE<br />
✸<br />
DID<br />
04 EDITORIAL<br />
05 LATEST RALLY NEWS<br />
NEWS FROM AROUND THE SPORT<br />
19 HAYDEN PADDON COLUMN<br />
THE ‘17 SEASON DIDN’T START THE<br />
WAY THE FLYING KIWI PLANNED<br />
48 FIVE MINUTES WITH ...<br />
MARK PEDDER TALKS ABOUT HIS<br />
TROUBLESOME 2016 SEASON<br />
54 PHOTO OF THE MONTH<br />
THIS MONTH’S “TOP SHOT”<br />
YOU KNOW?<br />
You can click on an advert or website address to<br />
go directly to an advertiser’s website?<br />
Sign up for our<br />
FREE weekly news<br />
updates - click HERE<br />
The passion for rallying ....<br />
MANAGING EDITOR<br />
PETER WHITTEN<br />
peter@rallysportmag.com.au<br />
CONTRIBUTORS<br />
Martin Holmes, Luke Whitten,<br />
Blair Bartels, Geoff Ridder,<br />
John Doutch, Jeff Whitten,<br />
Craig O’Brien, John Crouch<br />
SENIOR WRITER<br />
TOM SMITH<br />
tom@rallysportmag.com.au<br />
PUBLISHED BY:<br />
Peter Whitten<br />
<strong>RallySport</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong><br />
peter@rallysportmag.com.au<br />
www.rallysportmag.com.au<br />
ADVERTISING<br />
Dominic Corkeron, 0499 981 188<br />
dominic@rallysportmag.com.au<br />
COPYRIGHT:<br />
No material, artwork or photos may be reproduced in<br />
whole or in part without the written permission of the<br />
publishers. <strong>RallySport</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> takes care in compiling<br />
specifications, prices and details but cannot accept<br />
responsibility for any errors. The opinions expressed by<br />
columnists and contributors to this magazine are not<br />
necessarily those of <strong>RallySport</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong>.<br />
FEBRUARY <strong>2017</strong> - RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE | 3
EDITORIAL<br />
THE GOOD AND THE BAD ...<br />
By PETER WHITTEN<br />
There have been some positive<br />
signs for the Australian Rally<br />
Championship early in <strong>2017</strong>, and<br />
with the first round of the championship<br />
only weeks away, it’s hoped they<br />
add to the success of this year’s series.<br />
A 50% reduction in the series<br />
registration fee (down to $1500) is a<br />
step in the right direction, but whether<br />
that’s enough to encourage more<br />
competitors to sign up to score points<br />
remains to be seen.<br />
Ryan Smart and Brendan Reeves both<br />
won ARC rounds in 2016 but weren’t<br />
eligible for points, preferring not to pay<br />
the series registration fee, while Nathan<br />
Quinn was another front-runner who<br />
clearly didn’t see the benefit when he<br />
only contested some of the rallies.<br />
It really is a conundrum for the<br />
series organisers, who need money to<br />
cover some of the administration costs<br />
associated with running a national<br />
series. On the other hand, they need to<br />
be careful to look after their customers<br />
(the competitors) and not bite the hand<br />
that feeds them.<br />
It’s hoped that the reduction in cost<br />
is enough to see registration numbers<br />
at least doubled on what they were in<br />
2016. Only time will tell.<br />
The announcement that MRF<br />
Tyres will provide the control tyre<br />
for the next three years of the<br />
championship is also good news, but<br />
comes just eight weeks before the first<br />
round.<br />
A deal with MRF’s Vivek Ponnusamy<br />
has been in the wings for many, many<br />
months, but the final signature on<br />
the contract wasn’t signed until only<br />
recently.<br />
After several seasons running Kumho<br />
tyres, competitors now have very<br />
limited time to purchase their <strong>2017</strong><br />
tyres, and to test them prior to the first<br />
round, a situation that is hardly ideal.<br />
However, MRF’s enthusiasm and their<br />
emergence as a major player in the<br />
Australian motorsport tyre market is<br />
great news, and should help to benefit<br />
the sport for many years to come.<br />
The Australian Rally Championship<br />
still has a way to go in other<br />
areas though.<br />
Last year saw a move away from<br />
traditional media coverage to a service<br />
The Australian Rally Championship is making some big<br />
steps forward, but there’s still some way to go.<br />
CLICK TO WATCH<br />
(Above) The 2016 ARC videos on YouTube have had fewer views than you might expect, while<br />
(below) the new ARC season brochure is a move in the right direction.<br />
that only produced short video clips<br />
that appeared on the event website, via<br />
YouTube, or on Facebook.<br />
New appointments<br />
Sarah Bell has been appointed<br />
as the Competitor Relations Officer<br />
for the <strong>2017</strong> Australian Rally<br />
Championship.<br />
Meanwhile, regular ARC competitor,<br />
Adrian Coppin, has been appointed by<br />
Rally Australia as their Sporting and<br />
While the ARC will tell you they were<br />
a resounding success, the punters out<br />
there desperate for rally news and<br />
event reports weren’t as convinced.<br />
Adding to this was a huge gap in<br />
the coverage, whereby the ARC didn’t<br />
produce any press releases during the<br />
season, relying on the sporadic efforts<br />
of teams to provide their own reports.<br />
It was clearly a process that didn’t work<br />
in getting the sport to those outside the<br />
close-knit rallying community.<br />
Expecting newspapers and radio<br />
stations to produce their own stories<br />
and reports from events is never a<br />
guarantee for success, and can be<br />
littered with errors that could possibly<br />
do the sport more harm than good.<br />
In my view, the ARC has a<br />
responsibility to its supporters to<br />
produce factual, quality reports from<br />
each day of each event.<br />
Let’s hope a return to this is not far<br />
away.<br />
Business Development Manager.<br />
Coppin’s role will include<br />
sponsorship sales, and support and<br />
liaison with prospective competitors.<br />
He will also assist Clerk Of Course,<br />
Wayne Kenny, on sporting matters and<br />
liaison with CAMS.<br />
4 | RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE - FEBRUARY <strong>2017</strong>
NEWS@RALLYSPORTMAG.COM.AU<br />
The four new <strong>2017</strong> World Rally<br />
Cars from Citroen, Hyundai,<br />
Ford and Toyota debuted at<br />
Monte Carlo Rally.<br />
TYRE DEAL GOES TO MRF<br />
MRF Tyres will be the official tyre<br />
supplier of the Australian Rally<br />
Championship for the next three years.<br />
Mentor Tyres, the importer of MRF<br />
Motorsport Tyres for Australia and<br />
New Zealand, has been negotiating<br />
with CAMS for many months to sign a<br />
contract, after the previous supplier,<br />
Kumho, decided not to renew their<br />
contract.<br />
Mentor Tyres’ Vivek Ponnusamy is<br />
looking forward to the opportunity in<br />
<strong>2017</strong> and beyond.<br />
“MRF Tyres has a strong passion<br />
in motor sport and cannot wait to<br />
become a part of the Australian Rally<br />
Championship for the next three years,”<br />
he said.<br />
The controlled MRF tyre has won<br />
championships around the world,<br />
including the prestigious FIA Asia Pacific<br />
Rally Championship eight times.<br />
“We have the enthusiasm and<br />
commitment to support all forms of<br />
motorsport in Australia, right from club<br />
level to national and international level,<br />
and we are here for long term.<br />
“We have great reputation in all<br />
forms of motor sport, where our<br />
championship-winning tyres are used in<br />
rallying, open-wheel racing, motocross<br />
and international-level karting,”<br />
Ponnusamy added.<br />
This year’s Australian Rally<br />
Championship will begin with the<br />
Eureka Rally in March, and will then<br />
head to Western Australia for the Quit<br />
Forest Rally in April.<br />
ARC REDUCE<br />
FEES FOR <strong>2017</strong><br />
After much lobbying and<br />
complaints from competitors, CAMS<br />
have announced a 50% reduction<br />
in the series registration fee for this<br />
year’s Australian Rally Championship,<br />
to $1500.<br />
At the same time the governing<br />
body released the Sporting and<br />
Technical Regulations.<br />
CAMS General Manager of<br />
Motor Sport Michael Smith said<br />
he’s looking forward to a great<br />
season of Australia’s premier rally<br />
championship.<br />
“This marks the first of many<br />
changes on the horizon for the<br />
championship, with it now coming<br />
under the CAMS banner,” Smith said.<br />
“More news regarding the<br />
championship will be announced<br />
shortly, with the championship<br />
already shaping up to be one of the<br />
biggest seasons yet.”<br />
Entries have also opened for the<br />
first round of the championship, with<br />
competitors heading to Ballarat for<br />
the Eureka Rally on March 17.<br />
FEBRUARY <strong>2017</strong> - RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE | 5
NEWS@RALLYSPORTMAG.COM.AU<br />
NZ news<br />
By BLAIR BARTELS<br />
Fans waiting to see Marcus van Klink’s<br />
new Mazda RX8 in action will have to<br />
wait until round two of the NZRC, with<br />
the Christchurch plumber confirming<br />
he will continue to use his RX7 in search<br />
of a second Otago Classic Rally title.<br />
The open two-wheel drive class looks<br />
to be highly competitive this year,<br />
with confirmation that Wayne Pittams<br />
will join the class in a Millingtonpowered<br />
Escort recently purchased<br />
from the U.K.<br />
Other cars expected include a similar<br />
Escort for Anthony Jones, and van<br />
Klink’s RX8.<br />
N<br />
ew Zealand Motorsport supply<br />
agents Palmside NZ Ltd have<br />
expanded their range of top quality<br />
performance brands by adding MRF<br />
competition tyres to their line-up.<br />
Palmside’s Deane Buist, himself a<br />
highly-accomplished driver, is excited<br />
to team up with Mentor Tyres to deliver<br />
MRF tyres to the New Zealand market.<br />
Palmside will have a large and<br />
competitively priced range of 13, 14 and<br />
15 inch tyres arriving late in <strong>February</strong>.<br />
EVANS TO OTAGO<br />
Simon Evans is the latest big-name<br />
entry into this year’s International<br />
Classic Rally of Otago.<br />
He will drive a Datsun Stanza owned<br />
by multiple Otago Rally competitor,<br />
Darryn Snooks.<br />
Evans’ entry into the Otago Rally is a<br />
real coup for the event. This will be his<br />
first entry into the Otago Rally.<br />
Entries for the April 7 to 9 event<br />
continue to flood in. Irishman Frank<br />
Kelly has already confirmed his entry.<br />
See the current list of entries HERE.<br />
MOLLY’S ARC WINNING<br />
SUBARU FINDS NEW HOME<br />
By PETER WHITTEN<br />
Tasmanian driver, Craig Brooks, has<br />
purchased the Subaru WRX STI that<br />
Molly Taylor drove to victory in the<br />
2016 Australian Rally Championship.<br />
The three-time Tasmanian<br />
champion will debut the car in March’s<br />
opening round of the ARC, the Eureka<br />
Rally in Victoria, with the experienced<br />
Steve Glenney calling the pacenotes.<br />
Brooks had a disastrous ARC<br />
campaign in 2016, in which he rolled<br />
his Subaru in the shakedown at<br />
the National Capital Rally, and then<br />
crashed the car on the first day, after<br />
which it burnt to the ground.<br />
But the Tasmanian businessman<br />
is determined that <strong>2017</strong> will be more<br />
successful, and he will run the Les<br />
Walkden Rallying-built Subaru in PRC<br />
trim.<br />
“At the end of 2015 we went to<br />
Begonia Rally to do only my third<br />
event on pacenotes, with Steve as<br />
co-driver, which we won,” Brooks told<br />
<strong>RallySport</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong>.<br />
“That whet our appetite to try an<br />
ARC program, which ended abruptly<br />
in Canberra after a crew pacenoting<br />
error. I take full responsibility for<br />
that inexperience error, and really<br />
look forward to putting that demon<br />
behind me and getting the full feel for<br />
pacenotes.<br />
“I am a seasoned competitor on<br />
blind events, but pacenote experience<br />
is limited to two gravel and two<br />
tarmac events, plus the three stages<br />
in Canberra.”<br />
Brooks will fund the program<br />
himself through his own Contel<br />
Communications business, and after<br />
contesting the Eureka Rally, is hopeful<br />
of committing to the remaining<br />
rounds of the championship, including<br />
the Forest Rally in WA.<br />
“I’m not sure how we will fare in a<br />
big, heavy PRC Subaru against the AP4<br />
cars, but we will use the pedigree of<br />
the ARC-winning car to see how we<br />
can grow through the season,” Brooks<br />
said.<br />
“LWR have a great reputation and<br />
have built a very nice car that is<br />
clearly competitive, but we have no<br />
expectation of results, but are really<br />
looking forward to getting out into the<br />
forest again.<br />
“Les Walkden and his team<br />
have been very supportive of our<br />
endeavours, and we look forward to<br />
continuing to work with them,” he<br />
added.<br />
Interestingly, Brooks also owns<br />
another ex-factory Subaru rally car<br />
– the 2005 Impreza WRX STI that<br />
Cody Crocker used to win the 2005<br />
Australian Championship.<br />
Brooks has won two Tassie titles in<br />
that car and managed a fifth and a<br />
third in ARC heats in 2007 and 2008.<br />
That car is likely to be sold to help<br />
fund his <strong>2017</strong> campaign.<br />
Find us at: www.chicane.co.nz<br />
Call us o<br />
6 | RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE - FEBRUARY <strong>2017</strong>
FIA FINALISE R4 KIT FORMULA<br />
By MARTIN HOLMES<br />
French company Oreca has been<br />
name as the official supplier of<br />
equipment for the FIA’s new R4 Kit rally<br />
car formula.<br />
The new R4 Kit formula is for use in<br />
regional and national championship<br />
rallying, and ends a long period of<br />
waiting for the formula to be finalised.<br />
The formula, first announced by the<br />
FIA in September 2015, allows specified<br />
equipment to be installed in “a large<br />
number of road cars currently available<br />
on the market”.<br />
The permitted equipment includes<br />
conversion to four wheel drive and the<br />
use of a 1.6 litre turbocharged engine.<br />
In terms of cost and performance,<br />
these cars will sit between the current<br />
R3 and R5 cars.<br />
“Our intention was to create another<br />
low cost option within the rally pyramid,<br />
and to offer competitors a car with<br />
a high level of safety,” FIA Technical<br />
Director, Bernard Niclot, said.<br />
“The important thing is that the<br />
running costs are low, and for a<br />
competitor there are no development<br />
costs. At the same time, competitors<br />
will know that all R4 specification cars<br />
are identical, providing a level playing<br />
field within this new category.”<br />
This formula is intended to unify the<br />
wide-ranging opportunities currently<br />
offered, for example, by the regional<br />
The R4 formula will be<br />
similar to the regional AP4<br />
rules. (Photo: Peter Whitten)<br />
AP4 rules in Asia Pacific and individual<br />
national rules.<br />
This has no connection with the R4<br />
Kit regulations announced in 2001,<br />
which were intended to increase the<br />
performance of existing Group N<br />
Mitsubishis and Subarus.<br />
RHI JOINS MILLEN FOR AMA<br />
Australian co-driver Rhianon Gelsomino has signed a<br />
deal to sit beside Ryan Millen in the <strong>2017</strong> American Rally<br />
Association series.<br />
Millen and USA-based Gelsomino will drive a Toyota<br />
RAV4 this year, with their first event being the Rally Perce<br />
Neige in Canada.<br />
“I am really looking forward to working with Ryan and<br />
Toyota USA this season,” Gelsomino said.<br />
“Ryan and I competed together last season in a one-off<br />
test event in NASA, which I am happy to say we won.<br />
The RAV4, as in previous years, will continue to take on<br />
the brutal rally world with a stock engine and automatic<br />
transmission.<br />
Fans were continually shocked and impressed at the<br />
potency of the Rally RAV4, which spins only the front<br />
wheels through a conventional six-speed automatic gear<br />
box.<br />
HJC MOTORSPORTS<br />
n: AU 1800 CHICANE or NZ 0800 CHICANE<br />
FEBRUARY <strong>2017</strong> - RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE | 7
MINI COOPER AP4<br />
Evans Motorsport has been<br />
keeping rally fans updated via<br />
social media with progress on<br />
the build of their new Mini AP4 rally car,<br />
scheduled to be ready in time for the<br />
opening round of the <strong>2017</strong> Australian<br />
Rally Championship.<br />
<strong>RallySport</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong>’s Tom Smith<br />
caught up with Glen Weston, long-time<br />
co-driver to Eli Evans, and got the inside<br />
running on the team’s decision to ‘go<br />
Mini’, and the plans for a successful<br />
<strong>2017</strong> season.<br />
When did the team decide to come back for the<br />
<strong>2017</strong> series? Was this a recent decision?<br />
Evans Motorsport was disappointed<br />
not to have won the 2016<br />
championship after having come so<br />
close, so the decision was made soon<br />
after Rally Australia<br />
to contest the <strong>2017</strong><br />
ARC.<br />
What was the reason<br />
to go with the Mini, as<br />
opposed to any other car<br />
built to AP4 regs? And<br />
what are the technical<br />
attributes of the Mini<br />
that make it stand out?<br />
The Mini is, in<br />
our opinion, the<br />
perfect car for the<br />
AP4 regulations.<br />
The Prince engine is<br />
the joker engine for<br />
the class, and this<br />
engine is a standard<br />
fitment in the Mini.<br />
From a dimensional aspect,<br />
everything seems to fit nicely. The<br />
balance of the car should be very good,<br />
as the crew are sitting about 200mm<br />
behind the centre line of the car, and<br />
this should help to offset the weight of<br />
the engine and transmission.<br />
We also really like the appearance<br />
of the Mini. It’s an iconic shape with<br />
a great motorsport history, so we’re<br />
EVANS TEAM<br />
AIM FOR #1<br />
hoping that it will become a fan<br />
favourite.<br />
Did Eli drive a road-going Mini in anger to test<br />
his ‘fit’ in the car?<br />
No. We chose the Mini based upon its<br />
dimensions and specifications.<br />
Was the plan always to build this as a left-hand<br />
drive car?<br />
Eli prefers LHD. He feels that he has<br />
better co-ordination in his left hand for<br />
gear shifting and using the handbrake,<br />
and since 2009 he<br />
has only driven one<br />
event in a righthand<br />
drive car, as<br />
all of the other cars<br />
we used were LHD.<br />
Is this a serious tilt<br />
at the <strong>2017</strong> ARC crown,<br />
and what are the team’s<br />
expectations?<br />
Absolutely. We<br />
aren’t building this<br />
car to come to<br />
second.<br />
Who do you see as<br />
your main competition<br />
this year, given little<br />
Evans and Weston<br />
(below right) hope<br />
the AP4 Mini<br />
can deliver them<br />
another ARC title.<br />
advance coverage of<br />
who will be running the<br />
series (other than Molly<br />
Taylor)?<br />
The last event<br />
that Eli drove in<br />
a 4WD was Rally<br />
Australia in 2009,<br />
so I would have to<br />
say that any driver<br />
who was in a 4WD<br />
in 2016 will be our<br />
main competition.<br />
Eli is super quick<br />
in a front-wheel<br />
drive car, so we<br />
are expecting<br />
that this should<br />
translate across to the Mini Cooper<br />
AP4, however, there will obviously be a<br />
learning curve for us.<br />
Who are the major sponsors for <strong>2017</strong>?<br />
Our major sponsor once again will be<br />
Tankformers. We are very grateful for<br />
their ongoing support.<br />
Finally, how much longer will Glen Weston<br />
continue at the top end of the sport?<br />
Everyone in the team tells me that codriving<br />
is easy because it’s basically just<br />
sitting there and reading a book. With<br />
that in mind, I think I’m all good to keep<br />
going as a co-driver for at least another<br />
30 years or so!<br />
8 | RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE - FEBRUARY <strong>2017</strong>
WRC STATS<br />
REFLECTIONS ON WRC<br />
POWER STAGE POINTS<br />
Story: GARY BOYD<br />
@KiwiWRCfan on Twitter<br />
The Rallye Monte Carlo <strong>2017</strong><br />
podium finishers did not score<br />
any Power Stage points, a rare<br />
occurrence that has only occurred six<br />
times since Power Stage points became<br />
a regular part of WRC in 2011.<br />
The other occasions were Poland<br />
2016, Acropolis 2013, Portugal 2012,<br />
France (Alsace) 2012 and Sardegna 2012.<br />
During 1999 the FIA experimented<br />
at Rally Corsica and Rally Finland by<br />
awarding bonus points to the top<br />
three drivers on a televised Stage.<br />
Didier Auriol won both of the 1999<br />
experimental “Power Stages”, with<br />
Tommi Makinen second on both<br />
occasions.<br />
Carlos Sainz was third on the Power<br />
Stage, as well as third overall in Corsica,<br />
making him the first ever driver to<br />
score regular and Power Stage points<br />
at the same event. Toni Gardemeister<br />
claimed the final Power Stage point at<br />
Finland 1999, which meant the overall<br />
podium of Kankkunen, Burns and Sainz<br />
did not get any Power Stage points.<br />
From 2011 to 2016 the maximum<br />
points a driver could score on a rally<br />
was 28, being 25 for a rally victory, plus<br />
three for the Power Stage win. Only four<br />
drivers ever accomplished this feat: they<br />
are Sebastien Ogier, Sebastien Loeb,<br />
Andreas Mikkelsen and Hayden Paddon.<br />
Ogier’s first 28 pointer was driving<br />
a Citroën DS3 at Rally Jordan in March<br />
2011. He would take another 16<br />
maximum point hauls in the following<br />
years, including three consecutive<br />
events, Sweden, Mexico and Portugal<br />
2013.<br />
Sebastien Loeb claimed three<br />
maximum pointers in 2012, while Ogier<br />
was taking a gap year driving Skodas<br />
and developing the VW Polo.<br />
Andreas Mikkelsen’s only 28 pointer<br />
occurred in Catalunya 2015, when<br />
Ogier crashed 4km before the end<br />
of the Power Stage. The four-time<br />
World Champion had a comfortable 50<br />
second overall lead at the time of his<br />
rare mistake.<br />
The final driver to get a 28 point<br />
maximum was Hayden Paddon,<br />
winning the 2016 Argentinian Power<br />
Stage.<br />
Paddon is the only driver to ever<br />
earn a 28 point maximum in a direct<br />
competition with Ogier, and the<br />
Hyundai i20 NG is the only car to<br />
take a 28 pointer that did not win the<br />
manufacturer’s title of that year.<br />
With five points now on offer for<br />
Power Stage victory, a driver can earn<br />
a maximum of 30 points per rally in<br />
<strong>2017</strong>. Who will be first to claim a 30<br />
pointer, and will it happen on the snow<br />
and ice in Sweden?<br />
I predict it will be Seb Ogier, who<br />
scored Swedish 28 pointers in 2013,<br />
2015 and 2016.<br />
MONTE CARLO’S MULTIPLE WINNERS<br />
Sebastien Ogier’s season opening<br />
win got many people wondering how<br />
common it is to win the Monte in<br />
different makes of car.<br />
Germany’s Walter Rohrl won Monte<br />
Carlo four times in four different cars<br />
– 1980: Fiat 131 Abarth, 1982: Opel<br />
Ascona 400, 1983: Lancia Rallye 037,<br />
and 1984: Audi Quattro.<br />
Sébastien Loeb has the most<br />
Monte wins, nine, all with Citroën.<br />
Sébastien Ogier has five wins –<br />
three with Volkswagen from 2014 to<br />
2016, this year in an M-Sport built<br />
Ford Fiesta.<br />
Often overlooked is Ogier’s first<br />
Monte victory in 2009, driving<br />
a Peugeot 207. It happened as<br />
part of the Intercontinental Rally<br />
Championship, when Monte Carlo was<br />
not part of the WRC for three years<br />
from 2009.<br />
Tommi Makinen had three victories<br />
with Mitsubishi and one with Subaru.<br />
Italian driver Sandro Munari had<br />
four wins, all with Lancia.<br />
Other winners in different makes of<br />
car are Carlos Sainz, who has two<br />
wins with Toyota and one in a Subaru.<br />
Didier Auriol took two wins with<br />
Lancia, then one win with Toyota.<br />
- Gary Boyd<br />
FEBRUARY <strong>2017</strong> - RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE | 9
REPORT: RALLYE MONTE CARLO - WRC 1<br />
OGIER TRIUMPHS I<br />
CLASSIC MONTE C<br />
World Champ’s fifth Monte win gives M-Sport its first WRC victory<br />
By MARTIN HOLMES<br />
Luck was with Ogier, but he<br />
was nevertheless impressive<br />
on his M-Sport debut.<br />
10 | RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE - FEBRUARY <strong>2017</strong>
N<br />
ARLO<br />
since 2012<br />
FEBRUARY <strong>2017</strong> - RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE | 11
REPORT: RALLYE MONTE CARLO - WRC 1<br />
Sebastien Ogier scored his fourth<br />
successive, and fifth overall, Monte<br />
Carlo Rally victory, this time in<br />
style, in a new team, in a car which he<br />
only first drove a month ago.<br />
It was the first WRC win for Ford for<br />
over four years and their eighth win on<br />
this highly prestigious event.<br />
Malcolm Wilson, M-Sport Team<br />
Principal commented: “I can’t put<br />
into words the feeling for the whole<br />
team. Obviously to get Sebastien on<br />
board was an incredible feeling for me<br />
Jari-Matti Latvala took second<br />
for Toyota on debut.<br />
personally, and I think you’ve seen the<br />
reaction from the staff. It’s the boost<br />
we needed as a company.”<br />
The ten <strong>2017</strong> specification cars at<br />
the start presented a spectacular<br />
sight, but teams suffered technical or<br />
driver related problems, though six of<br />
these finished in the top 10, with three<br />
different makes in the top four.<br />
There were many important<br />
indicators. Neuville’s Hyundai led for<br />
12 of the 16 stages, Tanak impressed<br />
by supporting Ogier and lying in the top<br />
The WRC’s class of <strong>2017</strong>.<br />
three for three days, then showing a<br />
special fighting spirit on the final stage<br />
when engine trouble threatened a<br />
podium result.<br />
Elfyn Evans scored three fastest times<br />
in conditions that favoured DMack<br />
tyres, while Jari-Matti Latvala presented<br />
Toyota with second place.<br />
Disappointments came to Hyundai,<br />
first when Hayden Paddon was involved<br />
in a fatal spectator accident on the<br />
first stage, and then Neuville made a<br />
slight but expensive error. Troubles<br />
also for Citroen, for whom Meeke had<br />
a troubled event and after a long delay<br />
his rally ended in a traffic accident.<br />
Craig Breen was Citroen’s highest<br />
finisher in a non-scoring 2016 World<br />
Rally Car.<br />
Surely there had never been<br />
so much pre-event excitement<br />
in the WRC. All four registered<br />
teams produced their new designs of<br />
car, and like icing on a cake, for two<br />
days there were clear skies and snow<br />
all around in the mountains around the<br />
service park at Gap.<br />
When would we know which team<br />
had the best car? We had to wait.<br />
The short pre-event Shakedown test<br />
was run over a course with a mixture of<br />
conditions, and teams took the chance<br />
instead to test various tyre options.<br />
The first two stages were held the<br />
next day, in the dark in typical Monte<br />
Carlo conditions, and there was tragedy<br />
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12 | RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE - FEBRUARY <strong>2017</strong>
when Hayden Paddon’s Hyundai slid on<br />
ice, bounced off a rock and blocked the<br />
road. Sadly a spectator was involved,<br />
and Paddon withdrew.<br />
When the rally continued there<br />
was a clear leader, Paddon’s<br />
teammate Thierry Neuville, who for<br />
nearly two days led the rally until a<br />
slight misjudgement led to suspension<br />
damage.<br />
From then on it was Ogier in the Ford<br />
all the way, leading comfortably.<br />
Kris Meeke started the<br />
event as favourite but had a<br />
disappointing rally for Citroen.<br />
It is hard to over estimate the effect<br />
of the M-Sport team’s success,<br />
especially while Ogier’s teammate,<br />
Ott Tanak was also holding second<br />
place. This proved that Ott’s impressive<br />
performances in the DMack team car in<br />
2016 was not only the consequence of<br />
superior tyres.<br />
Third team member, Elfyn Evans, this<br />
year driving the DMack sponsored car,<br />
provided three fastest times when the<br />
conditions suited, when these tyres<br />
were unbeatable.<br />
With three stages to go Tanak had<br />
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FEBRUARY <strong>2017</strong> - RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE | 13
REPORT: RALLYE MONTE CARLO - WRC 1<br />
Craig Breen was Citroen’s best<br />
finisher in a 2016 car.<br />
suspension.<br />
Teammate, Stephane Lefebvre, went<br />
off the road momentarily on the second<br />
stage, but this damaged his clutch. He<br />
finally climbed back to ninth place,<br />
while the team’s third entry, Craig<br />
Breen in an old DS3 WRC, which was<br />
not eligible for Manufacturers’ points,<br />
finished fifth after being embroiled in a<br />
battle with Sordo’s new Hyundai.<br />
By the end of the event the stage<br />
victories stood at eight for Hyundai<br />
(seven for Neuville, plus one for Sordo),<br />
seven for M-Sport (three each for Ogier<br />
and Evans, plus one for Tanak), with<br />
one for Citroen (Lefebvre). Note: none<br />
for Toyota.<br />
serious misfiring trouble and lost his<br />
second place, but on the final stage<br />
he drove magnificently downhill in<br />
increasingly wintry conditions on the<br />
Turini stage to safeguard third place.<br />
So finishing first, third and also sixth<br />
meant M-Sport went home with a<br />
handy 16 point championship lead, but<br />
it was an embarrassment when Ford<br />
personnel confirmed the new Fiesta<br />
was based on a production model that<br />
was still not on the market!<br />
The pace of Toyota’s Juho<br />
Hanninen surprised many.<br />
After the excitement of 2016,<br />
the WRC2 category started off<br />
at a lower level, with Andreas<br />
Mikkelsen back in the formula where he<br />
really cemented his international mark,<br />
Jari-Matti Latvala’s second place<br />
was a delightful encouragement<br />
for Toyota Gazoo Racing, representing<br />
Toyota’s first official WRC<br />
entry for 18 years.<br />
It had been a surprise when it<br />
became apparent that Toyota had<br />
carried out twice the amount of test<br />
work of other teams, with M-Sport<br />
probably the least.<br />
Juho Hanninen was initially lying third<br />
overall before he went off the road on<br />
stage 5, on only his second rally in over<br />
two years.<br />
Despite minor troubles, Latvala<br />
held fourth place for half the event<br />
before benefiting from the problems of<br />
Neuville and Tanak.<br />
M-Sport and Toyota were the success<br />
stories of the new formula. Less<br />
happy were Hyundai, who in Neuville’s<br />
hands had been impressive, but whose<br />
top finisher was Dani Sordo.<br />
There was considerable fan support<br />
for Citroen’s veteran driver Kris Meeke,<br />
but he had a disastrous event, going off<br />
the road and breaking his suspension<br />
on stage 4, then stopping with an<br />
ignition fault on stage 10.<br />
He finally suffered a traffic accident<br />
on the Saturday evening en route to<br />
Monte Carlo which wrecked his rear<br />
14 | RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE - FEBRUARY <strong>2017</strong><br />
Best Hyundai at the finish was<br />
Dani Sordo in fourth place.
and he was in a class of his own.<br />
He led all the way ahead of his Skoda<br />
teammate Jan Kopecky, while Bryan<br />
Bouffier’s Fiesta was ahead of Eric<br />
Camilli and Quentin Gilbert.<br />
Driving out of the championship<br />
points was the Skoda of Pontus<br />
Tidemand who finished the event<br />
between Bouffier and Camilli in the RC2<br />
class.<br />
Kevin Abbring drove the Hyundai N<br />
Motorsport NG i20 R5, missing stages<br />
after a suspension part broke, but<br />
scored two fastest times in his class.<br />
In WRC3 the domination was even<br />
more pronounced with Raphael Astier’s<br />
Peugeot 208 R2 winning 11 of the<br />
stages ahead of the Renault Clio Turbos<br />
of Luca Panzani, Charles Martin and<br />
Surhayen Pernia.<br />
Real winter conditions greeted<br />
crews at Monte Carlo.<br />
Rallye Monte-Carlo (<strong>2017</strong> FIA WRC, round 1):<br />
1. Sébastien Ogier / Julien Ingrassia Ford Fiesta WRC 4:00:03.6<br />
2. Jari-Matti Latvala / Miikka Anttila Toyota Yaris WRC +2:15.0<br />
3. Ott Tänak / Martin Järveoja Ford Fiesta WRC +2:57.8<br />
4. Dani Sordo / Marc Marti Hyundai 120 Coupe WRC +3:35.8<br />
5. Craig Breen / Scott Martin Citroen DS3 WRC +3:47.8<br />
6. Elfyn Evans / Daniel Barritt Ford Fiesta WRC +6:45.0<br />
7. Andreas Mikkelsen / Anders Jaeger Škoda Fabia R5 +9:32.7<br />
8. Jan Kopecky / Pavel Dresler Škoda Fabia R5 +12:58.1<br />
9. Stéphane Lefebvre / Gabin Moreau Citroen C3 WRC +14:43.8<br />
10. Bryan Bouffier / Denis Giraudet Ford Fiesta R5 +16:09.4<br />
Leading retirements:<br />
(4) Hayden Paddon / John Kennard Hyundai i20 Coupe (M) accident<br />
(7) Kris Meeke / Paul Nagle Citroen C3 (M) road accident<br />
Rally leaders: Neuville stages 2-12, Ogier 13-17. Weather: Days 1 and 2 clear and cool, Day 3 cloudy and<br />
began to snow.<br />
Winner’s average speed over stages: 88.95km/h.<br />
FIA WRC Drivers’ Championship (after round 1):<br />
1. S. Ogier 25, 2. J-M Latvala 18, 3. O. Tanak 15, 4. D. Sordo 13, 5. C. Breen 10, 6. E. Evans 10, 7. A. Mikkelsen<br />
6, 8. S. Lefebvre 6, 9. T. Neuville 5, 10. J. Kopecky 4<br />
FIA WRC Manufacturers’ Championship (after round 1):<br />
1. M-Sport World Rally Team 40, 2. Toyota Gazoo Racing WRC 24, 3. Hyundai Motorsport 20, 4. Citroën Total<br />
Abu Dhabi World Rally Team 10<br />
FEBRUARY <strong>2017</strong> - RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE | 15
REPORT: RALLYE MONTE CARLO - WRC 1<br />
16 | RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE - FEBRUARY <strong>2017</strong>
A mature drive from Estonian Ott Tanak had him on track for second<br />
place, until a final day engine drama relegated him to third.<br />
FEBRUARY <strong>2017</strong> - RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE | 17
REPORT: RALLYE MONTE CARLO - WRC 1<br />
THE KEY MOMENT ...<br />
The Key Moment had to be stage 13, the final stage of<br />
Saturday. Thierry Neuville had been leading the rally<br />
by 51 seconds from Sebastien Ogier, who on his debut<br />
appearance with the M-Sport team had been trailing the<br />
Hyundai, with no realistic chance of challenging for victory.<br />
Neuville was planning his event carefully.<br />
“I have the snow tyres this afternoon (for stage 13). This<br />
morning (for stages 9-12) we were on slicks. It was the safe<br />
choice. We have a good lead, but we have to be clever.”<br />
Then it all went wrong.<br />
“It happened in quite a slow left hand corner. In the exit<br />
the rear went wide and I hit something, I don’t know what!”<br />
He spent over a half hour repairing the damage and he<br />
dropped to 15th place. Fifteenth place was where he finished<br />
the rally three stages later, gaining championship points for<br />
the team - but nothing like as many as the team would have<br />
liked!<br />
- Martin Holmes<br />
Watch the moment Thierry lost<br />
his Monte Carlo victory HERE.<br />
18 | RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE - FEBRUARY <strong>2017</strong>
COLUMN: HAYDEN PADDON<br />
Hyundai driver Hayden<br />
Paddon issued the following<br />
statement after the opening<br />
day accident that resulted<br />
in a spectator passing away<br />
at Rallye Monte Carlo.<br />
Hi everyone,<br />
Upon reflection, I wanted to issue<br />
a small statement about yesterday<br />
events.<br />
Firstly, our thoughts are with the<br />
family and friends of the spectator<br />
involved. No matter the circumstances,<br />
this is never something we want to see.<br />
Secondly, John and I are humbled by<br />
all the messages of support at this time.<br />
Obviously, my thoughts are with the<br />
family and that is my only concern at<br />
the moment.<br />
Not being able to return home to<br />
New Zealand does make it a little<br />
tougher but it is important we stay<br />
strong.<br />
I do want to take this chance to ask<br />
people not to speculate. Irrespective of<br />
how and why the accident happened,<br />
finger pointing will not change anything.<br />
HAYDEN<br />
PADDON<br />
COLUMN<br />
The most important is that we learn<br />
from this and I am committed to<br />
work with the FIA and rally organisers<br />
relentlessly to ensure this does not<br />
happen again.<br />
I will take this chance to ask<br />
spectators at rallies to please be<br />
considerate where you stand and<br />
to respect the instructions of the<br />
marshals.<br />
We all want to enjoy a good show<br />
and go home to the family afterwards.<br />
I also ask each and every rally fan<br />
at the events, if you see someone in<br />
a dangerous position to request they<br />
move for everyone’s best interest.<br />
As a community, we can collectively<br />
work together to prevent this from<br />
happening again.<br />
Lastly, I please ask the respect from<br />
the media in these times, especially for<br />
the family and friends of the spectator.<br />
I will not issue any further statements<br />
or conduct interviews at this stage.<br />
We made the decision to not<br />
continue this weekend out of respect,<br />
but will be back in Sweden where we<br />
will pay tribute.<br />
Thank you again for everyone’s<br />
support and for the support of the<br />
team – it really does mean a lot.<br />
Until Rally Sweden,<br />
Hayden.<br />
It was an unfortunate start to the <strong>2017</strong> season<br />
for Kiwis Hayden Paddon and John Kennard.<br />
FEBRUARY <strong>2017</strong> - RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE | 19
RETROSPECTIVE: PEUGEOT 205 T16<br />
THE LION<br />
By PETER WHITTEN<br />
Photos: HOLMES / PEUGEOT<br />
20 | RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE - FEBRUARY <strong>2017</strong>
KING<br />
It became a familiar sight - the tall,<br />
blonde Finn, Ari Vatanen, standing<br />
atop his Peugeot 205 T16 toasting<br />
another victory with a glass of milk.<br />
FEBRUARY <strong>2017</strong> - RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE | 21
RETROSPECTIVE: PEUGEOT 205 T16<br />
overhauled at the finish by a Rover<br />
3500.<br />
It suffered from serious turbo lag and<br />
the intricacies of the 4WD handling,<br />
most of which was rectified by its World<br />
Championship debut in Corsica in May<br />
1984.<br />
The 205 T16 had a steel chassis<br />
that was part space frame and<br />
part monocoque and used Kevlar<br />
and plastic panels. It was the only<br />
Group B car to use a transverse engine.<br />
The mid-mounted 1775cc engine<br />
initially produced around 340bhp<br />
through a five-speed gearbox and a<br />
33:66 front to rear torque split, and<br />
weighing only 940kg, it got off the mark<br />
quickly.<br />
Peugeot went for double wishbone<br />
And had it not been for a<br />
change in road conditions<br />
between reconnaissance and<br />
the rally that resulted in an almost<br />
fatal accident in the 1986 Rally of<br />
Argentina, Ari Vatanen would almost<br />
certainly have become World Champion<br />
in the little French rocketship.<br />
PETER WHITTEN looks back at one<br />
of France’s finest.<br />
Following on from the pioneering<br />
Audi Quattro, Peugeot’s<br />
foray into Group B rallying<br />
brought almost immediate success.<br />
Ari Vatanen went on a five event<br />
winning streak that was only broken<br />
by team-mate Timo Salonen, such<br />
was the little car’s dominance.<br />
But it hadn’t been a good start<br />
for the Pug. On its debut event<br />
in 1983, a one-day rally held in<br />
muddy conditions, the 205 T16<br />
was embarrassingly beaten by a<br />
Citroen Visa 1000, and was almost<br />
22 | RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE - FEBRUARY <strong>2017</strong><br />
Ari Vatanen emerges from<br />
his 205 on the 1984 RAC<br />
Rally. The rear of the car<br />
could be removed to allow<br />
easy servicing access.<br />
This crash nearly claimed<br />
Ari Vatanen’s life in<br />
Argentina in 1985.<br />
suspension and coil springs, rather<br />
than MacPherson struts, although<br />
the car had a tendency to dip its nose<br />
on jumps, and both the brakes and<br />
the shock absorbers were prone to<br />
overheating.<br />
Despite the fact that the 205 was<br />
recognised as the best all-round Group<br />
B car, work on the 205 T16 E2 began<br />
before the original car had won its first<br />
rally - such was Peugeot’s attention to<br />
detail and their will to win.<br />
When the E2 did finally arrive, it<br />
sported better cylinder head porting<br />
and a new turbo that had the car<br />
developing over 500bhp, and the<br />
monocoque rear chassis had been<br />
replaced with a lighter and stiffer<br />
tubular construction.<br />
Power was now transferred through<br />
a six-speed gearbox and new front<br />
and rear spoilers had been added to
1985 Acropolis Rally:<br />
Timo Salonen / Seppo Harjanne.<br />
improve the stability at high speed.<br />
In fact Peugeot had wanted to use an<br />
even bigger rear wing on the car, but<br />
that was subsequently knocked on the<br />
head by the FIA.<br />
The original 205 T16 won nine<br />
World Championship events in<br />
1984 and 1985 and gave Peugeot<br />
both the Drivers’ (Timo Salonen) and<br />
Manufacturers’ championships in 1985,<br />
while the 205 Turbo 16 E2 won seven<br />
WRC rounds, again taking the Drivers’<br />
(Juha Kankkunen) and Manufacturers<br />
crowns in 1986.<br />
I saw the 205 Turbo 16 E2 in action<br />
at the 1986 Rally of New Zealand - an<br />
event won by Juha Kankkunen.<br />
While the car was an awesome sight<br />
on the stages, my lasting memory is<br />
of following Kankkunen on liaision<br />
sections through the New Zealand<br />
countryside, passing other cars like<br />
they were standing still, and with<br />
that raucous 500 horsepower motor<br />
echoing through the hills.<br />
But perhaps the best description of<br />
the car comes from Kankkunen himself:<br />
“In 1986 we tested a 205 with a bigger<br />
turbo giving 550 horsepower. This<br />
engine was so powerful that the first<br />
time we tried it the headsets nearly<br />
blew off when I lifted the clutch!<br />
“It was wet tarmac and we had<br />
wheelspin on all four wheels, even in<br />
third gear, just using the throttle alone.<br />
“There was nothing before 6000rpm<br />
and then, ‘BANG!’, all the power came,<br />
up to 10,000rpm.<br />
“You cannot compare this kind of car<br />
to a World Rally Car. It would be like<br />
comparing an old Volkswagen Beetle to<br />
a new Turbo Porsche.”<br />
FEBRUARY <strong>2017</strong> - RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE | 23
RETROSPECTIVE: PEUGEOT 205 T16<br />
PEUGEOT BY THE NUMBERS ....<br />
PEUGEOT 205 T16<br />
1984 1000 Lakes Rally 1. Vatanen/Harryman<br />
1984 Sanremo Rally 1. Vatanen/Harryman<br />
1984 RAC Rally 1. Vatanen/Harryman<br />
1985 Monte Carlo Rally 1. Vatanen/Harryman<br />
1985 Swedish Rally 1. Vatanen/Harryman<br />
1985 Portugal Rally 1. Salonen/Harjanne<br />
1985 Acropolis Rally 1. Salonen/Harjanne<br />
1985 Rally of New Zealand 1. Salonen/Harjanne<br />
1985 Rally of Argentina 1. Salonen/Harjanne<br />
1985 World Rally Champion Peugeot<br />
1985 World Rally Champion Timo Salonen<br />
PEUGEOT 205 TURBO 16 E2<br />
1985 1000 Lakes Rally 1. Salonen/Harjanne<br />
1986 Swedish Rally 1. Kankkunen/Piironen<br />
1986 Tour de Corse 1. Saby/Fauchille<br />
1986 Acropolis Rally 1. Kankkunen/Piironen<br />
1986 Rally of New Zealand 1. Kankkunen/Piironen<br />
1986 1000 Lakes Rally 1. Salonen/Harjanne<br />
1986 RAC Rally 1. Salonen/Harjanne<br />
1986 World Rally Champion Peugeot<br />
1986 World Rally Championship Juha Kankkunen<br />
The Evolution 2 version<br />
of the 205 T16 was a<br />
purposeful looking rally car.<br />
24 | RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE - FEBRUARY <strong>2017</strong>
WHERE ARE THEY NOW?<br />
Adrian Morrisby (right) with<br />
good mates ‘Hooch’ and<br />
actor Shane Jacobson.<br />
?<br />
WHERE<br />
are they now<br />
ADRIAN<br />
MORRISBY<br />
Adrian Morrisby is a larger-thanlife<br />
character who has long<br />
been one of the stalwarts and<br />
most-respected people in Tasmanian<br />
rallying.<br />
A former Tassie correspondent for<br />
<strong>RallySport</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> and Australian<br />
<strong>RallySport</strong> News, “Mozza” is a long-time<br />
competitor, commentator and all round<br />
good guy.<br />
But in recent years he’s drifted out of<br />
the rallying spotlight as other interests<br />
have taken his time and focus.<br />
We caught up with him to see what’s<br />
been happening.<br />
Back in the 2000s you were our Tasmanian<br />
correspondent and were heavily involved in the sport.<br />
How did your interest in rallying come about?<br />
Growing up racing karts in the 80s<br />
there was always an expectation to<br />
go to the next step. Good mate and<br />
all round top bloke, Jason White, was<br />
the first to jump and got an RX2 and<br />
campaigned it on the gravel on his L’s.<br />
My first experience was in the<br />
navigator’s seat for him in a Datsun<br />
1000 Coupe in a rally out the back of<br />
Latrobe.<br />
The next step was that I built a<br />
Gemini and raced a few hillclimbs and<br />
club days while navigating for Jason and<br />
others in Targa and state rallies.<br />
Meanwhile, the Gemini developed<br />
from a 1600 to an injected 1600 (made<br />
myself using JD Camira injection),<br />
then 2.6 (1994 Rodeo engine), then<br />
eventually a 2.6 Turbo and competed in<br />
Tasmanian Classic Rally, hillclimbs and,<br />
eventually, Rally Tasmania.<br />
It eventually got “banned” for beating<br />
Porsches and we went back to a 100kw<br />
at the wheels 1600 block engine on<br />
Webers, eventually re-shelling to the<br />
2-door.<br />
While this was all going down Jason,<br />
Jon (mechanic) Frenchy (navigator)<br />
built a 4-door, 4-link 2.6 “club car”<br />
Gemini (white) for the Tassie gravel<br />
series and this is what I made my<br />
gravel rally debut in.<br />
Luckily I won my first ever event<br />
I competed in on the gravel, the<br />
Exeter Rally.<br />
You have been involved at all levels, but<br />
firstly as a competitor. What rally cars have<br />
been in your garage?<br />
To be truthful I have never had<br />
a garage to put one in! I would say<br />
my work is my garage.<br />
Along with my constantly<br />
evolving Gemini, we built three<br />
or four Geminis for customers,<br />
as well as a rather sporty Ford KB<br />
Laser. With Jason always building<br />
cars I had many cars through the<br />
“garages” out the back, and got to<br />
know every nut and bolt on them.<br />
Probably your most famous car was the<br />
FEBRUARY <strong>2017</strong> - RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE | 25
WHERE ARE THEY NOW?<br />
MHDT lookalike Gemini you built for gravel and<br />
tarmac events. Why a Gemini?<br />
Aaaah good question! I often<br />
asked myself the same question!<br />
The main reason was that<br />
we had started with a Gemini,<br />
had HEAPS of parts for it, and<br />
developed some cool bespoke<br />
parts we could use.<br />
I did also like the handling of<br />
a Gemini, with the torque tube<br />
pulling from halfway up the car, it<br />
made it sit well under braking and<br />
enabled the car to be driven with<br />
a lot of rear bias and handled not<br />
unlike a go-kart.<br />
How easy was it to convert the car from<br />
gravel to tarmac spec, and which events did<br />
you prefer?<br />
Easy, it was just a matter of<br />
removing some spring packers,<br />
take off the underbody and flaps<br />
and she was ready to attack the<br />
tarmac.<br />
Gravel is where the “enjoyment<br />
factor” is high, on and off the stages.<br />
Tarmac was good, but lacked the true<br />
mateship that gravel rallying has, BUT<br />
at least the car was easy to clean after<br />
some black tack work.<br />
When and why did you stop competing?<br />
I did have a steer in a hillclimb last<br />
year in the good wife’s not-so-standard<br />
XT Forester and took the W (win) too,<br />
which was my first competitive drive in<br />
three years.<br />
The last time I competed in a gravel<br />
rally I got “pinged” because my engine<br />
was 9mm too far back in the engine<br />
bay. I thought it was a load of crap and<br />
never really went back.<br />
I then went on to compete in tarmac<br />
events, but budget restriction and the<br />
major tarmac rally (Targa Tasmania)<br />
heading in a direction I didn’t agree<br />
with put an end to that.<br />
On top of that, five or six years<br />
26 | RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE - FEBRUARY <strong>2017</strong><br />
“The after parties, the<br />
camaraderie, the all<br />
nighters in the shed<br />
with mates building<br />
cars, even just the<br />
trips to get to an event<br />
were all so much fun,<br />
turning your idols and<br />
heroes into friends.”<br />
ago my good wife (and best friend)<br />
was pregnant with our son, and she<br />
asked ever so kindly if I could do a<br />
bit less motorsport and a bit more<br />
fishing, citing the fact I was away most<br />
weekends either commentating on<br />
Geminis have been Mozza’s<br />
rallying machines of choice,<br />
as well as, more recently, a<br />
Subaru Forester.<br />
motorsport or competing.<br />
Little did she know that the level of<br />
“going fishing” was going to outweigh<br />
the motorsport 10 fold as far as levels<br />
of commitment. Oops!<br />
Tell us what it is about rallying that inspires you and<br />
makes it such a great sport.<br />
Well, from being involved from 18<br />
years of age, nearly all my friends have<br />
come from rallying. They are my family,<br />
all over Australia, and you won’t find a<br />
better bunch of people.<br />
The after parties, the camaraderie,<br />
the all nighters in the shed with mates<br />
building cars, even just the trips to<br />
get to an event were all so much fun,<br />
turning your idols and heroes into<br />
friends.<br />
You’ve also been heavily involved in commentating<br />
at various rallies around the country as well, and it is<br />
something that seems to come naturally to you. Is this<br />
the case?<br />
I am a great believer in the putting<br />
things back into life (especially when<br />
you take so much out of it, like I do). So<br />
I wanted to put something back into the<br />
sport that had given me so much.<br />
There was no way in the world I<br />
wanted to be an official, and I had done<br />
a million road closures, course setting<br />
and other jobs, but the microphone just<br />
seems to come to me.<br />
In recent years we haven’t seen or heard as much of<br />
you in rallying. Why is that?<br />
The fishing scene has really embraced<br />
myself and co-fisherman, Hooch.<br />
We quickly gained a big following<br />
through social media with our antics<br />
and humour, and that then brought<br />
us many big name sponsors, making<br />
DVDs and doing promotional work<br />
throughout Australia.<br />
This is basically my first half of
the year with a competition most<br />
weekends, and other times filming or<br />
spending time fishing with my son and<br />
mates.<br />
The second half of the year is taken<br />
up with commentating duties around<br />
the country covering power boats,<br />
drifting, World Time Attack and more.<br />
Fishing is now a big part of your life. Has it taken<br />
over from rallying, and is there any chance you’ll<br />
return to four wheels in the future?<br />
Oh yes, indeed. I still walk past my car<br />
10 times a day or more and it hollers to<br />
me “don’t forget about me, man!”<br />
I am also in the middle of trying to<br />
promote a series/category in Tasmania<br />
for normally aspirated 4WD cars and<br />
we are currently building a normally<br />
aspirated 2005 RS Impreza.<br />
Along with 6 others I know, we<br />
should see a field of about 10 cars next<br />
season.<br />
The Gemini needs a gearbox and<br />
she is good to go too. I can’t wait to get<br />
behind the wheel again. I’d probably<br />
look like a one handed man in a face<br />
slapping competition though, but I will<br />
have the biggest smile.<br />
You’re still involved in the automotive industry<br />
through your business and with some sponsorship. Is it<br />
important to keep that link to the sport?<br />
Yes indeed. As mentioned before,<br />
motorsport made me the person I<br />
am today. I owe it everything, and I<br />
encourage everyone to get their kids<br />
into it.<br />
I have forgotten how many people I<br />
have supported in motorsport this year,<br />
but its in the 20s or 30s easy.<br />
It does bring some business our way,<br />
but its more for passion I do it. Like<br />
the ol’ saying goes: “Do you know how<br />
to make a million out of motorsport …<br />
start with two million”.<br />
In your view, what state is rallying in, and what<br />
would you do to make the sport even more successful?<br />
Well, she’s “can o worms o’clock” right<br />
there! Tasmanian state rallying is on the<br />
grow again which is great, BUT it had to<br />
have a change of direction.<br />
It was no longer viable to race<br />
Geminis, Escorts or Datsuns due to<br />
availability of parts and the “bespoke<br />
parts” needed to make them fast and<br />
reliable. The new rookie rally people<br />
were coming into the sport, buying old<br />
cars, breaking/crashing them, and they<br />
were out of the sport.<br />
I have been involved with trying<br />
to find a better option (hence the<br />
normally aspirated 4WD option). This<br />
should allow younger drivers to enter<br />
the sport, have a car that will do a full<br />
season on two sets of tyres, one set of<br />
brakes and an engine/box/diff that lasts<br />
a season or two.<br />
I mean, let’s face it, the youth has<br />
so much going on now they aren’t just<br />
going to a mate’s workshop after work<br />
and building cars. A lot are paying<br />
people to build them and maintain their<br />
cars, which can cost a fortune. They do<br />
one season and “poof”, they’re gone like<br />
last week’s pay.<br />
We must also have heroes and idols<br />
for this new generation to aspire to,<br />
somewhere to aim to be. Like the<br />
Subaru and Mitsubishi programs of the<br />
early 2000s, everyone wanted the seat<br />
that Cody Crocker or Dean Herridge<br />
and co. had.<br />
Most of all, I think the sport needs to<br />
tighten up a bit. There’s far too much<br />
BS in-fighting in the social and notso-social-media<br />
making the ship look<br />
unstable.<br />
There are too many changes, too<br />
many “rumours” making the ship look<br />
unstable to not just spectators, but to<br />
investors and governments as well.<br />
FEBRUARY <strong>2017</strong> - RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE | 27
INTERVIEW: STEPHANE PREVOT<br />
Belgian Stéphane Prévot is one of the nicest guys<br />
you will meet on the rally circuit. It’s clearly one of<br />
the reasons he’s been so successful over a<br />
co-driving career that has seen him contest over<br />
400 rallies, with more than 60 different drivers.<br />
MR NICE GUY<br />
Story: PETER WHITTEN<br />
Photos: HOLMES, RSM<br />
28 | RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE - FEBRUARY <strong>2017</strong>
Prevot co-driving for Aussie Chris<br />
Atkinson in the 2008 Acropolis Rally.<br />
FEBRUARY <strong>2017</strong> - RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE | 29
INTERVIEW: STEPHANE PREVOT<br />
Among his long list of famous<br />
drivers is Australian Chris Atkinson.<br />
They shared two seasons<br />
with the Subaru World Rally Team in<br />
the WRC (2007 and 2008), and he guided<br />
Atko to five podium placings in the<br />
2008 championship.<br />
More recently, Stéphane has<br />
contested events in the Asia-Pacific<br />
Rally Championship, and last year won<br />
the Otago Classic Rally with Markko<br />
Märtin.<br />
<strong>RallySport</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> caught up with<br />
Stéphane and asked him about his long<br />
and varied rally career.<br />
You are one of the most experienced co-drivers<br />
in the world. How many drivers have you sat with,<br />
and who are they?<br />
I keep a record of all my races since<br />
the beginning (event, result, driver, car,<br />
start number). It’s 404 rallies (175 WRC)<br />
with 64 different drivers.<br />
The most famous are (in<br />
chronological order): Yves Matton,<br />
Guy Colsoul, Bruno Thiry, François<br />
Duval, Stéphane Sarrazin, Philippe<br />
Gache, Chris Atkinson, Evgeny Novikov,<br />
Henning Solberg, Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari,<br />
Stéphane Lefebvre, Alister McRae,<br />
Markko Märtin and Gaurav Gill, as<br />
well as a few historic events with<br />
Markku Alén, Björn Waldegård and Stig<br />
Blomqvist.<br />
Is it difficult to jump from driver to driver so<br />
often?<br />
If you understand pacenotes and<br />
work with a professional driver, it’s<br />
okay. Bad notes are very difficult to<br />
read, especially wrong distances. Then<br />
you never know where you are.<br />
So it depends very much on the<br />
driver level and experience! But to build<br />
a 100 per cent relationship with a top<br />
driver you would need a few rallies to<br />
understand the way he lives, works,<br />
drives and reacts – and much more<br />
time with an inexperienced or young<br />
driver who has to learn.<br />
What do you think are your greatest successes<br />
in the WRC, and perhaps in other championships?<br />
I’ve never won a WRC event, and<br />
have only climbed on a podium 17<br />
times. But over the years I worked with<br />
nearly every factory team involved<br />
(Ford, Subaru, Toyota, Citroën, Peugeot,<br />
Škoda, Seat, Mini, Hyundai) and had<br />
three different careers in WRC with<br />
three different drivers (Thiry, Duval and<br />
Atkinson). It’s quite unusual!<br />
I’ve also had great experiences in so<br />
many other championships and rallies<br />
with lots of fantastic drivers and teams.<br />
Probably my biggest success is the<br />
variety of my rally career – I’m lucky to<br />
still live from my passion after 30 years.<br />
From the results I remember Corsica<br />
30 | RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE - FEBRUARY <strong>2017</strong><br />
“Chris is the best<br />
driver I know who can<br />
write notes with that<br />
precision. He trusts<br />
them 100 per cent and<br />
that’s why he’s got so<br />
much speed in the<br />
narrow, fast roads. It’s<br />
very impressive.”<br />
WRC in 1995. I was with Bruno Thiry<br />
in the second factory Ford Escort<br />
Cosworth and we led the rally from<br />
stage one. After four days and 500km<br />
of competitive sections we had to retire<br />
after a stupid wheel bearing failed –<br />
with just one stage to go! Since that day<br />
there’s not one week in my life when<br />
someone doesn’t talk to me about that<br />
race...<br />
In 2008 I finished third in Finland<br />
with Chris Atkinson and Subaru. I’m<br />
quite proud of that podium. Finland is<br />
something really special for co-drivers!<br />
Monte-Carlo 2008 is also a great<br />
memory when we beat Duval by 1.1<br />
seconds to finish third.<br />
That year we broke the record on<br />
the famous Saint-Bonnet-le-Froid stage<br />
at the average of 123km/h on ice! I’m<br />
happy the record is still there today, as<br />
I don’t think I’d feel too comfortable to<br />
try it again! Winning the 2012 APRC title<br />
with Chris and Race Torque was also<br />
something special.<br />
What is one thing you’d say about Aussie, Chris<br />
Atkinson, that sets him apart from other drivers<br />
you’ve sat with over the years?<br />
Chris is the best driver I know who<br />
can write notes with that precision.<br />
He then trusts them 100 per cent and<br />
that’s why he’s got so much speed<br />
in the narrow, fast roads. It’s very<br />
impressive.<br />
He was a bit mad when I started with<br />
him in 2007! His target was more to<br />
try to win every stage, but he started<br />
2008 with a more mature approach<br />
and realised that to finish first, you first<br />
have to finish.<br />
We were in a fight for third place in<br />
the Drivers’ championship that year<br />
with a total of five podiums and Chris<br />
was at his best, and very, very close to<br />
a win. Unfortunately it all came to an<br />
end when Subaru pulled out from the<br />
championship in December 2008.<br />
How difficult was it for you to start reading<br />
English pacenotes, as it is not your first<br />
language?
I’m not perfect bilingual. I understand<br />
English better than I speak it, but this<br />
is more to have a normal conversation.<br />
With pacenotes it’s always the same 50<br />
or so words to read.<br />
Atko was my first driver in English,<br />
and before I teamed up with him I<br />
thought it shouldn’t be too difficult.<br />
But I did not expect Chris’ pacenotes<br />
to be that difficult! They are the most<br />
accurate and precise I’ve had, but very<br />
busy with lots of instructions.<br />
After Chris I found it easier in English<br />
than French, as the words are shorter<br />
to read. But honestly, it’s just a question<br />
of concentration and I’m okay with that.<br />
Even in a big action moment or crash<br />
I’ve never called sh** or f*** in French!<br />
You have competed in numerous rounds of the<br />
APRC. Do you think that championship is heading<br />
in the right direction, and would you like to<br />
compete in it again?<br />
I’d really love to do APRC again.<br />
It’s a great championship with the<br />
biggest variety of events. It’s very well<br />
organised and open to the right type<br />
of cars. I have all fantastic memories<br />
from my three years in the APRC. The<br />
years 2010 and 2011 were so much fun<br />
Bruno Thiry and Stephane<br />
Prevot in the works Skoda on<br />
the 2001 Safari Rally.<br />
With Francois Duval in the<br />
2004 Rally of Germany.<br />
with Alister McRae and Bill Hayes in the<br />
Proton team.<br />
The only thing now is probably the<br />
lack of competition, with only the two<br />
Škoda MRF cars. Race Torque is a<br />
fantastic team and sure they are ready<br />
to fight anyone in the championship.<br />
With more manufacturers involved that<br />
could be more fun than WRC.<br />
Last year you did the Otago Rally for the first<br />
time. What are your greatest memories of the<br />
event?<br />
The Escort is so much fun! And still<br />
fast with a driver like Markko Märtin<br />
at the wheel. It is definitely the most<br />
enjoyable thing I’ve done for a long<br />
time. I remember well the famous Kuri<br />
Bush stage, but most of the stages are<br />
simply the best in the world.<br />
Dunedin has great atmosphere too.<br />
The organisers were so helpful. They<br />
allowed us to overtake everyone to be<br />
first car for the recce convoy. Brent<br />
Rawstron and the Rossendale Rally<br />
Team are so enthusiastic, and it’s a rally<br />
I really hope we can do again.<br />
Many circuit racers have tried their hand at<br />
being rally drivers… Sarrazin, Raikkonen and<br />
Kubica for example. From your time with Stephane<br />
Sarrazin, why do you think it’s so difficult to<br />
make the transition?<br />
The main thing is pacenotes. They<br />
are able to write a good set of notes,<br />
but it’s very difficult for them to rely on<br />
someone in the car who says what to<br />
do. They are more selfish.<br />
Surface changes are also a problem.<br />
A racing circuit is nothing like<br />
improvisation – and of course they have<br />
no experience on loose surfaces. But<br />
on the other hand, racing drivers are<br />
maybe more sensitive and able to set<br />
up cars a better way.<br />
FEBRUARY <strong>2017</strong> - RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE | 31
INTERVIEW: STEPHANE PREVOT<br />
“NZ WRC, Whangarei APRC<br />
or Otago are the greatest<br />
rallies I’ve done over the<br />
last 20 years.”<br />
32 | RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE - FEBRUARY <strong>2017</strong>
Their driving style is sharper and<br />
smoother because they can find good<br />
lines. And they’re used to driving much<br />
more powerful cars, so braking is better<br />
too.<br />
Sarrazin was very impressive on<br />
tarmac with the Subaru.<br />
Who is the next up and coming Belgian rally<br />
star?<br />
Maybe Guillaume De Mévius<br />
(Grégoire’s son). But I’m not sure;<br />
rallying’s not big at the moment. Belgian<br />
racing drivers have more future, I think.<br />
Car importers have gone since<br />
tobacco advertising was banned, and<br />
together they were a big help for drivers<br />
like Thiry, Loix, Duval and, more recently,<br />
Neuville.<br />
Now the Belgium Federation is<br />
trying to help, but they are not big. But<br />
honestly, it’s unbelievable that such a<br />
small country with no car manufacturer<br />
and no WRC rounds brings drivers to the<br />
top of the sport since the early 90s.<br />
What is your favourite rally?<br />
Definitely New Zealand. By far the best<br />
roads in the world. WRC, Whangarei<br />
APRC or Otago are the greatest rallies<br />
I’ve done over the last 20 years.<br />
I really like Sweden WRC on the<br />
snow, but it depends too much on the<br />
conditions. You are never sure to find<br />
good snow and ice, and it’s a disaster<br />
when it’s not frozen and gravel appears.<br />
What are your plans for <strong>2017</strong>?<br />
Since 2016 I’m freelance and work on<br />
a rally-by-rally basis, but I’m still very<br />
busy. I’m also trying to get a foot in the<br />
door in cross-country and I did five races<br />
for the World Cup last year, contracted<br />
to QMMF with Khalifa Al-Attiyah<br />
(Nasser’s brother).<br />
Unfortunately, there is more future<br />
there for professional co-drivers. I think<br />
WRC is not going the right way. <strong>2017</strong><br />
should be the same for me with about<br />
15 rallies, plus a few cross-country<br />
events.<br />
FEBRUARY <strong>2017</strong> - RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE | 33
2016 STATE RALLY CHAMPIONS<br />
SOUTH AUSTRALIA<br />
Driver: Andrew Gleeson<br />
Co-Driver: Fred Brewer and Mike Dale<br />
Car: Datsun Stanza<br />
Class: Club Rally Car<br />
Engine: Nissan SR20DE<br />
Gearbox: 6 speed Nissan Silvia<br />
Suspension: Bilstein<br />
2016 results: Third outright at every<br />
round and heat of the season. This<br />
car also won the State Championship<br />
in 1981 in the hands of Barry Burns<br />
(Datsport), although I don’t think it had<br />
an SR20DE in it.<br />
Sponsors: SA Motorsport Tyres, Braid<br />
Wheels Australia, Hankook Tyres,<br />
Exhaust Technology<br />
Best results prior to 2016: 1st outright<br />
Wirrabara Forest Rally (SARC) 2001, and<br />
many more podiums and class wins in<br />
the SARC. Third outright Rally of South<br />
Australia (SARC) 2015, 1st outright<br />
SA Clubman Series 2001, 2013, 1st<br />
Outright SA Rallysprint Series 2014<br />
What was your best performance of 2016 and why?<br />
I had already sealed the<br />
championship on the Saturday at Rally<br />
of South Australia. On the Sunday, I<br />
was having too much fun ripping skids<br />
and we were sixth outright at the last<br />
service, with two stages to go in my<br />
favourite environment, the forest. We<br />
managed to gain 30 seconds and take<br />
third position.<br />
What was the key moment of the season for you?<br />
I realised mid-season that I was in<br />
the hunt for the championship. In the<br />
past I had been in a similar position<br />
and my championship was let down by<br />
reliability problems. I put a lot of time<br />
and effort into the car at this point,<br />
which I could not have done without<br />
the support of my wife Rebekah and<br />
kids, Matilda and Cody, allowing me to<br />
spend many nights and weekends in<br />
the shed. The car was bulletproof at<br />
the end of the season.<br />
What makes the state championship so competitive,<br />
and such a prestigious title to win?<br />
All of the events in 2016 were<br />
pacenoted. South Australia is known<br />
for its pacenoted events. There have<br />
been many interstaters coming over<br />
to contest the championship in the<br />
past as it is a great stepping stone to<br />
national and even international events.<br />
It is an honour to be included in the list<br />
of state rally champions. Many of the<br />
past South Australian Rally champions<br />
have gone on to win the Australian<br />
Championship.<br />
How long has your co-driver been with you, and<br />
what does he bring to the combination?<br />
Fred Brewer has co-driven for me<br />
many times over the last few years and<br />
he has experience in much faster cars<br />
than mine and as a bonus, knows how<br />
to fix them. Mike Dale first co-drove for<br />
me in 2016 and we did two of the SARC<br />
events. He has been rallying almost<br />
longer than I have been alive, with a<br />
wealth of experience both driving and<br />
co-driving.<br />
What are your plans for <strong>2017</strong>? Will it be the same<br />
car, co-driver and driver combination?<br />
I am planning to contest the SARC yet<br />
again in the same car. Fred Brewer will<br />
be co-driving for the season.<br />
Do you have any plans to contest any ARC rounds<br />
outside your home state? If so, which ones?<br />
At this point, due to cost, I do not<br />
have the budget to contest other ARC<br />
rounds. If a sponsorship opportunity<br />
came up, I would be there in a<br />
heartbeat.<br />
TAILOR-MADE PACKAGES TO<br />
34 | RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE - FEBRUARY <strong>2017</strong>
WESTERN AUSTRALIA<br />
Driver: Dylan King<br />
Co-Driver: Abbey Hayes<br />
Car: 2006 Subaru STI Spec C<br />
2016 results: WA Rally Championship<br />
winners<br />
Sponsors: DK Earthworx (Dylan’s<br />
business), Lee’s Transport, Trade<br />
Hire, Aslab, TJ Signs, RallySchool, King<br />
Earthmoving<br />
Best results prior to 2016: WA 2WD<br />
Championship in 2012<br />
What was your best performance of 2016 and why?<br />
Going into the last round (Safari Rally<br />
in Chidlow) we were only leading by<br />
two points so the pressure was high!<br />
The event didn’t come without its<br />
usual problems, with the car misfiring<br />
on stage two and a puncture on the<br />
second run of the longer stage - which<br />
meant we really had to be on our game<br />
to finish on top.<br />
We were stressed that our puncture<br />
would have cost us quite a bit of time,<br />
but when we got to the end of the stage<br />
we were surprised to see it hadn’t cost<br />
us much! It was definitely a stressful,<br />
intense last round to the season for<br />
us with everything on the line, but<br />
we worked well as a team and took<br />
home the event win, and with it the<br />
championship; so it really was our best<br />
performance in the car and as a team.<br />
What was the key moment of the season for you?<br />
I think this answer is pretty simple<br />
- winning the WA Rally Championship<br />
was certainly the highlight of the<br />
season. It didn’t come easy and not<br />
without faults, so it was a good battle<br />
all year.<br />
We were very lucky to have a<br />
committed service crew who have<br />
ensured we get to every round and<br />
we can’t thank them enough - this win<br />
is just as much theirs as it is ours. We<br />
couldn’t be happier!<br />
What makes the state championship so competitive,<br />
and such a prestigious title to win?<br />
This one is a tough one. I guess<br />
winning any championship, whether<br />
it be state or national or even<br />
international, is quite special and<br />
doesn’t come easy. There are many big<br />
names on the championship trophy<br />
from previous years, so we feel very<br />
honoured to now be on there too.<br />
You have to be in it to win it and with<br />
the nature of this sport that can be very<br />
difficult at times! A lot of hard work,<br />
determination and commitment goes<br />
in, in order to achieve something this<br />
big, so we are very proud of it.<br />
How long has your co-driver been with you, and<br />
what does she bring to the combination?<br />
Abbey and I first hopped in the<br />
car together at Safari Rally in 2015,<br />
before committing to the 2016 season<br />
together. We have worked really well in<br />
the car all year.<br />
Abbey brings a sense of calmness<br />
to the car in her note reading, which<br />
helps me concentrate and focus on<br />
my own job. Her organisation and<br />
professionalism is something that has<br />
certainly helped us too!<br />
What are your plans for <strong>2017</strong>? Will it be the same<br />
car, co-driver and driver combination?<br />
Abbey and I have a trip to Europe<br />
planned for the middle of <strong>2017</strong>, so we<br />
will do our best to make every other<br />
round<br />
of the WA championship again, but<br />
things may change as the year<br />
progresses. Work on the car is well<br />
underway, with a few improvements, so<br />
we are excited to get back out there.<br />
Do you have any plans to contest any ARC rounds<br />
outside your home state? If so, which ones?<br />
We both really love the vibe and<br />
atmosphere of the Forest Rally, which is<br />
obviously an ARC event, so with that in<br />
mind we would love to try and compete<br />
over east. No decisions have been<br />
made yet as we will have to look at the<br />
budget after Europe is factored in (!!!),<br />
but we have spoken about getting over<br />
to Coffs Harbour at the end of the year.<br />
I went over in 2016 to compete in<br />
Rally Australia and it was such a great<br />
experience, so I would love Abbey to<br />
get a feel for it too - it’s so different to<br />
competing over here in state rounds,<br />
that’s for sure!<br />
SUIT YOU<br />
To advertise in <strong>RallySport</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> call Dominic on<br />
0499 981 188 or email dominic@rallysportmag.com.au<br />
FEBRUARY <strong>2017</strong> - RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE | 35
2016 STATE RALLY CHAMPIONS<br />
QUEENSLAND<br />
Driver: Rob Bishop<br />
Co-Driver: Neill Woolley<br />
Car: Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6<br />
Rob Bishop took two wins and two<br />
second places on his way to the title.<br />
(Photo: Sam Tickell)<br />
2016 results: Rnd 1 - 2nd QRC, Rnd 2 -<br />
2nd QRC, Rnd 3 - 1st QRC, Rnd 4 - 1st<br />
QRC, Rnd 5 - DNF<br />
Sponsors: Kinetic Resources<br />
Best results prior to 2016: 2010 and 2012<br />
Queensland Rally Champion<br />
What was your best performance of 2016 and why?<br />
Day 2 of International Rally of<br />
Queensland in the pouring rain was<br />
certainly a challenge I haven’t faced<br />
for a lot of years in rallying. Although,<br />
we managed to keep the car on the<br />
road (just) and set some top 3 times<br />
compared to the ARC field, only 4.5<br />
seconds off the lead on the longest<br />
stage of the day.<br />
What was the key moment of the season for you?<br />
There’s two moments that stand out.<br />
Firstly, the opening round of the season<br />
passed over the same section of road<br />
where two years prior we had a really<br />
bad accident which I was air lifted out<br />
from, making it past that point and<br />
completing the stage certainly helped in<br />
putting that incident behind me.<br />
Secondly, after traveling north to<br />
Wowan (Inland from Rockhampton) for<br />
the second round, whilst unloading the<br />
car off the trailer the throttle position<br />
sensor completely failed, not having<br />
one in the spares I had brought with us,<br />
and not being able to rev the car at all<br />
we would’ve been unable to start.<br />
We were flooded with offers of help<br />
from everyone around the service<br />
36 | RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE - FEBRUARY <strong>2017</strong><br />
park, although a correct replacement<br />
wasn’t able to be found. Luckily a mate<br />
working in Rockhampton dropped<br />
tools, shot round to a local wrecker,<br />
found a sensor and got it out to us in<br />
record time which allowed us to make<br />
the start line, although a bit late and<br />
receiving a time penalty. Without the<br />
points from our finish we wouldn’t have<br />
taken out the championship seeing we<br />
DNF’d the last round.<br />
It certainly was a humbling<br />
experience to have so many offers of<br />
help from the rally family and have<br />
someone put themself out so much for<br />
us.<br />
What makes the state championship so competitive,<br />
and such a prestigious title to win?<br />
I think having the opportunity to drive<br />
alongside talented people that are truly<br />
passionate about the sport and fiercely<br />
competitive, yet everyone is always<br />
looking out for each other and willing<br />
to lend a hand to keep you in the game<br />
makes it for me. This coupled with<br />
competing at extremely well run events<br />
over an amazing selection of roads<br />
(which all the 2016 event organisers<br />
need to be commended for) was<br />
certainly the icing on the cake.<br />
How long has your co-driver been with you, and<br />
what does he bring to the combination?<br />
Neill had only sat in with me for 2<br />
events prior to the 2016 season, the<br />
first of which I had a bit of an off, so I<br />
was surprised he was game enough to<br />
get back in with me again.<br />
Neill has been in with some great<br />
drivers, so is very capable and calm<br />
whilst calling the notes, which definitely<br />
gives the driver a boost in confidence.<br />
He did an excellent job all year and<br />
was super committed, often traveling<br />
a couple hours out to our place on the<br />
weekends to help prep the car. Neill<br />
has also got a great sense humour and<br />
keeps a light hearted atmosphere in the<br />
car.<br />
For Rally Queensland he made up<br />
novelty rally packs for us and a couple<br />
of the other teams we were competing<br />
with. I’m just glad we didn’t break down<br />
mid stage and have to use some of the<br />
rather questionable items it contained!<br />
What are your plans for <strong>2017</strong>? Will it be the same<br />
car, co-driver and driver combination?<br />
Only plans for <strong>2017</strong> so far is to be<br />
back on the spanners at service park<br />
and maybe 1 event at the end of the<br />
year. The car and same co-driver will<br />
be running <strong>2017</strong> with the missus back<br />
behind the wheel which will be great to<br />
see.<br />
Do you have any plans to contest any ARC rounds<br />
outside your home state? If so, which ones?<br />
No solid plans as yet, though I really<br />
would like to have a run at the WRC in<br />
Coffs and enter the ARC section. I grew<br />
up there and started rallying on a lot of<br />
those roads back in the early 90’s, so<br />
it would be nice to go back to the area<br />
and compete again.
TASMANIA<br />
Driver: Keith Abblitt<br />
Co-Driver: Adrian Hodgetts, Nicole<br />
Bryan (Round 2)<br />
Car: Subaru WRX STI Spec C<br />
2016 results: Rd1: 1st, Rd2: DNF,<br />
Rd3 :3rd, Rd4: 2nd<br />
Sponsors: Speedy Couriers, Midland<br />
Tractors, Dunlop, Motul<br />
Best results prior to 2016: Runner up 2013<br />
What was your best performance of 2016 and why?<br />
Round 1 at Retreat. Dropped four<br />
seconds on stage one then won every<br />
stage after, without taking any risks.<br />
First event running first on the road<br />
also.<br />
What was the key moment of the season for you?<br />
Bouncing back after crashing at<br />
round two to finish third behind Molly<br />
Taylor and Marcus Walkem.<br />
What makes the state championship so competitive,<br />
and such a prestigious title to win?<br />
There are some top level competitors<br />
in Tasmania and to win a title against<br />
those crews, and put my name on the<br />
trophy, is pretty satisfying.<br />
How long has your co-driver been with you, and<br />
Photo: Jarrod Leonard<br />
what does he bring to the combination?<br />
Since my second rally, experience, a<br />
calming voice when it’s needed, and the<br />
comedy relief.<br />
What are your plans for <strong>2017</strong>? Will it be the same<br />
car, co-driver and driver combination?<br />
<strong>2017</strong> is still in limbo, depending on<br />
time and budget.<br />
Do you have any plans to contest any ARC rounds<br />
outside your home state? If so, which ones?<br />
No, maybe in the future.<br />
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FEBRUARY <strong>2017</strong> - RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE | 37
2016 STATE RALLY CHAMPIONS<br />
NEW SOUTH WALES<br />
Driver: Nathan Quinn<br />
Co-Driver: Bruce Tyler / David<br />
Calder<br />
Car: Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX<br />
Nathan Quinn again showed his<br />
considerable pace in 2016.<br />
Photos: Peter Whitten<br />
2016 results: State Champion, 2nd<br />
outright Rally New England NSWRC, 2nd<br />
outright Rally of Canberra (ARC) and<br />
first NSWRC, 1st NSWRC Rally Australia<br />
Sponsors: Coffs Coast, Repco, Wurth,<br />
Century Batteries, Goodprice Pharmacy<br />
Wharehouse, Cowling’s R&R Carpets,<br />
Valvoline, MD3, Florrent & Mundey Real<br />
Estate, Steve Arthur Electrical<br />
Best results prior to 2016: 2015 NSWRC<br />
Champion. 2013 Rally Australia<br />
8th outright (Mini JCW WRCar), 1st<br />
outright Rally Johor (Malaysia Rally<br />
Championship)<br />
What was your best performance of 2016 and why?<br />
Rally of Camberra. Prior to this result<br />
I think between myself and my old man<br />
we amounted six attempts and zero<br />
finishes. It was good to get the monkey<br />
off our back and secure a good return<br />
result to the ARC.<br />
What was the key moment of the season for you?<br />
Difficult to pin point one moment. I<br />
think we had to work harder this year,<br />
as luck seemed to be against us from<br />
having a perfect run. Persistence was<br />
the key to the whole year!<br />
What makes the state championship so competitive,<br />
and such a prestigious title to win?<br />
The NSWRC has been very active with<br />
the social media. The competition at<br />
the top has been great, with some long<br />
time regulars still setting competitive<br />
times in ever improving cars.<br />
For me, the tulip (non-pacenoted)<br />
aspect of the events really tightens<br />
38 | RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE - FEBRUARY <strong>2017</strong><br />
up the<br />
competition,<br />
like the ‘old<br />
days’ - I guess it<br />
sorts the men<br />
from the boys.<br />
I love that<br />
adventure side<br />
of the sport<br />
where you<br />
have no idea<br />
where you are<br />
or where you<br />
are going.<br />
For me,<br />
the state<br />
championship<br />
is something I<br />
was exposed<br />
to in the late<br />
80s and has<br />
bred some very popular and strong ARC<br />
names!<br />
How long has your co-driver been with you, and<br />
what does he bring to the combination?<br />
Fortunately I have a selection of codrivers<br />
that I manage to adapt to, and<br />
vice versa. It’s imperative that they can<br />
be trusted, as you really can not do it<br />
without them, let alone get to the start<br />
of the event.<br />
What are your plans for <strong>2017</strong>? Will it be the same<br />
car, co-driver and driver combination?<br />
At this stage, I will see. My aspirations<br />
are national and international, which<br />
beckons for an updated car. If that falls<br />
through then I will spend time getting<br />
my first rally car into fighting form<br />
again, and perhaps have a good crack<br />
at the Alpine Rally. I’m not sure of the<br />
last rotary to win the Alpine?<br />
Do you have any plans to contest any ARC rounds<br />
outside your home state? If so, which ones?<br />
I am looking at ways/cars to be<br />
competitive for <strong>2017</strong>’s ARC. However,<br />
I don’t have much pocket money<br />
left to do a full series, and we found<br />
that running ARC events on less than<br />
$10,000 can have adverse results.<br />
Deep down I would love to win an<br />
ARC round, as I know I can do it with<br />
the right resources. Furthermore, the<br />
championship is going to be stronger<br />
again in <strong>2017</strong>!
2016 results:<br />
Sponsors: Western Victorian Crane<br />
Trucks<br />
Best results prior to 2016: Top 5 ARC for 12<br />
years and 2015 Victorian Champion<br />
What was your best performance of 2016 and why?<br />
Would have to be the Mitta Rally,<br />
where we won two stages by two<br />
minutes each. The car and roads just<br />
felt great.<br />
What was the key moment of the season for you?<br />
Winning the Akademos Rally in<br />
a borrowed car and sealing the<br />
championship. We didn’t get to drive<br />
the car until stage one.<br />
What makes the state championship so<br />
competitive, and such a prestigious title to win?<br />
The Victorian championship has<br />
always been a tough nut to crack –<br />
arguably we have the most talented<br />
drivers in the country in Victoria – and<br />
this is not to discount or knock the<br />
ability of drivers in the other states at<br />
all.<br />
How long has your co-driver been with you, and<br />
what does he bring to the combination?<br />
I have had three co-drivers in Victoria<br />
VICTORIA<br />
Driver: Darren Windus<br />
Co-Driver: Joe Brick / Jamie<br />
Sargeant<br />
Car: 2006 Subaru Impreza WRX STI<br />
in the last three years<br />
and each have made<br />
their own contributions<br />
to the team success,<br />
and most importantly,<br />
had fun.<br />
What are your plans for <strong>2017</strong>?<br />
Will it be the same car, co-driver<br />
and driver combination?<br />
<strong>2017</strong> is a bit<br />
uncertain. We are<br />
planning to do the first<br />
ARC / VRC as it’s local,<br />
but not sure post that.<br />
Do you have any plans to<br />
contest any ARC rounds outside<br />
your home state? If so, which<br />
ones?<br />
I have no plans at this<br />
stage, but who knows?<br />
Darren Windus was the class of the field in<br />
the Victorian Rally Championship.<br />
(Photos: John Doutch, Craig O’Brien)<br />
FEBRUARY <strong>2017</strong> - RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE | 39
FEATURE: GEMINI RS<br />
GEMINI MISSION<br />
By TOM SMITH<br />
<strong>RallySport</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> relishes the<br />
opportunity to showcase a special<br />
rally vehicle that is different<br />
to the mainstream, and which reveals a<br />
true passion associated with innovation<br />
and engineering excellence.<br />
Long time competitor and ex-NSW<br />
Rally Panel Chairman, Col Fletcher,<br />
unveiled his newly built Gemini RS<br />
in the NSW Championship division<br />
of Kennards Hire Rally Australia in<br />
November.<br />
Fastidiously built in the garage at<br />
home, Col and son Scott debuted five<br />
years of blood, sweat and tears with<br />
a car that was simply the car that the<br />
Fletchers wanted to build.<br />
It is clear that this special car has<br />
taken many, many man hours. It was<br />
developed with 95% of the fabrication<br />
and design done by the Fletchers at<br />
home.<br />
Col and Scott started with a Gemini<br />
as they had run one in the NSW Gemini<br />
Series and had plenty of parts. This car<br />
would be something unique, however,<br />
with a big horsepower Vauxhall engine,<br />
close-ratio Ford gearbox and a five-link<br />
rear end and Hilux diff!<br />
It’s certainly not your average Gemini<br />
package.<br />
“The Gemini is actually a very good<br />
base car as it has almost identical<br />
weight, weight balance, track and<br />
40 | RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE - FEBRUARY <strong>2017</strong>
wheelbase to a Mk2 Escort. However,<br />
the Gemini has a fantastic front end<br />
with a very low roll centre and nearly<br />
zero bump steer,” explained Col.<br />
Col wanted to experience the<br />
challenge of designing the car and<br />
every component from scratch.<br />
Starting with a sound Gemini<br />
shell (hard enough to find in any<br />
case), old seam sealer and sound<br />
deadening was removed by hand and<br />
wheel arches were opened up to fit the<br />
preferred 15” wheels and tyres.<br />
Clearance at the front of the front<br />
wheel wells also had to be changed<br />
to achieve safe clearance needed to<br />
achieve full steering lock.<br />
With weak chassis tie rails across<br />
the front and being very low to start<br />
with, the team modified the chassis tie<br />
rail with something about four times<br />
stronger, and with an added 40mm of<br />
ground clearance at its lowest point.<br />
The link boxes for the 5-link rear<br />
were stitched in and have chassis<br />
rails extending the link boxes to the<br />
transverse box section, which the seats<br />
are mounted on. The roll cage ties the<br />
link boxes in, as well as transmitting<br />
all of the vertical suspension loads<br />
(both front and rear) through the entire<br />
structure.<br />
With flares firmly back in fashion, the<br />
flares for this car were made by making<br />
plugs from MDF wood hot glued onto<br />
the car, and then builder’s foam,<br />
and then body filler to get the final<br />
smooth finish. Fibreglass moulds were<br />
then taken off the plugs to make the<br />
flares from those moulds in 225 gram<br />
fibreglass.<br />
After the shell was painted, Kevlar<br />
underbody panels were made by simply<br />
turning the car on a spit, waxing and<br />
“The Gemini is<br />
actually a very good<br />
base car as it has<br />
almost identical<br />
weight, weight<br />
balance, track and<br />
wheelbase to a Mk2<br />
Escort”<br />
preparing the painted under floor<br />
with PVA, and then laying down Vinyl<br />
Ester Resin and layers of Kevlar. Kevlar<br />
panels were also made for the sills.<br />
Col explains his engine choice: “The<br />
Vauxhall Red Top (C20XE) engine is<br />
legendary and is used in many Escort<br />
rally cars in Europe. They have massive<br />
advantages over the Ford options,<br />
including the fact that a C20XE built to<br />
a ‘BDG-type’ specification is good for<br />
around 200 hours!”<br />
Col chose a gravel spec package from<br />
SBD in Surrey, England, designed to<br />
operate on (English) 97 RON pump fuel<br />
and produce 292hp and 197 lb/ft of<br />
torque. (Following the extensive head<br />
work by RAMS Head Mods, the result<br />
has been better than the expected<br />
292hp).<br />
These engines were first released in<br />
1989 in Europe and have been used in<br />
many different Vauxhall and Opel road<br />
cars. Cosworth originally developed<br />
the C20XE and the Fletchers were lucky<br />
enough to buy one of these privately<br />
out of England, and then found another<br />
in a Calibra being wrecked in Ballarat.<br />
The Fletcher motor now has<br />
2mm oversized valves; head<br />
ported and matched by RAM<br />
Head Mods in Windsor; 55-48mm<br />
tapered throttle body fuel injection;<br />
modifications to the block and head for<br />
releasing steam build up, 12.77:1 static<br />
compression, and ARP main and head<br />
studs.<br />
The dry sump system scavenges not<br />
only the oil from the dry sump, but<br />
FEBRUARY <strong>2017</strong> - RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE | 41
FEATURE: GEMINI RS<br />
all of the blow by gasses, which are<br />
separated in the sump tank in the boot.<br />
The extractors and exhaust were built<br />
by Craig Stallard at Quality Performance<br />
Exhausts.<br />
“The flywheel is a<br />
chrome moly onepiece<br />
unit weighing<br />
3.2kg, with a Tilton<br />
7.25” twin plate clutch<br />
with a centre push<br />
thrust race.”<br />
Col gave Craig the SBD specifications<br />
which required variances in lengths of<br />
no more than +-3mm, and 52 hours<br />
later the car had an awesome exhaust<br />
system. Ceramic coating keeps the<br />
temperature down in the engine bay<br />
and under the floor.<br />
The flywheel is a chrome moly onepiece<br />
unit weighing 3.2kg, with a Tilton<br />
7.25” twin plate clutch with a centre<br />
push thrust race.<br />
The team is using a Ford T5 5-speed<br />
gearbox (used in many Escorts in NZ),<br />
with a Quaife close ratio kit and quick<br />
shift. They are a good strong gearbox<br />
happy to stand up to 500hp, however,<br />
a long term plan (dependent upon<br />
a Lotto win!) is to install a Samsonas<br />
6-speed sequential.<br />
Holding the rear end into the car<br />
is a heavy duty 5-link kit from<br />
GP4 Fabrications out of Ireland.<br />
Complementing the standard kit is a<br />
custom chrome moly panhard rod.<br />
The diff is a Hilux with a 5.714 (40/7)<br />
ratio and a KAAZ LSD, and the team<br />
plans to upgrade the rear by modifying<br />
the diff to an adjustable full floater to<br />
fine tune toe and camber.<br />
The heavy duty Escort quick rack fits<br />
straight onto a Gemini crossmember,<br />
and comes with just 2.2 turns lock to<br />
lock. Some modifications were made<br />
to overcome pivot centre issues, and<br />
a simple solution enabled adapters<br />
for each end of the rack to allow the<br />
standard Gemini inner tie rods to<br />
mount in the correct position and still<br />
provide full lock.<br />
To cope with the higher steering load,<br />
an electric power steer column was<br />
added.<br />
Col designed and fabricated an<br />
overhung pedal box with balance bar<br />
and modified the firewall.<br />
Front rotors are 296 x 28mm<br />
ventilated from the front of a VE<br />
Commodore. Rears are 289 x 23mm<br />
from the front of a VS Commodore. At<br />
42 | RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE - FEBRUARY <strong>2017</strong>
“Yes, we could have<br />
saved a heap on money<br />
and time by buying<br />
a used 4WD turbo, but<br />
that would be boring<br />
to us.”<br />
the moment Commodore callipers are<br />
used (VE on the front and VS front on the<br />
rear), but 4 pots are planned very soon.<br />
Suspension for the Gemini is provided<br />
by canister MCA units on each corner.<br />
Col designed a wiring harness from<br />
scratch, including all of the wiring to the<br />
ECU and sensors, and fabricated and<br />
installed it. The very small alternator<br />
is straight out of the Bosch catalogue,<br />
marked as a Bosch Racing alternator.<br />
They provide 90amps output and<br />
Bosch insist that the unit should not be<br />
modified in any way.<br />
Driver and co-driver’s seats are<br />
mounted down low and as far back as<br />
possible - essential for a crew averaging<br />
188cms+ in height. The steering wheel is<br />
7” further back than standard, as are the<br />
pedals.<br />
With polycarbonate windows installed,<br />
empty space was available in the door<br />
shells, and useful storage spaces exist<br />
in each door behind each of the carbon<br />
fibre door skins.<br />
A Stilo intercom was installed as the<br />
crew expected that it might be a touch<br />
noisy inside the car. After Rally Australia,<br />
Col confirms that it is indeed noisy inside<br />
the car!<br />
“We have the Stilo turned up to max<br />
and when the engine is on full song<br />
I often have difficulty hearing Scott’s<br />
notes,” he said. “What an awesome<br />
problem to have.”<br />
The car’s debut at Rally Australia’s<br />
line-up in Coffs Harbour drew lots<br />
of attention for its radical, yet pure<br />
‘rally’ presentation. While only running<br />
the NSW Championship stages on Sat-<br />
urday, Col and Scott were out to make an impression on<br />
competitors and spectators alike.<br />
The sound of the powerful Vauxhall engine and the<br />
obvious traction afforded by the highly developed car<br />
certainly impressed many.<br />
Some may ask what possesses a team to spend five<br />
years building and developing such a radical and unique<br />
car?<br />
“Yes, we could have saved a heap of money and time by<br />
buying a used 4WD turbo, but that would be boring to us,”<br />
explained Col. “This car is the most fun you can have with<br />
your pants on!”<br />
Thanks go to Col Fletcher and team for their willingness to share<br />
detailed technical specifications of this unique rally car.<br />
FEBRUARY <strong>2017</strong> - RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE | 43
DESIGNING A WORLD RALLY CAR<br />
THE CHALLENGE OF DESIGN<br />
The <strong>2017</strong> rally car revolution has<br />
been like no other in the story<br />
of world championship rallying,<br />
explains Martin Holmes.<br />
When the WRC cars were restricted<br />
in 1973 to Groups 1-2-3-4, the cars of<br />
most teams already complied.<br />
When the Group B cars came along<br />
in the early ‘80s, each team introduced<br />
their new designs at different times<br />
and when they were banned for the<br />
start of the 1987 season, no new<br />
designs suddenly appeared.<br />
When World Rally Cars appeared<br />
in 1997, the only fully compliant car<br />
came from Subaru, then when the<br />
1.6 litre format arrived in 2011 there<br />
was only Ford and Citroen, with Mini<br />
coming along a few months later.<br />
Now, in <strong>2017</strong>, there were four teams<br />
present at Monte Carlo, all with brand<br />
new designs, all at once. These are<br />
days to remember!<br />
M-Sport’s chief engineer, Chris<br />
Williams, looked around the Service<br />
Park at Gap remembering how the<br />
hectic year leading up to the <strong>2017</strong><br />
WRC season affected them and the<br />
other teams.<br />
CW: Everybody has been working<br />
behind the scenes in secrecy and at<br />
the same time dealing with regulations<br />
that were quite fluid. Initially<br />
everybody was working on different<br />
M-Sport<br />
engineer<br />
Chris<br />
Williams.<br />
ideas.<br />
Then the rules changed round a<br />
little bit, details were clarified. What<br />
I do notice is that there are common<br />
themes among all the four teams’ cars.<br />
I don’t think there have been different<br />
philosophies between the teams. I<br />
have also noticed that some teams’<br />
people have taken greater risks,<br />
specifically with aero, but basically the<br />
cars are what we expected them to be.<br />
We’ve looked at some things and<br />
gone in one direction and others<br />
have gone another. We’ve been quite<br />
introvert, looking internally, making<br />
sure that what we’ve got we’re happy<br />
with, and that we hope we have a<br />
reliable and durable package.<br />
What has been the biggest design<br />
challenge for each of the team?<br />
CW: Keeping your aero together in<br />
one piece is fundamental. If you have<br />
more fragile parts and start knocking<br />
them off, then you’re going to lose<br />
performance fairly quickly.<br />
I think some people have taken<br />
more risks than others in this respect.<br />
You can’t change the aero design from<br />
event to event, so we have all had to<br />
balance our aero to be suitable for the<br />
whole season.<br />
On certain events you’ll have an<br />
advantage with fragile stuff, but on<br />
the rougher stuff you lose out. But<br />
everybody’s done their own analysis,<br />
everybody has their own philosophy<br />
and their own approach.<br />
We have to make sure the<br />
performance of the car isn’t<br />
severely limited if there is damage,<br />
so robustness of the aero is a<br />
fundamental factor. But on the other<br />
hand, we are here to race and not<br />
here just to finish rallies.<br />
At the end of the day you have<br />
to look for the performance and<br />
then look to make it durable. If you<br />
compromise too much you’ll always be<br />
behind.<br />
- MARTIN HOLMES<br />
44 | RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE - FEBRUARY <strong>2017</strong>
ING A WORLD RALLY CAR<br />
Elfyn Evans was the third of<br />
three Ford Fiesta WRCs in the<br />
top six placings at Monte Carlo.<br />
FEBRUARY <strong>2017</strong> - RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE | 45
COMMENT<br />
STORIES WE’D LIKE TO READ<br />
Christmas time – the time when<br />
we traditionally put our feet up,<br />
select a comfortable chair and a<br />
cool, shady spot, and settle in for some<br />
quiet time with a cold drink or two to<br />
help us while away the hours.<br />
We’ve all done it at one time or<br />
another – it seems to be a part of the<br />
Australian way of life.<br />
However, there’s just one thing<br />
missing – a good book to read, one<br />
that will keep you occupied for some<br />
considerable time. There are plenty<br />
of books available at this time of year,<br />
both fiction and non-fiction, so there’s<br />
no shortage of titles to choose from on<br />
the widest possible range of subjects.<br />
<strong>RallySport</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> went looking to<br />
try and find something suitable to read<br />
over the Christmas break, something of<br />
interest and with a motorsport theme<br />
but, surprise, surprise, nothing seemed<br />
to be available.<br />
Oh, there was rack after rack of books<br />
on cricket, football, golf and rugby<br />
league. It seems everyone who’s ever<br />
had a career in a particular sport, both<br />
currently and in the past, needs to tell<br />
others of their achievements, whether<br />
that’s of public interest or not.<br />
Take cricket as a for-instance. There’s<br />
Ricky Ponting, Darren Lehman, Chris<br />
Rodgers, Mitchell Johnson, Glenn<br />
McGrath, Alan Border, Bill Lawry and<br />
hundreds more titles. Same goes for<br />
Australian Rules football – the list (and<br />
the code) goes on.<br />
But we weren’t interested in any ball<br />
sports or the like. We wanted to read<br />
about real sportsmen and women and<br />
their rallying and motorsport exploits,<br />
the funny stories and the tragic ones<br />
that will strike a chord with us, and the<br />
real personalities of the sport that we<br />
admire so much.<br />
Our search of the shelves turned up<br />
nothing – surely someone could publish<br />
a fictional tale about some aspect of<br />
motor sport or a factual story about a<br />
long distance event or whatever.<br />
Why, Evan Green did it years ago<br />
with “Dust and Glory” and “A Bootfull of<br />
Right Arms”.<br />
Even the legendary Ross Dunkerton<br />
put pen to paper to write “Dunko” some<br />
years back with Bob Watson, while<br />
ex-Holden Dealer Team guru mechanic<br />
and driver, Mat Philip, published his<br />
own ‘warts and all’ autobiography back<br />
in the late 90s. Seems it can be done.<br />
Just imagine these possible titles<br />
- “The Neal Bates Story”, “My Years<br />
46 | RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE - FEBRUARY <strong>2017</strong><br />
Story: JEFF WHITTEN<br />
in Rallying, by Ed Ordynski”, “The<br />
story behind Rally Australia by Garry<br />
Connelly”, “Simon Evans’ Most Hilarious<br />
Rally Moments”, “Be My Guest” by<br />
Michael Guest, “The Harry Firth Story”,<br />
“Cody Crocker, Possum Bourne’s<br />
prodigy”, “Maximum Attack by Rob<br />
Herridge” and so on and so on.<br />
As is obvious by the suggestions<br />
above, there is a plethora of stories out<br />
there that need to be told before it’s too<br />
late.<br />
You may not think that your story is<br />
worth telling, but that’s probably what<br />
E.L. James thought when writing “Fifty<br />
TOYOTA THRU & THRU<br />
The<br />
NEAL BATES<br />
Story<br />
CODY<br />
CROCKER<br />
The rally career of<br />
Possum Bourne’s<br />
prodigy<br />
FROM JUNIOR STAR TO NATIONAL CHAMPION<br />
Rally driver to<br />
fishing guru<br />
BE MY GUEST<br />
Shades of Grey”, and look how that<br />
took off!<br />
But leave it too late (as was the case<br />
with the late Harry Firth) and all that<br />
untold history, the fabric of Australia’s<br />
rallying history, is lost forever.<br />
Almost everyone in rallying has<br />
a story worth telling, despite their<br />
reluctance to sit down and record<br />
their individual history for others to<br />
read. Convincing them to do this is the<br />
difficult part.<br />
But can you imagine the interest<br />
there’d be in sitting down and reading<br />
the Neal Bates story, or the Coral Taylor<br />
history!<br />
Surely those would have to be highly<br />
entertaining.<br />
So, all you rally tragics out there,<br />
please make an effort to tell us of<br />
your rallying history and exploits, and<br />
publish them so that the rest of the<br />
rally world has something worthwhile<br />
to read next Christmas.<br />
You won’t make a fortune from sales,<br />
but it might just attract others to do the<br />
same.
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FEBRUARY <strong>2017</strong> - RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE | 47
5 MINUTES WITH ....<br />
5<br />
minutes with ...<br />
MARK PEDDER<br />
Story: PETER WHITTEN<br />
It was a bitter-sweet finish to the season<br />
at Rally Australia. Did you feel an equal<br />
amount of relief and disappointment at the<br />
same time?<br />
There was a little relief and incredible<br />
disappointment on so many levels.<br />
Obviously personal disappointment<br />
at not getting my first ARC win, but<br />
more for my team who had put in an<br />
incredible amount of time and effort to<br />
get the car right.<br />
Probably the most disappointing<br />
aspect was the reaction from some<br />
people I have known for a long time.<br />
To think that we would purposely<br />
affect the result of a sport I have been<br />
48<br />
Photos: | RALLYSPORT<br />
Red<br />
MAGAZINE<br />
Bull Content<br />
- FEBRUARY<br />
Pool<br />
<strong>2017</strong><br />
ARC front-runner Mark Pedder<br />
had a topsy turvy 2016 season,<br />
suffering plenty of mechanical<br />
problems in his Peugeot 208<br />
Maxi.<br />
His year culminated in<br />
winning the final round at<br />
Rally Australia, only for a<br />
timing error see that victory<br />
taken away from him.<br />
involved with my whole life certainly<br />
put a sour taste in my mouth.<br />
Funnily, the Evans Motorsport Team,<br />
who were the most affected, were also<br />
the most supportive, and for that I’ll<br />
always be grateful.<br />
2016 had been a frustrating season in the<br />
Peugeot, so to have it run reliably for a full<br />
event must have been a very pleasing?<br />
It was really pleasing! One of the<br />
things we always kept in our heads was<br />
this car was the first of its kind.<br />
Yes, the Maxi Cars were running<br />
in Europe, but not with this engine<br />
configuration. The speed was always,<br />
there we just needed the reliability.<br />
Were the problems throughout the season<br />
all unexpected and ones that weren’t<br />
repeated again?<br />
This was one of the problems. There<br />
was never an issue that raised its head<br />
twice.<br />
We would do quite a bit of testing<br />
and the car would run faultlessly, and<br />
then put the numbers on for an event<br />
and something would go wrong. A<br />
broken control arm in Perth, electrical<br />
issues in Canberra, massive oil leak in<br />
Queensland, and an engine in SA.<br />
There were other smaller issues as<br />
any rally car would have, but these are<br />
what stopped us.<br />
How hard did this make it on not only you,<br />
but also on the team?<br />
The hardest thing from a driver’s<br />
point of view is you are always testing<br />
to sort a problem, rather than testing to<br />
make the thing faster.<br />
It is twice as hard/frustrating for the<br />
team because they are spending weeks<br />
between events getting the car right,<br />
only to have another issue.<br />
There were a few times we were close<br />
to throwing in the towel, but when the<br />
thing was running well it was simply<br />
brilliant to drive. This is what kept us all<br />
coming back.<br />
PHOTOS: Peter Whitten, John Doutch, APSM TV.
Looking ahead<br />
to season <strong>2017</strong>,<br />
will we see you<br />
contesting the<br />
ARC again in<br />
the Peugeot,<br />
or perhaps in a<br />
different car - a<br />
Skoda R5 perhaps?<br />
Almost<br />
definitely we will<br />
not be running<br />
the ARC. You<br />
may see us at<br />
Ballarat if plans<br />
come off, as<br />
would love to<br />
compete back<br />
on those roads.<br />
My first real event was in the Wombat<br />
State Forest co-driving in an Escort for<br />
my Dad. We rolled!<br />
There’s also been some rumours that you<br />
may contest the APRC this season. Is that a<br />
possibility?<br />
This is more of a possibility than the<br />
ARC. With our business growing in<br />
Asia, it makes the most sense to run the<br />
APRC from a marketing point of view.<br />
I’ve done the series once before,<br />
and although we don’t see much in<br />
Australia, they do leverage the events<br />
very well locally.<br />
Finally, many in the sport would love to see<br />
a two-car Pedders team in the ARC again.<br />
Will we ever see that again?<br />
Never say never! The only problem<br />
with a two-car Pedders team is I’d have<br />
to find a slower car for Scott, and we’d<br />
have to have a fight over who uses Dale<br />
(Moscatt)!<br />
MULTI-YEAR DEAL<br />
FOR FOREST RALLY<br />
The <strong>2017</strong> Forest Rally will be<br />
renamed the Make Smoking History<br />
Forest Rally, following a new multiyear<br />
deal with event sponsor<br />
Healthway.<br />
The Make Smoking History Forest<br />
Rally will be held in Busselton and<br />
Nannup from the 21-23 April, and is<br />
the first round of the ARC and WARC.<br />
Healthway has sponsored the event<br />
since 1995.<br />
Announcing the renewed<br />
sponsorship agreement, Forest Rally<br />
Event Director, Ross Tapper said he<br />
was delighted that Healthway had<br />
continued their support of the event.<br />
“The support of Healthway – as well<br />
as our other great sponsors – allows<br />
us to expand the event year on year<br />
ensuring we are always providing<br />
new and exciting challenges for<br />
competitors,” Tapper said.<br />
“Healthway’s support over the past<br />
22 years has been an integral part<br />
of the success of this event and the<br />
growth of rallying in our state.”<br />
FEBRUARY <strong>2017</strong> - RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE | 49
INTERVIEW: FIORENZO BRIVIO<br />
DMACK MOVES FORWARD<br />
Story: MARTIN HOLMES<br />
In the middle of 2016, M-Sport’s<br />
DMack sponsored driver, Ott<br />
Tanak, started to produce some<br />
remarkable performances in the<br />
World Rally Championship that led to<br />
thoughts that maybe their WRC rivals,<br />
Michelin, had finally met their match.<br />
Was it only because Ott had enjoyed<br />
the conditions involved, as seen in<br />
Poland and then Wales Rally GB, or was<br />
there an underlying reason?<br />
During the course of the season,<br />
DMack had introduced new tyre<br />
designs, as the regulations permitted,<br />
but the new-found DMack speed had<br />
come at a time when the company had<br />
launched the first all new design from<br />
Fiorenzo Brivio, their recently engaged<br />
rally tyre engineer.<br />
Brivio was already well respected in<br />
the sport for his work with Pirelli, so<br />
it was good to catch up with him at<br />
the end of 2016 to find out what had<br />
been going on in the business since the<br />
earlier days in his career.<br />
FB: I’ve been working in rallying for<br />
more than 25 years. In that time I have<br />
been involved in a lot of innovations,<br />
starting from the asymmetric gravel<br />
tyre and the asymmetric tarmac tyre.<br />
Asymmetric tyres were all new things<br />
when I was in Pirelli.<br />
I had the chance to move to DMack<br />
in September 2015 and was able to<br />
put all this experience<br />
in every day work with<br />
them. DMack’s main job is<br />
rallying. Their competition<br />
department is already<br />
quite well experienced,<br />
so we have common<br />
ground to discuss the<br />
development, how to go<br />
in the right direction in all<br />
the different areas of the<br />
rally development.<br />
So we started quite<br />
well. The core business<br />
of DMack is making rally<br />
tyres, so they invest 100%<br />
of their money in rally<br />
work.<br />
MH: What is the main<br />
difference in the tyre work<br />
now compared with 30 years<br />
ago?<br />
FB: Basically the biggest difference is<br />
the electronics. The electronics on the<br />
car is what makes the big difference<br />
in the way the tyre works. When the<br />
differential is fully controlled by the<br />
electronics, you can obviously control<br />
and set-up the car better in order to<br />
make the tyre work and spin as little as<br />
possible.<br />
In conjunction with the tyre design<br />
change, that is the biggest difference.<br />
At the same time the format of the<br />
rallies has changed. Special stages are<br />
now in groups. Before you used to<br />
change tyres nearly every stage so you<br />
could design a tyre for a specific stage.<br />
Now you have to design a tyre that is<br />
basically less extreme.<br />
There is also much more restriction<br />
now in the way you can design the<br />
tyre because you have to respect new<br />
rules. In the past there was much more<br />
freedom.<br />
MH: Is rally tyre design nowadays a much<br />
bigger compromise than the old days?<br />
FB: Yes. Basically you have the choice<br />
of only two tyre compounds each rally<br />
and always with the same pattern. In<br />
Elfyn Evans set three<br />
fastest times at Monte<br />
Carlo on DMack tyres.<br />
50 | RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE - FEBRUARY <strong>2017</strong>
the old days you could use different<br />
compounds and treads, so you could<br />
design a tyre for a specific condition.<br />
Now you have to design a tyre for a<br />
much wider operating range.<br />
MH: You also have limits on how many tyres<br />
you can use during an event.<br />
FB: This limitation leads to the need<br />
to mix compounds left and right with<br />
hard and soft, which seems a strange<br />
technique. Even in this technique the<br />
differential of the car and the electronic<br />
of the car helps to compromise the grip<br />
on the two sides.<br />
Basically that’s the idea that is behind<br />
this combination when you have<br />
crossed tyres and things like that. You<br />
have to select which compound of tyres<br />
to use much earlier than the time when<br />
they are going to be fitted on the car.<br />
The final stage is often many hours<br />
later in the day than when the choice<br />
had to be made. So every tyre has to<br />
cover a very wide range of temperature<br />
and type of surface.<br />
And for that reason sometimes you<br />
are encouraged to mix and to cross<br />
between soft and hard tyres.<br />
MH: How is life at DMack?<br />
FB: DMack’s founder, Dick Cormack,<br />
raises new ideas and new projects<br />
every day. He doesn’t leave me alone<br />
except when he’s been away!<br />
He’s always coming to me with new<br />
motivation and new ideas to develop.<br />
They encourage us to do our best.<br />
Coming to Britain was a big change, a<br />
big, big challenge, but I repeat I am fully<br />
backed from the management to do the<br />
best, and the results are coming.<br />
Obviously we expect it will get<br />
tougher and tougher as long as we<br />
are getting closer to the best of the<br />
opposition.<br />
MH: In 2016 DMack introduced two<br />
new tyre designs, the new gravel and<br />
the new asphalt. What has been the<br />
special characteristic of the new tyres?<br />
FB: Everything on the tarmac<br />
tyre, the external aspects, the<br />
tread pattern, the tyre profile, the<br />
inside is different, the compound<br />
is totally different.<br />
The gravel tyre we started in<br />
2016 had the same tread pattern<br />
as the old one, but inside the tyre<br />
was completely different and the<br />
compound technology is totally<br />
different.<br />
I think the results on the gravel<br />
tyres have been encouraging.<br />
We did very well in quite a few rallies<br />
in medium to soft conditions. We still<br />
have to work in the tougher surfaces,<br />
but we took a good step in the second<br />
half of the year, even in that kind of<br />
surface. So for <strong>2017</strong> we will start with a<br />
good product on the rough surface.<br />
Already the <strong>2017</strong> season has started<br />
in a most exciting way for DMack, with<br />
Elfyn Evans scoring three fastest times<br />
at the Monte Carlo Rally on winter tyres<br />
on the Saturday, on stages that were<br />
largely clear of snow and ice.<br />
MH: The surprise was how fast the tyres<br />
were in Poland and Finland in 2016, and the<br />
disappointment was that the asphalt tyres<br />
were not a lot better than the old ones. What<br />
was the reason for that?<br />
FB: It is difficult to compare exactly.<br />
We believe the asphalt tyre has also<br />
been much better than the old one, but<br />
still there is a gap to recover, which we<br />
quantify as half a second per kilometre,<br />
so we are getting in the final area<br />
where the steps are more and more<br />
difficult to gain.<br />
Brivio and<br />
Toyota’s Carlos<br />
Sainz in 1991.<br />
But we have quite encouraging<br />
results. Our best area has been in<br />
softer conditions. We’ve been very<br />
good in UK, we won the BRC (British<br />
Rally Championship) because the soft<br />
tyre was working quite well.<br />
We still have to manage the longer<br />
stages and the hotter conditions better.<br />
We are working hard to bridge the gap.<br />
But we believe we have taken a good<br />
step forward also on the tarmac tyre,<br />
compared to the old one.<br />
MH: Do you think you will see a situation<br />
where DMack will be able to be the official<br />
supplier for a big team?<br />
FB: That’s our goal. We are working<br />
hard every day to win special stages, to<br />
win rallies, and then we want to win the<br />
championship.<br />
Obviously on the back of this project<br />
we need to sell the tyres, so on the side<br />
of this WRC project there is a big sales<br />
programme in every country, and that<br />
we will develop in <strong>2017</strong>.<br />
And also, this new tyre will be<br />
produced in UK. So in every country we<br />
want to be the best.<br />
FEBRUARY <strong>2017</strong> - RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE | 51
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FEBRUARY <strong>2017</strong> - RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE | 53
PHOTO OF THE MONTH<br />
Monte Carlo Rally winner Sebastien Ogier<br />
slides his M-Sport Ford Fiesta WRC through<br />
the snowy French Alps.<br />
Photo: Red Bull<br />
54 | RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE - FEBRUARY <strong>2017</strong>
FEBRUARY <strong>2017</strong> - RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE | 55
NEWS<br />
FIESTA FOR ARI<br />
Rising New Zealand star, Ari Pettigrew,<br />
will drive a Stadium Finance supported<br />
Ford Fiesta in this year’s NZRC.<br />
Pettigrew will drive the 2-litre ST150<br />
Ford Fiesta owned by Stadium Cars’ Tony<br />
Gosling.<br />
After several impressive drives in a<br />
BMW E36 last year, there is plenty of<br />
anticipation ahead of his first event in the<br />
car, the Otago Rally in April.<br />
TARGA NORTH WEST ATTRACTS STRONG FIELD<br />
The new <strong>2017</strong> Targa North West will<br />
host a top field of competitors when<br />
the field gathers in Burnie on <strong>February</strong><br />
18, enticed by the opportunity to take<br />
on the famous Savage River stage, a<br />
compelling test of driver and car.<br />
The event has replaced Targa Hellyer<br />
Gorge on the annual Targa calendar and<br />
sees a 60% increase in entries over 2016<br />
numbers, including teams who will use<br />
the event to prepare for the ultimate<br />
tarmac rally, Targa Tasmania, in April.<br />
As well as attracting some of the most<br />
experienced drivers, the event also<br />
provides a great way to start competing<br />
in Targa events with a number of<br />
rookies set to test their skills on the<br />
roads around Burnie.<br />
The format in <strong>2017</strong> will see cars<br />
tackle multiple stages, with competitive<br />
kilometres equal to any tough day at<br />
Targa Tasmania.<br />
Last year’s Targa Hellyer Gorge<br />
winners, Trevor McLeod and Scott<br />
Hunter, return looking for another win<br />
in their Subaru WRX. They will be hotly<br />
pursued by Crichton Lewis and Adam<br />
Kudra, also in a Subaru, as well as<br />
Angus Kennard and Ian Wheeler in their<br />
awesome Nissan GTR, who finished<br />
third in Targa Tasmania GT4.<br />
Other front-runners include Michael<br />
Pritchard and Jason White in the GT2<br />
Crichton Lewis will tackle Targa<br />
North West in his Subaru WRX.<br />
class.<br />
The event starts and finishes in<br />
Burnie.<br />
<strong>2017</strong> sees the new Targa North West<br />
run for the first time under its new fiveyear<br />
agreement that will see the event<br />
run each year until at least 2021.<br />
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56 | RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE - FEBRUARY <strong>2017</strong>