Rallye Automobile Monte Carlo Historical Stats

It is that wonderful time of the year again - a new WRC season is upon us. With young drivers looking to make waves and an old champion looking for an unprecedented fifth title, we should have fun. Oh and there is the new Suzuki team and a record PWRC contender list. It all kicks off this weekend with the legendary 'Monte.'

Rally Automobile Monte Carlo has been included in the WRC 33 times and part of the Drivers’ Championship 28 times, dating back to 1973. The rally was victim of the oil crisis in 1974 and later rotated to 2-Litre status for 1996. The rally has always been know as the Rallye Automobile Monte Carlo

Debut WRC wins in Monte Carlo:

Jean-Claude Andruet (FRA) – 1973 in Alpine-Renault A110 1800
Jean Ragnotti (FRA) - 1981 in Renault 5 Turbo
Piero Liatti (ITA) – 1997 in Lancia Delta Integrale 16V

Notable WRC debuts in Monte Carlo:

Rauno Aaltonen (FIN) - 1973 in Datsun 240Z (finished 18th)
Jean-Claude Andruet (FRA)- 1973 in Apline-Renault A110 1800 (finshed 1st)
Nicolas Bernardi (FRA) - 1998 in Peugeot 106 Rallye (retired)
Philippe Bugalski (FRA) - 1984 in Volkswagen Golf GTI (retired - 88th)
Bernard Darniche (FRA) - 1973 in Alpine-Renault A110 1800 (finished 10th)
François Delecour (FRA) - 1984 in Talbot Samba Rallye (finished 67th)
Harry Källström (SWE) - 1973 in Lancia Fulvia 1.6 Coupe HF (finished 8th)
Anders Kulläng (SWE) - 1973 in Opel Ascona A (finished 13th)
Henrick Lundgaard (DEN) - 1995 in Opel Calibra Turbo 4x4 (retired - 84th)
Timo Mäkinen (FIN) - 1973 in Ford Escort RS1600 (finished 11th)
Hannu Mikkola (FIN) - 1973 in Ford Escort RS1600 (finished 4th)
Sandro Munari (ITA) - 1973 in Lancia Fulvia 1.6 Coupe HF (retired)
Jean-Pierre Nicolas (FRA) - 1973 in Alpine-Renault A110 1800 (finished 3rd)
Gilles Panizzi (FRA) - 1990 in Lancia Delta Integrale (finished 16th)
Martin Prokop (CZE) - 2005 in Suzuki Ignis S1600 (finished 21st)
Jesús Puras (ESP) - 1991 in Mazda 323 GTX (retired)
Jean Ragnotti (FRA) - 1973 in Renault 12 Gordini (finished 15th)
Conrad Rautenbach (ZIM) - 2004 in Ford Puma S1600 (retired)
Walter Röhrl (GER) - 1973 in Opel Commodore GS/E (retired - classified 45th)
Bruno Saby (FRA) - 1973 in Renault 12 Gordini (retired)
Jean-Luc Thérier (FRA) - 1973 in Alpine-Renault A110 1800 (finished 5th)
Björn Waldegård (FRA) - 1973 in Fiat Abarth 124 Rallye (retired)

For complete list of Winners and Historical Stats click here.

Did You Know?

Sébastien Loeb has won four straight titles and three of those years (2004, 2005 & 2007) he got his championship bid off on the right foot with a victory in Monte Carlo. In 2006 he also won the title after scoring second. The Frenchman would like to begin his search for #5 with maximum points again.

Part II: Loeb has won 4 of the last 6 rallies in Monte Carlo. The only years he was beaten he finished 2nd (2002 due to a penalty and 2006 due to an error at the end of day one.

WRC Great Britain Historical Stats

Coming up is the 2007 WRC season finale, the 63rd edition of the Wales Rally Great Britain. Sébastien Loeb is coming off a victory two weeks ago in Ireland that vaulted him to a six point lead over his championship rival, Marcus Grönholm. A fifth place finish or better for the Frenchman will result in his fourth consecutive World Title. In the Production Car WRC, championship leader Toshihiro Arai has not nominated this event for points, so he will be watching the progress of his only title rival, Gabriel Pozzo. The Argentine driver trails by 9 points in the standings, so he can take the crown with a class victory in Wales. For complete 2007 points click here.

Rally Great Britain has been included in the WRC 33 times and part of the Drivers’ Championship 27 times, dating back to 1973. It was rotated to 2-Litre status for 1996. The Rally has been known by 5 different names:

Daily Mirror RAC Rally (1973)
Lombard RAC Rally (1974-1992)
Network Q RAC Rally (1993-1997)
Network Q Rally of Great Britain (1998-2001)
Wales Rally of Great Britain (2002-present)

Debut WRC wins in Great Britain:

Roger Clark (GBR) – 1976 in Ford Escort RS1800
Henri Toivonen (FIN) – 1980 in Talbot Sunbeam Lotus
Pentti Airikkala (FIN) – 1989 in Mitsubishi Galant VR-4
Petter Solberg (NOR) – 2002 in Subaru Impreza WRC

Notable WRC debuts in Great Britain:

Louise Aitken-Walker (GBR) – 1979 in Ford Fiesta (retired)
Richard Burns (GBR) – 1990 in Peugeot 309 GTI (finished 28th)
Barry Clark (GBR) – 2003 in Ford Puma Super 1600 (retired)
Justin Dale (GBR) – 2002 in Mitsubishi Lancer WRC (retired)
Gwyndaf Evans (GBR) – 1987 in Ford Sierra RS Cosworth (retired)
David Higgins (GBR) – 1994 in Peugeot 106 Rallye (retired)
Mark Higgins (GBR) – 1990 in Suzuki Swift GTI (retired)
Jari-Matti Latvala (FIN) – 2002 in Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6 (finished 17th)
Alister McRae (GBR) – 1991 in Subaru Legacy RS (retired)
Jimmy McRae (GBR) – 1976 in Vauxhall Magnum Coupe (finished 12th)
Niall McShea (GBR) – 1999 in Citroën Saxo VTS (retired)
Kris Meeke (GBR) – 2002 in Ford Puma Super 1600 (retired)
Andreas Mikkelsen (NOR) – 2006 in Ford Focus RS WRC (retired)
Armin Schwarz (GER) – 1988 in Audi 200 Quattro (finished 5th)
Malcolm Wilson (GBR) – 1977 in Ford Escort RS2000 (finished 12th)
Matthew Wilson (GBR) – 2004 in Ford Focus RS WRC (finished 13th)

For complete list of Winners and Historical Stats click here.

Did You Know?

With a victory this weekend Sébastien Loeb will knock off one of the three current WRC events that he has yet to attain victory. The other two are Rally Norway (run only once) and the Scandinavian dominated Rally Finland. However, remember Loeb had the 2005 Rally GB in hand before tragedy struck. Following the death of Michael Park in an accident, Loeb took a penalty to avoid a title clinching victory on the somber day. Last season, the Frenchman sat out Rally GB recovering from a broken arm, yet still won the WRC crown.

WRC Rally Ireland Preview

Coming up is the 15 round of the 2007 WRC - the all new Rally Ireland. The championship chase is heating up for the drivers as Marcus Grönholm clings to a four point advantage over Sébastien Loeb. In the Manufacturer’s championship, Ford can clinch a repeat title if they can muster at least 3 points on this weekend’s event.

Also in the Production car championship, Toshi Arai has not nominated this penultimate round. He has only two championship rivals and will clinch another PWRC crown if he can maintain an 11 point advantage. To keep their respective hopes alive Mark Higgins must win and/or Gabriel Pozzo finish 2nd or better.

Since this is the debut of Rally Ireland there are no stats to post. So I decided to put some interesting tidbits together. Enjoy!

This is the 3rd running of Rally Ireland. The first event was won by Matthew Wilson and Michael Orr in a Ford Focus. Last year Eugene Donnelly and Paul Kiely won the WRC candidate event in a Toyota Corolla WRC. Both events were based in Sligo, which is also the host of this year’s WRC Rally Ireland.

This rally will feature 20 stages, with 14 different stage locations. 8 of those will be held in the Republic of Ireland and six will be across the border in Northern Ireland. This event joins Monte Carlo and Rallye Sanremo as the only cross border WRC rallies.

Ireland Drivers Statistics

World Champions: none

Rally Victories: none

Podiums: none

Points: 13 – 30th all-time
Billy Coleman (10)
Gareth MacHale (3)

Point Finishes: 2 – tied for 32nd all-time
Billy Coleman (1)
Gareth MacHale (1)

Did You Know? The best finish by an Irishman was Billy Coleman’s 4th place drive on the 1985 Tour de Corse in a Porsche 911 SC RS. His co-driver was Ronan Morgan who is now a promoter for Rally Ireland.

One to Watch: Eugene Donnelly (IRL) – Although it will be his WRC debut, this Irishman is the defending race winner. He also won the 2006 Irish Tarmac Championship and will be in a Skoda Fabia WRC run by Reid Motorsport. With so few tarmac specialists, a solid run by Donnelly could see him score on native soil.

IRC China Rally Preview

The season finale for the 2007 Intercontinental Rally Challenge is upon us. The China Rally, originally scheduled for the last weekend of the month, was just recently confirmed and moved up three weeks. Couple that with the distance for most IRC regulars and Peugeot already clinching the Manufacturer's Championship and you have a very scant IRC crowd. None of the championship contenders or familar faces will be in China. Hideaki Miyoshi, finished third on the Safari rally, is the only participant to make a previous IRC start this season.

Personally, I think the IRC got it all wrong putting the China Rally as the series finale. Due to lack of participation, there will be no dramatic title fight between Enrique García-Ojeda and Nicolas Vouilloz. The Peugeot team mates performed well this season to help their marque to the makes title, and were just five points apart heading to the final round. Honorable mention goes to the lead Abarth driver, Andrea Navarra who notched a victory in the opening round and lead the championship for a good portion of the season until a string of 4 starts were he scored a total of only 3 points. For the complete 2007 IRC point standings through 8 events, click here.

Still there are many interesting stories on the China Rally. It is also the 7th and final round of the FIA Asia-Pacific Rally Championship. There will be a big fight in the APRC for the Manufacturer's title (Subaru leads 74-72). Jussi Välimäki and Kastuhiko Taguchi will lead the way for Mitsubishi while battling for second in the championship. Meanwhile Cody Crocker, who can win his second title just by starting the race, will head the Subaru attack. For the complete 2007 APRC point standings through 6 events, click here.

Add in the Chinese Rally Championship fights where David Higgins and Martin Rowe (former BRC champs) are looking to aid their respective team's push for a title. There is also all the locals as they fight for the Chinese drivers championship.

This rally will deterimine a number of titles in multiple rally series, so stay tuned to the Official IRC website for all the results this weekend.

WRC Rally Japan Historical Stats

Round 14 of the World Rally Championship heads to Asia for the relatively new Rally Japan. This is just the fourth WRC inclusion for the event. Last year Sébastien Loeb crossed Japan off his hit list, winning for the first time in three tries here. He is looking to repeat that victory, coming off back to back wins (7 on the season) that pulled him within 4 points Marcus Grönholm in the championship chase. We will also see the return of the Production Car World Championship after a long break, including local drivers Toshi Arai and Fumio Nutahara. For complete 2007 points click here.

Rally Japan debuted in 2004 and has been included three times. It has been know by the same name all three events. Previously it was Rally Hokkaido and part of the FIA Asia-Pacific Rally Championship and Japanese Rally Championship for years. Now that regional rally has split off (still Rally Hokkaido) and is know usually run over the summer, but on many of the same stages.

There have been no maiden WRC victories in Japan (yet). For complete list of Winners and Historical Stats click here.

Notable WRC debuts in Japan:

Yoshio Ikemachi (JAP) - 2006 in Subaru Impreza WRX STI (finished 27th)
Masayuki Ishida (JAP) - 2004 in Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VIII (finished 13th)
Eiichi Nakamura (JAP) - 2004 in Toyota Starlet (retired)
Daisuke Yamada (JAP) - 2004 in Subaru Impreza WRX STI (finished 20th)

Did You Know?

Sébastien Loeb & Marcus Grönholm are the only WRC drivers to score points in all three WRC events hosted by Japan. Loeb has a slight edge by collecting a podium finish in all three starts.

Part II: With over 700 starts by Japanese drivers, the country is eighth all-time in WRC participations, but they have collected just two wins and three podiums. All of those belong to Kenjiro Shinozuka via victories in 1991 & 1992 at Rallye Côte d'Ivoire Bandama and a 2nd place finish in the 1994 Safari Rally. Toshi Arai does have a couple of 4th place results, most recently in 2001.

IRC Rally International du Valais Preview

After a month off, the Intercontinental Rally Challenge heads to Switzerland for the Rally International du Valais. This premier Swiss event will be the penultimate round of the 2007 season. There are a total of 118 entries on the preliminary entry list with 78 IRC competitors. Of that group there are 8 Super 2000 cars, split between Abarth & Peugeot.

With two rounds left, there are three drivers in the hunt (Luca Rossetti is within 19 points but will miss Valais). The top two are the Peugeot Sport España duo of Enrique García-Ojeda and Nicolas Vouilloz. García-Ojeda leads his French team mate by 7 points, but is still looking for his first win of the year. Vouilloz is coming off a podium finish in Sanremo and has two wins on the season. Joining them in the Peugeot camp is Bernd Casier, who sits 7th overall in the championship and local Swiss driver Christian Jaquillard.

The other 4 Super 2000's are Abarths headed by the factory entries of Andrea Navarra and Umberto Scandola. Navarra sits tied with Vouilloz on 32 points, but has scored just 3 points in the last three rounds. This slump has cost him the series lead, but a strong result here could put him back in front. His Italian team mate Scandola is 8th overall in the points. Former WRC works driver Freddy Loix will be in his private entry. Philippe Roux, experienced on the WRC, especially Monte Carlo will also be in a Grande Punto S2000.

Luca Betti will be looking for success in his Honda Civic Type-R R3 in his last IRC appearance of the season. In addition of couple of Swiss drivers familiar to WRC followers head the local contigent of drivers. Olivier Burri in a Subaru Impreza N12, and Philippe Camandona in his Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI will be joined by the best drivers the country has to offer.

In the makes chase, Peugeot can clinch the title if they gain two or more points on Abarth. Mitsubishi is fading in third and won't catch the leading pair. For the complete 2007 IRC point standings, click here.

This rally will go a long way to determine the 2007 IRC champions, so don't miss any of the action. Stay tuned to the Official IRC website or Rally du Valais website for all the results this weekend.

SWC Mazada Laguna Seca Preview

The 2007 Speed World Challenge GT championship has gone down to the wire. It's the final race and the battle is tight at the top with several drivers still in contention for the title. The season finale is at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. The track has hosted the final round each year since 2004. This is is the 8th time the track has been part of the GT championship. Click here for a list of SWC GT winners at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

There are 34 drivers on the entry list for the final weekend of the 2007 season. The only former winner to participate this weekend will be points leader Randy Pobst. The Porsche driver has two victories, one last season and the other in 2002.

Pobst is clinging to a four point advantage after seeing Lawson Aschenbach pick up 26 points over the last two rounds. The young Cadillac driver is coming off a victory at Road Atlanta and looking to defend his Series Title from a year ago. Also in the hunt is Aschenbach's team mate Andy Pilgrim, the 2005 Series Champion, who sits 17 points adrift of the leader. Pobst's K-Pax team mate Michael Galati is fourth overall, a further ten points off Pilgrim. Any of these four can bring home the title with a good result on Sunday.

In the manufacturer's championship, Cadillac extended their lead to 10 points over Porsche with the win at Road Atlanta. That means the Cadi-boys need to score just one point, or have Porsche score less than the maximum ten points to clinch their second makes title in 3 years. In order to help the regulars (Aschenbach and Pilgrim) Cadillac has tapped Ron Fellows to run the third car this weekend.

Porsche's resistance will be headed up by the K-PAX team of Pobst, Galati and Robb Holland. They will be joined by James Sofronas (11th in points) and rookie Eric Olberz. Click here for complete points standings through 9 rounds.

Chevrolet will try to play spoiler and look for a fifth win on the season. There are seven Corvettes entered, lead by the Whelen Engineering team of Eric Curran (5th overall & 4 victories) and Sonny Whelen. In addition Rob Foster (10th overall) and Brian Kubinski (13th) will look for solid finishes.

Fourth place among manufacturers is Dodge, and as usual, they have the highest turnout. Jeff Courtney sits 8th overall and wants to move up in the final standings and he will be joined by Michael McCann (14th) and many more. Also notable Vipers are the Woodhouse Perfomance duo of Jeffrey Robbins (12th overall) and fifth place finisher last round, Jeff Altenburg.

Dane Moxlow will be joined by Paul Bonaccorsi this weekend for Pontiac, driving GTO's and veteran Mike Davis and son Brandon will visit the series with the elder in a Ford Mustang Cobra and the younger a Saleen SR.

Every point counts, so do miss any of the qualifying or race action from Laguna Seca at www.world-challenge.com.