WRC, Australie : Triplé et titre pour Volkswagen / a 1-2-3 finish and the 2014 title for Volkswagen

Volkswagen/Michelin a décroché son second titre mondial Constructeurs en signant son premier triplé en WRC avec Sébastien Ogier, Jari-Matti Latvala et Andreas Mikkelsen. Derrière les trois Polo R WRC, Kris Meeke (Citroën) et Mikko Hirvonen (Ford) complètent le top-five.

Malgré ses six spéciales et sa centaine de kilomètres chronométrés, la dernière étape du Coates Hire Rally Australia n’a pas bouleversé le classement général du top-trois établi samedi soir.

Sébastien Ogier a su répondre aux assauts de son équipier Jari-Matti Latvala pour remporter sa 6^e victoire de la saison (sa seconde d’affilée en Australie) et se rapprocher du titre Pilotes 2014. Le Français compte désormais 50 points d’avance sur le Finlandais et le titre pourrait être attribué au Rallye de France, comme l’an passé.

En revanche, les deux hommes ont offert un second titre mondial consécutif à Volkswagen Motorsport en Championnat du monde des Rallyes FIA. VW égale le nombre de titres obtenus par un autre constructeur allemand en WRC, Audi (1982/1984).

Volkswagen célèbre ce second titre par un triplé, son tout premier en WRC, offert par le Norvégien Andreas Mikkelsen qui complète un podium 100 % VW à Coffs Harbour. Volkswagen est le 10^e constructeur à réussir un triplé en Championnat du monde des Rallyes depuis 1973.

On s’attendait à une rude bataille pour cette 3^e place entre Mikkelsen et Meeke (Citroën), séparés par 1s5 samedi soir. Mais le pilote Citroën a écopé d’une lourde pénalité (1min01s) pour avoir coupé trop généreusement un virage dans l’ES10. Andreas Mikkelsen avait alors la voie libre pour monter sur son 4^e podium de la saison.

A défaut, nous avons eu une bataille pour la 4^e place entre Meeke et Hirvonen (Ford). Le Britannique, leader du rallye de l’ES3 à l’ES6 vendredi, a vite pris l’ascendant sur le Finlandais, triple vainqueur de ce rallye, pour échouer au pied du podium. Son équipier Mads Ostberg (15^e) a connu un problème de suspension dans l’avant-dernière spéciale.

Les pilotes Hyundai/Michelin Hayden Paddon et Thierry Neuville terminent aux 6^e et 7^e places finales. Le Belge avait perdu deux minutes vendredi (suspension). Le 3^e pilote Hyundai, l’Australien Chris Atkinson, complète le top-ten derrière les Ford Fiesta RS WRC d’Elfyn Evans (8^e) et de Robert Kubica (9^e).

En WRC-2, Nasser Al-Attiyah (Ford Fiesta RRC/Michelin) a remporté sa 3^e victoire de la saison. Son principal challenger Yazeed Al-Rajhi a dû abandonner dans l’ES16 (radiateur percé par une branche). Malgré son tonneau dans la Superspéciale samedi soir, Jari Ketomaa (Ford) termine 2^edevant l’Ukrainien Yuriy Protasov (Ford/Michelin) et l’Italien Lorenzo Bertelli (Ford). Ott Tanak, qui avait perdu beaucoup de temps en début de rallye, est sorti violemment de la route dans l’ES19. Bertelli reste leader du championnat avec 3 points d’avance sur Ketomaa et Protasov.

Volkswagen/Michelin secured its second Manufacturers’ world title thanks to its first ever one-two-three finish today in Australia. Polo R WRC drivers Sébastien Ogier, Jari-Matti Latvala and Andreas Mikkelsen were followed home by Kris Meeke (Citroën) and Mikko Hirvonen (Ford).

Despite a menu of six stages totalling around 100km, the final day of the Coates Hire Rally Australia had no effect on the overnight positions at the top of the leaderboard.

Ogier shrugged off pressure from his team-mate Latvala to collect his sixth victory of the year, his second in a row in Australia, and take a step closer to the 2014 Drivers’ crown. The Frenchman is now 50 points clear of the Finn and is likely to wrap up the contest on home soil, in Alsace, just as he did last year.

Today’s result also hands Volkswagen Motorsport its second consecutive Manufacturers’ title in the FIA World Rally Championship to equal the score of another German make, Audi, who won the series in 1982 and 1984.

Volkswagen stylishly celebrated its success with its first one-two-three result in the WRC thanks to Mikkelsen (3^rd) who notched up his fourth podium finish of the season. Volkswagen is the 10^thmake to have monopolised the top three of a world class event since the championship’s creation in 1973.

Mikkelsen’s task was facilitated when Meeke, who completed Saturday’s action just 1.5s behind the Norwegian, took a big time penalty (1m1s) for an excessive corner-cut on SS10.

Instead, we were treated to an interesting fight for fourth spot between the Northern Irishman and Ford’s Mikko Hirvonen, a three-time Rally Australia winner. It didn’t take the former long to make sure of the position, however, while his Citroën team-mate Mads Ostberg (15^th) suffered a big suspension problem on the penultimate stage.

Hyundai’s Hayden Paddon and Thierry Neuville came sixth and seventh after the Belgian lost two minutes with a suspension problem on Friday. The team’s third man, Australian Chris Atkinson, rounded off the top 10 behind Ford Fiesta RS WRC drivers Elfyn Evans (8^th) and Robert Kubica (9^th).

The WRC-2 class was won for the third time this year by Nasser Al-Attiyah (Ford Fiesta RRC/Michelin) whose main threat Yazeed Al-Rajhi was halted when his radiator was holed by a branch on SS16. Jari Ketomaa (Ford) recovered from his roll on Saturday evening’s super-special to take second place, ahead of Ukrainian Yuriy Protasov (Ford/Michelin) and Italy’s Lorenzo Bertelli (Ford). After losing a lot of time on Friday, Ott Tanak had a big crash on SS19.

Bertelli continues to top the provisional standings, but he is only three points clear of Ketomaa and Protasov.

750 Honda by MotoHangar

MotoHangar

1972 Yamaha TX650

Written by Ian Lee.

After more than three decades in the motorcycle industry, you’re bound to pick up a whole heap of neat tricks. It also helps if you run one of the biggest motorcycle accessory houses in Europe, with a catalogue of over 6000 fibreglass molds and the know-how that attracts the attention of factory race teams. With access to so much awesome, you know whatever Kent Riches deems fit to lay spanners on is going to end up a feature bike somewhere. And that’s what Pipeburn is featuring today. Starting off with a ‘crusty’ 1972 Yamaha TX650, Kent Riches has raided the Yamaha parts bin and the parts catalogue from his business, AirTech Streamlining, to create a homage to the AMA Pro Twin racers of the 70s, to take the master bike builder back to where it all began for him.

Not a man to be classed a one trick pony, since his first appearance in the motorcycle world in 1977 Kent has road raced, drag raced and set 14 world records. On top of this, he endeavours to build a few custom bikes every year; “as an outlet for his creative energy”. Using the Bonneville inspired TX650 as the base for his race replica, Kent threw himself into the build, doing what he does best.

To ensure a race ready finish, the stock TX was stripped down completely, the bare frame detabbed and reinforced. The factory swing arm ditched, Kent fabricated a box style swing arm to suit the new look of the machine. The factory front end had been swapped out for an FZ750 front end, sporting Goldline race calipers mounted over ventilated discs.

While the bike was stripped, Kent took the opportunity to give the carbon copy Triumph engine a freshen up, as well as fitting 36mm carbs with the obligatory velocity stacks. Deciding the exhaust could do with the Riches touch,  a unique Magni style system was fabricated using a hydro forming process.

Quite a bit of effort and time went into giving the machine the aesthetic that Kent desired. Looking to give the midsize Yamaha a period style makeover, Kent massaged a TZ tank to a size that would fit the bike’s sturdy backbone. Mounted behind it is a TZ style seat unit, also modified to fit on the TX’s burly frame. Enveloping the aluminium clip-ons at the front end is a Formula 1 fairing assembly from the AirTech Streamlining catalogue, made to fit using custom bracketry.

With so many accessories and skills at his fingertips, it is easy to see how Kent Riches can create the art piece we are featuring today. With so much of the work carried out by the man himself, one only has to look at the paintjob that has been lovingly laid on the bike, as proof that this is someone who carries out quality work. With so much passion built into this bike, it definitely pays tribute to the men who inspired Kent Riches, so long ago.

via Pipeburn

Gone South with Vita Brevis Films

The open road provides a pathway to the uncontrolled spirit, a state of being that is universally felt yet so challenging to capture through a medium.