A true champion!
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Gronholm was one of the first drivers to complain about the new rules regarding points last year, because he was so directly affected. i don't particularly like the guy, though i do respect his driving talent. i'm betting that we'll see him crash out of a stage really hard this year, and then see him win the rally -- which i don't agree with.

 

So have the crash-out-and-come-back-later rules been adopted yet, or is there still hope for sanity and reason?

 

They haven't been officially adopted the superally system yet, but a lot of powerful people have said they really like the idea.

 

i can only hope that the FIA comes to its senses before it makes this nonsense a rule....

 

Well, it has worked well in the FIA Asia-Pacific Championship and the Australian national championship...

I don't know what to think about this rule. My gut says its a horrible rule, but it has successfully worked in other areas so I'm almost willing to give it a shot.

 

Ya, i'm thinking this really sucks but who knows maybe part way though the year i'll learn to except it more.

Just like last year when they changed the Points from
1.) 10
2.) 6
3.) 4
4.) 3
5.) 2
6.) 1

to
1.) 10
2.) 8
3.) 6
etc...
i thought they were crazy. I was unhappy that someone that never won a rally could go on to win the season. But in rally and F1 it kept the season really close all season and i learned to love the new points. Maybe just maybe this new ruling will not be so bad after a few races.

rich

 

Here the provisional seeding for 2004:

Subaru:
1 – Petter Solberg N – all 16 rounds
2 – Mikko Hirvonen FIN – all 16 rounds

Citroen:
3 – Sébastien Loeb F – all 16 rounds
4 – Carlos Sainz E – all 16 rounds

Peugeot:
5 – Marcus Grönholm FIN – all 16 rounds
6 – Freddy Loix B – will start all events but not necessarily all as a nominated driver

Ford:
7 – Markko Märtin EE – all 16 rounds
8 – Francois Duval B – all 16 rounds

Mitsubishi:
9 – Gilles Panizzi F – all 16 rounds
10 – Kristian Sohlberg FIN, Daniel Sola E & Gigi Galli I – these 3 driver will share this entry

.

That’s it. Slim, isn’t it? Taking the championship positions with the starting order procedure into account, the starting list to the Rallye Monte Carlo in 4 weeks time should look like this:

1 - #1 – Petter Solberg N – Phil Mills GB – Subaru Impreza WRC03
2 - #3 – Sébastien Loeb F – Daniel Elena MC – Citroen Xsara T4
3 - #4 – Carlos Sainz E – Marc Marti E – Citroen Xsara T4
4 - #7 – Markko Märtin EE – Michael Park GB – Ford Focus RS 03
5 - #5 – Marcus Grönholm FIN – Timo Rautiainen FIN – Peugeot 307 WRC Evo1
6 - #8 – Francois Duval B – Stefan Prevot B – Ford Focus RS 03
7 - #9 – Gilles Panizzi F – Hervé Panizzi F – Mitsubishi Lancer WRC04
8 - #6 – Freddy Loix B – Sven Smeets B – Peugeot 307 WRC Evo1
9 - #2 – Mikko Hirvonen FIN – Jarmo Lehtinen FIN – Subaru Impreza WRC03
10 - #10 – Gigi Galli I – Guido d’Amore I – Mitsubishi Lancer WRC04
11 - #? – Miguel Campos P – Nuno da Silva P – Peugeot 206 WRC Evo3
12 - #? – Jussi Valimäki FIN – Tero Gardemeister FIN – Hyundai Accent WRC3
13 - #? – Alexandre Bengué F – Caroline Escudero F – Peugeot 206 WRC Evo1
14 - #? – Nicolas Vouilloz F – tba – Peugeot 206 WRC Evo3


No mater how hard i look i still can't find any listings on when they are going to be aired. I really hope SPEED didn't deside not to show them.

rich

 

Sunday, January 25, 2004
6:00 pm FIA WORLD RALLY Monte Carlo (SDD)
11:00 pm FIA WORLD RALLY Monte Carlo
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Monday, January 26, 2004
10:00 am FIA WORLD RALLY Monte Carlo
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Sunday, February 8, 2004
6:30 pm FIA WORLD RALLY Sweden (SDD)
11:30 pm FIA WORLD RALLY Sweden


I got this off SPEED just now. Doesn't list rally XS or Rally Xtra. Hope they don't cut the XS. I got lots of good info from that show.

rich

 

woot! its almost rally time!

okay, in the spirit of last year's WRC thread, i'm going to go ahead and throw out my predictions for Monte Carlo:

1) Sebastian Loeb -- he is fast in Monte Carlo, and a daemon on pavement. oh yeah, and after being forced to concede the driver's championship to Solberg, he has gotta be hungry for a win.

2) Solberg -- the returning champ, you think he's going to want to let Loeb run away with it from the start? hah!

3) Panizzi -- its a new car, so i don't expect him to win -- though he is a tarmac ninja of the first order. hes with a new team, and he is going to want to show them that they're getting what they paid for.

4) Martin -- i don't recall him ever doing terribly well in Monte Carlo, but i don't think he is going to let Solberg and Loeb pull away from him that easily.

5) Hirvonnen -- he is the new kid on the block, and he is going to want to prove himself to Subaru.

6) Duval -- just like Hirvonnen, just a year more experience.

7) Sainz -- i don't think he can hang with the crazy new kids in Monte Carlo.


i'm going to go out on a limb, and predict a non finish for both Peugots.

time to program the TiVO, it's WRC season soon!

 

I think its going to be Loeb or Martin in Monte Carlo, with an outside chance of Solberg. If I had to pick one, I'd say Martin.

I think all three are going to fight all year, and will definitely be the ones to watch in 2004.

 

I think it'll be Loeb and Martin dicing it up. If they make any big mistakes Petter will be there to swoop in.

Unless it's raining. Then Pirellis, Ho!
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Loeb, Panizzi, Solberg. and martin right with Solberg. I also give Duval a better chance than Hirvonen.

 

Don i like your picks, but my are alittle different. Here they are.

1) M. Gronholm (i think the new 307 is going to show it's stuff)

2) S. Loeb (the new king of M.C, he'll be up at the front)

3) P. Solberg (because it's petter and he's always in my top three)

4) M. Martin (the fords are only getting better)

5) F. Duval (the kid will be a world champ one day)

6) G. Panizzi (still working out the kinks of the new car)

7) F. Loix (he's fast and i almost but him higher up the list)

8) C. Sainz (got to have the matador on the list somewhere)

I hope Mikko Hirvonen scores points for the team and my picks are wrong, but i don't know. Those 8 spots filled up quickly. As far as Gigi Galli driving the Mitsubishi, well i don't know anything about him. He could be amazingly quick but i just don't know

rich.

 

Well looks like Nicky G. has been busy down in Mexico.

12/01/2004 16:09:00

Former world rally championship co-driver Nicky Grist spent four days in León recently helping the organisers plan the route for the Corona Rally Mexico, round three of the 2004 World Rally Championship.
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Grist, who has co-driven for some of the WRC’s biggest names, including former world champions Juha Kankkunen and Colin McRae, drove the entire route of the March 12-14 event with Sporting Director Jaime del Palacio to confirm the accuracy of all documentation and pass on practical advice about spectator and media safety within the stages.

Grist, who has retired from competition but now works in television commentary, was impressed with what he saw.
_
“The organisers have done an excellent job and the route is so compact they will be able to run the Mille Pistes system quite comfortably,” he said. “The guys had already done a good job on the road book, but it was prudent of them to ask me to give some advice on the route, certain aspects of the safety and fine-tuning of the road book. These guys know the route inside-out and, as a consequence, it’s very difficult to see everything as you would the first time. It’s all too easy to miss something. I can check the route in greater detail - that’s the main advantage to them, as well as for all the teams and crews.
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“The stages are excellent and quite tricky,” he continued. “Probably thirty percent of them are slow and twisty, fifty percent are fast and the remainder are very fast. It’s a great driver’s rally - they’re going to really enjoy it. The roads are smooth and the condition of the stages is excellent; there’s hardly any rough stuff at all and that’s something I didn’t expect. All in all, the drivers are going to thoroughly enjoy themselves and I’m only sorry I’m not co-driving any more; it’s an event I’d like to have competed in.
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“Overall I have a totally different view of what I had imagined; the way of life is excellent, the rally has great facilities and the city of León has a very good standard of restaurants and hotels. The people are friendly and helpful and the organisation very professional and clued-up. I am really looking forward to coming back in March and I think there is a lot here for everyone to enjoy.”
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I can't wait to see the Rally. psoper is thinking about going down there to see it live. I'd love to go with him but March is booked for me.

rich