Re: National Rally championships News
I´m with you, hopefully Harrach stays, he and Grössing are the only real rivals for Baumschlager and BRR in Austrian championship.
Surprised about Walter Mayer too, maybe a pay drive?
I don´t think Kajto with the Impreza is able to battle with Baumschlager - just look at Jänner Rallye 2013.
Curious about Simon Wagner first time competing in a proper car (Evo IX instead of his usual old Evo III)
Re: National Rally championships News
Wagner´s pace will be interesting.
But I´m a little bit afraid, that some fans in Austria have really unrealsitic expectations about him. Don´t get me wrong, I really think, that he is a talented guy, but still very unexperienced. After he won stage three of the Jänner Rallye some people in Austria thought, he would be already able to drive in the WRC. But you shouldn´t forget, that the road conditions of this stage were completley different when he drove compared to Bouffier or Kopecky.
I´m also not sure, if the people that surround him are that helpful for his career in the rallysport.
Re: National Rally championships News
Quote:
Originally Posted by WUff1
I don´t think Kajto with the Impreza is able to battle with Baumschlager - just look at Jänner Rallye 2013.
I agree. I don't think that Kajto will be giving his 100%. He is going there only to gain international experience. But of course I'd like to be wrong! :)
Re: National Rally championships News
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fiat-131-Abarth
Wagner´s pace will be interesting.
But I´m a little bit afraid, that some fans in Austria have really unrealsitic expectations about him. Don´t get me wrong, I really think, that he is a talented guy, but still very unexperienced. After he won stage three of the Jänner Rallye some people in Austria thought, he would be already able to drive in the WRC. But you shouldn´t forget, that the road conditions of this stage were completley different when he drove compared to Bouffier or Kopecky.
I´m also not sure, if the people that surround him are that helpful for his career in the rallysport.
I hope you are not correct with last sentence ;)
Re: National Rally championships News
Quote:
Originally Posted by WUff1
I´m with you, hopefully Harrach stays, he and Grössing are the only real rivals for Baumschlager and BRR in Austrian championship.
Surprised about Walter Mayer too, maybe a pay drive?
I don´t think Kajto with the Impreza is able to battle with Baumschlager - just look at Jänner Rallye 2013.
Curious about Simon Wagner first time competing in a proper car (Evo IX instead of his usual old Evo III)
The question is ,what will decide Baumschlager, may be this was his last season?
Re: National Rally championships News
Quote:
Originally Posted by evoIX
Quote:
Originally Posted by WUff1
I´m with you, hopefully Harrach stays, he and Grössing are the only real rivals for Baumschlager and BRR in Austrian championship.
Surprised about Walter Mayer too, maybe a pay drive?
I don´t think Kajto with the Impreza is able to battle with Baumschlager - just look at Jänner Rallye 2013.
Curious about Simon Wagner first time competing in a proper car (Evo IX instead of his usual old Evo III)
The question is ,what will decide Baumschlager, may be this was his last season?
Baumschlager will continue next year.
Re: National Rally championships News
A review of the sixth and final round of the Danish championships, contested on Saturday on the roads around the large sports town of Herning.
There was a beautiful setting for the event, as the service park was indoors in part of the massive MCH-complex, which started as a convention center - but today it has blossomed into also including the biggest concert venue in the country (Jyske Bank Boxen) and an 11.800-capacity stadium for the football team (MCH Arena). This worked really well, and was to play a major part in the tension late in the day. Besides the service park, there was also a stage right outside the door, so spectators and service crews alike could watch a bit of live action.
The weather on the day was VERY tricky, it was more or less wet to begin with, then dried up as we came closer to first service, then a bit of rain, and then the heavens really opened up! Tire choice was a massive gamble, and the tricky conditions no doubt helped along the drama of the last loop of stages.
To recap the boring bit of the day: The three crews that just had to finish to win the title in their division? Well, they did. Kenneth Madsen champion in Division C (tuned national 2wd), Frank Nielsen in Division B (R2 and R3 cars) and Henrik Larsen in Division D (basically Group E).
Kenneth Madsen won Division C on the day as well, but could be counted as a bit lucky to have done so - Benny Pedersen was the quicker on the day, but broke a steering arm and had to retire. Closest challenger was Jesper Bisted, who drove safe to take the silver medal overall.
Division B was won by a returning Simon Vallentin (206 S1600) who ran away from Kim Madsen to take a safe win by just under a minute.
Division D was taken by young Jacob Madsen (younger brother of Kenneth) - fastest driver on the day, with a winning margin of nearly three minutes.
And now back to the drama bit: The overall championship.
Before the race, Ib Kragh led by 4 points from Christian Jensen and 7 points from Tim Svanholt - the two first in 207 S2000s and Svanholt in an Evo IX. The expectations were quite clear: The championship would be decided on pace between Kragh and Jensen, or Svanholt would bring it home on consistency.
From the early morning start (or not.. 11 o'clock. :rolleyes: ) Christian Jensen set the pace, and by the time of the first service, he led by almost half a minute from Svanholt. Kragh was fifth, but had issues on stage 1 and again on stage 3.
Second service, Jensen still led by slightly less than half a minute, but from Steen Andersen (Evo X) now - Svanholt third, and Kragh only 11th after further problems.
At this, the midway point of the event, the championship was with Jensen, Kragh second and Svanholt third. Let's just say, that would change!
At the final service, with three stages left to go.. in torrential weather like earlier, but now combined with being dark, Jensen still led from Andersen and Svanholt with Kragh having mounted a comeback to seventh - Jensen with a 33 second lead and no need to win, there was little doubt in the service park that he would go safe to a repeat of his championship from last year.
That would all change on stage 11, when Svanholt passed Jensen parked along the side of the road.. the engine had given up, and the championship was now blown wide open! Svanholt second and Kragh eighth (more problems on ss11), which meant that the championship would go into the final stage of the season TIED ON POINTS! Kragh had the tiebreaker, so the season would be decided by who went fastest on the final stage.. all to play for, and by now the entire exhibition hall containing the service park was buzzing! People calculating all over the place, phones and laptops checking live timing - and that's not even mentioning the rumour mill..
Svanholt was second car on the stage, and duly beat Andersen by 7,5 seconds, which sent even more buzz around the service park.. Andersen had been faster than Svanholt most of the day - was this a blistering time from Svanholt (he matched his time from earlier..) or slow from Andersen (17 seconds slower than the first run)? Buzz kept going, and every time that rolled in was significantly slower than both Svanholt and Andersen. The tension was as heavy as I have experienced in the last 10 years in Denmark, no-one bothered packing up their gear, it was all about the wait for Kragh who went something like tenth on the stage.
When the time rolled in - second fastest, 3,2 seconds slower than Svanholt! There were quiet cheers in the Svanholt camp, but also massive nervousness, the car still had to make it back. Once they did with no damage, they were met by a mob of people from more or less every team ready to congratulate them!
Both on the finishing ramp and at the prize giving ceremony later on, there were massive cheers and standing ovations for a hugely deserved championship - this was the only top driver to bring home points from every event this year.. and he beat the 'S2000 army' in an inferior Group N car. All in all, a highly talented driver with a very nice demeanor in an inferior car - this was the fairytale story!
Steen Andersen won the rally overall for his second win of the year, but it's safe to say that this was a forgotten win, everything was focused on the championship.
Post race, Ib Kragh was excluded for having been outside the time limit, which didn't change anything overall: He was a dejected second, and Christian Jensen an equally dejected third.
Re: National Rally championships News
Gutted by the result in Denmark ;(
Re: National Rally championships News
Great review from a very exiting rally, Christian.
Re: National Rally championships News
EUREGIO RALLY 2013 BY RALLYSUPPORT
http://youtu.be/Kmoz2Jc1nhw