Dennis Andreassend has impressed fans and foes alike by taking out the 2009 Asset Finance New Zealand Offroad Racing National Championship on his BFGoodrich-equipped Cougar Evo.
"What I can assure you is that BFG has clearly improved on a very good thing", Nathan Campbell-Cowie, 4WD Action (1)
Victory for Frenchman Sebastien Ogier on the 2009 Rallye Monte-Carlo has handed the BFGoodrich Drivers Team programme its first outright victory, and on the most prestigious rally of them all, no less! Today's success will go down as a landmark feat in the history of the American tyre brand BFGoodrich.
The BFGoodrich Drivers Team's Sebastien Ogier came through the 2009 Rallye Monte-Carlo's challenging mix of ice and snow to claim victory at the wheel of his Peugeot 207 S2000. The 25- year old completed the three-day event ahead of Belgium's Freddy Lox and fellow Frenchman Stephane Sarrazin to top an all-BFGoodrich and all-Peugeot podium.
The BFGoodrich Drivers Team's representative on the 2009 Rallye Monte-Carlo has taken control at the top of the provisional leaderboard after a dramatic second leg. Belgium's Freddy Loix (Peugeot/BFGoodrich) follows in second place, 32.4 seconds adrift of the Frenchman, while early leader Juho Hanninen (Skoda/BFGoodrich) has fallen back to third, 54.8s down. The list of retirements includes defending IRC champion Nicolas Vouilloz (Peugeot/BFGoodrich).
The BFGoodrich Drivers Team's Sebastien Ogier has emerged from the second day of the 2009 Rallye Monte-Carlo on top of the provisional leaderboard. The 25-year-old French youngster completed Thursday's action with a cushion of more than half a minute over Belgium's Freddy Loix (Peugeot/BFGoodrich), while early pace-setter Juho Hanninen from Finland (Skoda/BFGoodrich) is third, 54.8 seconds behind the new leader. Five stages remain, including the celebrated 'Nuit du Turini' night-time finale, before the finish.
Yesterday, BFGoodrich announced the five rounds of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC) that will make up the calendar of the 2009 BFGoodrich Drivers Team programme. They will be this week's Rallye Monte-Carlo, the Belgium Westhoek Ypres Rally, the Barum Rally Zlin (Czech Republic), the Rallye Sanremo (Italy) and the Rally RACMSA of Scotland.
Competing with the new BFGoodrich All-Terrain tyre, Volkswagen Race Touareg driver Giniel De Villiers scored the first Dakar win of his career today in Buenos Aires. The South African's American team-mate Mark Miller followed him across the line to hand the Volkswagen team a resounding one-two finish on the first Dakar to take place in South America. For cross-country rallying's benchmark tyre brand, BFGoodrich, this year's result takes its total score to nine outright Dakar wins.
The 2009 Intercontinental Rally Challenge kicks off with the world's most famous rally, the Rallye Automobile Monte-Carlo. The 77th edition of this winter classic promises to be a fiercely fought affair, with a route that stretches all the way from the Principality of Monaco to France's Ardeche region and back again. BFGoodrich, whose tyres won the 2006 and 2007 Montes, is more than ready for this year's challenge.
Frenchman Nicolas Vouilloz secured his second victory of the year this weekend by winning the dramafilled Barum Rally in the Czech Republic. His Peugeot Spain team-mate Enrique Garcia Ojeda led for much of the event before handing control to Belgiums Freddy Loix (Abarth/BFGoodrich) at the end of Leg 1. The overnight top-two both hit trouble this morning, however, allowing Vouilloz to steal victory. The result sees Enrique Garcia Ojeda take the lead in the Drivers standings ahead of Andrea Navarra, while Peugeot/BFGoodrich has passed in front of Abarth/BFGoodrich in the Manufacturers classification. The next round takes competitors to Italy next month for the celebrated Sanremo Rally.
After the new record for the highest number of wins on the same rally set by Marcus Gronholm earlier in the month in Finland, this weekend could well see Sebastien Loeb established a new benchmark for the highest number of consecutive wins on the same WRC event. The Citroen C4 WRC/BFGoodrich driver stands to make it six in a row in Germany, an event on which tyre choices are traditionally difficult owing to the often changeable weather encountered on the banks of the Mosel River and in the Hunsruck and Saarland regions.
BFGoodrichs Intercontinental Rally Challenge partners will be ideally shod as the series heads to the Czech Republic and the town of Zlin, home to footwear giant Bata. The seasons sixth round could well mark a turning point in the fight for both titles since the top-two in the Manufacturers and Drivers standings are currently split by a single point. The advantage is currently in favour of Abarth/BFGoodrich ahead of Peugeot/BFGoodrich in the former, while the latter is topped by Italian Andrea Navarra who leads Spains Enrique Garcia Ojeda.
BFGoodrich Tires, the official tyre sponsor for the 2007 Australian SAFARI, is geared up for the battle of speed and lunacy, crossing the extremes of the Western Australian outback. This is the king of all off-road races in Australia, with the 2007 event presenting the 23rd year since the first ever SAFARI. Besides navigating hundreds of kilometres of treacherous terrain at a white-knuckle pace, off-road competitors also have to overcome logistical conundrums, wandering livestock and some of Australias toughest outback.
With just days to go before the start of the 2007 Rugby World Cup, the World Rally Championship heads to a country steeped in rugby tradition for the 11th round of the season. New Zealands stages are considered to be amongst the finest and most technical challenging of the season. Meanwhile, this fixture is practically a second home for the Finns, but Sebastien Loeb and Petter Solberg have also enjoyed their moment of glory here, as has BFGoodrich which secured its first world title in rallying in Hamilton last year in association with its partner Ford.
The 2007 Rally New Zealand will doubtlessly be remembered for many years to come. The event was won by Finlands Marcus Gronholm (Ford/BFGoodrich) who finished just three tenths of a second clear of Sebastien Loeb (Citroen/BFGoodrich) after 353.56km of stages, making it the narrowest ever winning margin in WRC history. Gronholms fifth success of the year gives him a 10-point lead over Loeb in the Drivers championship, while Ford/BFGoodrich goes even further clear in Manufacturers standings.
BFGoodrich Tires continued its off-road supremacy in Australia this past week as the 2007 Australian SAFARI concluded. The legendary event over burning sand and vehicle-killing rocks and gullies saw a total domination with BFGoodrich Tires. Taking a clean sweep of the podium and holding 7 of the top 10 places in the event. The top 5 finishers all competed on BFGoodrich Tires and recorded no punctures!
Round 7 of the 2007 Intercontinental Rally Challenge promises to set the scene for a thrilling showdown not only between the Peugeot 207 S2000 and Abarth Grande Punto S2000 camps - the lions and the scorpions - but also between BFGoodrich and its Italian rival. In the chase for the Drivers title, Spains Enrique Garcia Ojeda (Peugeot/BFGoodrich) will be out to maintain his edge over Andrea Navarra (Abarth/BFGoodrich) who will have the advantage of home ground. The Sanremo also counts towards the Italian Championship in which Giandomenico Basso (Abarth/BFGoodrich) is targeting a second consecutive crown.
After a months break in September, which was marked by the sad news of the death of Colin McRae (1995 World Champion, 25 WRC wins), WRC action resumes next weekend on the Costa Daurada in Spain where asphalt experts Sebastien Loeb, Dani Sordo and Francois Duval(Citroen/BFGoodrich) will be looking to see off Ford/BFGoodrichs Mikko Hirvonen and the soon-to-retire Marcus Gronholm.
BFGoodrich runners monopolised the podium of the legendary Sanremo Rally, the seventh round of the 2007 Intercontinental Rally Challenge, thanks to Luca Rossetti (Peugeot 207 S2000) who took the laurels ahead of Giandomenico Basso (Abarth Grande Punto) and Nicolas Vouilloz (Peugeot 207 S2000). The Frenchman put in a superb run to go equal second in the Drivers points table, seven points behind his team-mate Enrique Garcia Ojeda. BFGoodrich is now also certain of claiming the Italian title: thanks to the victory of Rossetti and the second place of Basso this weekend, the American tyre brand cannot be beaten* with two rounds remaining
First place for Sebastien Loeb/Daniel Elena and second spot for Dani Sordo/Marc Marti ensured yet another one-two success for Citroen/BFGoodrich on the asphalt of Catalonia. The Citroen pair left no hope for Ford Focus/BFGoodrichs Marcus Gronholm and Mikko Hirvonen who followed in third and fourth places respectively. Sebastien Loebs 35th world class win takes him to within six points of Gronholm in the Drivers championship, while Ford/BFGoodrich continues to top the provisional Manufacturers standings going into next weekends Tour de Corse in France.
Just four days after the finish ceremony of the RallyRACC Catalunya, which ended in a Citroen/BFGoodrich one-two for Sebastien Loeb and Dani Sordo, Thursday will see the World Rally Championships stars line up for the start of next weekends Rallye de France-Tour de Corse. Loeb will be looking for another win on his home event in an attempt to edge even closer to Marcus Gronholm who currently tops the Drivers championship standings by six points.
Sebastien Loeb and Daniel Elena (Citroen/BFGoodrich) collected their third consecutive Rally de France - Tour de Corse win today in Ajaccio, Corsica. The Citroen pairs seventh success of the year also sees them reduce their deficit to Drivers championship leader Marcus Gronholm (2nd, Ford/BFGoodrich) to just four points. Dani Sordo (Citroen/BFGoodrich) was once again on the podium, while Swedens P-G. Andersson clinched the BFGoodrich-backed FIA Junior Championship.
A little more than a year after their thrilling battle on the Japanese stages and Loebs win by a slender 5.6 seconds in 2006, Marcus Gronholm (Ford/BFGoodrich) and Sebastien Loeb (Citroen/BFGoodrich) return to the scene of that clash split by just four points in the 2007 Drivers championship standings. This seasons visit to Japan consequently promises to be just as heart stopping and, quite possibly, decisive.
Intercontinental Rally Challenge competitors will be back in action again on Thursday in the region of Martigny, Switzerland, which will host the Rallye International du Valais. The penultimate round of the year could well decide the outcome of one or both titles. Spains Enrique Garcia Ojeda (Peugeot/BFGoodrich) currently tops the Drivers standings ahead of Andrea Navarra (Abarth/BFGoodrich) and Nicolas Vouilloz (Peugeot/BFGoodrich) who are equal second. Any one of these three drivers can to still hope to clinch the 2007 crown.
BFGoodrich was the preferred rubber of the competitors in last weekends three national off-road events in New South Wales and Queensland, including the CCDA Winch Challenge, 2007 Ozrock Series and Australian Off-Road Championship.
With Marcus Gronholm (Ford/BFGoodrich) and Sebastien Loeb (Citroen/BFGoodrich) both going off in Japan, it was back to square one this weekend for the top-two in the championship chase as Ford/BFGoodrichs Mikko Hirvonen picked up his second win of the season. The duel between the two challengers for the 2007 title, who are still split by four points (in Gronholms favour), will now resume on mid-Novembers all-asphalt Rally Ireland, a new addition to WRC the calendar and penultimate round of this year’s championship.
Nicolas Vouilloz led the 2007 Rallye du Valais in Switzerland practically from start to finish to secure his third IRC win of the year after his earlier successes in Turkey and the Czech Republic. The Frenchman was briefly dislodged from the top of the leaderboard by his Peugeot/BFGoodrich team-mate Enrique Garcia-Ojeda who took command three stages from home. The Spaniard chose to lift on the final test, however, to make sure of the Drivers title as Vouilloz recovered to win by 6.5s. The Peugeot pairs onetwo finish clinched the 2007 IRC title for Peugeot/BFGoodrich*, while the Drivers title will go to Garcia-Ojeda if, as expected, neither he nor Vouilloz makes the trip out to China for the final round. Abarths Umberto Scandola and Freddy Loix crossed the line in third and fourth places to make it an all- BFGoodrich top-four.
The last round of the 2007 Intercontinental Rally Challenge is based in Longyou, China, although neither Peugeot nor Abarth have decided to make the long trip out to this Chinese city which is situated to the south of Shanghai. This years IRC Drivers and Manufacturers crowns are consequently highly likely to become the property of Spains Enrique Garcia Ojeda and Peugeot/BFGoodrich. The Rally China also counts towards the 2007 FIA Asia-Pacific Championship and the final clash between Subaru and Mitsubishi promises to be a particularly thrilling encounter.
The final round of the 2007 Intercontinental Rally Challenge, which took place this weekend in China, did little to change the positions at the sharp end of either the Drivers or Manufacturers points tables which consequently conclude as they were after the recent Rallye du Valais in Switzerland. Subject to publication of the official results, Enrique Garcia-Ojeda and Peugeot are consequently the 2007 IRC champions with BFGoodrich.
Sebastien Loeb (Citroen/BFGoodrich) and Marcus Gonholm (Ford/BFGoodrich) both returned from their recent visit to Japan without adding to their respective points scores, which means that Rally Ireland - the penultimate round of the season - could well prove decisive in the fight for the 2007 crowns. On the Drivers front, Gronholm still enjoys a four-point cushion over Loeb, while in the Manufacturers championship BP-Ford WRT/BFGoodrich could possibly wrap up the title this weekend. For BFGoodrich, Rally Ireland will mark the end of an era, that of the ultra-competitive asphalt rally tyre and of tyre strategies in the World Rally Championship.
Fourth place for Mikko Hirvonen in Ireland was sufficient to hand BP-Ford and BFGoodrich tyres their second consecutive Manufacturers crown, although this was perhaps the only silver lining on the Ford squads otherwise grey horizon this weekend after its No1 driver Marcus Gronholm crashed out on Friday morning. The Finns misfortune has enabled Sebastien Loeb (Citroen/BFGoodrich) to regain the lead in the Drivers standings with a cushion of six points and just one round remaining. The Frenchman collected his 36th world class win, overcoming the terrible conditions to beat his team-mate Dani Sordo and Finland’s Jari-Matti Latvala (Ford/BFGoodrich) who claimed the first WRC podium finish of his career.
After securing two world titles in 2006 with Loeb and Ford, and while we wait for the final outcome in this years World Rally Championship, not to mention the FIAs verdict regarding the official result of the 2007 European Rally Championship, BFGoodrich recently added two more crowns to its record thanks to its IRC titles* with Enrique Garcia-Ojeda and Peugeot. In 2008, the tyre brand is poised to reinforce its presence in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge, while at the same time increasing its involvement in various national championships.
BFGoodrich Tires adventure in the World Rally Championship, which began on the 2006 Monte Carlo Rally, is due to come to an end after this weekends Wales Rally GB with a score of four world titles and, potentially, 32 world class wins to its name. BFGoodrichs commitment to the sport will continue, however, through its presence in the fast expanding Intercontinental Rally Challenge and in national championships through the ranks of which rose the likes of Sebastien Loeb. Should Gronholm win in Wales, the Frenchman only needs to finish fifth to secure his fourth consecutive world title.
Finishing the 2007 Wales Rally GB was sufficient for Sebastien Loeb and Daniel Elena (Citroen/BFGoodrich) to collect their fourth consecutive world title to join Finlands Tommi Makinen in world rallyings record books. The 2007 seasons final showdown was won by Mikko Hirvonen ahead of his Ford/BFGoodrich team-mate Marcus Gronholm (Ford/BFGoodrich) who was contesting the 150th and last WRC rally of his career. BFGoodrich bows out of the World Championship with two more trophies to its name thanks to Loeb and BP-Ford who sewed up the Manufacturers title a fortnight ago.
In the course of its uninterrupted presence of 34 years in the FIA World Rally Championship, the Michelin Group has scored 256 victories, won 23 Manufacturers titles and claimed 20 Drivers crowns in association with the partners of its brands Michelin and BFGoodrich.
A number of drivers are to be given the opportunity to contest their home round of the IRC (Intercontinental Rally Challenge) in 2008. The drivers chosen will compete in a Kronos-run Peugeot 207 Super 2000 with full, professional technical support.
BFGoodrich tyres will take the start of the most celebrated rally raid in the world on January 5, the 30th Euromilhoes Dakar Rally. In total, the tyre company has won the event eight times, including six consecutive victories with Mitsubishi.
Since its debut on the rallyraid scene in 1972, BFGoodrich has emerged as the disciplines benchmark tyre brand. Its record today boasts eight Dakar wins since 1999 and it has just won the Cross-Country Rally World Cup for the 10th time. BFGoodrich has every intention of defending and developing its domination thanks to the strong relationships it enjoys with the different teams involved. The 2008 Euromilhoes Dakar starts on January 5 and the two track days organised recently near Ales, France, in association with Mitsubishi - and attended by Luc Alphand and Nani Roma - provided a first class opportunity to take a look at the vital role tyres play in off-road competition.
Over the years, the trophy cabinets of champions become packed with the different medals and cups they claim on their way to glory. As it bowed out of the WRC, BFGoodrich chose to mark the occasion by thanking the crews that brought it so many wins and titles with an original prize: personalised coloured tyres.
The A.S.O., the organising body of the Dakar Rally, announced on the morning of January 4 that this years event will not go ahead.
The second year of the IRC(Intercontinental Rally Challenge), which was launched in 2006, saw BFGoodrich tyres win every one of the events they contested. Next year will see BFGoodrich step up its involvement in the IRC in the form of additional support to those rally organisers who are interested in the series and a strengthening of its team of technicians to work with its partners on events. Tyres are often decisive in rallying and the fact that BFGoodrich uses customer competition tyres in the IRC does nothing to detract from their vital role, and getting tyre choice right remains as crucial as ever. Nicolas Vouilloz and the Peugeot 207 Super 2000 gave a superb illustration of this at the two track days organised by BFGoodrich at the end of 2007 at the Pole Mecanique dAles in the south of France.
BFGoodrich and Kronos Racing will offer a free drive to an up-and-coming national driver on the Intercontinental Rally Challenges Vodafone Rally de Portugal from May 8-10.
From Byzantium to the Peoples Republic The 2008 Intercontinental Rally Challenge is poised to kick off in Istanbul on April 4, marking the start of the series second season which is scheduled to end in China next November. This years IRC promises to be a thrilling affair, with the factory Abarth team looking to win back the Manufacturers title from Peugeot, while the top European drivers can expect stiff opposition from several former World Championship stars in the battle for the Drivers crown.
Italian driver Luca Rossetti completed the first leg of the Istanbul Rally, opening round of the 2008 Intercontinental Rally Challenge, on top of the provisional standings ahead of 2002 Junior World Champion Dani Sola (Abarth, +37.2 seconds) and 2007 IRC runner-up Nicolas Vouilloz (+51.9 seconds). It turned out to be a difficult day for the factory Abarth/BFGoodrich runners, with Alen ending the afternoon in fifth position and Basso a lowly 17th after rolling.
Luca Rossetti and his co-driver Matteo Chiarcossi (Peugeot 207 S2000/BFGoodrich) continued their unbeaten run in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge by securing their third victory from three starts in the series. The Italian pair finished the Istanbul Rally ahead of the similar Peugeot/BFGoodrich of Nicolas Vouilloz/Nicolas Klinger, while Finlands Anton Alen and Timo Alenne took third place with their Abarth/BFGoodrich. The second round of the 2008 IRC will see the series move on to Portugal (May 8-10).
A vote today in Lisbon, Portugal, has resulted in the nominated of Miguel Campos as the driver who will compete in the colours of the BFGoodrich Drivers Team on the Vodafone Rally de Portugal (May 8-10, 2008), second round of the 2008 Intercontinental Rally Challenge, at the wheel of a Kronos-run Peugeot 207 S2000. The Automobile Club du Portugal (ACP) received no fewer than 48 applications and a shortlist of three drivers was initially drawn up by BFGoodrich and Kronos. The final phase in the process saw Miguel Campos unanimously elected by a jury comprising 14 representatives of the Portuguese media. Miguel will get his first chance to drive the car at a special test session near Faro, Portugal, on May 5.
Spains Carlos Sainz has won the first running of the Central Europe Rally ahead of Stephane Peterhansel (Mitsubishi / BFGoodrich) after a final day of suspense. With six victories in seven legs, the Volkswagen / BFGoodrich team has dominated the event. The German, Dieter Depping (VW / BFGoodrich) finished third to make it a 100% BFGoodrich podium.
The people of Portugal have long been passionate about their motor sport and BFGoodrich has notched up an impressive list of international successes in the country on events like the Rally Transiberico, the Vodafone Rally de Portugal and the Rali Vinho Madeira, as well as on the Dakar which started from the capital, Lisbon, in recent years. The Vodafone Rally de Portugal counted towards the World Rally Championship in 2007 and this year sees it figure on the calendar of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge, using a practically identical route which stands out as perhaps the toughest of the season for tyres.
Portugals Miguel Campos, the first driver to be selected to represent the BFGoodrich Drivers Team this year, was given an opportunity to test the Kronos Racing-run Peugeot 207 Super 2000 near Faro, Portugal, on Monday.
Miguel Campos, winner of the BFGoodrich Drivers Team operation for the Vodafone Rally de Portugal, completed the opening leg of his home event in 10th position at the wheel of his Peugeot 207 S2000, ahead of the 2002 Junior World Champion Dani Sola and just 2.7 seconds behind the 2006 European Rally Championship Giandomenico Basso.
Following his win last month in Turkey, Luca Rossetti has emerged as the overnight leader at the end of the 2008 Vodafone Rally de Portugals opening leg. The Italian heads Nicolas Vouilloz (Peugeot/BFGoodrich) by 2.4 seconds and Francois Duval (Abarth/BFGoodrich) by 15.7s, while Miguel Campos (Peugeot/BFGoodrich Drivers Team) is 10th.
Miguel Campos and Paulo Babo were lying eighth overall with their BFGoodrich and Portugal-liveried Peugeot 207 S2000 on this weekends Vodafone Rally de Portugal when they were cruelly sidelined 45km from home on the road section back to the end of rally parc ferme in the Algarve Stadium. The next port of call for the BFGoodrich Drivers Team operation is the Rallye dYpres (June 27-28). The driver for the Belgian event will be named on May 28.
The only round of the 2008 FIA Cross-Country Rally World Cup to take place on European soil features a 2,743km route through Portugal and Spain, and will start near Estoril, Portugal, on Wednesday May 21. BFGoodrichs partners on the event include the factory Mitsubishi Ralliart squad which has entered Pajero MPR13s for Stephane Peterhansel and Luc Alphand, plus a new diesel-powered MPR14 for Nani Roma.
BFGoodrich is delighted with the success of the 2008 BFGoodrich Drivers Team operation in Belgium. By the closing date for applications on April 30, the Royal Automobile Club Belgium (RACB) had received 54 dossiers from crews wishing to fly the BFGoodrich Drivers Teams colours on the forthcoming Belgium Ypres Westhoek Rally (June 26-28). In view of the high number of applications received, BFGoodrich has decided to extend the final shortlist from three to five drivers.
The second edition of the Rallye Transsyberia will run from July 11 until July 25, 2008, via a route of more than 7,000km stretching between Moscow and the Mongolian capital Ulan Bator. The American tyre brand BFGoodrich will be a partner of the specially-prepared Porsche Cayenne Ss entered for this unique competition.
This afternoon saw Luc Alphand and Gilles Picard claim victory in the 2008 Rali Vodafone Transiberico, round two of this years FIA Cross-Country Rally World Cup. BFGoodrichs new All-Terrain tyre won five of the nine stages - most of which were run in particularly treacherous conditions – in the hands of Nasser Al-Attiyah (2nd, BMW) and Stephane Peterhansel (5th, Mitsubishi).
Voting took place yesterday in Brussels, Belgium, to decide who would carry the colours of the BFGoodrich Drivers Team in the Kronos-run Peugeot 207 S2000 on next months Belgium Ypres Westhoek Rally (June 27-28), round three of the 2008 Intercontinental Rally Challenge.
Patrick Snijers, the latest recruit to the BFGoodrich Drivers Team, had his first run in the Kronos Racing Peugeot 207 S2000 yesterday, on a test stage close to Ypres in Belgium.
The third round of the 2008 Intercontinental Rally Challenge takes crews to Flanders for the Belgium Ypres Westhoek Rally. Formerly known as the 24 Heures dYpres, this event has long been one of the flagship fixtures of the European Rally Championship and first featured in the IRC calendar in 2007. In addition to its huge popularity, its stages are extremely specific, with a cocktail of narrow, slippery roads that often combine with unsettled weather to make tyre choice particularly difficult, and even a gamble at times. Meanwhile, Patrick Snijers will make his 30th Rallye dYpres appearance in the colours of the BFGoodrich Drivers Team.
Patrick Snijers, who was selected to represent the BFGoodrich Drivers Team on this weekend's Belgium Ypres Westhoek Rally, ended his home event in fifth place overall at the wheel of his Peugeot 207 S2000. The third phase of the 2008 BFGoodrich Drivers Team operation will be the Czech Republic's Barum Rally Zlin at the end of August.
A fifth win for Freddy Loix on the Belgium Ypres Westhoek Rally not only saw the local hero notch up his maiden Intercontinental Rally Challenge victory but it also enabled him to emerge as the most successful driver in the history of his home event. At the wheel of his Peugeot 207 S2000 equipped with BFGoodrich tyres, Loix headed home his Peugeot-Belux team-mate Nicolas Vouilloz by almost a minute, while last year's winner Luca Rossetti finished third in his similar Peugeot/BFGoodrich. Patrick Snijers, the BFGoodrich Drivers Team's representative in Belgium, finished an excellent fifth overall.
Patrick Snijers, who is the BFGoodrich Drivers Team driver on this weekend's Belgium Ypres Westhoek Rally, ended the opening day of the event in a particularly promising fifth place, just a handful of seconds off the overnight podium.
Freddy Loix and his Peugeot 207 S2000/BFGoodrich profited from the opening leg of the 2008 Belgium Ypres Westhoek Rally to claim five of the day's six stages. The Belgian driver tops the overnight leaderboard by a margin of 21.9 seconds over his Peugeot/BFGoodrich team-mate Nicolas Vouilloz, and is 49s clear of works Abarth/BFGoodrich driver Giandomenico Basso. The BFGoodrich Drivers Team representative Patrick Snijers is an excellent fifth, on the same minute as the provisional leader.
RUSSIA - Intercontinental Rally Challenge (round 4 of 10) July 10-12, 2008
Juho Hanninen was clearly well inspired when he decided to make the trip across the border to try his luck on the Russia Rally, round four of this year's Intercontinental Rally Challenge. Driving a Kronosprepared Peugeot 207 S2000, the Finn hit the ground running to pull out an early advantage over Italy's Giandomenico Basso (Abarth Punto S2000/BFGoodrich) and Czech Republic driver Jan Kopecky (Peugeot 207 S2000/BFGoodrich).
Following the two recent visits to the plains and forests of northern Europe, the Intercontinental Rally Challenge heads back to the Atlantic Ocean, the destination this time being volcanic Madeira for the Rali Vinho Madeira. The sixth round of the 2008 IRC will feature the Portuguese island's usual steep and twisty roads divided into 21 challenging stages, as well as a strong chance of unsettled weather. BFGoodrich runners will have four variants of the g-Force Profiler available to help them cope with whatever conditions they encounter.
After emerging on top in Russia at the end of Day 1, Juho Hanninen profited from today's drama-packed second leg to extend his advantage at the top of the leaderboard. Russia's Novikov (2nd, Subaru/BFGoodrich) has eased into second spot, while Finnish driver Anton Alén (3rd, Abarth/BFGoodrich) has managed to fight his way back on to the provisional podium. All the BFGoodrich runners used the new g-Force Gravel Z4 tyre.
As in 2007, victory over the gravel stages of Rally Russia (round four of the 2008 Intercontinental Rally Challenge) went to a Flying Finn, this time in the person of Juho Hanninen. The Peugeot 207 S2000/BFGoorich driver outclassed all his rivals to finish with a lead of more than two minutes over compatriot Anton Alén (Abarth/BFGoodrich). The new g-Force Gravel Z4 saw BFGoodrich runners monopolise the top-eight overall.
BFGoodrich's new cross-country rally tyre – the All-Terrain – is to equip the three Mitsubishi Pajero Evos and the two factory BMW X3 CCs entered on the 25th anniversary Baja Espana where the discipline's benchmark tyre brand will be looking to pursue the new product's development as it prepares for the 2009 Dakar.
BFGoodrich is delighted with the success of the 2008 BFGoodrich Drivers Team operation in Czech Republic. By the closing date for applications on July 15, Mediasport agency had received 24 dossiers from crews wishing to fly the BFGoodrich Drivers Team's colours on the forthcoming Barum Rally Zlin (August 22- 24). On July 24, at Prague, the local media will take part in a secret vote to select the crew that will be given the opportunity to contest Czech Republic's round of the IRC.
Voting took place today in Prague, Czech Republic, to decide who would carry the colours of the BFGoodrich Drivers Team in the Kronos-run Peugeot 207 S2000 on next month's Barum Rally Zlin (August 22-24), round six of the 2008 Intercontinental Rally Challenge.
Driving his works BMW X3 CC equipped with BFGoodrich's new All-Terrain tyre, Nasser Al-Attiyah produced a resounding win on this weekend's Baja Espana. The Qatar-based driver finished ahead of Spain's Nani Roma (Mitsubishi Pajero Evo/BFGoodrich) who was the only driver of the three-car Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart line-up to reach the finish.
The 2007 IRC runner-up Nicolas Vouilloz completed the opening day of this weekend's Rali Vinho Madeira on top of the provisional leaderboard ahead of local hero Alexandre Camacho (Peugeot/BFGoodrich) and the two-time European Champion Renato Travaglia (Abarth/BFGoodrich), while Portugal's Bruno Magalhaes (Peugeot/BFGoodrich) dominated until the penultimate stage. BFGoodrich drivers monopolise the overnight top-ten after running the hard compound g-Force Profiler A10.
Nicolas Vouilloz and his co-driver Nicolas Klinger took victory at the wheel of their BFGoodrich-equipped Peugeot 207 S2000 on this weekend's Rali Vinho Madeira, round five of the 2008 Intercontinental Rally Challenge. The result marks the Peugeot-Belgium-Luxembourg crew's first win of the season and takes them clear at the top of the provisional Drivers' standings. Italy's Giandomenico Basso (Abarth/BFGoodrich), who has this event twice, snatched second spot from the hands of local hero Alexandre Camacho (Peugeot/BFGoodrich) on the final stage. The hard compound g-Force Profiler A10 was unanimously praised by the BFGoodrich runners.
Pavel Valousek, the latest recruit to the BFGoodrich Drivers Team, had his first run in the Kronos Racing Peugeot 207 S2000 yesterday, on a test stage close to Namur in Belgium.
RALLYE SANREMO: After receiving 48 applications in Portugal, 54 in Belgium and 24 in the Czech Republic, BFGoodrich is delighted with the success the BFGoodrich Drivers Team has encountered in Italy, its fourth port of call. When entries for the operation closed on August 1, the Commissione Sportive Automobilistica Italiana (CSAI) had received 133 applications from crews wishing to fly the BFGoodrich Drivers Team's flag on September's Rallye Sanremo.
Zlin, in the southeast of the Czech Republic, grew up essentially around the company founded byfootwear magnate Tomas Bata. Today, it is also known as the host city of the Barum Rally Zlin, thesixth round of this year's Intercontinental Rally Challenge. In this region where the shoe industryreigns supreme, the top IRC stars will be counting on their BFGoodrich soles to provide them with the necessary grip to perform over the event's asphalt stages which are covered at average speeds of more than 110kph.
BARUM RALLY ZLIN, Intercontinental Rally Challenge (round 6 of 10) - Pavel Valousek completed the opening day of the 2008 Barum Rally Zlin in fifth position with his BFGoodrich Drivers Team Peugeot 207 S2000, just a handful of seconds behind the defending IRC Champion.
BARUM RALLY ZLIN - Peugeot-Belux team-mates Freddy Loix and Nicolas Vouilloz emerged as the dominating forces throughout the opening day of the 2008 Barum Rally Zlin which turned out to be a nightmare for local stars Roman Kresta (Peugeot/BFGoodrich) and Vaclav Pech (Mitsubishi/BFGoodrich).
BARUM RALLY ZLIN Intercontinental Rally Challenge (round 6 of 10) Like Patrick Snijers in Ypres last June who finished fifth, Pavel Valousek came fourth on this weekend's Barum Rally Zlin after narrowly failing to secure a podium finish with his Kronos-prepared BFGoodrich-backed Peugeot 207 S2000. In addition to the Czech driver's first class result, the BFGoodrich Drivers Team operation turned out to be a big hit again with the fans who turned out in their thousands to cheer on Pavel Valousek and his codriver Zdenek Hruza. The programme's fourth outing in three weeks' time will see the BFGoodrich Drivers Team move on to Spain for the Rally Principe de Asturias.
BARUM RALLY ZLIN Final Report - Following his victory on home soil in Ypres, Freddy Loix has added a second success to his 2008 record thanks to an emphatic win on this weekend's Barum Rally Zlin. As in Belgium last June, his team-mate Nicolas Vouilloz followed him across the line in second place to claim a one-two finish for Peugeot Belux, while fellow Frenchman Bryan Bouffier made it an all-Peugeot/BFGoodrich podium. The BFGoodrich Drivers Team operation was a resounding success again with Pavel Valousek securing fourth place overall.
No fewer than 41 crews have applied to the Real Federacion Espanola de Automovilismo to defend the BFGoodrich Drivers Team's colours on the forthcoming Rally Principe de Asturias (September 11-13, 2008). In addition to being a success on the stages for the drivers selected to represent the BFGoodrich Drivers Team, the programme has been enthusiastically greeted by rally fans in all the countries where it has been run so far this year. BFGoodrich itself is extremely pleased with the way this unique operation has gone to date.
Last Friday in Udine, Italy, some 100km from the magnificent city of Venice, 24-year old Andrea Torlasco was selected to defend the BFGoodrich Drivers Team's colours on September's Rallye Sanremo (September 25-27), the eighth round of the 2008 Intercontinental Rally Challenge.The BFGoodrich Drivers Team operation is proving extremely popular in Italy and no fewer than 133 applications were received for the drive by the country's national motor sport governing body (CSAI).
Fifteen Spanish journalists gathered along with representatives of BFGoodrich and Kronos Racing in Madrid last Friday to nominate Sergio Vallejo as the Spaniard who will defend the colours of the BFGoodrich Drivers Team on the Rally Principe de Asturias, the next round of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge (September 11-13, 2008.)
Spaniard Sergio Vallejo, who has been chosen to represent the BFGoodrich Drivers Team on his home round of the 2008 Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC), was given a chance to test drive the Kronos Racing Peugeot 207 S2000 Monday near Santander, Spain.
Driving a petrol version of the Mitsubishi Pajero Evolution, Frenchman Stéphane Peterhansel took victory in this week's PAX Rally, the second event of the newly-created Dakar Series 2008, following a dramatic finale which saw him snatch victory from the grasp of Carlos Sainz (VW/BFGoodrich) who had topped the leaderboard since Day 2! Peterhansel and Sainz – who were split by just 16 seconds at the flag – were joined on the podium by Luc Alphand (3rd, Mitsubishi/BFGoodrich). The factory BFGoodrich teams used both of the two types of tyre made available to them by the American brand, namely the new All-Terrain and the Rock T/A.
Wet, extremely unsettled weather ensured that tyres were the main topic of conversation for most of the first leg of the 2008 Rally Principe de Asturias, with tyre calls especially complex for the final loop. After more than 130km of competitive action, Nicolas Vouilloz (Peugeot/BFGoodrich) and Giandomenico Basso (Abarth/BFGoodrich) are exactly level at the top the this evening's leaderboard. Freddy Loix follows in third place, 24.5s down, while Sergio Vallejo figures inside the provisional top-ten at the wheel of the BFGoodrich Drivers Team Peugeot 207 S2000.
The long opening leg of the 2008 Rally Principe de Asturias - which was made complex by the day's extremely changeable weather - saw the BFGoodrich Drivers Team representative Sergio Vallejo finish ninth overall in his Peugeot 207 S2000. The second leg on Saturday features a programme of more than 80km of competitive action and is shaping up to produce a thrilling scrap between Vallejo and his fellow Spaniards Luis Monzon and Alberto Hevia.
Sergio and Diego Vallejo, who were chosen to defend BFGoodrich Drivers Team's colours on this weekend's Rally Principe de Asturias, bagged a highly commendable seventh place at the end of the Spanish event which was marked by appalling weather conditions. The result enables the Spanish brothers to regain the lead in their home championship with three rounds remaining. The next port-of-call for the BFGoodrich Drivers Team programme in two weeks' time is the Rally Sanremo, Italy, where Andrea Torlasco will take his turn behind the wheel of the now-familiar BFGoodrich Drivers Team Peugeot 207 S2000.
The 2006 European Champion Giandomenico Basso and the factory Abarth/BFGoodrich team claimed their first win of the 2008 Intercontinental Rally Challenge today after a particularly wet Rally Principe de Asturias during which tyre choices were both complex and decisive. The Italian eased ahead on Saturday morning to finish clear of Peugeot-Belux/BFGoodrich's Nicolas Vouilloz and Freddy Loix, who in turn has moved into second place behind his team - mate in the championship standings. Sergio Vallejo steered the BFGoodrich Drivers Team Peugeot 207 S2000 to a points-scoring seventh place. The result will be a welcome boost for Giandomenico Basso going into his home round of IRC, the 50th Rally Sanremo.
Spaniard Sergio Vallejo, who has been chosen to represent the BFGoodrich DriversTeam on his home round of the 2008 Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC), was givena chance to test drive the Kronos Racing Peugeot 207 S2000 Monday near Santander, Spain.
Following its dropping from the WRC in 2004, the 50th edition of the legendary Rallye Sanremo will take place within the framework of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge. In the course of its glittering history, the Italian fixture has been the scene of many landmark moments at both world class and national levels, from the Lancia era to Miki Biasion's title-winning year, and from the Peugeot 'affair' to Michèle Mouton's triumph in 1981. Tyre brand BFGoodrich, which will have many partners in action this weekend, and which has also entered a Peugeot 207 S2000 in the colours of the BFGoodrich Drivers Team, is proud to be a major player of the 50th Rallye Sanremo.
Andrea Torlasco, 24, finished his maiden attempt at the Rallye Sanremo in a four-wheel drive car in ninth position. The young Italian learnt quickly with his Kronos-prepared, BFGoodrichequipped Peugeot 207 S2000 and made visible progress over the weekend, culminating in a fourth fastest time on the final stage. All five ports of call of the 2008 BFGoodrich Drivers Team operation – which was organised by BFGoodrich with the support of Kronos Racing and the different national motor sport governing bodies involved – met with tremendous success, both on the stages and with rally fans.
Factory Abarth driver Giandomenico Basso has followed up his recent win in Spain with further success in the 2008 Intercontinental Rally Challenge, this time on the stages of the Rallye Sanremo. The result takes the Italian into second place in the Drivers' standings behind Nicolas Vouilloz (Peugeot/BFGoodrich) who was second this weekend. Fellow Peugeot/BFGoodrich driver Luca Rossetti finished third to secure the 2008 Italian title, while Peugeot has succeeded in keeping the IRC Manufacturers' crown thanks to the points scored during the year by BFGoodrich-equipped Peugeot 207 S2000s. The new hard compound BFGoodrich g-Force Profiler helped the tyre firm's partners to monopolise the top-five places at the end of what turned out to be a fiercely-fought Rallye Sanremo.
Like Sergio Vallejo before him on the recent Rally Principe de Asturias, Andrea Torlasco – the driver chosento represent the BFGoodrich Drivers Team on this weekend's Rallye Sanremo – completed the first of the event's two legs in ninth position at the wheel of his Kronos-prepared Peugeot 207 S2000.
The final European fixture of the 2008 Intercontinental Rally Challenge takes competitors to the Alpine stages of the Rallye International du Valais in Switzerland. Although Peugeot has already wrapped up this year's Manufacturers' title, two drivers can still hope to take the Drivers' crown. Nicolas Vouilloz has the advantage, but Giandomenico Basso will be waiting to pounce on the slightest mistake by the French driver to ensure that the fight goes down to the wire in China.
Following its introduction in the course of 2008, BFGoodrich's new All-Terrain tyre, which won July's Baja Espana, is to make its final competitive appearances this year on Portugal's Baja Portalegre 500 and on the UAE Desert Challenge (United Arab Emirates) which both take place at the end of October/early November.
BFGoodrich tyres succeeded in securing their 11th FIA Cross-Country Rally World Cup this weekend thanks to BMW X3 CC driver Nasser Al-Attiyah, winner of the 2008 UAE Desert Challenge. In Portugal, meanwhile, Stephane Peterhansel gave the brand new Mitsubishi Racing Lancer/BFGoodrich its first win out of the box.
BFGoodrich has today confirmed that the BFGoodrich Drivers Team programme, which was organised for the first time this year, will be run again in 2009.
BFGoodrich and Kronos Racing, in association with the FFSA (Federation Francaise du Sport Automobile) and the ACM (Automobile Club de Monaco), will be offering a drive to a French driver on the occasion of the opening round of the 2009 Intercontinental Rally Challenge, the Rallye Automobile Monte-Carlo (January 21-24).
With the 2008 IRC's Manufacturers' and Drivers' crowns safely in the hands of Peugeot and Nicolas Vouilloz, one last trophy remained to be settled on the final round of the calendar in China, where Italy's Marco Cavigioli (Fiat Punto/BFGoodrich) succeeded in claiming the newly-created Two-Wheel Drive Cup in association with BFGoodrich.
A number of weeks ago, and in association with the FFSA (Federation Francaise du Sport Automobile) and Kronos Racing, BFGoodrich announced its intention to offer a French or Monegasque driver a chance to drive the BFGoodrich Drivers Team Peugeot 207 Super 2000 on the 2009 Rallye Automobile Monte-Carlo which runs from January 21 to 24.
"The Dakar epitomises the spirit of adventure, dynamism, passion, effort and courage which are all values that BFGoodrich shares. Since its creation in 1870, the brand boasts a long tradition of innovation and bold challenges, including the first tubeless tyre, then the launch of the first radial tyre in the USA. BFGoodrich has also partnered some extraordinary adventures, such as the first coast-to-coast crossing of the USA by car at the beginning of the 20th Century and the first trans-Atlantic flight with Charles Lindbergh's Spirit of Saint Louis. January 2009 sees BFGoodrich take on another exceptional challenge with its partners in the wide, open spaces of South America, from Patagonia and the Andes Mountains to the Atacama Desert. BFGoodrich will be targeting its ninth win on the first Dakar to take place on the American continent." Frederic Henry-Biabaud, BFGoodrich Competition Director
At the Paris headquarters of the FFSA (Federation Francaise du Sport Automobile), Sebastien Ogier was today nominated to drive for the BFGoodrich Drivers Team on the forthcoming Rallye Automobile Monte-Carlo (January 21-24). The Frenchman will take part in the opening round of the 2009 Intercontinental Rallye Challenge (IRC) at the wheel of a Kronos-run Peugeot 207 S2000.
Following the gruelling first week of the 2009 Dakar, Volkswagen and BFGoodrich dominates the provisional podium which is monopolised by three Race Touaregs. Despite the combination of searing heat and the extremely varied terrain, the BFGoodrich Rock T/A and the new BFGoodrich All-Terrain have performed excellently on the nine stages contested so far.
The next port of call for the stars of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge is the City of the Tsars, Saint Petersburg, which will host the fourth round of the series and its final encounter on gravel if the Rally China fails to be included. The loose surface specialists will consequently be out to finish in the big points prior to the four asphalt fixtures to come. In the Manufacturers championship standings, Peugeot currently leads with a slender, one-point cushion over Abarth, while Italys Andrea Navarra succeeded in extending his advantage at the top of the Drivers points table after June's visit to Ypres.
Thirty-two years after his father, Markku, Finlands Anton Alen today collected the first major win of his career. And like dad, he was driving a Fiat Abarth. Russia, which hadn’t organised an international motor sport event for 93 years, played host to the fourth round of the 2007 Intercontinental Rally Challenge, Rally Russia. The two Peugeot Spain drivers, Enrique Garcia Ojeda and Nicolas Vouilloz, joined Alen on the podium, while the other factory Abarth driver, Andrea Navarra, remains on top of the provisional Drivers standings. The next round will take IRC contestants to the asphalt of the island of Madeira in three weeks time.
A red wooden house beside a pine tree ringed lake. the picture book setting for the WRCs annual Suomi showdown, Rally Finland. Initially known as the Jyvaskyla Grand Prix, then the Rally of the 1000 Lakes Rally, the event stands out as a cornerstone of world rallyings calendar, its craziest and fastest encounter that all drivers dream of winning at least once in their career.
With Abarth and Peugeot level pegging at the top of the provisional Manufacturers standings and with Italys Andrea Navarra just seven points clear of Spains Enrique Garcia Ojeda in the Drivers championship, the pace of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge promises to pick up a notch on this weekends Rali Vinho da Madeira. An 80 strong entry including last years victor Giandemenico Basso (Abarth/BFGoodrich) from Italy will be on the principal island of the Portuguese owned archipelago for this all asphalt fixture which also counts towards the 2007 European Rally Championship.
Marcus Gronholm and Timo Rautiainen claimed their seventh Rally Finland win this weekend to establish a new record for the highest number of successes on a single event since the creation of the World Rally Championship in 1973. Indeed, Marcus has only failed to win this legendary event once since 2000. This time round, driving the new Ford Focus WRC07/BFGoodrich, he succeeded in warding off pressure from both fellow-Finn Mikko Hirvonen (Ford/BFGoodrich) and Sebastien Loeb (Citroen/BFGoodrich) to claim his 29th world class and strengthen his grasp at the top of the Drivers championship points table.
A second consecutive Intercontinental Rally Challenge win for an Abarth Grande Punto S2000/BFGoodrich has taken the Italian squad clear at the top of the Manufacturers points table, although Peugeot continues to be a real threat thanks to the points picked up by Portugals Bruno Magalhaes (2nd) and Spaniard Enrique Garcia Ojeda (3rd). Meanwhile, in the Drivers standings, just one point splits Andrea Navarra - who failed to finish this weekend - and Garcia Ojeda. IRC action resumes at the end of August with another asphalt fixture, the Barum Rally in the Czech Republic.
BFGoodrich tyres have not only celebrated their maiden WRC campaign by claiming both the Drivers’ and Manufacturers’ titles with Sébastien Loeb/Daniel Elena and BPFord WRT respectively, but they are also in a position to notch up a unique grand slam record for 2006 when the current series ends next weekend in Wales. Nothing, however, can be taken for granted since the stages of Wales Rally GB are reputed to be amongst the most challenging and treacherous of the entire championship. The last round of 2006 will also be the final WRC outing for BFGoodrichs Rallies Programme Manager Aim Chatard who is to retire at the end of the season.
After a frenzied start to the 2007 season, World Rally Championship regulars enjoyed a months break after Portugal before the series resumes this weekend in South America. The route of the forthcoming Rally Argentina will take competitors from the famous River Plate Estadio Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires to the sierra of the Cordoba region before a grand finale in Cordobas Estadio Chateau Carreras.
Citroen/BFGoodrichs Sebastien Loeb and Daniel Elena secured their third consecutive win in the space of two months today in Argentina. And also for the third time running, the Citroen pair finished ahead of Marcus Gronholm/Timo Rautiainen (Ford/BFGoodrich). The two former World Champions were joined on the podium in Villa Carlos Paz by Mikko Hirvonen, while the result sees Sebastien Loeb and BP-Ford increase their respective leads at the top of the Drivers and Manufacturers points tables.
The second round of the 2007 Intercontinental Rally Challenge is the Rally Turkey which marks the true start to the series after last March’s official curtain-raiser in Kenya attracted few championship contestants. In contrast, all the favourites will be present this weekend on the shores of the Bosporus near Istanbul where BFGoodrich’s partners will include the factory Fiat Grande Punto S2000s, the Peugeot Spain-entered Peugeot 207 S2000s and an official Citroën C2 S1600.
Nicolas Vouilloz, his co-driver Nicolas Klinger and their Peugeot 207 S2000/BFGoodrich hit the ground running in the 2007 Intercontinental Rally Challenge by winning the Fiat Rally Rally Turkey, second round of the series. The Peugeot team clinched victory late in the Istanbul based event to finish clear of Italians Andrea Navarra/Guido d.Amore (Grande Punto S2000/BFGoodrich) and Spains Enrique Ojeda/Jordi Barrabes (207 S2000/BFGoodrich). Anton Alen (Grande Punto S2000/BFGoodrich) momentarily led the Turkish thriller but finally had to settle for 4th place. Ten or so S2000 cars are expected for the next round of the IRC which takes competitors to Belgium for the Ypres Rally on June 22-23.
What a finish! Just as we seemed to be heading for another top-three featuring Sébastien Loeb, Marcus Grönholm and Mikko Hirvonen, Loeb (Citroën/BFGoodrich) went off on the final day to hand a welcome one-two to the works Ford Focus/BFGoodrich drivers. The Finnish pair was joined on the podium by the defending champ’s Spanish team-mate Dani Sordo who successfully warded off Henning Solberg’s challenge to pick up six valuable Manufacturers’ points for Citroën. In the Drivers’ standings, Grönholm returns to the top of the table with a cushion of seven points over Sébastien Loeb.
Mousse aka Greek Saviour! Who knows whether the long Aghii Theodhori stage will decide the outcome of this years Acropolis Rally. However, it goes without saying that BFGoodrichs tyres will face a particularly gruelling test on this daunting test that runs 48.88km from the Saronikos Gulf to the Corinthian Gulf. For the 2007 WRC calendars eighth and also roughest round, the American tyre manufacturer will have three tyre types available: the g-Force Gravel, the H1 and the H2, all of which will be equipped with the indispensable mousse run-flat system
A mythical stage and an Homeric win! Finland’s Marcus Grönholm and Timo Rautiainen (Ford/BFGoodrich) secured the 28th world class win of their careers today after a weekend spent coping with the punishing stages of Greece’s legendary Acropolis Rally. They essentially sealed their success thanks to their performance over what must qualify as the toughest stage of the year: the 48.88km Aghii Theodhori test which turned out to be a gruelling test not only of the cars and drivers but also of their tyres. With the 2007 World Rally Championship now at its midpoint, Grönholm tops the Drivers’ standings by a margin of nine points over Loeb, while Ford/BFGoodrich enjoys an 28-point margin over Citroën/BFGoodrich in the Manufacturers’ table. The WRC resumes with early August’s Rally Finland.
After scooping up a glittering list of rally-raid titles and individual event wins with the Rock T/A over the past decade or so, and to keep apace with the way the discipline has evolved, BFGoodrich launched a new tyre: the 'All-Terrain'. These two tyres are for the leading offroad prototypes. The 2nd of January, the teams will have to decide which tyre they will use for the entire rally.
