2017 aprc

[dimviii]

.@APRCtv Update
@EVENmanagement's @OCVeiby to tackle full #APRC program with @MotorsportSkoda @MRF_Racing alongside @Gillracing


https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C9B83ahXsAATaoo.jpg

[Munkvy]

Be interesting to see if he can adapt to the Asian roads and be more competitive than the previous MRF drivers have been against their team mate Gurav Gill.

[Mirek]

Actually it's 2:3 for Gill ;)

Atkinson defeated Gill
Lappi lost with Gill
Kopecký defeated Gill
Tidemand defeated Gill
Kreim lost with Gill

[RS]

Good solution of what to do with Veiby now Skoda are overflowing with drivers for WRC2.

[Munkvy]

Actually it's 2:3 for Gill ;)

Atkinson defeated Gill
Lappi lost with Gill
Kopecký defeated Gill
Tidemand defeated Gill
Kreim lost with Gill

Yes but all I said was be MORE competitive... I didn't say that Gill had beaten all.

Gill is not a Skoda factory driver, or seen as a driver of the future by most I would suspect, yet he has been able to be very competitive against many of the supposedly "next big thing" drivers from Europe... If they are that good, surely they should be wiping the floor with him... Lappi is a great example of that not happening, yet he now has a WRC factory driver (in theory). I believe that the Skoda drivers have put up surprisingly poor results over the years against Gill. Whether that is a testament to his ability to learn the roads and the cars well, or whether he is actually that good I don't know. Comparing how he went in Whangarei last year vs the NZRC cars, I would suspect he isn't that fast.

[focus206]

Yes but all I said was be MORE competitive... I didn't say that Gill had beaten all.

Gill is not a Skoda factory driver, or seen as a driver of the future by most I would suspect, yet he has been able to be very competitive against many of the supposedly "next big thing" drivers from Europe... If they are that good, surely they should be wiping the floor with him... Lappi is a great example of that not happening, yet he now has a WRC factory driver (in theory). I believe that the Skoda drivers have put up surprisingly poor results over the years against Gill. Whether that is a testament to his ability to learn the roads and the cars well, or whether he is actually that good I don't know. Comparing how he went in Whangarei last year vs the NZRC cars, I would suspect he isn't that fast.

I agree about Lappi, but after all he almost lost the ERC title to the now "unemployed" Wiegand, his APRC season was disappointing. I still don't have an opinion on Kreim, being still young and used to tarmac. On the other hand, I think Kopecky and Tidemand did a very good job in APRC, winning it by quite a margin, were you expecting more from them? I wasn't. Especially from Kopecky, who excels on asphalt as well.

[Munkvy]

I agree Kopecky and Tidemand did win overall, but not as dominantly as I believe they should have. They both lost out on several rounds to Gill, and he also had particularly bad years coming in third in those championship results.

Anyway, the entries for APRC round 1 - Whangarei are out - http://www.rallywhangarei.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/APRC-entry-list-for-ROW-2017.pdf

Another year of poor entries, although the Mirage R5 adds a new element. Be good to see how it compares to the Skoda, I don't imagine favorably! Also, what has happened to Mike Young?

[liposh]

If you keep an eye on aprc during last years you can see it is not that complicated. Gill is not fast but he is used to this surface and drove all the rounds for million times. So either you choose strategy of driving quite slow, learning and making attack in right time (and Gill would react with driving over his limit and crashing because he is not mentally stable enough) which is strategy used by Kopecky and wisely repeated by Tidemand OR you can drive insanely from the very beginning but most probably you will not finish the rally (which is Lappi´s case) .In fact it is simple.

[Mirek]

Another year of poor entries, although the Mirage R5 adds a new element. Be good to see how it compares to the Skoda, I don't imagine favorably!

Let's not forget Škoda keeps using MRF tyres (logically when it's the MRF team). We can't say how much slower they are when we don't have direct comparison on the same car but as we can see with DMack in WRC sometimes the tyres make a huge difference. Therefore I wouldn't say that Mitsubishi is without a chance. Ketomaa is also very good and experienced driver whom I rate higher than Škoda guys.

[Zeakiwi]

Turner's Audi AP4 first start (entered in Whangarei APRC)
https://www.facebook.com/turner.motorsport/videos/10155153411018903/

Mike Young is shown as a co-driving a classic Toyota Corolla and rally school teaching in Western Australia. The last article about Takale was that the Subaru was not fast enough and he was looking for another car, to at least do some Asian rounds of the APRC.
http://www.cusco.co.jp/en/images/Pess%20Release%20-%202017%20Cusco%20Motorsports.pdf
Sumiyama won a JSR event with the Cusco awd Toyota Vitz
http://super-rally.net/716

[focus206]

Turner's Audi AP4 first start (entered in Whangarei APRC)
https://www.facebook.com/turner.motorsport/videos/10155153411018903/

Mike Young is shown as a co-driving a classic Toyota Corolla and rally school teaching in Western Australia. The last article about Takale was that the Subaru was not fast enough and he was looking for another car, to at least do some Asian rounds of the APRC.
http://www.cusco.co.jp/en/images/Pess%20Release%20-%202017%20Cusco%20Motorsports.pdf
Sumiyama won a JSR event with the Cusco awd Toyota Vitz
http://super-rally.net/716

Any info on what is this new championship, Japan Super Rally series?

[Munkvy]

Some of the cars at the APRC round at Rally Whangarei this week. Photos from shakedown, so not all the front cars.

The Mitsi Mirage non-R5 car:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v35/Munkvy/th_IMG_7709_zpslvuchsaj.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Munkvy/media/IMG_7709_zpslvuchsaj.jpg.html)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v35/Munkvy/th_IMG_7740_zpswtvvxqzn.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Munkvy/media/IMG_7740_zpswtvvxqzn.jpg.html)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v35/Munkvy/th_IMG_7739_zpskddkxacv.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Munkvy/media/IMG_7739_zpskddkxacv.jpg.html)

Hyundai AP4 car, note the massive wing compared to the Mitsi and the R5 cars:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v35/Munkvy/th_IMG_7710_zps8upbhta3.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Munkvy/media/IMG_7710_zps8upbhta3.jpg.html)

Toyota Yaris AP4:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v35/Munkvy/th_IMG_7712_zpsmbej0bbi.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Munkvy/media/IMG_7712_zpsmbej0bbi.jpg.html)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v35/Munkvy/th_IMG_7711_zpssl8cjrlc.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Munkvy/media/IMG_7711_zpssl8cjrlc.jpg.html)

Holden Barina AP4, for a local driver who used to race in the Australian V8 Supercars series:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v35/Munkvy/th_IMG_7745_zpshq91kxfx.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Munkvy/media/IMG_7745_zpshq91kxfx.jpg.html)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v35/Munkvy/th_IMG_7744_zpshw95ivjo.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Munkvy/media/IMG_7744_zpshw95ivjo.jpg.html)

[Munkvy]

Mazda 2 AP4, driver of this owns the company - Force Motorsport - that came up with the AP4 jigs etc and builds the base body layout for all AP4 cars:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v35/Munkvy/th_IMG_7751_zpst338zr2l.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Munkvy/media/IMG_7751_zpst338zr2l.jpg.html)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v35/Munkvy/th_IMG_7746_zpsbiiolztr.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Munkvy/media/IMG_7746_zpsbiiolztr.jpg.html)

And a Ford Dyko Proto:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v35/Munkvy/th_IMG_7743_zpsxrmsqssi.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Munkvy/media/IMG_7743_zpsxrmsqssi.jpg.html)

Currently after 2 runs of the SSS Gaurav Gill in a Skoda R5 is winning, see http://chrissport.co.nz/ for full results. Personally, the car I am co-driving in is winning it's class in NZRC 2WD Cat 5B.

[Zeakiwi]

Crash between official vehicle and member of the public at Rally Whangarei, injury requiring air transport to hospital. Stage 8 cancelled. http://www.velocitynews.co.nz/news.php?id=1583

[Zeakiwi]

Ketomaa out with engine problem - TS12

Gill -1st, Veiby -2nd (after problems) daylight gap, Summerfield (3rd)

https://youtu.be/1S_OqVHvgcY wrap with Gill, Veiby (rear brake problem) and Blomberg

[Munkvy]

So, we won our class, seeded 54th, ended up 26th. But very high attrition, very muddy rally with near constant rain. The last 2 stages of the first day required our light bar due to the darkness brought by cloud cover and tree cover.

Well deserved win for Summerfield in the NZRC class, as his Subaru is more production like than a lot of the other cars, including still running a dogbox I believe. Managed to drive at the right pace to look after the car and not fall off like so many of the AP4 cars did. But also really well done to Dylan Turner in his Audi S1 AP4, this was the first event for the car, so a great result to be second!

The fight for APRC was really a 2 horse race for the MRF cars, the Mirages seemed a bit off the pace? Although hearing them, they sound like the ECU mapping is more Group N like than the R5 cars?

[Mirek]

Excuse me, do You know something about the car of John Coker? In the results it's written it is Škoda 130LR but from some older videos it neither looks nor drives like one. It appears more like 130L/A which is a lot closer to the stock car than LR.

For comparison this is an original museum piece of 130LR driven by John Haugland last year: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KYJVLr5mdw

[Zeakiwi]

The 'car label' might have had something to do with the eight port engine in the Skoda. Modern Roll cage for NZ standards is probably not light.
http://digital.adrenalin.co.nz/i/115425-motor-equipment-news-november-2012/43
Base car found in 2011? in NZ barn and purchased for about 200 Euro (NZ$400).

[Mirek]

Thanks but it still doesn't look to be as powerful as real LR. Even with heavier FIA rollcage it's still quite capable car. This is FIA compliant car: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GroGOtcjRg

[Munkvy]

Here is some of the non-APRC car details from the event, particularly interesting to note that the winnning NZRC car was 1536kgs, which is quite a bit more than most of the AP4 car field:

http://www.motorsport.org.nz/sites/default/files/motorsport/technical-reports/Tech%20Report%20NZRC%20Rd2%20Whangarei%20Apr17.pdf

[GravelBen]

Here is some of the non-APRC car details from the event, particularly interesting to note that the winnning NZRC car was 1536kgs, which is quite a bit more than most of the AP4 car field:

http://www.motorsport.org.nz/sites/default/files/motorsport/technical-reports/Tech%20Report%20NZRC%20Rd2%20Whangarei%20Apr17.pdf

Much heavier isn't it, I wonder how that compares to Hunt's Impreza which seems a bit of a fatty.

Surprised Cox's Evo is that much lighter too, from the way they look on the stages I would have expected it to be a lot heavier. Maybe down to driving style too though, quite a contrast between Sloan and Matt there.

[Munkvy]

Much heavier isn't it, I wonder how that compares to Hunt's Impreza which seems a bit of a fatty.

Surprised Cox's Evo is that much lighter too, from the way they look on the stages I would have expected it to be a lot heavier. Maybe down to driving style too though, quite a contrast between Sloan and Matt there.

Ben was 1492kgs at Otago, so not massively different? I think part of it is that the late model sedan body shapes are massive compared to a little compact AP4 car. Sloan has a lot of aftermarket panels etc.

[Zeakiwi]

Charges likely in course opening car crash at Whangarei.
https://tinyurl.com/nxqhgev

[dimviii]

Opens&Tightens‏*@OpensTightens
.@APRCtv #ChinaRally Update
Cancelled again, official reasons: 'logistical considerations'...
Event was due to run on 7th-9th July

[Zeakiwi]

Rally Malaysia - Johor.
http://www.malaysianrally.com/2017/aprc2017/index.asp
2 MRF Skodas,2 Mitsi Mirages, 2 Cusco (Young - Subaru, Sumiyama - Skoda R5), Takale listed in Mirage.

[Munkvy]

Interesting that Cusco have an R5 now to use, I wonder if we will see Young in it. It's about time he had a crack at proving whether he has the pace to be on top. He has done well in the Subaru, but must be hard being in that, competing with R5s.

Also interesting that Takale has now started driving a Mirage. Didn't he do a rally as a co-driver for Young at one stage? I wonder if they could do that again and get Young in the Mirage?

What can be done about the APRC though to make more people want to enter it? It certainly seems to be just a training ground for Skoda these days...? Perhaps a separate class for Group N type cars might encourage more competitors? Or run a more open class like NZRC for the non-FIA cars, to get a few more entrants?

[Zeakiwi]

Young co-drove for Takale in Estonia last July'16. (They finished 5th)
https://www.ewrc-results.com/image/307734/
Malaysia 2017 - pre-event.
https://youtu.be/hhdT6UgVr3E

APRC is unlikely to get back to the days when the likes of Makinen, McRae, Burns etc competed with works cars. APRC is expensive due to the shipping costs/ distances/ logistics, which will always restrict the number of teams doing every round. An aim to probably have the APRC events well supported by local (and close by country) competitors (in fairly rugged safe simple cars) is realistic so the media coverage of events has an adequate viewership justifying the ongoing level of sponsorship.
Proton is likely to be back in 2018 with an R5. Depending on how things, go Cusco might run 2 R5s at some point to simplify the on-event parts inventory.

[Zeakiwi]

OC Veiby with 4 minute lead after stage 6
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DHBBAmaU0AA9iBI.jpg

https://youtu.be/YwaItr4zjec Ketomaa after the mud.

https://twitter.com/MotorsportSkoda/status/896635851228053504 (Veiby in front of Gill, Ketomaa third)

[Rally Power]

Depending on how things, go Cusco might run 2 R5s at some point to simplify the on-event parts inventory.

What happened to Cusco’s Vitz AP4? Btw, can different teams make different AP4 cars from the same base model?

[GravelBen]

...An aim to probably have the APRC events well supported by local (and close by country) competitors (in fairly rugged safe simple cars) is realistic so the media coverage of events has an adequate viewership justifying the ongoing level of sponsorship...

Problem with the idea of shared media coverage for increased viewers is that (with TV coverage especially) it often seems that the different championships have their own independent media licencing agreements etc - for example with Whangarei previously we've had NZRC TV coverage ignoring the APRC cars and APRC coverage ignoring the NZRC field, like they were totally separate events. If you wanted to compare the pace and overall leaderboard you had to go directly into the timing records yourself because nobody mentioned how the top NZRC drivers compared with the APRC guys.

[sollitt]

What happened to Cusco’s Vitz AP4? Btw, can different teams make different AP4 cars from the same base model?

Answer 1. Not a genuine AP4 compliant car. Not eligible for APRC. Withdrawn from use.
Answer 2. The intention of the category, and the way I understand it is being administered in NZ, is that once the first of any particular model was built, all subsequent versions of the same model should be the same. Particularly in the areas of engine and body kit. Most other components are either 'free' or control components. However I cannot find any reference to this intent in the regulations. It may be controlled at the time of initial application to the ASNs.

[Zeakiwi]

M-Part (other than Takale) not in APRC 2018
https://rallysportmag.com/blow-aprc-mpart-departs/