Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard are looking for a hat trick of titles in 2010 at Tall Pines.
canadian rally uPdate
By Dean CampBell www.flatoverCrest.Com
the very last stage of the Rally of the Tall Pines. For Pat Richard and Alan Ockwell of Subaru Rally Team Canada, a second title in as many years came after rivals An- toine L'Estage and Nathalie Richard had a heartbreaking me- chanical failure that cost the event win along with the Cana- dian title. This year, circumstances are
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even closer. Only two points sepa- rate these two teams coming into Tall Pines, but the season didn't start out with massive point tallies for either crew. At the 2010 season opener, the
Rallye Perce Neige, Pat Richard made an unusual mistake early in the event, forcing him to fight back up through the order to salvage a solid finish. That hope would be
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www.tallPinesRally.com
Find out what the big storylines are heading in to the final event of the year After a gamble on day two,
ast year's Canadian Rally Championship came down to
short lived, when engine failure in the afternoon stages forced the team out of the event. Antoine L'Estage had hoped to capitalize on his rival's DNF, but got stuck for over six minutes late in the after- noon put the team well back, and a car fire on one of the evening stages cost even more time. The event was won by teams
who played it safe. Bruno Carre took his first win, while Mathieu L'Estage and Craig Henderson rounded out the podium. Crazy Leo, who had shown
glimpses of brilliance in the previ- ous season, was just a little too crazy, stuffing his car off the road and out of the event. Fast forward a few months, to
the snow and mud of the Rocky Mountain Rally. Antoine L'Estage opened a massive lead in the first few stages, owing to the right tire choice, while Pat Richard took the wrong choice.
Richard went with the safe choice to try to hang on to vital champi- onship points. Bruno Carre made an inspired tire choice that saw him land on the podium and retain his championship lead. With a swing back east for the
third event of the season, the Ral- lye Baie Des Chaleurs, the flat out stages would demand the most of the crews and cars. Rough condi- tions meant no one would have an easy time. For Antoine L'Estage and
Nathalie Richard, the rally was very nearly over before it began. Prob- lems with the Rockstar Mitsubishi EVO X during shakedown could not be reliably repaired. A last minute offer of help from Crazy Leo meant the two could continue by using Leo's back up car. While not as powerful a specifi-
cation as the Rockstar car, L'Estage was able to drive to a sixth place
photo by andrew harvey
finish, salvaging some points. Pat Richard and Alan Ockwell won the rally, despite a late event roll and car fire. Crazy Leo notched his first national podium, finishing second, while Bruno Carre held onto the championship lead yet again after nabbing third place. L'Estage was able to make up
much needed ground at the next vent, Rallye Defi, near Mont Trem- blant, QC. His home event, L'Estage's win makes him the win- ningest driver in Defi history, and the start here also clinched the 2010 North American Rally Cup title for L'Estage, who also won the Rally America title and an X Games medal. Pat Richard and Alan Ock- well were put back almost immedi- ately with a flat tire. Though the Subaru pair charged
hard on the second day, they were unable to make up the difference and finished second, good enough to take the championship lead. Former points leader Carre dropped out of the event after a mechanical problem sidelined his car. Third place went to Craig Hen- derson and Lyne Murphy for their second podium of the season.
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