Corona Rally Mexico!

[IMG]http://www.dropshots.com/photos/136893/20070309/b_095615.jpg[/IMG]

First three SS have been completed:

SS 1:
1. P. Solberg 14.03,5
2. S. Loeb + 2,9
3. C. Atkinson + 5,9
4. D. Sordo + 7,5
5. M. Hirvonen 10,7
6. M. Grönholm + 12,1
7. M. Stohl + 14,1
8. J. Latvala + 17,0

SS 2
1. P. Solberg
2. C. Atkinsion + 2,4
3. S. Loeb + 3,2
4. D. Sordo + 9,9
5. M. Grönholm + 10,3
6. M. Stohl + 11,6
7. M. Hirvonen + 12,4
8. J. Latvala + 25,9

SS 3
1. P. Solberg 9.45,6
2. S. Loeb + 1,6
3. D. Sordo + 4,1
4. M. Hirvonen + 4,2
5. M. Grönholm + 4,5
6. M. Stohl + 6,2
7. C. Atkinson + 6,6

After 3 of 20 Special Stages:
1. P. Solberg 41.17,8
2. S. Loeb + 7,7
3. C. Atkinson + 14,9
4. D. Sordo + 21,5
5. M. Grönholm + 26,9
6. M. Hirvonen + 27,3
7. M. Stohl + 31,9

Looks like the new Subarus are working like they should..
Interesting to see if it holds for the whole weekend.

Finally Petter Solberg gets a car that doesn't let him down.

Apparently Solberg was unable to start to SS 6 on time because his car lost it's motor oil.

So... that much of the Subaru not letting him down.

[QUOTE=twinspark;678364]Apparently Solberg was unable to start to SS 6 on time because his car lost it's motor oil.

So... that much of the Subaru not letting him down.[/QUOTE]

Yeah:(
A rock has hit his sump-pan and made a hole, for the oil to come out... :p
Can happen to any car on a rocky road of course..

Loeb has taken over the lead..

SS4
1. S. Loeb 13.47,0
2. P. Solberg + 2,8
3. D. Sordo + 3,5
4. M. Hirvonen + 3,9
5. C. Atkinson + 7,0
6. M. Grönholm + 9,0
7. M. Stohl + 11,0

SS5
1. M. Stohl 16.58,2
2. S. Loeb + 0,1
3. M. Hirvonen + 1,8
4. C. Atkinson + 2,2
5. P. Solberg + 2,9
6. M. Grönholm + 8,9
7. D. Sordo + 12,3

SS6
1. S. Loeb 9.37,5
2. D. Sordo + 2,2
2. M. Hirvonen + 2,2
4. M. Grönholm + 6,4
5. C. Atkinson + 10,7
6. H. Solberg + 31,1

Overall:
1. S. Loeb 1.21,48,3
2. C. Atkinson + 27,0
3. M. Hirvonen + 27,4
4. D. Sordo + 31,7
5. M. Stohl + 41,2
6. M. Grönholm + 43,4
7. J. Latvala + 1.28,9

C'mon Atkinson!!! Go you good thing!!!! He's finally been able to show just how good he is.

I'm still rooting for sebastian

I am going to cheer for Atkinson.

I hope all the WRC cars retire or something...

Any particular reason?

[quote=Ferrer;678534]I hope all the WRC cars retire or something...[/quote]
Sadly it seems a number of idiots out there want the same and have been placing rocks on the stages and even throwing them at passing competitors.

Time to remove Mexico from WRC calendar and give one to Scotland !!!

[QUOTE=2ndclasscitizen;678571]Any particular reason?[/QUOTE]
Yes. Because of FIA rallying has become a sport for pussies. Therefore, until it becomes rallying again (altough I doubt it ever will), I hope the worse for it.

[quote=Ferrer;678578]Yes. Because of FIA rallying has become a sport for pussies.[/quote]
Meaning what, you want the group B monsters back?

By the way, if the finishing order was the same as current, Loeb 1st, Hirvonen 2nd and Grönholm on 5th place, we would have the top three in drivers' overall standings with even points.

[QUOTE=twinspark;678605]Meaning what, you want the group B monsters back?[/QUOTE]
No.

My rant has to do with FIA reducing the lenght of the stages and the number of them in every rally, the disparition of night stages or the Superally system, which made this sport, probably the ultimate test for man and machine, a joke.

And that's without entering to discuss the lack of the Safari, Portugal, Sanremo...

[quote=Ferrer;678578]Yes. Because of FIA rallying has become a sport for pussies. Therefore, until it becomes rallying again (altough I doubt it ever will), I hope the worse for it.[/quote]
Things move on, hoping for them to change back is only self-defeating.
If you don't like it go find a different sport.
Classic and historic rallying is growing for those reasons :)
More fun and enjoyment as it once was.
Soem of us (!) remember when an event was 3 days included night stages and limited service capabilities and the driver/co-driver had to do lots of it.
Sleep in the car or the service van, no plush hotels.
'course amateurs used to race in F1 in those days too.
WRC is good for what it is.
Events offering "older" rally events exist all over the world but don't offer the high speeds or income for sponsors. But if that's what you woudl liek I recommend finding a classic rallying club and go assist/spectate/compete :D
You'll love it !!!!!

[QUOTE=Matra et Alpine;678635]Things move on, hoping for them to change back is only self-defeating.
If you don't like it go find a different sport.
Classic and historic rallying is growing for those reasons :)
More fun and enjoyment as it once was.
Soem of us (!) remember when an event was 3 days included night stages and limited service capabilities and the driver/co-driver had to do lots of it.
Sleep in the car or the service van, no plush hotels.
'course amateurs used to race in F1 in those days too.
WRC is good for what it is.
Events offering "older" rally events exist all over the world but don't offer the high speeds or income for sponsors. But if that's what you woudl liek I recommend finding a classic rallying club and go assist/spectate/compete :D
You'll love it !!!!![/QUOTE]
Well basically I stopped following rallying when they introduced Superally but I haven't replaced it with anything, so in a way I followed your advice... ;)

And I'll do classic car rallying sometime in the future, it's something on my "to do" list. I just need a car and a co-driver... :p

[QUOTE=Crash.net]Citroen team boss, Guy Frequelin has branded some of the actions taken by the spectators on the Rally Mexico on Friday 'stupid and irresponsible', after rocks were purposely placed on the road in front of the competing cars and thrown at them while at speed.

Speaking at the end of the opening leg, after both of his drivers', Sebastien Loeb and Daniel Sordo were affected by the incidents, Frequelin added that such acts are completely unacceptable.

"The incidents that affected several drivers were inadmissible," he confirmed. "Rallying comes with enough inherent risks as it is and we can well do without such stupid, irresponsible acts."

Loeb meanwhile was equally damning and while the rock that was thrown at his car on SS2, the 29.66 kilometre Ortega test, did not cost him any time and he ended the day in the lead, it did damage the windscreen, albeit on the co-drivers side.

"There was a problem when a stone was thrown at the windscreen by a spectator [in the second stage of the day]," he added. "It's just a shame. That's such a stupid thing to do."

Sordo was also affected - however, he was slowed on the repeat run through Ortega, as SS5, when rocks, which he felt were 'intentionally placed in the road', damaged the steering on his Citroen C4 and broke a wheel rim.

The 'works' Citroen drivers were not the only ones to be targeted either. Indeed Production World Rally Championship competitors, Mark Higgins and Andreas Aigner also reported similar incidents.

"The car is tracking out now at the right rear wheel because I hit a large stone in stage five - it was impossible to avoid. The spectators are a problem, there are big stones in the road and we had a stone thrown at my co-driver's window," said Higgins at the end of the day, after ending it tenth overall and first in the PWRC category.

Aigner, who was actually forced out after hitting a rock in SS3, which damaged his engine, felt foul play was definitely to blame.

"Suddenly, in a blind corner, two large rocks were lying on the road. I didn't stand a chance," he recounted. "This would never happen under normal circumstances. I guess that some spectators had a hand in it because earlier some other drivers already had rocks thrown at their windscreens."

How isolated these incidents were is unclear and while it has to be pointed out that a number of drivers did not have such problems - or at least didn't mention them - it definitely isn't good news for the organisers of the Rally Mexico. [B]Indeed with Mexico having been left off the provisional calendar for 2008, it doesn't bode especially well for 2009 and regaining a slot in the schedule... [/B][/QUOTE]

I would expect the Mexico round to be sacked after what spectators did...

it looks like the spectators were purposely aiming at Citroens:confused:

[quote=henk4;679056]it looks like the spectators were purposely aiming at Citroens:confused:[/quote]
They were going to build Citroen's in Mexico at one time.
Did it fall through or are their problems at their factories ??
Does seem odd.

[QUOTE=henk4;679056]it looks like the spectators were purposely aiming at Citroens:confused:[/QUOTE]

Higgins was driving a Mitsubishi so I guess they weren't [I]just[/I] targeting the Citroens. Either way it's pretty moronic behaviour. :rolleyes:

Anywho...

[QUOTE=Eurosport.com][B]LOEB WINS IN MEXICO[/B]

Sebastien Loeb streaked back into contention for a fourth world rally championship by claiming a dominant victory on Rally Mexico.

The 33-year-old Frenchman made no mistakes after taking the lead on the opening day in his Citroen and was able to ease off on the final morning of action and cruise to a 55.8 second win over the Ford of Marcus Gronholm.

Victory for Loeb was his second of the year and the 30th of his career. As well as that, he has moved into second place in the championship, only four points behind Gronholm.

Loeb said: "It was a very good performance. Our first win for the C4 on gravel too, and now we have a good fight."

On what was an otherwise processional day, even an expected battle for third place never came to fruition.

Less than 12 seconds separated Dani Sordo, Mikko Hirvonen and Chris Atkinson at the start of the day, but Ford driver Hirvonen proved to be the fastest driver of the day - quicker even than Loeb and Gronholm.

It was enough to see him overhaul Sordo's Citroen on the first stage of the day and clear off into the distance. Third place was a just reward for his efforts.

Sordo claimed fourth as Atkinson fell back during the day in his Subaru, but fifth was still a decent result on the debut of the Japanese manufacturer's 2007-spec Impreza.

Sixth was Manfred Stohl in a Kronos Citroen, with the three Stobart Fords next up. Jari-Matti Latvala was the first of them in seventh, while Britain's Matthew Wilson took his first point of the season in eighth and Hening Solberg claimed ninth.

There was more good news for British rally fans as Mark Higgins won the Group N class in tenth place overall in a Mitsubishi, but disappointment for Ford privateer Austin MacHale, who joined his son Gareth on the retirements list on stage 19.

Eurosport - Jamie O'Leary - 11/03/2007[/QUOTE]

Normal service resumed for Loeb then. Seems like a fairly comfortable win in the end, despite Subaru and Ford threatening at times.

[QUOTE=Jack_Bauer;679151]Either way it's pretty moronic behaviour.[/QUOTE]
Didn't the same happen in the Acropolis 3 or 4 years ago?

Loeb has to relax sometimes.. he wins too much.

[QUOTE=Rockefella;679153]Loeb has to relax sometimes.. he wins too much.[/QUOTE]

which is how he relaxes:)

That situation with the rocks seems pretty unbelievale, but the more senior of members might recall the incident at Bathurst and the rock sending Dick Johnson into the trees. Whilst a modern day WRC car would easily surpass a 1980's Group C touring car, i guess some stupid fans out there see this as fun or something. I guess we'll see who's laughing when the rally doesnt return to Mexico.

Great to see the Subaru's somewhat competitive also. Hopefully in a few rounds they'll be able to win some rally's.

[QUOTE=fpv_gtho;679306]That situation with the rocks seems pretty unbelievale, but the more senior of members might recall the incident at Bathurst and the rock sending Dick Johnson into the trees. Whilst a modern day WRC car would easily surpass a 1980's Group C touring car, i guess some stupid fans out there see this as fun or something. I guess we'll see who's laughing when the rally doesnt return to Mexico.

Great to see the Subaru's somewhat competitive also. Hopefully in a few rounds they'll be able to win some rally's.[/QUOTE]
Well in 1979 two big rocks in the middle of the road deprived Bjorn Waldegaard of a victory in Montecarlo. Instead Bernard Darniche won by 6 seconds...!