Auto Rally Corporate Challenge with Team Hyundai: Rule of Thirds

This is my third time running this event and also third time lucky to be joining unexpectedly at the last minute. Did I also mention it was my third time to be with another team for my third year, and a third time to be doing a different role in the car. At least I was finally behind the driver’s seat where I belong, and I had been finally grouped with my long time navigator in speed rallies, Art, and our clerk-of-the-course during speed rally events, Francisco.

So we started out with a meeting with other members of our four-car, Team Hyundai over at their “headquarters” as that would sound way cooler than just saying office. You could say we were really confident that we would be a team to watch out for. LOL.

                                                                                       Photo from Rich Manalad

We were told that we were going to use the new Hyundai Accent Hatchback CRDi with automatic transmission. Real pretty.

So we started at parc-ferme with the team. Art, Francisco, and I were car number 32.

We were flagged off in front of SM Wind residences. We were in fact the first car to do the beta stages (the 2nd part route of stages of the whole rally).

                                                                              Photo from AutoIndustriya.com

I was obviously happy with were I sat in the car, the driver’s seat.

And I could admire the machinery that I had in front of me.

While the other members of car #32 were busy studying the route and computing for time.

So to make the whole rally look far more interesting. The point of the rally was to compute for exact times we had to be on hiding checkpoints, and trying to be there on-time. All that plus managing a giant Hyundai egg inside our Accent.

You could see how intensely focused we were on doing everything properly and trying not to place a crack on the egg.

Okay, so the egg hatched eventually, and I just really wanted to show everyone it was actually a cooler for our drinks.

So moving on, we did manage to end the first round of this year’s Auto Rally Corporate Challenge with several awards.

- A stage win on the Alpha stage leg 5

- Over-all leg winner for the Alpha Leg

And if I let you guess what rank we ended as an individual car team, you most likely to guess it right with our rule of thirds. Yup, third!

That means, second runner-up on the Individual Team award…

- and 4th over-all for the four car team of Team Hyundai.

So now we are hoping for November to come soon for the second leg in Subic. We managed to get a good result here in the Tagaytay leg and now we are hoping for another good result and maybe an over-all win! Go Hyundai! #Sagad

2013 Opening The Rally Year with Snow Rallies

World Rally Championship’s Monte Carlo and Sweden round, together with new hashed European Rally Championship rounds of Austria and Latvia came into life early this year. The “white” events brought a brand new clean start to exciting things to look forward to in this year’s rally calendar. Both have huge media coverage, and the mix of drivers and teams are making the rally scene very interesting.

Sebastien Loeb (right) and Sebastien Ogier (Left). Photo from http://www.zimbio.com

9-time WRC Champion, Loeb, took Monte Carlo. Round 2 was Ogier’s and VW’s historical win. With Loeb having a limited program, Ogier seems to be maintaining a good gap in the top of the championship table after two rounds.

Citroen DS3 of Loeb and VW Polo WRC of Ogier. Photo from http://www.redbull.com

As of the moment, it is still early to decide on what can happen this WRC season. But with the results of the first two winter events, Ogier and VW’s ambition and determination seems likely to give them a historical first Championship as well. Citroen’s Mikko Hirvonen seems to have lost his way to the top of this year’s standings, when he was predicted to also be contending for his first title. The M-Sport Team are quick and trailing behind, ready to pounce anytime on a chance for a podium and even a win. So as long as Ogier and his new VW Polo don’t go surpassing expectations of being the new Loeb, every rally will be as exciting as how we used to remember it before the Loeb era.

Related articles

• Sebastien Loeb Wins 7th Monte Carlo Rally (autoevolution.com)
• Ogier gives Volkswagen maiden rally win (bigpondnews.com)

Pre-WRC Season Testing 2013

A new year means waiting for the new motorsports season to unfold. Thanks to Michelin and their Best of RallyLive.com channel, they have those short video clips to keep us up to date on the classic and legendary rally Monte Carlo pre-season testing. A lot of excitement is going on with the 2013 season when everyone knows the best rally driver there is will not be aiming for another title. That means it leaves a new champion waiting after the sport’s 9-year Sebastien Loeb/ Daniel Elena, Citroen WRT era. 

In WRC, we do have the arrival of VW World Rally Team and their Rally the World campaign. After 2 years of preparation, the newest and most serious contender will be piloted by French-man Sebastien Ogier and ex-Ford WRT driver Jari-Matti Latvala.

Although 9-time consecutive world rally champion Loeb will only be doing four rallies the entire season, he is scheduled to partake on this opening Monte Carlo Rally which he still intends to win.

Mikko Hirvonen will now be Citroen’s ace driver for their 2013 campaign despite bearing the number 2 on his car (since the number 1 plate will be reserved for Loeb). Hirvonen will run alongside Spanish driver Dani Sordo when Loeb is not contesting on his four chosen rallies.

Although Ford have pulled out, Mads Ostberg is now the new driver under Malcolm Wilson’s M-Sport world rally team. No more Ford Motor Company for mafuacturer support but the Fiesta lives on in WRC.

A rally fan can only be excited of the unexpected competition we will be getting this season. Surely everyone will be bringing their A game to the special stages. This year Loeb is definitley not winning the championship! Who do you think will win it this year? The 2013 WRC championship is up for grabs!

WRC News: Hyundai WRC In, Loeb Partially Out for 2013

It has been a while since I’ve last commented on the WRC. With the World Motorsports Council coming up, everyone is making plans for 2013.

                                                                                                         Photo from WRC.com

WRC seems to have a new manufacturer coming in. Although no exact date or detailed plans have emerged, the Korean manufacturer is most likely to push with their WRC program. Hyundai isn’t new in the WRC scene having competed in the Formula 2 category with the Coupe in the late 90′s and with the Accent WRC for the last time in 2003. They say they’ll be using the i20 and have announced this motorsport campaign in the 2012 Paris Motor Show.

As of how I see it, it is great to have an Asian manufacturer back in the world championship and it isn’t a big surprise that it had to be coming from Korea. I remember doing some local projects with Hyundai after their WRC days and from what I personally experienced is that their cars did get better in terms of driving performance. We used to joke around that they aren’t the same Hyundais of yester-years because of their WRC technology. That would’ve been our opinion on that day and point of time… the real owners be the judge.

Well on to the next news and that’s the great rally god, Sebastien Loeb, not having a full WRC program for 2013. It seems Mr. Loeb will want to concentrate on some circuit racing since his Citroen team have plans on pursuing a WTCC (world touring cars) career.

                                                                                                          Photo from WRC.com

The way I see this folding, Loeb seems to have enough of WRC in terms of competition and would want to fulfill other motorsports avenues in his career. As if eight titles and a most likely 9th consecutive World Rally Championship title coming up in the end of this year, isn’t enough for any other ordinary rally driver.

Mikko Hirvonen will finally have his biggest chance for his first ever title after coming so many second places behind Loeb. Hirvonen will now have a chance of being the number one driver for the Citroen WRT.

Citroen have always had rumors of financial issues but with them racking up title after title every year for both driver and manufacturers championship, why not look for a new challenge? Well for one, as a rally enthusiast… Citroen stay! The more WRC manufacturers, the more exciting the WRC becomes.

My last say on Loeb semi-leaving, or semi-staying (something like seeing a glass half-full, or half-empty) is me not having to watch him live and at his prime of taking over the World Championship. For those in the rally scene, Sebastien Loeb is a rally god and has broken almost all and has set new records. Which rally driver wouldn’t have wanted to witness such an out-of-this world rally experience? I definitely would have wanted to see it with my naked eyes.

Related articles

• Hyundai to enter WRC with i20 rally car – goes to Paris Motor Show (inautonews.com)
• Citroen boss wants to cut WRC team’s budget (inautonews.com)

The Opening Round of the 2012 RallyEKross Series (w/Video)

Muddy and slippery could’ve been the best title for the first round of the 2012 RallyEKross Series. Many had their doubts if the cars could even pass the course set by the organizers. The drivers agreed before the event that, the one who could finish the course would win. With a course bound to make any of the rallycars stuck on the muddy route, it was a challenge for anyone. The rallycar equipped with the most power and traction would be the most advantageous in this round. That is besides the bad luck of having to come out of the rallycar and give it a push off the mud pooled track. It was something most of the competitors did in one part of the opening round.