Top Gear News

Cronin wants more IRC action with PROTON

Keith Cronin says he wants to get back behind the wheel of a PROTON Satria Neo S2000 in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge following a promising debut for the Malaysian manufacturer on Barum Czech Rally Zlin last week.

The 24-year-old Irishman had posted a succession of top 10 fastest stage times when he crashed out close to the finish of the penultimate stage of the opening day of the demanding asphalt event.

He said: "I want to do something with PROTON again but I don't know when at the moment. It took me a little while to get to grips with the car but it was perfect, a fantastic car. I couldn't believe it when I went off. It was so disappointing and I hurt my wrist a bit but that was nothing compared with the feeling of being out of the event. But it was a fantastic chance for me and one I'm not going to forget for a long time."

Cronin and co-driver Barry McNulty were in 14th overall when they crashed. They were fifth fastest on stage six of the event and seventh quickest on stage seven, despite overshooting a junction. PROTON's next IRC outing is currently scheduled for October's RACMSA Rally of Scotland.

Cronin020910
Keith Cronin impressed on his debut for the PROTON IRC team

Route changes for Rally of Scotland revealed

The penultimate round of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge, October's RACMSA Rally of Scotland, has undergone a few changes with the addition of a new stage on the final day of the spectacular gravel event.

A new stage, Clashmore, has been introduced to replace Achray, which can no longer be used due to access issues, on day two of the event. As a result, the Loch Ard stage will be trimmed from 33.52 kilometres to 29.04 kilometres to accommodate the new test.

Furthermore, the finish at Stirling Castle on Sunday 17 October will also be 30 minutes earlier than scheduled at 15:04hrs local time, while the remote service on Sunday has been switched from Callander to Aberfoyle.

Clerk of the Course Iain Campbell said: "The new stage is more of a technical challenge than we had before. The start is very narrow with off-camber corners before joining a new forest road that takes in part of the Loch Ard stage. The final two-thirds are very fast and the committed driver will make the most of this test."

More information on the event can be found via the official website www.rallyofscotland.com.

Zlin Subaru Individual Award for Stajf

The latest Subaru Individual Award has gone to Vojtech Stajf following his run to 17th place on Barum Czech Rally Zlin, which took place in southeast Czech Republic from 27-29 August.

Driving for the Czech National Subaru Team, Stajf was making his second start in this year's Intercontinental Rally Challenge following his appearance on Rallye Automobile Monte-Carlo in January where he finished 14th alongside regular co-driver Marcela Doleckova.

The Subaru Individual Award is presented on each of the 12 IRC rounds this year to the highest-placed Subaru finisher and demonstrates the support that Subaru is extending to its customer drivers in the IRC in 2010.

Olivier Burri (Monte Carlo), Juan San Martin (Curitiba), Gabriel Pozzo (Argentina), Jose Barrios (Canary Islands), Teemu Arminen (Sardinia), Florian Gonon (Ypres), Sergio Silva (Azores) and Pedro Meireles (Madeira) are the other Subaru Individual Award winners so far this season.

Stajf020910
Vojtech Stajf is the latest Subaru Individual Award winner

Miclotte reveals late scare in Zlin

Barum Czech Rally Zlin-winning navigator Frederic Miclotte has revealed that he and driver Freddy Loix suffered a dramatic moment of their own in the closing stages of the thrilling Intercontinental Rally Challenge event, which featured three changes of lead on the final four stages.

The Belgian pair secured their third win in as many starts in the IRC this season on the rain-hit asphalt rally in their Skoda Motorsport Fabia S2000. Despite being a relatively comfortable 25 seconds clear of closest rivals Juho Hanninen and Mikko Markkula at the finish in Zlin on Sunday afternoon, there was a moment when Miclotte feared their bid for victory would end prematurely.

"From looking at the data the team realised there was a problem with the gearbox and that it would have to be changed in the final service," said Miclotte. "We only had 20 minutes and it normally takes more than this. But the guys changed it in 14 minutes, which was really amazing. The team did a perfect job so we're very happy even though it was quite a tense finish."

Rallye Sanremo media information

Media accreditation for Rallye Sanremo, which takes place in Italy from 23-25 September, is now open for media not in possession of a 2010 IRC Permanent Press Credential. It closes on 17 September and a form can be downloaded through this link on the event's official website: http://acisanremo.it/rallysanremo/stampa/accredito%20stampa%202010%20eng.pdf

Holders of IRC Permanent Press Credentials planning to attend Rallye Sanremo do not have to complete this form but are asked to confirm their attendance as soon as possible by emailing This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Further event specific information is available by emailing This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Un Monte "Premi" di 50.000 motivi per partecipare al 1° Istra Rally 2010

Vi inviamo in allegato comunicato stampa United Racing Press riguardante: Un Monte ”Premi” di 50.000 motivi per partecipare al 1° Istra Rally 2010

Vi ringraziamo per la vostra collaborazione

We send You here enclosed the press release of United Racing Press regarding: A Prize fund of 50,000 reasons to take part in the 1st Istra Rally 2010

Thank You for Your collaboration.

Nous Vous envoyons le communiqué de presse de United Racing Press concernant: Des “Primes” et 50.000 raisons pour participer au 1er Istra Rally 2010

Nous Vous remercions pour Votre collaboration.

U prilogu Vam ¹aljemo priopæenje za javnost United Racing Press-a: Fond nagrada sa 50.000 razloga da prisustvujete 1. Rally Istra 2010.

Zahvaljujemo Vam na suradnji.

Attachments:
Communiqué de Presse_FRA.pdf	[ ]	62 Kb
Comunicato Stampa_ITA.pdf	[ ]	62 Kb
Press Release_ENG.pdf	[ ]	62 Kb
Priopcenje za Javnost_HR.pdf	[ ]	103 Kb

MSA Championships update - 31 August

MSA Championships Update 2010 31 August 2010

Cooper Tires British F3 International Series

Round 9: Snetterton, August 29-30

Newly crowned Cooper Tires British F3 International Series champion Jean-Eric Vergne sealed his 13th win of the season at Snetterton, where Brazilians Gabriel Dias and Adriano Buzaid also shone.

Having started from pole, Buzaid led all but the last four laps of an initially sodden first race, eventually losing out as Vergne unleashed his scorching pace on a drying track to snatch victory.

Dias' race two triumph was a lights-to-flag affair, the Hitech racer beating Buzaid to the line by four tenths of a second to end the Carlin squad's 10-race winning streak. The championship's youngest competitor, MSA Team UK's Will Buller, gambled with slick tyres on a damp surface and was rewarded with third place.

The final contest featured an inch-perfect performance by Buzaid, who led from start to finish. Vergne and Team UK ace James Calado completed the podium.

Results - race one
1 Jean-Eric Vergne (FRA) 30m 04.032s / 101.27mph
2 Adriano Buzaid (BRA) +3.635s
3 Felipe Nasr (BRA) +4.102s

Results - race two

1 Gabriel Dias (BRA) 20m 40.081s / 101.99mph
2 Adriano Buzaid (BRA) +0.393s
3 William Buller (GBR) +2.795s

Results - race three

1 Adriano Buzaid (BRA) 39m 11.397s / 113.56mph
2 Jean-Eric Vergne (FRA) +7.538s
3 James Calado (GBR) +7.965s

Round 10: Brands Hatch, September 25-26

Championship positions (provisional) after Round 9

1 Jean-Eric Vergne – 382 points (CHAMPION)
2 James Calado – 251
3 Oli Webb – 223
4 Adriano Buzaid – 215
5 Gabriel Dias – 135
6 Felipe Nasr – 125

Image: Adriano Buzaid celebrating victory at Snetterton, courtesy of Jakob Ebrey Photography

Championship positions (provisional) after Round 6

1 Scott Malvern – 417 points
2 Scott Pye – 392
3 Daniel Cammish – 329
4 Tio Ellinas – 300
= Antti Buri – 300
6 Josh Hill – 269

Image: Scott Pye takes the chequered flag at Snetterton, courtesy of Jakob Ebrey Photography

Dunlop MSA Formula Ford Championship of Great Britain

Round 6: Snetterton, August 29-30

Australian Scott Pye eroded Scott Malvern's Dunlop MSA Formula Ford Championship of Great Britain points lead with a pair of victories at Snetterton.

Pye produced an excellent wet weather drive during the opening contest to see off a determined challenge from Daniel Cammish. Race two, though, was the highlight of the Bank Holiday weekend, with Pye and Antti Buri duelling wheel-to-wheel for lap after lap before the former took the chequered flag.

Pye now sits 25 points behind Malvern in the championship standings. However, they are even closer when 'drop scores' are taken into account; in reality Pye has a three-point advantage with a handful of rounds remaining.

Results - race one

1 Scott Pye (AUS) 18m18.238s
2 Daniel Cammish (GBR) +0.548s
3 Scott Malvern (GBR) +1.781s

Results - race two

1 Scott Pye (AUS) 18m 50.857s
2 Antti Buri (FIN) +0.146s
3 Tio Ellinas (CYP) +1.855s

Round 7: Brands Hatch, September 3-5

Avon Tyres British GT Championship

Round 6: Snetterton, August 30

Ferraris monopolised the Avon Tyres British GT Championship spoils at Snetterton, with Dan Brown & Tom Ferrier dominating the first of the day's races and Duncan Cameron & Matt Griffin similarly assertive in race two.

Brown overhauled Martin Short for second on the opening lap of race one before bundling David Jones out of the lead at the Esses. He thereafter built a lead of nearly 12 seconds before handing over to Ferrier, who brought the car home over 10 seconds clear of Hector Lester & Allan Simonsen.

Cameron & Griffin led race two for all but four of 100 miles after the latter powered past pole-sitter Adam Wilcox on the opening lap. Cameron later resisted a challenge from the Ferrari of Brown & Ferrier to seal his place on the top step of the podium.

Results - race one

1 Dan Brown / Tom Ferrier, 1h 0m 03.222s / 97.51mph
2 Hector Lester / Allan Simonsen +10.455s
3 Philip Walker / Alex Mortimer +12.173s

Results - race two

1 Duncan Cameron / Matt Griffin, 1h 0m 50.663s / 100.09mph
2 Dan Brown / Tom Ferrier +3.999s
3 David Jones / Godfrey Jones +20.747s

Round 7: Brands Hatch, September 26

Championship positions (provisional) after Round 6

1 David Ashburn – 77 points
2 Matt Griffin – 57
= Duncan Cameron – 57
4 Glynn Geddie – 51
5 Hector Lester – 45
6 Allan Simonsen – 43

Image: The Ferrari of Dan Brown & Tom Ferrier takes victory at Snetterton, courtesy of Jakob Ebrey Photography

Championship positions (provisional) after Round 7

1 Cole – 125 points (CHAMPION)
2 Simon Mauger – 111
3 John Stone – 104
4 Jim Sharp – 66
5 Graham Muter – 65
6 James Martin – 59

Image: Damian Cole and Craig Drew in action on the Mewla Rally, courtesy of CMWI.NET

REIS MSA Asphalt Rally Championship

Round 7: Mewla Rally, August 29

Damian Cole and Craig Drew sealed the 2010 REIS MSA Asphalt Rally Championship title with second place overall on the Eventsigns Mewla Rally.

Cole & Drew spent much of the event trying to catch early leaders Peter Lloyd & Graham Handley. With a single stage to go, Cole's Ford Focus WRC left the road; he managed to recover, albeit an extra minute in arrears, only for Lloyd to put his Subaru Impreza into a ditch on the final stage.

Non-Championship runner Eian Pritchard subsequently secured the event win, but a fifth maximum points haul of the season nonetheless ensured Cole's and Drew's crowns with two rounds remaining.

Results (Asphalt competitors emboldened)

1 Eian Pritchard / Steve McPhee (Subaru Impreza WRC) 1h15m52s
2 Damian Cole / Craig Drew (Ford Focus WRC) 1h16m02s

3 Simon Mauger / Tracey Giddings (Ford Escort MkII) 1h17m37s

Round 8: Patriot Stages, September 26

Quaife MSA British Rallycross Championship

Round 6: Lydden Hill, August 30

Pat Doran took the lead of the Quaife MSA British Rallycross Championship with victory in round six at Lydden Hill.

Having won the Supercar A final, Andy Scott launched into an early Superfinal lead. Championship leader Andy Grant initially gave chase but was soon stymied by a gearbox problem that left him with fourth gear only.

Bad luck then befell Scott, who picked up a puncture following contact with a kerb. Behind was defending champion Doran, who overcame a stuck throttle by cutting and then restarting his engine. He then chased down Scott's ailing Peugeot and swept into the lead on the final lap, subsequently securing victory and leaping to the top of the standings.

Results - Superfinal

1 Pat Doran (Ford Fiesta ST ERC) 4m9.940s
2 Steve Hill (Mitsubishi Lancer E9) 4m15.629s
3 Andy Scott (Peugeot 306 4×4 Turbo) 4m20.949s
4 Julian Godfrey (Ford Fiesta S1600) 4m22.049s
5 James Bird (Renault ClioSport V6) 4m24.349s
6 Gareth Wood (Subaru Impreza) 4m27.716s

Round 7: Mallory Park, September 12

Championship positions (provisional) after Round 6

1 Pat Doran – 151 points
2 Andy Grant – 141
3 Andy Scott – 111
4 Julian Godfrey – 107
5 Mike Howlin – 104
6 Jamie Lea – 104

Image: Pat Doran in action at Lydden Hill, courtesy of Tim Whittington

Championship positions (provisional) after Round 28

1 Martin Groves – 214 points
2 Scott Moran – 210
3 Roger Moran – 171
4 Trevor Willis – 163
5 Chris Merrick – 126
6 Tom New – 108

Image: Martin Groves in action at Gurston Down, courtesy of Eddie Walder

Nicholson McLaren MSA British Hill Climb Championship

Rounds 27 & 28: Gurston Down, August 29

It was honours even at Gurston Down, where Scott Moran and Martin Groves claimed a Nicholson McLaren MSA British Hill Climb Championship win and a second place apiece.

The four-point gap between the title protagonists therefore remains with a mere six rounds of the season left to run.

Results - Round 27

1 Scott Moran (3.5 Gould-NME GR61X) 25.97s FTD
2 Martin Groves (3.5 Gould-NME GR55) 26.19s
3 Tom New (4.0 Gould-Judd GR55) 26.24s
4 Chris Merrick (4.0 Gould-Judd GR55) 26.40s
5 Paul Ranson (3.5 Gould-NME GR55) 26.63s
6 Ash Mason (4.0 Pilbeam-Judd KV MP97) 26.86s
7 Roger Moran (3.5 Gould-NME GR61X) 27.07s
8 Trevor Willis (2.8 OMS-Powertec) 27.14s
9 Deryk Young (4.0 Gould-Judd GR51) 27.45s
= Oliver Tomlin (4.0 Pilbeam-Judd EV MP97) 27.45s
11 Andrew Forsyth (3.5 Pilbeam-Cosworth MP58) 28.02s
12 Wallace Menzies (2.65 DJ-Cosworth XD Firestorm) 28.29s

Results - Round 28

1 Groves 26.14s
2 Scott Moran 26.30s
3 Merrick 26.42s
4 New 26.50s
5 Ranson 26.61s
6 Roger Moran 26.71s
7 Willis 26.97s
8 Young 27.10s
9 Mason 27.26s
10 Forsyth 27.54s
11 Tomlin 27.91s
Menzies DNF

Rounds 29 & 30: Prescott, September 5

SBD Motorsport MSA British Sprint Championship

Round 16: Colerne, August 30

Nick Algar retained his SBD Motorsport MSA British Sprint Championship title with victory at Colerne.

The championship battle appeared to swing in Stewart Robb Snr's favour during practice, but gremlins struck in qualifying with what Robb feared to be a dropped valve in the mighty Judd V8.

The Scot was therefore sidelined, leaving the path clear for Algar, who duly took the win to seal back-to-back titles.

Results

1 Nick Algar (3.5 Gould-NME GR55) 62.64s
2 Terry Holmes (3.5 Lola-Judd/Swindon ERH) 62.88s
3 Graham Porrett (3.5 Lola-Judd/Swindon ERH) 67.41s
4 Terry Graves (3.5 Gould-Cosworth DFR GR37) 67.96s
5 Jonathan Toulmin (1.5 Force-Suzuki PT) 68.32s
6 Steve Miles (2.0 Van Diemen-Zetec RF96MM) 69.42s
7 Phil Lynch (2.0 Dallara-Vauxhall F301) 70.99s
8 Simon Clemow (1.5 Radical Prosport) 71.80s
9 John Payne (2.0 Dallara-Vauxhall F301) 71.83s
Andy Potter (1.0t Jedi-Suzuki Mk 4) Failed
Tom Potter (1.0t Jedi-Suzuki Mk 4) Failed
Stewart Robb Snr (4.0 Pilbeam-Judd MP88) DNS

Championship positions (provisional) after Round 16

1 Nick Algar – 122 points
2 Stewart Robb Snr – 120
3 Mark Smith – 95
4 Terry Holmes – 93
5 Jonathan Toulmin – 74
6 Colin Birkbeck – 74
7 Tom Potter – 64
8 Graham Porrett – 63
9 Ross Napier – 59
10 Steve Miles – 51
11 Phil Lynch – 49
12 Steve Broughton – 47

Image: Nick Algar in action at Colerne, courtesy of Steve Wilkinson

Final Championship positions (provisional) after Round 6

1 Ross Westgarth – 60 points (CHAMPION)

2 Will Barnard – 54

3 Michael Henderson – 52

Image: Ross Westgarth (m), Will Barnard (l) and Michael Henderson (r) at Ardley

MSA British Autocross Championship

Rounds 5 & 6: Whitney Motor Club, Ardley

Ross Westgarth was crowned the 2010 MSA British Autocross Champion following the final round of the season at Ardley, near Oxford.

Colin Anderson recorded the Fastest Time of the Day on both days of the event aboard his Alfa Buggy, but the championship spoils belonged to Westgarth. Will Barnard is the overall runner-up for 2010, with erstwhile Champion Michael Henderson third.

MSA congratulates Adam Stirling on CIK-FIA World Karting Championship victory

The Motor Sports Association (MSA) congratulates British karter Adam Stirling on his victory in the second round of the CIK-FIA U18 World Karting Championship at Alcaniz, Spain last weekend.

Stirling rose above a talented field of international drivers to take the win, despite not having driven since round one at Wackersdorf in Germany last month.

Stirling, 15 from Moira, Northern Ireland, said: "When I took the chequered flag I didn't know what to think, but when I got myself together it felt incredible because it's such a prestigious event. I had only been aiming for a top six finish, but the effort put in by my team and my mechanic, Shane McFadden, allowed me to win. I'm going for the Championship now."

Stirling's win lifted him to third place in the Championship standings, four points behind fellow Briton and round one winner Jake Dennis, who holds a joint lead in the title race.

Also competing at Alcaniz was Roy Johnson, who was nominated by the MSA to represent the UK in the CIK-FIA Karting Academy Trophy. Johnson, the 2008 MSA British Cadet Kart Champion, secured tenth and fifth place finishes, and shares fourth overall in the standings.

Both the U18 World Karting Championship and the Karting Academy Trophy conclude at Val d'Argenton, France on October 1-3.

ZLIN COLIN MCRAE IRC FLAT OUT TROPHY GOES TO KOPECKY

Jan Kopecky's disappointment at losing out on victory on Barum Czech Rally Zlin on Sunday (29 August) has been eased slightly after he was chosen as the winner of the third Colin McRae IRC Flat Out Trophy, which is presented to the most spectacular driver who best embodies the spirit of the rallying legend on rounds of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge.

Kopecky, who follows in the footsteps of previous winners Bruno Magalhaes and Freddy Loix, was handed the prestigious award by a panel of judges consisting of the IRC's Motorsport Development Manager Jean-Pierre Nicolas, Gilbert Roy, the Director of Editorial and Programme Development for Eurosport Events, and Colin's father Jim McRae, who was in Zlin to make the presentation to Skoda Motorsport driver Kopecky.

Chasing his second win in a row on the demanding asphalt event, Kopecky had led from the start and was 26 seconds clear in front when he crashed into retirement with three stages remaining. Nevertheless his performance, which included setting the fastest time on five of the rain-hit stages, was enough to earn him the prestigious accolade on round nine of the 2010 IRC season.

An emotional Kopecky said: "I have to say it's a big honour. Colin was an official Skoda driver and [on Rally GB in 2005] I did the whole recce with him. He was a very good guy and it's really sad what happened to him."

The judges also considered Keith Cronin, who set several top 10 stage times in the emerging PROTON Satria Neo S2000, and Vaclav Pech, who was battling for a top five finish in his showroom-specification Ralliart Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX before an off dented his hopes. However, Jim McRae said that Kopecky was most deserving of the award because of the pace he displayed in the changeable conditions at the wheel of his Fabia Super 2000.

"I went to a few stages on Saturday and Sunday," said McRae, a five-time winner of the British Rally Championship and a trustee of the Colin McRae Vision charity. "The conditions were very difficult but Jan drove very well and was unlucky not to win. It's for this reason that he was chosen."

The Colin McRae IRC Flat Out Trophy will be presented on all remaining rounds of the IRC with an end of season trophy, the Colin McRae IRC Flat Out Driver of the Year, also being handed over at the IRC's end of season awards ceremony.

It was conceived following the formation of an official partnership in June between Eurosport Events, the promoter of the IRC, and Colin McRae Vision, a charity established following the death of the 1995 world rally champion, his young son Johnny and two family friends in a helicopter accident in 2007, which aims to improve health and education for children around the world.

Eurosport Events and Colin McRae Vision will work with organisers of selected rounds of the IRC to identify suitable projects and initiatives that help young people*.

The 2010 IRC season continues with Rallye Sanremo, round ten of the series, from 23-25 September when the next Colin McRae IRC Flat Out Trophy will be presented.

*Prior to the start of Barum Czech Rally Zlin, reigning IRC champion Kris Meeke, an ambassador of Colin McRae Vision, presented a cheque for 90,000 CZK (about 3700 Euros) to a local Zlin-based charity, the Children's Traffic Foundation.