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Pat Richard (Squamish, BC) and Alan Ockwell (Toronto) of Subaru Rally Team Canada won the 2010 Rallye Baie des Chaleurs in a total time of two hours, zero minutes and 30 seconds after narrowly avoiding disaster on the final stage. The New Richmond based Rallye Baie des Chaleurs is the third round of the Canadian Rally Championship, presented by Subaru and supported by Yokohama.

Attrition struck competitors hard, with more than half of the field failing to finish the rally. Known for its long and demanding stages, Rallye Baie des Chaleurs is hard on cars and crews alike. Those teams lucky enough to finish the event often do so while sustaining damage to their cars, making survival a key part of any winning strategy.

Although two crashes delayed the start of the final stage, conditions for the 2010 Rallye Baie des Chaleurs were good. Clear skies and warm temperatures meant that thousands of spectators were able to enjoy the thrilling live action of rally car racing.

“It was a great event,” said Stephane Roussel, organiser of the Rallye Baie des Chaleurs. “The long stage roads at Rallye Baie des Chaleurs add to the event and keep things interesting.”

“I got caught out, it was pretty embarrassing,” said defending Canadian rally champion Richard, who rolled his car five kilometers from the finish of the last stage while leading the event. “A win is a win, and this is really important for the championship, so for that I am happy.”

Richard had driven a near perfect rally to that point, and had built what appeared to be a secure lead. Landing back on their wheels after the roll, the team sprinted for the finish. The pair crossed the finish line, a large jump surrounded by spectators, with a smashed windshield and hood and flames flashing out from the engine bay.

Young talent Leo Urlichich (Thornhill, ON) and Christine Beavis (San Diego) were one of the few teams to avoid trouble, driving a clean event to a secure second place finish, his first national podium finish.

“Everyone told me I couldn’t throw away my position,” said an ecstatic Urlichich, who is proving his early nickname of “Crazy” Leo no longer applies. “The last stage is probably the best in North America. It has a bit of everything.”

Bruno Carre and Yvan Joyal (Laval, QC), current Canadian Rally Championship leaders, kept a ten point lead in the championship with a third place finish while title rivals struggled with problems throughout the rally.

“The car was perfect for the last two stages,” said Carre, who clipped a bridge early on the second day of action, narrowly avoiding being knocked out of the rally. Carre has shown flashes of brilliance in the past, but his consistency this season has combined with misfortune for other teams, showing the importance of staying clean and finishing an event are as critical to success as outright speed.

“It is good to be leading the championship, but there are still three events left, and I think Pat Richard and Antoine L’Estage will show us why they have both won championships.”

Brothers Jan and Jody Zedril (Winnipeg) took the top spot in two wheel drive after a heated battle with three other competitors. Separated by less than 30 seconds after the first day of action, all four teams attacked on Saturday. Two teams were knocked out of the rally as conditions took their toll. The Zedrils were left to battle with veteran driver Sylvain Vincent and co-driver Simon Vincent. Eventually, the Zedrils found a winning rhythm and carved out a lead of over one minute heading into the finish.

“All afternoon we were both in it,” said co-driver Jody Zedril, after the team had trouble gelling earlier in the event. “This has been the best two wheel drive entry we’ve seen since we started rallying in Canada back in 2007.”

Championship contenders Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard (Ste-Jean-sur-Richelieu, QC) endured a punishing start to the rally. Shortly before technical inspection, their car broke down, and was unable to be repaired for competition. Luckily, the team was able to borrow a spare car brought by Leo Urlichich. The team battled both the field and a few ongoing problems with the car, eventually finishing sixth.

“The last stage we finally had a good run, and I drove like mad,” said L’Estage. “Unfortunately, it was not enough to make up for the time already lost. I have to thank Leo though. Without him, we would not even have been able to run at all.”

The championship battle moves into the mountains north of Montreal, Quebec for the Rallye Defi. Rough and technical roads help the rally live up to its name, French for challenge.

The Canadian Rally Championship is comprised of six events held nationwide in a season that extends from February to November. The series is presented by Subaru Canada, supported by Yokohama Tire Canada and features contingency programs from Subaru Canada and Mitsubishi Canada. The Canadian Association of Rallysport (CARS) is the official sanctioning body for rallying in Canada.

Rally car racing is often described simply as “real cars, real roads, real fast.” The all-season motorsport sees drivers and their co-drivers take modified road cars to the limit as they achieve blistering speeds over closed-road courses that typically cover more than 150 kilometers of gravel, dirt or snow-covered roads. Fans can get up close to the cars in the service areas and catch all the action from specially designated spectator points located at the best spots on the route.

Full coverage of the championship will air on RDS and TSN. Check local listings.

For more information: www.carsrally.ca or www.rallyebdc.com

Rallye Baie des Chaleurs Final Results

1. Pat Richard/Alan Ockwell two hours, 0 minutes 30 seconds
2. Leo Urlichich/Christine Beavis 2:01:22
3. Bruno Carre/Yvan Joyal 2:07:08
4. Craig Henderson/Lyne Murphy 2:07:36
5. Ugo Desgreniers/Eric Kirby 2:11:47
6. Antoine L’Estage/Nathalie Richard 2:12:03
7. Mathieu L’Estage/Yanick Napert 2:11:16
8. Maxime Losier/Philippe Poirier 2:14:09
9. Frank Lognay/Ludovic Lognay 2:20:03
10. Jan Zedril/Jody Zedril 2:20:31

CRC Standings

1. Bruno Carre 50
2. Pat Richard 40
3. Craig Henderson 34
4. Antoine L’Estage 32
5. Leo Urlichich 31
6. Matthieu L_Estage 23

Photo Credit: Andrew Harvey Photography

		Canadian Rally Championship on TSN and RDS 2010

Rallye Perce-Neige, Maniwaki, PQ Sun Apr 04 10 11:00 TSN

Rallye Perce-Neige, Maniwaki, PQ Tue Apr 06 10 00:30 TSN

Rallye Perce-Neige, Maniwaki, PQ Thur Apr 08 10 13:00 TSN

Rallye Perce-Neige, Maniwaki, PQ Thur Apr 08 10 16:00 TSN2

Rallye Perce-Neige, Maniwaki, PQ Fri Apr 09 10 05:30 TSN2

Rallye Perce-Neige, Maniwaki, PQ Fri Apr 09 10 07:30 TSN2

Rocky Mountain Rally, Calgary, AB Sun Jun 27 10 11:00

Rallye Baie des Chaleurs, PQ Sun Aug 08 10 11:00

Rallye Defi, Ste. Agathe, PQ Sat Oct 23 10 11:30

Pacific Forest Rally, Merrit, B.C Sat Nov 06 10 11:30

Rally of the Tall Pines, Bancroft, ON Sat Dec 18 10 11:30

2010 Year In Review - 2011 Preview Sat Jan 01 11 11:30

Rallye Perce-Neige, Maniwaki, PQ Mon Apr 12 19:00 RDS

Rallye Perce-Neige, Maniwaki, PQ Wed Apr 14 17:30 RDS

Rallye Perce-Neige, Maniwaki, PQ Fri Apr 16 11:00 RDS

Rallye Perce-Neige, Maniwaki, PQ Sat Apr 17 01:30 RDS

Rallye Perce-Neige, Maniwaki, PQ Mon Apr 19 17:30 RDS

Rallye Perce-Neige, Maniwaki, PQ Mon May 3 11:30 RDS

Rocky Mountain Rally, Calgary, AB Sun Jul 11 11:00 RDS

Rocky Mountain Rally, Calgary, AB Mon Jul 12 14:30 RDS

Rocky Mountain Rally, Calgary, AB Sat Jul 17 23:30 RDS

Rocky Mountain Rally, Calgary, AB Wed Jul 21 17:30 RDS

Rocky Mountain Rally, Calgary, AB Fri Jul 30 00:30 RDS

Rocky Mountain Rally, Calgary, AB Wed Aug 25 01:30 RDS

Rallye Baie des Chaleurs, PQ Thu Aug 26 19:30 RDS

Rallye Baie des Chaleurs, PQ Sun Aug 29 11:00 RDS

Rallye Baie des Chaleurs, PQ Wed Sep 1 00:30 RDS

Rallye Baie des Chaleurs, PQ Fri Sep 3 10:00 RDS

Rallye Defi, Ste. Agathe, PQ Sat Nov 6 13:30 RDS

Pacific Forest Rally, Merrit, B.C Sat Nov 13 10:30 RDS

SUBARU CANADA ANNOUNCES 2010 CONTINGENCY PROGRAM FOR CANADIAN RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

January 9, 2010 Stouffville Subaru Canada, Inc and the Canadian Association of Rallysport are pleased to announce that Subaru Canada will continue as the presenting sponsor of the Canadian Rally Championship for 2010. Mr. Brian Hyland, After Sales Parts Operations and Tom McGeer, CARS President, signed an agreement making 2010 the thirteenth year that Subaru has supported the CRC as its major partner. The six event series is televised on TSN and RDS in Canada and is also broadcast throughout much of Europe and Asia.

“Subaru Canada is pleased to be returning as presenting sponsor for the 2010 Canadian Rally Championship series,” said Hyland. “As we enter our 20^th year of participation in the CRC and 13^th as a major sponsor of the series, we have to reflect on the growth of the sport and the influx of Subaru vehicles over those years. From Tom McGeer in 1991 in a Subaru Legacy - the only Subaru in the series at that time - to 63 Subarus competing during the 2009 series, we believe that Subaru’s involvement with the CRC has benefited the series, the competitors and Subaru Canada.

Application Forms and program details are available in the Downloads area.

2010 Special Offer
Buy or Lease a New Subaru,
$750 Cash Rebate,
More Info

2010 YOKOHAMA SUPPORT ANNOUNCEMENT

January 9, 2010

Stouffville, ON: Canadian Association of Rallysport (CARS) and Yokohama Tire (Canada) Inc are pleased to announce the continuation of the long partnership of Yokohama and the Canadian Rally Championship (CRC) for 2010. Today, just before the awards’ ceremony for the 2009 CRC, Jonathon Karelse, Marketing Manager of Yokohama Tire and Terry Epp, CARS National Series Manager signed an agreement extending the close partnership for the thirteenth year. Yokohama will be a supporting sponsor in the six event championship which will be televised in HD on both TSN and RDS in Quebec.

“Year after year, the Canadian Rally Championship has proven to be more than just a great competition and a terrific television spectacle,” says Jonathon Karelse, Marketing Manager for Yokohama Canada. “It’s also a real-world demonstration of our dedication to advancing tire technology. Particularly for winter tires, where our winning teams compete on the same tires you can buy for your car on the street, we can draw a direct line between success in competition and benefit for the consumer.”

More Information in the Downloads section.

2010 MITSUBISHI CONTINGENCY PROGRAM

January 4, 2010

Stouffville, ON: The Canadian Association of Rallysport and Mitsubishi Motor Sales of Canada, Inc are pleased to announce year three of the national Mitsubishi Rally Support Program that encourages amateur participation in organized rallysport – and directly benefits competitors, volunteers, promoters, organizers and fans of the Canadian Rally Championship (CRC). The program was very well received in 2008-9 with 25 teams registering in the program over the past two years. Competitors have received over $140 000 in cheques from the program along with other support in terms of materials and parts availability at events.

The multi-tiered program has been carefully structured to provide several levels of support for all eligible Mitsubishi competitors – plus additional merit based rewards and recognition for achieving certain goals. This innovative and extensive program is designed to complement existing CRC programs, to offer meaningful assistance for private competitors and to help infuse the Mitsubishi brand and competitive philosophy into the fabric of the Canadian rally community and its fans.

Program Details and Application Forms are available in the Downloads area.

		Video Licensing Program

The Canadian Rally Championship is pleased to announce a video licensing program that will allow teams access to the footage captured by the CRC production crew.

The licensing allows for use of the video for noncommercial team promotion or personal use. Teams will receive a DVD or HDCam tape, depending on license bought, of all reasonable footage shot of their cars. Season pricing will be available at a pro-rated price for the remaining five events of the season.