Rally Sweden 2008

[MagpieRacer]

And some breaking news, havnt found it on the net yet but I am watching it on TV. Travis Pastrana will be racing in the PWRC class at Sweden as well as the new shape Impreza and Lancers. Should be schweet!

 

[VTRacing]

After Stage 1 (Karlstad Super Special):

1 SOLBERG Subaru 01:28.9 +00.0
2 LATVALA Ford 01:29.4 +00.5
3 HIRVONEN Ford 01:29.8 +00.9
4 LOEB Citroën 01:30.0 +01.1
5 SOLBERG Ford 01:30.4 +01.5
6 GALLI Ford 01:30.9 +02.0
7 ANDERSSON Suzuki 01:30.9 +02.0
8 GARDEMEISTER Suzuki 01:32.1 +03.2
9 ØSTBERG Subaru 01:33.0 +04.1
10 MIKKELSEN Ford 01:33.4 +04.5
11 WILSON Ford 01:34.4 +05.5
12 AAVA Citroën 01:34.6 +05.7
13 AL QASSIMI Ford 01:35.9 +07.0
14 ATKINSON Subaru 01:36.2 +07.3
15 NITTEL Mitsubishi 01:38.2 +09.3

 

[Speedster502]

Awesome! It be cool if Solberg wins, he didn't have too much luck in Monte.

 

[Flerbizky]

Go Solberg..

But mostly because I'm in love with the Impreza XD

 

[Metar]

Loeb out of Day 1!

Oh my. Interesting...

 

[Appie]

Wow, you dont'see that much.

 

[MagpieRacer]

Holy cow...

Who will win now!:S lol

Another thing you dont see much, SS12 cancelled due to...........warm weather..

 

[MagpieRacer]

Latvala doing well, looks like he is on course for a win. Matthew Wilson doing really well.

 

[Leonidae]

And he won it. Ford + Finns = t3h W1n.

 

[VTRacing]

Whereas Fords + Brits = Bad luck.

Wilson's throttle jammed open on the penultimate stage leading to his retirement.

 

[MagpieRacer]

Pretty unlucky for Wilson, he is looking like the next big thing for Britain in WRC.

Day 3 footage was immense, the lack of snow and ice on the stages meant the studs where throwing sparks out loads, looked awesome.

 

[daan]

he is looking like the next big thing for Britain in WRC.

D'you think? I get the impression he's only there 'cos his dad is the boss.

 

[MagpieRacer]

D'you think? I get the impression he's only there 'cos his dad is the boss.

Name another British WRC driver.

Also, didnt realise Latvalas win makes him the youngest ever WRC event winner. Previously Toivonen at 24 who won in '82. Latvala only 22.

 

[daan]

Name another British WRC driver.

But I don't see him as the next big thing. That requires talent. (more talent than I believe he has.)

 

[MagpieRacer]

He was running 5th before his throttle packed up.

 

[daan]

He is in one of the best cars there, and he was being caught by a privateer. He was also nearly 3 minutes behind a guy in an identical car (Galli)

 

[Blake]

But I don't see him as the next big thing. That requires talent.

QFT.

Wilson is useless (comparatively).

 

[daan]

Yeah, don't get me wrong. I'm not saying he's completely rubbish, but he's going to have to take it up a couple of levels in order to compete at the very top.

 

[Blake]

Yeah, don't get me wrong. I'm not saying he's completely rubbish, but he's going to have to take it up a couple of levels in order to compete at the very top.

Well considering he lost, what, 5 seconds on the initial special stage… quite a few levels.

 

[VTRacing]

I don't think you could make a judgment on his driving based on time lost on the opening super special. There are plenty of good reasons to go cautiously on that stage.

Atkinson lost 7.3 seconds on that stage, because he stalled the car.

I think Wilson's advantage is that he's on the world stage at such a young age. I mean, virtually his first rally car was a 2nd-hand Focus WRC. The downside of this is that he has had to do almost all of his learning in the full scrutiny of the WRC, whereas most other drivers have at least had a few years of learning the trade in local or national championships before stepping up.

So much of rallying relies on experience, and you can only get that experience by getting out there.

Having said all that, I think that this year Wilson has to step up and show that he belongs in the WRC. He needs to match times, at least, with Galli to be taken seriously.