Legacy Of McRae's Family Continues.....
The
Proton Satria Neo Super 2000 of the Proton R3 Team entered its first
Asia-Pacific Rally Championship held in Johor, Malaysia. Local rally
veteran, Karamjit Singh was behind the wheel with co-driver Jagdev
Singh. A disappointing outing put paid to the fortunes of Karamjit and
Jagdev.
At
the following round of the APRC in Makassar, Indonesia, Scotsman
Alister McRae took over the wheels of the Satria Neo S2000 with Aussie
Bill Hayes as co-driver.
McRAE. A name that has long been synonymous with the spectacular sport of rallying.
Alister is one third of the “First Family of Rallying”. Alongside his father Jimmy and
his late brother Colin, the family have dominated world rallying for
the best part of the last 30 years. Between them, they have won just
about every title that are worth winning, notable among them are the
British, Asia-Pacific and World Rally championships.
Now
residing in Perth, Australia, Alister has with him a wealth of
experience as a driver, as well as providing technical assistance and
testing to some of the most famous rally teams in the world, and now,
he’s bringing all these with him to Proton.
Seeing the proximity of the APRC events
and his country of residence, Alister duly took up the challenge of
driving for a manufacturer team again after 3 long years. Another factor
in Alister’s decision is the potential of the Satria Neo S2000 as a
winner.
As Alister put it, “I
drove the car briefly and I have to say, it feels very good. I’m
looking forward to being back in a works car in an FIA series. When you
look at the Satria in the IRC, it’s very competitive.”
During
the Indonesian rally, Alister and the Satria Neo S2000 were doing well
amongst more powerful turbo-charged cars when an embedded rock proved to
be their Achilles’ heel. The rock damaged the oil sump extensively. Despite
it being repaired for Day 2 of the rally, more misfortune befell the
team when a failed power-steering system put paid to their challenge
prematurely.
Commenting on the weekend, Alister said: “Obviously
it’s frustrating to end a rally like this, especially when we looked
like we were capable of a good result. But you have to remember that the
car is very young and at an early stage of its development and this was
a really rough event – far rougher than previous years, according to
the other competitors.
There
are a lot of positives to take from this weekend though. The pace was
good on an event that perhaps didn’t suit S2000 cars particularly well.
We were not far off Cody [Crocker’s] times when we were running well, so
that is very encouraging. I believe with what we’ve learned this
weekend, and with some time to react then there is no reason why the
Proton Satria can’t be a winner.”
It was then on to Longyou, China for the final leg of the APRC.
In
this rally, Alister was very impressive, but a loose front
suspension-arm during Leg 2 put paid to any hopes of seeing Alister and
the Satria Neo S2000 finishing credibly. They were then running in a
very impressive and credible 4th place sandwiched by more powerful turbo-charged cars. Disappointment yet again!
Alister finally tasted the fruit of his hard labour, finishing on the podium in 3rd, at the 12th and final round of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge held in his home-country, Scotland, amidst dreadful weather conditions.
Speaking at the end of the event, Alister said: “It’s
been a great weekend, both for me and for Proton. To come here and get
Proton’s first podium in the IRC is a great result. It’s a very small
team and a very young team in the IRC and I think that they will only go
from strength to strength.”
“There
is still a lot of potential to be unlocked from the car and we have
proved this weekend that the car is quick and can only get quicker. We
tried a new engine before the event, for example, which was better but
we decided not to use it as it isn’t proven yet. The chassis is probably
one of the best chassis I have ever driven and the levels of grip are
really good, so all together, it’s a very good car.”
“It’s
very early days for Proton and I think that Mellors Elliot Motorsport
has done a fantastic job to develop the car themselves. Proton are now
very keen to move forward, so I hope that I can be part of that and come
and fight with the likes of Kris (Meeke) and Guy (Wilks) again.”
The
multi-talented and highly-gifted Alister McRae with co-driver Bill
Hayes in the Satria Neo S2000, and together with the Proton R3 Team will
definitely be mounting a serious challenge in the APRC 2010 series next
year, or will it be the IRC for Alister?
With
about 80 WRC events and other various rallies under his belt and a
continued enthusiasm for the sport, Alister is looking forward to a new
chapter in his motorsports career, and together with Proton they will be
a very formidable combination and a force to be reckoned with and
hopefully be harvesting the fruits of their labour next year.
A message to all the APRC/IRC guys out there:
The Legacy is back, come rain or shine!
Alister McRae’s Personal Profile:
Born: December 1970
Lives: Perth, Australia
Married: Tara
Children: Emmie and Max
Hobbies: Mountain-biking; motorcycling; skiing; running around with Emmie and Max
Career Summary:
1989/90: Scottish Rally Championship - Vauxhall Nova
1991: Vauxhall Nova GSi Challenge - Vauxhall Nova
1993: British Rally Championship - Subaru Legacy
1994/95: British Rally Championship, selected WRC rounds - Nissan Sunny GTi
1997/98: British Rally Championship, selected WRC rounds - VW Golf GTi
1999/01: World Rally Championship - Hyundai Coupe & Accent WRC
2002/03: Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VII
2004: FIA production WRC - Subaru
2006: Chinese
Rally Championship - Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX
other selected International events
Notable Achievement:
1989: Scottish 1300 Rally Champion, Challenger Champion
1990: Scottish 1300 Rally Champion
1992: Group N British Rally Champion
1995: British Rally Champion
1999: Joint Formula 2 Asia-Pacific Rally Champion
Number of World Rally Championship events competed: 72
Number of WRC Formula 2 wins: 7
Number of WRC Formula 2 podiums: 10
Number of WRC Group N wins: 2
Friday, November 20, 2009
IRC Scotland - Day 1: SS1 ~ SS7 (Updated)
SS1
To
the delight of his home fans, Scottish rally star Alister McRae has
ended the opening day of Rally of Scotland in third place, with the
Proton Satria Neo S2000 running perfectly throughout.
McRae admitted the torrential rain on this final round of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge had created the worst driving conditions he had ever seen in his career: a career which spanned 15 years in the World Rally Championship. But, through this exceptionally tough test, McRae had nothing but praise for the Proton, built by British team MEM.
The Satria didn't miss a beat through today's five stages (Day One consisted of seven tests, but two of those ran at Scone Palace last night), allowing McRae to place the car in a comfortable third place at the end of the day.
"It's mission accomplished for today," said McRae with a smile. "It's been a very tough day on the stages, but I'm really happy with our position and the way the Proton has performed. It's been perfect."
McRae and Proton had the honour of running first on the road on Britain's inaugural IRC round, but the Scot admitted that position was a double-edged sword through some of the stages.
"In the last stage before the morning service and then in the two middle stages, it would have been better to have been further down the order," said McRae. "There was a coating of mud along much of these roads which would have cleaned a little bit for those guys behind. I guess the flip side is that we're not having any rocks pulled out into the road for us.
"By far, the toughest stage of the day was Drummond Hill. That was incredible, probably the toughest stage I've ever driven. It was incredible. We were getting wheelspin in third and fourth gear going up the grassy sections: that certainly kept you interested!"
McRae's only problem of the day was when the Proton's screen began misting up. "With this amount of water around, it's not surprising," he said. "This has been one of the wettest days rallying ever and if ever there's going to be moisture in the car, it's today.
I think I might have added to the problem a little bit: I've been doing a bit of heavy breathing from time to time!"
The highlight of McRae's day was posting second-fastest time on the third stage, Craigvinean.
"We said a podium position was, sensibly, the best we could really have hoped for," said McRae. "And to be in this position at the end of the opening day is fantastic news. The drivers ahead of us know these cars, they've been in them all year, and the cars are completely developed.
"This Proton has massive potential still. We've made another step with the gear ratios, the engine and dampers here, but there's still more to come. And, don't forget, I haven't done so much driving this year. I'm very happy with where we are right now."
Proton MEM Team Principal Chris Mellors mirrored his driver's mood on Friday night, saying: "Alister has done a great job for us today. We haven't had to touch the car at all. We're very, very pleased with the way everything has gone today. So far, so good. It's a bit of shame that Alister has had to clean the road a little bit at the front, but it's always nice to have a Proton running first!"
After a day in the Perthshire stages, with central service based in the beautiful surroundings of Blair Castle between Perth and Inverness, the rally heads south-east for Stirlingshire tomorrow.
The second and final day of the event comprises six stages and, with even more wet weather forecast, the event is only going to get tougher from here until the finish at Stirling Castle Saturday afternoon. Source - www.rally-live.com
1) Kris Meeke (Peugeot 207 S2000)
2) Guy Wilks (Skoda Fabia S2000)
3) Keith Cronin (Abarth Punto S2000)
4) Adam Gould (Team BF Goodrich)
5) Daniel Siguroarson (Mitsu Evo)
6) Alister McRae (Proton Satria Neo S2000)
SS2
1) Kris Meeke (Peugeot 207 S2000)
2) Guy Wilks (Skoda Fabia S2000)
3) Alastair Fisher (Mitsu Evo)
4) Alister McRae (Proton Satria Neo S2000)
5) Daniel Siguroarson (Mitsu Evo)
SS3
1) Kris Meeke (Peugeot 207 S2000)
2) Alister McRae (Proton Satria Neo S2000)
3) Guy Wilks (Skoda Fabia S2000)
4) Dave Weston Jr (Subaru Impreza)
5) Alastair Fisher (Mitsu Evo)
SS4
1) Guy Wilks (Skoda Fabia S2000)
2) Kris Meeke (Peugeot 207 S2000)
3) Alister McRae (Proton Satria Neo S2000)
4) David Bogie (Mitsu EvoIX)
5) Dave Weston Jr (Subaru Impreza)
SS5
1) Kris Meeke (Peugeot 207 S2000)
2) Guy Wilks (Skoda Fabia S2000)
3) Alister McRae (Proton Satria Neo S2000)
4) Alastair Fisher (Mitsu Evo)
5) Dave Weston Jr (Subaru Impreza)
SS6
1) Guy Wilks (Skoda Fabia S2000)
2) Kris Meeke (Peugeot 207 S2000)
3) Alister McRae (Proton Satria Neo S2000)
4) Jonathan Greer (Mitsu EvoIX)
5) David Bogie (Mitsu EvoIX)
SS7
1) Kris Meeke (Peugeot 207 S2000)
2) Alister McRae (Proton Satria Neo S2000)
3) Guy Wilks (Skoda Fabia S2000)
4) Jonathan Greer (Mitsu EvoIX)
5) David Bogie (Mitsu EvoIX)
Overall (Day1 - SS1~SS7) UPDATED
1) Kris Meeke (Peugeot 207 S2000) 56m35.3s
2) Guy Wilks (Skoda Fabia S2000) +21.2s
3) Alister McRae (Proton Satria Neo S2000) +1m18.2s
4) Jonathan Greer (Mitsu EvoIX) +3m49.1s
5) David Bogie (Mitsu EvoIX) +3m54.2s
=============================================================
McRae and Proton doing well in Scotland
  ZoomA hard-fought day it was |
McRae admitted the torrential rain on this final round of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge had created the worst driving conditions he had ever seen in his career: a career which spanned 15 years in the World Rally Championship. But, through this exceptionally tough test, McRae had nothing but praise for the Proton, built by British team MEM.
The Satria didn't miss a beat through today's five stages (Day One consisted of seven tests, but two of those ran at Scone Palace last night), allowing McRae to place the car in a comfortable third place at the end of the day.
"It's mission accomplished for today," said McRae with a smile. "It's been a very tough day on the stages, but I'm really happy with our position and the way the Proton has performed. It's been perfect."
McRae and Proton had the honour of running first on the road on Britain's inaugural IRC round, but the Scot admitted that position was a double-edged sword through some of the stages.
"In the last stage before the morning service and then in the two middle stages, it would have been better to have been further down the order," said McRae. "There was a coating of mud along much of these roads which would have cleaned a little bit for those guys behind. I guess the flip side is that we're not having any rocks pulled out into the road for us.
"By far, the toughest stage of the day was Drummond Hill. That was incredible, probably the toughest stage I've ever driven. It was incredible. We were getting wheelspin in third and fourth gear going up the grassy sections: that certainly kept you interested!"
McRae's only problem of the day was when the Proton's screen began misting up. "With this amount of water around, it's not surprising," he said. "This has been one of the wettest days rallying ever and if ever there's going to be moisture in the car, it's today.
The highlight of McRae's day was posting second-fastest time on the third stage, Craigvinean.
"We said a podium position was, sensibly, the best we could really have hoped for," said McRae. "And to be in this position at the end of the opening day is fantastic news. The drivers ahead of us know these cars, they've been in them all year, and the cars are completely developed.
"This Proton has massive potential still. We've made another step with the gear ratios, the engine and dampers here, but there's still more to come. And, don't forget, I haven't done so much driving this year. I'm very happy with where we are right now."
Proton MEM Team Principal Chris Mellors mirrored his driver's mood on Friday night, saying: "Alister has done a great job for us today. We haven't had to touch the car at all. We're very, very pleased with the way everything has gone today. So far, so good. It's a bit of shame that Alister has had to clean the road a little bit at the front, but it's always nice to have a Proton running first!"
After a day in the Perthshire stages, with central service based in the beautiful surroundings of Blair Castle between Perth and Inverness, the rally heads south-east for Stirlingshire tomorrow.
The second and final day of the event comprises six stages and, with even more wet weather forecast, the event is only going to get tougher from here until the finish at Stirling Castle Saturday afternoon. Source - www.rally-live.com
Thursday, November 19, 2009
SEMA 2009 - 10 Most Outlandish Rides
Each
year, the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) hosts one of the
largest automotive equipment and car shows in the country. Held in
deliciously decadent Sin City (where else, right?), the SEMA Show has
become such a big deal that aftermarket suppliers, tuners, hot-rod
builders and even mainstream carmakers wrench tirelessly all year to
craft the most elaborate machines they can imagine in hopes of showing
each other up at the Las Vegas Convention Center. SEMA 2009 featured
some of the craziest custom machinery we've seen to date, including a Subaru STI with tank tracks and a midengine Hyundai Genesis Coupe. Here are our picks for the 10 most outlandish from the flashiest city on the planet.
01) Ken Block’s Trax Subaru STI
Subaru
has built its reputation on products that are capable on any terrain —
including snow and ice. Rally driver Ken Block and DC Shoes took that
reputation to extremes by fitting a heavily modified WRX STI
with Trax — a tank-tread-like system that gives the car plenty of
ground clearance and the ability to conquer everything in its path.
Block says the car was built for frolicking around in the backcountry
where there are no roads, and we're having a hard time coming up with a
car better-suited for that task.
02) 2010 Ford Mustang RTR-C
Drift racer extraordinaire Vaughn Gittin Jr. has embraced the 2010 Ford Mustang
like few others out there. The guy brought a slew of modified ponies
to SEMA, but few stood out like the RTR-C. In this case, that C stands
for carbon fiber, the material that makes up the entirety of the car's
outer shell. If that's not crazy enough for you, there's a
550-horsepower, snarling V8 engine under the lightweight hood. Given
the weight savings and the additional power, this thing should be able
to embarrass more than its share of stoplight contenders. Of course,
the price tag of $135,000 may well embarrass some RTR-C owners, too.
03) Jeep Lower Forty Concept
The Jeep
Lower Forty Concept has been bumming around for a while now, but that
doesn't stop it from being any less impressive in the flesh, er, sheet
metal. The name comes from the mammoth 40-inch tires with which this
modified Jeep Wrangler
is equipped — good for overcoming fallen trees, boulders and most
livestock. Mopar Underground fitted this wild creation with hard-core
off-roading equipment such as a Dana 44 front axle and Dana 60 rear, a
beefy roll cage and a huge 5.7-liter V8 engine. A 6-speed manual
transmission puts power to those epic tires.
04) Lingenfelter T/A Concept
Predictably,
this year's SEMA faithful were nostalgic for now-defunct Pontiac — a
brand that fell under General Motors' bankruptcy ax earlier this year.
The super-tuners from Lingenfelter took it upon themselves to keep the
Trans Am name alive with a creation that started life as a 2010 Chevrolet Camaro.
The car seems to have suffered a bad attack of fiberglass with late
'70s-inspired bodywork and geometric wheels. The tribute is more than
skin deep, though, as the 455-cubic-inch V8 engine under the hood
produces a lofty 655 horsepower — quite a bit more than the dyno
figures worked up by post-gas-crisis Pontiac.
05) Toyota Tacoma All-Terrain Gamer
We like video games. We like cars. Sometimes, when the product is the Forza or Gran Turismo series, we like it when the two meet. But with the Tacoma All-Terrain Gamer, Toyota
has proved just what can go wrong when the auto and digital worlds
tango. Looking like a cross between a middle-schooler's daydream and
West Coast Customs' latest creation, the gull-wing-equipped truck packs
four Xbox gaming systems, plenty of flat-screen TVs and a Monster
Energy drink dispenser. There's even a 60-inch flat-panel screen that
mounts in the truck's receiver hitch so spectators can watch the gaming
action from behind.
06) Ford EcoBoost Coupe
Old-school
hot-rod guys live and die by the mantra "there's no replacement for
displacement," meaning where a small engine is good, a larger one is
always better. But Ford
is out to stand that line of thinking on its head with its new
twin-turbocharged V6 engine — a powerplant that sips fuel like a V6
while putting out V8 power. The company wedged the new high-tech
EcoBoost engine into a classic '34 Ford Coupe body. With 400 horsepower
and plenty of custom tricks, this is one slick sled. Something tells
us hot-rodders aren't going to be swapping their big blocks for V6
power any time soon, but the car is still a great way to get the
EcoBoost point across. Kudos, Ford.
07) Rhys Millen RM460 Hyundai Genesis Coupe
If
you happen to follow the world of drift racing, you know who Rhys
Millen is. The guy splits his time between building winning race cars
and driving them — sideways. Recently, Millen has taken a liking to the
new Hyundai Genesis Coupe,
and for this year's SEMA show, he cooked up something really special —
a midengine version of the Korean sports car. The creation packs a
500-horsepower 4.6-liter V8 engine mounted behind the front seats. Aside
from a nearly completely custom rear section, the car also sports
unique bodywork, 20-inch wheels and a sport-oriented interior.
08) Brandon Leung Scion xB
The
death of Pontiac means the El Camino is likely dead for good — a fact
that probably doesn't hurt most people's feelings. But for the seven of
you who miss the weird car/truck mashup, talented tuner/car designer
Brandon Leung has just what you need — a Camino-bodied Scion xB.
Channeling copious amounts of mid-'50s retro cool, the car's big dish
wheels, custom wood-lined bed and 2-tone paint make this Scion the
pinnacle of swank. We wouldn't hold our breath for a factory-backed
version, but it's still cool to see what a driven car builder can come
up with when given the dictum "the sky's the limit."
Source: MSN Autos
09) Ford F-150 SVT Raptor XT
How
do you make one of the year's toughest off-road racers even meaner? You
throw in all the equipment that buyers need to tackle some of the
world's most grueling race courses — the Baja 1000 and Baja 500. Like
the Super Cobra Jet Mustang, the F-150 SVT Raptor XT is designed to be a
factory-built, turn-key racer. That's right — you can buy this truck
straight from your local dealer. Aside from having a full complement of
safety equipment onboard, the truck has more suspension travel than a
standard Raptor and makes 500 horsepower from a 6.2-liter V8 engine.
Only 50 will be built, and each one carries a $99,950 price tag.
10) TAC-V Jamma
TAC-V
bills the Jamma as the ultimate rapid-deployment vehicle. We think it
just got lost on the way to a defense contractor's convention. Looking
like the Humvee's gangly, awkward younger brother, the Jamma uses a
compartmentalized driving position in order to keep the pilot out of
the passengers' lines of fire. If you think that's scary, this beast
can be fitted with any number of drivetrains — from internal combustion
to hybrid electric. TAC-V says the Jamma can also be built for
civilian off-road duty. You know, in the event of a "Red Dawn"-type scenario where our enemies invade the continental U.S. Go Wolverines!
Source: MSN Autos
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Raikkonen Takes Sabbatical From F1 To Focus On Rallying
;">
(Left-Right)
Ferrari Formula One driver Felipe Massa of Brazil, team-mate Kimi
Raikkonen of Finland and McLaren's Lewis Hamilton of Britain react on
the podium after the Spanish F1 Grand Prix in this file photo - Reuters pic
“They
couldn’t afford him,” David Robertson, who manages the Finn with his
son Steve, told the BBC. “It wasn’t in his interests to race for what
they were offering so he’s going to go rallying instead.
“He
wants to be back in F1 in 2011 but with all the money he has earned, he
doesn’t want to go in a medium-type team for money,” he added.
“The same criteria would apply as this year. He’d only go where he feels he has the chance of the world championship.”
Robertson
said he believed Britain’s Jenson Button, champion with Brawn this
year, had already signed for McLaren as compatriot Lewis Hamilton’s team
mate.
Raikkonen spent five years at McLaren before joining Ferrari at the end of 2006 and winning the title in his first season there.
He
has now been ousted at the Italian team by Spain’s double world
champion Fernando Alonso, despite having a year to run on his contract.
With
a payoff in his pocket, he had already cast doubt on his Formula One
future and said last month that any contract he signed would have to
allow him to continue his rallying activities.
The
30-year-old, whose motivation has been repeatedly questioned, competed
in this year’s Finnish round of the world rally championship in a Fiat
after also entering three non-championship events.
In his nine seasons in Formula One, he won 18 races but finished only sixth overall this year with one victory in Belgium.
Hugely
popular with the sport’s hardcore fans as an uncompromising and
party-loving driver with little interest in media or sponsorship
activities, Raikkonen may not be frozen out for long.
Red
Bull, runners-up this season, look his best bet for 2011 with
Australian Mark Webber out of contract at the end of next season.
Champions
Brawn were never likely to meet the Finn’s salary demands while Toyota,
who had made Raikkonen an offer, have since quit Formula One.
Robertson
suggested McLaren were no longer “the powerhouse they were” following
Mercedes’ decision to take over Brawn. As part of that deal, McLaren
have agreed to buy back the carmaker’s 40 per cent stake in their team.
A McLaren spokesman would not comment.
Other
champions have taken years out in the past and come back strongly,
notably Frenchman Alain Prost who fell out with Ferrari in 1991 and sat
out 1992 before returning to win the title with Williams in 1993.
Austrian Niki Lauda retired in 1979 before coming back in 1982 and winning his third championship with McLaren in 1984. - Reuters
APRC China - The Dawn Of A New Beginning
