Ford Jellymoulds Posted July 29, 2010 Share Posted July 29, 2010 (edited) AUTOBLOG... The worst-kept secret in rallying has finally been revealed with MINI's announcement that it will be returning to the top level of international rallying, the World Rally Championship, in 2011. Fans and the FIA alike will be delighted at the news especially as a once-thriving WRC has in recent years become a two-horse race between Ford and Citroen, with the latter taking nearly all of the honours thanks to the most successful rally driver in history, Sebastien Loeb. Within the past 10 years, marques including Subaru, Mitsubishi, Toyota, Peugeot, Hyundai and Skoda have all abandoned the WRC with the problem exacerbated by the fast rise of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge, a series that has offered more in terms of competition and excitement. That MINI has not chosen the IRC option is a coup for the WRC, particularly as the Monte Carlo Rally - the scene of MINI's greatest victory in 1964 with Paddy Hopkirk at the wheel - is part of the IRC. LINK Mmmm Mini's greatest ever victory was the 1966 Monte Carlo Rally when they finished 1st, 2nd & 3rd the same French scrutineers officials who passed the car 100% fit legal OK before the start of the rally totally dismantled all 3 Mini's after the Mini had finished 1-2-3 to see if they could find a problem. In the end the French disqualified all three cars because the spotlights were not angled correctly. Roger Clark in a Lotus Cortina fished 4th was also disqualified for having the same spot lamps as the Mini. So surprise surprise a French Citroen was declared winner of the 1966 Monte Carlo rally by the French Officals. Prince Rainier of Monaco went ballistic with the French officials he wanted to know why the French officials had pass them fit to start the Monte Car and not once it had finished. BL & Ford complained that the spotlights were fixed and they had no means of adjustment, and they wanted to know why the French Citroen had been declared winner was not disqualified because it was fitted with the same illegal spotlights. So they went away came back and said BL & Fords headlights had been fitted with iodine quartz headlight bulbs which were not fitted to the Citroen that had standard French street legal bulbs fitted to all French cars so the French Citroen was still the declared winner. Both British Leyland and Ford pulled out of doing all future Monte Carlo rallys, even when WRC got established Ford skipped the rally in a protest at the French cheating bastards. Ford returned to the Monte Carlo in the late 70's and were WRC champions in RWD Escorts the Escorts had missed out on doing the Monte Carlo rally but won just about every thing else. RWD Escorts won the British RAC rally 8 years on a trot 1972-79 without any cheating French anywhere shit in sight a feat that has never been bettered. Edited July 29, 2010 by Ford Jellymoulds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zachatola Posted July 29, 2010 Share Posted July 29, 2010 im glad to see another manufacturer in the WRC, i was really hoping Suzuki and Subaru would have stayed in but i guess you gotta do whats best for your company. I can say that im getting pretty sick of seeing loeb wining everything, its making watching WRC a bit repetitious. Hopefully with Mini entering it will spur some of the other manufacturers to enter and compete as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ford Jellymoulds Posted July 30, 2010 Author Share Posted July 30, 2010 (edited) im glad to see another manufacturer in the WRC, i was really hoping Suzuki and Subaru would have stayed in but i guess you gotta do whats best for your company. I can say that im getting pretty sick of seeing loeb wining everything, its making watching WRC a bit repetitious. Hopefully with Mini entering it will spur some of the other manufacturers to enter and compete as well. +1 There is the truth, the British RAC Rally used to be the biggest live spectator sporting event in the UK over a million fans used to line the route of the British RAC to watch cars of just from about every brand pass by their town. Nobody today is interested in rallying these days compared to the past. Two thumbs up to Mini for joining WRC again l hope they don't do the Monte Carlo as a mark of respect to the cheating French 1966 and tell them they can stick the points up their arse and give them to Citroen they don't need them . Your right Sebastion Loeb has not helped much he makes Schumacher success's in F1 look very novice, lets hope Ken Block gets up to speed ASAP for Ford and kicks Loebs arse. WRC Loeb v Block 2011 could become better than the thriller in Manilla was in boxing. Autoblog... COULD FORD MAKE A KEN BLOCK SPECIAL FIESTA? The signing of Ken Block to Ford's WRC team has proved to be a fantastic coup for the manufacturer, not in terms of rally wins, but for the media coverage it has helped generate. In an effort to turn this interest into sales, Ford are apparently now working on a limited 'Ken Block' edition of the Fiesta. The Gymkhana video maker was asked on an American radio station whether Ford would be making such a car, and without letting the cat totally out of the bag, Block replied: "We're discussing those types of things but there's nothing set in stone at this point." Of course, this doesn't mean we'll see the car over here, or even that the model in question would be anything more than a visual tribute to the Monster rally car, but we certainly like the idea of a bonkers Fiesta. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQ7R_buZPSo We'll keep our fingers crossed. LINK It would be nice to see Scoobies come back to do WRC as well again, Ford sell a 4WD Fiesta RS Ken Block special yes please l want one, would love to see Ken Block do the Fiesta TV commercial . Go Kenny Go baby Edited July 30, 2010 by Ford Jellymoulds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zachatola Posted July 30, 2010 Share Posted July 30, 2010 It is great to see ken in there mixing it up and seeing him represent the USA. Im excited and proud to see an American in there doing what he can in the WRC, i would love to see a loeb vs block match that would be killer. I would love to see a WRC location somewhere in the states some time that would be awesome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ford Jellymoulds Posted August 1, 2010 Author Share Posted August 1, 2010 It is great to see ken in there mixing it up and seeing him represent the USA. Im excited and proud to see an American in there doing what he can in the WRC, i would love to see a loeb vs block match that would be killer. I would love to see a WRC location somewhere in the states some time that would be awesome. Kenny has only had 3 outings this year in the Focus WRC and is struggling for points he is finding WRC hard going, but it will be great if Ford can give him a well sorted Fiesta thats would be better suited to the narrow winding roads where you can shave inches off every bend go fast through corners in a smaller car. WRC Ken Block 3 outings & finding WRC much tougher here, but give him time and he could be the best. LINK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ford Jellymoulds Posted August 2, 2010 Author Share Posted August 2, 2010 For anybody that might be into video games the Fiesta is the car used in the Dirt 3 trailer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wqVv7_1W_A&NR=1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zachatola Posted August 3, 2010 Share Posted August 3, 2010 Kenny has only had 3 outings this year in the Focus WRC and is struggling for points he is finding WRC hard going, but it will be great if Ford can give him a well sorted Fiesta thats would be better suited to the narrow winding roads where you can shave inches off every bend go fast through corners in a smaller car. WRC Ken Block 3 outings & finding WRC much tougher here, but give him time and he could be the best. LINK I agree, i hope that ford can get him setup in the new fiesta and give him some time to get things sorted out. I think the WRC is proving to be a bit harder than he thought but at the same time he is new to it and on top of it all pretty new to driving the fords too. Hopefully he can stick with it and ford will stick with him and the next years will see ken moving up in the ranks. Sure would be nice, to see him do well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ford Jellymoulds Posted October 4, 2010 Author Share Posted October 4, 2010 (edited) Sebastian Loeb became 2010 WRC champion in his Citroen on Sunday for the 7th time on a trot in front 300,000 French fans that passed through his home town in WRC France Rally. Gotta say l am looking foreword to seeing the Fiesta take over next year from the Focus it might bring a change of fortunes for Ford, a smaller car will find it easier to cut corners on the twisty narrow roads, gotta say l might start watching WRC again & do a few rallies now the awesome little Fiesta is Fords star turn in WRC & with Ken Block at the wheel. Seb has gotta be one of motorsports all time greats you have got to give him credit where credit is due. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-eTetogeK4&feature=related Ken Block has been a little bit disappointing for Ford hope he breaks his duck on WRC points by the end of the season, but l feel like he has just been feeling his way in the odd few rallies that he has done in wrc this season. F1's Kimi Raikkonen has struggled in his first year in 10th position at the moment showing that WRC is the toughest form of Motorsport there is on the planet. LINK Edited October 4, 2010 by Ford Jellymoulds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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