2008 World Rally Championship

[QuasiMondo]

Am I the only one who's excited about this? New events, new manufacturers, another attempt at ending Sebastian Loeb's chokehold on the driver's title...need I go on?

[bobby]

I'm right there with you....but speed chanel doesn't have it any more...where to look?...........



xoxoxoo

[QuasiMondo]

No idea. I remember one guy used to pull them off of european satellites and operate a server, but I don't know if he's going to do it again for this season, he was paying out the ass for bandwidth costs. I gotta look around to see if there are people putting up bit torrents for it.

[Fotzlid]

Originally Posted by bobby

I'm right there with you....but speed chanel doesn't have it any more...where to look?...........

and damn them all to hell for it too....NASCAR crap all the time....grumble

[bobby]

a good site for limited news...they want $$ for all the stuff

http://www.rally-live.com/wrc/en/

[kurty[B]]

Yeah, I've been out of the WRC loop because of lack of coverage. I miss it. Rally America is certainly trying, but there's nothing like the WRC.

[silent_jay]

For all your WRC needs, this is what I use, now that Speed has turned into the Nascar channel, fuckin Speed my ass, they should call it the oval racing channel.

Try Rally Torrents, all the events posted shortly after they finish. As a bonus, the 2007 season is there as well.
http://www.rallytorrents.com/

[QuasiMondo]

Originally Posted by silent_jay

For all your WRC needs, this is what I use, now that Speed has turned into the Nascar channel, fuckin Speed my ass, they should call it the oval racing channel.

Try Rally Torrents, all the events posted shortly after they finish. As a bonus, the 2007 season is there as well.
http://www.rallytorrents.com/

Rock on!!

Now I just need a team and a driver to root for. Galli's gone, Mitsubishi's gone, the 'anyone-but-Loeb' thing is too cliche. I think I'mma pull for upstart Suzuki, maybe if they're successful enough, they'll make a street version of their WRC08 SX4.

Man, I miss Group A and their homologation requirements.

[bobby]

I miss the KILLER B's.....!!!!

xoxoxoo

[kurty[B]]

Looking at the driver line-up. I'm going to cheer for the two Argentine drivers.

It would be nice to see Petter Solberg have better luck this year. Participating in Rally America events, its really just nice to see everyone (underdogs included) cross the finish line.

I do miss Group B, though.

Every year, someone brings a high-powered monster to the Colorado Rally, and even though it's a great machine, it always seems the overly tuned super-vehicle is guaranteed to be totalled before the end of the rally.

[desal75]

I keep hoping Subaru will make a resergence. Now that they have a hatchback like everyone else they will come around again. So......


GO PETTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Kid 3000]

Channel Dave on Sky will be broadcasting WRC highlights this year if your in the UK, not sure if British Eurosport will still be showing it like last year.

Im hoping Matthew Wilson keeps improving and has a solid season. I think Mikko Hirvonen will have a good season but I dont know if hes good enough yet to topple Loeb. Hard to think that anyone can stop Loeb now that Grönholm has retired.

[blade02]

If you're in the US, SOMETIMES the Outdoor Life Channel shows the WRC events, but I was never able to figure out when and only saw a couple of minutes here and there last season.

[QuasiMondo]

Monte Carlo starts in two days!!!

[silent_jay]

New Subaru


Suzuki's entry

Should be a great year, hopefully Colin and Richard are driving with the Subaru drivers and they can regain their glory.

[QuasiMondo]

I so wish Suzuki would step up to the plate and make a street legal version of that SX4.

[silent_jay]

Loeb has the lead:

Sebastien Loeb started his quest for a record fifth world rally championship by taking the lead after the first two timed stages of the season-opening Monte Carlo rally on Thursday.

Frenchman Loeb, who has won the title for the last four years, was second-fastest in the first section of the winter classic, 3.8 seconds behind Citroen team mate Dani Sordo of Spain.

Loeb then took control with the fastest time in the second stage, 16.5 seconds ahead of fellow asphalt expert Sordo who had a problem with damaged headlights.

"I found quite a lot of ice on the first stage so I took it a little easier," Loeb told the official world rally Web site (www.wrc.com).

"Dani really wants to win here. I knew that from the start and he's pushing me very hard." Finn Mikko Hirvonen, leading the challenge for champions Ford, was third fastest in both stages in the Drome region in southeastern France.

Loeb, who is also chasing a record fifth Monte Carlo win, will start the second day on Friday 12.7 seconds ahead of Sordo with Hirvonen in third place and 44 seconds behind.

Six timed stages will be competed on Friday on a tricky combination of asphalt, ice and snow.

The rally ends on Sunday with a sprint on the harbour section of the Monaco Grand Prix circuit

[QuasiMondo]

Citronen's new motto: You can't stop us, you can only hope to contain us.

Top 3

1. S. Loeb/Citroen
2. M. Hirvonen/Ford
3. C. Atkinson/Subaru

P.S. Yay!!!! Gigi Galli is back Too bad Mitsubishi isn't

[QuasiMondo]

Day 1 of the swedish rally:

Loeb is down to 20th place due mechanical difficulties, Latvala has the overrall lead,followed by Miko Hirvonen, Henning Solberg, Gigi Galli, and Petter Solberg.

[bobby]

Sébastien Loeb's career in numbers:

1st rally for Sébastien Loeb: Florival in 1997 (France)

1st rally for Daniel Elena: Bauxite in 1992 (as a co-driver)

First rally together: 1998

1st rally in World series: Catalunya in 1999 with a Saxo Kit Car

1st WRC win: Deutschland in 2002 with a Xsara WRC

WRC starts: 99 including 87 with a WRC
(2 with a Toyota Corolla, 68 with the Xsara and 17 with the C4)

WRC podiums: 61

WRC wins: 37 (record)

WRC titles: 4 (2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007)

Most wins in one season: 10 in 2005 (record)

Consecutive wins: 6 in 2005 (record)

Consecutive podiums: 12 in 2005 and 2006

Record number of wins: Deutschland (6 successive wins) and Monte Carlo (5).
Sébastien is only non-Nordic driver to have won the Swedish rally (2004).

Starts/wins ratio: 37/99 => 37% (record)

Starts/finished events: 85/99 => 85%

Starts/podiums ratio: 61/99 => 61%
The only driver who has done better is Carlos Reutemmann (2/2 => 100% in Argentina, 1980 and 1985)

Number of different events won: 17 (record)
12 are on the current calendar, in addition to Sanremo, Portugal, Ireland, Cyprus and Australia. Carlos Sainz is 2nd with 13 different events.

Citroën Sport wins in one season: 11 in 2005 (record)
10 wins in one season for Lancia in 1988

[kurty[B]]

Originally Posted by QuasiMondo

Day 1 of the swedish rally:

Loeb is down to 20th place due mechanical difficulties, Latvala has the overrall lead,followed by Miko Hirvonen, Henning Solberg, Gigi Galli, and Petter Solberg.

Quasi, thanks for the numbers. I just finished watching the Monte Carlo Rally I downloaded yesterday. Really wasn't all that exciting.

It's good to see Latvala and Hirvonen leading currently, we'll see what happens. And I have to agree, seeing Gigi up in the standings is always great. Can't wait till rallytorrents updates with this rally, the snow events are my favorite.