2012-05-27
Despite wicked weather, Yokohama pair dominate rugged Rocky Rally podium
CALGARY (May 27, 2012) – Constantly changing weather conditions didn’t slow down reigning Canadian Rally Champions Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard as the pair notched their second victory in the 2012 Canadian title championship with a resounding win at the Rocky Mountain Rally here.
L’Estage, of St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, and Richard, of Halifax, wheeled their Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X through rain, snow, mud and dry conditions over the two-day event to post a decisive 1 minute 39-second victory, their third consecutive sweep of the event and the fifth time L’Estage has won this rally.
The changing conditions put a premium on tire selection, but the Yokohama-sponsored team came prepared with tires to match the difficult roads, leading from start to finish. “It was the perfect rally for us,” L’Estage concluded at the end.
If it was easy for L’Estage and Nathalie Richard, it was anything but for Yokohama team mates and championship rivals Patrick Richard (Squamish, B.C.) and Alan Ockwell (Toronto), who overcame a long list of problems on the way to a hard-earned second place in their Subaru Rally Team Canada entry. Richard/Ockwell had fallen behind on the first day after a mechanical problem and penalties dropped them down the order. The hard-charging Subaru clawed back the deficit from the Subaru of Leo Urlichich of Toronto and Welsh co-driver Carl Williamson on the dry second day to secure second place. Urlichich and Williamson hung on for third.
L’Estage/Richard top the Canadian Rally Championship standings after two wins in the first two events of 2012. The pair won the snowy Rally Perce Neige in February to give them a commanding lead in the series with 44 points to the 31 tallied by Urlichich/Williamson.
The six-event Canadian championship has been televised nationally on TSN and RDS since 1993, and is made available on multiple media platforms, including TSN 2, as downloads from iTunes, on-line on Flat Over Crest (www.flatovercrest.com) and to 80 million homes in Europe on MotorsTV.
Yokohama Tire (Canada) Inc. markets and distributes a full line of tires for high performance, passenger car, light truck, and commercial truck applications, as well as off-the-road tires for mining, forestry and construction applications. It maintains distribution centers across Canada to serve more than 700 independent tire dealers and more than 2,000 retail locations.
CALGARY (May 27, 2012) – Constantly changing weather conditions didn’t slow down reigning Canadian Rally Champions Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard as the pair notched their second victory in the 2012 Canadian title championship with a resounding win at the Rocky Mountain Rally here.
L’Estage, of St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, and Richard, of Halifax, wheeled their Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X through rain, snow, mud and dry conditions over the two-day event to post a decisive 1 minute 39-second victory, their third consecutive sweep of the event and the fifth time L’Estage has won this rally.
The changing conditions put a premium on tire selection, but the Yokohama-sponsored team came prepared with tires to match the difficult roads, leading from start to finish. “It was the perfect rally for us,” L’Estage concluded at the end.
If it was easy for L’Estage and Nathalie Richard, it was anything but for Yokohama team mates and championship rivals Patrick Richard (Squamish, B.C.) and Alan Ockwell (Toronto), who overcame a long list of problems on the way to a hard-earned second place in their Subaru Rally Team Canada entry. Richard/Ockwell had fallen behind on the first day after a mechanical problem and penalties dropped them down the order. The hard-charging Subaru clawed back the deficit from the Subaru of Leo Urlichich of Toronto and Welsh co-driver Carl Williamson on the dry second day to secure second place. Urlichich and Williamson hung on for third.
L’Estage/Richard top the Canadian Rally Championship standings after two wins in the first two events of 2012. The pair won the snowy Rally Perce Neige in February to give them a commanding lead in the series with 44 points to the 31 tallied by Urlichich/Williamson.
The six-event Canadian championship has been televised nationally on TSN and RDS since 1993, and is made available on multiple media platforms, including TSN 2, as downloads from iTunes, on-line on Flat Over Crest (www.flatovercrest.com) and to 80 million homes in Europe on MotorsTV.
Yokohama Tire (Canada) Inc. markets and distributes a full line of tires for high performance, passenger car, light truck, and commercial truck applications, as well as off-the-road tires for mining, forestry and construction applications. It maintains distribution centers across Canada to serve more than 700 independent tire dealers and more than 2,000 retail locations.