CAFÉ RACER 76

Ogier and VW… the combination to beat? / Qui pour battre Ogier et VW ?

The 82nd running of the Rallye Monte Carlo begins this evening in the Principality where a field of 72 cars is expected to roll off the ramp in Casino Square. Defending champions Sébastien Ogier and Volkswagen are the favourites for victory.

La 82e édition du Rallye Automobile Monte-Carlo s’élance ce soir depuis la Principauté où 72 voitures sont attendues sur le podium de départ, Place du Casino. Les champions du monde sortant, Sébastien Ogier et Volkswagen, en sont les favoris.

This will be the first chance in a decade that fans in France’s Hautes Alpes region will get a chance to see Monte Carlo action. The two days near Gap mark the return of classic stages like Selonnet-Breziers (Col des Garcinets) and the awesome Vitrolles-Faye (49km!), and some 90 percent of this year’s route has changed compared with 2013. In total, crews face 383.88km of competitive action divided into 15 stages en route to Saturday’s finish in Monaco.

Unsurprisingly, home-grown star Sébastien Ogier stands out as the favourite in his Volkswagen Polo R WRC which, following an agreement between the different manufacturers, has evolved little compared with last season, with the exception of new-generation electronics-management software, new suspension-adjustment possibilities and some chassis improvements.

Ogier won the Monte Carlo when it was an IRC round in 2009 but would dearly like to add a second victory now it is back in the WRC. Meanwhile, fellow VW runner Jari-Matti Latvala will be hoping to put an end to the Monte jinx that has pursued him since 2004. The Finn has failed to finish the last two events, while team-mate Andreas Mikkelsen has yet to contest the wintry rally.

It is difficult to evaluate the chances of newcomer Hyundai-Shell WRT but delicate conditions could level out the playing field. The Hyundai i20 WRC has ‘only’ covered some 8,000km in testing, while Thierry Neuville has yet to reach the end of this event. In terms of experience, Dani Sordo has a definite edge with three podium finishes from six starts to his name, and the Spaniard’s mission will be to showcase the new car’s potential.

In contrast, the Citroën DS3 WRC’s record includes victories in 2012 and 2013 and the French team’s knowledge of the Monte Carlo (eight wins since 2003) is no secret. There will consequently be significant pressure on the outfit’s two new front-running drivers, Kris Meeke and Mads Ostberg. The former crashed out in 2009 and 2010, while the Norwegian has only contested the event once before, in 2013.

Ford and Mikko Hirvonen know what it feels like to win the Rallye Monte-Carlo together. They clinched victory in 2010 when it was a qualifying round of the IRC and, with seven previous Monte starts to his name, the Finnish Ford Fiesta RS WRC driver has a trump card in his hand, even though it isn’t his favourite rally. Team-mate Elfyn Evans is a Monte rookie and will understandably be taking a humble approach to the championship’s oldest fixture, as will Robert Kubica who failed to reach the finish when he took part in a Renault Clio back in 2008. That said, the Pole is on a high after his recent ERC triumph on Austria’s Jännerrallye in near-identical conditions. A good run is to be expected, too, from Bryan Bouffier who was fifth last January and outright winner in 2011 (IRC).

All the above drivers will be competing with Michelin which is targeting its 23^rd Monte victory since the WRC’s creation in 1973.

Le Rallye Monte-Carlo n’était pas revenu dans les Hautes Alpes depuis dix ans. Avec deux étapes dessinées autour de Gap cette année, l’épreuve retrouve des classiques comme Selonnet-Breziers via le Col des Garcinets, ou encore la redoutable Vitrolles-Faye et ses 49 km. Le parcours 2014 est renouvelé à 90% par rapport à l’édition précédente. Quinze spéciales sont au programme (383,88 km) avant l’arrivée à Monaco dans la nuit de samedi et à dimanche.

Comment ne pas être favori quand on porte le n°1 et que l’on joue à domicile ? Sébastien Ogier, né dans la vallée du Champsaur il y a 30 ans, devra assumer ce statut au volant de sa Volkswagen Polo R WRC. Pour respecter l’accord conclu entre les constructeurs, l’auto n’a que peu évolué cet hiver hormis une nouvelle version du logiciel gérant l’électronique et quelques améliorations apportées au châssis, de nouvelles possibilités de réglages des trains roulant… Après sa victoire en 2009 (IRC), le Français va tenter de remporter son 1^er Monte-Carlo version WRC et d’entrer un peu plus dans la légende. Son équipier Jari-Matti Latvala aura pour objectif d’en finir avec cette malédiction monégasque qui le suit depuis 2004. Le Finlandais reste sur deux échecs consécutifs. Quant à Andreas Mikkelsen, il va découvrir le doyen des rallyes mondiaux.

Difficile de placer le nouveau team Hyundai-Shell WRT parmi les favoris de cette édition, mais les conditions délicates nivellent souvent les performances et subliment la chance. La Hyundai i20 WRC ne roule que depuis quelques mois et n’a parcouru « que » 8000 km d’essais. En trois participations, Thierry Neuville n’a jamais vu l’arrivée. Avec trois podiums et six départs, l’Espagnol Dani Sordo semble donc le plus aguerri et aura pour mission de montrer le potentiel de cette nouvelle auto.

En revanche, tout le monde connaît celui de la Citroën DS3 WRC, victorieuse en 2012 et 2013 et le savoir-faire de l’équipe Citroën (8 victoires depuis 2003) sur le Rallye Monte-Carlo. La pression sera donc énorme sur les deux nouveaux pilotes du team français, Kris Meeke et Mads Ostberg. Le Britannique reste sur deux sorties de route consécutives (2009/2010) et le Norvégien a découvert ce rallye l’an passé.

Ford et Mikko Hirvonen ont déjà remporté le Rallye Monte-Carlo : c’était en 2010 et l’épreuve comptait pour le championnat IRC. Pour sa 8^e participation en WRC, le Finlandais a une belle carte à jouer au volant de sa Ford Fiesta RS WRC, même si ce rallye n’est pas son préféré. Comme Mikkelsen, son équipier Elfyn Evans va découvrir cette épreuve avec toute l’humilité qu’elle exige. Idem pour Robert Kubica, puisque sa prestation en 2008 sur une Renault Clio avait été écourtée. Le Polonais est sur une bonne dynamique après sa victoire au Jännerrallye obtenue dans des conditions quasi similaires. On attend une belle performance de Bryan Bouffier, 5^e l’an passé et vainqueur de l’édition 2011 (IRC).

Toutes ces WRC seront équipées par Michelin qui visera une 23^e victoire (depuis 1973) sur le rallye le plus difficile de l’année en termes de choix de pneumatiques.

Ricky Johnson Claims Red Bull Frozen Rush

Hundreds of Fans Pack Sunday River Ski Slopes For 2nd Red Bull Frozen Rush In Newry, Maine.

by Dirt Sports Nation

Author: Jordan Powell Photos: Jordan Powell and Courtesy of Red Bull

It was a great day to go racing on the ski slopes of Sunday River in Newry, Maine. For the first time ever, eight Pro-4s went head-to-head in a two-lap time trial battle, all on the slopes of a ski resort. With a course consisting of slaloms, huge bowl turns, giant elevation changes, and massive jumps, Ricky Johnson, Bryce Menzies, Johnny Greaves, Greg Adler, Todd Leduc, Scott Douglas, Rob MacCachren, and Carl Renezeder fought tooth and nail to claim the top spot.

Ricky Johnson claims the first ever Red Bull Frozen Rush title.

To say that Red Bull’s Frozen Rush was a huge success would be an understatement for both Red Bull and Sunday River. Thousands of spectators lined the rolling, snow-covered mountains of the ski resort just to catch a glimpse of all the action. As for the drivers, powering through the snow in their 900 horsepower machines presented some challenges, but it also presented a lot of fun. To the drivers’ surprise, they were able to get a tremendous amount of traction with their alloy studded tires, but at the same time, ruts started to form around the course which caused some difficulties as shadows from the ever-changing skies masked the treacherous grooves. So, line selection became key in the two-lap format.

Your podium finishers: Ricky Johnson, Johnny Greaves, and Bryce Menzies.

As for the format, the eight drivers were split up into groups of two, and competed in a bracketed, single elimination style setup. The original idea was to go head-to-head right from the start, but after some preliminary test runs on Wednesday, battling that close caused some visibility issues as the roost from the snow pretty much blinded the drivers. Because of that, a quick decision needed to be made on how to run the race, and the result was a time trial. One driver would take off from the start, and 25 seconds later the other driver would start. This created a lot of excitement for the fans as they watched the stopwatch count down for the second driver. Having that staggered start also created some excitement for the over-under jump, as a few races saw drivers getting jumped over.

The over-under jump created tons of excitement for both the drivers and spectators.

When the day came to a close, Johnson and Greaves—two of the biggest rivals in short-course—were sent to the finals. The two drivers competed in a four-lap race, and once it was over, it appeared that the win was going to Greaves. However, USAC reviewed their tapes and penalized Greaves with a five-second penalty for splitting the ski slaloms. As a result, Johnson was awarded the win, and the championship for the first ever Red Bull Frozen Rush. Menzies was awarded the final spot on the podium after eliminating MacCachren in the two-lap battle for third.

Greaves showing his frustration on Johnson’s truck after narrowly losing to the Red Bull driver.

Todd Leduc and Rob MacCachren kicked off the day by being the first race of the Red Bull Frozen Rush, however; Leduc’s truck struggled with the conditions, which allowed MacCachren to take an easy win.

MacCachren hit speeds of 95 miles per hour as he accelerated down the straight towards the over-under jump.

It looked like it was going to be a tight race between the Ricky Johnson and Carl Renezeder, but a crash on the last lap forced Renezeder to retire early.

It was Bryce Menzies’ first race in a Pro-4, but the young driver looked like a veteran with the rest of his competition. In the semi-finals, Menzies lined up against his teammate Ricky Johnson, and the Las Vegas native narrowly lost by two-tenths of a second.

The closest race of the day, before time deductions were made, went to Rob MacCachren and Johnny Greaves. When Greaves completed his two laps, he sat there and watched the 25-second clock tick down for MacCachren, and when the Rockstar Energy driver crossed the finish line; it appeared to be a tie. After USAC reviewed the tapes, MacCachren was penalized five seconds for splitting a ski slalom, thus giving the win to Greaves.