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Following on from confirmation of the APRC calendar, comes the regulations for 2008 and as predicted the FIA have approved new drivers’ awards for next season – the Pacific Cup and the Asia Cup. The ‘Cup’ concept is an exciting new development that will allow teams to compete in international events, without the expense of doing the full APRC championship. Many drivers already enter their own event and many enter two, adding a third in their region is viable and achievable for many competitors.
While the two cups will be totally separate from the APRC award, the same benefits will apply to the Cup entrants including collective shipping and coordination, inclusion in the global TV coverage, seeding at the head of the field, primary positions at service parks – plus the opportunity to compete in international events with the associated exposure and experience.
A summary of the new regulations are as follows: • Introduction of Asia Cup and Pacific Cup – minimum 3 events each region• Pacific Cup – nominate 3 events (of 3) prior to close of entries for first event• Asia Cup – nominate 3 events (of 4) prior to close of entries for first event contested• Teams must register for only one competition – either the full APRC or the Asia and/or Pacific cups• APRC - Nominate 6 events prior to close entries of first event to be contested • APRC – 5 events to be contested to be included in final classification, of the 6 nominated at registration• Penalty for any missed APRC events is the entry fee – to be paid to event organizers• 45 min service is now flexi service at each eventA new tyre rule has been introduced for all regional rally championships in 2008, specifying that all tyres used in competition must be commercially available.
While its too early to predict drivers and teams for next year, current champion Cody Crocker has a two-year agreement with the Motor Image team and therefore it is almost certain the Australian will return to defend his title for a third year in a new shape Subaru Impreza. Mitsubishi's new Group N rally car the Evo 10 is not expected to compete until the end of 2008.
APRC team’s coordinator Murray Brown commented that “I’ve had considerable interest from teams and drivers for APRC 2008. I am very confident of a strong turn out for next year and believe the inclusion of the Asia Cup and Pacific Cup will boost entries at all the events. The introduction of the Cups provides an opportunity for those drivers and teams who may not have the resources to complete the full 6 APRC rounds, but could successfully contest 3 rounds, including their home event. | FIA ASIA PACIFIC RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP - 2008 (Drivers, Co-drivers and Manufacturers Cup) | | 1. | 12-13 April | Rallye de Nouvelle Caledonia | | 2. | 10-11 May | Rally of Canberra - Australia | | 3. | 07-08 June | Rally of Whangarei - New Zealand | | 4. | 12-13 July | Rally Hokkaido - Japan | | 5. | 23-24 August | Gudang Garam International Rally Indonesia - Makasar | | 6. | 11-12 October | Johor Baharu, Malaysia | | 7. | 08-09 November | China Rally |
Crocker wins China Rally and APRC Manufacturers' title for Subaru
12NOV07 Subaru rally driver Cody Crocker has completed a magnificent season by taking outright honours in Rally China and securing the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship Manufacturers’ title for Subaru for the second year in a row.
Crocker and co-driver Ben Atkinson had already claimed the APRC driver’s championship even before the Chinese round, but today’s victory rounded out a season that saw the pair win five of the six rounds they contested. Driving the MotorImage entered Impreza WRX STI, Crocker proved what a real champion he is driving to the conditions, while all his major opposition in APRC either crashed off or went out of the event with mechanical problems.
In the APRC category there was only one other finisher, Brian Green bringing his Wan Ya Rally Team Mitsubishi home in 2nd but over ten minutes behind Crocker. In the overall event, also part of the China Rally Championship (CRC) and the Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC) Crocker crushed the opposition and finished the two-day event one minute 29.8 seconds clear of UK driver David Higgins, with another Chinese driver, Lang Xu, a further one minute 2.1 seconds back in third. “We started the day determined to finish, and finish well,” Crocker said. “We concentrated on producing the same pace as yesterday, not wanting to push too hard, but not wanting to slacken off either, as that’s when mistakes can happen.”
“In the end it was a very comfortable pace with no risk. “There was over three hours of competitive driving across the weekend, so it was really challenging. At times the average speeds were around 50kph. It was so tight and twisty and then really cut up on the second and third passes of a stage. This has capped off a fantastic year for us and the whole Motor Image team. Securing the Manufacturers’ title for Subaru gave us a real focus for the weekend.”
While Crocker celebrated, the other teams licked their wounds. Katsu Taguchi led initially but crashed out on Stage 7 while both his team-mates, Finlands Jussi Valimaki and India driver Gaurav Gill, having engine and fuel problems. Hiroshi Yanagisawa retired on Stage 5 also with engine problems, Rifat Sungkar crashed off on Stage 7 but restarted on Day 2. Through all the carnage came Brian Green and Fleur Pederson taking a safe approach that again paid off. It was the veteran driver’s third podium of the year and moved him and Pederson into 4th overall in the Asia-Pacific drivers and co-drivers championship.
Prior to the finish podium Green said, “This event has been a very hard one, a lot of carnage along the way and fortunately we made it through. >From the start we decided to drive down the middle of the road, no cuts or running wide as there was just so many things to run into. This year the roads have been much rougher and it’s tough on the gear and the crew”. Rally China – Final Top Seven:
1 C Crocker/B Atkinson, Subaru
2 D Higgins/I Thomas, Mitsubishi, +1:29.8
3 L Xu/ Y Huang, Mitsubishi, +2:31.9
4 C Liu/A McLaughlin, Subaru, +2:25.6
5 J Salo/M Stenberg, Subaru, +5:10.8
6. M Rowe/D Moscatt, Mitsubishi +6.13
7. B Green/F Pederson, Mitsubishi +16.36
For Rally China results visit: www.fasc.org.cn |
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